PSW Weekly Round-Up - 10/27

Legislative Update

House. The House remains in recess.

Senate. The Senate could vote this week on a number of proposals to address the shutdown. This could include measures to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/food stamps) for the duration of the shutdown, to pay air traffic controllers and TSA employees, and to pay military personnel. Also being discussed is a bill that would pay both federal workers and active-duty members of the military during the shutdown. Even if any of the measures were to be approved, which is questionable, House Speaker Johnson would have to call the House back into session to vote on them. And, of course, the Senate is expected to vote for the 13th time on the House-passed continuing resolution that would fund the government through Nov. 21.

Three resolutions addressing tariffs will also be on the Senate agenda. One measure would repeal the U.S. tariffs on Canada, one would repeal the tariffs on Brazil, and one would disapprove of Trump’s global tariffs. There could also be a vote on a War Powers resolution that would block military strikes on Venezuela without authorization from Congress.

Shutdown. Pressure is increasing on lawmakers to find a solution to the shutdown impasse. Not only does November bring a curtailment of SNAP benefits, but the nation’s largest union of federal workers weighed in today with a call to “end this shutdown today,” with “no half measures and no gamesmanship.” While the statement by the American Federation of Government Employees was critical of both parties, some view the AFGE action as putting more pressure on Senate Democrats to support a continuing resolution along the lines of the one that the House passed in September.

Committee Action of Note

Tuesday, October 28

• Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to consider the nominations of:
  • Marc J. Berkowitz to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy
  • Joseph S. Jewell to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Science and Technology
  • James R. Caggy to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Mission Capabilities
  • Brendan P. Rogers to be Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations, and Environment
• Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Hearing: "Politically Violent Attacks: A Threat to Our Constitutional Order"

Wednesday, October 29

• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing: "The Future of Biotech: Maintaining U.S. Competitiveness and Delivering Lifesaving Cures to Patients"
• Senate Finance Committee hearing to consider the nominations of:
  • Jeffrey Goettman to be Deputy United States Trade Representative (Africa, Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Environment, Labor, and Industrial Competitiveness
  • Julie Callahan to be Chief Agricultural Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative

Recent Executive Action of Note

On Friday, President Trump signed a proclamation exempting Freeport-McMoran’s copper smelter in Arizona from Biden-era air toxics regulations:

• Regulatory Relief For Certain Stationary Sources To Promote American Mineral Security - Oct 24, 2025

Tariff Update

China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Sunday that the U.S. and China have agreed on a “framework” for a trade deal. Bessent expects that the U.S. will not impose 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, as threatened for Nov. 1, and China, in turn, will not impose export controls on rare earth minerals. Bessent also expects China to make “substantial” purchases of soybeans from the U.S. President Trump is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting.

Canada. On Thursday, Oct. 23, President Trump said he was suspending trade talks with Canada and then on Saturday he said he was adding an extra 10% tariff on Canadian imports – all in response to an ad that the Ontario government was running on U.S. TV stations that features former President Reagan criticizing tariffs. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Friday that the ads would no longer be shown as of today so that the trade talks could resume, but Trump said he has no plans to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The White House has not said when the higher tariffs will take effect.

Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said today that the U.S. will delay the imposition of 30% tariffs on Mexican imports that had been scheduled to go into effect on Nov. 1. The U.S. already imposes a 25% tariff on Mexican imports that don’t comply with the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. With the announced delay for “a few more weeks,” the two countries will continue talks centered on the U.S.’s call for Mexico to remove various non-tariff barriers to trade.

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