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DC Download - March 3, 2025

A busy week lies ahead in Congress, with packed hearings in both chambers, including a highly anticipated House hearing where Democratic mayors from four major U.S. cities will testify on their immigration policies. Meanwhile, spending negotiations continue as lawmakers work to avert a potential government shutdown after March 14. Plus, President Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday evening.

We’ve got the breakdown for you below.

Table of Contents:

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House Floor

The House will vote on seven suspension bills from Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Reform, and Transportation and Infrastructure. Suspension bills require a ⅔ majority to pass. For a list of all suspension bills being considered, click here.

This week the House will also consider the following bills, subject to a rule:

H.J. Res. 61 – This resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to repeal an Environmental Protection Agency rule regulating emissions of hazardous air pollutants stemming from rubber tire manufacturing. (Sponsored by Rep. Griffith / Energy and Commerce Committee)

H.J. Res. 42 – This resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to repeal an Energy Department rule updating energy efficiency certification requirements for various household and commercial appliances. (Sponsored by Rep. Clyde / Energy and Commerce Committee)

S.J. Res. 11 – This Senate-passed resolution uses the Congressional Review Act to repeal a rule by the Interior Department requiring oil and gas producers to submit an archaeological report with their development plans on the Outer Continental Shelf. (Sponsored by Sen. Kennedy / Natural Resources Committee)

House Committee Highlights

A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:

Tuesday Hearings

Future of FEMA: Perspectives from the Emergency Management Community (Committee on Homeland Security)

America Builds: Air Traffic Control System Infrastructure and Staffing (Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure)

The Right to Self-Defense (Committee on the Judiciary)

Legislative Reforms to End Lawfare by State and Local Prosecutors (Committee on the Judiciary)

Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity: Examining Monetary Policy and Economic Opportunity (Committee on Financial Services)

The State of the Livestock Industry: Producer Perspectives (Committee on Agriculture)

Leveraging Technology to Strengthen Immigration Enforcement (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)

Moving the Goalposts: How NIL is Reshaping College Athletics (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

The Digital Battlefield: How Terrorists Use the Internet and Online Networks for Recruitment and Radicalization (Committee on Homeland Security)

Building Our Future: Increasing Housing Supply in America (Committee on Financial Services)

Wednesday Hearings

Countering Threats Posed by the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Security (Committee on Homeland Security)

A Hearing with Sanctuary City Mayors (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)

Testifying Witnesses:

Mayor Eric Adams, City of New York
Mayor Brandon Johnson, City of Chicago
Mayor Mike Johnston, City and County of Denver
Mayor Michelle Wu, City of Boston

Scaling for Growth: Meeting the Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Assessing the Threat to U.S. Funded Research (Science, Space, and Technology)

Examining the Office of Insular Affairs' Role in Fostering Prosperity in the Pacific Territories and Addressing External Threats to Peace and Security (Committee on Natural Resources)

Strengthening WIOA: Improving Outcomes for America's Workforce (Committee on Education and Workforce)

America Builds: Making Federal Real Estate Work for the Taxpayer (Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure)

Republican Hearing on Broadband (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Bridging the Gap: Turkey Between East and West (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Floor Action

The Senate is slated to vote this week on S. 9, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, which would prevent transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.

Nominations

The Senate this week has teed up votes on the following nominees:

Linda McMahon, to be Education Secretary
Elise Stefanik, to be U.S. Ambassador to the UN
Lori Chavez-DeRemer, to be Secretary of Labor
Tony Edgar, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security
Steven Bradbury, to be Deputy Secretary of Transportation
Todd Blanche, to be Deputy Attorney General
Abigail Slater, to be Assistant Attorney General

Senate Committee Highlights

Tuesday Hearings

Nomination of Elbridge Colby to be Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (Armed Services)

Nominations of Christopher Landau, Michael Rigas, and Matthew Whitaker to be Deputy Secretary of State, Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources, and U.S. Ambassador to NATO (Foreign Relations)

Joint hearing with the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs (Veterans’ Affairs)

Wednesday Hearings

Nominations of David Fotouhi and Aaron Szabo to be Deputy Administrator and Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (Environment & Public Works)

Advancing American Interests in the Western Hemisphere (Foreign Relations)

Nomination of Jayanta Bhattacharya to be Director of the National Institutes of Health (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

Nomination of James Bishop to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Budget)

Business meeting to consider authorizations to subpoena the Massachusetts Port Authority and NewPoint Strategies, LLC (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)

Never To Be Silent: Stemming the Tide of Antisemitism in America (Judiciary)

Posture of the United States Transportation Command (Armed Services)

Business Meeting to consider several bills (Indian Affairs)

Golden Age of American Innovation: Reforming SBIR-STTR for the 21st Century (Small Business & Entrepreneurship)

Thursday Hearings

Nomination of Keith Sonderling, to be Deputy Secretary of Labor (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

Nomination of Martin Makary to be Commissioner of Food and Drugs, Department of Health and Human Services (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

Examining Defense Mobilization in the 21st century (Armed Services)

Nomination of Michael Faulkender, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (Finance)

Executive Business Meeting (Judiciary)

Legislative Hearing to Review H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, and Options to Reduce Catastrophic Wildfire (Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry)

Dueling Budget Resolutions

Last week, the House passed its version of President Trump’s domestic agenda, outlining a framework for defense, energy, immigration, and tax policies. This resolution sets the stage for the reconciliation process, which Republicans plan to use to advance their priorities. However, key differences between the House and Senate proposals remain unresolved, creating a potentially challenging path forward. GOP lawmakers also face the difficult task of drafting the actual legislation and determining how to fund it. The House-passed budget framework includes $4.5 trillion in tax breaks for the rich and corporations and $2 trillion in spending cuts— a proposal that will mean steep cuts to federal spending that would significantly reshape federal programs and impact millions of Americans.

Some Senate Republicans have already expressed concerns over the House-passed proposal, citing massive cuts to Medicaid and the absence of permanent tax breaks. Ultimately, the two chambers will need to agree on an identical budget resolution to officially kickstart the reconciliation process.

More on this:
House Republicans Take the Second First Step for Trump’s Agenda (CPC Center)

What Does the House’s Budget Resolution Mean for Workers? (New America)

Looming Shutdown Fight

With the March 14 shutdown deadline looming, signs point to a full-year continuing resolution to keep the government funded. President Trump endorsed a “clean” temporary funding bill through the end of September after discussions with House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune. However, it remains to be seen whether hard-line conservatives will get on board with such a plan, as they have typically opposed stopgap measures, and have been pushing for a full appropriations bill that fully aligns with their priorities in a GOP-controlled Congress.

While some conservatives have floated the idea of incorporating Elon Musks’s DOGE cuts into the funding bill— a move that would likely spark fierce opposition from Democrats and increase the risk of a shutdown— Speaker Johnson has expressed a desire to hold back on DOGE cuts until the next fiscal year.

Meanwhile, Democrats remain steadfast in demanding guardrails to prevent Trump and Musk from rolling back congressionally approved funding. The situation has intensified as Minority Leader Jeffries notes that neither GOP lawmakers nor the White House have made efforts to bring an offer to the negotiating table. Given the legislative math, Republicans will have to find a way to reach an agreement with Democrats to pass any spending package, or face a political firestorm should negotiations fail.

More on this:
US Congress nowhere close to deal to avert shutdown ahead of March 14 deadline (Reuters)