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Last week, the House passed its first FY 2027 appropriations bill by a wide margin.  That bill, funding military construction and the Veterans Administration, is typically the least controversial of all 12 bills.  And this year it is one of the few that would increase spending rather than force cuts.  So far, it was the…

Last week Reps. Meeks (D-NY) and Fitzpatrick (R-PA) secured the required 218 signatures on a discharge petition that will force a House floor vote on a bill (H.R. 6856) to impose sanctions on Russia if it refuses to negotiate and abide by a peace agreement with Ukraine.   That is the sixth time this Congress that…

Last week, the Senate voted for the seventh time to block an Iran War Powers resolution.  This one was defeated by a vote of 49-50, but it got more Republican support than prior measures:  Sens. Murkowski (R-AK), Collins (R-ME), and Paul (R-KY) voted for it.  Sen. Fetterman (D-PA) was the only Democrat to vote against…

Both chambers of Congress returned this week for a two-week legislative session, taking up a wide range of measures. In the House, members voted on: In the Senate, votes focused primarily on confirmations of Trump Administration Nominees, including Kevin Warsh for Chair of the Federal Reserve. This session underscores Congress’s focus on a broad mix…

ASA, along with the Main Street Partnership members, a coalition of major business organizations, representing millions of employers across the U.S., is urging the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice to back an expedited Supreme Court review of the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA). In a letter sent to Treasury Secretary Bessent and…

ASA, along with the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), voiced strong opposition to proposals to suspend the federal gas tax. Per the TCC, such plans would have minimal impact on consumer prices while threatening funding for projects that maintain and improve roads, bridges, and transit systems nationwide. Analyses show that gas tax holidays rarely benefit consumers.…

Just before last week’s recess, on the 76th day of the most recent partial government shutdown, the House agreed, by voice vote, to pass an appropriations bill to fund most Department of Homeland Security agencies and programs (excluding its immigration enforcement agencies) through the remainder of the current fiscal year.  The Senate had already passed…

A federal court has invalidated the 10% international tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, following the Supreme Court’s earlier rejection of similar measures. In a 2-1 decision, the U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that the administration could not rely on trade deficit concerns or foreign investment levels to justify the tariffs under Section 122…

On April 29, after holding the vote open for over five hours, House Republicans passed the Senate budget resolution along party lines, paving the way for the budget reconciliation process.  Last week, the Senate Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees released bill text proposing $71.7 billion in spending over three years. Most of the funds would…

Before the congressional recess, the House passed a three-year extension of FISA Section 702 surveillance authorities. The bill included a controversial provision permanently banning the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital currency—a move aimed at securing votes from far-right members by attaching a long-standing priority as a “sweetener.” However, the provision did not gain enough…