Federal Advocacy Update - September 15, 2025
House and Senate Action
The House and Senate are in session this week. Following last votes, both chambers will recess for one week in observance of Rosh Hashanah.
House
This week, the House will consider a slate of bills that are listed on the suspension calendar (2/3 majority required for passage), many of which deal with veterans' issues. Later in the week, the chamber is slated to consider legislation related to crime in Washington, DC, and federal oversight of the city. Lawmakers could also consider a stopgap government funding package. The full House agenda can be accessed here.
Senate
Across Capitol Hill, the Senate will continue processing a slate of President Trump’s nominees, following last week’s adoption of a resolution allowing for en bloc consideration. At the same time, the fiscal year 2026 defense authorization bill remains pending on the Senate floor. It is not yet clear whether debate on a short-term Continuing Resolution to fund the government (CR) will take precedence over the NDAA in the coming days.
Clock Ticking on Government Funding Deal
Congress is entering a critical stretch with just 15 days until the September 30 government funding deadline. While a shutdown is not inevitable, the risk is increasing as negotiations remain unsettled. As early as today, House Republican leaders could release the text of a continuing resolution (CR) to extend funding through November 20. While Republican leaders have emphasized that the measure will be a “clean” extension, free of partisan policy riders, discussions continue about whether additional provisions - such as enhanced security funding for lawmakers - might be added before it reaches the floor.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faces a razor-thin margin to secure passage in the House, with Democrats unlikely to provide support and conservatives skeptical of any short-term extension. Should the House approve the measure early this week, Senate Minority Leader John Thune (R-SD) could move to bring it forward in the Senate soon after. However, the bill will require bipartisan backing to clear a filibuster in the upper chamber.
For their part, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) have signaled they will oppose the plan absent further negotiations on health care, particularly an extension of Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium subsidies that are set to expire at the end of the year. Conservatives largely oppose an extension, but moderates, especially those in competitive districts, are wary of the potential impact on their constituents.
Both parties are now positioning for a potential standoff. Republicans frame the CR as a temporary bridge to give appropriators more time on full-year spending bills, while Democrats maintain that key policy issues must be addressed as part of the process. With limited time remaining and the potential for additional provisions to be attached to the CR, the path to avoiding a shutdown remains highly uncertain.
Senators Seek Clarity on AI Data Center Permitting
Last week, a group of Democratic Senators sent a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency seeking clarification on President Trump’s July 23 executive order related to data centers and energy infrastructure.
The executive order directs federal agencies to review whether large-scale data center projects should qualify for a new nationwide permit under the Clean Water Act. Nationwide permits are typically used for activities with minimal environmental impact, allowing projects to move forward without undergoing a more individualized review process. Applying such a permit to data centers could streamline approvals at a time when demand for these facilities is rapidly growing.
In their letter, the senators pointed to projections showing that AI-related infrastructure could account for up to 12% of total U.S. electricity consumption by 2028 and require millions of gallons of water per day for cooling at larger facilities. They asked the agencies to outline how they intend to implement the executive order while ensuring that potential impacts on water quality and natural resources are addressed.
Bill Introduced to Extend Tax Relief to Wildfire Survivors
Last week, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) introduced legislation - the Protect Innocent Victims of Taxation After Fire Extension Act (H.R. 5225) - that would extend through 2032 the federal tax exemption for wildfire-related settlement payments. This would ensure that survivors are not taxed on compensation for housing, wages, personal injury, or other disaster-related losses from federally declared fires.
The measure builds on the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, enacted in December 2024, which provided the same protections for survivors of disasters occurring between 2020 and 2025. In addition to extending the timeline, H.R. 5225 would streamline the process by allowing survivors to claim the exemption in the year they receive payments, eliminating the need to file amended tax returns and wait for IRS refunds.
If enacted, the legislation would provide long-term certainty for wildfire victims navigating the recovery process and help reduce the financial and administrative burdens they face in the aftermath of disaster.
USDA, DOI Announce New Wildfire Response Reforms
Earlier today, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a memo directing a series of reforms to modernize and strengthen the federal wildfire system. The actions implement President Trump’s Executive Order 14308, Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response, and are designed to unify federal wildfire operations, improve coordination with state, local, and Tribal governments, and modernize the tools and training available to fire management teams.
Both secretaries emphasized that the reforms are intended to reduce fragmentation across federal agencies and build a more coordinated, mission-ready system to support wildfire prevention, response, and recovery efforts nationwide.
Relevant Hearings & Markups
House Committee on Agriculture
Thursday, September 18 |10 a.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Community Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development will hold an oversight hearing to review USDA's Rural Development programs.
House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Tuesday, September 16 |10:15 a.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Energy will hold a hearing entitled, "Appliance and Building Policies: Restoring the American Dream of Home Ownership and Consumer Choice."
Tuesday, September 16 |2:00 p.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Environment will hold a legislative hearing on permitting reform under the Clean Air Act.
Thursday, September 18 |2:00 p.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will meet to discuss streamlining the broadband permitting process.
House Committee on Financial Services
Wednesday, September 17 | 10:00 a.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance will meet to discuss reauthorizing the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act.
Thursday, September 18 | 2:00 p.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence will hold a hearing entitled, "Unlocking the Next Generation of AI in the U.S. Financial System for Consumers, Businesses, and Competitiveness."
House Committee on Natural Resources
Wednesday, September 17 | 10:00 a.m. ET | The full committee will meet to consider a range of bills within the panel's jurisdiction.
House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Tuesday, September 16 | 1:00 p.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement will hold a hearing entitled, "From Protection to Persecution: EPA Enforcement Gone Rogue Under the Biden Administration."
Wednesday, September 17 | 2:00 p.m. ET | The Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee will meet to discuss the future of AI.
House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
Monday, September 15 | 3:00 p.m. ET | The Subcommittee on Technology Modernization will meet for a hearing entitled, “Advancing VA Care Through Artificial Intelligence."
Senate Committee on Ways and Means
Tuesday, September 16 | 2:00 p.m. ET | The Oversight Subcommittee Hearing on Virtue Signaling vs. Vital Services: Where Tax-Exempt Hospitals are Spending Your Tax Dollars.
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Wednesday, September 17 | 10:00 a.m. ET | The panel will conduct an oversight hearing of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Wednesday, September 17 | 10:00 a.m. ET | The full committee will hold a hearing entitled, "Restoring Trust Through Radical Transparency: Reviewing Recent Events at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Implications for Children’s Health."
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Tuesday, September 16 | 9:00 a.m. ET | The panel will conduct an oversight hearing on the Federal Bureau of Investigations with FBI Director Kash Patel.