This Week in Congress
Congress returned this week to start the second session of the 119th Congress. The House considered two bills that would limit the Energy Department’s ability to issue household energy efficiency standards: the SHOWER Act (H.R. 4593) would redefine a showerhead relevant to federal water pressure requirements, and the Affordable HOMES Act (H.R. 5184) would prohibit the Department from enforcing energy efficiency standards applicable to manufactured housing. Also, the House considered H.R. 1834 to extend expired Affordable Care Act (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits and two measures that would override President Trump’s vetoes of bills related to a Colorado pipeline project (H.R. 131, sponsored by Rep. Bobert (R-CO)) and a reservation expansion in Everglades National Park (H.R. 504, sponsored by Rep. Gimenez (R-FL)). Finally the House considered a three-bill appropriations minibus.
The Senate voted on the confirmation of administration nominees and considered Sen. Kaine (D-VA)’s bipartisan War Powers resolution (S. J. Res. 98) to restrain President Trump from engaging in military action in Venezuela. A similar resolution failed to pass the Senate in November.
The House is scheduled to be in session for the next three weeks and out of session the week of January 26. The Senate is scheduled to be in session for the next two weeks, out of session the week of January 19, and then back in session for the last week of the month.
Finally, on January 5, 2026, Rep. Greene (R-GA) resigned from office and Rep. LaMalfa (R-CA) died suddenly leaving the Republicans with 218 seats and the Democrats with 213 seats, thereby reducing the Republican majority to just one vote. As of December 27, 2025, 24 Republicans and 19 Democrats have announced that they will not be seeking re-election. Additionally, nine incumbent Senators, comprising five Republicans and four Democrats, are also not seeking re-election. This marks the highest number of members not seeking re-election since 2011.