It’s another busy week on Capitol Hill as the House Select Committee to Investigate the Jan. 6th Attack on the Capitol holds three public hearings. Meanwhile, Senators are ironing out the details of a possible bipartisan deal to tackle gun violence.
Table of Contents:
- Progressive Playbook
- House
- Senate
- Issues to Watch
- Key Dates
- What We’re Reading
Progressive Playbook
JUSTICE REFORM
Whatever we look like or wherever we live, we all want to move through our communities without fearing for our lives or our loved ones. But today, our criminal justice system isn’t building justice or keeping our communities safe. Together, we must imagine a new world for public safety that upholds dignity, safety, and opportunity for all of us, Black, White, or Brown. We must invest in the communities harmed by racist policies like redlining, school segregation and police brutality.
FAST FACTS
- 74% of voters agree that poor people shouldn’t be locked up just because they can’t pay fines and fees. 64% agree that the war on drugs has failed and too many people have been locked up in prison and jail for long sentences.
- The U.S. has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world. Every year, over 600,000 people enter prison and people go to jail 10.6 million times each year. 60,000 children are incarcerated in juvenile facilities on any given day. The federal prison population has increased by almost 790% since 1980.
- People of color, especially Black people and Indigenous people, are more policed, more likely to be arrested and more likely to be given long sentences. Black people are 13% of the U.S. population but 40% of people in prison are Black. Black and Latino people are arrested at nearly 6 times the rate of White people
House
House Floor
The House will vote on five suspension bills from the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. Suspension bills require a ⅔ majority to pass. For a list of all suspension bills being considered, click here.
The House will also consider the following bills, subject to rules:
H.R. 2773 – Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2022 (Rep. Dingell – Natural Resources): The bill would provide funding for the conservation and restoration of wildlife and plant species; the wildlife conservation strategies of states, territories, tribal governments, and the District of Columbia; and wildlife conservation education and recreation projects.
- Press Release (Rep. Dingell)
H.R. 2543 – Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act (Rep. Waters – Financial Services): The bill would require the Federal Reserve Board to carry out its duties in a manner that supports the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in employment, income, wealth, and access to affordable credit. The board must report on disparities in labor force trends as well as on the board’s plans and activities to minimize and eliminate these disparities.
- Press Release (Financial Services Committee)
H.R. 7606 – Lower Food and Fuel Costs Act (Rep. Spanberger – Agriculture): The bill would allow summertime sale of E15 gasoline, create a Meat and Poultry Special Investigator at the USDA to enforce fair-play laws in meatpacking, and help farmers adopt precision agriculture technology.
- Press Release (Agriculture Committee)
House Committee Highlights
A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:
Monday Hearings
On the January 6th Investigation (Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)
Tuesday Hearings
A 2022 Review of the Farm Bill: Stakeholder Perspectives on Non-SNAP USDA Nutrition Programs (Agriculture)
Examining Federal Efforts to Prevent, Detect, and Prosecute Pandemic Relief Fraud to Safeguard Funds for All Eligible Americans (Coronavirus Crisis)
Protecting America’s Consumers: Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Data Privacy and Security (Energy & Commerce)
How the American Rescue Plan Saved Lives and the U.S. Economy (Budget)
State Perspectives on Cutting Methane Pollution (Climate Crisis)
Wednesday Hearings
On the January 6th Investigation (Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)
Current Status of ISIS and al Qaeda (Homeland Security)
The Role of Climate Research in Supporting Agricultural Resiliency (Agriculture)
The Burnout Epidemic and What Working Women Need for A Stronger Economy (Ways & Means)
Markup of Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Bill (Appropriations)
Tools to Combat Gun Trafficking and Reduce Gun Violence in Our Communities (Rules)
Thursday Hearings
On the January 6th Investigation (Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol)
Ensuring Independence and Building Trust: Considering Reforms to Whistleblower Protections at VA (Veterans’ Affairs)
U.S. Efforts to Support European Energy Security (Foreign Affairs)
Senate
Senate Floor
H.R. 3967 – Honoring our PACT Act (Rep. Takano – Veterans’ Affairs): The bill would expand access to Veterans Affairs Department health care and expedite disability compensation for veterans exposed to toxic substances in the line of duty, including those exposed to burn pits, which the military has long used to dispose of jet fuel, medical waste, and garbage.
