Total U.S. coronavirus deaths reported: (last Friday, 103,344); Monday 106,198; Tuesday, 106,927, Wednesday 108,062, Thursday 109,159 

 

Happening on the Hill

White House

• 11:00 am – In-House Pool Call Time
• 3:00 pm – Trump receives his intelligence briefing
• 4:30 pm – Trump signs an Executive Order on Expediting Permitting
• 2:00 pm – Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany holds a briefing

Senate

• 10:00 am – Senate meets; resumes consideration of Michael Pack to lead Broadcasting Board of Governors
• 10:00 am –  Senate Health and Education Committee hears from the presidents of Purdue University and Brown University on going back to college safely during the coronavirus pandemic
• 10:00 am – Senate Judiciary Committee considers legislation on the powers of the Justice Department’s inspector general, the nomination of Justin Walker to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, and subpoenas related to the FBI’s Russia investigation  NOTE: Committee Chair Lindsey Graham’s scheduled vote would give him authority to subpoena former Obama admin. officials incl. ex-FBI Director James Comey and former Intel chief James Clapper
• 10:00 am –  Senate Homeland Security Committee considers authorizing subpoenas for records and testimony related to the FBI’s Russia investigation and the “unmasking” of Americans affiliated with the Trump campaign
• 11:00am: Senate Banking Committee holds remote hearing on U.S. policy related to the crisis in Hong Kong
• A group of senators today plans to introduce legislation that would expand U.S. sanctions against Gazprom PJSC’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany
• The Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a hearing on nominations including J. Steven Dowd to be U.S. director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Richard Mills to be deputy U.S. representative to the U.N., Jason Myung-lk Chung to be director of the Asian Development Bank, Jenny McGee to be associate administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, and Joseph Manso to be U.S. representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

House

• 11:00 am – House Appropriations subcommittee hears from CDC chief Robert Redfield on the coronavirus
• 1:00 pm – House Administration subcommittee holds hearing on the impact of Covid-19 on voting rights
• 2:00 pm – Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) both hold their weekly press conferences.
• The House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee holds a hearing on future force structure requirements for the Navy.
• The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis holds a virtual hearing entitled, “An Unequal Burden: Addressing Racial Health Disparities in the Coronavirus Pandemic.”

U.S. Economy Is Too Hooked on Benefits for Congress to Pull Plug: After approving the most generous unemployment benefits in U.S. history to help counter the coronavirus, Congress is in a bind over what to do when they expire at the end of next month. With America gradually heading back to work, there’s no majority among lawmakers to extend the $600-a-week extra payments in their current form. But with the economy more fragile than it’s been in generations, they don’t dare to just pull the plug. And that means weeks of wrangling lie ahead over the next phase of a rescue effort already costing almost $3 trillion.

The Senate announced late Wednesday that it will hold a hearing next week on unemployment benefits. Any plan that emerges will have to meet the concern, mostly voiced by Republicans, that too-high payments have become a disincentive to work. And it will have to win votes from Democrats who control the House and are pushing to keep safety nets in place for the tens of millions of Americans who lost their jobs in the worst slump since the Great Depression. Read more from Jenny Leonard and Laura Davison.

Democrats Seeking Over $300 Billion for Schools: Over 100 House Democrats signed a letter to congressional leaders this week asking for at least $305 billion in additional funds for K-12 public schools in new coronavirus relief legislation. The HEROES Act (H.R. 6800) that the House passed last month carried $58 billion for public schools. But projections from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities have found state revenue shortfalls combined with new costs from the coronavirus have created a need in excess of $300 billion for schools, the lawmakers wrote, Andrew Kreighbaum reports.

Senate Panel Advances Whistleblower Protections: The Senate Intelligence Committee backed new protections for intelligence community whistle-blowers and new reporting requirements for political campaigns as part of a broader intelligence authorization bill. The legislation, approved 14-1 by the committee, follows Trump’s repeated lashing out against a whistleblower whose complaint over the president’s phone call with Ukraine’s president led to his impeachment in the House. Read more from Steven T. Dennis.

Fired Watchdog Says He Told Pompeo Aides of Probe Into Spending: The State Department’s fired inspector general told lawmakers that he had told senior aides to Michael Pompeo that he was investigating the secretary of state and his wife for possible misuse of government funds, undercutting Pompeo’s claim that he knew nothing about the probe. Steve Linick also confirmed he was investigating Pompeo’s emergency declaration in May 2019 that allowed for $8 billion in weapons sales to Saudi Arabia over protests from Congress, according to a joint statement by five House and Senate Democrats who participated in interviewing him Wednesday. They said Linick told lawmakers he was “shocked” by his firing on May 16 and that subsequent justifications weren’t true. Read more from Nick Wadhams

 

PPP – SBA Program

Senate Passes Changes to Small Business PPP Loan Program

The Senate cleared changes to the popular Paycheck Protection Program on Wednesday that will allow small businesses more flexibility in using the rescue loan funds. The bill, which passed the House last week on a 417-1 vote, now heads to President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.

Senators gave unanimous consent for the legislation hours after Ron Johnson, a Wisconsin Republican, had raised objections.

