PSW Weekly Round-Up - 4/20

Legislative Update

House. The House this week will consider bills that would ease environmental approvals for geothermal drilling, overhaul permitting requirements under the Endangered Species Act, and repeal certain energy efficiency standards for federal buildings.

This evening, the House will swear in Democrat Analilia Mejia, who won last week’s special election to succeed Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11^th Congressional District. With Mejia’s election and the resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Tex.), there will be 218 Republicans and 214 Democrats in the House. On Tuesday, the House Ethics Committee plans to issue disciplinary recommendations in the case of Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who violated 25 rules of congressional standards, according to an Ethics adjudicatory subcommittee decision. At least one House member has threatened to force an expulsion vote on the floor once the Ethics Committee announces its decision.

Senate. Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) is planning to move a “skinny” FY 2026 budget resolution to the floor this week. If the resolution is as skinny as Thune envisions, it will be limited to providing three years of funding for ICE and border protection programs. The resolution, which could be released on Tuesday, will not be marked up by the Budget Committee and will go straight to the floor, with a vote-a-rama on unlimited amendments possible Wednesday or Thursday. While there is no limit on the number of floor amendments that can be offered, they must be germane.

If the Senate approves the resolution (and only a simple majority is necessary), it will go to the House, where a vote is possible the week of April 27. However, there are still pockets of disagreement among Republicans in both chambers, so the budget resolution is not yet on a smooth glide path to approval.

Reconciliation. The budget resolution does not require the President’s signature, but it must be approved in the same form by both the Senate and House. If that takes place with House passage the last week in April, work can formally begin on a reconciliation bill. Both chambers plan to be out of session the week of May 4, but Senate staff could use this time for meetings with the parliamentarian to insure that the reconciliation bill complies with Senate rules.

A budget resolution that is limited to ICE/Border Patrol means the reconciliation bill would fall within the jurisdiction of two Senate committees – Homeland Security and Judiciary. There’s speculation that neither committee will hold a formal markup, with the goal of Senate floor consideration of reconciliation legislation the week of May 11. And, of course, there would be another Senate vote-a-rama. If Republicans are able to stick to their schedule, the House would then take up a Senate-passed bill the week of May 18. If that measure then clears the House, it would go to the President before Congress leaves for the Memorial Day recess and meet the President’s goal of seeing a bill on his desk by June 1.

Committee Action of Note

Monday, April 20

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing: Department of the Interior
• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Markup to consider the nomination of Glen Smith to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development

Tuesday, April 21

• House Committee on Financial Services Markup of legislation including:
  • H.R. 425, the Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act
  • H.R. 941, the Small Lenders Exempt from New Data and Excessive Reporting (LENDER) Act
  • H.R. 8286, the Protecting Americans’ Retirement Savings from Politics Act
  • H.R. 8290, the Exchange Rate Accountability Act of 2026
• House Ways and Means Committee Hearing: “Protecting Patients and Taxpayers: Cracking Down on Medicare Fraud”
• House Small Business Committee Hearing: "Independent Work, Real Opportunity: The Gig Economy and the Future of Entrepreneurship"
• House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Technology Hearing: “Robots Made in America: Advancing U.S. Leadership in Manufacturing and Automation”
• House Education and Workforce Committee Markup to consider H.R. 8210, the Stronger Workforce for America Act of 2026
• House Natural Resources Committee Markup to consider legislation, including H.R. 5929, the Critical Minerals Supply Chain Resiliency Act
• House Appropriations Committee Markup of:
  • FY27 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
  • FY27 Financial Services and General Government
  • Interim Subcommittee Allocations
• House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Hearing: “Examining VA Benefits: Pension and Fiduciary, and VA Life Insurance Options”
• House Armed Services Subcommittee on Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Hearing: “Cyber Posture of the Department of Defense”
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Hearing to examine the President’s Budget Request for the Department of Energy for FY27
• Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing: Nomination of Kevin Warsh to be Member and Chairman of the Federal Reserve
• Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution Hearing: "Arctic Frost: Conspiracy and Coordination Against President Trump and the American Right"
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserves Forces
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Health and Human Services

Wednesday, April 22

• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance Hearing: “Diversifying Risk: The Benefits of Reinsurance and Credit Risk Transfers”
• House Foreign Affairs Committee Markup to consider various measures regarding export controls on domestic AI, technology, and semiconductor manufacturing
• House Ways and Means Committee Hearing: The Trump Administration's 2026 Trade Policy Agenda with USTR Jamieson Greer
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Hearing: “Help or Hindrance? The Impact of U.S. Environmental Laws on Critical Material Supply Chains, National Security, and Economic Growth”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Hearing: “Evaluating the Effectiveness of U.S. Sanctions Programs”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of the Interior
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of the Treasury
• Senate Finance Committee Hearing: The President’s FY27 Department of Health and Human Services Budget.
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies and Homeland Security Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Commerce
• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: "Stealth Stealing: China’s Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation"
• Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Hearing: FY27 Department of Health and Human Services Budget
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Energy
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Hearing: The President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Agriculture

Thursday, April 23

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Budget Hearing: Department of Commerce

• Senate Finance Committee Hearing: "The President’s 2026 Trade Policy Agenda"
• Senate Judiciary Committee Markup to consider various legislation on carjacking, kids’ online protections, and judicial nominations

Executive Actions of Note

President Trump on Saturday signed an executive order that he said will “dramatically accelerate access to new medical research and treatments based on psychedelic drugs.”

• Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness - April 18, 2026

Tariff Update

Refunds. The tariff refund system set up by Customs and Border Protection officially opened today. Certain U.S. importers are now able to file claims for the tariffs they paid under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that were invalidated by the Supreme Court in February. The Customs agency said importers eligible for refunds in this first phase of the process could see refunds paid out within 60 to 90 days after their claims are accepted.

Political Update

House Special Elections. With the April 14 resignations of Reps. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) and Tony Gonzales (R-Tex.), two special elections are in the works. In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has set Aug. 18 for the special election for Swalwell’s seat, preceded by a special primary on June 16, where candidates of all parties appear on the same ballot. If a candidate wins a simple majority, they win the seat; if not, the top two candidates, regardless of party, will be on the Aug. 18 ballot to serve the remainder of Swalwell’s term. The regularly scheduled primary on June 2 in a slightly redrawn district will determine who advances to the November general election, where the winner will secure a full two-year term. Also in California, a special election will be held June 2 to fill the seat of the late Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R). If a runoff is necessary, the top two candidates will face off on Aug. 4.

In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has not yet said what his plans are for a special election. Like California, all candidates in the Texas race will run on the same ballot, with a runoff necessary if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote.

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