The Senate is expected to approve a minibus funding bill Friday that would tie together the fiscal 2026 Military Construction-VA and Agriculture-FDA bills, with a third spending measure to fund Congress itself. The move could help clear the way for a stopgap spending deal, with current government funding set to expire Sept. 30. Leaders were trying to assemble the package to show progress before leaving for August recess. But an earlier request for a four-bill package derailed on Thursday night over an objection involving FBI headquarters.
The Senate’s path forward on confirming a handful of presidential nominees appears to have become more complicated. Majority Leader John Thune has put his staff in talks with Democratic leaders, with the hope of trading their consent to speed up confirmations in exchange for concessions such as the release of some of the Trump administration’s frozen funds.
House Republicans are facing rowdy town halls as they try to sell President Trump’s massive domestic policy law. NRCC Chair Richard Hudson discouraged members from holding in-person town halls earlier this year, but he and other top GOP leaders are urging them to be aggressive in their selling to constituents over the August recess.
A Republican congressman whose district was gerrymandered into two districts is preparing to run for another seat in Texas. Rep. Greg Doggett of Texas bucked leadership last week when he announced he’d challenge fellow Republican Rep. Clay Roy in a primary. Several of the nation’s most prominent liberals have joined Doggett in his effort to unseat Roy.
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