PSW Weekly Round-Up - 7/21

Legislative Update

Senate. On Tuesday, the Senate is expected to vote on the first parliamentary step to consider an FY 2026 appropriations measure. It’s not clear yet whether enough Democrats will be on board to clear the various 60-vote hurdles, but if they are, Majority Leader John Thune wants the Senate to vote on the Military Construction/Veterans Affairs funding bill. Thune is reportedly thinking of turning the MilCon/VA bill into a minibus by adding three other measures – the Agriculture/FDA, Commerce/Justice/Science, and Legislative Branch appropriations bills. The Senate will also consider nominations this week and plans to leave for the August recess next Friday, August 1. On Saturday, President Trump called on Thune to cancel the August recess in order to consider nominations. There are over 130 nominations on the Senate calendar awaiting confirmation.

House. This is the House’s last week in session before leaving Thursday for the August recess. On the agenda are three Congressional Review Act resolutions targeting Biden administration rules dealing with coal mining leases; a bill to ease permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act; and a measure increasing penalties for illegal border crossings. With the resignation of Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), effective July 20, there are now 219 Republicans, 212 Democrats, and four vacancies (3 Democrats and 1 Republican).

Last week, the House set another record for its longest vote. On July 16, the leadership held open the vote on a rule for 9 hours and 45 minute (from 1:19 p.m. until 11:04 p.m.). The rule provided for consideration of three crypto bills and the Defense appropriations bill, but a number of conservatives objected to the three crypto measures being considered separately. To break the impasse, Republican leadership said it would try to attach the crypto bill blocking a Central Bank Digital Currency to the National Defense Authorization Act. The July 16 record breaks the July 2 record of 7 hours and 23 minutes.

Committee Action of Note

Monday, July 21

• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Markup: FY 2026 FSGG Bill

Tuesday, July 22

• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee Hearing: “Shifting Gears: Issues Impacting the Trucking and Commercial Bus Industries in the U.S.”
• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing: “Securing the Skies: Law Enforcement, Drones and Public Safety”
• Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing to Identify Challenges to Meeting Increased Electricity Demand
• House Financial Services Committee Markup of 17 measures, including:
  • H.R. 3446, the FDIC Board Accountability Act
  • H.R. 3673, the Small Business Investor Capital Access Act
  • H.R. __, the American Access to Banking Act
  • Resolution Reestablishing the Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity of the Committee on Financial Services
• House Agriculture Committee Hearing: “Past Breakthroughs and Future Innovations in Crop Production”
• House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations Hearing: “Bid Protest Reform: Understanding the Problem”
• House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet Hearing: “Foreign Abuse of U.S. Courts”
• House Foreign Affairs Committee markup of nine measures, including:
  • H.R. 2505, To require the development of strategies and options to prevent the export to Iran of certain technologies related to unmanned aircraft systems, and for other purposes;
  • H.R. 3429, To establish an inter-parliamentary dialogue to facilitate closer cooperation between the United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea on shared interests and values;
  • H.R. 4215, To require the Secretary of State to promulgate expedited and fixed timelines for the decision-making process to license the export of certain defense articles and defense services, and for other purposes;
  • H.R. 4216, To direct the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, to carry out a review of the list of defense articles and services required to be transferred under the foreign military sales program as opposed to direct commercial sale (FMS-Only List);
  • H.R. 3068, To amend the Arms Export Control Act to modify certain provisions relating to AUKUS defense trade cooperation, and for other purposes;
  • H.R. 3613, To amend the Arms Export Control Act to streamline Foreign Military Sales under that Act; and
  • H.R. ___, To provide authority to enhance security assistance with countries that are engaged in regional security cooperation efforts in the Middle East and North Africa, and for other purposes.
• House Administration Committee Hearing: “Clean Rolls, Secure Elections: Reviewing Voter List Maintenance Standards”
• House Appropriations Committee Markup of the FY 2026 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Bill
• House Oversight Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Hearing: “The New Atomic Age: Advancing America’s Energy Future”
• House Ways and Means Subcommittees on Health and Oversight Joint Hearing: “Past Lessons, Present Insights, Future Opportunities”

Wednesday, July 23

• House Armed Services Committee Hearing: “Reforming Defense Acquisition to Deliver Capability at the Speed of Relevance”
• House Agriculture Committee Hearing: “An Examination of the Implications of Proposition 12”
• House Natural Resources Committee Markup of 14 measures, including:
  • H.R. 178 (Rep. McClintock), To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes.
  • H.R. 179 (Rep. McClintock), “Proven Forest Management Act of 2025”
• House Appropriations Committee Markup of the FY 2026 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Bill

Thursday, July 24

• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Hearing: “Empowering Workers by Expanding Employee Ownership”
• Senate Appropriations Committee Markup of two FY 2026 bills:
  • Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
  • Transportation, Housing and Urban Development
• House Appropriations Committee Markup of the FY 2026 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Bill

Recent Executive Actions of Note

On July 17, President Trump issued a proclamation that exempts six coal-fired power units in Ohio, Colorado, and Illinois from compliance with certain EPA regulations for two additional years, until July 2029. This and other executive actions include:

• Regulatory Relief For Certain Stationary Sources To Promote American Security With Respect To Sterile Medical Equipment - July 17, 2025
• Regulatory Relief For Certain Stationary Sources To Further Promote American Energy - July 17, 2025
• Regulatory Relief For Certain Stationary Sources To Promote American Chemical Manufacturing Security - July 17, 2025
• Regulatory Relief For Certain Stationary Sources To Promote American Iron Ore Processing Security - July 17, 2025
• Creating Schedule G In The Excepted Service - July 17, 2025

Tariff Update

Canada. Four Senators met in Ottawa today with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and other senior officials to discuss trade issues, including the upcoming review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement. Also discussed were Canadian softwood lumber exports to the U.S., which Canada might limit, Carney suggested last week, as part of a larger trade deal with the U.S. The Senate group was led by Finance Committee ranking member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and included Senators Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-Nev.), and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). President Trump has said the U.S. will impose a 35% tariff on goods from Canada, starting Aug. 1.

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