- Press Release (Rep. Takano)
Senate Committee Highlights
A full list of this week’s Senate committee hearings, including confirmation hearings, can be found here. Notable committee hearings include:
Tuesday Hearings
Protecting Our Democracy’s Frontline Workers (Judiciary)
Strengthening our Workforce and Economy through Higher Education and Immigration (Judiciary)
Review of the Fiscal Year 2023 Budget and 2024 Advance Appropriations Requests for the Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans’ Affairs)
- Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs Denis McDonough is testifying
Wednesday Hearings
Protecting America’s Children From Gun Violence (Judiciary)
Baby Formula and Beyond: The Impact of Consolidation on Families and Consumers (Judiciary)
Supply Chain Resiliency: Alleviating Backlogs and Strengthening Long-Term Security (Finance)
The President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget Request for the United States Department of Labor (Appropriations)
- Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is testifying
Thursday Hearings
An Update on the Ongoing Federal Response to COVID-19: Current Status and Future Planning (HELP)
Issues to Watch
January 6th Committee Public Hearings
Following their first prime time hearing last Thursday, the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the Capitol is continuing their series of public hearings this week. The second hearing began this morning and focused on former President Trump’s false claim that he won the 2020 election and the decision to push that lie to millions of supporters. The next public hearings are scheduled for Wednesday, June 15; Thursday, June 16; Tuesday, June 21; and Thursday, June 23. The Select Committee is then expected to release an extensive report on its findings later this year.
- What to expect from the second Jan. 6 committee hearing (NPR)
- The January 6th Hearings: A Criminal Evidence Tracker (Just Security)
Gun Violence Prevention Talks
Over the weekend, a group of 20 bipartisan senators, led by Senators Chris Murphy (D-CT) and John Cornyn (R-TX), announced that they reached an agreement on an outline of possible reforms to address gun violence in the U.S. The proposals include providing resources for state crisis intervention orders (red flag laws), expanding and increasing access to mental health programs, preventing gun sales to domestic violence offenders (closing the boyfriend loophole), cracking down on illegal straw purchases and gun trafficking, funding for school safety resources, and requiring that juvenile justice and mental health records be included in federal criminal background checks for gun buyers under 21. Shortly after reaching the deal, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he planned to put the bill on the floor as soon as possible. Formal legislative text for the agreement has not yet been released.
- Press Release (Sen. Murphy)
- Senators strike bipartisan gun deal, heralding potential breakthrough (Washington Post)
SCOTUS Decisions
This morning, the Supreme Court announced decisions in five cases, including in Johnson v. Arteaga-Martinez, in which the court decided that noncitizens who have spent more than six months in immigration detention awaiting resolution of their deportation withholding claim are not entitled to a hearing before an immigration judge to determine whether they can be released on bond. Other notable cases on which there may soon be decisions include:
- Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization: The Court will decide whether pre-viability bans on elective abortion are constitutional.
- Biden v. Texas: The Court will decide whether the Biden administration must continue to enforce Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy, which requires asylum seekers to stay in Mexico while they await a hearing in U.S. immigration court.
- West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency: The Court will consider whether the Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions in virtually any industry, so long as it considers cost, non-air impacts, and energy requirements.
- New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen: The Court will decide whether New York’s denial of petitioners’ applications for concealed-carry licenses for self-defense violated the Second Amendment.
The Supreme Court releases opinions on Monday and some Wednesday mornings. You can find them here.
- Supreme Court Reform: Examining Key Issues and Proposals (PCAF)
- Supreme Court makes it more difficult to challenge immigration policies in court (CNN)
- How SCOTUS’ upcoming climate ruling could defang Washington (Politico)
- The Supreme Court’s Extreme Majority Risks Turning Back the Clock on Decades of Progress and Undermining Our Democracy (Center for American Progress)
Key Dates
June: Immigrant Heritage Month
June: LGBTQ+ Pride Month
June: National Gun Violence Awareness Month
June 15: 10th anniversary of DACA
June 18: Poor People’s Campaign Moral March on Washington
June 19: Juneteenth Holiday
June 27 – July 8: Senate is out of session
June 28: House remote voting expires
July 1 – 11: House is out of session
July 4: Independence Day
July 26 – 24: Latino Conservation Week
July 30 – Sept. 5: August Recess
What We’re Reading
The Supreme Court Is Not Supposed to Have This Much Power (The Atlantic)
In abortion debate, echoes of another battle: Reproductive rights for Black women (The Washington Post)
The CEO-to-Worker Pay Gap Is Climbing to Truly Obscene Levels (Jacobin)
Americans Widely Reject Proposals for More Pentagon Spending — So Should Congress (Data for Progress)
Low-Wage Employers Spent Billions Inflating CEO Pay Through Stock Buybacks (Inequality.org)
Guns do more than kill (Vox)
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