Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of September 8, 2025
Washington,
September 12, 2025
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Agriculture On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Foreign Agriculture held a hearing called "Exploring State Options in SNAP." The hearing covered options states have available for lowering their payment error rates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to reduce waste and fraud in the program. Witnesses included Korin Schmidt with the Wyoming Department of Family Services, who testified on behalf of Wyoming’s “efficient” SNAP program which successfully falls under the 6% target error rate. Unsurprisingly, Democrats used their time to attack the One Big Beautiful Bill’s historic measures to restore program integrity, with one Democrat even arguing the more than $10 billion in erroneous SNAP payments last year was proof the “program was working well.”   On Wednesday, September 10, the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture held a hearing called "Promoting Forest Health and Resiliency Through Improved Active Management." This hearing raised awareness for policy recommendations to be included in the next farm bill, such as increasing timber harvest in national forests in order to reduce wildfire risk, prevent personal damage, and address air pollution from smoke. The Trump Administration has already made progress to restore our forest health, most recently repealing the outdated Roadless Rule. The forthcoming farm bill aims to build on this progress.  Appropriations On Tuesday, September 9, the Committee on Appropriations held a full committee markup and approved the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill, led by Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt. The measure directs investments to where they are needed most: lifesaving biomedical research and resilient medical supply chains, classrooms that prepare the next generation for success, and rural hospitals and public health programs that families rely on every day. Each dollar in this bill strengthens our communities, empowers our students, and supports our workforce.  On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Appropriations held a full committee markup and advanced the FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies bill, led by Subcommittee Chairman Hal Rogers. The measure protects the nation on every front—safeguarding our streets, restoring fiscal discipline, defending constitutional freedoms, advancing space exploration and discovery, and renewing public trust in government. It invests in law enforcement to combat crime and fentanyl, while standing firm against Communist China’s theft of American technology and innovation.   Armed Services On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Armed Services celebrated the bipartisan passage of H.R. 3838, the Streamlining Procurement for Effective Execution and Delivery and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 SPEED and NDAA). The FY26 NDAA:
FY26 graphics and social copy can be found here.    Education & Workforce On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "Unmasking Union Antisemitism." This hearing examined how unions are using federal labor law to pursue their anti-Israel political agenda and to harass and discriminate against Jewish workers. One witness described being “pushed into a Jewish ghetto,” and another witness testified that Jewish students have to beg unions not to use their funds for pro-Hamas activism. Committee Republicans are working to protect Jewish workers from threats and harassment at the hands of unions.   On Wednesday, September 10, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing called "From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools." Antisemitism is pervasive in our K–12 schools; and teachers unions, colleges of education, and outside advocacy groups are all contributing to this problem. Democrats spent their time during the hearing to argue there is too much focus on antisemitism and defended unions and teacher colleges for pushing antisemitism in the classroom.  Energy & Commerce On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a hearing called "Public Safety Communications in the United States." During this hearing, members heard from witnesses on the importance of reliable and robust communications infrastructure to ensure people can be reached during natural disasters and emergencies.   On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing called "Building the American Dream: Examining Affordability, Choice, and Security in Appliance and Buildings Policies." In this hearing, members discussed how onerous building codes and energy efficiency regulations drive up the cost of housing and everyday appliances that the American People rely on.  On Wednesday, September 10, the Subcommittee on Health held a markup of several public health reauthorization bills, all of which were passed by voice vote:
Financial Services On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a hearing called "Evaluating the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network." The Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), hosted FinCen Director Andrea Gacki to conduct oversight of the bureau’s authorities, operations, and the current status of the beneficial ownership reporting regime.  On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Financial Institutions held a hearing called "Promoting the Health of the Banking Sector: Reforming Resolution and Broadening Funding Access for Long-Term Resilience." The Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Andy Barr (KY-06), examined opportunities aimed at promoting a healthy banking industry for institutions of all sizes. The hearing continued the Committee’s work to advance its “Make Community Banking Great Again” agenda.  On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Financial Services held a full committee hearing called "Proxy Power and Proposal Abuse: Reforming Rule 14a-8 to Protect Shareholder Value." The Full Committee examined an SEC rule governing shareholder proposals. Members evaluated the influence of proxy advisory firms on capital markets, specifically their impact on corporate governance and shareholder voting outcomes.  House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence On Wednesday, September 10, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a full committee closed markup of the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026. Judiciary On Wednesday, September 10, the Judiciary Committee held a markup session to consider the following legislation:
