Both chambers return this week from an early Memorial Day recess.

LIHEAP Funding:

This week sees this year’s Senate Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill — which funds LIHEAP — holding its markup Friday, with draft text expected Thursday. Last fiscal year, Congress secured a $20 million increase for the program despite the administration's push to zero it out. The president has again called for eliminating LIHEAP in his FY27 budget, but bipartisan support for the program remains strong and widespread. One important difference this year is that LIHEAP will no longer enjoy the supplemental $100 million in funding it received under the now-expiring IIJA. NEFI will review the LHHS draft text and closely track Friday's markup, as we did last year, to keep members updated on the program's progress.

The FY27 appropriations process keeps churning along on multiple tracks. The House votes on the Agriculture spending bill this week, while the Senate Appropriations Committee marks up its own version Thursday alongside the Legislative Branch and Commerce-Justice-Science bills. As a reminder, Congress has until September 30, 2026 to pass its 12 annual appropriations bills or face another government shutdown.

Reconciliation 2.0:

Senate Republicans are taking another swing at the $70 billion reconciliation bill (S. 2) that would fund immigration enforcement through the end of President Trump's term. The president's June 1 deadline has now come and gone without a deal. Leadership had hoped to pass the bill before the recess, but talks broke down over a newly added $1.8 billion "anti-weaponization" fund for the Justice Department. The package was already facing pushback over $1 billion in Secret Service security funding tied in part to the planned White House ballroom.

On the floor: 

The House will spend today working through a long list of Natural Resources Committee bills, mostly dealing with tribal lands, water systems, conservation, and wildfire policy. From tomorrow through Friday, members will turn to measures on child care fraud, public assistance reform, agriculture spending, and federal student aid. The headliner is the Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2027 (H.R. 8646), the second FY27 spending bill to reach the floor after last month's Military Construction–VA package. The House is also expected to vote on the Ukraine Support Act (H.R. 2913), a bill to sanction Russia and bolster aid to Ukraine that was forced to the floor after a discharge petition cleared 218 signatures last month. Two pending War Powers resolutions are on deck as well: a Democratic measure to pull U.S. forces out of hostilities against Iran (H. Con. Res. 86), shelved just before recess when it appeared headed for passage, and a separate resolution from on Lebanon (H. Con. Res. 84). A full slate of committee hearings rounds out the week.

Committee Meetings of Interest This Week: 

Senate Commerce Committee on Examining the blue economy, focusing on American fisheries, maritime strength, and coastal economies. Today at 10:00 AM (details here)

House Committee on Small Business on Restoring America’s Industrial Base: The Role of Small Businesses in National Security. Wednesday at 10:00 AM (details here)