PSW Weekly Round-Up - 7/13

Legislative Update

Senate. The Senate is planning to begin procedural votes this week on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Leadership has not yet announced an agreement on which of the 700+ amendments will be considered.

House. When the House was last in session on June 30, the Republican leadership was unable to muster enough votes to pass a rule allowing for floor consideration of legislation. Thirteen Republicans opposed the rule, primarily as a protest against the Senate’s failure to pass the SAVE Act but also reflecting frustration with the Speaker for not bringing a border security bill to the floor.

This evening, in an effort to win over the Republican “no” votes, the Rules Committee adopted a rule that will attach the House-passed SAVE Act to the National Security-State Department appropriations bill once that funding bill is approved by the House. This move is similar to language in the rule that was defeated June 30, which would have added the SAVE measure to the House version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA is not on the schedule for this week and could be considered next week.

If the House approves the rule for floor votes this week, which is not a given, members will not only consider the National Security-State funding bill but several other measures, including legislation that would make daylight saving time permanent unless states opt out.

Reconciliation 3.0. It’s not yet on the committee schedule, but the House Budget Committee is reportedly planning to meet on Wednesday, July 15, to mark up a budget resolution that will provide instructions for a Reconciliation 3.0 bill. Observers believe that it is still a longshot that Congress will pass another reconciliation bill this year.

Congressional Schedule. Both chambers returned today from the Independence Day recess, with very few days on the schedule before they start the summer recess. Counting today, the House is in session just eight days, four days this week and four next week, before the recess. The Senate is planning to stay in session two weeks longer, with a planned recess date of Aug. 7, but there is already speculation that Senators could leave town sooner than scheduled. The House plans to reconvene on Aug. 31 for four days before leaving for a one-week Labor Day recess, while the Senate plans to return on Sept. 14 from the August recess.

Committee Action of Note:

Tuesday, July 14

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: "From Genes to Machines: the Patent Eligibility Debate."
• Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues Hearing: "The National Security Strategy and the Western Hemisphere."
• House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing: “FY27 BIS Budget: the AI Arms Race and the ICTS Office”
• House Financial Services Committee Hearing: “The Federal Reserve's Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report”
• House Small Business Committee Hearing: "AI on Main Street: How AI is Shaping the Future of Small Business."
• House Education and Workforce Committee Hearing: "Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools"
• House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Intelligence Hearing: “U.S. Economic Security and Investment Abroad: Assessing Economic Security Zones”
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment Markup on legislation, including:
  • H.R. 2140, Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2025
  • H.R. 3194, Lifting Overburdensome Commerce Obstructions and Motives (LOCOMOTIVES) Act
  • H.R. 9615, Battery Recycling for America’s Competitive Economy (BRACE) Act
  • H.R. 9616, Environmental Monitoring and Remediation Technology Assessment Imitative (EMRTAI) Act of 2026
  • H.R. 9617, Coordinating and Harnessing America’s Recovery of Minerals (CHARM) Act
  • H.R. 9618, Diesel Engine Flexibility (DEF) Act
• House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on East Asia and Pacific Hearing: “More Bang for the Buck: Aligning Commercial Diplomacy Between State and Commerce”

Wednesday, July 15

• Senate Select Intelligence Committee Hearing: "Open: Intelligence Matters."
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Hearing on nominations, including Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Hearing: "The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress."
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Markup to consider items, including the "Water Resources Development Act of 2026"
• Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Hearing: "Exposing Fraud in America."
• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Markup to consider legislation, including S. 4429, to prohibit the importation, manufacture, sale, resale, or introduction into interstate commerce of connected vehicles and related software and hardware associated with foreign adversaries
• House Financial Services Committee Hearing: “The Semi-Annual Report of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection”
• House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing: “Ending Supply Chain Dependency: Aligning Tools, Capital, and Partnerships”
• House Natural Resources Committee Markup of legislation, including H.R. 7889, "Advancing Water Research and Collaboration Act of 2025"
• House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party Hearing: “Protecting American Innovation: The Federal Research Security Enterprise”
• House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health Hearing: “Maintaining America's Leadership in Biomedical Innovation: FDA's Role in Advancing U.S. Drug Development”
• House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing: "Emerging Fraud Threats and the Evolving Fraud Landscape"
• House Administration Subcommittee on Elections Hearing: "Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress's Role"

Thursday, July 16

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General of the United States
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Nomination Hearing: Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor

Friday, July 17

• House Financial Services Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence Field Hearing: “Building the Future of Finance: How the CLARITY Act Unlocks Innovation”

Executive Action of Note

On July 9, President Trump decided against imposing Section 232 tariffs on commercial aircraft, jet engines, and aircraft parts, instead instructing his administration to continue negotiations to address national security concerns.

• Adjusting Imports of Commercial Aircraft, Jet Engines, and Aircraft and Engine Parts Into the United States - July 9, 2026

Political Update

Maine Senate Race. With the withdrawal of Democratic nominee Graham Platner, the Maine Democratic Party will hold a convention on July 25 to name a new nominee. Candidates must file a declaration of intent by July 15 and collect at least 500 signatures by July 20.

South Carolina. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) today appointed Darline Graham Nordone, the late Senator Lindsey Graham’s sister, to finish his term until January 2026. A special primary will be held Aug. 11 for Republicans to select a candidate to take Senator Graham’s place on the ballot in November for a full six-year term. If no candidate wins a majority, a primary runoff will be held Aug. 25. Nordone said he does not intend to be a candidate in the August primary. The Democratic nominee in November is Dr. Annie Andrews, a pediatrician.

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