Skip to main content

Week of June 1, 2026

  • The House and Senate are in session.
    • The Senate returns today to consider the President’s nominees.
    • The House returns Wednesday to consider the FY27 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill and legislation related to childcare and nutrition programs.
  • FY27 Appropriations: This week, the House will take up the FY27 Agriculture-FDA appropriations bill on the floor. The House Appropriations Committee will mark-up its Transportation-HUD and Interior-Environment bills on Wednesday. The House Appropriations Committee will hold a subcommittee-level markup of its FY27 Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, and Homeland Security appropriations bills on Friday. The Senate will hold its first FY27 appropriations markup on Thursday, where it will consider the Agriculture-FDA; Legislative Branch; and Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bills.
  • Budget Reconciliation: Senate Republicans are planning an aggressive push to advance billions in funding for ICE and CBP via budget reconciliation. Current plans call for a vote-a-rama, where the Senate votes on amendments offered by Senators on Wednesday night, and pass the immigration reconciliation bill on Thursday morning after an overnight voting marathon. Democrats are expected to offer many amendments to put their Republican colleagues on record, including amendments to stop the proposed anti-weaponization/reimbursement fund for the President’s allies. The fund’s announcement caused the Senate to scrap its plans to vote on reconciliation after Republicans were caught off guard by the announcement and Democrats’ plans to force votes on it.
  • Student Aid: The House will consider legislation (H.R. 7892) to require the Education Department to screen federal student financial aid applications for identity fraud and require additional ID verification by schools. The House Education and Workforce Committee approved the bill by a 30-3 vote on March 17.
  • Primaries: Tuesday is primary day in California, Iowa, New Jersey, South Dakota, Montana, and New Mexico.
  • NDAA: The House Armed Services Committee is set to meet on June 4 to mark-up its FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), while the Senate Armed Services Committee is planning a closed-door markup next week.
  • OMB: The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed a wide-ranging rule aimed at reworking the federal funding award process for local governments, organizations, and institutions. The proposal would give agencies broad authority to halt awards if they determine a grant no longer serves program goals, agency priorities or the national interest Federal grant. Recipients would also be barred from instituting diversity, equity and inclusion policies, gender transition services or voter-registration drives. The rule would require grant materials to be written in English, and recipients would need to pass E-Verify screening of their immigration status. The administration is providing a 45-day comment period that closes July 13 and is aiming to issue a final rule by October 1.
  • Hearings and Markups:
    • Forest Service: Chief Tom Schultz will testify before the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry on Tuesday.
    • FHWA: Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster will testify before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Wednesday.
    • Denaturalization: The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing entitled “Protecting American Citizenship III: Denaturalization and its Constitutional Limits” on Wednesday.
    • Agriculture: Secretary Brooke Rollins will testify before the House Committee on Agriculture on Thursday.
    • DHS: Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin will testify before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday and the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.
    • DOJ: Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche will testify at the House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday.
    • Treasury: Secretary Scott Bessent will testify at the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday and the House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday.
    • Clean Air Act: The House Energy & Commerce committee will hold a markup of legislation to modernize the Clean Air Act's Mobile Source Requirements on Wednesday.
    • Federal Forests and Wildfires: The House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the state of the nation’s federal forests and outlook for the 2026 wildfire year on Thursday. 

Top stories:

  • How California’s New Congressional Map Is Reshaping Tuesday’s Primaries (NY Times)
  • Louisiana legislators adopt new House map, giving GOP pickup opportunity (Roll Call)
  • Iran stops negotiations with U.S., vows to ‘completely’ block Strait of Hormuz: State media (CNBC)
  • Paxton set to meet with Thune after Cornyn loss (The Hill)

Reconciliation: After an 18-hour voting session, Republicans overcame internal divisions and passed a $70 billion immigration enforcement bill funding ICE and Border Patrol. The bill ultimately passed on a narrow 52–47 party-line vote, with only one Republican, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, voting against it. The prolonged process exposed growing fractures within the GOP, as several senators broke with party leadership and President Trump over controversial provisions, particularly an “anti-weaponization” fund. However, the Senate failed to pass language stripping the executive branch of its power to create the fund. The reconciliation bill now goes to the House, which is expected to take up the bill next week.

Appropriations: The House Appropriations Committee advanced its Transportation-HUD and Interior-Environment bills on Wednesday. Republican appropriators successfully included language in the Transportation-HUD bill during the markup that would restrict the ability of sanctuary jurisdictions from receiving federal transportation and housing dollars. Attached is our summary of the House FY27 Transportation-HUD appropriations bill, including relevant provisions for local governments and public authorities.

The committee advanced its Labor-Health and Human Services and Homeland Security bills at the subcommittee level. On the Senate side, the Appropriations Committee announced that it is now targeting June 11 for a markup of the Commerce-Justice-Science, Agriculture-FDA, Legislative Branch, Military Construction-Veterans Affairs, Interior-Environment, and Financial Services-General Government bills.

NDAA: House Republicans advanced a $1.14 trillion NDAA after a contentious 14-hour markup. Key debates centered on defense spending levels, a bipartisan “right-to-repair” provision opposed by industry, and politically charged amendments on base names, Pentagon renaming, and funding priorities.

War Powers Resolution: House lawmakers approved legislation on June 3 aimed at compelling President Trump to end the Iran conflict, delivering a win for Democrats and constitutional advocates who argue the war is unlawful without explicit congressional authorization. The measure passed 215–208, with four Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (KY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), Tom Barrett (MI), and Warren Davidson (OH) — joining all Democrats in voting in favor.

Trump Administration:

  • INFRA: DOT released its Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the FY26 INFRA grant program. There is $626.7 million in available funding through this round, with two tracks: 
    • Track 1: Supports surface transportation projects of national and regional significance (Application Deadline: July 1, 2026)
    • Track 2: Carve-out of funds specifically for commercial motor vehicle parking projects of national and regional significance. (Application Deadline: July 15, 2026)
  • Culverts: DOT released the FY23 - FY26 NOFO for the National Culvert Removal, Replacement, and Restoration Grant Program (also known as the Culvert AOP Program). All applications are due July 16, 2026.

The Week’s News:

  • Schumer Privately Backs Haley Stevens in Michigan Senate Primary (NY Times)
  • Immigration bill passes without curbs on ‘anti-weaponization’ fund (Roll Call)
  • Supreme Court Allows Alabama Map That Eliminates One Democratic District (WSJ)
  • Trump signs executive order asking for access to new AI models before they launch (CNN)