Both chambers of Congress are back in Washington this week ahead of the Thanksgiving recess. Last week, lawmakers passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the federal government and extend current funding levels through January 30. The CR included funding for LIHEAP (see lead article, above) and a one-year extension of the Farm Bill (through September 30, 2026). This short-term measure gives Congress a limited window to pass the remaining nine of the twelve annual appropriations bills. The CR included three: Agriculture, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction–VA.

In the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is expected to bring the Defense spending bill to the floor and may attempt to bundle it with up to four additional bills: Labor-HHS-Education (which sets annual LIHEAP funding levels), Commerce-Justice-Science, Interior-Environment, and Transportation-HUD. However, combining these into a “minibus” package would require unanimous consent, a process that could take several weeks.

Meanwhile, House Republicans are regrouping to chart a path forward. Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) has proposed a smaller three-bill package: Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, and Transportation-HUD. This approach would delay consideration of the two largest and most contentious bills: Defense and Labor-HHS-Education.

Cole has suggested this strategy would allow appropriators to keep legislation moving without needing to reach an overall topline spending agreement. Still, House leadership faces a significant backlog of work after keeping the chamber in recess for nearly two months during the shutdown.

Separately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is moving forward with finalizing its proposal for Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) blending obligations. The agency is currently reviewing public comments submitted during the comment period, which closed on October 31. You can read the comments NEFI submitted here. Once finalized, the rule will be sent to the White House Office of Management and Budget for review.

We previously published an article outlining the proposed changes to the RFS, which you can find here.

The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a markup meeting tomorrow morning at 10:15. They will be going through and marking up eight bills related to energy choice, most notably (H.R. 3699) the Energy Choice Act which NEFI has long supported. 

The Energy Choice Act aims to prevent state and local governments from restricting access to certain energy sources, effectively stopping them from picking "winners and losers" in the energy marketplace. Instead, it empowers homeowners to choose energy solutions that best meet their individual needs, local climate conditions, and household budgets. By preserving access to a diverse mix of energy options, the bill promotes energy security, grid reliability, and a competitive marketplace that can help lower costs for consumers. Other bills scheduled for markup during the session include:

• H.R. 4758 – Homeowner Energy Freedom Act
• H.R. 4626 – Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act
• H.R. 1355 – Weatherization Enhancements and Readiness Act of 2025
• H.R. 3474 – Federal Mechanical Insulation Act
• H.R. 5184 – Affordable HOMES Act
• H.R. 4690 – Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act
• H.R. 4593 – SHOWER Act

NEFI will be attending the markup in person and will provide updates on any developments from the day’s proceedings.

The only other committee meeting of interest is in the Senate Committee on Small Business, where they will be holding a hearing to examine the President’s regulatory roll back, “focusing on saving Americans $907 billion and counting.” It will be held tomorrow at 2:30 PM EST.