Senate Legislation

Congress Returns to Big Challenges Ahead

The Senate returned from recess last Monday, September 4, 2023, and the House will return to Washington, D.C. this week to resume work on the numerous legislative priorities before them, the most pressing of which is finding a way to fund the government past September 30th, the end of the fiscal year. With just about

Congress Leaves for Recess

On Thursday, July 27, 2023, Congress wrapped up their work for the summer and left town for the August recess. Members will spend the next 6 weeks in their districts and will return to Washington, D.C. after Labor Day to resume business on the Hill. The Senate moved quickly to pass each of the twelve

Senate Appropriations Committee Marks Up Bills

On July 20th, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee held a full committee markup of Fiscal Year 2023 on Energy and Water Development, State and Foreign Operations, and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations Acts to discuss and make any amendments to the bills. The Chair and Senator Murray gave an opening statement commending bipartisan efforts

House and Senate Appropriations Bills Move Forward

Congress returned from the July 4th recess last week and moved quickly on a number of initiatives, as there are only three weeks until the August recess begins. The Appropriations process is a top priority for both House and Senate Leadership, because the deadline for passing the spending bills to fund the government is fast

Senate Finance Hearing on the Child Tax Credit

On July 13th, 2023, the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight held a hearing to assess the last 25 years of the Child Tax Credit and discuss future implementation of the credit. The hearing began with an opening statement from the Chairman and Senator Bennet(D-CA) that called for the expansion of the Child

Thirty Years Of The FMLA: Webinar

On June 28th, 2023, the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin- Madison held a webinar, "Thirty Years of the FMLA: What’s Worked, What Hasn’t, and Recommendations for More Equitable Policies," to discuss the advantages and drawbacks of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and ways to improve equity and

Appropriations Bills Move Forward

Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees are moving forward in the Appropriations process, releasing text and holding mark-ups for several of the Appropriations bills over the past couple of weeks, including the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies bill, which is covered below. Leaders of both Committees have made a

Agriculture Appropriations Bills Pass out of Committees

Both the House and Senate have started the process of considering Appropriations Bills, including the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill. This bill includes nutrition programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children (WIC). On June 14th, the full House

Building Child Care for a Better Future Act Reintroduced

As COVID-19 Pandemic relief funding is coming to an end, the child care sector is facing a severe funding cliff. On Thursday June 15, 2023, Senators Wyden (D-OR) and Warren (D-MA) reintroduced the Building Child Care for a Better Future Act, which provides new, permanent funding so that states, tribes, and territories have the critical

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