“If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.”
As both chambers of Congress kick off the March legislative work session this week there is likely to be a lot of roaring as they deal with a March 11 government funding deadline, a lengthy list of legislative priorities, Supreme Court confirmation hearings, and crisis in Ukraine.
There is optimism that the parties are close to reaching an omnibus spending deal for fiscal year (FY) 2022 by March 11th, including the White House’s $6.4 billion request for supplemental appropriations to support Ukraine. If they can reach agreement on FY2022 budget and pass a spending deal on that year, the cycle begins again and the FY2023 appropriations process will begin in March. The success of reaching a deal this month and starting anew requires a lot of lambs…
President Joe Biden has nominated federal Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, a former public defender, to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court. Jackson currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Senate Judiciary Chairman Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) has said he would like to see Jackson confirmed by the start of the chamber’s Easter break, which begins April 8. He has not announced dates for confirmation hearings.
Encourage confidence to act