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NATaT Weekly Legislative Report
July 14, 2026
Congressional Outlook
Congress has returned to Washington following the July 4th recess to a packed calendar and limited time to complete many important legislative items.
House Republicans ended a weeks-long standoff on Tuesday that had frozen much of the chamber's legislative agenda, approving a procedural rule that clears the way for floor debate and final votes on multiple bills. The narrow 215-211 vote for H. Res. 1423 marks a significant victory for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), who had spent weeks working to bring his conference together as hardline conservatives pushed leadership for more aggressive action on the SAVE America Act and bills codifying President Donald Trump’s border policies. Speaker Johnson secured the votes of Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) and Tim Burchett (R-TN), who had both opposed the rule before the July 4 recess, agreed to combine the SAVE America Act with the Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 spending bill covering the State Department and national security programs, a tactic known on Capitol Hill as "MIRVing."
Speaker Johnson shared that the budget reconciliation 3.0 legislation is on pace for a markup on Thursday in the House Budget Committee. According to House Republicans, the package is likely to include increased defense spending, a grant program incentivizing states to adopt voter ID requirements and other election restrictions from the Trump-backed SAVE America Act, and provisions targeting what the party describes as fraud in federal programs. The House has a difficult road, and Speaker Johnson will need to work diligently to ensure a bill can pass with a razor-thin majority and many groups within his own party holding varying policy priorities.
Senate Democrats blocked the $1.15 trillion FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) from moving forward on Tuesday, with the defense policy bill (S. 4784) getting caught up in the ongoing battle over presidential war powers regarding the ongoing war in Iran. The procedural vote failed 50-46, far below the 60-vote threshold, with every Democrat present voting no. The failed vote sets back Republican efforts to enact Trump's historically large defense budget through the NDAA, which is typically enacted into law every year. Democrats had made clear for some time that their support was conditioned on adding constraints on the president, particularly concerning military action against Iran. The path forward is uncertain in both chambers. Several hard-line House Republicans prevented their own version of the FY27 NDAA from being considered two weeks ago, however, GOP leaders there may soon reach an agreement to revive it soon.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee unanimously passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (H.R. 9497) on Tuesday. The bipartisan legislation authorizes upgrades to the country's water infrastructure, covering ports and harbors, inland waterway navigation, flood and storm risk reduction, and environmental restoration. WRDA bills authorize U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects that communities and the broader economy depend on. Congress has passed a new WRDA bill every two years since 2014, and while these projects originate at the local level, their benefits extend regionally and nationally. The Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee is scheduled to markup their own version of WRDA 2026 (S. 4949) on Wednesday, which also includes authorizations for EPA drinking water and clean water programs.
On Friday, July 10, the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, with the goal of increasing the supply of housing in America, became law (PL 119-101). After disregarding the sweeping bipartisan housing legislation and referring to the legislation as a “big yawn,” President Donald Trump refused to sign the bill, and the legislation became law after the 10-day review period expired on Friday at 11:59 pm ET.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) died unexpectedly Saturday night at the age of 71 from what was described as a brief and sudden illness, with the D.C. medical examiner preliminarily attributing his death to an aortic dissection caused by arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. His passing came after a recent visit to Ukraine. Tributes from both sides of the aisle came pouring in, honoring his 23.5 years of service as South Carolina's Senator. As South Carolina's senior senator and one of the chamber's leading voices on defense and foreign policy issues, his death leaves a significant leadership gap. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster announced that the vacancy for the role, which ends in early January, would be filled by Darline Graham Nordone, the sister of Sen. Graham. Graham Nordone was sworn in on Tuesday afternoon and plans to only serve out the remainder of her brother’s term, through January 3, 2027.
he House returned on Monday evening and is scheduled to consider 22 bills under suspension of the rules, including the SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026 (H.R. 8770), which allocates additional funding for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for aviation security, including checked baggage explosives detection equipment and security checkpoint technology; the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Reporting Act of 2026 (H.R. 8874), which requires FEMA to submit a report to Congress every three years regarding urban areas’ security capabilities previously supported with funding from the Urban Area Security Initiative and at risk of being reduced or eliminated without additional federal assistance; the Improving Travel for American Families Act (H.R. 8897), which directs the TSA to establish a pilot program to implement alternative security screenings for passengers traveling with children who are 12 years old and younger; the ELO Realignment and Strategic Engagement Reform Act of 2026 (H.R. 7574), to require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a comprehensive plan to reorganize its Engagement, Liaison, and Outreach Office, which manages strategic relationships with I&A’s international stakeholders and federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners; and the Stop Foreign Funds in Elections Act (H.R. 3535), which prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives, referenda, or recall elections. The chamber will also consider four bills pursuant to a rule, including the Sunshine Protection Act of 2025 (H.R. 139), which makes daylight saving time the new, permanent standard time; the Take Care of America's Veterans Act (H.R. 9237), which addresses veterans’ benefits, health care, counseling, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel, VA infrastructure, and the Veterans Community Care Program; the FY 2027 National Security-State spending bill (H.R. 8595), and the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act (H.R. 1181), which prohibits payment card networks from assigning a specific merchant category code for firearms retailers, overriding state and local laws on merchant category designations for gun sellers.
Throughout the week the House will hold numerous committee hearings and markups, including a Small Business Committee hearing about AI on Main Street: How AI is Shaping the Future of Small Business; an Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Training Activists, Not Physicians: The Impact of DEI on Medical Schools; an Administration Subcommittee on Elections hearing on Election Observation: Best Practices and Congress’s Role; an Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing on Emerging Fraud Threats and the Evolving Fraud Landscape; and an Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government meeting for a Budget Hearing - Supreme Court of the United States.
The Senate also returned on Monday and voted to confirm Arthur Jones to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Texas and Matthew Schwartz
to be a U.S. Circuit Judge for the Second Circuit. The Senate will also vote on the nomination of Jeffrey Kuntz to be a U.S. District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, among other nominations, following the failure to advance consideration of the FY27 NDAA.
Throughout the week, the Senate will hold multiple committee meetings and markups, including a Judiciary Committee hearing to examine the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General; an Intelligence Committee hearing to examine the nomination of Jay Clayton to be Director of National Intelligence; a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the nomination of Erica Schwartz to be Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; an Environment and Public Works Committee markup to consider the Water Resources Development Act of 2026; and a Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing to examine the nomination of Keith Sonderling to be Secretary of Labor.
Week in Review
Largest housing affordability bill in decades becomes law without Trump's signature
Congress returns with lengthy to-do list as Lindsey Graham's death hangs over Capitol Hill
Trump and Thune support Lindsey Graham’s sister being appointed to his Senate seat
Trump reimposes blockade on Strait of Hormuz, declares 20 percent US toll on shipping
Mullin defends move to tie election security to counterterrorism funding
DOJ threatens criminal action against states that allow noncitizens to vote
Trump fires election commission members in latest attempt to control voting process
McConnell says he intends to return to the Senate — but not yet
Democrats search for Maine Senate candidate after allegations force Platner out