The Senate has until the September 30th deadline to pass funding bills and avoid a government shutdown. Negotiations may be dragged out as Senate Republicans want to increase funding for the border wall by $12 billion, a proposal that is unpalatable to Senate Democrats and the House.

In a letter sent to Congress today, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and more than 200 business groups warned that manufacturers could be forced to lay off workers if Congress does not renew the U.S. Export-Import Bank by the end of this month when its current authorization expires.

Tomorrow several agricultural groups including the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) , American Soybean Association (ASA) and the American Farm Bureau will be holding a rally to push Congress to ratify the USMCA trade agreement.


On the Hill

Floor Proceedings

House: In Session

  • The House is expected to convene at 10:00 am.

Senate: In Session

  • The Senate will convene at 9:30 a.m. and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the nomination of Stephen Akard, of Indiana, to be Director of the Office of Foreign Missions.

Committee Proceedings

House Committee on Education and Labor

  • Today, the subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education will hold a hearing titled “The Importance of Trauma-Informed Practices in Education to Assist Students Impacted by Gun Violence and Other Adversities”

House Committee on Small Business

  • Today, The Full Committee will meet for a hearing titled, “Utilization Management: Barriers to Care and Burdens on Small Medical Practice.”
  • On September 18th, the full Committee will meet for a hearing titled, “The Role of the SBA 8(a) Program in Enhancing Economic Development or Encouraging the Growth of Minority-Owned Small Businesses and Minority Entrepreneurship”
  • On September 19th, the Small Business subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development will meet for a hearing titled, “SBA Programs Spurring Innovation”

House Committee on Financial Services

  • On Today, the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets will meet for a hearing titled, “Examining Private Market Exemptions as a Barrier to IPOs and Retail Investment”
  • On September 12th, the Task Force om Artificial Intelligence will hold a hearing titled “The Future of Identity in Financial Services: Threats, Challenges and Opportunities”
  • On September 24th, the subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion will hold a hearing titled “Examining the Racial and Gender Wealth Gap in America”
  • On September 26th, the committee will hold a hearing titled “Examining Legislation to Protect Consumers and Small Business Owners from Abusive Debt Collection Practices”

House Committee on Appropriations

  • There are no relevant hearings today

House Committee on Oversight and Reform

  • There are no relevant hearings today

House Ways and Means Committee

  • There are no relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship

  • There are no relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs

  • There are no relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

  • There are no relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Appropriations

  • Today, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will hold a markup of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2020
  • On September 12th the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2020 will be marked up by the full Committee

Senate Committee on Finance

  • There are no relevant hearings today

Senate Judiciary Committee

  • On today, the subcommittee on Intellectual Property will hold a hearing titled “Innovation in America: How Congress can Make Our Patent System STRONGER”
  • On September 17th, the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Oversight of the Enforcement of the Antitrust Laws”
  • On September 24th, the subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights will hold a hearing titled, “Competition in Digital Technology Markets: Examining Acquisitions of Nascent or Potential Competitors by Digital Platforms”

Bills of Interest

  • A bill was introduced by Representative Rob Whitman emphasizing the importance of addressing participation in career and technical education. (H.Res.551)

At the Agencies

Department of Labor

  • The Department awards dislocated worker grant to Connecticut for jobs and employment services in response to opioid crisis. here

Department of the Treasury

  • The Treasury released a statement “Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin Before the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Small Business Administration

  • There is no relevant news today

Office of the US Trade Representative

  • The Office of US Trade Representative released a joint media statement on “ The AEM-USTR Consultations

Department of Commerce

  • The Department issues a statement on trade enforcement titled “U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Affirmative Preliminary Determination in the Countervailing Duty Investigation of Imports of Ceramic Tile from China”