National Defense Authorization Act
Of the many annual responsibilities of the legislative branch, passing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) could be the most important. The massive bill passed annually, is needed to fund the Department of Defense, pay American troops, and keep the American military strong. Congress took an important step earlier this week when the Senate passed an $886 billion NDAA to fund the military for 2024. The bill, passed by a large bipartisan majority, gives a historic pay raise to troops and provides billions in funding to update aging military equipment. Even with the bill’s success in the Senate, the bill faces many hurdles before landing on the President’s desk. The House must now pass the bill, and many in the Republican conference have expressed concern that the bill doesn’t do enough to address the “woke” culture of the military. Speaker Johnson’s priority is to pass the bill before the Christmas break.
Biden Impeachment
Another priority of House Republicans during 2023 was the ongoing investigation into President Biden’s financial dealings. This week, the House took a major step by voting to open a formal impeachment inquiry into the President. The Conference argues that the vote was necessary to give the House the authority to conduct its investigations into the President.
The impeachment inquiry vote came on the same day Hunter Biden made a visit to Capitol Hill, where he defied requests by House GOP leaders to appear at a closed-door deposition by holding a press conference outside the Capitol building. The younger Biden made the case that GOP attempts to connect his business dealings to his father were nothing more than veiled attempts at political theater.
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
Earlier this month, Senator Collins led a bipartisan group of Senators to secure the inclusion of the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act into the NDAA. The legislation will create a “John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship” within the existing Fulbright U.S. Student Program to support Americans in the study of nonviolent civil rights movements abroad.
Congressman Jared Golden
The Congressman continued his tradition of going against his party’s views, voting for a GOP-backed bill to limit the power of the Environmental Protection Agency to make new mandates on vehicle emissions.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster
After passing both chambers on Capitol Hill, the Congresswoman’s bill to expand access to rural 5G connectivity is heading to the President’s desk.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen
Senator Shaheen joined Senator Tillis to sponsor a bill calling on NATO members to fulfill their defense spending obligations, giving the issue strong bipartisan support.
Congressman Jim McGovern
The Congressman shared his support for President Biden’s continued focus on eliminating junk fees on American consumers for services ranging from concert tickets to cable television providers.
Senator Ed Markey
Following the conclusion of the annual COP28 climate conference. Senator Markey renewed his calls for the US to lead the global movement to phase out reliance on fossil fuels.
Senator Jack Reed
Senator Reed joined his RI colleague Senator Whitehouse in calling on the FTC to investigate several high-profile mergers of oil and gas companies to ensure such deals do not lead to higher gas prices at the pump.