Congressional Priorities
House Leadership Battle
The House is again on course for a leadership fight, with Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene calling for a motion to vacate the Speaker’s chair prior to the recent two-week House recess. The process, the same that ousted former Speaker McCarthy, could prove problematic for current Speaker Mike Johnson.Since taking the chair, Johnson has seen his Republican majority shrink due to several GOP retirements. There is real concern among the conference that Johnson would not survive a motion to vacate, given only a couple of GOP members needed to pass the motion. The conference is already at odds over supplemental funding for Ukraine and Israel, making the timing of Greene’s threat even more problematic.
Data Privacy Deal
After several years of working on a compromise measure on data privacy, a bipartisan coalition of Members is making promising strides on the issue. Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and House Energy and Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) recently shared in a joint statement that they are leading this coalition of members from both chambers.The measure is still in the conference stage, so no formal legislation has been drafted. Both House and Senate leadership have been briefed on the ongoing negotiations, and are open to bringing bipartisan legislation to the floor under regular order when the legislation is drafted. Many see this as the best chance at data privacy reform since 2022, and the lack of formal legislation means the time is now to engage leaders in Washington on the issue.
New England Delegation Activities
Our New England Members have been hard at work this month on a variety of priorities helping constituents from Maine to Connecticut. Here are some of the important highlights that could impact your business and ongoing projects.
Senator Susan Collins
Continuing her long-standing tradition of securing funding for key Maine industries and projects, the Senator worked with Senator King to secure over $300,000 in federal funding to support Maine’s lumber industry.
Congressman Jared Golden
Following the recent birth of his second child, the Congressman sent a digital newsletter to his constituents outlining his plan to build a “social insurance program for young families.” The outline of his plan includes direct payments to expecting mothers and expansion of the Child Tax Credit.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster
The Congresswoman recently announced her decision not to seek reelection in 2024. This announcement came as a surprise to many New Hampshire political insiders and launched a competitive race for the now open CD2 seat.
Senator Maggie Hassan
The Senator joined other members of the New Hampshire delegation to celebrate more then $20 million in federal infrastructure funding to improve Route 1A along the Seacoast.
Congressman Richard Neal
The Congressman recently celebrated the new labor contract between the MBTA and CRRC to build new rolling stock for the Red and Orange lines at their Springfield factory.
Senator Ed Markey
Following other recent investments in infrastructure across New England, the Senator recently highlighted over $550 million in federal funds to expand public transportation across the state.
Senator Jack Reed
The Senator recently led a group of Rhode Island lawmakers to secure funding for over $700,000 in new equipment for the Coventry Police Department.