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DC Download - May 19, 2025

Lawmakers are heading into a packed week in Washington, with the spotlight on advancing President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which is set for a Rules Committee hearing Wednesday. Meanwhile, a number of Trump administration officials will appear before Congress to defend hugely impactful budget proposals, including deep cuts to key federal agencies. Among those testifying include: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon.

Over in the Senate, budget hearings resume alongside a renewed push to pass the GENIUS Act—a revised cryptocurrency bill aimed at establishing the first U.S. regulatory framework for stablecoins. The updated text comes after last week’s failed vote and reflects a tentative deal struck over the weekend.

Keep reading for more on what to watch this week.

Table of Contents:

Grassroots Action Toolkit

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House Floor

The House will vote on 14 suspension bills from the Committees on Science, Space, and Technology, Foreign Affairs, and Veterans’ Affairs. 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:

S.J.Res.13 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the Department of the Treasury relating to the review of applications under the Bank Merger Act. (Sponsored by Sen. Kennedy / Financial Services Committee)

This bill eliminates a Biden administration rule requiring a more thorough review process to approve bank mergers.

S.J.Res.31 - Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to ‘‘Review of Final Rule Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act.’’

This bill eliminates a Biden administration rule imposing stricter emissions requirements on facilities that are reclassified as smaller sources of hazardous air pollutants.

House Committee Highlights

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

Tuesday Hearings

Budget Hearing – Department of the Interior (Committee on Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of the Interior, Doug Burgum, is testifying

Oversight Hearing of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

(Committee on Appropriations)

Chairman of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Paul Atkins, is testifying

Oversight Hearing – National Guard and Reserves Forces

Subcommittee on Defense (Committee on Appropriations)

Military branch chiefs are testifying (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and National Guard)

The Fiscal Year 2026 Environmental Protection Agency Budget

(Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, is testifying

Oversight Hearing – The Transportation Security Administration (Committee on Appropriations)

Acting Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, Ha Nguyen McNeill, is testifying

Mandates, Meddling, and Mismanagement: The IRA’s Threat to Energy and Medicine (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)

Innovations in Agrichemicals: AI’s Hidden Formula Driving Efficiency

Subcommittee on Environment (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology)

Examining Threats to ICE Operations (Committee on the Judiciary)

Breach of Trust: Surveillance in Private Spaces (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)

Wednesday Hearings

H.R. ____ – One Big Beautiful Bill Act (Committee on Rules)

Oversight Hearing of the Federal Communications Commission

(Committee on Appropriations)

Chairman of U.S. Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, is testifying

Budget Hearing - U.S. Department of Education (Committee on Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of Education, Linda McMahon, is testifying

Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs (Committee on Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, is testifying

FY26 State Department Posture: Protecting American Interests

(Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Secretary of U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, is testifying

Examining Ways to Enhance Our Domestic Critical Mineral Supply Chains (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI (Committee on Education and Workforce)

AI Regulation and the Future of US Leadership (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Unleashing a Golden Age: Examining the Use of Federal Lands to Power American Technological Innovation (Committee on Natural Resources)

Thursday Hearings

A Dire Crisis in Sudan: A Global Call to Action (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Assessing the Terror Threat Landscape in South and Central Asia and Examining Opportunities for Cooperation (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Floor Action

S.394 - GENIUS Act (Sponsored by Sen. Bill Haggerty) - This bill creates a federal framework for stablecoins in the U.S. Several consumer protection organizations have criticized the bill’s failure to include more robust oversight mechanisms and guardrails to preserve consumers’ finances and privacy.

