Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) moved his appropriations bill out of his subcommittee as members debated its worth as a proxy for broader spending fights, and Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) took her shot at ending a Republican blockade on military promotions.

Cardinal Mark advances his bill through committee

As Nevada’s first legislative cardinal in decades, Amodei’s job this winter has been to hold hearings and draft a bill funding the legislative branch as the chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s smallest subcommittee.

On Thursday, Amodei completed his work, advancing the bill out of committee on a party-line vote over objections from Democrats. The bill, which authorizes the budget for the House, the Capitol Police, congressional staff and several independent government agencies, is the smallest of the government’s 12 appropriations bills. Amodei proposed a 4.5 percent budgetary decrease from the 2023 fiscal year’s enacted level; when the Senate’s bill for the funding of its chamber is factored in, the overall legislative branch decrease is projected to be 2.2 percent.

“The bill reflects both an acknowledgement that the legislative branch must set itself up as an example for fiscal restraint, while serving as an essential branch of government that is open and accessible to the American people,” Amodei said in a statement.

Most of the line items in the budget — including funding for the Capitol Police, House salaries and expenses, the Congressional Budget Office and the Library of Congress — would receive modest increases from the previous fiscal year’s enacted level, without meeting the funding requested by the Biden administration.

The biggest cuts are to the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), which is responsible for the maintenance and operations of the Capitol complex, and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which was started under then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). The AOC’s budget would be slashed by 29 percent, though Amodei said the budget would still be sufficient to cover the office’s top 10 identified most critical projects. And the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s budget was zeroed out despite objections from Democrats. Republicans say its mission could be fulfilled in other congressional offices.

Amodei, who held the hearing in the aftermath of an armed attack on staffers in a district office of Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) in Northern Virginia, added that the increased Capitol Police funding would result in the hiring of 2,200 police officers.

The panel’s top Democrats, subcommittee ranking member Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) and full committee ranking member Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), both said the Capitol Police budget was still insufficient in the wake of the attack.

And while the subcommittee markup had a collegial vibe — Amodei praised DeLauro for being a fellow Italian-American, while Espaillat invited Amodei to a Yankees game — the two sides remain far apart on spending targets. DeLauro lamented that Republicans have yet to release overall toplines for spending, and said Democrats could not vote to advance the legislative branch bill without knowing the size of cuts in the other appropriations bills. 

If Republicans were calling for a 22 percent discretionary spending cut in their debt limit bill, and the legislative branch’s bill only represented a 4.5 percent decrease, then bills budgeting for education, energy, veterans’ affairs and other departments would necessitate enormous cuts, DeLauro said.

“Simply put, my view is that the Republicans’ plan is a house of cards,” DeLauro said. “We cannot support bills when we only know the smallest piece of the overall proposal.”

And even within the budget, Espaillat and DeLauro said Amodei’s bill rolled back progress they said Democrats had made during their time in the majority, including advancing diversity, congressional bargaining rights for staff, enhancements for security in district offices, and providing work eligibility for DACA recipients to serve as staffers.

In a statement to Roll Call, the Congressional Workers’ Union, which has supported recent moves by congressional offices to unionize, said the legislative branch bill would undermine unionization and diversity efforts.

In an acknowledgment of Democrats’ concerns, Amodei said the bill will evolve through amendments in the full committee, on the House floor, and in the eventual conference with the Senate to merge spending bills. The bill then passed out of committee on a voice vote, with Democrats objecting.

In his statement after the markup, he leaned a bit more partisan.

“[The bill] provides adequate resources to ensure Members of Congress can effectively serve their constituents and maintains funding for House Committees to make certain that essential oversight responsibilities are upheld — which is more important than ever with President Biden in the White House,” he said.

Rosen calls out Tuberville on DOD holds

In an ongoing struggle between Senate Democrats and Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) over military promotions, Rosen took her shot at getting Tuberville to relent in a sharp floor speech denouncing his actions.

Since March 8, Tuberville, a close Trump ally who recently came under fire for criticizing policies that aim to keep white nationalists out of the military, has put a hold on all Department of Defense promotions over the military’s Biden-era policy of reimbursing troops who travel out of state for abortion services.

