Alston & Bird’s Legislative & Public Policy Group previews the week ahead highlighting anticipated federal legislative, regulatory, and political activity, and key upcoming actions in Congress, the Administration, and relevant policy arenas.
Administration
- President Trump is set to deliver the first State of the Union address of his second term Tuesday night.
- The President announced Saturday a 15% tariff on all imports—the maximum allowed under an alternate legal authority that allows the tariffs to remain in effect for up to 150 days without further congressional approval.
- The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown has now reached 10 days with no end in sight. Senate Democrats and the White House discussed proposals during the recess but were unable to break the impasse.
House
- The House is scheduled to mark up legislation addressing major policy areas, including continuation and reforms of Department of Agriculture programs, home energy and appliance affordability, and a comprehensive veterans package focused on housing, homelessness, education benefits, technology training, mental health care, and loan program oversight.
- The House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee will convene Tuesday for a hearing to examine innovative ways to train America’s health care workforce, with a focus on serving rural and underserved communities and leveraging technology to encourage healthier living.
Senate
- The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) will hold a hearing Wednesday to consider Casey Means as nominee for surgeon general of the United States and medical director of the Public Health Service Regular Corps.
- The Senate HELP Committee will also hold an executive session Wednesday to consider several measures, including legislation relating to organ transplantation and health care cybersecurity.
- The Senate Special Committee on Aging will convene Thursday for a hearing to examine concerns that Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory processes may impede innovation and delay patient access to emerging therapies.
Key Hearings
February 24, 2026
- House Committee on Ways and Means: Health Subcommittee Hearing on Advancing the Next Generation of America’s Health Care Workforce.
February 25, 2026
- Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: Nomination of Casey Means to be Medical Director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service.
February 26, 2026
- Senate Special Committee on Aging: From Regulator to Roadblock: How FDA Bureaucracy Stifles Innovation.
- Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold a business meeting to consider a range of bills, including:
- S. 1602, to coordinate federal research and development efforts focused on modernizing mathematics in STEM education through mathematical and statistical modeling, including data-driven and computational thinking, problem, project, and performance-based learning and assessment, interdisciplinary exploration, and career connections.
- S. 1558, to require a standard financial aid offer form.
- S. 3747, to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to recognize students who have completed secondary school education in a home school setting as high school graduates.
- S. 1782, to prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants.
- S. 1552, to promote and protect from discrimination living organ donors.
- S. 3315, to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to improve cybersecurity in the health care and public health sectors.
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.
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