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This Week on the Hill -- Current Edition

Week of September 5, 2011 House and Senate Return from a Month-Long Recess Senate Appropriations Subcommittee and Committee to Mark Up FY '12 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill Secretary Clinton to Consult with House and Senate Judiciary Committees on FY '12 Refugee Admissions House Judiciary Panel to Hold Hearing on Agricultural Guest Worker Bill House Homeland Security to Hold Hearing on the Aftermath of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, the following hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters could be discussed: House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on the Aftermath of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks on the United States: The House Committee on Homeland Security has scheduled a hearing for this week titled, "The Attacks of September 11th: Where Are We Today." The witness list for the hearing includes Lee Hamilton, former Vice Chairman, National Commisssion on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States; Tom J. Ridge, former Secretary of Homeland Security; and Comptroller General of the U.S. Eugene Dodaro of the Government Accountability Office. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in Room 311 of the Cannon House Office Building. House Judiciary Panel Hearing on Agricultural Guest Worker Bill: The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement has scheduled a hearing for this week on the "American Specialty Agriculture Act." At the time of this writing, the witness list for the hearing had not yet been publicly released. Witnesses at the hearing will include Lee Wicker, Deputy Director, North Carolina Growers Association; Chalmers Carr, President and CEO, Titan Farms, S.C.; Dan Fazio, Director, Washington Farm Labor Association; and Robert Williams, Dattorney, Florida Legal Services. The hearing is scheduled for 2:00 pm EDT on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in Room 2200 of the Rayburn House Office Building. House Foreign Affairs Panel to Hold Hearing on the Humanitarian Crisis in East Africa: The House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights has scheduled a hearing for this week titled "Addressing the Humanitarian Emergency in East Africa." Witnesses at the hearing will include Rajakumari Jandhyala, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development; Katherine Zimmerman, Leader, Gulf of Aden Team, Critical Threats Project, American Enterprise Institute; Kent Hill, Senior Vice President for International Affairs, World Vision; and Shannon Scribner, Humanitarian Policy Manager, Oxfam America. The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 pm EDT on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building. This Week’s Markups At the time of this writing, the following markups were anticipated for this week that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: Senate Appropriations Committee Panel to Mark Up Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill: The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security this week is scheduled to mark up its version of the fiscal year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. Each year, the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill includes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, including its three immigration-related bureaus: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CPB), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The subcommittee markup is scheduled for 3:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, September 6, 2011, in Room SD-138 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Full Senate Appropriations Committee to Mark Up Fiscal Year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill: The full Senate Committee on Appropriations could this week is scheduled to mark up its version of the fiscal year 2012 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill. Each year, the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill includes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security, including its three immigration-related bureaus: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Customs and Border Protection (CPB), and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The full committee markup is scheduled for 3:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, in Room SD-106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction Meeting: The newly formed Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction has scheduled its first meeting for this week. The Committee is expected to entertain opening statements from its members and adopt its rules. The meeting is scheduled for 10:30 am EDT on Thursday, September 8, 2011, in Room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. House Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up Fiscal Year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bill: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies has scheduled a markup for this week of its version of the Fiscal year 2012 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill. Each year, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, which administers the federal government's refugee resettlement, unaccompanied alien children, trafficking victim assistance, and torture victim assistance functions. The Subcommittee markup is scheduled for 9:30 am EDT on Friday, September 9, 2011, in Room 2358-B of the Rayburn House Office Building.   This Week’s Floor Activity At the time of this writing, no floor action was scheduled for this week on measures that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences:       This Week's Conference Committee Activity The following measures containing significant immigration- or refugee-related provisions are pending in conference committees: Differences in Differing Versions of the FY '12 Military Construction Appropriations Bill: While no action had yet been scheduled at the time of this writing, the House and Senate could at any time constitute a conference committee to iron out differences between the House-passed and the Senate-passed versions of H.R. 2055, the FY '12 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The House of Representatives passed its version of H.R. 2055 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The Senate pass its version on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. The most significant immigration-related difference between the two bills is a provision contained in the House-passed version of the bill that was stripped from the Senate-passed measure. The provision, found in Section 414 of the House-passed measure, would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees. There is no comparable version of the provision in the Senate-passed version of the measure. No conference meeting is expected to occur during this week.   Off of the House and Senate Floors At the time of this writing, the following "off of the floor" activity on immigration- or refugee-related legislative matters is anticipated this week: Briefing on Agricultural Guest Worker Issues: Representatives Howard C. Berman (D-CA), Joe Baca (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) have organized a briefing for this week to unveil a report by the Farmworker Justice Fund titled, "No Way to Treat a Guest: Why the H-2A Agricultural Visa Program Fails U.S. and Foreign Workers." Participants in the briefing will include Bruce Goldstein, President Farmworker Justice; Saket Soni, Director, National Guestworkers' Alliance; and Andrea Zuniga DiBitetto, Legislative Representative, AFL-CIO. The briefing is scheduled for 10:30 am EDT on Wednesday, September 7, 2011, in Room HC-8 of the U.S. Capitol Building. News Conference on the Immigration Views of the 2012 GOP Presidential Candidates: America's Voice has scheduled a telephonic press conference for this week to discuss the immigration views of the 2012 candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. The telephonic press conference is scheduled for 2:00 pm EDT on Wednesday, September 7, 2011. Fiscal Year 2012 Refugee Consultation: The leadership of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees could meet as soon as this week with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton for the annual refugee consultation. The refugee consultation must take place and the President of the United States must issue a Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions before any refugees can be admitted to the United States during fiscal year 2012. The refugee consultation is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 8, 2011. Disussion on Border Security After 9/11: The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars has scheduled a discussion for this week titled "Border Security Challenges After 9/11: A Conversation with Three Commissioners of U.S. Customs and Border Protection." Participants in the discussion will include Commissioner Alan Bersin of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB) and former commissioners Robert Bonner and Ralph Basham. The discussion is scheduled for 11:00 am EDT on Friday, September 9, 2011, in the 6th Floor, Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, DC.

