PSW Weekly Round-Up - 10/6

Legislative Update

House. Speaker Mike Johnson has decided that the House will remain in recess this week, saying on Friday that the House would come back into session only after the Senate approves the House-passed continuing resolution to open the government through Nov. 21. In a call with House Republicans on Saturday, Johnson said he would give them 48 hours’ notice if they needed to return to Washington.

Senate. The Senate, meanwhile, is continuing to vote on the two competing continuing resolutions to re-open the government. Senators will vote again tonight on the Democratic and Republican versions that have failed to clear the 60-vote hurdle on four attempts. The Senate will also continue consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and will vote to approve 108 nominations, including two new Federal Energy Regulatory Commissioners.

Senators could also vote on two Democratic measures – a resolution to terminate the President’s national energy emergency and a resolution invoking the War Powers Act that would prevent the U.S. military from engaging in actions such as the recent strikes against boats in the Caribbean.

Committee Action of Note

Tuesday, October 7

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: "Oversight of the Department of Justice" with Pamela Bondi, Attorney General
• Senate Armed Services Committee hearing to consider the nominations of:
  • John Noh to be Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs
  • Charles L. Young III to be General Counsel of the Department of the Army
  • William K. Lane III to be General Counsel of the Department of the Air Force
  • David E. Beck to be Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration

Wednesday, October 8

• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee markup to consider various measures, including:
  • S.2563, to direct the Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, to conduct an interagency review of and report to Congress on ways to increase the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment
  • "PIPELINE Safety Act of 2025"
  • The nominations of:
    • Joyce Meyer to be Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs
    • Harry Kumar to be an Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
    • Seval Oz to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation for Research and Technology
• Senate Finance Committee markup to consider the Department of the Treasury nominations of:
  • Jonathan Greenstein to be Deputy Under Secretary
  • Donald Korb to be Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service and an Assistant General Counsel
  • Derek Theurer to be a Deputy Under Secretary
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing to consider the nominations of:
  • Ho Nieh to be a Member of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
  • Douglas Troutman to be Assistant Administrator for Toxic Substances at the Environmental Protection Agency

Thursday, October 9

• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee markup to consider the nominations of:
  • Crystal Carey to be General Counsel, National Labor Relations Board
  • Scott Mayer and James Murphy to be Members of the National Labor Relations Board
  • Rosario Palmieri to be an Assistant Secretary, Department of Labor
  • Anthony D'Esposito to be Inspector General, Department of Labor
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing: "AI's Potential to Support Patients, Workers, Children, and Families."

Tariff Update

Pharmaceuticals. President Trump has delayed the 100% tariffs on branded pharmaceutical imports that he said in a Sept. 25 social media posting would be imposed on Oct. 1 unless a pharmaceutical company is building a manufacturing plant in the U.S. On Oct. 1, a White House official told reporters that the administration would now “begin preparing” tariffs on companies that don’t build in the U.S. or make a drug pricing agreement with the administration.

Heavy-Duty Trucks. In a separate social media post on Sept. 25, the President said he would be imposing a 25% tariff, effective Oct. 1, on heavy-duty trucks. However, in a posting this afternoon, the President said the U.S. would impose 25% tariffs on medium- and heavy-duty trucks, effective Nov. 1.

Lumber, Timber, and Wood Products. New tariffs on lumber, timber, and derivative products will take effect on Oct. 14, according to a Sept. 29 presidential proclamation. The proclamation clarifies the President’s Sept. 25 social media post regarding tariffs he said would be imposed Oct. 1 on kitchen cabinets and vanities and upholstered furniture. The proclamation specifies that tariffs of 25% will be placed on kitchen cabinets and vanities on Oct. 14, rising to 50% on Jan. 1. Similarly, 25% tariffs will be imposed on upholstered wooden furniture, rising to 30% on Jan. 1. The tariff rate for softwood timber and lumber will be 10%. Tariffs on wood products from the European Union and Japan will not exceed 15% and those on wood products from the United Kingdom will not be more than 10%.

Talks with Canada. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will meet with President Trump on Tuesday at the White House, where tariffs on lumber, steel, aluminum, and autos and the 2026 review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement are expected to be a focus of discussion.

CRS Reports. The Congressional Research Service has recently released three reports related to President Trump’s tariffs: “Section 232 National Security Tariffs on Copper Imports” (Sept. 30), “Expanded Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum” (Sept. 26), and “Presidential 2025 Tariff Actions: Timeline and Status” (Sept. 16).

Recent Executive Action of Note

In addition to the Sept. 29 proclamation on tariffs, other executive actions include:

• Unlocking Cures For Pediatric Cancer With Artificial Intelligence – Sept. 30, 2025
• Adjusting Imports of Timber, Lumber, and their Derivative Products into the United States – Sept. 29, 2025
• Continuance Of Certain Federal Advisory Committees – Sept. 29, 2025