House Set to Advance Foreign Assistance Package
April 18, 2024
Following escalating tensions in the Middle East, including this past weekend’s Iranian strike against Israel, Congress leaned in on foreign policy this week. On Wednesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) unveiled three separate bills that would provide a combined total of $95 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as funding for humanitarian aid. The trio of bills (H.R. 8034; H.R. 8035; H.R. 8036) are part of Johnson’s plan for moving a stalled foreign-aid package through the lower chamber.
The House also is expected to consider a fourth measure (H.R. 8038) that includes other national security provisions, including language that would force TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to divest from the social media app or face a ban in the United States. In addition, H.R. 8038 would establish new sanctions on Iran and authorize the president to seize frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s reconstruction.
The House is expected to vote on each individual measure Saturday, before combining them into a single package and sending them to the Senate for final approval. It should be noted that Speaker Johnson is facing resistance to the plan within the Republican conference and will need to rely on Democratic votes to advance the measure.
Looking ahead, and in an effort to appease conservatives, House GOP leaders will introduce legislation to address border security. The new legislation, which will be considered separately, largely mirrors a Republican border security measure (H.R. 2) that the House approved along party lines last year. Among other things, the revised bill would drastically limit asylum and limit other pathways for legal migration to the U.S.
In other developments, House Republican leaders on Wednesday formally presented to the Senate their articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Shortly thereafter, the Senate voted along party lines to dismiss the charges and end the proceedings. The move allows the chamber to bypass an impeachment trial altogether.
President Biden Approves Major Disaster Declaration for California
On April 13, President Biden approved Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration in response to the ongoing impacts of winter storms that made landfall in California between January 31 and February 9. The governor’s request includes the counties of Butte, Glenn, Los Angeles, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Sutter and Ventura. The declaration will make available federal public assistance funding to help state, tribal, and local governments cover emergency response and recovery costs. Additional information on the declaration is available here.
EPA Announces New Regulations for PFAS in Drinking Water
Last week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced that it will issue new regulations to limit the amount of certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in drinking water. Among other things, the agency will require that public water utilities test for six different types of PFAS chemicals. Operators will have three years to test for PFAS pollution, then an additional two years to identify, purchase, and install necessary technology to treat contaminated water.
According to EPA estimates, approximately six to 10 percent of public water utility systems may need to act to comply with the new standards. To assist in meeting these new standards, EPA has committed $1 billion – made available by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – to help implement PFAS testing and treatment at public water systems. More details on the new regulations can be found here.