AUGUST 31, 2026
Your weekly briefing on what's moving in Congress
The House is back after a five-week August recess and already racing for the exits. Top of the agenda is passing a stopgap funding bill, followed by votes on everything from fishing regulations to Israel to socialism — and a censure resolution for good measure. We'll dig into all this and more below.
Progressive Playbook
"Combatting the CLARITY Act and Crypto Corruption: Inside the Industry Push to Write Its Own Rules and the Fight to Stop It"
As the Senate races toward a vote on the CLARITY Act, join the Progressive Caucus Action Fund, Indivisible, Public Citizen, and Americans for Financial Reform on Wednesday, September 9 at 2:00PM ET for a virtual briefing on the crypto industry's push to write its own rules and embolden self-dealing at the highest levels of power. We'll break down what the bill does, why it matters, and how to gear up for the fight ahead. Register here →
House
House Floor
The House will vote on 18 suspension bills from the Committees on Judiciary, Appropriations, Natural Resources, and Ethics. 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:
Natural Resources
H.R. 9436 — Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act
This bill extends the deadline for the National Marine Fisheries Service to issue new regulations aimed at reducing North Atlantic right whale entanglements in lobster and Jonah crab fishing gear from 2028 to 2035. Entanglements remain one of the primary threats to the endangered species.
Education & Workforce
H.R. 4795 — Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act of 2026
This bill makes colleges and universities ineligible for federal student aid funding under the Higher Education Act if they engage in a commercial boycott of Israel, or if they prevent their students and faculty from participating in academic exchange programs with Israeli institutions on the same terms as other countries.
Natural Resources
H.R. 1501 — Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025
This bill codifies mining as a covered sector under FAST-41, a federal permitting program that fast-tracks environmental review and limits public input for large infrastructure projects, and blocks a Biden-era rule that would have narrowed that fast-track treatment to critical mineral projects only.
House Administration
H. Res. 1490 — Condemning Socialism in All Its Forms
This resolution condemns socialism, including specifically the Democratic Socialists of America, calls for enactment of the SAVE America Act, and states that only U.S. citizens should be permitted to vote in American elections. The House passed a similar resolution denouncing socialism last November, 285–98, with 2 voting Present.
Ethics · Additional Legislation
H. Res. 1498 — In the Matter of Allegations Relating to Rep. Chuck Edwards
This resolution censures Rep. Chuck Edwards (NC-11) after the House Ethics Committee found he engaged in persistent unprofessional and inappropriate conduct toward two young female staffers, in violation of House rules on sexual harassment.
House Committee Highlights
A full list of this week's hearings and markups can be found here. Notable hearings and markups include:
Tuesday
Countering Houthi Terrorism: Protecting U.S. Interests and Security in the Red Sea
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Sanctuary Policies, Tragic Consequences
Committee on the Judiciary
Supporting Working Families: State-Led Child Care Solutions
Committee on Education and Workforce
Welfare Reform at 30: Restoring the Promise of Work and Personal Responsibility in Federal Welfare Programs
Committee on Ways and Means
Wednesday
Less Red Tape, More Opportunity: Unleashing American Workers and Job Creators
Committee on Education and Workforce
"Subject to the Jurisdiction Thereof": Birthright Citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment, Part II
Committee on the Judiciary
No Flame, More Pain: How State and Local Bans on Natural Gas Increase Costs
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Strengthening the American Economy: Promoting Growth, Opportunity, and Prosperity
Committee on Financial Services
Thursday
Reliable Water in the Digital Age: Examining Legislation to Strengthen Drinking Water Systems and Protect Ratepayers
Committee on Energy and Commerce
Issues to Watch
House moves to punt funding fight past the midterms
The House is poised to take the risk of an October shutdown off the table this week. Leaders plan to bring up the Senate's bipartisan continuing resolution (CR) under suspension of the rules, a fast-track process requiring a two-thirds majority, after the bill sailed through the Senate 90–6. If the CR clears, it would keep the government funded through December 11 and push the broader appropriations fight safely past the midterms. With the Trump administration also backing the measure, passage appears all but certain. That's despite Democrats securing language that would temporarily block the administration's proposed overhaul of federal grant rules. More contentious may be the CR's delay of a forthcoming ban on THC-infused hemp products, a fight that's split lawmakers and industry for months.
Once the CR is out of the way, the question becomes how long the House sticks around. Members are currently scheduled to return after next week's recess for three more weeks of votes, but speculation is already building that leadership could cut that schedule short. With few other major bills ready to move and lawmakers eager to get back on the campaign trail, this week could wind up being less of a return to Washington than a very brief layover.
Once the CR is out of the way, the question becomes how long the House sticks around. Members are currently scheduled to return after next week's recess for three more weeks of votes, but speculation is already building that leadership could cut that schedule short. With few other major bills ready to move and lawmakers eager to get back on the campaign trail, this week could wind up being less of a return to Washington than a very brief layover.
More on this
- Unrig the Rules: What to Watch Ahead of a CR Vote (We Build Progress)
- Letter Demanding OMB Rescind Rule Giving President Sweeping Power to Politicize Federal Grants (Senate Democrats)
- Changes to the Statutory Definition of Hemp and Implications for Agricultural Policy (Congressional Research Service)
Mail-voting restrictions remain in legal limbo
The Trump administration's push to rewrite mail-voting rules is back on hold. A federal judge temporarily blocked key parts of a new U.S. Postal Service rule that would impose federal requirements on how states send and process mail ballots, including new envelope, barcode, registration and voter-list requirements. The ruling came just days after the Supreme Court lifted an earlier block on narrow procedural grounds, without deciding whether the administration's plan is legal.
The next major test comes September 3, when the court will consider whether to keep the restrictions blocked through the midterms. Whatever happens is likely to be appealed, potentially sending the fight back to the Supreme Court. With states already preparing to mail ballots, the outcome could determine whether election officials have to overhaul their systems just weeks before voting begins.
The next major test comes September 3, when the court will consider whether to keep the restrictions blocked through the midterms. Whatever happens is likely to be appealed, potentially sending the fight back to the Supreme Court. With states already preparing to mail ballots, the outcome could determine whether election officials have to overhaul their systems just weeks before voting begins.
More on this
- What You Need to Know About the USPS Mail Ballot Rule (Voting Rights Lab)
- League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump Case Summary (ACLU)
- Analyzing the President's Executive Order on Mail Voting (Brennan Center)
- What's Next in the Legal Battles Over Trump's Attack on Mail Voting (Democracy Docket)
What We're Reading
Center for American ProgressThe Trump Administration's Middle East Quagmire: Six Months Into the War in Iran
New York TimesMeet the Megadonors Who Have Poured $1.2 Billion Into the Midterms
The NationThe Dangerous Summer of Food Recalls
The American ProspectHealth Care Reform Needs More Than Universal Coverage
PoliticoThe Social Security Benefit Cliff Is Here. Washington Is Struggling to Wake Up.
Mother JonesPolice Are Spending Opioid Settlement Funds on Flock Cameras
NPRNuclear Regulator Prepares to Abandon a Decades-Old Radiation Safety Rule
Key Dates
August 31
House returns from August recess
September
National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September 7
Labor Day
September 11
25th Anniversary of the September 11th Attacks
September 14
Senate returns from August recess
September 14–18
Disability Voting Rights Week
September 15
National Voter Registration Day
September 15 – October 15
Hispanic Heritage Month
September 17
Constitution Day
September 18
International Equal Pay Day
September 21
International Day of Peace
September 30
Fiscal Year Ends