Weeks of August 8 - August 29, 2011 The House and Senate are in the Midst of a Month-Long August Recess This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, no hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters are expected to be examined. This Week’s Markups At the time of this writing, no markups were anticipated for this week that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences.   This Week’s Floor Activity At the time of this writing, no floor action was scheduled for this week on measures that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences:       This Week's Conference Committee Activity The following measures containing significant immigration- or refugee-related provisions are pending in conference committees: Differences in Differing Versions of the FY '12 Military Construction Appropriations Bill: While no action had yet been scheduled at the time of this writing, the House and Senate could at any time constitute a conference committee to iron out differences between the House-passed and the Senate-passed versions of H.R. 2055, the FY '12 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The House of Representatives passed its version of H.R. 2055 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The Senate pass its version on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. The most significant immigration-related difference between the two bills is a provision contained in the House-passed version of the bill that was stripped from the Senate-passed measure. The provision, found in Section 414 of the House-passed measure, would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees. There is no comparable version of the provision in the Senate-passed version of the measure. No conference meeting is expected to occur during the August Recess.   Off of the House and Senate Floors At the time of this writing, no "off of the floor" activity on immigration- or refugee-related legislative matters is anticipated this week.

Week of August 1, 2011 House and Senate Plan Action on Extension of Debt Limit House Appropriations to Mark Up FY '12 Bill that Funds Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance House to Take Up Bill Reviving the H-1C Nonimmigrant Nurses Program House to Take Up Bill Easing Immigration Plight of Some Servicemembers and Their Spouses Senate Foreign Relations Panel to Hold Hearing on the Famine and Drought in the Horn of Africa Congress to Begin Month-Long August Recess Upon Close of Business This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, the following hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters are expected to be examined: Senate Foreign Relations Panel to Hold a Hearing on Drought and Famine in the Horn of Africa:  The Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs has scheduled a hearing for this week on drought and famine in the Horn of Africa.  Witnesses and briefers at the hearing will include Nancy Lindborg, Assistant Administrator, Bureau of Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance, U.S. Agency for International Development; Donald Yamamoto, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of African Affairs; Reuben Brigety, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration; Robert Laprade, Denior Director, CARE USA; Jeremy Konyndyk, Director of Policy and Advocacy, Mercy Corps; J. Peter Pham, Director, Michael S. Ansari Africa Center, Atlantic Council; and Afshan Khan, Director of Public-Sector Alliances and Resources Mobilization, UNICEF, New York, N.Y. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011, in Room SD-419 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.  This Week’s Markups   At the time of this writing, the following markups were anticipated for this week that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: Full House Appropriations Committee to Mark Up of Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill: The full House Committee on Appropriations this week is scheduled to markup its version of the FY '12 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill.  Each year, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), Emergency Refugee Migration Assistance (ERMA), and International Disaster Assistance (IDA) accounts.  The first two of these accounts are administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and they fund the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs.  The third account is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs marked up its version of the measure on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.  The Subcommittee-approved measure would make significant cuts in fiscal year 2012 in the MRA, ERMA, and IDA accounts relative to fiscal year 2011.  With regard to the MRA account, the Subcommittee-approved measure would cut funding by about $190 MILLION (or 11.3 percent) in FY '12 relative to FY '11, from approximately $1.687 BILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) in fiscal year 2011 to approximately $1.497 BILLION in fiscal year 2012.  It would earmark $20 MILLION of those funds for refugees resettling in Israel.  The measure would provide for the use of an unspecified amount of Economic Support Fund (ESF) funding to community based organizations (CBOs) to assist Burmese refugees residing in Thailand, and it would provide for a transfer of $8 MILLION of ESF funds to the MRA account for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations assisting Columbian refugees in neighboring countries.  With regard to the ERMA account, the Subcommittee-approved measure would appropriate $32 MILLION for the Department of State's ERMA account.  This would be a cut of $17.9 MILLION (or 35.9 percent) in fiscal year 2012 relative to the $49.9 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for ERMA in fiscal year 2011.  With regard to the IDA account, the Subcommittee-approved measure would appropriate $757.652 MILLION for the USAID's IDA account.  