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Both chambers are in session this week. Congress is focusing on finishing federal government spending for Fiscal Year 2025. Lawmakers have just 10 days to take action before a government shutdown. President Donald Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress today.
After working in a bipartisan manner and making little progress, House and Senate Republican leadership shifted to pass an FY 2025 stopgap funding to avert a March 14 government shutdown. President Trump weighed in, endorsing a “clean” continuing resolution to avoid a shutdown and fund the government until September 30. House Appropriations Committee Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) shared that leaders are hoping to release the text of the government funding stopgap sometime this weekend, meaning Congress will have just one week to finish the voting process on the CR. It is unclear what the final package could look like, but there is a potential that the clean CR from Congress could lead to the removal of Community Project Funding and Congressionally Directed Spending, or earmarks. The roughly 8,600 personal member projects totaling $15.9 billion are at risk of getting removed from the final spending bill. The conversation has picked up to potentially include earmarks in the package to make the bill’s passage more palatable to members. Congress can utilize an “anomalies” list to add or subtract specific provisions as negotiations continue. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) hopes to pass the CR at enacted FY 2024 funding levels and then begin implementation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) efforts for FY 2026 spending. Many believe Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) will oppose the rule and the CR. If Rep. Massie remains firm in his position and all 215 House Democrats are present and vote against the CR, House GOP leadership would need to secure every remaining House Republican vote to ensure passage in the chamber.
Given House Republicans slim majority of 218-215, the Speaker can only lose one vote on the path to the legislation’s passage. With no deal in place with Democrats, that becomes even more challenging. House Democratic leadership will have an opportunity to weigh in on the federal funding as Republicans will likely need House and Senate Democratic votes to avoid a shutdown. Currently, Democrats are attempting to use their limited leverage to demand restrictions on the Trump administration’s ability to freeze or take back funding already approved by Congress. Republicans will not agree to any provisions limiting the executive branch’s ability to engage with federal funds.
At 9pm ET tonight, President Trump will hold a joint session of Congress. While there are limited specifics on what the President will say, there is an expectation that President Trump will reiterate and outline many of the policy items that he ran on and discuss the vision that he has set forth in the first 100 days in office. The speech will mention the administration’s many efforts to make the federal government more efficient and cut wasteful spending, as well as the international trade plans for the country as the administration’s 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada begin today. President Trump will also share more of his vision for priority legislative items, including the economy, immigration, and foreign affairs.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) will not bring the House-passed budget resolution up for a vote until late March at the earliest. The Majority Leader intends to wait until after the mid-March break to deal with a bill carrying many of the President’s top legislative priorities. The delay in the reconciliation vote will also allow for Senate Republicans to come together on a strategy, one that includes a significant push to make the tax portion of the bill, the Trump 2017 tax cuts, permanent. Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is leading the charge and rallied members in the Senate to join a letter to the House, which got the support of Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Making the cuts permanent is a somewhat unprecedented move, and using the congressional mechanism of reconciliation is a risk for all involved. Added to the challenge is the fact that the House’s version does not include a permanent tax cut.
The House will vote on 7 bills under suspension of the rules, including the Guidance Out Of Darkness (GOOD) Act (H.R. 1515), which requires federal agencies to publish their regulatory guidance on the internet in an easily accessible location; and the Recruiting Families Using Data Act of 2025 (H.R. 579), which amends parts B and E of title IV of the Social Security Act to improve foster and adoptive parent recruitment and retention. The House will also vote on H.J.Res.41, which provides for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial Equipment. In addition the House will also vote on 3 disapproval resolutions under the Congressional Review Act (CRA), including H.J. Res. 61, on the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing,” H.J. Res. 42, on the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program for Appliance Standards: Certification Requirements, Labeling Requirements, and Enforcement Provisions for Certain Consumer Products and Commercial Equipment," and S.J. Res. 11 on the rule submitted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management relating to ‘‘Protection of Marine Archaeological Resources.’’ The Senate will vote on S.J.Res.3, a joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Internal Revenue Service relating to "Gross Proceeds Reporting by Brokers That Regularly Provide Services Effectuating Digital Asset Sales." The Senate may also vote on S.J.Res.28, a joint resolution disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to "Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications" and Todd Blanche’s nomination for Deputy Attorney General.
For the rest of the week, the House and Senate will hold hearings. In the House, the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology will hold a hearing on “Future of FEMA: Perspectives from the Emergency Management Community;” a Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation hearing on "Understanding the Consequences of Experimental Populations Under the Endangered Species Act;" a Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance hearing on “Building Our Future: Increasing Housing Supply in America” and an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing “To Hear from Sanctuary City Mayors.”
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