The coronavirus program provides forgivable loans to help small businesses make their payrolls during the Covid-19 crisis. The bill would extend an eight-week period — when proceeds must be spent for loans to be forgiven — to 24 weeks or until the end of the year, whichever comes first.

Businesses would also have as long as five years, instead of two, to repay any money owed on a loan, and they could use a greater percentage of proceeds on rent and other approved non-payroll expenses.

Timing is urgent because the eight-week spending period began expiring last Friday for the first loan recipients after the Small Business Administration program opened April 3. Businesses — especially in the restaurant and hospitality industry, which are only recently getting the green light to reopen — say they need more time to distribute pay.

Utah Senator Mike Lee had also objected to language that he and Johnson said would lengthen the application deadline. Maine Senator Susan Collins didn’t oppose the bill but said she was concerned about the way the House drafted a provision reducing the current requirement that 75% of a loan be used on payroll.

Lee’s office said that the senator agreed to passage of the bill after securing a letter signed by the chairmen and ranking members of the Small Business Committee clarifying that the application deadline remains June 30.

Besides extending the loan-forgiveness period, small businesses have said they want flexibility to spend more on overhead expenses, especially in high-rent areas. The bill, H.R. 7010, would instead require that 60% of a loan be used on payroll.

The House bill creates a “cliff,” Collins said in a statement. The current PPP program allows partial loan forgiveness if a company uses less than 75% of a loan for payroll, but the House bill appears to state that none of the loan would be forgiven if the 60% threshold isn’t met.

“Instead, the employer is saddled with a debt for the entire amount, and no portion of the loan is forgiven or converted to a grant,” Collins said.

Senate Small Business Chairman Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican, last week sought guidance from the Treasury Department on whether that issue can be addressed through regulation.

The Treasury and the SBA haven’t responded to requests for comment.

Funds Remaining

As of Wednesday night, SBA reported that 4.5 million firms had received approvals for loans totaling $510.6 billion. About $130 billion remains from the second round of $320 billion that Congress approved for PPP. The initial round of $349 billion was tapped in just 13 days.

Small business advocates hailed passage of the bill as providing needed flexibility to firms still struggling to emerge from Covid-related closings, even as lenders and other groups are still seeking other program changes they hope Congress can make in the coming weeks.

Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of the National Restaurant Association representing thousands of owners and chains including McDonald’s Corp., said in a statement the passage is “a win for restaurants and small businesses across the country.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said a new survey it released Wednesday with MetLife showed that while eight of 10 small businesses are in the process of re-opening, 55% think it will take more than six months to be fully operational – up from 50% in an April poll and 46% in March.

“Congress deserves credit for removing barriers that could slow recovery further,” the chamber said in a statement. “We urge the president to sign the legislation quickly and for SBA and Treasury to immediately provide guidance to small businesses on how they qualify for loan forgiveness under the new law.”

A National Federation of Independent Business survey of its members last week showed that a majority have their loan-forgiveness period ending in the next couple of weeks. The group said in a statement it is pleased the Senate passed “much-needed flexibility for small business owners” and “we look forward to continuing to work with members in the chamber on improving” the program.

Lenders are seeking to simplify the process of applying to have loans forgiven by allowing borrowers with loans of a certain amount to simply certify they followed the rules, rather than having to make complicated calculations with rules that keep changing.

“Much more needs to be done on this bill,” said Paul Merski of the Independent Community Bankers of America. “This is largely a Senate punt on fixing the issues with the PPP program.”

There was broad support during a Senate Small Business Committee hearing Wednesday for extending the eight-week loan forgiveness period and changing the rule that 75% of proceeds must be spent on payroll.

Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa highlighted a sportswear business in her state that kept 27 workers employed with a PPP loan despite a 96% decline in revenue. But with ballparks and other venues where the apparel is sold still closed — and the firm’s eight-week period expiring this week – the workers will be furloughed, she said.

Michael Strain, director of economic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, called the 75% payroll rule — set by SBA and Treasury — “a mistake” because it limits the program’s ability to help companies such as those in high-rent cities that need to spend more money on expenses.

“A business that cannot pay its rent also cannot continue paying its workers,” Strain told the committee.

Tracking SBA Care Act Loans

If you’re looking for a real-time list of public companies who have received SBA Cares Act loans, AI Margaret rom Factsquared has been reading SEC 8-Ks as they’re filed.

https://factba.se/sba-loans

 

Healthcare

Trump Taps 7 Drugmakers for Vaccine Push The White House is working with seven pharmaceutical companies as part of its “Warp Speed” coronavirus vaccine program, including a bet on a rapid-but-yet-unproven genetic technology.

The companies include Johnson & Johnson, Merck & Co., Pfizer, Moderna, and the University of Oxford in collaboration with AstraZeneca, as well as two other firms, two people familiar with the matter said. President Donald Trump was briefed on Tuesday on the latest details on the project, one of the people said.

Drugmakers and university researchers are investigating over 130 experimental inoculations, according to the World Health Organization, though fewer than a dozen candidates are currently being assessed in human trials. Moderna, Pfizer and Oxford have already started trials of their vaccines in healthy patients, while J&J and Merck intend to launch studies later in the year.

