3 Points Of Focus For Senate Before Memorial Day Recess: China, 6 Jan, Infra

With the Memorial Day weekend recess fast approaching, the US Senate has a busy period ahead with an attempt to get the Endless Frontier Act passed, reach an agreement on the creation of an independent bipartisan commission on the 6 January Capitol storming, and brokering a deal on the Biden administration's Infrastructure bill (the 'American Jobs Plan').

• Innovation and Competition Act/Endless Frontier Act: This legislation, put forward by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is intended to provide USD110bn over 5 years to boost investment in basic and advanced tech research in areas such as AI, quantum computing, biotech, and semiconductors in order to ensure greater competition with China, which is viewed as having a competitive advantage in these areas. There will be a procedural vote on the act at 1100ET (1600BST, 1700CET) to attempt to halt debate. After the cloture vote there is the possibility of up to another 30 hours of debate, but if Rep and Dem leadership can get agreement without any more amendments a final vote could come on Friday.
• 6 January Commission: The majority leader has also filed a cloture motion on the bill, already approved by the House, to establish a 9/11-style independent bipartisan commission to investigate the 6 January storming of the Capitol. Senate GOP leadership has already voiced its opposition to the commission, meaning 10 Republican senators would have to vote with the Democrats to shut down a filibuster. At present this appears unlikely, with only Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Mitt Romney (R-UT) voicing their support for cloture. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) has proposed some changes to the bill to draw Republican support, while Sens Rob Portman (R-OH), who is retiring at the end of his term in 2023, and Bill Cassidy (R-LA), who voted for former President Trump's conviction, are also seen as potential voters for cloture. As such, it is likely that the proposed commission in its current form will be halted in the senate in this session.
• Infrastructure Bill/American Jobs Plan: Earlier today senior GOP senators presented a counteroffer to the Biden administration's infrastructure bill, officially the 'American Jobs Plan'. The onus now passes to the White House as to whether the GOP plan (coming in at USD928bn) is acceptable as a point for negotiations, or whether it is a signal that there cannot be any reconciliation between the two sides. The Memorial Day weekend was the initial deadline for the administration to reach a bipartisan deal, we will see over the next day or so if this is a hard deadline or if the signs of compromise will allow for the date to be pushed back.