02.02.2026 - DC Download

Feb 2

It’s a busy week in Washington. A partial government shutdown is underway as lawmakers face mounting pressure to tackle immigration officials’ abuses in Minnesota. The House is set to consider a Senate-passed agreement to restore government funding, as well as two resolutions to hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress.

Read on for more of what to watch for this week.

Progressive Playbook

Last week, the Progressive Caucus Action Fund hosted a briefing on the state of voting rights and the future of federal protections under the Voting Rights Act. The discussion brought together advocates and legal experts to walk through the implications of Louisiana v. Callais and what continued attacks on voting rights mean for communities across the country.

Speakers discussed how these legal shifts are already shaping access to the ballot box and what people can do to fight attacks on voting rights in their states and cities. From community organizing and voter education, to pushing for stronger state-level protections where federal guardrails have faltered, one key takeaway was the power that lies within us to protect our communities.

You can check out the full recap here.

House

House Floor

The House will vote on six suspension bills from the Committees on the Judiciary and Veterans’ Affairs. Suspension bills require a ⅔ majority to pass. For a list of all suspension bills being considered, click here.

This week the House will also consider the following bills, subject to a rule:

H.J. Res. 142 – Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025. (Sponsored by Rep. Gill / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

This resolution rejects a D.C. law that decouples the city’s tax laws from changes to the federal tax code under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” last summer’s Republican budget law.

H. Res. ___ – Report to accompany the Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives find William J. Clinton in Contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Sponsored by Rep. Comer / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

This resolution directs the House Speaker to forward former President Bill Clinton to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, for failure to follow a subpoena to testify before Congress.

H. Res. ___ – Report to accompany the Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives find Hillary R. Clinton in Contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Sponsored by Rep. Comer / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

This resolution directs the House Speaker to forward former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, for failure to follow a subpoena to testify before Congress.

H.R. 4090 – Critical Mineral Dominance Act (Sponsored by Rep. Stauber / Natural Resources Committee)

This bill requires the Interior Department to fast-track approval of priority hardrock mining projects on federal lands, and codifies executive orders issued by President Trump to lift regulations on domestic critical mineral production.

Senate Amendment to H.R. 7148 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026(Sponsored by Rep. Cole / Appropriations Committee)

This bill funds five appropriations bills (Defense, Financial Services-General Government, Labor-HHS-Education, National Security-State, and Transportation-HUD) through September 30 and extends funding for the Department of Homeland Security at current levels through February 13.

House Committee Highlights

A full list of this week’s hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:

Tuesday Hearings

Frontline Defenders: How the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces Combat Narcoterrorists and other Maritime Threats on the High Seas (Committee on Homeland Security)

U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon: Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work (Committee on Education and Workforce)

Fix Our Forests: The Need for Urgent Action One Year After the L.A. Wildfires (Committee on Natural Resources)

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General (Committee on Appropriations)

Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid (Committee on Energy and Commerce)

Wednesday Hearings

Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation: Part II (Committee on the Judiciary)

Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts (Committee on Education and Workforce)

Defending Religious Freedom Around the World (Committee on Foreign Affairs)

A New Day at the SEC: Restoring Accountability, Due Process, and Public Confidence (Committee on Financial Services)

Senate

Nominations

David Fowlkes, to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Arkansas

Senate Hearings

Tuesday

To receive testimony on strategic competition in an unconstrained, post-New START Treaty environment (Armed Services)

Modernizing the National Institutes of Health: Faster Discoveries, More Cures (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

Executive session to consider nominations and legislation (Commerce, Science & Transportation)

The Truth Revealed: Hidden Facts Regarding Nazis and Swiss Banks (Judiciary)

Examining the Competitive Impact of the Proposed Netflix-Warner Brothers Transaction (Judiciary)

Somali Scammers: Fighting Fraud in Minnesota and Beyond (Judiciary)

Countering Terrorism in North Africa: Opportunities and Challenges (Foreign Relations)

Wednesday

Hit the Road, Mac: The Future of Self-Driving Cars (Commerce, Science & Transportation)

A Pathway to European Energy Security (Foreign Relations)

Identifying and Addressing Cybersecurity Challenges to Protect America’s Water Infrastructure (Environment & Public Works)

Business meeting to consider resolutions of disapproval (Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs)

Hearing to consider legislation (Indian Affairs)

Independent Spirits: Veteran Health & Healing through Adaptive Sports (Veterans´Affairs)

Thursday

On Track for Secure Retirement: Examining the Success of the Railroad Retirement Board (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

The Financial Stability Oversight Council’s Annual Report to Congress (Banking, Housing & Urban Affairs)

Executive session to consider nominations and legislation (Judiciary)

ISSUES TO WATCH

Spending Deal Advances, But DHS Fight Remains

House lawmakers will vote this week on a Senate package of five appropriations bills and a two-week stopgap for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But the path to a fully-enacted government funding package is still uncertain, as negotiations over immigration enforcement still continue.

Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for tighter guardrails on immigration enforcement—including increased oversight, body camera requirements, and changes to officer conduct standards—as part of DHS funding. Some House Democrats have signaled they may withhold their vote for the short-term stopgap without these policy changes.

At the same time, Republican lawmakers are urging swift passage of the full package and resisting additional mandates on DHS. This tension could shape whether the short-term stopgap passes the House, or whether the partial government shutdown drags on until lawmakers from both sides of the aisle can reach an agreement.

More on this:
The House’s Options for the Senate-Passed Funding Package (We Build Progress)
Johnson predicts end by Tuesday to partial shutdown as Dems fight DHS funding (Axios)