On Wednesday, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) denounced the Administration’s “zero tolerance” policy in immigration enforcement as child abuse. DeLauro stood alongside nearly a dozen members of Congress on the front lawn of the Capitol for a press conference. The zero tolerance policy is an interpretation of an existing court agreement and settlement from 1997 (Flores
Republican members of the House of Representatives agreed to drop their drive for a discharge petition to force a vote on four separate immigration bills and instead agreed to a vote on two bills. The moderate Republican members needed just two more votes to reach the 218 signatures. All Democrats had signed onto the petition
While the House of Representatives spent time on more than two dozen opioids-related measures this week, the Senate Finance Committee approved their bills that will eventually be combined with other Senate bills that in turn will be a response to a House package. The Senate Finance bill, the Helping to End Addiction and Lessen (HEAL)
On Friday, June 15, the House Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education reported out their bill for FY 2019. The full bill won’t be released until it is considered next week in the full Committee but some items were made public. Overall the Subcommittee is spending the same amount for FY 2019 that was spent and approved
Republican members of the House of Representatives had their high noon meeting to discuss immigration and DACA last Thursday, June 7 but the meeting ended without resolution. Officially there are 215 votes on a discharge petition that would force a vote on four immigration bills. Leaders of the effort say they have the 3 additional
With much fanfare, Majority Leader McConnell announced last week that the Senate would stay in session for most of August to vote on more nominations and more appropriations bills. The Senate had already agreed to bipartisan schedule with a goal of completing all 12 of the appropriations bills through Committee before they reach the July
The Senate Finance Committee will consider a package of opioids legislation this Tuesday, June 12. Before the Memorial Day break, Senate Finance members announced a package of 22 bills. The bill mainly addresses the Committee’s jurisdiction over the Medicare and Medicaid programs but the three bills that deal with child welfare address funding under the
When members of Congress departed for the Memorial Day break, a small group of pro-immigration Republican members felt confident they could get the necessary 218 votes on a discharge petition that would force a vote on a DACA bill. At last count, if all Democrats sign-on, the count stood at 215 just before the break.
Last year the Child Welfare League of America participated in a Capitol Hill press conference with congressional members, including Congressperson Karen Bass (D-CA) denouncing the Administration’s consideration of a policy that would split up immigrant families as an anti-immigration enforcement tool. A report by the Washington Post last month indicates that the Administration is preparing
If they keep to the agreed to bipartisan schedule, the Senate will clear out all 12 of the appropriations bills this month before they reach the July 4th break. Senators started that process before the Memorial Day break. The Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee will take up its bill the week of June 25. That is the same