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DC Download - June 23, 2025
Congress is back in D.C. for an eventful week. The House will begin floor votes on Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 spending bills, while the Senate races to start considering the GOP reconciliation package before the week is out. The House also plans to vote later in the week on a resolution to condemn the June 14 shooting of two Democratic Minnesota legislators and their spouses: Melissa and Mark Hortman, who were killed, and John and Yvette Hoffman, who were gravely injured but expected to recover.
Read on for more of what to expect this week on the Hill.
Table of Contents:
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House Floor
The House will vote on 21 suspension bills from the Committees on Foreign Affairs, Energy and Commerce, Financial Services, and Oversight and Government Reform. 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. 3944 – Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026 (Sponsored by Rep. Carter (TX) / Appropriations Committee) This bill provides $152.1 billion in discretionary funding to the Veterans Affairs department, military construction projects, and related agencies for FY26—$5 billion more than the previous fiscal year. The bill also includes policy provisions that bar funds to provide abortions, services for undocumented individuals, and gender-affirming care, and blocks diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
H.R. 875 – Jeremy and Angel Seay and Sergeant Brandon Mendoza Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Moore (AL) / Judiciary Committee) This bill would make noncitizens who are convicted of, or admit to, driving while intoxicated or impaired automatically ineligible for admission into the U.S. and deportable.
H.R. 275 – Special Interest Alien Reporting Act of 2025 (Sponsored by Rep. Greene (GA) / Homeland Security Committee) This bill would require the Department of Homeland Security to publish a monthly list of any “special interest” noncitizens encountered by DHS personnel. The bill defines “special interest aliens” as noncitizens who could pose a national security risk to the U.S. or its interests, based on their travel patterns.
Res. 516 – Condemning the violent June 2025 riots in Los Angeles, California(Sponsored by Rep. Kim / Judiciary Committee) This resolution condemns the June 2025 immigration protests in Los Angeles, California as “violent” and expresses gratitude for local law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.
House Committee Highlights
A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:
Monday Hearings
Budget Hearing – Fiscal Year 2026 Request for the Department of Justice (Committee on Appropriations)
Department of Justice Attorney General, Pam Bondi, is testifying
Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Legislative Branch Bill (Committee on Appropriations)
Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Bill (Committee on Appropriations)
Tuesday Hearings
Markup of Fiscal Year 2026 Homeland Security Bill (Committee on Appropriations)
Hearing: The Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is testifying
Fiscal Accountability and Oversight of the Federal Courts (Committee on the Judiciary)
Locking in the DOGE Cuts: Ending Waste, Fraud, and Abuse for Good (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
Wednesday Hearings
Health at Your Fingertips: Harnessing the Power of Digital Health Data (Committee on Ways and Means)
Reversing the Curse: Rooting Out Waste and Fraud and Restoring the Dignity of Work (Committee on the Budget)
Sacrificing Excellence for Ideology: The Real Cost of DEI (Committee on Oversight and Government Reform)
Restoring Integrity and Security to the Visa Process (Committee on the Judiciary)
Thursday Hearings
Justice for Whom? Examining the Justice40 Initiative’s Oversight and Implementation (Committee on Science, Space, and Technology)
From Watchdog to Attack Dog: Examining the CFPB’s Chopra-era Assault on Disfavored Industries (Committee on Financial Services)
A Review of the U.S. Grain Standards Act (Committee on Agriculture)
A Decade Later: A Review of Congressional Action, Environmental Protection Agency Rules, and Beneficial Use Opportunities for Coal Ash (Committee on Energy and Commerce)
Nominations
The Senate this week has teed up final votes on the following nominees:
Daniel Zimmerman, to be Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Dabbar, to be Deputy Secretary of CommerceKenneth Kies, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Senate Committee Highlights
Tuesday Hearings
The Thin Blue Line Protecting America from the Cartels (Judiciary)
Deregulation & Competition: Reducing Regulatory Burdens to Unlock Innovation and Spur New Entry (Judiciary)
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Navy(Appropriations)
U.S. Navy Secretary, John Phelan, is testifyingU.S. Marine Corps Commandant, General Eric Smith, is testifyingActing Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Kilby, is testifying
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Veterans Affairs (Appropriations)
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary, Doug Collins, is testifying
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Department of Justice (Appropriations)
Department of Justice Attorney General, Pam Bondi, is testifying
Exploring Bipartisan Legislative Frameworks for Digital Asset Market Structure(Banking, Housing, & Urban Affairs)
Wednesday Hearings
Enter the Dragon—China and the Left’s Lawfare Against American Energy Dominance (Judiciary)
A Review of the President’s Special Message of June 3, 2025 (Appropriations)
