What to Know in Washington: Democrats Anticipate Absence Rebound

Senate Democrats are hoping a 17-day spring break can help get them healthy again.

A plodding start to the Senate session slowed even more in recent weeks with absences by members facing health challenges and only allowed work on nominees and legislation with bipartisan support

But those ailing members will soon have more time to rest. The Senate is slated to leave town today for their break, and the pace could pick up when the chamber returns in mid-April.

Already Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who has been out for several weeks battling depression, will return when the Senate comes back April 17.

Fetterman to Return to US Senate in April After Hospitalization

Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) plans to return when the Senate comes back April 17.

Democrats hope moving closer to full strength for their next five-week legislative session will give them room to move Biden administration picks, among them Labor secretary nominee Julie Su and the federal courts nominees that lack GOP buy-in.

Democrats “will be in a better position to confirm nominees that don’t have, you know, bipartisan support” after recess, said Sen. Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), a member of Democratic leadership.

A restored majority could also give Democrats better odds of beating back measures the GOP can bring up unilaterally, such as those rolling back D.C. City Council changes to police practices or Biden administration regulations forgiving student loans, allowing the VA to provide abortion-related care to veterans, or implementing truck emission standards.

Zach Cohen previews the outlook for the Senate’s return to full strength.

CONGRESS’ SCHEDULE

• The House meets at 9 a.m. and plans a final vote on a GOP energy package.
• The Senate convenes at 10 a.m. to consider a Defense nomination and a firefighter grant reauthorization measure.

BIDEN’S AGENDA

• Biden has no scheduled public events. At 2 p.m., White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre gives a briefing.

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MORE FOREIGN AFFAIRS

• Tuberville Holds: Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) sought to end Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s (R-Ala.) six-week hold on military confirmations, a step he took to protest Pentagon policy that allows troops seeking an abortion to take leave. Read more
• Online Privacy: Attention on the national security risks of TikTok renewed discussion on passing a federal privacy bill, after more than two decades of bipartisan policymaking efforts and even with a rare consensus among tech firms and consumer advocates. Read more
• Hypersonic Weapons: A top Air Force official told lawmakers the branch won’t pursue a hypersonic weapons program manufactured by Lockheed Martin as the Pentagon signals more support for a different initiative by rival Raytheon. Read more
• World Bank: Ajay Banga, the US pick to head the World Bank, appears almost certain to become the anti-poverty lender’s next president after nominations closed Wednesday with no country proposing an alternative candidate. Read more
• Reporter Detained: Russia’s Federal Security Service said it detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, a US citizen, in Yekaterinburg on spying allegations. Read more

ALSO ON LAWMAKERS’ RADARS

• Covid Emergency Rollback: Biden will sign a bill (H.J. Res 7) to terminate the Covid-19 national emergency early, even though he opposes the measure, a White House spokeswoman said. The Senate cleared the bill Wednesday on a 68-23 vote, Courtney Rozen and Alexander Ruoff report.
• Manchin Complains: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) ramped up criticism of the Treasury Department over its upcoming interpretation of content rules for EV tax credits, which he suspects will be too broad and generous to foreign suppliers. Read more
• Su’s Nomination: Prominent trade groups that have joined past lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill to oppose nominees they call anti-business are sitting out of a budding opposition campaign against Biden nominee Su to lead the Labor Department. Read more

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Editor’s Note: The March 29 edition of Bloomberg Government’s Afternoon Briefing removed an incorrect reference to the Senate-passed bill overturning a US waters rule.

To contact the reporters on this story: Brandon Lee in Washington at blee@bgov.com; Michaela Ross in Washington at mross@bgov.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Giuseppe Macri at gmacri@bgov.com