House and Senate Action

The House and Senate are both in session this week.

The Senate convened earlier today, with its immediate focus on confirming a series of mid-level nominations, including Katharine MacGregor to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior and James Danley to be Deputy Secretary of Energy. Separately, the chamber may consider a resolution aimed at blocking California’s electric vehicle mandate, which is set to phase out the sale of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. The mandate relies on a waiver granted under the Clean Air Act (CAA), which allows California to set stricter emissions standards than those required at the federal level. The waiver has historically been granted by the Environmental Protection Agency as part of a broader effort to reduce vehicle emissions and combat climate change.

The legality of a congressional attempt to overturn California’s waiver remains a point of significant debate. While Congress has the power to nullify regulations through the Congressional Review Act (CRA), it is less clear whether this authority extends to state-specific waivers. Opponents argue that overturning the waiver would require a more targeted legislative approach, potentially involving amendments to the CAA itself.

The upper chamber’s daily schedule can be accessed here.

House

The House will begin its week on Tuesday afternoon, with first votes postponed until later in the day. The lower chamber is scheduled to consider several non-controversial measures on the suspension calendar, which requires a 2/3 majority vote. This includes legislation – the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act (H.R. 2492) – that would allow the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to approve the removal of hazardous trees near power lines on federal land without requiring a timber sale. This would reduce the risk of wildfires sparked by electrical equipment. It should be noted that the measure, which is sponsored by Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA) and David Valadao (R-CA), has been incorporated into the broader Fix Our Forests Act (H.R. 471; S. 1462).

Later in the week, the House will take up a series of law enforcement-related bills, including legislation (H.R. 2240) that would require the Attorney General to develop regular reports on violent attacks against law enforcement officers. Another bill (H.R. 2243) would broaden the ability of active and retired law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms, and a third measure (H.R. 2255) would allow Federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons.

It should be noted that much of the week’s legislative activity will take place at the committee level, where key panels – including Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture – are set to begin consideration of their respective portions of the Republicans’ budget reconciliation package. More details on this below.

The full House schedule can be accessed here.

 Key House Committees Release Reconciliation Proposals Ahead of Tuesday Markups

On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Agriculture Committees will begin marking up their respective portions of the budget reconciliation package. In advance of these markups, each committee has released its draft proposals, which will form the core of the broader legislative package, outlining significant changes to tax policy, healthcare funding, agricultural programs, and energy regulations.

Energy and Commerce Committee

The proposal from the Energy and Commerce Committee includes more than $700 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) over the next decade. Additional energy provisions would put the measure’s total spending cuts at greater than $880 billion over ten years. While the draft avoids some of the most contentious ideas previously floated – such as per-capita caps or a reduction in federal reimbursement for the Medicaid expansion population – it still represents a significant overhaul of the nation’s healthcare safety net.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the proposal could leave more than 13 million people without health coverage and shift substantial administrative and financial burdens to states. Among other things, the draft would freeze states’ current provider tax rates, prohibit states from establishing new provider taxes, and modify the criteria HHS must consider when determining whether certain health care-related taxes are generally redistributive to waive the general uniform tax requirement. The draft also would not extend enhanced premium tax credits under the ACA, which are set to expire in December 2025. In addition, the proposal would delay Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) cuts of $8 billion annually to safety net hospitals until FY 2029 (Congress typically delays these cuts, which are in current law but have never taken effect, in annual appropriations bills).

Ways and Means Committee

The House Ways and Means Committee also will hold its markup on Tuesday, with its portion of the reconciliation package focusing heavily on tax policy. The committee’s draft includes an extension of key provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), along with several significant changes to the Child Tax Credit and the state and local tax (SALT) deduction.

Notably, the draft does not include provisions that would eliminate the tax-exempt status of municipal bonds, nor would the proposal impose taxes on otherwise tax-exempt organizations, such as non-profit groups and associations.

Agriculture Committee

The House Agriculture Committee is expected to release its draft text later this evening, ahead of its scheduled markup at 7:30 PM ET on Tuesday evening. The proposal is anticipated to include significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

 T&I Committee Leaders Unveil Significant FEMA Reform Proposal

Last week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-MO) and Ranking Member Rick Larsen (D-WA) unveiled a draft bill that would significantly reform FEMA. The discussion draft, entitled the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans (FEMA) Act of 2025, aims to streamline disaster response and recovery, reduce bureaucratic delays, and empower state and local governments to take a more active role in emergency management.

One of the bill’s cornerstone provisions is the restoration of FEMA’s status as a Cabinet-level agency, making it directly accountable to the president. This move is intended to streamline decision-making, enhance disaster response coordination, and restore FEMA to a more prominent role in federal emergency management. It should be noted that a similar stand-alone bill (S. 1246) was recently introduced by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Thom Tillis (R-NC) with the same goal of elevating FEMA’s status within the executive branch.