Office of Management and Budget Director, Russell Vought, is testifying
The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress
Federal Reserve System Chair, Jerome Powell, is testifying
Nomination of Susan Monarez to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services (Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions)
Hearing on the Nominations of Usha-Maria Turner to be Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency for the Office of International and Tribal Affairs and David A. Wright to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission(Environment & Public Works)
Executive session to consider legislation and a nomination (Commerce, Science, & Transportation)
Lessons from the Field: How Sports Medicine Can Improve Health Outcomes for Seniors (Special Committee on Aging)
Correcting Mismanagement of the Veterans Crisis Line (Veterans’ Affairs)
Thursday HearingsExecutive Business Meeting to consider various nominations (Judiciary)
A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request for the Air Force and Space Force (Appropriations)
U.S. Air Force Secretary, Troy Meink, is testifyingU.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, General David Allvin, is testifyingSpace Operations Chief, General B. Chance Saltzman, is testifying
Executive Session to consider various nominations (Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions)
Reconciliation Rifts Continue
Senate Republicans are still scrambling to meet their self-imposed July 4 deadline to pass their reconciliation bill, but with new hurdles ahead. Over the weekend, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that several major provisions violate the Byrd rule, which limits what can be included in a party-line budget reconciliation bill. She blocked certain cuts to SNAP, defunding the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), allowing local law enforcement to arrest undocumented immigrants, and giving the federal government power to reorganize or eliminate agencies without congressional approval.
She also rejected a proposal to increase retirement contributions for new federal workers unless they give up civil service protections, language forcing USPS to sell off its electric vehicle fleet, a plan to let agencies claw back congressionally approved funds, and a provision that would’ve restricted judges from issuing nationwide injunctions against the federal government. One controversial provision placing a moratorium on state regulation of AI did survive the parliamentarian’s scrutiny, however.
It’s important to also note that the parliamentarian’s rulings do not guarantee those provisions’ elimination; the Senate could attempt to remedy the issues the parliamentarian flagged, or keep them in the bill as-is, if they can get 60 votes on the Senate floor.
Meanwhile, hard-line conservatives are still pushing to bring down the bill’s $4.2 trillion price tag, while others continue to express concerns about Medicaid cuts and rollbacks to clean energy programs that support jobs in their states. GOP leadership is also trying to game the numbers and conceal the true cost of the bill by adhering to a “current policy baseline” strategy that assumes future extensions to current policies (like tax cuts for the rich) don’t constitute “new” spending.
Not only does the math not add up—time is running out, and Republicans are nowhere near an agreement. Yet, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has vowed to keep the Senate in Washington until they are able to pass a bill.
GOP leaders face internal pushback, doubts on ‘big beautiful bill’ vote (The Hill)
Unrig the Rules: Key differences between the House & Senate’s Republican megabill(CPC Center)
U.S. Strikes Against Iran and Escalating Tensions
Over the weekend, President Trump conducted three unconstitutional strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and then immediately called for peace. Today, Iran launched missiles at U.S. military bases in Iraq and Qatar.
The strikes have produced an array of responses from Congress, which has not provided authorization for military action against Iran. The Senate is expected to vote this week on a resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) requiring congressional approval for military action against Iran, with likely support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and a few Senate Republicans.
In the House, a bipartisan War Powers Resolution was introduced by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). While the resolution can be fast-tracked, it has weeks before it can come up for a vote. Even so, Speaker Mike Johnson has threatened to put up procedural roadblocks even as more lawmakers, including those in Trump’s inner circle, call Trump’s actions unconstitutional and reckless. Some Democrats have gone as far as raising the possibility of impeachment.
War Powers Resolution Activist Guide (FCNL)
Pass the Iran War Powers Resolution (FCNL)
Trump faces bipartisan pushback to Iran strike as some question his war powers(ABC News)
June 28: Stonewall Uprising anniversary
June 30-July 4: House and Senate in recess
July 2: Civil Rights Act anniversary
July 4: Independence Day
Trump’s Big Bill Would Be More Regressive Than Any Major Law in Decades (NYT)
The Worst Pentagon Budget Process We’ve Ever Seen (Taxpayers for Commonsense)
The Mounting Crisis of Militarizing Immigration Enforcement (Just Security)
Trump’s New “Muslim Ban” Wipes Out Hope for 250,000 Afghans Seeking Refuge in US (Truthout)
American Security Contractor Unloads On US-Israeli ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ (Zeteo)
To Defeat Trump's Fascism, We Must Confront Militarism (Common Dreams)