Both chambers are in session this week.
Beginning on Tuesday, House Republicans plan to hold legislative markups of their reconciliation proposal within the Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Agriculture committees, though additional details still need to be finalized and agreed to by the caucus.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) continues to express optimism for an ambitious deadline of Memorial Day for passage of the bill in the lower chamber. Deficit hawks and conservative members of the House GOP caucus continue to call for deep spending cuts to offset new spending, while moderates have expressed concerns about significant changes to the Medicaid and SNAP programs that could impact beneficiaries. Notably, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has urged lawmakers to address the federal debt limit in mid-July – expected within the reconciliation bill – before the Treasury exhausts its extraordinary measures to avoid a default in August.
On the floor, the House will vote on a number of bills to highlight National Police Week, including legislation that would permit off-duty and retired law enforcement to carry concealed firearms in areas restricted by state and local laws (H.R. 2243); direct the Justice Department to report to Congress attacks against law enforcement and the availability of mental health resources for officers (H.R. 2240); and create a program to let federal law enforcement officers buy “retired” firearms from the federal government (H.R. 2255).
The upper chamber will resume consideration of Monica Crowley’s nomination to be the State Department’s chief of protocol. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has also filed cloture on the nominations of Reed Rubinstein to be the State Department’s legal adviser; Michael Rigas to be State’s deputy secretary for Management and Resources; Troy Meink to be Air Force secretary; James Danly to be deputy energy secretary; and Katharine MacGregor to be Interior deputy secretary.
Several of President Trump’s Cabinet secretaries will testify before Congress this week regarding their agencies’ budgetary requests for FY 2026. President Trump recently released a “skinny budget” that called for a 23% reduction in domestic spending and a record-high funding level for defense agencies.
Separately, President Trump will travel to the Middle East for the first foreign trip of his second term, including visits to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar.
Finally, early this morning, the Administration announced a 90-day trade détente with China, where the 145% U.S. levies on most Chinese imports will be reduced to 30%, while 125% Chinese duties on U.S. goods will drop to 10%. This will provide both countries with additional time to negotiate an extended trade agreement.
Executive Order, Action & Proclamation Task Force
Alston & Bird's multidisciplinary Executive Order, Action & Proclamation Task Force advises clients on the business and legal implications of President Trump's Executive Orders.
Learn more about administrative actions on our tracker.