The Week on the Hill

The House’s historic vote to approve legislation that would make D.C. the nation’s 51st state is a significant victory for supporters of statehood. It’s the first time either chamber of Congress has approved such a bill. But D.C. still faces significant hurdles in the quest to get votes in the House and Senate.

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The House plans to vote in the coming week on sweeping law enforcement reform legislation from Democrats, while the Senate is preparing to take up a Republican measure. And the House is also preparing for a historic vote on a proposal to make the District of Columbia the nation’s 51st state.

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Congressional Republicans are developing proposals for law enforcement reform, as the Senate Judiciary Committee prepares for an upcoming hearing on use of police force. The legislative action follows a highly emotional House hearing, featuring testimony from the brother of George Floyd, who died under the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis.

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Protests have not let up in the wake of the death of George Floyd, following his death in police custody in Minneapolis. While Washington has a long history of protests, President Trump’s response and the use of the military has sparked intense debate in D.C., as Congress starts to consider legislation aimed at law enforcement reform.

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States across the country continue to reopen and hope for business to pick up during the Memorial Day weekend, while Senators have left Washington. Many Democratic Senators are upset that no new legislation has been passed to address the pandemic, but Republicans say they’ve carried out oversight and that more time is needed to determine how $3 trillion already passed is working.

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The House has approved the largest relief package ever taken up by lawmakers to deal with the pandemic, as well as a historic change to allow remote voting. But the more than $3 trillion legislation put together by Democrats isn’t going anywhere in the Republican-controlled Senate. The parties are far apart as they consider the next major legislation to address the coronavirus.

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The nation's jobless rate is at a historically high level, and the death toll from COVID-19 keeps rising, even as states slowly reopen. And while the Senate is back in session, there are sharp political divisions over how to best address the pandemic in the next round of major legislation.

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The full Senate is coming back to Washington for the first time in more than a month, despite health safety concerns raised by some lawmakers. The House, meanwhile, hopes to return later in the month.

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Congress has approved $3 trillion to deal with the health and economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic. And following this week’s extraordinary House vote, there are signs that the next major legislation will bring about the fiercest political struggle since the crisis began.

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President Trump has enlisted governors and members of Congress to help with guidance, as he presses ahead with a gradual effort to reopen the country. As states cautiously move forward, congressional lawmakers remain stuck on interim legislation to help small businesses, even after a major program ran out of money.

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