Senate Passes Bipartisan Bill Addressing Nat’l Park Maintenance Backlog, Confirms Circuit Court Judge

What’s happening in Congress?

• The Senate is set to pass a bipartisan bill to address the $12 billion backlog of deferred maintenance at public lands before the end of this week. After it’s done with the public lands bill, it will likely begin consideration of a nominee to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. 
• The House of Representatives will continue its recess from floor business this week, although it’s expected to return as early as Thursday, June 25th depending on the status of committee consideration of a police reform bill.

SENATE SCHEDULE

• The Senate picks up this week where it left off last week’s session in the early hours of Friday morning, with consideration of the Great American Outdoors Act ― a bipartisan bill that would use revenues from ongoing energy development on non-protected federal lands to address the $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog at other public lands, including the National Parks.
• Monday will feature several procedural votes, including a motion to waive budgetary points of order against the bill, the adoption of the substitute amendment drafted by Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Joe Manchin (D-WV), and Steve Daines (R-CO) (e.g. the Great American Outdoors Act) to the legislative vehicle formerly known as the Taxpayer First Act, and a cloture motion on the underlying bill.
• Monday’s maneuvers, if successful, will set the parliamentary stage for passage of the underlying bill either Tuesday or Wednesday. It gained substantial bipartisan support during last week’s procedural votes (80-17, 79-18, 65-19), with no Democrats voting in opposition at any stage of its consideration, so it’s likely the bill will ultimately pass.
• Later in the week, the Senate is likely to begin considering the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to serve as a judge on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. Walker is currently a U.S. District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky, and was confirmed to that position last October. If confirmed, he would join the D.C. Circuit following a judge's retirement in September 2020. A confirmation vote could occur as early as this week or next week depending on the timing of the cloture vote.
• Committees will hold several hearings this week, including hearings about police use of force & community relations, the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on the energy industry, telehealth lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

HOUSE SCHEDULE 

• The House is on recess this week, and isn’t scheduled to reconvene for floor votes until Thursday, June 25th, pending committee action on the Justice in Policing Act. It has held floor votes for only four days this spring.
• Committees will hold several virtual hearings this week, including hearings about the Justice in Policing Act, transportation & infrastructure legislation, and online foreign intelligence operations.

Check below 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

• Motion to waive the Budget Act points of order re: Gardner Substitute Amendment for H.R. 1957: Great American Outdoors Act Waived 68-30.
• Adoption of the Gardner Substitute Amendment for H.R. 1957: Great American Outdoors Act Adopted 73-24.
• Cloture motion on for H.R. 1957: Great American Outdoors Act Invoked 75-23.

Tuesday after 10am

• Consideration of H.R. 1957: Great American Outdoors Act post-cloture

Wednesday after 10am

• Passage of H.R. 1957: Great American Outdoors Act Passed 73-25.
• Cloture motion on the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Invoked 52-46.

Thursday after 1:30pm

• Confirmation vote on the nomination of Judge Justin Walker to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals Confirmed 51-42.

HOUSE

• No votes are expected. The House is scheduled to return for its next votes on Thursday, June 25th.

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

— Eric Revell