To reduce red tape and accelerate recovery efforts, the bill would replace the current reimbursement process with more streamlined, project-based grants, allowing states to set their own recovery priorities. The draft also includes financial incentives for states to invest in disaster resilience and preparedness,

In addition, the legislation seeks to simplify the process for disaster survivors by requiring a single, streamlined application and clearer, more accessible communication from FEMA. This change is intended to reduce the paperwork burden, eliminate confusion, and speed up aid distribution. States would also be given more flexibility to determine the most appropriate emergency housing solutions for each disaster, allowing them to tailor responses to local conditions.

Of particular interest to smaller communities, the bill urges FEMA to give greater weight to events that damage economically distressed or rural areas when deciding whether to recommend a presidential disaster declaration

To improve transparency and accountability, the bill would establish a Recovery Task Force, which would be charged with closing out long-standing disaster declarations. It also would prohibit political bias in the distribution of disaster funding, mandate comprehensive reviews of FEMA regulations to eliminate outdated and conflicting policies, and direct FEMA to simplify its communications with disaster survivors to reduce confusion and speed recovery.

Chairman Graves and Ranking Member Larsen are actively seeking input from members of Congress, emergency management stakeholders, and local governments to refine the proposal before it is formally introduced.

 Senate Panel Hears From USFS on the Fix Our Forests Act

Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a legislative hearing on the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA; S. 1462), a comprehensive, bipartisan proposal aimed at addressing the nation’s escalating wildfire crisis. The bill – which was recently introduced by Senators Padilla, John Curtis (R-UT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), and Tim Sheehy (R-MT) – serves as the Senate companion to the House-passed version (H.R. 471). It reflects months of bipartisan negotiations and growing national consensus around the need to accelerate hazardous fuels reduction projects, streamline environmental review processes, and strengthen federal, state, tribal, and local coordination in forest and rangeland management.

For his part, Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) praised the bill’s sponsors for their bipartisan approach, emphasizing the need for innovative solutions to address catastrophic wildfire risk. He highlighted FOFA’s key provisions, including enhanced public-private partnership authorities, expedited project approvals, and support for innovative forestry practices. Boozman also expressed optimism that the committee would advance the legislation in the coming months.

However, Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) raised concerns about the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) capacity to implement the bill, citing severe workforce reductions and budget cuts. She noted that over 4,000 USFS employees have been dismissed since January, creating critical staffing shortages that could undermine the agency’s ability to meet wildfire mitigation goals. Chris French, Acting Associate Chief of the USFS, echoed the need for reforms but expressed concerns about a specific provision requiring evaluation of container aerial firefighting systems (CAFFS), citing operational and safety challenges.

While FOFA has bipartisan support and significant momentum, key differences between the House and Senate versions, particularly around litigation reform and environmental safeguards, will need to be resolved before a final package can advance.

For its part, NSDA is supportive of the House and Senate bills, as both versions include key Association-spearheaded provisions, including language that would formally define a “special district” for purposes of forest management programs and projects. The legislation also would expand the Good Neighbor Authority to include special districts as eligible partners.

 Relevant Hearings & Markups

Tuesday, May 13 | 2:30 p.m. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census Subcommittee hearing on “Examining the Insurance Industry’s Claims Practices Following Recent Natural Disasters.”

Tuesday, May 13 | 3 p.m. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee hearing on “Perspectives from the Field, Part 4: Conservation.”

Wednesday, May 14 | 9:30 a.m. House Appropriations Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee hearing on HHS’ fiscal 2026 budget request, with testimony from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Wednesday, May 14 | 10 a.m. House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee oversight hearing on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with testimony from ICE acting Director Todd Lyons.

Wednesday, May 14 | 10 a.m. House Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee budget hearing on DOT, with testimony from DOT Secretary Sean Duffy.

Wednesday, May 14 | 10 a.m. House Homeland Security Committee hearing on DHS’ fiscal 2026 budget request, with testimony from DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

Wednesday, May 14 | 10:30 a.m. Senate Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee hearing on the EPA’s fiscal 2026 budget request, with testimony from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin. 

Wednesday, May 14 | 1:30 p.m. Senate HELP Committee hearing on the fiscal 2026 budget request for HHS, with testimony from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Wednesday, May 14 | 3:30 p.m. Senate Aging Committee hearing on “Preparing for Disasters: Unique Challenges Facing Older Americans.”

Thursday, May 15 | 10 a.m. House Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee hearing on the EPA, with testimony from EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin.