Congress's End of Year Push

Congress's End of Year Push

The end of the year push in Congress has begun. The House and Senate are in session this week as Congress returns from Thanksgiving and begins a three-week December stretch. But expectations are low that not much other than a few must-do items will get done. The major “must pass” item on the legislative agenda is the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), with the House expected to vote on final passage next week, followed by consideration in the Senate the week of December 15.

The Senate, which plans to vote on the latest batch of nominations later this week, is expected to hold a floor vote on the extension of the Affordable Care Act’s Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTCs) at some point next week. However, it is unclear what exactly they will be voting on, as Senate Democrats have not clarified whether they will seek a vote on a straight extension or negotiated bipartisan reforms.
 

Health Care Update

• The EPTCs expire on December 31st as Congress and the White House continue to struggle over its fate, with both parties internally divided and far apart from any consensus on this point.
• The White House previously floated a plan for a two-year extension with reforms that did not contain Hyde Amendment protections but never formally released the proposal amid pushback from rank-and-file House and Senate Republicans.
• While moderate and vulnerable Republicans and a small bloc of moderate Democrats continue to work towards a bipartisan solution, little progress has been made, particularly in moving party leaders towards negotiations.
• The Senate will hold an EPTCs-related vote by the end of next week. Exactly what Senate Democrats will bring to the floor is unclear, and Senate Republicans are undecided on whether to offer their own proposal for members to back.
• Health care conversations will dominate the news off the floor this week and next as it looks increasingly likely Congress will recess for the year without having addressed an extension in any form. 
   

NDAA Update

• The four corners of the Chairs and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have essentially wrapped negotiations on the NDAA Conference Report and final text could be released by the end of the week or this weekend.
• The House intends to vote on final passage of the NDAA next week while the Senate will vote on NDAA the week of December 15th.
• The decisions that remain for the four corners at the leadership level are what, if any, additional measures will be attached to the end of the year package.
   

House Update

The House will vote on 6 pieces of legislation this week:

• Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act (H.R.1005)
• PROTECT Our Kids Act (H.R.1069)
• Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act (H.R.1049)
• Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act (H.R.2965)
• DUMP Red Tape Act (H.R.4305)
• SCORE Act (H.R.4312)

Notable Hearings:

• Tuesday
  • Financial Services: “Oversight of Prudential Regulators” (at 10AM) and “Examining Primary Dealers and Balance Sheet Constraints” (Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity, at 2PM)
  • Ways and Means: “Lives at Stake: Holding Tax-Exempt Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable” (Oversight Subcommittee, at 10AM)
  • Small Business: “Main Street Under Attack: The Cost of Crime on Small Businesses” (at 10AM)
  • Energy and Commerce: “Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online” (Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee, at 10:15AM) and “Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid”(Energy Subcommittee, at 10:30AM)
  • Education and Workforce: “Pension Predators: Stopping Class Action Abuse Against Workers’ Retirement” (Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee, at 10:15AM)
  • Foreign Affairs: “Flashpoint: A Path Toward Stability in the Western Balkans” (Europe Subcommittee, at 2PM)
• Wednesday
  • Ways and Means: “Promoting Global Competitiveness for American Workers and Businesses” (Tax Subcommittee, at 9AM)
  • Financial Services: “Building Capacity: Reducing Government Roadblocks to Housing Supply” (at 10AM)
    Homeland Security: “When Badges Become Targets: How Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric Fuels Violence Against Officers” (at 10AM)
  • Natural Resources: “Sea Lion Predation in the Pacific Northwest” (Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries Subcommittee, at 10AM) and “Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Exploring New Frontiers” (Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, at 2PM)
  • Judiciary: “Balancing the Federal Budget: Examining Proposals for a Balanced Budget Amendment” (Constitution and Limited Government Subcommittee, at 10AM)
  • Education and Workforce: “Public Funds, Private Politics: Examining Bias in the Truman Scholarship Program” (Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee, at 10:15AM) and “Safeguarding Student Privacy and Parental Rights: A Review of FERPA and PPRA” (Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee, at 2PM)
• Thursday
  • Science: “Strategic Trajectories Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership” (Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, at 9AM)
  • Education and Workforce: “In Their Corner: Creating More Opportunities for American Boxers” (Workforce Protections Subcommittee, at 10:15AM) 
     

Senate Update

The Senate will vote this week to confirm Lindsey Ann Freeman (Middle District of North Carolina) and a bloc of 75-80 nominees under the new rules for expedited considerations after Republican leadership hotlined the latest batch before the Thanksgiving recess.

Looking ahead, the Senate will vote on the ACA subsidies and the NDAA Conference Report within the next couple of weeks.

Notable Hearings:

• Tuesday
  • Commerce: “Signal Under Siege: Defending America’s Communications Networks” (Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee, at 10AM)
  • Foreign Relations: “Countering China’s Challenge to American AI Leadership” (East Asia, Pacific, and International Cybersecurity Policy Subcommittee, at 2:30PM)
• Wednesday
  • Commerce: Nominations hearing (at 10AM) for Jared Isaacman (NASA Administrator) and Steven Haines (Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Analysis)
  • Environment and Public Works: Nominations hearing (at 10AM) for Lee Beaman (Board of the Tennessee Valley Authority) and Douglas Weaver (Nuclear Regulatory Commission)
  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions: “Making Health Care Affordable Again: Healing a Broken System” (at 10AM)
  • Judiciary: “Impeachment: Holding Rogue Judges Accountable” (Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights Subcommittee, at 2:30PM)
  • Aging: “Aging in Place: The Impact of Community during the Holidays” (at 3PM)