“Operation Warp Speed” seeks to compress a process that is typically years long into a matter of months, in part by spending as much as $10 billion on research, manufacturing and agreements to guarantee purchase of the vaccines, one of the people said. The effort is being led by Gen. Gustave Perna, who directs U.S. Army Materiel Command, and former GlaxoSmithKline executive Moncef Slaoui.

Moderna and Pfizer’s candidates rely on a new genetics-based technology called messenger RNA that has yet to lead to an approved vaccine. J&J and Oxford are using engineered viruses called adenoviral vectors, another new approach best known for its use in an Ebola vaccine. While it has been more widely tested in people than mRNA vaccines, it has been used in few commercial products.

National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins told Bloomberg last month that the U.S. believes it’s important to have a mix of vaccine candidates that use promising new technologies such as mRNA, and others that use already-proven platforms. “It’s a horse race,” Collins said. “We want all the horses to win, but we want to be sure there’s plenty in the field.”

Operation Warp Speed’s goal is to have some 300 million doses of a shot ready by the end of the year. Riley Griffin and Jennifer Jacobs have more.

Doctors Said Need Federal Money Faster: Republican congressional leaders joined Democrats in a rare bipartisan rebuke of how the Trump administration is sending out emergency funds meant to bolster hospitals and doctors. HHS is not giving enough money to doctors who rely heavily on Medicaid funds, they said in a letter to Secretary Alex Azar.

Their letter reflects months of frustration by rural hospitals and doctors serving low-income Americans, who say HHS has favored wealthier hospitals and doctors over them in distributing emergency funds.

Signing the letter were Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), the chairman of the Finance Committee, and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the panel’s ranking member, as well as Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), the panel’s ranking member.

Lawmakers gave the federal government $175 billion in emergency funds as part of two bills this year but largely left it up to the administration to dole out the money. The agency has sent much of the emergency cash out so far based on Medicare spending and to hospitals in hard-hit cities. Read more from Alex Ruoff.

• Meanwhile, the Trump administration is delaying the start of five programs to test new methods for the government to pay doctors and hospitals based on patients’ overall health because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Included in the delay is a payment model to encourage more coordination of care for patients with late-stage chronic kidney disease and kidney failure. Read more from Shira Stein.

Panel Targets Sexual Assaults in Pandemic: The Bipartisan Task Force to End Sexual Violence, led by Reps. Annie Kuster (D-N.H.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), David Joyce (R-Ohio), and John Katko (R-N.Y.) will host a virtual discussion later today to address sexual and domestic violence during the pandemic, according to a statement yesterday. Domestic violence is “often exacerbated in times of crisis, and we have evidence of that occurring now,” they said, citing a WHO study that there was a 60% spike in domestic violence emergency calls by women in April 2020.

CDC Chief Testifies on Virus Response: The House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee will hear testimony from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield on the federal government’s Covid-19 response.

Racial Disparities of Coronavirus: The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis holds a virtual hearing entitled “An Unequal Burden: Addressing Racial Health Disparities in the Coronavirus Pandemic.

College Health Safety: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee holds a hearing on Covid-19 and students going back to college safely.

Malaria Drug Taken by Trump Provides No Protection: A malaria drug that was touted and then taken by Trump in hopes of preventing Covid-19 failed to offer patients protection in the first scientifically rigorous study of its potential to keep away the novel virus. The study involved 821 health-care workers, first responders and people living with infected patients. Half were given HCQ over five days, and the other half received a placebo. After two weeks, 12% of those taking HCQ had developed an infection, compared with 14% given the placebo, a d ifference that researchers said could have been due to chance. Read more from Michelle Fay Cortez.

• At the same time, the conservative Association of American Physicians and Surgeons urged the FDA to stop limiting access to hydroxychloroquine. The nonprofit sued the agency in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, alleging it’s “irrationally” interfering with doctors’ and patients’ access to the Strategic National Stockpile’s cache of the drug, reports Mary Anne Pazanowski.
• Meanwhile, an international trial using hydroxychloroquine to treat patients will be restarted after questions arose about a study linking it to increased death and heart risks. The WHO said yesterday that it will resume recruiting patients for the hydroxychloroquine arm of a global trial, known as “Solidarity.” Read more.

Painkiller Tested Against Covid-19: Scientists in London are testing whether a variant of the commonly used painkiller ibuprofen can help patients with Covid-19 avoid potentially lethal respiratory failure and the need for ventilators. The study is being conducted by Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College London and SEEK, a drug-research company. William Mathis has more.

U.S. Falls Just Short of May Virus Testing Goal With 12 Million: The Trump administration came up shy of meeting its goal of doing about 12.9 million tests in May. Brett Giroir, a top official at the Department of Health and Human Services who has overseen the administration’s efforts to ramp up testing, said yesterday that the country did about 12 million tests last month. Read more from Shira Stein and Emma Court.

• Meanwhile, around 70 U.S. coronavirus testing sites were closed temporarily “due to the threats of violence,” Giroir also said in the briefing with reporters.