  Natural Resources On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing titled “The State of Our Nation’s Federal Forests.” This hearing focused on the state of our federal forests with testimony from the U.S. Forest Service Chief, Tom Schultz. Members discussed the ongoing crisis and the need for solutions as catastrophic wildfires have destroyed lives and property, degraded air and water quality and irreparably damaged millions of acres of wildlife habitat. On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing titled “Exploring the Economic Potential of the Golden Age of American Energy Dominance.” Our hearing looked at the economic potential of America’s domestic energy supply and natural resources dominance. Specifically, as the federal government is the largest landowner in the country, testimony and discussion centered around the balance of multiple uses such as energy development, livestock grazing, mining, timber harvesting, recreation and conservation. On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee legislative hearing on the following bills:
 Oversight and Government Reform On Tuesday, September 9, the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing called "Restoring Public Trust Through UAP Transparency and Whistleblower Protection." During the hearing, members heard from witnesses on continued concerns regarding disclosure of unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs) and information held by federal agencies. Members examined transparency issues within the federal government’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) and the intelligence community. Members also analyzed ways Congress can better protect whistleblowers who come forward with information on UAPs. On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Health Care and Financial Services held a hearing called "Better Meals, Fewer Pills: Making Our Children Healthy Again." During the hearing, members examined how American children are being negatively impacted by unhealthy diets and the overprescription of medications for common ailments and mental and behavioral health conditions. Members also identified solutions to the health crisis among American children and actions Congress can take to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA). On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee markup and passed a series of bills aimed at combating crime in Washington, D.C., bolstering President Donald Trump’s efforts to restore law and order, and codifying key elements of President Trump’s March 27, 2025, Executive Order on Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful. The Committee passed the following bills:
Rules On Monday, September 8, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
   Science, Space, and Technology On Wednesday, September 10, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee markup and passed H.R. 5089, the Weather Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Lucas). This critical legislation builds on the success of the committee’s Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017. It aims to further enhance the capabilities of the U.S. weather enterprise by modernizing essential research programs, advancing innovative forecasting and prediction methods, and improving emergency preparedness for communities nationwide. Small Business On Tuesday, September 9, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee markup of H.R. 5100, To extend the SBIR and STTR Programs, and for other purposes (Williams). On Wednesday, September 10, the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure held a hearing called "Leveling the Playing Field: Fostering Opportunities for Small Business Contractors." The purpose of this hearing was to examine the obstacles preventing small businesses from competing for valuable federal contracts.    Transportation and Infrastructure On Wednesday, September 10, the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment held a hearing to review implementation of United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) projects and policies that were included in previous Water Resources Development Acts (WRDAs), including WRDA 2024.   Ways and Means On Tuesday, September 9, the Subcommittee on Social Security and the Subcommittee on Work & Welfare held a joint hearing called "Untapped Talent in America: Removing Barriers to Work and Supporting Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities." The current Social Security Insurance and Disability Insurance infrastructure is failing to connect Americans with disabilities who want to work to a job. Witnesses shared how they have seen needless complexity obstruct people with disabilities from finding work. Both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs, the subject of the hearing, offer multiple pathways to work for interested beneficiaries. Despite 60 percent of SSDI and SSI beneficiaries indicating they would like to work, less than one percent of SSDI beneficiaries have been able to leave the program due to work. Studies show most beneficiaries are unaware of available pathways to employment, and when beneficiaries attempt to find work, they often must work with a third party to navigate the thicket of bureaucratic rules.    |