This week: House GOP begins rolling out agenda

House Republicans will begin unveiling a formal policy platform this week after Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) became the last GOP leader to fall in line behind Donald Trump.

The rollout begins Tuesday when Ryan and other House Republicans will present the first part of their six-part agenda, dubbed “A Better Way,” to offer solutions to combat poverty at a nonprofit in Anacostia. Then on Thursday, GOP leaders will offer their national security platform at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The rest of the agenda will be presented over the next three weeks the House is in session this month.

{mosads}Ryan explained that his decision to endorse Trump last week after withholding support for the past month came upon concluding the presumptive GOP nominee would be more likely to help enact the House GOP’s policy platform into law. Notably, Ryan didn’t say he was assured by Trump’s own policy proposals – which differ significantly from the Wisconsin Republican on a range of issues.

Republicans decided to release a policy platform at their retreat in January, long before Trump clinched the party’s presidential nomination. However, it will serve as a platform for Republicans to run on should they try to distance themselves from Trump at the top of the ticket in November.

Spending bills

The House GOP will try to pick up the pieces on consideration of annual spending bills after the process blew up over LGBT rights before lawmakers left for the Memorial Day holiday recess.

An Energy Department spending bill collapsed on the House floor in large part because of conservatives’ objections to a Democratic amendment that enforced President Obama’s 2014 executive order prohibiting federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. 

Democrats have been able to force votes on the LGBT-related amendments to the Energy Department spending bill and a Department of Veterans Affairs funding measure because of the open process used to consider appropriations bills. Members of either party have, to this point, been able to offer unlimited amendments.

GOP leaders have been discussing whether to start curtailing the open process so that they can limit amendments or at least have advance notice of politically charged measures.

In the meantime, the House may consider the annual appropriations bill for legislative branch operations. That bill, which is typically one of the easiest of the 12 appropriations measures to pass, has always been considered under a limited amendment process in recent years.

This year’s legislative branch bill will likely resurrect debate over lawmaker salaries, which have been frozen since 2010. Democrats will also likely try to fight over a provision in the bill that reverses the Library of Congress’s decision to stop using the term “illegal alien” in its subheadings.

Indian prime minister

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first foreign leader to address Congress this year, and the first since Ryan became Speaker last fall. Pope Francis was the last person to speak before a joint session of Congress in late September.

Modi’s speech will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in the House chamber. The Indian leader is also slated to meet with President Obama a day earlier.

Four other Indian leaders have addressed Congress; the last was Manmohan Singh in 2005.

Puerto Rico

The House may take up legislation this week to assist Puerto Rico with its debt crisis. 

The bipartisan measure is backed by the White House, Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and cleared the House Natural Resources Committee before lawmakers departed for the recess.

Time is running short for the House to pass the bill and send it over to the Senate in time to reach President Obama’s desk before Puerto Rico’s next debt payment on July 1.

Still, it’s unclear if a coalition exists to pass the legislation on the House floor. Many Hispanic lawmakers are divided, with concerns about limiting the minimum wage for young workers and the establishment of an oversight board to manage the island’s finances. In addition, conservatives are wary of legislation that some outside groups have declared a “bailout” – a claim GOP leaders are pushing back against.

Defense authorization

The Senate will dive into debate of a wide-ranging annual defense policy bill after Democrats dragged out the procedural clock before lawmakers left town for the recess. 

The $602 billion defense authorization before the Senate broadly outlines policy for the Pentagon and military branches. It also sets up fights over President Obama’s ability to close Guantanamo before he leaves office and if women should be required to register for the draft. 

The legislation has already drawn more than 300 amendments, though it’s unclear which, or how many, will get a vote on the Senate floor. 

The bill is also paving the way for a spending fight, with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who is overseeing the bill for the Republicans, wanting to increase defense spending by at least $17 billion. 

Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), however, warned that Democrats aren’t willing to break a two-year budget deal agreed to last year. 

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah)—backed by a handful of conservative senators—has offered an amendment to strip out a provision requiring women to register for the draft. While, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) wants to get rid of selective service all together, as well as force the administration to declassify 28 pages of a 2002 report on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Republicans are also hoping to tie a range of new sanctions against Iran and tougher restrictions of transferring Guantanamo Bay detainees to the normally bipartisan bill. 

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is also using the bill to add new life to her years-long push to take the decision to prosecute sexual assaults and other serious crimes away from commanders and give it too independent military prosecutors. 

The House passed its version of the defense authorization last month.

Zika aid

Senate Democrats could once again try to bring up legislation funding President Obama’s $1.9 billion request to combat the Zika virus. 

Republicans have, so far, blocked any floor maneuvers to try and push through a stand-alone bill. They argue the Senate included $1.1 billion as part of a wide-ranging appropriations bill passed last month. 

But Reid warned over the recess that Democrats weren’t done trying to get the larger amount. 

“We’re going to push forward next week and force the Republicans to vote again against full funding for Zika virus,” Reid said during a press conference in Nevada Thursday. 

He also noted that his staff had met to discuss the increasingly urgent Zika situation.

Democrats face an uphill battle to get the $1.9 billion through the Senate. An amendment—from Florida Sens. Marco Rubio (R) and Bill Nelson (D)—previously failed by a 50-47 vote. 

– Sylvan Lane contributed.