The Senate is in recess this week in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and the House will recess next week. Both chambers will return to full legislative business on Monday, February 2. This week, the House will consider a series of bills focused on supporting small businesses, strengthening services for veterans, and assisting vulnerable families. Lawmakers will also take up a resolution to overturn a Bureau of Land Management land‑withdrawal rule in Minnesota, as well as a concurrent resolution directing the removal of unauthorized U.S. Armed Forces from Venezuela.

Last Thursday, the Senate passed a three‑bill appropriations “minibus” (H.R. 6938), which includes the Commerce‑Justice‑Science, Energy‑Water, and Interior‑Environment funding bills. This package now heads to the President’s desk. In addition to those bills, the Agriculture, Military Construction-VA, and Legislative Branch funding bills have become law.

Still outstanding are six remaining appropriations bills, which must be enacted by January 30 to avoid either a new continuing resolution or a partial government shutdown. Last week, the House passed the Financial Services and National Security–State bills. Lawmakers are expected to release final text this week for the Defense, Labor‑HHS‑Education, and Transportation‑HUD bills. If those are ready, House leaders plan to combine them into another minibus package.

The final measure, the Homeland Security appropriations bill, remains unresolved. Negotiations stalled as the Senate left town last week, and lawmakers in both parties acknowledge that a short-term continuing resolution may be necessary as talks continue. Over the weekend, the “four corners” of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees met to continue negotiations and to consider including the Homeland Security bill in a larger four‑bill minibus with Defense, Labor–HHS–Education, and Transportation–HUD. If a compromise cannot be reached, lawmakers are weighing the option of attaching a short-term continuing resolution for Homeland Security to that package.

Congressional Hearings of Interest This Week: 

• House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing on Empowering Rural America Through Investment in Innovation, Wednesday at 10:00 AM (details here)

• Oversight and Accountability Committee will hold a hearing on Housing Affordability, Thursday at 2:00 PM (details here)