Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of July 28
The Senate Stands Alone
The Senate is the only game in town this week, with President Trump in Scotland and House lawmakers back in their districts to kick off their month-long August recess.
Senators will spend their last week before recess considering military and veterans affairs funding in addition to appropriations for the Departments of Labor and Health & Human Services. Lawmakers will also consider the nominations for key commodities and agriculture positions.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has hinted that he may delay the Chamber’s August recess by at least a week to take up additional nominations, but no formal announcement has yet been made.
In the meantime, Senators will hold several committee hearings, including the following:
- The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee will discuss affordable healthcare solutions
- The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee will consider AI housing legislation and AI guardrails in capital markets
- The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will discuss strategic U.S.-African partnerships in critical minerals
- The Senate Judiciary Committee will examine ways to safeguard Americans’ online data
