February 9th
This week in MORE POWER:
Border Deal and Foreign Aid Part Ways
If At First You Don’t Succeed
Mayorkas Impeachment Failure
Healthcare Bill Passes the House
Another Round of Judicial Nominations
The House is out on recess. The Senate was supposed to be starting a two-week recess but it is postponed as they struggle to reach a deal on foreign aid. It appears that they will have a challenging weekend ahead.
Border Deal and Foreign Aid Part Ways
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared the $118 billion bipartisan border security and foreign aid deal dead and urged Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to create a separate foreign aid bill. In the end, GOP senators backed away from the bipartisan border deal even though it included many of their requests, such as mandatory border shutdown authority if daily crossings exceed 5,000 people in one day, and asylum reforms. It appears that the change of heart is because former President Trump did not want them to make progress on this issue ahead of the election between him and President Biden in November.
If At First You Don’t Succeed
The new stand-alone foreign aid package would send $95 billion to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The Senate is currently stalled, with the next vote scheduled for 7:00 p.m. tonight. Senator Rand Paul has held up progress by refusing to yield time. The legislative progress of the bill faces additional delays due to potential amendment votes. President Biden has helped avoid at least one by issuing a national security memorandum that imposes additional restrictions on the utilization of U.S. military aid. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and 18 fellow Democrats had written a proposal that would require nations receiving U.S. military assistance to comply with international humanitarian law.
Mayorkas Impeachment Failed
The Republican-controlled House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over the Biden administration's handling of the U.S.-Mexico border, with Democrats united against the charges. Republicans fell short of the majority needed for the two articles of impeachment. The House is likely to revisit the issue, but the next steps are uncertain. Republicans blame Mayorkas for the surge in illegal border crossings, citing alleged violations of immigration laws, while Democrats argue it's a policy dispute and not grounds for impeachment.
Healthcare Bill Passes the House
The House passed the Protecting Health Care for All Patients Act aimed at prohibiting federally funded healthcare programs from using discriminatory cost-saving practices against people with disabilities. The bill, which passed along party lines, 211 to 208, specifically targets the use of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and similar measures in determining patient coverage across federal healthcare payers. Critics argue that QALYs unfairly discriminate against individuals with chronic illnesses and disabilities. Supporters of the system argue that, despite imperfections, the measure provides a valuable tool in comparative cost-effectiveness research for healthcare decision-making, emphasizing the need for evidence-based choices in the face of finite resources. In order for it to become law, the Senate will have to pass it and the president will need to sign it.
Another Round of Judicial Nominations
President Biden continues to nominate diverse individuals to federal district courts. This week he nominated the following people, all of whom will need to be confirmed by the Senate.
Judge Sanket J. Bulsara: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York
Judge Dena Michaela Coggins: Nominee for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
Eric Schulte: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
Judge Camela C. Theeler: Nominee for the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota
What Congress Passed This Week
Nothing.