Nominations

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

David Fotouhi, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Aaron Szabo, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Catherine Hanson, to be Chief Financial Officer of the Environmental Protection Agency
William Briggs, to be Deputy Administrator of the Small Business Administration
Casey Mulligan, to be Chief Counsel for Advocacy, Small Business Administration
Paul Atkins, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission
Marcus Molinaro, to be Federal Transit Administrator
Jonathan Gould, to be Comptroller of the Currency
Luke Pettit, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Keith Bass, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
Michael Duffey, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment
Scott Kupor, to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management
Samuel Brown, to be Under Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Memorial Affairs
James Baehr, to be General Counsel, Department of Veterans Affairs
Richard Topping, of Ohio, to be Chief Financial Officer, Department of Veterans Affairs
Jessica Kramer, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
Brian Nesvik, to be Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Arielle Roth, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information
Patrick David Davis, to be an Assistant Attorney General
Kenneth Kies, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
William Kimmitt, to be Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade
Joseph Kent, to be Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Aaron Lukas, to be Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence
Jared Isaacman, to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Olivia Trusty, to be a Member of the Federal Communications Commission
Brian Burch, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See
Nicole McGraw, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia
Thomas DiNanno, to be Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Allison Hooker, of Georgia, to be an Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs
Sarah Rogers, to be Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy
Dario Gil, to be Under Secretary for Science, Department of Energy,
Preston Griffith, to be Under Secretary of Energy
Brandon Williams, to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security
Bradley Hansell, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security
Dale Marks, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defens
Earl Matthews, to be General Counsel of the Department of Defense
Brett Shumate, to be an Assistant Attorney General
Stephen Vaden, to be Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
Tyler Clarkson, to be General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture
John Hurley, to be Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Crimes
Landon Heid, to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce
Andrew Hughes, to be Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
David Woll, to be General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development
Michelle Bowman, to be Vice Chairman for Supervision of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
John Andrew Eisenberg, to be an Assistant Attorney General
Tristan Abbey, to be Administrator of the Energy Information Administration
Leslie Beyer, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Theodore J. Garrish, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Nuclear Energy)
Andrea Travnicek, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Interior
Charles Kushner, to be U.S. Ambassador to France and Monaco
Leah Campos, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic
Brandon Judd, to be U.S. Ambassador to Chile
Joseph Popolo, to be U.S. Ambassador to the Netherlands
Edward Walsh, to be U.S. Ambassador to Ireland
Rodney Scott, to be Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Matthew Lohmeier, to be Under Secretary of the Air Force
Justin Overbaugh, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Scott Pappano, to be Principal Deputy Administrator, National Nuclear Security Administration
Anthony Tata, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness
Michael Cadenazzi, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
Sean O'Keefe, to be a Deputy Under Secretary of Defense
Michael Obadal, to be Under Secretary of the Army
Daniel Zimmerman, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
Katherine Sutton, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense
Paul Dabbar, to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce
William L. Doffermyre, to be Solicitor of the Department of the Interior
Kyle Haustveit, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Fossil Energy)
Catherine Jereza, to be an Assistant Secretary of Energy (Electricity)
James O'Neill, to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services
Gary Andres, to be an Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services
Somers Farkas, to be U.S. Ambassador to Malta
Leandro Rizzuto, to be Ambassador to the Organization of American States
Kenneth Howery, to be U.S. Ambassador to Denmark
Callista Gingrich, to be U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Switzerland
Caleb Orr, to be an Assistant Secretary of State (Economic and Business Affairs)
Jason Reding Quinones, to be United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida

Senate Committee Highlights

Tuesday Hearings

The Department of Homeland Security’s Budget Request for Fiscal Year 2026 (Homeland Security)

Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, is testifying

Atomic energy defense activities and Department of Defense nuclear weapons programs in review (Armed Services)

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services (Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., is testifying

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the U.S. Department of State (Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, is testifying

Review of the FY26 State Department Budget Request (Foreign Relations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of State, Marco Rubio, is testifying

Defending Against Drones: Setting Safeguards for Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Authorities (Judiciary)

Wednesday Hearings

The Corruption of Science and Federal Health Agencies: How Health Officials Downplayed and Hid Myocarditis and Other Adverse Events Associated with the COVID-19 Vaccines (Homeland Security)

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior (Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of the Interior, Doug Burgum, is testifying

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Energy (Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of Energy, Christopher Wright, is testifying

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Small Business Administration (Appropriations)

Administrator of Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler, is testifying

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: AI-Generated Deepfakes in 2025 (Judiciary)

The State of Higher Education (Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions)

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Budget (Environment & Public Works)

Administrator of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin, is testifying

Business meeting to consider nominations and legislation (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)

Fueling America's Manufacturing Comeback (Small Business & Entrepreneurship)

Administrator of Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler, is testifying

To consider nominations of Dudley Hoskins and Scott Hutchins, to be Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, and Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, of the Department of Agriculture (Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry)

Hearing to consider legislation (Veterans’ Affairs)

Thursday Hearings

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Labor (Appropriations)

Secretary of U.S. Department of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, is testifying

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Food and Drug Administration (Appropriations)

Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Martin Makary, is testifying

A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserves Forces (Appropriations)

Military branch chiefs are testifying (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and National Guard)

WADA Shame: Swimming in Denial Over Chinese Doping (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)

To consider various nominations (Health Education, Labor, & Pensions)

To consider the nominations of Terrance Cole and Gadyaces Serralta, to be Administrator of Drug Enforcement, and Director of the United States Marshals Service, of the Department of Justice (Judiciary)

Securing America: Key Authorities Under the Defense Production Act (Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs)

Reconciliation Moves Forward with More Potential Cuts Ahead

Late Sunday, House Republicans on the Budget Committee reversed course and voted to advance their “One Big Beautiful” reconciliation bill after a handful of conservatives tanked the measure last week. GOP leadership is continuing negotiations ahead of a potential floor vote. Before this happens, the reconciliation bill will need to cross its next procedural hurdle in the Rules Committee, which has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 at 1 a.m.

While details are still in flux, changes reportedly under consideration include:

Speeding up enforcement of Medicaid work requirements and more drastically cutting federal Medicaid funding
Rolling back green energy tax incentives from the Biden era more quickly
Further restricting access to SNAP benefits for immigrants, including some with legal status

A number of more moderate members have expressed concerns about slashing safety net programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and federal pensions, and rolling back clean energy funding that directly benefits their districts.

Even if the most extreme proposals being considered don’t make it into the final version, the package remains deeply inequitable and prioritizes austerity measures for working families, while preserving and expanding generous tax breaks for the wealthy and well-connected. As the bill advances, all eyes will be on whether GOP leadership will continue making concessions that push everyday Americans deeper into crisis.

Republicans aim to vote in the House before Memorial Day and send the final bill to the President to become law before August. Exactly what the Senate will change and when it will act remains to be seen.

More on this:

Trump package to be changed to appease recalcitrant Republicans (The Hill)

Capitol agenda: Megabill hardball isn’t over yet (Politico)