Becker’s Washington Weekly: Week of September 21

Senate’s Midterm Push

The Senate returns to Washington for what could be its final working week before the midterm elections. The House of Representatives has already departed for the October recess and won’t reconvene until November.

At the top of the Senate’s agenda is the Protect College Sports Act, bipartisan legislation to standardize name, image, and likeness (NIL) rules nationwide. The bill also establishes a five-year eligibility period for athletes, caps agent fees, and allows schools to join a voluntary collective to negotiate certain media rights.

The Senate may hold a final confirmation vote on Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling’s nomination for the permanent post, while Senate Democrats are expected to force another Iran war powers vote.

Senators will convene committee hearings this week, including the following:

• The Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship will highlight the role of entrepreneurs in thriving communities over the past 250 years
• The Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism will examine the deployment of Flock AI cameras
• The Senate Special Committee on Aging will discuss pathways to restore America’s edge in generic drug manufacturing