A Productive, (Mostly) Amicable Day in the House

The US House today defied its reputation for divisiveness, protracted debate, and razor-thin victory margins with a remarkably productive legislative session marked by moments of bipartisanship.

The House managed to pass some 13 pieces of legislation on a wide range of issues, ranging from data-mining protections to medical device availability to responses to Chinese surveillance balloons. Nearly all of the bills were passed on voice votes. 

Rep. Bice

One hard-fought compromise involved a set of competing bills by Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-Oklahoma) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) over making feminine hygiene products more affordable. While Bush's original bill likely would have been further-reaching in terms of providing free menstrual products, the two were able to come to terms and put forward a bipartisan Bice-Bush Act. (One of the session's more divisive votes occurred over the naming of the act.) The bill passed on a voice vote.

Rep. Massie

Republicans were also able to pass a longstanding goal for some conservatives -- an act to audit the Federal Reserve Board. Its author, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky), argued that it is "long overdue that we lift back the curtain of the Federal Reserve for the American people." Although a number of Democrats raised concerns, resistance to the bill softened with Rep. Ruben Gallego's (D-Arizona) amendment that the bill require reauthorization every four years.

Perhaps the most partisan fight occurred over Majority Leader Tom Emmer's (R-Minnesota) proposal to eliminate all taxes -- including state and local taxes -- on small businesses. Rep. Clay Higgins (R-Louisiana) and other Republicans emphasized that these cuts were for smaller businesspeople, such as "the baker that wakes up at 3AM." Democrats raised numerous objections over the definition of small business and the enforceability and constitutionality of the measure. It nonetheless passed on a party-line roll call vote right before adjournment. It was not clear whether President Biden would sign the measure into law.

Dems Roll Republicans in Lively House Session

Defying their reputation for legislative disarray, House Democrats held together and managed to defeat measures on abortion and Ukraine funding pushed by the Republican majority.

Rep. Emmer

House Majority Leader Tom Emmer (Minnesota) authored HR 2, a bill that would have banned abortions nationwide in cases beyond three weeks of gestation. "All human life born and unborn should be protected," proclaimed Emmer. "God bless babies," added Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida). 

Democrats pushed back on the measure. Rep. Katie Porter (D-California) noted that it is impossible in most cases for a woman to know she is pregnant before three weeks of gestation. Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez warned that the measure would lead to dangerous illegal abortions. 

Rep. Bush

Reps. Brittany Pettersen (D-Colorado) and Cori Bush (D-Missouri) brought up examples of their own pregnancies, with Bush noting that she was homeless for a time while raising her small children. "Where was the concern for our babies then?" she asked.

All Democrats voted against the bill. Republicans held a two-seat majority in the chamber, but Reps. Nancy Mace (Arizona) and David Joyce (Ohio) voted "present," depriving the bill of a majority.

It was a similar story on Speaker Andy Biggs' bill to curtail US funding for Ukraine. Biggs claimed that the war was at a stalemate and that the US had done what it could do, calling for a reduction in spending to help bring the warring parties to a resolution. He additionally claimed that the Ukrainian government is one of the most corrupt in Europe and continued US support was only worsening this.

Rep. Salazar

Democrats offered a vigorous defense of Ukraine. They were aided by Republican Rep. María Elvira Salazar (Florida), who parted with her colleagues in her support for Ukraine, which she claimed was a push back against Russian communism. "We’re forgetting the real thing; this is communism," she argued. (Editor's note: Russia is not a communist nation.)

Salazar joined all Democrats in opposing the bill, which failed on an 11-11 vote. 

Republicans were successful in pushing through Rep. Debbie Lesko's (R-Arizona) bill to add $5 billion in funding for further wall construction at the US-Mexico border.

House Goes After TikTok

In what was portrayed as a rebuke to China, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed a bill to investigate the controversial social media site TikTok over the next three years.

Rep. Buck (R-CO)

The bill, authored by Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado), passed on a voice vote after a lengthy and divisive partisan debate. Buck raised the specter of the alleged Chinese spy balloon recently shot down by military jets after it had crossed over the continental United States, suggesting that the Chinese government was using TikTok to similarly spy on Americans. 

Rep. María Salazar (R-Florida) similarly suggested that TikTok was being used by the Chinese communist government to infiltrate the United States. "It's no secret how I feel about communism," she added. Urging a support for the bill, Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Florida) said, "TikTok should be blown out of the sky like the Chinese spy balloon was this week."

Democrats voiced a number of concerns about the bill. Minority Leader Ruben Gallego (Arizona) described the measure as a "virtue signal of a bill" that was "all foam and no beer." Rep. Doris Matsui (D-California) asked why just TikTok was being singled out and not other Chinese-owned social media companies, and raised concerns about the bill's vagueness. Several Democrats wondered if the Defense Intelligence Agency, tasked with running the investigation, was the proper agency for the job. 

Several members of the House International Affairs Committee traded barbs on the floor, blaming each other for a lack of the bipartisan comity that had been on display during the committee hearings over the bill. "I'm fairly disappointed," said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Nebraska). 

Rep. Matsui (D-CA)

The bill now goes to President Biden's desk. The White House has not indicated whether the President will sign it.