Any one senator has the power to block promotions, which are typically confirmed en bloc via unanimous consent. To this point, Tuberville has stopped 197 promotions — a blockage that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said is harmful to national security and military operations, bringing an “unprecedented degree of risk” to the Pentagon.

Tuberville’s strategy has been lambasted by Democrats and drawn mixed reviews from Republicans. Some colleagues have praised him for standing up against the Biden administration, while others, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who criticizes his own members rarely but deliberately, said he did not support the hold.

In a floor speech Wednesday asking for unanimous consent to advance a batch of 23 promotions, Rosen tried to get Tuberville to drop his hold, saying he was “playing politics” over matters of national security. She added that one of the promotions was for the vice commander of the Air Force Warfare Center at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base, who, Rosen said, oversees 13,000 people but is now in limbo as he cannot transition to his next assignment and receive his pay raise. His replacement cannot relocate to Las Vegas and begin duties.

“This hurts military families,” Rosen said. “This hurts Nevada. This hurts the United States of America.”

Rosen added that service members deserve to “make their own family-planning decisions.” 

Tuberville quickly objected.

“This is the sixth or seventh time that I’ve come to the floor to stop my colleagues on the left from cramming these nominations down our throat,” Tuberville said.

He said he would support individual nominations coming to the floor for votes, asking Rosen to have Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) bring the Nellis vice commander nomination she’s interested in advancing to the floor, and then he would vote for it. But he objected to approving promotions en bloc, saying he was “standing up for the rule of law” against the Biden administration’s abortion policy, which he said should have been up to Congress.

When he was finished, Rosen, clearly agitated, said adversaries such as Russia, China and Iran would be taking note of the dysfunction and its effect on the U.S.’ military strength.

“Every day these thresholds persist, every day that you persist, you risk the U.S. national security and you risk our military readiness, because we lack officials in key posts across the military at this critical time,” Rosen said.

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), exasperated, also took the floor to blast Tuberville, saying passing promotions en bloc is a standard procedure and that the entire debate must strike the general public as ridiculous.

“The craziness sometimes, in this body, is just nonsensical,” she said.

Just Checking In

Solar panels

President Joe Biden officially vetoed a Congressional Review Act calling for the reimposition of a tariff on solar parts made in Southeast Asia, agreeing with Nevada Democrats and Rosen — who led the effort to kill the tariff — that the U.S. cannot afford to lose out on solar energy installations while the nascent domestic solar manufacturing industry is still finding its footing.

In a statement, Biden said 51 new solar manufacturing plants have opened or expanded since he took office and he anticipated more in the future. But until the solar tariff resumes in 2024, he said the industry needs to continue importing parts with price certainty.

“We cannot afford to create new uncertainty for American businesses and workers in the solar industry,” Biden said. “We can and must strengthen our energy security by maintaining our focus on expanding U.S. capacity.”

To expand domestic solar manufacturing, Cortez Masto, along with three other Senate Democrats, reintroduced legislation this week to provide $3 billion in grant funding for new and existing solar manufacturing plants.

Oil and gas leasing

Cortez Masto and Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV) introduced legislation in each chamber to end speculative public land leasing for oil and gas, a practice they say is a waste of time and resources.

In a committee hearing, Lee explained that two-thirds of acreage nominated for onshore oil and gas leasing nationwide from 2009 to 2019 was in Nevada, despite low quantities of those resources, per a Government Accountability Office report. Bureau of Land Management staff took five years to process these nominations, Lee said, most of which yielded no energy production.

“Is it fair to say that American taxpayers and our public lands both stand to benefit from bipartisan policymaking that would shift focus away from speculative — and ultimately unproductive — oil and gas leasing in states like Nevada, toward projects with a more promising return on investment?” Lee asked a witness during the hearing.

The bill is supported by the Nevada Conservation League, the Hispanic Access Foundation, Trout Unlimited and a number of other conservation groups.