Update to Dietary Guidelines May Stir Dissent: Doctors and academics on a federal nutrition committee could question the scientific integrity of this year’s dietary recommendations designed for the American public, a nutrition policy nonprofit said yesterday. “Without critical reforms, this policy is on track to do virtually nothing to reverse the epidemics of disease that are causing enormous suffering,” Nina Teicholz, director of The Nutrition Coalition, said in a statement.  The nonprofit prompted the government on Tuesday to investigate accusations that the group said one or more anonymous members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee brought. The independent committee reviews nutrition and health science to create a report on which the dietary guidelines for Americans are based. The coalition said the whistleblower pointed to a “fear of retaliation” as leaving some members to “suffer in silence.” Megan U. Boyanton has more.

 

Transportation

House Eyes July Vote for Surface Bill – See attached the bill, bill summary and press release

House Democrats laid out a schedule for considering a five-year, $494 billion highway bill, but key elements are still missing, including a proposal from the tax-writing panel on how to pay for it.

The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee plans to consider the bill on June 17. If it’s approved, it is tentatively scheduled for a vote on the House floor at the beginning of July, Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) told reporters.

“We are in multiple crises at the moment and I acknowledge that,” DeFazio said. “But we have to move forward with our very important reauthorization of surface transportation.”

The bill serves as an opening offer from House Democrats on the policy portions of the bill that will replace the highway law (Public Law 114-94) set to expire at the end of September. It’s not likely to become law in its current form and proposals to promote climate resiliency and support Amtrak will probably face opposition in the Republican-held Senate.

The draft bill offers a vision similar to what House Democrats outlined in a blueprint in January, with a coronavirus twist: The new draft would give state transportation departments a year to recover from the pandemic before directing policy changes. Other authorizations include $319 billion for highways, $105 billion for transit, $5 billion for highway safety, $5 billion for motor carrier safety, and $60 billion for rail, according to a summary released by the committee. Courtney Rozen and Kellie Lunney have more details on provisions.

Chao Weighs In: Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao said yesterday that she envisions a long-term surface transportation reauthorization, such as one spanning 10 years. The bill DeFazio offered would reauthorize for five years, as would the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee-approved version (S. 2302).

Bill Would Lift Gateway: The bill would clear at least one of the hurdles the Trump administration has placed in front of the $30 billion trans-Hudson Gateway bridge and tunnel project: whether local governments should pay more, Courtney Rozen reports.

The legislation would make it difficult for the Department of Transportation to hold federal funding hostage until project officials commit to paying for a project’s price tag with local dollars. Project officials who do pay for a larger share of major projects locally would qualify for a streamlined federal funding approval process.

Chao has resisted granting federal funding for the Gateway project in part because the Trump administration believes New York and New Jersey should pay a greater share of the project price.

Safety Advocates Applaud Bill: The draft bill would also reduce motor vehicle crash fatalities, according to Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety.

“The INVEST in America Act outlines bold policy goals touching on many issues Advocates has identified as part of the unfinished safety agenda,” said President Cathy Chase in a statement. “We were pleased to see the Committee’s commitment to: reducing crashes involving vulnerable road users; improving limousine safety; enhancing highway safety grants focused on important issues such as occupant protection, child passenger safety, move over laws, automated enforcement, impaired driving, and rural roads; and, initiating vital research on the implications autonomous vehicles (AVs) will have on infrastructure and roadway safety.”

The legislation directs the NHTSA to require automatic emergency braking on new trucks, and school buses, as well as setting a minimum performance standard. The bill also promotes the use of underride guards to prevent vehicles from going underneath the rear or side of a truck trailer in a crash.

Infrastructure: The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee plans a hearing on infrastructure recovery.

Covid-19 Worker Safety Bill Introduced: Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee members Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) yesterday unveiled a bill, the Essential Transportation Employee Safety Act, that “would prioritize coronavirus testing for transportation workers, and ensure employers implement critical health and safety requirements to keep their workforce safe,” according to a press release. Read a summary of the bill’s highlights.

• Following the panel’s hearing yesterday, ranking member Cantwell and panel Chairman Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) sent a letter to various industry groups asking for their “feedback and additional information regarding the impacts of COVID-19 on our passenger transportation system and the industry’s response to these challenges.”

Feinstein Seeks Info on Airport Fee Increase for Int’l Travel: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection is planning an increase in fees charged to U.S. international airports that will take effect July 1. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) sent a letter to interim head Mark A. Morgan asking him to clarify the rationale behind the decision, its preparation and implementation process.

“I understand that airports are concerned that this new fee structure will result in significantly higher costs to several airports in California and may threaten their ability to facilitate international travel and commerce, particularly in light of reduced air travel as a result of the pandemic,” Feinstein wrote.

Lawmakers Unveil Bill to Cut Foreign Reliance in Space Industry: Republican Sens. Marco Rubio (Fla.), Rick Scott (Fla.), Ted Cruz (Texas) and Wicker, along with Feinstein, introduced a bill that aims to enhance public-private partnerships in the U.S. space industry, according to a statement from Rubio’s office. The lawmakers said bill is backed by the Aerospace Industry Association, Blue Origin, Boeing, Space Florida, SpaceX, and ULA, Ben Livesey reports. A similar bill has been introduced in the House (H.R. 6873).

