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DC Download - March 31, 2025

Congress is back in session amid new attacks on immigrants and education from the Trump This week the House is set to vote on blocking court challenges to Trump’s executive actions, requiring proof of citizenship to vote, and undoing Biden Administration regulations that protect consumers. In the Senate, lawmakers will vote on a measure to roll back Trump’s Canada tariffs, while both chambers work to finalize a budget deal.

Read on for details on key fights to watch this week.

Table of Contents:

On March 31, people around the world observe Transgender Day of Visibility— a day dedicated to celebrating transgender people and raising awareness about the issues they face. At a time when trans communities in the U.S. are facing heightened attacks and discrimination, we want to take a moment to share resources about what’s happening today and how we can all work toward a future where trans people can live freely, safely, and with the dignity and recognition they deserve.

Resources:
Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) | GLAAD

Trans Agenda for Liberation - Transgender Law Center

Watch Livestream: Trans Day of Visibility Rally

House Floor

The House will vote on eight 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.R. 1048 – DETERRENT Act (Sponsored by Rep. Baumgartner / Education and Workforce Committee) This legislation lowers the dollar threshold for colleges and universities to disclose foreign gifts and contracts and prohibits them from entering into contracts with foreign countries or entities of concern unless the Department of Education grants a waiver. The bill imposes fines on or revokes funding from any institution that fails to meet the new requirements. An institution found to be in violation of the bill’s requirements after receiving three separate civil actions would be ineligible to participate in federal student aid programs for at least two years, and would have to demonstrate compliance with all requirements for at least two additional years to regain eligibility.

H.J. Res. 75 – (Sponsored by Rep. Craig Goldman/Energy and Commerce) This legislation repeals a Department of Energy rule from the Biden Administration requiring commercial refrigeration equipment to include new technologies to reduce energy usage.

H.J. Res. 24 – (Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Bice/Energy and Commerce) This legislation repeals a Department of Energy rule from the Biden Administration requiring refrigeration companies to implement energy-reducing technologies for walk-in refrigeration systems.

House Committee Highlights

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

The House will vote on seven suspension bills from the Committees on Ways and Means and House Administration. 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.R. 1526 – No Rogue Rulings Act (Sponsored by Rep. Issa / Judiciary Committee) This legislation bars federal district judges from issuing nationwide orders blocking administrative actions and policies.

S.J. Res. 18 – A joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions." (Sponsored by Sen. Scott (SC) / Financial Services Committee)

This legislation uses the Congressional Review Act to overturn a CFPB rule restricting how financial institutions with more than $10 billion in assets can impose overdraft charges.

S.J. Res. 28 – A joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications." (Sponsored by Sen. Ricketts / Financial Services Committee)

This legislation uses the Congressional Review Act to undo a CFPB rule that mandates non-bank entities that process at least 50 million transactions annually through digital wallets and payment applications (i.e., Apple, Paypal, Venmo) be regulated more like big banks.

H.R. 22 – SAVE Act (Sponsored by Rep. Roy / House Administration Committee) This legislation requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.

House Committee Highlights

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

Tuesday Hearings

Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Need for First Amendment Safeguards at the State Department (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Judicial Overreach and Constitutional Limits on the Federal Courts (Committee on the Judiciary)

America’s AI Moonshot: The Economics of AI, Data Centers, and Power Consumption (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)

From Chalkboards to Chatbots: The Impact of A.I. on K-12 Education (Committee on Education and Workforce)

U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in North and South America (Committee on Armed Services)

A Return to Maximum Pressure: Comprehensively Countering the Iranian Regime’s Malign Activities (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Wednesday Hearings

Artificial Intelligence: Examining Trends in Innovation and Competition (Committee on the Judiciary)

Unleashing the Golden Age of American Energy Dominance (Committee on Natural Resources)

Fueling America’s Future: How Investment Empowers Small Business Growth (Committee on Small Business)

Republican Hearing on the FBI (Committee on the Judiciary)

Floor Action

S. J. Res. 37 (Finance Committee/Sen. Tim Kaine) This resolution terminates President Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.