Around the Capitol

• Democrats in both chambers introduced legislation to reform the Mining Law of 1872 by establishing a royalty on mining operations. No members of the Nevada delegation have signed on as co-sponsors. 
• The Senate passed a resolution Rosen introduced recognizing Jewish American Heritage Month by unanimous consent.
• Cortez Masto and a group of Democrats reintroduced legislation to make birth control available over-the-counter at pharmacies without a prescription or out-of-pocket costs.
• The Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee favorably reported two conservation-focused, Cortez Masto-led bills to the floor — the Lake Tahoe Restoration Reauthorization Act and the Ruby Mountains Protection Act.
• Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) spoke as the ranking member of her disaster preparedness-focused subcommittee, calling on Congress to pass a piece of legislation she introduced to create a universal application for federal disaster assistance. 
• Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus met with Attorney General Merrick Garland to discuss the Biden administration’s implementation of executive orders on reforming policing.
• Rosen’s legislation to create a civilian cybersecurity reserve passed out of the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee.
• Cortez Masto spoke on the Senate floor about the experience of being the spouse of a member of law enforcement as part of National Police Week.
• Titus called on the State Department to improve the efficiency of its passport application process, as many Americans experience delays.
• Lee and her staff made a Bike to Work Day short film/music video? Watch it for yourself. The Department of Transportation is a fan!

Notable and Quotable

“Thank you so much for saying Nevada properly. I urge the rest of my colleagues to learn the proper pronunciation for our great state of Nevada.”

• Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV), throwing shade at Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) for using the dreaded Ne-VAH-Duh pronouncing and praising Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO), who said it correctly

Legislative Tracker

CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO

Legislation sponsored:

S.J.Res.28 — A joint resolution providing for the reappointment of Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

S.J.Res.29 — A joint resolution providing for the reappointment of Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

S.J.Res.30 — A joint resolution providing for the appointment of Antoinette Bush as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.

S.1622 — A bill to discourage speculative oil and gas leasing and to promote enhanced multiple use management of public land and National Forest System land, and for other purposes.

S.1643 — A bill to require the Secretary of Energy to carry out a program to provide grants and loans to support and expand the domestic solar component manufacturing supply chain, and for other purposes.

S.1673 — A bill to amend title XVIII to protect patient access to ground ambulance services under the Medicare program.

S.1739 — A bill to require the administrator of the Small Business Administration to establish an Innovation Voucher Grant Program.

Legislation co-sponsored:

S.1591 — A bill to authorize dedicated domestic terrorism offices within the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to analyze and monitor domestic terrorist activity and require the federal government to take steps to prevent domestic terrorism.

S.1600 — Border Management, Security and Assistance Act of 2023

S.1606 — A bill to end preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity and maternal health disparities in the United States, and for other purposes.

S.1610 — A bill to authorize administrative absences and travel and transportation allowances for members of the Armed Forces to travel and obtain reproductive health care.

S.1630 — A bill to modify the procedures for issuing special recreation permits for certain public land units, and for other purposes.

S.Res.215 — A resolution supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2023, including increasing individual and public awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families and young people.

S.Res.216 — A resolution designating the week of May 14-20, 2023, as "National Police Week."

S.1664 — A bill to allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families.

S.1695 — A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit to issuers of American infrastructure bonds.

S.1698 — A bill to require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives.

S.1702 — A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that include the history of peoples of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent in the settling and founding of America, the social, economic and political environments that led to the development of discriminatory laws targeting Asians, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their relation to current events, and the impact and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to the development and enhancement of American life, United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws and culture, and for other purposes.

S.1723 — A bill to establish the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States, and for other purposes.

S.1727 — A bill to provide a process for granting lawful permanent resident status to aliens from certain countries who meet specified eligibility requirements, and for other purposes.

JACKY ROSEN

Legislation co-sponsored:

S.1600 — Border Management, Security and Assistance Act of 2023

S.1610 — A bill to authorize administrative absences and travel and transportation allowances for members of the Armed Forces to travel and obtain reproductive health care.

S.Res.215 — A resolution supporting the mission and goals of National Fentanyl Awareness Day in 2023, including increasing individual and public awareness of the impact of fake or counterfeit fentanyl pills on families and young people.

S.Res.216 — A resolution designating the week of May 14-20, 2023, as "National Police Week."

S.1646 — A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to require the Attorney General to submit an annual report to Congress on gang activity, reporting, investigation and prosecution, and for other purposes.

S.1664 — A bill to allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families.

S.1702 — A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out educational programs that include the history of peoples of Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander descent in the settling and founding of America, the social, economic and political environments that led to the development of discriminatory laws targeting Asians, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders and their relation to current events, and the impact and contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders to the development and enhancement of American life, United States history, literature, the economy, politics, body of laws and culture, and for other purposes.

