Committee Watch: Trade Policy & the USMCA, the Mueller Report, and Funding for the Border Crisis

Before bills and nominations are brought up for a passage vote in Congress, they typically have to be considered and approved by relevant committees ― which also conduct oversight of federal agencies. Here’s a look at what Congressional committees will be holding hearings on this week.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

TUESDAY

• The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will hold a hearing on the Lower Health Care Costs Act. 9:30am
• The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to examine deferred maintenance needs and potential solutions. 9:30am
• The Senate Finance Committee will hold a hearing titled “The President’s 2019 Trade Policy Agenda and the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement” featuring testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. 10:15am

WEDNESDAY

• The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing titled “The 2019 Trade Policy Agenda: Negotiations With China, Japan, the EU, and UK; New NAFTA/USMCA; U.S. Participation in the WTO; and Other Matters” featuring testimony from U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. 9:30am
• The House Budget Committee will hold a hearing titled “Poverty in America: Economic Realities of Struggling Families”. 10am
• The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Combating Kleptocracy: Beneficial Ownership, Money Laundering, and Other Reforms”. 10am
• The House Oversight Committee will hold a hearing titled “Medical Experts: Inadequate Federal Approach to Opioid Treatment and the Need to Expand Care”. 10am
• The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will hold a hearing titled “FAST Act Reauthorization: Transportation and Safety Issues”. 10am
• The Senate Appropriations Committee will hold a hearing to markup an emergency border supplemental appropriations bill. 10:30am
• The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “Unlocked Potential? Small Businesses in the Cannabis Industry”. 11:30am
• The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “Harnessing the Power of Community: Leveraging Veteran Networks to Tackle Suicide”. 2:30pm
• The Senate Budget Committee will hold a hearing titled “Fixing a Broken Budget and Spending Process: Lessons from States”. 2:30pm

THURSDAY

• The House Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing titled “Lessons from the Mueller Report, Part II: Bipartisan Perspectives”. 10am
• The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing to advance the nominations of one circuit court judge, 15 district court judges, a federal claims court judge, a member of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, and the Secure and Protect Act of 2019 (S.1494). 10am
• The House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “The Importance of Accurate Census Data to Small Business Formation and Growth”. 10am
• The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing to examine geothermal energy development. 10am
• The House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress will hold a hearing titled “Cultivating Diversity and Improving Retention Among Congressional Staff”. 2pm

See the full Senate committee schedule here.

See the full House committee schedule here.

Tell your reps what you think they should be focusing on and share your thoughts on the week’s schedule in the comments below!

― Eric Revell