The House is getting ready to leave town for an extended summer recess. House lawmakers have been racing this week to complete its long to-do list. They just wrapped up their last votes — and are not scheduled to be back in Washington until Aug. 31 (!)
August recess getaway cars lined up outside the House
What about the Senate?: The Senate is still scheduled to be in session for another two weeks.
Here’s what House lawmakers raced through:
A Democratic war powers bill just passed: Four House Republicans helped House Democrats pass a war powers resolution aimed at halting President Trump’s military action in Iran.
But remember, this vote is nonbinding. It’s meant to send a message to the president. Both chambers of Congress have passed resolutions like this before. Read more
Defense spending: The House narrowly passed a nearly $1.15 trillion annual defense policy bill on Wednesday. Six Democrats voted in favor of the bill and seven Republicans voted against it. Read more
Guidelines for congressional stock trading: The House also passed a Republican-backed bill on Wednesday that bars members of Congress and their immediate families from buying new stocks. However, they can hold onto stocks they already own. The bill also requires lawmakers to file a public notice at least seven days before selling an existing stock. Democrats are generally supportive but many are critical this bill doesn’t include the executive branch. Read more
Government funding through Dec. 4: House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday to extend government funding through Dec. 4, past the usual Sept. 30 deadline. They usually deal with this in September but this was a proactive move to potentially avoid an ugly shutdown battle right before the midterms. Read more
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MEANWHILE, WHAT’S BUBBLING UP:
“A bill that seeks to mitigate data centers’ impacts on Americans’ electric bills is gaining steam in the House, as lawmakers face pressure to act in the face of sharp backlash to the sprawling AI infrastructure,” The Hill’s Rachel Frazin and Julia Shapero report. The legislation advanced out of committee this week in a whopping 52-0 vote (!) and now has a companion bill in the Senate. As Frazin and Shapero point out, it’s gaining momentum but it’s still unclear whether it will ultimately become law. Read more
IN THE WHITE HOUSE
OTHER NEWS
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COMING UP
Celebrate: Today is National Lemon Day! It’s also National Vanilla Ice Cream Day!
So much buzz about ‘The Odyssey’: Did you know that 
AND FINALLY…
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