Congressional Priorities
TikTok Legislation
On Wednesday, the House took the first step in limiting the Chinese government’s influence over the social media app TikTok, passing a bill calling on the divestment in TikTok by their parent company ByteDance. The bill calls on TikTok to end its association with ByteDance or face a potential ban from United States networks. The legislation has caused outrage among users of the app, as they see it as clear government overreach.
The House showed little alignment with app users, passing the legislation with a strong bipartisan vote of over 300 Members in favor. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain. Leader Schumer has not made a commitment to bring the bill to a vote, instead promising to discuss the measure with his committee chairs.
Government Funding Bills
The Senate took an important step in the appropriations process last week, passing a package of 6 spending bills to fund major government departments for the next year. The Senate plans to act on another package of 6 spending bills before March 22, fully funding the government without the need for further stopgap spending bills.
The votes could be seen as a big win for Speaker Johnson in the House, who staked his Speakership candidacy on the passage of single-subject spending bills. Though the process took longer than anticipated, another successful spending vote in the Senate before March 22 could go a long way in satisfying Speaker Johnson’s right flank, who become even more powerful this week following the announcement of Ken Buck’s retirement from the House, further shrinking the Republican majority.
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
The Senator recently introduced bipartisan legislation that provides guidance to state and county election offices on the use of AI in the administration of elections.
Congressman Jared Golden
The Congressman joined a group of his colleagues in introducing sweeping legislation that provides appropriations to secure the southern border and provide additional aid to Ukraine and Israel.
Congresswoman Annie Kuster
Following the Senate appropriations vote last week, the Congresswoman highlighted the 15 projects she secured funding for across the second district.
Senator Maggie Hassan
Following passage in the Senate, the Senator’s bill to combat fentanyl trafficking across New Hampshire and the nation is headed to the President’s desk for signature.
Congressman Jim McGovern
The Congressman joined a chorus of Members celebrating appropriations wins following the spending vote last week. Rep. McGovern secured over $21 million for projects across his district.
Senator Ed Markey
The Senator joined his fellow Massachusetts congressional leaders in supporting project labor agreements for construction workers on public projects in Massachusetts.
Senator Jack Reed
Following the ruling in an Alabama court, Senator Reed announced his support for a Senate measure to protect IVF across the country.
Maine Legislature
Statutory adjournment to Maine’s Second Regular Session of the 131st Legislature is April 17, 2024.