Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of May 18
GOP’s Reconciliation Week
Congress returns to Washington this week as GOP lawmakers prepare to pass a second budget reconciliation bill focused on immigration enforcement and Secret Service funding.
The Senate will vote on the reconciliation package this week but first must settle a procedural hurdle after the Senate parliamentarian ruled that the $1 billion of Secret Service funding does not comply with reconciliation rules. Senate GOP leaders will rework the language to try to make the provision compliant.
The House of Representatives will be awaiting Senate action on the reconciliation bill and plans to vote on the package this week after it clears the upper chamber. The House will also consider the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a sweeping package that includes a ban on large institutional investors from owning single-family homes and prevents the Federal Reserve from establishing a central digital currency through 2030.
Lawmakers in both chambers will convene committee hearings this week, including the following:
- The House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s subcommittee on Health will examine the Medicare physician fee schedule, MACRA, and opportunities for payment reforms.
- The House Committee on Homeland Security’s subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection will hold a hearing to discuss escalating cyber threats and building resilience in American communities.
- The House Committee on Veterans Affairs subcommittee on Technology Modernization will examine PACT Act implementation and discuss modernizing VA disability claims through effective technology.
- The Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on Energy and Water Development will review President Trump’s FY’27 budget request for the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation.
- The Senate Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies will review President Trump’s FY’27 budget request for the Department of Transportation.
