PSW Weekly Round-Up - 5/18

Legislative Update

Senate. The Senate will begin the week with a vote on a package of 49 nominees, but the big ticket item on the agenda is reconciliation legislation to provide $72 billion in funding for ICE and border protection programs. Late last week, the Senate parliamentarian advised Senators that certain provisions in the reconciliation proposal would be subject to 60-vote Byrd Rule points of order. This includes the section in the Judiciary Committee’s portion of the bill providing $1 billion to the Secret Service, of which an estimated $220 million would be used for security in the White House’s East Wing project. As drafted, the provision “inappropriately funds activities outside the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee,” according to a statement from Senate Budget Committee Democrats describing the parliamentarian’s guidance.

Republicans plan to redraft the East Wing language and all of the other provisions questioned by the parliamentarian in the hopes of complying with the Byrd Rule. On Tuesday at 8 a.m., the Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to mark up its part of the bill. Because only one of the two relevant committees needs to act, the Judiciary Committee is not planning to mark up its section. On Wednesday morning, the Budget Committee will meet to combine the Judiciary and Homeland Security measures and send the reconciliation bill to the Senate floor.

Floor debate on a reconciliation measure is limited to 20 hours, evenly divided between the parties, but Republicans can be expected to use much less than their allotted 10 hours. Once all time for debate has expired, Senators will move to votes on amendments during a vote-a-rama that is likely to kick off on Thursday. Since only a majority, not 60 votes, will be needed to advance the bill, Majority Leader John Thune is hoping for final passage by late Thursday or early Friday morning.

However, not all Republicans are currently on board, with Senator Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) indicating that he will not support the bill if it is voted on this week and if it contains funding for the White House ballroom. Other Republicans have also reportedly expressed concern about the $1 billion for the Secret Service, and Thune said this afternoon that discussions are continuing on that front.

House. With congressional primary races being held Tuesday in a half dozen states, leadership has canceled votes in the House for today and tomorrow. On Wednesday, the House is expected to vote on a bipartisan amendment to the Senate’s housing affordability legislation. Among the most notable House changes to the Senate’s bill is the elimination of a provision that would require single-family homes built by large institutional investors as long-term rentals to be sold after seven years to individual homebuyers. The bill will be considered under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority for approval.

To wrap up the week, the House could vote Friday on final passage of the reconciliation bill if it is approved first by the Senate. Both chambers will then adjourn for the Memorial Day recess, reconvening the week of June 1.

Committee Action of Note:

Tuesday, May 19

• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Markup: Reconciliation recommendations to the Budget Committee
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Justice
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Labor
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Army
• Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing: “Closed/Open: Testimony on the posture of the Navy in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY27 and the Future Years Defense Program”
• Senate Judiciary Constitution Subcommittee Hearing: “Enforcing Callais: Implementing the Supreme Court’s Command Against Racial Gerrymandering”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Department of Transportation

Wednesday, May 20

• House Armed Services Committee Hearing: Air Force FY27 Budget Request
• House Judiciary Committee Hearing: “The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate”
• House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax Hearing: “Your Paycheck, Returned: How the Working Families Tax Cuts Delivered for Americans”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Hearing: “Partnering for Innovation: How Bank-Fintech Collaborations Enhance Financial Infrastructure”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries: "The Federal Reclamation Program's Next Century"
• House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Markup:
  • H.R. 8748, Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 2026
  • H.R. 8790, Next-Generation Geothermal Research and Development Act
  • H.R. 7129, Water Power Research and Development Reauthorization Act
• House Administration Subcommittee on Elections Hearing: “Examining Best Practices for Strengthening Election Security”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets Hearing: “From Order to Execution: Ensuring Efficient and Transparent Equity Markets”
• Senate Budget Committee Markup: S.Con.Res. 33, setting the FY26 budget and FY27–FY35 levels
• Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing: “Testimony on Department of Defense personnel policies and programs in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY27 and the Future Years Defense Program”
• Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights Hearing: “Hidden in Plain Sight: Confronting the Muslim Brotherhood Network in America”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation

Thursday, May 21

• House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Hearing: “Court Packing: A Threat to the Supreme Court's Legitimacy”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands Hearing on legislation including H.R. 8688 (Rep. Hurd), “Forest Health and Wildlife Risk Reduction Act”
• House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions Hearing: “Modernizing the BSA for Financial Crime in the 21st Century”
• House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment Hearing: “Research-Driven Resilience: Applying Science to Secure U.S. Water Systems from Cyber Threats”
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Hearing: Budget Hearing – Department of Transportation
• Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing: “Closed/Open: Testimony on the posture of the Air Force in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY27 and the Future Years Defense Program”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Hearing: President’s FY27 Budget Request for the Navy

Political Update

Primaries. Six states will be holding primaries on May 19 – Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. In Alabama, retiring Senator Tommy Tuberville (R) is expected to win his party’s nomination for governor. In the race to succeed Tuberville, Rep. Barry Moore (R) is leading in the GOP primary. In Kentucky, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie is facing a challenge from Trump-endorsed candidate Ed Gallrein in the most-expensive House primary in history.

In Georgia, there is a heated Republican primary for the nod to challenge Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff. The top three candidates are Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter and former football coach Derek Dooley. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a June 16 runoff.

Redistricting:

Alabama. The May 19 primary will be for only three of the state’s seven congressional districts. Four districts – the 1^st, 2^nd, 6^th, and 7^th – will hold their primaries on Aug. 11. Republican Gov. Kay Ivey called for the special August primary after the Supreme Court on May 11 vacated a lower court ruling that had blocked a 2023 congressional map. The 2023 map is expected to put at risk the 2^nd District seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures.

South Carolina. On May 14, Republican Gov. Henry McMaster called for the legislature to convene in a special session the next day to redraw the state’s seven congressional districts. The proposed map under consideration would significantly reshape the state’s 6th District, now represented by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, into a Republican-leaning district. The legislature is also considering legislation that would move the primary elections from June 9 to August.

Louisiana. Last Thursday, the state Senate approved a new congressional map that would redraw the 6^th District currently represented by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields. The new map, which still needs approval by the state House, would be used for primary elections that are being postponed from May 16 until November 3. All candidates, regardless of their party affiliation, would be on the ballot in November. If no one wins a majority, the top two vote-getters would compete in a runoff on Dec. 12. The state currently has four Republicans and two Democrats in its House delegation.

Tennessee. After a three-day special session, the state legislature on May 7 adopted a new congressional map that carves up the 9^th District now represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen. On Friday, Cohen, the only Democrat in the state’s nine-member House delegation, announced he will not run for re-election. Primary elections will be held Aug. 6.

Missouri. On May 12, the state Supreme Court ruled that a congressional map drawn last year in a special session is constitutional and can be used in the August 4 primaries. Republicans now hold six of the state’s eight congressional seats, and the new map will change the district now held by Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver.

Georgia. Gov. Brian Kemp (R) announced May 12 that a special session of the legislature will convene June 17 to redraw the state’s congressional maps. The new maps will be effective for the 2028 races.

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