This would be a cut of $105.618 MILLION (or 12.2 percent) in FY '12 relative to the $863.270 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for the IDA account in fiscal year 2011. Finally, the draft measure would bar funding to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA), which assists Palestinian refugees, unless the Secretary of State certifies that seven conditions are complied with.  The House Committee on Appropriations markup is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011, in Room 2359 of the Rayburn House Office Building.     This Week’s Floor Activity At the time of this writing, the following floor action was scheduled for this week on measures that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences:  House to Take Up Debt Limit Increase/Deficit Reduction Legislation: The full House of Representatives this week is expected to take up Budget Control Act of 2011, a debt relief/deficit reduction measure that was agreed to by President Obama and the Congressional Leadership on Sunday, July 31, 2011.  The debt measure does not contain any specific immigration- or refugee-related provisions.  Notwithstanding the absence of such provisions, though, it could place long-term downward pressure on both discretionary and entitlement spending, which could result in significant cuts over the long-term in immigration- and refugee-related spending.  However, the FY '12 discretionary spending limits provided for in the Budget Control Act of 2011 are higher than those contained in the House-approved FY '12 budget.  And so, ironically, the measure could actually decrease the downward pressure on FY '12 spending for such functions as refugee resettlement while increasing the downward pressure on funding for refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, immigration enforcement, and immigration services, when compared to the pressure that the House-approved FY '12 budget resolution would have placed on those functions. The House Committee on Appropriations has already produced a number of FY '12 appropriations bills.  Indeed, it was about to mark up the bill that funds refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance this week but canceled the markup in anticipation of reaching an overall deal on the budget.  In all likelihood, the House Committee on Appropriations will receive new FY '12 spending allocations for the various spending bills and will have to make adjustments in the bills that either have already passed the House, been approved by the Committee, been approved by one of the Committee's subcommittees, or that were in a draft form at the time that the deal on the Budget Control Act of 2011 was being negotiated. The biggest potential impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on spending for immigration services, immigration enforcement, border enforcement, refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement may be what happens in FY '13.  The Budget Control Act of 2011 would require across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending beginning in January of 2013 if either the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction fails to report legislation making $1.2 TRILLION in deficit reduction or if Congress fails to enact those recommendations into law (or fails to enact some other set of provisions making $1.2 TRILLION in deficit reduction into law). The House could take up measure at any time on or after Monday, August 1, 2011.     Senate Could Take Up Debt Limit Increase/Deficit Reduction Legislation: The full Senate this week is expected to take up Budget Control Act of 2011, a debt relief/deficit reduction measure that was agreed to by President Obama and the Congressional Leadership on Sunday, July 31, 2011. The debt measure does not contain any specific immigration- or refugee-related provisions.  Notwithstanding the absence of such provisions, though, it could place long-term downward pressure on both discretionary and entitlement spending, which could result in significant cuts over the long-term in immigration- and refugee-related spending.  However, the FY '12 discretionary spending limits provided for in the Budget Control Act of 2011 are higher than those contained in the House-approved FY '12 budget.  And so, ironically, the measure could actually decrease the downward pressure on FY '12 spending for such functions as refugee resettlement while increasing the downward pressure on funding for refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, immigration enforcement, and immigration services, when compared to the pressure that the House-approved FY '12 budget resolution would have placed on those functions. The House Committee on Appropriations has already produced a number of FY '12 appropriations bills.  Indeed, it was about to mark up the bill that funds refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance this week but canceled the markup in anticipation of reaching an overall deal on the budget.  In all likelihood, the House Committee on Appropriations will receive new FY '12 spending allocations for the various spending bills and will have to make adjustments in the bills that either have already passed the House, been approved by the Committee, been approved by one of the Committee's subcommittees, or that were in a draft form at the time that the deal on the Budget Control Act of 2011 was being negotiated. The biggest potential impact of the Budget Control Act of 2011 on spending for immigration services, immigration enforcement, border enforcement, refugee admissions, overseas refugee assistance, and refugee resettlement may be what happens in FY '13.  The Budget Control Act of 2011 would require across-the-board cuts in discretionary spending beginning in January of 2013 if either the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction fails to report legislation making $1.2 TRILLION in deficit reduction or if Congress fails to enact those recommendations into law (or fails to enact some other set of provisions making $1.2 TRILLION in deficit reduction into law). The Senate could take up measure at any time on or after Monday, August 1, 2011. Full House to Take Up Bill Easing Plight of Deployed Military Personnel and Their Conditional Resident Spouses: The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 398, a measure to ease the plight of active duty military personnel and their spouses who are seeking to remove the conditional nature of their permanent residency while they are deployed overseas.  