PSW Weekly Round-Up - 6/1

Legislative Update

Senate. This week, Senate leadership is hoping to bring to the floor the Republicans’ $70 billion reconciliation bill, but the measure has been mired in a debate among GOP Senators over an issue that’s not actually a provision in the bill. Because the bill, which provides funding for ICE and border protection, falls within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, Democratic Senators plan to offer floor amendments targeting the Justice Department’s recently announced “anti-weaponization fund” that would provide payments to those who believe they were wronged by the federal government, including persons convicted for their actions in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Both Senate and House Republicans have expressed concerns about the fund, and there are news reports this afternoon that the Trump administration will cancel the fund. However, even that may not be enough to prevent Democrats from forcing Republicans to vote on floor amendments targeting the fund, including language that would prevent the creation of such a fund in the future.

The weaponization fund has taken the spotlight away from the battle over the $1 billion included in the measure for East Wing security enhancements. Before leaving for the Memorial Day recess, Republican leaders had decided to drop the funding from the bill due to opposition from Senators and guidance from the Senate parliamentarian that the provision didn’t comply with the Byrd rule for reconciliation. If Senate Majority Leader John Thune can see a way forward to move the reconciliation package, a vote-a-rama could kick off late Wednesday, clearing the way for a Thursday vote on passage.

Senators this week could also take the first procedural step to move legislation reauthorizing Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is scheduled to expire June 12. The legislation is expected to extend the 702 program, with certain reforms, for three years. The Senate is also likely to vote on a motion to proceed to a resolution directing the President to end the war with Iran.

House. The House will also vote on a resolution to end the war with Iran. Even if such a resolution were to pass the Senate and House, it would be vetoed by the President. In other action, the House will consider its second FY 2027 appropriations bill, funding Agriculture and FDA programs, having passed the Military Construction-Veterans Affair bill on May 15. If the Senate were to pass the reconciliation bill on Thursday, it’s possible that the House could then vote on it before recessing on Friday afternoon.

Committee Action of Note:

Tuesday, June 2

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Hearing: Budget Hearing – Department of State and Related Programs
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Hearing: Oversight Hearing – Department of Justice with Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche
• House Rules Committee meeting to formulate a rule on the following legislation:
  • H.R. 8646 – Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027
  • H.R. 7892 – No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026
• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Hearing: “Oversight of the United States Forest Service.”
• Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing: “Review of the FY27 State Department Budget Request.”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Hearing: “A Review of the President's Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of Homeland Security”

Wednesday, June 3

• House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing: “Department of State FY 2027 Budget Request: A Commitment to America First Foreign Policy”
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Hearing: “Examining Legislation to Establish a Federal Comprehensive Privacy and Data Security Law”
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Hearing on legislation to modernize the Clean Air Act’s mobile source requirements
• House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Hearing: “Building an AI-Ready America: Higher Education in the Age of AI”
• Senate Finance Committee Hearing: “The President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget for the Department of the Treasury” with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing: “Hearing to Examine the Federal Highway Administration's Proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget.”
• Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee Hearing: “Examining the Burden of Federal Benefits Cliffs on Small Businesses and Workers.”
• Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Hearing: “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request for the Department of State”

Thursday, June 4

• House Agriculture Committee Hearing: “Receiving Testimony from the Honorable Brooke L. Rollins, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture”
• House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Environment Hearing: “Advancing Environmental Protection Through Science and Technology”
• House Financial Services Committee Hearing: “Oversight of Prudential Regulators”
• House Ways and Means Committee Hearing: “Hearing with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent”
• House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Hearing: “Examining the Policies and Priorities of the NLRB”
• House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands Hearing: “The State of Our Nation's Federal Forests and Outlook for the 2026 Wildfire Year.”

Executive Actions of Note:

In an executive order issued May 29, President Trump set in motion a review of the childhood immunization schedule that would reduce the number of recommended vaccines for children. This and other executive actions include:

• Realigning United States Core Childhood Vaccine Recommendations With Best Practices From Peer, Developed Countries - May 29, 2026
• Removing Unnecessary and Counterproductive Restrictions on Access to Federal Lands - May 29, 2026
• Approving Critical Position Pay Authority for National Security Investment Workforce - May 29, 2026

Political Update

June 2 Primaries. California, Iowa, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, and South Dakota will hold primaries tomorrow. In California, where the House districts have been recently redrawn, two Republican incumbents – Reps. Young Kim and Ken Calvert – along with several Democrats are vying for the 40^th Congressional District seat. The top two vote-getters in all the state’s congressional races, regardless of party, will advance to the November elections. In New Jersey’s 7^th District, Democratic voters will choose which candidate will challenge Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R), who has been dealing with a medical issue and has not voted since March 5. On the Senate side, Democrats in Iowa will choose between state Sen. Zach Wahls and state Rep. Josh Turek, with the winner likely to face Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in November for the seat held by retiring Senator Joni Ernst (R).

Redistricting:

Alabama. A three-judge federal panel ruled May 26 that Alabama’s new congressional map was discriminatory and could not be used for the 2026 elections. The new map would put at risk the 2^nd District seat currently held by Democratic Rep. Shomari Figures. The state held primaries on May 19 for the three districts not changed by the new map, and Gov. Kay Ivey (R ) called an Aug. 11 special primary for the remaining four districts – the 1^st, 2^nd, 6^th, and 7^th. On May 27, Alabama’s attorney general appealed the May 26 decision to the Supreme Court.

South Carolina. The state Senate on May 26 failed to approve new congressional districts that the state House had approved May 20. The proposed map would have targeted the seat now held by Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn by seeking to draw district lines that would favor Republicans in all seven House seats. However, a procedural vote to end debate on the map failed in the state Senate, with 12 Republicans joining all Democrats. The state Senate then voted to adjourn until June 10, effectively ending the redistricting effort for 2026. The state’s primaries will remain on June 9, and early voting started May 26.

Tennessee. On May 26, a federal judge rejected a challenge to the state’s new congressional map that was adopted by the legislature on May 7. The map carves up the 9^th District now represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen, the only Democrat in the state’s nine-member House delegation. On May 15, Cohen announced he would not run for re-election. Primary elections will be held Aug. 6.

Louisiana. The Louisiana House on May 28 gave final approval to a new congressional map that redraws the 6^th District currently represented by Democratic Rep. Cleo Fields. The new map will be used for primary elections that have been postponed from May 16 until Nov. 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.

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