S.1705 — A bill to amend the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant program to promote career awareness in accounting as part of a well-rounded STEM educational experience.

S.1714 — A bill to provide paid family leave benefits to certain individuals, and for other purposes.

S.1727 — A bill to provide a process for granting lawful permanent resident status to aliens from certain countries who meet specified eligibility requirements, and for other purposes.

S.1751 — A bill to amend the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act to improve compensation for workers involved in uranium mining, and for other purposes.

DINA TITUS

Legislation co-sponsored:

H.R.3326 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a pilot program to build tiny homes for homeless veterans, and for other purposes.

H.R.3374 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a grant program for early childhood STEAM activities.

H.R.3384 — To amend title 49, United States Code, to permit the use of federal funds to pay for travel costs of federal personnel and their pets, and for other purposes.

H.Res.413 — Condemning the atrocity that occurred in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022, in which 10 Americans were killed and 3 were injured, and in which 11 of the 13 victims were Black Americans, condemning the Great Replacement Theory as a white supremacist conspiracy theory, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating white supremacy, hatred and racial injustice.

H.Res.418 — Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Interphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT).

H.R.3420 — To protect the privacy of personal reproductive or sexual health information, and for other purposes.

H.R.3421 — To establish an improved Medicare for All national health insurance program.

H.Res.422 — Recognizing "National Public Works Week."

H.R.3481 — To provide paid family and medical leave benefits to certain individuals, and for other purposes.

H.R.3501 — To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to authorize a grant program for law enforcement agencies and corrections agencies to obtain behavioral health crisis response training for law enforcement officers and corrections officers, and for other purposes.

MARK AMODEI

Legislation co-sponsored:

H.R.3381 — To authorize the Attorney General to establish the National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach program, and for other purposes.

H.R.3389 — To require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an evaluation with respect to the use of the container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS), and for other purposes.

H.R.3397 — To require the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to withdraw a rule of the Bureau of Land Management relating to conservation and landscape health.

SUSIE LEE

Legislation sponsored:

H.R.3377 — To discourage speculative oil and gas leasing and to promote enhanced multiple use management of public land and National Forest System land, and for other purposes.

Legislation co-sponsored:

H.Res.413 — Condemning the atrocity that occurred in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022, in which 10 Americans were killed and 3 were injured, and in which 11 of the 13 victims were Black Americans, condemning the Great Replacement Theory as a white supremacist conspiracy theory, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating white supremacy, hatred and racial injustice.

H.R.3539 — To provide collective bargaining rights for public safety officers employed by states or their political subdivisions, and for other purposes.

STEVEN HORSFORD

Legislation co-sponsored:

H.R.3302 — To protect moms and babies against climate change, and for other purposes.

H.R.3303 — To provide support for programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs relating to the coordination of maternity health care, and for other purposes.

H.R.3304 — To authorize appropriations for data collection, surveillance and research on maternal health outcomes during public health emergencies, and for other purposes.

H.R.3305 — To end preventable maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity and maternal health disparities in the United States, and for other purposes.

H.R.3310 — To end preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in the United States and close disparities in maternal health outcomes, and for other purposes.

H.R.3320 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to improve maternal health data collection processes and quality measures, and for other purposes.

H.R.3322 — To address social determinants of maternal health to eliminate maternal mortality, severe maternal morbidity and maternal health disparities, and for other purposes.

H.R.3332 — To extend eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) for new moms, and for other purposes.

H.R.3344 — To end the shackling of pregnant individuals, and for other purposes.

H.R.3346 — To direct the administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to implement the Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project to test various payment models with respect to maternity care provided to pregnant and postpartum individuals, and for other purposes.

H.R.3348 — To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to maternal vaccination awareness and equity, and for other purposes.

H.Res.413 — Condemning the atrocity that occurred in Buffalo, New York, on May 14, 2022, in which 10 Americans were killed and 3 were injured, and in which 11 of the 13 victims were Black Americans, condemning the Great Replacement Theory as a white supremacist conspiracy theory, and reaffirming the House of Representatives commitment to combating white supremacy, hatred and racial injustice.

H.R.3523 — To grow and diversify the perinatal workforce, and for other purposes.