Today on the Hill: Approps Work Continues After House Passes First ‘Minibus’

House lawmakers will pick up amendment debate and roll call votes today on the second fiscal year (FY) 2020 appropriations “minibus” after lawmakers passed (226-203) the first four-bill spending package late yesterday. Thus far, the lower chamber has approved 64 amendments to the underlying bill — which includes Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-Science (CJS), Interior-Environment, Military Construction-Veterans’ Affairs (VA) and Transportation-Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spending bills — after House Republicans backed off on requests for a roll call vote on a bulk of the proposed amendments. Provisions to the five-bill package that have been adopted include: (1) a measure that would prohibit funding from being used to update broadband availability maps using data provided from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC); (2) an amendment that would increase funding for Department of Justice (DOJ) grants that provide bulletproof vests and body cameras to state and local law enforcement; and (3) a provision boosting funding for DOJ grant programs aimed at improving mental health services.

In the upper chamber, Senators have queued up votes on dozens of joint resolutions opposing arms sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan. The Senate will also vote on the nomination of Rita Baranwal to be Assistant Secretary of Energy prior to beginning consideration of the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).