This Week on the Hill: House Takes Up FAA Bill; Macron to Visit DC, Address Congress Wednesday

The House is out today, but both chambers will be in action this week. The Senate will reconvene this afternoon for a cloture vote on the nomination of Stuart Duncan to join the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The House has teed up one of its significant remaining to-do items for the remainder of the year — reauthorization of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The measure (H.R. 4) would reauthorize the aviation regulator through the 2023 fiscal year and include disaster-related provisions that would alter Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) policy, but will not include controversial language to privatize air-traffic control systems. The FEMA rider aims to give the agency more flexibility in providing grants for infrastructure construction used to mitigate future natural disasters, and is likely being included in an attempt to garner Democrat votes for the package.

The White House is set to roll out the red carpet for French President Emmanuel Macron in an official state visit this week. The French President — a young moderate who swept into power last year — will attend a state dinner at the White House on Tuesday before speaking to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

Finally, there will also be some election intrigue this week as voters in Arizona’s 8^th congressional district will head to the polls on Tuesday to select the replacement for Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), who resigned last year amid sexual harassment allegations. The special election marks another contest in a heavily-Republican district, with Republican Debbie Lesko favored over Democrat Hiral Tipirneni. However, recent polling suggests that another Democratic upset is not out of the question.