U.S. Airlines Fuel Use Down 70%: U.S. airlines used less fuel in April than they have in decades, as the coronavirus continues to decimate travel demand, Courtney Rozen reports.

Airlines used 70% less fuel in April than they did the same month in 2019, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the lowest amount since at least 2000.

Meanwhile, the cost per gallon for fuel has plummeted, down to $1.38 in April from $2.06 a year earlier. Major U.S. airlines were scheduled to pay a collective $3.1 billion on fuel in April 2019, down from $617 million the same month last year.

Delta Extends Empty Middle Seat: Delta will block middle seats on all its aircraft through Sept. 30, extending the policy for three months to soothe passenger fears about contracting the coronavirus, Mary Schlangenstein reports. The carrier will switch to larger planes or add flights on high-demand routes that approach seating limits, Delta said in a statement yesterday.

Delta and JetBlue are the only U.S. carriers to guarantee empty middle seats. Southwest has pledged to book flights at no more than two-thirds full, while American Airlines is limiting the number of customers on each flight. United said it will let passengers change seats to maintain social distancing, when possible. The carrier attempts to notify passengers on planes that approach capacity so they can rebook. American Airlines has similar policies in place.

Airlines Boost Schedules as Summer Traffic Rise: Air travel is rebounding from lows as airlines offer more flights, passengers return and load factors rise, trends we expect to continue, write Bloomberg Intelligence analysts George Ferguson and Francois Duflot. Aircraft are coming out of storage, though 56% of the world’s narrow-body and regional fleets remain parked. Nearly 268,000 travelers passed through U.S. security checkpoints Tuesday, compared with 2.25 million on the equivalent day a year earlier.

DOT Finalizes Service Cuts to 75 U.S. Airports in Wake of Virus: The Transportation Department said in a filing that the airports, most of which are small, retained at least some airline service, so financially struggling carriers were justified in cuts. The financial bailout passed by Congress in March provided $50 billion for passenger carrier financial aid, but required they maintain minimum service to airports. Multiple locations — including the U.S. Virgin Islands; Williston Basin, N.D. and Mobile, Alabama — had requested that DOT require more flights. DOT said it’s awarding reductions because in each case the airports retained service from at least one airline. Read more from Alan Levin.

U.S. to Curb Chinese Airlines’ Access: The Trump administration is suspending passenger flights to the U.S. by Chinese airlines, saying it was retaliating after Beijing barred American carriers from re-entering China amid escalating tensions between the two nations. The order issued yesterday takes effect June 16, although President Donald Trump could act sooner if he chooses, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.  The move ratchets up tensions between the U.S. and China over trade, the coronavirus pandemic and the treatment of Hong Kong. A phase one trade deal between the nations is in jeopardy, and along with it billions of dollars in Boeing aircraft sales. Read more from Bloomberg News.

Ford F-150 Factory Workers Question Carmaker’s Safety Controls: Ford is fielding complaints from union leaders at plants making the automaker’s most profitable vehicle that the company isn’t adhering to safety measures to keep the coronavirus from spreading on the factory floor. Two United Auto Workers locals at factories in Dearborn, Michigan, and Kansas City, Missouri, which both make the best-selling F-150 pickup, say Ford isn’t sufficiently protecting workers. Read more from Keith Naughton.

 

 

Protests & Responses

Trump Rebuked by Defense Chiefs Donald Trump faced a direct challenge to his leadership from his current and former defense secretaries, who issued a pair of rare public dissents questioning the president’s threat to use military force against rolling, nationwide protests over police brutality.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a news conference yesterday he did not support invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act to quell protests using the military, saying National Guard troops are sufficient. Esper said active-duty troops should be a last resort, angering White House officials and Trump for what they regarded as breaking rank.

Trump confronted Esper later that day in the Oval Office during a meeting with Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General William Barr and General Mark Milley, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The president privately asked advisers whether Esper could still be effective in his position, according to two people familiar with the matter. But Trump’s pique at Esper seemed to blow over, one of the people said.

The standoff, however, was soon overshadowed by a scathing denunciation from Esper’s predecessor, James Mattis.

Mattis said in a statement that he was “angry and appalled” by the events of the past week, criticizing Trump for allowing protesters to be violently dispersed from Lafayette Square in front of the White House before he walked to a historic church to hold a Bible in front of cameras. It was an abuse of power that made a “mockery of our Constitution,” Mattis said.

The double-barreled rebuke from his current and former defense chiefs elevates the pressure on Trump as he falters in handling a pair of crises: a raging pandemic that has killed more than 100,000 Americans, and protests over a painful legacy of racial inequality, injustice and police brutality following the killing of an unarmed black man at the hands of law enforcement in Minneapolis.

With Trump’s poll numbers sinking, his re-election challenger, Joe Biden, is attempting to seize on the president’s struggle to confront those challenges just five months before voters cast ballots. Mattis’s criticism echoed attacks leveled on Trump by Biden, but the former defense chief’s key role in the president’s original national security cabinet gives him a standing few outsiders could ever claim. Read more from Josh Wingrove and Jennifer Jacobs.

