NBC Chicago Political Reporter Mary Ann Ahern breaks down what to expect this week in politics from President Donald Trump’s address to Congress to Mayor Brandon Johnson’s testimony before a Congressional hearing.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is one of several big-city mayors who will testify on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning.
Johnson and the other mayors will be questioned by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform over their policies surrounding immigration enforcement, and are likely to face intense questioning amid lawsuits over those policies.
Chicago’s Welcoming City Ordinance prohibits the disclosure of residency status of any person to any official unless required to do so by legal process. City benefits can also not be denied because of immigration status, and local law enforcement is restricted from participating in federal immigration enforcement actions, among other policies under the ordinance.
The Justice Department has filed suit over that ordinance, and the Trump administration has discussed the idea of withholding funding from cities that have such ordinances in place.
Here’s what to know about this week’s hearing.
When will the hearing take place?
According to the committee’s website, the hearing will start at approximately 9 a.m. Chicago time on Wednesday morning.
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How can Chicago residents watch the hearing?
The hearing will livestream on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee’s website, and will also stream on the committee’s YouTube channel.
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The hearing is also expected to air and stream on C-SPAN.
Who else will be testifying?
In addition to Johnson, New York Mayor Eric Adams, Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu have been invited to testify before the committee.
What have lawmakers said about the proceedings?
Rep. James Comer, the chair of the committee, has promised to hold mayors “publicly accountable” for what he argues is a violation of federal law, with the mayors presiding over cities that have limits to the cooperation law enforcement can have with federal immigration enforcement actions.
“State and local governments that refuse to comply with federal immigration enforcement efforts should not receive a penny of federal funding,” Comer said. “President Trump and his administration are rightfully taking action against sanctuary cities. On March 5, the House Oversight Committee will hold sanctuary mayors publicly accountable for refusing to abide by the law and placing Americans’ lives at risk.”
U.S. Sen Dick Durbin told NBC Chicago that Johnson had called him to ask what to expect on Capitol Hill, and the senator told him that the committee is one of the most partisan on the Hill.
"He called me personally and asked what he can expect, and I told him it would be a trial by fire," he said.
Who are some of the members of Congress that will question Johnson?
The committee is made up of 26 Republicans and 21 Democrats, and some of the biggest names in both parties could participate in the hearing.
Among the Republicans is Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Colorado Rep. Lauren Bobert and South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace.
Democrats on the committee do include Illinois Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the lone member of Illinois’ Congressional delegation among the 47 lawmakers.
High-profile reps like Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett, Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib and Ranking Member Rep. Gerald Connolly are also included in the group.
How will the hearing proceed?
Most Congressional hearings feature an opening statement by the chair, followed by opening statements by each of the witnesses, so it’s likely Johnson will make opening remarks before testimony begins.
Each member present is then allowed five minutes to ask questions of witnesses, though members of Congress do typically give brief speeches to preface their questions.
How has Johnson prepared?
According to reporting from NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern and Rose Schmidt, Johnson’s office hired a D.C. law firm that specializes in preparing witnesses for testimony to Congress.
The mayor participated in mock hearings to help prepare for what will likely be a contentious hearing. He also reached out to several of his predecessors for advice, including former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served in Congress and who worked as chief of staff in the Obama White House.
