March 29th

This week in MORE POWER:

Help is on the Way to Baltimore
Update on Ukraine Aid
Impeachment Headed to the Senate
Israel and Congress on Shaky Ground

Congress is on recess, with the Senate scheduled to return on April 8 and the House on April 9.

Help is on the Way to Baltimore

The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore has prompted initial response efforts from Washington, with discussions ongoing between the Biden administration, Capitol Hill, and Maryland officials. The cost of rebuilding the bridge is estimated to be several billion dollars, with the administration likely to request over $1 billion from Congress. The Department of Transportation has already allocated $60 million in emergency funds to Maryland.

The closure of the Port of Baltimore due to the disaster will have significant economic implications nationally, affecting trade in commodities like coal and steel. The Maryland delegation is vowing bipartisan support for federal funding and accountability for negligent parties. The response to the disaster is likely to be a comprehensive bill with various interests represented, potentially including energy and border security initiatives. President Biden's spending request to Congress may include priorities such as the Affordable Connectivity Program, aimed at providing discounted internet for low-income families.

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Update on Ukraine Aid

Last week, as part of the $1.2 trillion budget bill that passed, Congress approved $300 million in funding to arm Ukraine, marking the first new funding for the war effort in over a year. However, there's a significant issue: the money has already been used. The funds were allocated to the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and were spent back in November while the Pentagon operated under a temporary continuing resolution.

The Senate has already approved a $95 billion aid package but it has stalled in the House due to delays in passing the government funding bills and the politics of hard-right Republicans. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who opposes Ukraine aid, has filed a motion to vacate Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) as speaker of the House. An alternative bill could be The Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act (REPO Act). It is bipartisan legislation aimed at providing aid to Ukraine while addressing concerns from skeptical Republicans, particularly regarding border security. The bill grants President Biden the authority to seize frozen Russian assets and allocate them toward Ukraine's reconstruction efforts. Unlike previous aid packages, which included both military and economic assistance, the REPO Act focuses solely on economic support for Ukraine, potentially reducing the financial burden on U.S. taxpayers.

Impeachment Headed to the Senate

House Speaker Mike Johnson plans to send the impeachment articles against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to the Senate on April 10, almost two months after House Republicans voted for the impeachment. The delayed move will initiate a trial process, which Democrats aim to conclude within a day or two by potentially offering a motion to dismiss the trial, requiring a simple majority vote. Johnson is urging Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to allow a full-fledged trial, while Schumer has criticized the impeachment effort. Once the articles are presented, senators will be sworn in as jurors, with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) overseeing the proceedings. Senate conservatives are calling for ensuring a full trial, but if all Democrats vote to dismiss it, GOP actions may be inconsequential.

Israel and U.S. on Shaky Ground

On Monday, the U.S. abstained from a United Nations vote on a ceasefire in Gaza instead of vetoing the resolution, as they had been doing. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled an Israeli state visit to Washington. Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.) visited Israel this week to signal their support, but there is a rift growing amongst Netanyahu and Democrats, including Biden and the highest-ranking Jewish member of Congress in U.S. history, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who has called for new leadership in Israel. In a new poll released on Wednesday by Gallup, the majority of Americans, 55%, disapprove of the military action Israel has taken in Gaza.

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