Nominations

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

Jonathan McKernan, to be Director, Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection
Mark Meador, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner
Matthew Whitaker, to be U.S. Ambassador to NATO
Michael Rigas, to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources
Dean Sauer, to be Solicitor General of the United States
Harmeet Dhillon, to be an Assistant Attorney General
Aaron Reitz, to be an Assistant Attorney General
David Fotouhi, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Aaron Szabo, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Michael Faulkender, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury
Catherine Hanson, to be Chief Financial Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency
Mehmet Oz, to be Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
George Glass, to be U.S. Ambassador to Japan
Peter Hoekstra, to be U.S. Ambassador to Canada

Senate Committee Highlights

Tuesday Hearings

Nomination of Lieutenant General John Caine, to be General and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Armed Services)

Nomination of Frank Bisignano, to be Commissioner of Social Security Administration (Finance)

Hearing to Review S. 222, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, and Improving Children’s Health (Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry)

Nomination of Tilman Fertitta to be U.S. Ambassador to Italy and San Marino (Foreign Relations)

Nominations to U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs (Veterans’ Affairs)

Big Fixes for Big Tech (Judiciary)

Wednesday Hearings

Rule by District Judges II: Exploring Legislative Solutions to the Bipartisan Problem of Universal Injunctions (Judiciary)

Safety First: Restoring Boeing’s Status as a Great American Manufacturer (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)

Constructing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill: United States Secretary of Transportation’s Perspective (Environment & Public Works)

Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, is testifying

Nominations of Katharine MacGregor and James Danly, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior and Deputy Secretary of Energy (Energy and Natural Resources)

Business Meeting to Examine S.1199, the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act (Small Business & Entrepreneurship)

Thursday Hearings

Nominations of Scott Kupor and Eric Matthew Ueland, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management and Deputy Director for Management (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs)

Examining the Posture of the U.S. European and Africa Command (Armed Services)

Budget Resolution Revisited

The budget resolution fight is heating up as Senate Republicans look to revise the House-passed framework, with plenty still up in the air. Medicaid remains on the chopping block, but GOP leaders have yet to settle on exactly how deeply to cut the program—possibly leaving those details to be worked out later. Some Republicans are pushing aggressive proposals, including reducing the federal funding share for Medicaid expansion states or adding new work requirements, while others remain wary of a politically risky Medicaid fight.

Key Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee are signaling they could find additional savings without Medicaid cuts, like repealing Biden-era climate policies—despite a CBO report to the contrary. Meanwhile, GOP leaders are considering using a budget gimmick to mask the true cost of extending Trump’s tax breaks for the rich. The goal is to wrap up a final budget resolution before the April recess, but plenty of sticking points remain.

Read more on this:

Senate GOP to Start Moving Budget Plan as Soon as Wednesday (Politico)

The Republican House Budget Resolution’s Potential $880 Billion in Medicaid Cuts by Congressional District (CAP)

Retaliatory Attacks on Federal Unions

Last week, the Trump Administration issued an executive order that takes direct aim at collective bargaining rights for federal workers, stripping union protections from large portions of the federal workforce. While the White House argued that the move is an “enforcement” of the Civil Service Reform Act, this statute was never intended to block union rights. The EO goes far beyond the administration’s permitted executive authority and sweeps in employees whose work touches on everything from public health and foreign affairs to cybersecurity and the economy. Meanwhile, the order carves out law enforcement unions that have supported the President, preserving their bargaining rights, while targeting other civil servants who have been central to resisting the Trump administration’s push to hollow out the federal government.

Labor advocates are calling this what it is: a retaliation. Federal unions have been some of the most vocal voices opposing Trump’s efforts to dismantle and weaken the federal government and its workforce, and this executive order is a direct response. For now, over a million federal workers are facing the loss of a key workplace protection, even as they carry out essential functions that keep our government up and running.

Read more on this:

Trump signs order ending union bargaining rights for wide swaths of federal employees (NPR)

Understanding Trump’s Latest Attack on Federal Unions and Workers’ Rights (CPC Center)