More on Protests & Responses

Esper Probed on Troop Movement Into D.C.: House Armed Services Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) expressed concern about the use of military force to disperse protesters in Washington on Monday, the “movement of active duty troops” into staging areas around the capital, and possible plans to deploy troops around the U.S. Smith, in a letter to Esper, seeks details on the Pentagon’s plans “for the use of active duty forces for domestic law enforcement” and on how many troops have moved to D.C. Tony Capaccio has more.

Democrats Demand Barr Detail Clearing of Protest: Four House committee chairmen want Attorney General William Barr and other administration officials to provide details about the removal on Monday of protesters from the streets around Lafayette Square and the White House just before the president walked through the area. Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and others included in their letter demands for confirmation of who gave the order to clear streets and under what authority. Read more.

Trump Says New York Must Crack Down: Trump urged New York City leaders to crack down on police-brutality protests in the city, warning he would end the demonstrations otherwise. “If they don’t get it straightened out soon, I will take care of it,” Trump said of New York in an interview with former Press Secretary Sean Spicer on NewsMax TV, a conservative outlet. The remark came as Trump and Spicer discussed whether the president would seek to deploy the military to break up the protests. “I don’t think we’ll have to,” Trump said. Read more from Jennifer Jacobs and Josh Wingrove.

Obama Tells Cities to Review Use of Force: Former President Barack Obama called on the nation’s mayors to review their police departments’ use of force policies and commit to reforms during a virtual town hall yesterday. “We need mayors, county executives, others who are in positions of power to say: This is a priority,” Obama said. The remarks were the first time the former president had spoken on-camera since George Floyd’s death, though he published an essay earlier this week calling for those who are eager for change to vote. Read more from Justin Sink.

Cities Evaluate Police Budgets: Trump’s calls for an increased police response haven’t been widely embraced by mayors and governors. Los Angeles said it would pursue a different agenda entirely. The city announced plans to trim its police budget and use that money to invest in the city’s black community. The city will identify $100 million to $150 million in cuts from its police budget as part of a review of spending priorities, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Over the past four decades, the cost of policing in the U.S. has almost tripled, from $42.3 billion in 1977 to $114.5 billion in 2017, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data conducted by the Urban Institute on behalf of Bloomberg Businessweek. Despite the rising dollar amounts, policing has consistently made up about 3.7% of state and local budgets since the 1970s. However, crime has been trending downward for years: Violent crime and property crime have fallen significantly since the early 1990s, according to U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics data. Read more from Polly Mosendz and Jameelah D Robinson.

Amid the protests, officers in Camden, N.J., left the riot gear at home and brought an ice cream truck to a march on May 30. The police department’s chief, Joseph Wysocki, who is white, brandished a “Standing in Solidarity” poster alongside residents holding “Black Lives Matter” signs. That Camden was able to demonstrate peacefully without escalation looked like a sign of progress in a city that’s one of the country’s poorest and was once considered its most dangerous. Sarah Holder has more.

 

 

 

Campaign Trail

 

Trump Appeals to Religious Voters: Trump is seeking to invoke religion to bolster his law and order image during the civil unrest in an appeal to evangelical and Catholic conservatives, two groups he routinely turns to when he’s facing strong criticism.

Trump, not a regular churchgoer, this week stood outside St. John’s Episcopal Church across the street from the White House, holding a Bible aloft, and the next day visited a shrine to Saint John Paul II where the president and his wife, Melania, posed solemnly in front of an altar. Those events were meant to serve as contrast to his demands for a tough, militaristic response to the violent demonstrations across the country for some conservative religious leaders, even as they deeply offended mo re liberal ones.

White evangelical and Catholic voters make up a third of the population of the key battleground states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Trump won those states in 2016 by a combined 77,000 votes over Hillary Clinton. Read more from Gregory Korte and Mario Parker.

Cities Vie to Host Republican Convention: Several cities and states indicated they were eager to host the Republican National Convention after Trump said he was pulling the event from Charlotte, N.C. A person familiar with discussions said places being considered include Nashville, Las Vegas, and Jacksonville and Orlando, as well as Georgia and Arizona. All of the states under consideration with the exception of Nevada are led by a Republican governor. Emma Kinery and Ryan Teague Beckwith have more.

Polls Show Trouble for Trump in 3 Key States: A new round of state polling from Fox News shows trouble for Trump in three states that he won in 2016: Arizona, Ohio and Wisconsin. In Arizona, Joe Biden leads Trump 46% to 42%. Biden beats Trump 45% to 43% in Ohio. And in Wisconsin, Biden beats Trump 49% to 40%. The margins of error are 3 percentage points in Arizona and 3.5 points in Ohio and Wisconsin, Gregory Korte reports.

Trump Hits Record On Google Ads: A wave of ads on Google’s YouTube has sought to draw attention the president’s 74th birthday. In the last full week of May, Trump’s campaign spent $1.48 million on Google advertising, the highest weekly total of the 2020 campaign, according to the search giant’s data. Many of the ads take the form of a digital birthday card the president’s supporters can sign by sharing information like their email addresses. Read more from Eric Newcomer and Mark Bergen.

