House and Senate Action

Congress returns to Washington this week with full agendas in both chambers.

House

The House will focus on a slate of cryptocurrency legislation, dubbing it “Crypto Week.” In addition, and with the budget reconciliation package now behind them, lawmakers are shifting their focus to the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process.

Committee-level action kicks off Monday evening, as appropriators take up two major spending bills: Transportation–Housing and Urban Development (T-HUD) and Energy–Water Development. Later in the week, additional subcommittees are expected to take up their respective measures, including those covering Interior–Environment, Commerce–Justice–Science (CJS), and State-Foreign Operations.

Meanwhile, on the floor, the full House is expected to vote on its second FY 2026 appropriations bill (H.R. 4016), which covers spending for the Department of Defense.

The full House schedule is available here.

Senate

Across the Capitol Hill, the Senate is preparing for a high-stakes floor fight over a $9.4 billion rescissions package proposed by the White House. The package includes significant cuts to previously approved but unspent funds, including a controversial rescission of more than $1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports NPR and PBS.

Procedural action kicks off Tuesday, with senators expected to vote on a motion to discharge the package from the Appropriations Committee. That will be followed by debate and a vote-a-rama – a rapid-fire voting session on a series of amendments. The outcome could have ripple effects on broader FY 2026 negotiations. Additional details on the recissions package can be found below.

Once the rescissions debate concludes, the Senate is expected to shift its focus to clearing a backlog of executive and judicial nominees. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has signaled that he’s prepared to extend the Senate calendar into August to advance as many confirmations as possible.

The Senate’s daily schedule is available here.

Senate Set to Vote on Funding Rescissions Package

As noted above, the Senate is set to take up a contentious White House-backed proposal to rescind $9.4 billion in previously appropriated federal funding. The package includes steep cuts to a number of programs – including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and global HIV/AIDS relief – drawing bipartisan concern over both the substance and implications of the proposal.

Lawmakers on the Senate Appropriations Committee, including Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), have pushed back strongly, warning that the measure undermines congressional authority to allocate federal spending. For his part, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has echoed those concerns, stating that passage could severely complicate negotiations on a broader FY 2026 funding deal and increase the risk of a government shutdown this fall.

While the measure narrowly cleared the House last month on a 214–212 vote, it faces a more uncertain path in the Senate. Opposition has emerged not just from Democrats, but also from some rural Republican Senators, who argue that rescinding funding for public broadcasting would harm rural communities that rely on community radio for local news and emergency communications. Similar concerns have been raised over the proposed elimination of funding for international AIDS relief efforts.

Procedurally, the Senate is required to vote on the rescissions package by July 18. With a slim majority, Senate GOP leaders can afford to lose no more than three Republican votes if Democrats remain unified in opposition. Should the Senate amend the measure in any way, the revised bill would need to return to the House for approval by the same deadline to move forward.

Relevant Hearings & Markups

Monday, July 14 | 5 p.m. House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of fiscal year 2026 transportation, housing and urban development funding bill.

Monday, July 14 | 6 p.m. House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of fiscal year 2026 energy and water development funding bill.

Tuesday, July 15 | 10 a.m. House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of fiscal year 2026 interior and environment funding bill.

Tuesday, July 15 | 11 a.m. House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of fiscal year 2026 national security and Department of State funding bill.

Tuesday, July 15 | 12 p.m. House Appropriations Subcommittee markup of fiscal year 2026 commerce, justice and science funding bill.

Wednesday, July 16 | 10 a.m. House Judiciary Committee hearing on “Artificial Intelligence and Criminal Exploitation: A New Era of Risk.”

Wednesday, July 16 | 10 a.m. House Science, Space, and Technology Environment Subcommittee hearing on “Protecting Lives and Property: Harnessing Innovative Technologies to Enhance Weather Forecasting.”

Wednesday, July 16 | 10 a.m. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on “Oversight of the Department of Transportation’s Policies and Programs and Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Request.”

Wednesday, July 16 | 10 a.m. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on “Constructing the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill: Stakeholders’ Perspectives."

Wednesday, July 16 | 2:30 p.m. Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on “Too Big to Prosecute? Examining the AI Industry’s Mass Ingestion of Copyrighted Works for AI Training."

Thursday, July 17 | 9:30 a.m. Senate Appropriations Committee markup of Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act.