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FY 2026 Appropriations The Senate made some progress on FY 2026 appropriations bills last week. Senate Democrats hotlined a proposal to package together four appropriations bills:  Defense, Labor-HHS, Treasury-HUD, and C-J-S.  Hotlining tests for any objections to allowing the Senate to bypass regular procedure and move legislation to a vote with little or no floor…

Update on Tariffs Last week, the Senate approved three resolutions to end national emergencies declared under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the National Emergencies Act, which President Trump used to justify broad tariffs on imports. These resolutions did not require the usual 60-vote threshold. The first resolution (S.J. Res. 81) ended the emergency…

ASA Offers Comments on OSHA’s Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings Proposed Rule ASA, along with the Construction Industry Safety Coalition (CISC), submitted comments following written post-hearing brief regarding the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA)’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking concerning the Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and…

Update: Interest Rates Last week, the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 0.25 percentage points. The U.S. labor market has slowed significantly throughout 2025, adding an average of just 29,000 jobs a month. The unemployment rate has risen to 4.3 percent from 4 percent in January, and the rate of hiring has slowed to levels…

This Week in Congress! The Senate was in session, but the House remained out of session, but Democratic leaders have asked their caucus to return to D.C. this week anyway. Senate leadership considered the House-passed CR again this week. The Senate voted on bills that would appropriate funds for military pay (S. 3030) and essential…

Status of FY 2026 Government Funding As a reminder, the House-passed continuing resolution (CR) to temporarily extend government funding at current levels is set to last through November 21. Although this timeframe might have been sufficient for negotiating and passing some appropriations bills had the CR been enacted into law in September, the prolonged government…

Possible Healthcare Package? Last week, a senior White House aide informed reporters that President Trump is not interested in expanding the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. Instead, he is urging Congress to pass a broader legislative package aimed at making healthcare more affordable. However, Republicans have repeatedly attempted and failed to achieve this since the…

Congress Passed a Bipartisan Tax Bill Last week, the Senate unanimously and unexpectedly passed the IRS Math Act (H.R. 998). Since the House had already approved the bill by voice vote in April, it now awaits the President’s signature. This measure authorizes the IRS to adjust tax assessments for mathematical or clerical errors, mandates clear…

This Week in Congress! This week, the Senate was in session and the House leadership cancelled votes. That chamber has now been out of session for a month, and Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) says he will not bring Members back until the shutdown ends. The Senate continued voting on the House-passed CR this week. Leadership…

Government Shutdown Continues! The current government shutdown is now the longest full shutdown in U.S. history and the third longest overall. The resolution remains uncertain as both parties remain steadfast in their positions. Base voters are urging their parties to adopt even firmer stances. Despite threats from the White House that furloughed employees might not…