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
- Over the weekend, the United States and Iran escalated retaliatory military strikes as America mourns the loss of three service members. War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair General Dan Caine will update lawmakers at a Senate Appropriations hearing on Tuesday.
House
- House Republican leaders will try to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government through December 4, 2026, though it remains unclear whether or when the Senate will take up the measure.
- The House is expected to vote this week on a budget resolution for a third party-line reconciliation bill, with nearly $100 billion in combined funding for defense, farmers, and election-related security matters.
- The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is facing challenges in the Senate, will be on the House floor this week. Speaker Johnson is expected to allow multiple floor amendments as he works to secure enough Republican votes for passage.
Senate
- The Sanctioning Russia Act, championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, has 62 cosponsors and could receive a floor vote even as President Trump pushes to add Iran sanctions to the bill.
- The Senate Intelligence Committee will vote on the nomination of Jay Clayton for the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) on Tuesday.
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will vote on the nominations of Sean Kaufman for Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the Department of Health and Human Services and Erica Schwartz for Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.
Key Hearings
July 21, 2026
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: Measuring What Matters: Science, Standards, and Strategic Competition
- Senate Appropriations Committee: A Review of the President’s Supplemental Funding Request of June 24, 2026
- House Oversight and Government Reform Health Care and Financial Services Subcommittee: Medicare Fraud: Examining the Explosive Growth in Skin Substitute Spending
July 22, 2026
- Senate Finance Committee: The President’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda
- House Appropriations Committee: Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform
- House Science, Space, and Technology Committee: Unleashing the Golden Age of Science: Examining the Priorities of the FY2027 Research and Technology Enterprise
- House Energy & Commerce Committee: Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace
July 23, 2026
- Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee: Nomination Markup
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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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