Trump Releases Ad Celebrating SpaceX Launch: Trump’s re-election campaign released a digital advertisement celebrating the recent launch of a SpaceX rocket, highlighting one of the president’s achievements as he faces a storm of criticism for his response to the protests over police violence. Read more from Misyrlena Egkolfopoulou.

California Adds In-Person Voting Spots: Californians will have more options to vote in person for the Nov. 3 election in an effort to boost voter participation in case Covid-19 surges again this fall. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed an executive order yesterday to increase the number of California polling places to one per 10,000 registered voters in each county, an increase from the current requirement of one per 15,000 voters. Read more from Tina May.

 

 

Other Stories

Google Search is a Target of U.S. Antitrust Probes: U.S. federal and state authorities are asking detailed questions about how to potentially limit Google’s power in the online search market as part of their antitrust investigations into the tech giant, according to rival DuckDuckGo. Gabriel Weinberg, CEO of the privacy-focused search engine, said he has spoken with state regulators, and talked with the Justice Department as recently as a few weeks ago. Read more from Gerrit De Vynck.

Wall Street Halts Massive Student-Loan Relief Deal in Court: A federal judge sided with a coalition of financial firms, rejecting an agreement between U.S. regulators and a money manager that could have brought student-debt relief to hundreds of thousands of borrowers. The agreement promised to audit some 800,000 student loans to resolve allegations that collection agencies illegally flooded the nation’s courts with faulty paperwork to force distressed borrowers to pay up. Read more from Shahien Nasiripour.

 

 

Yesterday in Congress

 

