Both chambers are in session this week. The House floor schedule includes legislation spanning broadband, telehealth, energy, and environmental policy. The Senate has a wide variety of options it could take up, including the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act voting reform bill, FISA reauthorization, and the start of a Fiscal Year 2027 budget resolution. Concurrently, the FY 27 appropriations process is in full swing with Committee hearings to examine the President’s proposed budget scheduled throughout the week.

The House is also set to consider the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (H.R. 4690), which would repeal a mandate requiring the elimination of fossil fuel use in federal buildings by 2030. NEFI has submitted a letter of support. For more details, see our lead story.

Looming over the week is the fate of FISA Section 702, the foreign surveillance authority, now set to expire April 30 after a 10-day stopgap passed late last week. Last Thursday, the House rejected both a five-year extension with reforms and the administration's preferred 18-month clean reauthorization. Senate leadership is now moving to introduce its own legislation extending the authority for three years without reforms attached.

The partial DHS shutdown is now well into its second month, with no immediate resolution in sight. Senate Republicans announced Friday they plan to release a budget resolution this week to kick off a reconciliation process that would fund immigration enforcement, reportedly around $70 billion for ICE and Customs and Border Protection over at least three years. With the administration setting a June 1 deadline to resolve the shutdown, which began in mid-February, the standoff could drag on for another six weeks.

On Friday, the Office of Community Services (OCS) released the final 10% of FY2026 LIHEAP block grant funding, totaling approximately $421.5 million and completing the full distribution of funds Congress appropriated for the program. The release follows a bipartisan push last Wednesday by Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-ME), Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and 32 of their colleagues, who urged the administration to free up the remaining funds.

Committee Hearings of Interest This Week:

Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources will hold a hearing on the President's budget request for FY 27 for the Department of Energy. Today at 9:30 AM (details here)

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on the proposed budget for FY 27 for the DHHS, with Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. Today at 10:00 AM (details here)

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for LHHS will hold a hearing on the FY 27 budget proposal for the HHS. Today at 2:30 PM (details here)

Senate Committee on Finance will hold a hearing to examine the FY 27 budget proposal for the HHS. Wednesday at 10:00 AM (details here)

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing to examine the FY 27 budget proposal for the DHHS. . Wednesday at 2:00 PM (details here)

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development will hold a hearing to examine the FY 27 budget proposal for the Department of Energy. Wednesday at 2:30 PM (details here)