As approved by the House Committee on the Judiciary, the measure would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to toll, during active-duty service abroad in the Armed Forces, the periods of time to file a petition and appear for an interview to remove the conditional basis for permanent resident status.  It was introduced by House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement Ranking Minority Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and is cosponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), House Judiciary Immigration Policy and Enforcement Chairman Elton Gallegly (R-CA), and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Minority Member John Conyers (D-MI).        The House Committee on Appropriations approved H.R. 398 on Wednesday, January 26, 2011, by a voice vote.  However, the Committee did not formally report the measure to the full House of Representatives until July 8, 2011. The House is scheduled to take up H.R. 398 on Monday, August 1, 2011, under a process that will preclude amendments, limit debate to 40 minutes, and require the affirmative votes of two-thirds or more of those Members who are present and voting in order for the bill to be passed. Full House to Take Up Bill Reviving and Revising the Expired H-1C Nonimmigrant Nurses Program: The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 1933, a measure introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) that would revive and revise the expired H-1C nonimmigrant nurses program.   The House Committee on the Judiciary approved the measure on Thursday, June 23, 2011.  However, the Committee did not formally report the measure to the full House of Representatives until July 19, 2011. The House is scheduled to take up H.R. 1933 on Monday, August 1, 2011, under a process that will preclude amendments, limit debate to 40 minutes, and require the affirmative votes of two-thirds or more of those Members who are present and voting in order for the bill to be passed.. This Week's Conference Committee Activity The following measures containing significant immigration- or refugee-related provisions are pending in conference committees: Differences in Differing Versions of the FY '12 Military Construction Appropriations Bill: While no action had yet been scheduled at the time of this writing, the House and Senate could at any time constitute a conference committee to iron out differences between the House-passed and the Senate-passed versions of H.R. 2055, the FY '12 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The House of Representatives passed its version of H.R. 2055 on Tuesday, June 14, 2011. The Senate pass its version on Wednesday, July 20, 2011. The most significant immigration-related difference between the two bills is a provision contained in the House-passed version of the bill that was stripped from the Senate-passed measure. The provision, found in Section 414 of the House-passed measure, would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees. There is no comparable version of the provision in the Senate-passed version of the measure.   No conference meeting is expected to occur this week.     Off of the House and Senate Floors   At the time of this writing, the following "off of the floor" activity on immigration- or refugee-related legislative matters is anticipated this week: Panel Discussion on the Famine in Somalia: The Brookings Institution has scheduled a discussion for this week on "Famine in Somalia: An Expected Turn for the Worse."  Participants in the discussion will include Semhar Araia, Horn of Africa Regional Policy Adviser for Oxfam America; Mark Bartolini, Director of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance; Vincent Cochetel, Representative to the United States and the Caribbean Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees; Allen Jury, Director of the U.S. Relations Office at the World Food Program; and Reuben Brigety, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees and Migration. The panel discussion is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Monday, August 1, 2011, in the Washington, DC offices of the Brookings Institution. Address by USCIS Director Mayorkas: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas this week is scheduled to deliver remarks to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee's (UNHCR) First Annual Refugee Congress, which will mark the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Refugee Convention. Director Mayorkas's remarks are scheduled for 9:00 am EDT on Wednesday, August 3, 2011, on the campus of the Georgetown University Law Center. Panel Discussion on U.S.-Mexico border Security: The Center for American Progress (CAP) this week is holding a discussion titled, "The State of U.S./Mexico Border Security: Assessing the Past, Present, and Future From the Early Build Up Today and Beyond."  Participants in the discussion will include Alan Bersin, Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection; Doris Meissner, Senior Fellow and Director of the Immigration Policy Program; and Marshall Fitz, Director of immigration policy at CAP.  The discussion is scheduled for workshop is is scheduled for 12:00 Noon EDT on Thursday, August 4, 2011, in the Washington, DC offices of the Center for American Progress. Issue Forum on Immigration Enforcement and Criminalization: Jobs with Justice this week has scheduled a forum on immigration enforcement and criminalization during its 2011 Jobs with Justice National Conference.  The title of the forum is, "Immigration Enforcement and Criminalization, an organized attack to divide workers - & the grassroots fight back". The forum is scheduled for 10:30 am EDT on Friday, August 5, 2011, at the Omni Forum Hotel in Washington, DC.

Week of July 25, 2011 House and Senate Hope to Take Action on Extension of Debt Limit President Obama to Deliver Remarks at the NCLR Annual Conference House Judiciary Committee Panel to Hold Hearing Measure to Limit on the HALT Act Senate Judiciary Committee Panel to Hold Hearing on the Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigration Reform House Appropriations Panel to Mark Up FY '12 Bill that Funds Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance House Homeland Security Committee to Hold Third in Series of Hearings on Islamic Extremisim in the United States This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, the following hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters are expected to be examined: House Judiciary Panel Hearing on the "HALT Act": The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement has scheduled a hearing for this week on H.R. 2596, the HALT (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation) Act”.  As introduced, the measure would prohibit President Obama and his administration from granting a number of forms of relief from removal, as well as prohibit the Obama Administration from exercizing its authority to designate countries for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), during the remainder of the Obama first term.  The witness list for the hearing includes Senator David Vitter (R-LA), sponsor of the Senate version of the measure; Chris Crane, President, National ICE Council; Jessica Vaughan, Policy Director, Center for Immigration Studies; and Margaret Stock, Adjunct Professor, University of Alaska, Anchorage. The hearing is scheduled for 1:30 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn House Office Building.  Senate Judiciary Committee Panel to Hold Hearing on the Potential Economic Benefits of Comprehensive Immigration Reform: The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees, and Border Security has scheduled a hearing for next week on the potential economic benefits of comprehensive immigration reform titled, "The Economic Imperative for Enacting Immigration Reform."  At the time of this writing, the witness list for the hearing included Robert Greifield, Chief Executive Officer, NASDAQ-OMX Group; David J. Skorton, President, Cornell University; Brad Smith, General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal and Corporate Affairs, Microsoft Corporation; Puneet S. Arora, Vice President, Immigration Voice, Los Angeles, California; David Roefaro, Mayor of Utica, New York; Laurent F. Gilbert, Sr., Mayor of Lewiston, Maine; and Paul Bridges, Mayor of Uvalda, Georgia. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, in Room SD-226 or the Dirksen Senate Office Building. House Homeland Security Committee Hearing on Islamic Radicalization in the United States: The House Committee on Homeland Security is scheduled this week to hold the third in a series of hearings it is holding on Islamic radicalization in the United States. The hearing will concentrate on "Al Shabaab: Recruitment and Radicalization within the Muslim American Community and the Threat to the Homeland."  The witness list for the hearing includes Ahmed Hussen, member, Cross Cultural Roundtable on Security, Canada; William Anders Folk, former Assistant U.S. Attorney, Minnesota; and Thomas Joscelyn, Senior Fellow and Executive Director, Center for Law and Counterterrorism, Foundation for Defense of Democracies. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, in Room 311 of the Cannon House Office Building.  This Week’s Markups   At the time of this writing, the following markups were anticipated for this week that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: House Appropriations Subcommittee to Mark Up of Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill: The House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs this week is scheduled to markup its Draft Fiscal Year 2012 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Bill.  Each year, the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill appropriates funding for the Department of State's Migration and Refugee Assistance (MRA), Emergency Refugee Migration Assistance (ERMA), and International Disaster Assistance (IDA) accounts.  The first two of these accounts are administered by the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), and they fund the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance programs.  The third account is administered by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). With regard to refugee and refugee-related funding, the draft measure would cut funding for the MRA account by about $190 MILLION (or 11.3 percent) in FY '12 relative to FY '11, from approximately $1.687 BILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) in fiscal year 2011 to approximately $1.497 BILLION in fiscal year 2012.  It would earmark $20 MILLION of those funds for refugees resettling in Israel.  The draft measure would appropriate $32 MILLION for the Department of State's ERMA account.  This would be a cut of $17.9 MILLION (or 35.9 percent) in fiscal year 2012 relative to the $49.9 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for ERMA in fiscal year 2011.  The draft measure would provide for the use of an unspecified amount of Economic Support Fund (ESF) funding to community based organizations (CBOs) to assist Burmese refugees residing in Thailand, and it would provide for a transfer of $8 MILLION of ESF funds to the MRA account for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international organizations assisting Columbian refugees in neighboring countries.  The draft measure would appropriate $757.652 MILLION for the USAID's IDA account.  This would be a cut of $105.618 MILLION (or 12.2 percent) in FY '12 relative to the $863.270 MILLION (after applying the .2 percent across-the-board cut) that was appropriated for the IDA account in fiscal year 2011. Finally, the draft measure would bar funding to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency (UNWRA), which assists Palestinian refugees, unless the Secretary of State certifies that seven conditions are complied with.  The Subcommittee markup is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, in Room H-140 of the U.S. capitol Building.     This Week’s Floor Activity At the time of this writing, the following floor action was scheduled for this week on measures that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: Full House to Take Up Bill to Create a Special Envoy on Religious Liberty: The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 440, a measure to direct the President of the United States to appoint a Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Central Asia.    Under the measure, the newly created position of Envoy would hold the rank of ambassador and could not hold another federal government position at the same time.  He or she would have the duty to (1) promote the right of religious freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia, denounce the violation of such right, and recommend appropriate responses by the United States Government when such right is violated; (2) monitor and combat acts of religious intolerance and incitement targeted against religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia; (3) work to ensure that the unique needs of religious minority communities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia are addressed, including the economic and security needs of such communities to the extent that such needs are directly tied to religious-based discrimination and persecution; (4) work with foreign governments of the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia to address laws that are inherently discriminatory toward religious minority communities in such countries; (5) coordinate and assist in the preparation of that portion of the report required by sections 116(d) and 502B(b) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151n(d) and 2304(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia; and (6) coordinate and assist in the preparation of that portion of the report required by section 102(b) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 (22 U.S.C. 6412(b)) relating to the nature and extent of religious freedom of religious minorities in the countries of the Near East and the countries of South Central Asia. The version of H.R. 440 that the House will vote on would authorize the envoy to represent the United States in matters related to religious freedom in contact with foreign governments, intergovernmental organizations, specialized United Nations' Agencies and multilateral conferences, and meetings relevant to religious freedom.  The measure also would direct the envoy to give priority to programs for Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.  Finally, the measure would authorize $1 MILLION each year for the envoy and his staff and directs the secretary of State to offset the amount with equivalent staff reductions elsewhere in the department.     The House of Representatives is scheduled to take up H.R. 440 on Monday, July 25, 2011.   House to Take Up Debt Limit Increase/Deficit Reduction Legislation: The full House of Representatives this week could take up the House Amendments to S. 627, a measure providing for an increase in the federal debt limit and establishing a process for making cuts in the federal deficit. The House debt measure does not contain any specific immigration- or refugee-related provisions.  However, if enacted into law, it would place downward pressure on both discretionary and entitlement spending, which could result in significant cuts in immigration- and refugee-related spending.yet-to-be-introduced legislation to increase the debt limit and make reductions in spending.  The House could take up measure at any time.   Senate Could Take Up Debt Limit Increase/Deficit Reduction Legislation: The full Senate this week could take up the House Amendments to S. 627, a measure providing for an increase in the federal debt limit and establishing a process for making cuts in the federal deficit.  The Senate also could take up its own debt relief measure, embodied in a Reid Substitute to S. 1323.  The Senate bill does not contain any specific immigration- or refugee-related provisions.  However, if enacted into law, it would place downward pressure on discretionary spending while not addressing entitlement spending.  This downward pressure on spending could result in significant cuts in immigration- and refugee-related spending. The Senate is not expected to act until after the House has disposed of its debt limit bill. This Week's Conference Committee Activity No measures containing significant immigration- or refugee-related provisions are pending in conference committees.      Off of the House and Senate Floors   At the time of this writing, the following "off of the floor" activity on immigration- or refugee-related legislative matters is anticipated this week: President Obama Remarks at NCLR Annual Convention: President Barack Obama is scheduled this week to deliver keynote remarks at the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Annual Conference.  While his remarks are expected to be wide-ranging, it is anticipated that he will devote a substantial part of them to the subject of immigration. The President's remarks are scheduled for 12:30 pm EDT on Monday, July 25, 2011, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Discussion on Human Trafficking: The Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) has scheduled a discussion for this week on "Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report 2011: Findings and Recommendations."  Participants in the discussion will include Luis Cde Baca, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons at the State Department. The discussion is scheduled for 2:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, at the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Workshop on Rights and Extremism Confronting Latinos: The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) has scheduled a workshop for this week during its 2011 annual conference titled, "Protecting Our Rights, Confronting the Extremists".  The workshop is is scheduled for 10:30 am EDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2011, at  the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC. Panel Discussion on Using the National Guard for Border Security: The Heritage Foundation has scheduled a panel discussion for this week titled, "Beyond the Border: The Future of the National Guard in Homeland Security."  Participants in the discussion will include Representative Tim Walz (D-MN); Al Garver, Executive Director of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States; Command Sgt. Maj. John Gipe, Senior Enlisted Adviser and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs; and Jena Baker McNeill, Heritage Senior Policy Analyst for Homeland Security. The discussion is scheduled for 10:30 am EDT on Wednesday, July 27, 2011, in the Washington, DC Offices of the Heritage Foundation. Panel Discussions on Human Trafficking:  Children Uniting Nations this week is scheduled to hold its sixth annual DC National Conference on "Keeping the Promise to Our Children," a forum on how laws can better serve America's children.  The conference will conduct a number of panels on human trafficking during the conference.  Participants will include Representative Xavier Becerra (D-CA), Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Representative Karen Bass (D-CA), and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA). The conference panel presentations are scheduled to begin at 9:30 am EDT on Tbursday, July 28, 2011, at the Capitol Visitor Center in the U.S. Capitol Building.

