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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignright wp-image-6235" src="https://www.ohioclock.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/27/2021/09/Capitol-Hill-iStock_000001716887_1200x630.jpg" alt="" width="438" height="230" />By: <a href="https://www.bakerlaw.com/AdamJHiggins">Adam J. Higgins</a>
Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s <a href="https://www.bakerlaw.com/FederalPolicy">Federal Policy</a> team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session.
HEADLINES
<ul>
<li>Congress last week managed to keep the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5305">government open</a> and reauthorize federal <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/5434">transportation programs</a> for the near term, but little else was resolved, and this week Democrats continue to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzEPvj46rGQ">struggle</a> to find a path forward on President Joe Biden’s domestic agenda.</li>
<li>The more urgent deadline now is addressing the debt ceiling. How Congress will do so remains a mystery, despite Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/yellen-says-treasury-could-exhaust-cash-reserves-by-oct-18-if-debt-limit-isnt-raised-11632835248?mod=hp_major_pos3#cxrecs_s">warning</a> that it must happen within the next two weeks.</li>
<li>Biden plans to travel the country this week to drive public support for both his agenda and his administration’s efforts to fight COVID-19.</li>
</ul>

HOUSE
<ul>
<li>The House is in a committee work week; no votes are currently scheduled until later this month.</li>
<li>The Financial Services Committee on Tuesday will hold an oversight <a href="https://financialservices.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=408475">hearing</a> with Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler.</li>
<li>The Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee on Wednesday will hold a <a href="https://energycommerce.house.gov/committee-activity/hearings/hearing-on-strengthening-our-communications-networks-to-meet-the-needs">legislative hearing</a> on strengthening telecommunications infrastructure.</li>
<li>The full list of this week’s House committee activity can be found <a href="https://www.house.gov/legislative-activity">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
SENATE
<ul>
<li>Senate Democrats this week <a href="https://www.senate.gov/floor/index.htm?web=1&wdLOR=cF7535ADE-A966-4D8A-ABDE-9C00FD135BC8">plan</a> to vote on a House-passed bill to raise the debt ceiling, but the effort is expected to be blocked by Republicans, who instead want to force Democrats to use a more politically painful budget procedure to increase the government’s borrowing authority.</li>
<li>Facebook <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/facebook-whistleblower-frances-haugen-says-she-wants-to-fix-the-company-not-harm-it-11633304122?mod=hp_lead_pos7">whistleblower</a> Frances Haugen will testify Tuesday at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security <a href="https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2021/10/protecting%20kids%20online:%20testimony%20from%20a%20facebook%20whistleblower">hearing</a> on protecting kids online.</li>
<li>The Judiciary Committee will hold a <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/meetings/renewing-and-strengthening-the-violence-against-women-act">hearing</a> Tuesday on the Violence Against Women Act with Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco as the headlining witness.</li>
<li>The current list of Senate committee activity can be found <a href="https://www.senate.gov/committees/hearings_meetings.htm">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
WHITE HOUSE
<ul>
<li>Biden will <a href="https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2021/10/president-joe-biden-visiting-michigan-to-pitch-1-trillion-infrastructure-agenda.html">travel</a> to Michigan tomorrow aiming to build public support for passage of his agenda.</li>
<li>The president over the weekend pledged to “<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-says-he-hopes-republicans-will-not-be-irresponsible-refuse-raise-debt-2021-10-02/">work like hell</a>” to advance his twin bills to shore up the nation’s <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3684">infrastructure</a> and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/build-back-better/">increase</a> taxes and safety net spending.</li>
<li>On Friday, Biden plans to speak about the September <a href="https://www.bls.gov/bls/newsrels.htm#OEUS">jobs report</a>.</li>
</ul>

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