PSW Weekly Round-Up - 1/12

Legislative Update

House. As it usually does, the House will begin the week with consideration of bills under suspension of the rules, requiring two-thirds majorities for passage. Two trade bills of note are on the suspension calendar. One would renew the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), which grants tariff-free access to the U.S. for apparel and other eligible products from sub-Saharan African countries. The other measure would revive trade preference programs to eliminate import duties on apparel from Haiti. Both trade programs, which expired Sept. 30, would be extended through Dec. 31, 2028.

The House will also take up several measures relating to employment rules, including legislation that would restrict ESG investing in private pension plans. Under the bill, private pension plan fiduciaries would have to prioritize achieving maximum returns for beneficiaries over environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors when making investment decisions.

Also on the House agenda is another FY 2026 appropriations minibus. However, the package contains only two bills as negotiators could not reach an agreement on the third measure – funding for the Homeland Security Department. The two bills in the package, which was unveiled Sunday night, would provide funding for Financial Services and General Government as well as National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs (formerly known in the House and still known in the Senate as the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs bill).

Senate. FY 2026 appropriations will also be on the Senate agenda as the Senate will begin consideration of the three-bill minibus that the House approved last week, funding Energy and Water, Interior and Environment, and Commerce-Justice-Science. Attention will be focused on two amendments, in particular, that Democrats plan to offer. One would prevent the Trump administration from taking control of Venezuelan oil and the other would ensure funding for an atmospheric research center in Colorado that the President wants to defund.

Senators will also continue consideration of a War Powers Resolution that would block the administration from engaging in further military action against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress. Last week, five Republicans joined with all Democrats in a 52-47 procedural vote to discharge the resolution from the Foreign Relations Committee and bring it to the floor. Before a final vote this week, there will be a vote to proceed to the resolution, then up to 10 hours of debate, followed by a vote-a-rama, with no limit on germane amendments that can be offered. A simple majority is needed for final passage. Even if the Senate approves the resolution, it is not expected to be enacted as it would have to clear the House and be signed by President Trump.

The Senate will be in recess next week, while the House will be out the week of January 26. The President will deliver his State of the Union message on Feb. 24.

Committee Action of Note

Monday, January 12

• House Rules Committee meeting to formulate a rule on:
  • H.R. 2262, Flexibility for Workers Education Act
  • H.R. 2270, Empowering Employer Child and Elder Care Solutions Act
  • H.R. 2312, Tipped Employee Protection Act
  • H.R. 2988, Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings Act
  • H.R. 4366, Save Local Business Act

Tuesday, January 13

• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy hearing: “Protecting America's Energy Infrastructure in Today's Cyber and Physical Threat Landscape”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence hearing: “Delivering for American Consumers: A Review of FinTech Innovations and Regulations”
• House Judiciary Committee markup on:
  • H.R. 1958, Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2025
  • H.R. ____, Preserving Integrity in Immigration Benefits Act
  • H.R. ____, Protecting Third Party Litigation Funding From Abuse Act
  • H.R. 1028, Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act
  • H.J. Res. ____, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring a balanced budget for the Federal Government
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade hearing: “Examining Legislative Options to Strengthen Motor Vehicle Safety, Ensure Consumer Choice and Affordability, and Cement U.S. Automotive Leadership”
• House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade hearing: “Maintaining American Innovation and Technology Leadership”
• House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing: “Curbing Federal Fraud: Examining Innovative Tools to Detect and Prevent Fraud in Federal Programs”
• House Rules Committee meeting to formulate a rule on H.R. ____, Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026

Wednesday, January 14

• House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “Winning the AI Arms Race Against the Chinese Communist Party”
• House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology hearing: “Assessing America's AI Action Plan”
• House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing: Member Day
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions hearing: “Evaluating the Operations of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)”
• House Education and Workforce Committee hearing: “Building an AI-Ready America”
• House Financial Services Committee hearing: “Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity: Striking the Right Balance Sheet”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands hearing on:
  • H.R. 3922, Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act
  • H.R. 4038, Wildfire Response and Preparedness Act of 2025

Thursday, January 15

• Senate Judiciary Committee markup to consider S. 2132, to prevent and mitigate the potential for conflicts of interest following government service
• Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee markup to consider H.R. 3633, to provide for regulation of the offer and sale of digital commodities by the SEC and CFTC
• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee tentative markup of cryptocurrency legislation

Executive Action of Note

On Jan. 7, President Trump issued an executive order directing the Defense Secretary to take steps to impose restrictions on defense contractors’ executive pay and stock buybacks. Contractors identified under the Defense Secretary’s review must be notified and given an opportunity to submit a remediation plan to address performance issues. This and other recent executive actions include:

• Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting - Jan. 7, 2026
• Withdrawing the United States from International Organizations, Conventions, and Treaties that Are Contrary to the Interests of the United States - Jan. 7, 2026
• Safeguarding Venezuelan Oil Revenue for the Good of the American and Venezuelan People - Jan. 9, 2026

Political Update

House Special Elections. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has until Jan. 20 to set a special election date to fill the 1st District seat of Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.), who passed away on Jan. 6. Candidates of all parties will run on one primary ballot. If a candidate wins a majority, she or he is automatically elected; if not, the top two finishers advance to the special general election. If the special election date is set for June 2, the same date as regular primaries in California, the special primary would be held in late March. If the special election date is scheduled for early August, the special primary could be on June 2. The seat is expected to remain Republican in the special election, but the redrawn 1st District leans Democratic.

In Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp (R) has set March 10 as the special election date to fill the 14th District seat of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), who resigned on Jan. 5. All candidates will appear on the March 10 ballot, regardless of party affiliation, and if no one wins a majority, the top two vote-getters will compete in an April 7 runoff. The seat is expected to remain Republican.

There are now 218 Republicans, 213 Democrats, and four vacancies in the House. On Jan. 31, voters in the 18th District of Texas will elect a Democratic candidate in a runoff to fill the seat of the late Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-Tex.), making the count 218Rs/214Ds.

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