1. H.R.192— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership ActSponsor: Rep. McCaul, Michael T. [R-TX-10] (Introduced 01/03/2019) Cosponsors: (5)Committees: House – Foreign Affairs | Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 475. (All Actions)Tracker: 
2. H.R.7010— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020Sponsor: Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3] (Introduced 05/26/2020) Cosponsors: (86)Committees: House – Small Business; Ways and MeansLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote. (All Actions)Tracker: 
3. S.238— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2019Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 01/28/2019) Cosponsors: (11)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 461. (All Actions)Tracker: 
4. S.712— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Robert Levinson Hostage Recovery and Hostage-Taking Accountability ActSponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 03/07/2019) Cosponsors: (4)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 462. (All Actions)Tracker: 
5. S.996— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Microloan Program Enhancement Act of 2019Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (Introduced 04/02/2019) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate – Small Business and EntrepreneurshipLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. (All Actions)Tracker: 
6. S.3176— 116th Congress (2019-2020)United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 01/09/2020) Cosponsors: (38)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 463. (All Actions)Tracker: 
7. S.3548— 116th Congress (2019-2020)CARES ActSponsor: Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY] (Introduced 03/19/2020) Cosponsors: (6)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. (All Actions)Tracker: 
8. S.3782— 116th Congress (2019-2020)Small Business Lending Continuity Act of 2020Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (Introduced 05/20/2020) Cosponsors: (6)Latest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. (All Actions)Tracker: 
9. S.3814— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to establish a loan program for businesses affected by COVID-19 and to extend the loan forgiveness period for paycheck protection program loans made to the hardest hit businesses, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (Introduced 05/21/2020) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. (All Actions)Tracker: 
10. S.3869— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the expansion of the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, to expand the Cyber Institutes Program, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate – Armed ServicesLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions)Tracker: 
11. S.3870— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to require the Secretary of Defense to recommend a minimum number of bomber aircraft.Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Armed ServicesLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions)Tracker: 
12. S.3871— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to facilitate the performance of funeral honors details for veterans.Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Armed ServicesLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions)Tracker: 
13. S.3872— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to establish a time-limited provisional approval pathway, subject to specific obligations, for certain drugs and biological products, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (2)Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions)Tracker: 
14. S.3873— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to require law enforcement agencies to report the use of lethal force, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (4)Committees: Senate – JudiciaryLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (All Actions)Tracker: 
15. S.3874— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill making additional supplemental appropriations for disaster relief requirements for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (18)Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions)Tracker: 
16. S.3875— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide bonus depreciation for certain space launch expenditures, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (4)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)Tracker: 
17. S.3876— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to make a technical correction relating to the treatment of refunds of merchandise processing fees under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act.Sponsor: Sen. Scott, Tim [R-SC] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)Tracker: 
18. S.3877— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to establish or expand programs to improve health equity regarding COVID-19 and reduce or eliminate inequities in the prevalence and health outcomes of COVID-19.Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (11)Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions)Tracker: 
19. S.3878— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to protect employees from discrimination based on family caregiver responsibilities, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and PensionsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions)Tracker: 
20. S.3879— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to preserve the constitutional authority of Congress and ensure accountability and transparency in legislation.Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Rules and AdministrationLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (All Actions)Tracker: 
21. S.3880— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to establish the Office of International Disability Rights, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (3)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (All Actions)Tracker: 
22. S.3881— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to increase support for State Children’s Health Insurance programs during the COVID-19 emergency, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)Tracker: 
23. S.3882— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to establish the National Technology Industrial Base Quadrilateral Council.Sponsor: Sen. Rounds, Mike [R-SD] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Armed ServicesLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions)Tracker: 
24. S.3883— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make the earned income tax credit available to residents of possessions of the United States.Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (5)Committees: Senate – FinanceLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (All Actions)Tracker: 
25. S.3884— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to require the Secretary of Transportation to support the efforts of State and local governments to provide for priority testing of certain transportation workers with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and require the owners and operators of equipment and facilities used by passenger or freight transportation employers to clean, disinfect, and sanitize that equipment and provide personal protective equipment to certain employees, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (2)Committees: Senate – Commerce, Science, and TransportationLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (All Actions)Tracker: 
26. S.3885— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress regularly of reported cases of burn pit exposure by veterans, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate – Veterans’ AffairsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. (All Actions)Tracker: 
27. S.3886— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to prohibit the use of funds for an explosive nuclear weapons test.Sponsor: Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (14)Committees: Senate – Armed ServicesLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. (All Actions)Tracker: 
28. S.3887— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to defer action regarding certain debts arising from benefits under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for a period of time including the COVID-19 emergency period, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Veterans’ AffairsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. (All Actions)Tracker: 
29. S.3888— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A bill to ensure that veterans receive timely and effective health care under the Veterans Community Care Program and Veterans Care Agreements during the COVID-19 emergency, and for other purposes.Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Veterans’ AffairsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. (All Actions)Tracker: 
30. S.Res.148— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution supporting efforts by the Government of Colombia to pursue peace and regional stability.Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Benjamin L. [D-MD] (Introduced 04/09/2019) Cosponsors: (1)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 464. (All Actions)Tracker: 
31. S.Res.392— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution recognizing the importance of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative to the relationship between the United States and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and to advancing the policy of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region.Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced 10/31/2019) Cosponsors: (5)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 465. (All Actions)Tracker: 
32. S.Res.406— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution recognizing that for 50 years, the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and its ten members, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, have worked with the United States toward stability, prosperity, and peace in Southeast Asia, and expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States will continue to remain a strong, reliable, and active partner in the ASEAN region.Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 11/05/2019) Cosponsors: (3)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 466. (All Actions)Tracker: 
33. S.Res.454— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution calling for the immediate release of Cuban democracy activist Jose Daniel Ferrer and commending the efforts of Jose Daniel Ferrer to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba.Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 12/12/2019) Cosponsors: (6)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 467. (All Actions)Tracker: 
34. S.Res.502— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the amphibious landing on the Japanese island of Iwo Jima during World War II and the raisings of the flag of the United States on Mount Suribachi.Sponsor: Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] (Introduced 02/13/2020) Cosponsors: (38)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 468. (All Actions)Tracker: 
35. S.Res.511— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution supporting the role of the United States in helping save the lives of children and protecting the health of people in developing countries with vaccines and immunization through GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance.Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL] (Introduced 02/27/2020) Cosponsors: (7)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 469. (All Actions)Tracker: 
36. S.Res.523— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution recognizing the 199th anniversary of the independence of Greece and celebrating democracy in Greece and the United States.Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 02/27/2020) Cosponsors: (34)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 470. (All Actions)Tracker: 
37. S.Res.525— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States should continue to support the people of Nicaragua in their peaceful efforts to promote the restoration of democracy and the defense of human rights, and use the tools under United States law to increase political and economic pressure on the government of Daniel Ortega.Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX] (Introduced 03/02/2020) Cosponsors: (6)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 471. (All Actions)Tracker: 
38. S.Res.533— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution supporting the goals of International Women’s Day.Sponsor: Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (Introduced 03/05/2020) Cosponsors: (4)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 472. (All Actions)Tracker: 
39. S.Res.542— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution commemorating the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Dachau concentration camp during World War II.Sponsor: Sen. Gardner, Cory [R-CO] (Introduced 03/12/2020) Cosponsors: (6)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 473. (All Actions)Tracker: 
40. S.Res.567— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution commending career professionals at the Department of State for their extensive efforts to repatriate United States citizens and legal permanent residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ] (Introduced 05/07/2020) Cosponsors: (11)Committees: Senate – Foreign RelationsLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 474. (All Actions)Tracker: 
41. S.Res.604— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the Senate should not vote on the nomination of Michael Pack to be Chief Executive Officer of the United States Agency for Global Media unless and until Michael Pack corrects his false statements to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Internal Revenue Service.Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (2)Committees: Senate – Rules and AdministrationLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (All Actions)Tracker: 
42. S.Res.605— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution providing for sufficient time for legislation to be read.Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: Senate – Rules and AdministrationLatest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Referred to the Committee on Rules and Administration. (All Actions)Tracker: 
43. S.Res.606— 116th Congress (2019-2020)A resolution designating May 5, 2020, as the “National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls”.Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT] (Introduced 06/03/2020) Cosponsors: (11)Latest Action: Senate – 06/03/2020 Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Voice Vote. (All Actions)Tracker: