Week Ahead in Washington: May 4

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - Congress returns to Washington with an eye on President Donald Trump’s agenda, the Canadian Prime Minister visits Washington and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors meets to discuss interest rates in the week.

Congress returns to the nation’s capital Monday with House and Senate Republicans looking to make progress on reconciliation. They’re looking to what Trump calls “one big beautiful bill.” It would include tax cuts and money for border security and the military. The reconciliation process allows the Senate to the bill with a simple 51-vote majority bying a potential Democratic-led filibuster.

On Tuesday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Washington for the first time since taking office on March 14. The new Prime Minister’s Liberal Party won the April 28 election with Trump playing a major role. The American president has placed tariffs on imports from Canada and threatened to annex Canada and make it the 51st state.

Also this week, the Federal Reserve Board of Governors meets Wednesday to decide whether to adjust interest rates. Trump continues to call on the board to lower interest rates after last Friday’s April jobs report showed the economy added 177,000 jobs with an unemployment rate around 4.2%. The board rebuffed similar calls from Trump in March.