This Week in Congress: Ending the Separation of Detained Migrant Families at the Border & Avoiding a Gov’t Shutdown

Your lawmakers have a busy week ahead of them, as they aim to send a stopgap funding bill to the president’s desk that would avoid a government shutdown on October 1st before both chambers depart D.C. for a two week recess.

The Senate convenes on Monday, when it will take a procedural vote on a nomination to the Treasury Dept. Tuesday will likely feature a confirmation vote, along with consideration of nominations to the Interior Dept., the Social Security Administration, and an ambassador to several South Pacific nations. At a time to be announced before the end of the week, the Senate is expected to take up the House-passed continuing resolution to fund the government through November 21st.

The House starts its week on Tuesday with votes on several foreign affairs related bills, including a bill sanctioning Burma’s military for its genocide of the Rohingya and a resolution affirming the U.S. alliance with Japan and South Korea. The rest of the week’s schedule will be headlined by bills to end the separation of migrant families apprehended after illegally crossing the U.S. border and to ensure that people apprehended by Customs & Border Protection receive standardized medical screenings.

Check here throughout the week to see the vote results and updates to the schedule.

Schedule subject to change. All times Eastern.

SENATE

Monday after 5:30pm

• Cloture motion on the nomination of Brian McGuire to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury Invoked 82-6.

Tuesday after 12pm

• Confirmation vote on the nomination of Brian McGuire to be a Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury Confirmed 88-6.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Joseph Cella to be Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu Invoked 55-37.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Daniel Jorjani to be Solicitor of the Dept. of the Interior Invoked 50-41.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of David Black to be reappointed as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security for a term expiring January 19, 2025 Invoked 66-25.
• Confirmation vote on the nomination of Joseph Cella to be Ambassador to Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Tonga, and Tuvalu Confirmed 56-38.
• Confirmation vote on the nomination of Daniel Jorjani to be Solicitor of the Dept. of the Interior Confirmed 51-43.
• Confirmation vote on the nomination of David Black to be reappointed as Deputy Commissioner of Social Security for a term expiring January 19, 2025 Confirmed 68-26.
• S.Res. 325: Transmission of the Whistleblower Complaint Adopted by unanimous consent.

Wednesday after 12:15pm

• S.J.Res. 54: Disapproving the Border Emergency Declaration Passed 54-41.
• Motions to instruct conferees on S. 1790: National Defense Authorization Act, 2020
• Cloture motion on the nomination of John Hyten to be Vice Chair of the Join Chiefs of Staff Invoked 73-21.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Eugene Scalia to be Secretary of Labor Invoked 52-42.

Thursday after 12:15pm

• Paul Amendment to H.R. 4378: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019 Not adopted 24-73.
• H.R. 4378: Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019 Passed 82-15.
• Confirmation vote on the nomination of John Hyten to be Vice Chair of the Join Chiefs of Staff Confirmed 75-22.
• Confirmation vote on the nomination of Eugene Scalia to be Secretary of Labor Confirmed 53-44.

HOUSE

Tuesday after 6:30pm (under suspension of the rules)

• H.R. 3190: BURMA Act of 2019, as amended Passed 394-21.
• H.Res. 127: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on the importance and vitality of the United States alliances with Japan and the Republic of Korea, and our trilateral cooperation in the pursuit of shared interests, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1632: Southeast Asia Strategy Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.Res. 444: Reaffirming the importance of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees and displaced persons, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2229: First Responders Passport Act of 2019, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2327: Burma Political Prisoners Assistance Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.

Wednesday after 10am

• H.R. 2203: Homeland Security Improvement Act Passed 230-194.
• H.R. 1595: SAFE Banking Act of 2019 Passed 321-103.
• H.Res. 576: Transmission of the Whistleblower Complaint Adopted 421-0, 2 present.

Thursday after 12pm

• H.R. 3525: U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screening Standards Act Passed 230-184.
• H.R. 3106: Domestic and International Terrorism DATA Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3691: TRANSLATE Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3722: Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019 Vote postponed.
• H.R. 3710: Cybersecurity Vulnerability Remediation Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3526: Counter Terrorist Network Act Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3675: Trusted Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3694: Helping Families Fly Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2589: Unifying DHS Intelligence Enterprise Act, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 3246: Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 2528: STEM Opportunities Act of 2019 Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 335: South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2019, as amended Passed by voice vote.
• H.R. 1623: Help America Run Act Vote postponed.

Friday between 9am and 3pm

• S.J.Res. 54: Disapproving the Border Emergency Declaration Passed 236-174.
• H.R. 3722: Joint Task Force to Combat Opioid Trafficking Act of 2019 Passed 403-1.

Tell your reps how to vote on this week's bills and share your thoughts below!

— Eric Revell