Winter is here! Hopefully you all fared well in the first winter storm of 2024.
We are two days away from a partial government shutdown. After the three week winter recess, Congress returned to Washington with an agreement between Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on topline spending for fiscal year (FY) 2024, which I highlighted in last week’s newsletter. Rather than taking up funding bills to implement that agreement, however, Republicans turned the House into a three-ringed circus with their extreme messaging bills, baseless impeachment inquiries, and chaotic committee hearings. This picture is worth a thousand words describing last week:
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The good news is that House and Senate leadership have agreed on a Continuing Resolution (CR) to extend government funding and push the current January 19th and February 2nd deadlines to March 1st and March 8th respectively. This would give both chambers the necessary time to complete consideration of the twelve appropriation bills necessary to fund the government through September 30, 2024. The bad news is we lost a day of legislative business because of the snow.
Stay tuned for whether we get a CR to President Biden’s desk before midnight on Saturday!
Read on for what else you may have missed last week.
Each legislative week, the House must pass a resolution setting the rules for floor debate and votes on legislation, which we call “The Rule.” The majority usually votes for them and the minority votes against. The Rule routinely passes … until the 118th Congress. The rule failed for the first time since 2002 back in June when House Freedom Caucus members voted against a rule in protest of Speaker McCarthy’s actions in the debt ceiling fight. Since then, the rule has failed four more times, including last Tuesday when Freedom Caucus members voted against a rule in retaliation for the Johnson-Schumer spending deal, bringing floor business to a screeching halt for a full day.
After the Chaos Caucus hissy fit subsided, House Republicans brought three extreme messaging bills to the floor:
H.R. 788, severely limiting the Department of Justice’s ability to direct settlement funds to non-governmental groups that often work to address the harm underlying the applicable lawsuit;
H.J.Res. 98, threatening the rights of workers to collectively bargain for fair wages and better working conditions by disapproving the Department of Labor’s joint employer rule, which ensures that employees hired through subcontractors, staffing agencies, or other entities can hold their employers accountable and fight for improved working conditions and wages; and
S.J.Res. 38, hampering the electric vehicle (EV) industry and slowing our transition to cleaner, more sustainable technologies.
I opposed all three latest attempts to advance an extreme Republican agenda and spoke against S.J.Res. 38. Unfortunately, all three passed the House.
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This Monday, we honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on what would have been his 95th birthday. I was honored to reflect on his legacy at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Petersburg and Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Drewryville. I also was honored to receive an MLK Lifetime of Service Award at Virginia Union University’s annual MLK Community Leaders’ Breakfast on Friday. For each event, I spoke of his unfinished work to build The Beloved Community - a society of justice, peace and harmony which can be achieved through nonviolence, in which racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood - and that each of us must do our part to continue his work. Read more about the service in Petersburg in the Progress-Index.
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Dr. King had close connections to Virginia in general, and in particular the Fourth Congressional District, which he visited several times. You can learn more about his visits to Virginia here.
More Federal Grant Funding Headed to Virginia’s Fourth District!
Last week, the Biden-Harris Administration released several grant announcements that will benefit Virginia’s Fourth District:
The Federal Highway Administration awarded $1,452,800 to Henrico County to build 38 EV charging stations at seven publicly-accessible community facilities such as libraries, government centers, parks, and recreation sites. This is part of $623 million in grants announced last week to build out an EV charging network across the U.S., funded through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)’s $2.5 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program.
The Department of Agriculture awarded Greensville County a $4,174,000 loan and a $30,000 grant from its Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants program. The funding will support the modernization of Greensville County’s water distribution system and enhance services for nearly 1,300 residents.
The National Endowment for the Humanities announced $33.8 million in grants for 260 humanities projects across the country, including two in the Fourth District. Christopher Bischof at the University of Richmond will receive $60,000 to support formative research and writing that will lead to a book on post-slavery social and economic policies in the British West Indies between 1823 and 1865. Mark DeYoung at Virginia Union University will receive $24,836 to support the development of an exhibition on the history of Black women’s higher education. Both projects will help expand our knowledge, strengthen the public humanities, and ensure a more complete and accurate history for all Americans.
Valentines for Veterans
This past week, I launched the inaugural Valentines for Veterans program to show appreciation to the hundreds of thousands of active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and military families in Virginia’s Fourth. The Valentines for Veterans Program is an opportunity to spread kindness this Valentine’s Day and give back to those who served and protected our nation. To participate, you can deliver or mail Valentine’s Day cards to my Richmond or Brunswick offices by February 2nd, 2024. More information can be found on my website.
Black History Month Essay Contest
Last week I launched the inaugural Fourth District Black History Month Essay Contest for middle and high school students. This competition is an excellent opportunity for students to learn more about prominent figures in Black history. Interested students can submit their essay to VA04_Projects@mail.house.gov by February 12th, 2024. More information, including essay prompts and additional details, can be found on my website.
I look forward to hearing from you. Make sure to follow @RepMcClellan on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Threads to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington and Virginia’s Fourth and to catch the third episode of Moments with McClellan!