Week of July 18, 2011 House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill Aimed at Overcoming Supreme Court Decision on Identity Theft House Foreign Affairs to Mark Up Bill That Traditionally Authorizes Funding for Refugee Admissions and Assistance House to Take Up Debt and Deficit Relief Bill that Could Have Consequences for Immigration and Refugee Spending Senate to Take Up Amendments to its First Appropriations Bill of the Fiscal Year This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, no hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters are expected to be examined. This Week’s Markups   At the time of this writing, the following markups were anticipated for this week that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: House Foreign Affairs Committee to Mark Up Bill that Traditionally Authorizes Funding for Refugee Admissions and Overseas Refugee Assistance: The House Committee on the Foreign Affairs this week is scheduled to mark up H.R. 2583, the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, a measure that sometimes is referred to as the State Department Authorization Bill.  Included in the bill are provisions that would reauthorize funding for the Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM), which administers the federal government's refugee admissions and overseas refugee assistance program, at $1.690 BILLION, roughly the same amount appropriated in fiscal year 2011. The markup is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, continuing into Thursday, July 21, 2011, in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.   House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program: The House Committee on the Judiciary this week is scheduled to mark up  H.R. 704, the "SAFE for America Act", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) to eliminate the diversity visa program.  Numerous amendments are expected to be offered to the bill during the markup session. The markup is scheduled for 10:15 am EDT on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn House office Building.   House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Make it Easier for Prosecutors to Convict Illegal Immigrants of Felony Identify Theft: The House Committee on the Judiciary this week is scheduled to mark up H.R. 2552, the "Identify Theft Improvement Act of 2011", legislation introduced by Representative Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), a bill providing that when a person is charged with identity theft under Section 1028(a)(7) or 1028A(a) of Title 18 of the U.S. Code, prosecutors would not need to show that the person charged knew that the identity documents were those of another actual person in order to win a felony conviction. The markup is scheduled for 10:15 am EDT on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in Room 2141 of the Rayburn House office Building.       This Week’s Floor Activity At the time of this writing, the following floor action was scheduled for this week on measures that could have significant immigration- or refugee-related consequences: Full House to Take Up a Symbolic "Cut, Cap, and Balance" Deficit and Debt Reduction Bill with Uncertain Immigration and Refugee Consequences: The full House of Representatives this week is scheduled to take up H.R. 2560, the "Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011".  At the time of this writing, the bill had just been introduced, and the text had just become widely available.  A quick analysis indicates that the measure would provide for an increase in the nation's debt limit by $2.4 TRILLION, but only if Congress sends a Constitutional Amendment mandating a balanced budget to the states for ratification.  The measure also would cap total federal spending at 22.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) in fiscal year 2012 and gradually reduce that level to 19.9 percent of GDP by 2021. From an immigration and refugee perspective, the biggest impact of the bill would likely come from its statutory discretionary and entitlement spending caps and its sequestration provisions.  Under those provisions, the bill would require $111 BILLION in unspecified spending reductions in FY 2012, it would impose hard caps on the amount of discretionary funds that can be appropriated in future years, as well as hard caps on the amount of funding that can be provided to entitlement programs during those years.  Under the bill, if the caps are breached and Congress does not correct the breach, there would be an automatic "sequestration" of funds, cutting all spending by whatever across-the-board amount is necessary to ensure that spending is under the cap amount.   The full House of Representatives is tentatively scheduled to take up H.R. 2560 on Tuesday, July 19, 2011.  At the time of this writing, it was unclear what the parliamentary procedure will be for House consideration of the measure. Full Senate to Take Up Amendments to Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction Appropriations Bill: The full Senate this week is expected to continue its consideration of the Senate Appropriations Committee-approved Version of H.R. 2055, the Fiscal Year 2012 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.  The Senate Committee on Appropriations approved its version of the measure on Thursday, June 30, 2011.  In doing so, it stripped from the House-passed version of H.R. 2055 a provision, found in section 414 of the House-passed version of H.R. 2055, that would bar funding to any contract in which the contractee does not comply with an executive order requiring federal contractees to use the E-Verify System to verify the employment eligibility of its employees.  The provision was stripped in the Chairman's Mark of the bill that the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies approved on Wednesday, June 29, 2011.  The Senate Democratic Leadership is urging senators to limit amendments to the bill to germane amendments.  However, immigration-related floor amendments are possible. The Senate is expected to resume its consideration of H.R. 2055 on Monday, July 18, 2011. This Week's Conference Committee Activity No measures containing significant immigration- or refugee-related provisions are pending in conference committees.      Off of the House and Senate Floors   At the time of this writing, the following "off of the floor" activity on immigration- or refugee-related legislative matters is anticipated this week: Discussion on State and Local Government Enforcement of Immigration Laws. The New America Foundation has scheduled a discussion for this week titled, "Should the States Take on Immigration?"  Included will be sessions on "The Improbable Laboratories of Immigration Policy" and on "SB 1070, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and E-Verify: The Founding Fathers View". The discussion is scheduled for 8:30 am EDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Event on Human Trafficking: The Deparment of Homeland Security has scheduled an event for this week highlighting CBP's "No Te Enganes" (Don't be Fooled) campaign to raise awareness among potential migrants, informing them of the dangers of human trafficking.  Participants in the event will include Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deputy Director Kumar Kibble; Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Deputy Commissioner David Aguilar; and Senior Counselor to the Homeland Security Secretary Alice Hill. The event is scheduled for 3:00 pm EDT on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, in the offices of the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau. Briefing on Mandatory E-Verify: The Cato Instititue has scheduled a briefing for today titled, "Immigration Reform, Yes; E-Verify No."  Participants in the briefing will include Dan Griswold, Director of the Herbert A. Stiefel Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; Jim Harper, Director of Information Policy Studies at the Cato Institute; and Laura Renz, Government Affairs Manager at the Cato Institute. The briefing is scheduled for 12:00 Noon EDT on Wednesday, July 20, 2011, in Room B-369 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Press Conference on the HALT Act: Representative Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Immigration Task Force, has organized a press conference for this week to to release a letter in opposition to H.R. 2596, the HALT (Hinder the Administration’s Legalization Temptation) Act”, a measure that would prohibit President Obama and his administration from granting a number of forms of relief from removal, as well as prohibit the Obama Administration from exercizing its authority to designate countries for Temporary Protected Status (TPS), during the remainder of the Obama first term. Participants in the press conference will include Representatives Gutierrez, Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), Judy Chu (D-CA), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Michael M. Honda (D-CA), Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX), Hank Johnson (D-GA), and Jared Polis (D-CO). The press conference is scheduled for 1:00 pm EDT on Thursday, July 21, 2011, in Room H-321 of the U.S. Capitol Building.

Week of July 11, 2011 House Judiciary Committee to Markup Bill Providing for the Indefinite Detention of "Dangerous" Aliens House Judiciary Committee to Mark Up Bill to Eliminate the Diversity Visa Program House Appropriations Committee to Mark Up FY '12 Bill that Funds the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) Senate Homeland Security Committee to Hold Hearing on Terrorist Travel House Homeland Security Panel to Hold Hearing on Maritime Border Security House to Take Up FY '12 Energy and Water Development Bill Containing E-Verify Provision Full House to Take Up FY '12 Financial Services Bill Containing Controversial Cuba Immigration and Remittance Provisions This Week’s Hearings At the time of this writing, the following hearings were scheduled for this week at which significant immigration- or refugee-related matters are expected to be examined: House Homeland Security Panel Hearing on Maritime Border Security: The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security has scheduled a hearing for this week, "Protecting the Maritime Borders -- Leveraging Law Enforcement Cooperation to Enhance Security Along America's Coasts."  The witness list for the hearing includes Michael Kostelnik, Assistant Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of CBP Air & Marine; Coast Guard Rear Admiral Paul Zukunft, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship; and Tim Donnellon, Sheriff, St. Clair County Sheriff's Office, Michigan. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Tuesday, July 12, 2011, in Room 311 of the Cannon House Office Building. Senate Panel to Hold Hearing on Terrorist Travel: The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is planning a hearing for this week titled, 'Ten Years After 9/11: Preventing Terrorist Travel."  The hearing will examine the security processes for visa recipients and refugee applicants, focusing on the progress that has been made, as well as the challenges that remain in identifying, preventing, and interdicting terrorist travel.  As such, it will examine the security of our visa issuing process for immigrants and nonimmigrants, the passenger pre-screening and screening programs that have been implemented to secure international flights bound for the United States, and our watchlisting systems.  The witness list for the hearing includes Rand Beers, Undersecretary of Homeland Security, National Protection and Programs Directorate; Janice L. Jacobs, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs; and David F. Heyman, Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Policy. The hearing is scheduled for 10:00 am EDT on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, in Room SD-342 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.