Press Releases
Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of May 18, 2026
Washington,
May 22, 2026
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Appropriations On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Appropriations successfully reported the Fiscal Year 2027 Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Bill out of full committee. Led by Subcommittee Chairman Chuck Fleischmann, the measure advances American energy dominance, strengthens national security, and supports innovation that will shape the future.  The work continued with successful full committee consideration of the Fiscal Year 2027 Legislative Branch Bill, led by Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao. The measure supports the core operations of the People’s House, strengthens constituent services and office capacity, and reinforces responsible governance, accountability, and effective oversight. On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a budget hearing on the Department of Transportation, with Secretary Sean Duffy. Testimony and questions reinforced a focus on strong infrastructure and modern networks. From our skies to the seas - and all the highways in between - safe, reliable, and effective transportation systems are critical to the well-being of Americans, communities, and the economy.  The Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies also held a budget hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs, with Secretary Doug Collins. Testimony and questions centered on improving care, strengthening accountability, and ensuring veterans remain at the forefront of every decision. Enhancing the delivery of services to better support those who have served our nation is a priority we all share. Additionally, the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and the Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies held a joint markup of the Fiscal Year 2027 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Bill and the Fiscal Year 2027 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Bill. Both measures were passed out of Subcommittee and will make their way to the full committee for consideration the week of June 1.  Armed Services On Tuesday, May 19, the Committee on Armed Services held a full committee hearing called "U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Greater Middle East and Africa." Daniel Zimmerman, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Affairs, was joined by the commanders of the U.S. Africa Command and the U.S. Central Command to testify on national security issues in the Middle East and operations in Iran. Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) laid out what the U.S. accomplished with Operation Epic Fury:
 On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Armed Services held a full committee hearing called "Department of the Air Force Fiscal Year 2027 Budget Request." For years, the Air Force has had to trade off between sustaining legacy systems and developing modern capabilities. As a result of that inadequate funding, the Air Force doesn’t have enough aircraft and autonomous systems. And the lack of maintenance has led to unacceptably low mission capable rates. The president’s FY27 budget proposal ends the lose-lose choice between maintenance and innovation.  On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces held a hearing called "Navy FY27 Budget Request for Seapower and Projection Forces." Subcommittee Chairman Trent Kelly (R-MS) made clear how critical it is to increase U.S. shipbuilding. "The global threat environment has only grown more complex and nuanced over the last year,” Kelly said. “Now more than ever, we have to turn the tide of divestment – retiring more hulls than we procure is simply not an option anymore. We are not going to sacrifice capability in a critical window for deterrence."  Education & Workforce On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "Bad Medicine: Politics, Unions, and Antisemitism in Health Care." This hearing highlighted a disturbing reality: antisemitism is spreading into hospitals and health care unions, leaving Jewish doctors and medical students feeling unsafe and isolated. Hospitals should be places of healing and trust—not political hostility. No American should ever question whether prejudice could affect the care they give or receive. The hearing reinforced Republicans’ view that antisemitism in any workplace, especially in health care, cannot be ignored. It could literally be a matter of life and death. On Thursday, May 21, the Education and Workforce Committee held a full committee markup on the following measures:
 Energy & Commerce On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing called "Corrosion, Collapse, and Clean-Up: Examining the Potomac Interceptor Collapse." This hearing examined what was known prior to the collapse of the Potomac Interceptor, as well as the cleanup process, and ways that we can effectively maintain our critical infrastructure going forward. On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Health held a hearing called "Examining the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, MACRA, and Opportunities for Payment Reforms." This hearing examined the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, building off our health care affordability series to ensure patients have reliable access to care. On Thursday, May 21, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a full committee markup on 16 bills.    Financial Services On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Digital Assets, Financial Technology, and Artificial Intelligence held a hearing called "Partnering for Innovation: How Bank-Fintech Collaborations Enhance Financial Infrastructure." The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Bryan Steil (WI-01), examined how bank-fintech partnerships are modernizing financial services and expanding access to innovative products for consumers and businesses.  On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing called "From Order to Execution: Ensuring Efficient and Transparent Equity Markets." The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), examined America’s equity markets to ensure the United States sustains its global leadership, superior liquidity, and retail accessibility.  On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a hearing called "Modernizing the BSA for Financial Crime in the 21st Century." The subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08), examined ways Congress can modernize the U.S. anti-money laundering (AML) framework, including by updating defense technology and reducing regulatory burdens and redundancy.  Foreign Affairs On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a full committee hearing called "FY2027 Budget Request: State Department Adjacent Entities." Members examined the mission and budget of the National Endowment for Democracy and the Inter-American Foundation. The hearing marked a continuation of House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast’s focus on restoring command and control over foreign spending and ensure every dollar and every diplomat puts America First.  Homeland Security On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing called "TSA Modernization: Industry Perspectives on Key Security and Travel Reforms 25 Years After 9/11." On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing called "State and Local Cybersecurity: Escalating Threats, Federal Partnership, and the Resilience of America’s Communities."   House Administration On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Elections held a hearing called "Examining Best Practices for Strengthening Election Security."   Intelligence On Wednesday, May 20, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a full committee hearing called "25 Years After 9/11 - Reviewing the 9/11 Commission & Intelligence Reform Impacts," as part of the Committee’s year-long bipartisan review of the 9/11 Commission Report recommendations ahead of the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks later this year.    Judiciary On Wednesday, May 20, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing called "The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate." This hearing examined how the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) wrongfully targeted conservative groups and played a role in distorting civil rights policy during the Biden Administration. The hearing explored recently released information revealing how the SPLC funneled money to extremists, raising questions whether the SPLC has been artificially elevating the domestic extremist threat and misleading its donors. On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet held a hearing called "Court Packing: A Threat to the Supreme Court’s Legitimacy," which examined the history and perils of court packing and other policy proposals that threaten to undermine the integrity of the judicial branch.    Natural Resources On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a hearing called "The Federal Reclamation Program’s Next Century." The hearing examined how outdated federal procurement and permitting processes are driving up costs and delaying critical Bureau of Reclamation infrastructure projects across the American West. Members and witnesses discussed ways to modernize aging water systems, accelerate project delivery and reduce regulatory burdens to support more reliable and proactive water management for communities, agriculture and power customers.  On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing called "The Profit Engine Driving Environmental Nonprofits." Members examined how radical environmental organizations abuse statutes intended to combat federal overreach to siphon taxpayer dollars into their coffers to fund endless lawfare campaigns.  On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following measures:
 On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held a legislative hearing on the following measures:
Oversight and Government Reform On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee markup on the following bills:
 Rules On Tuesday, May 19, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
   Science, Space, and Technology On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee markup on the following bills:
 On Thursday, May 21, the Subcommittee on Environment held a hearing called "Research-Driven Resilience: Applying Science to Secure U.S. Water Systems from Cyber Threats." The purpose of this hearing was to examine how environmental research and development (R&D) can enhance efforts to protect the nation’s drinking water and wastewater systems from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.  Select Committee on China On Tuesday, May 19, the Select Committee on China held a hearing called "Crime, Corruption, and Power: The Rise of CCP-linked Scam Networks Targeting Americans and Threatening U.S. Security," and released a report of the same name. On Thursday, May 21, the Select Committee on China released a report entitled “Bankrolling Beijing: U.S. Banks Raised Billions for a Chinese Military Company,” which found that JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America helped a Chinese company with ties to forced labor and China’s military raise billions of dollars.   Small Business On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee markup on the following bills:
  Transportation and Infrastructure On Thursday, May 21, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved the BUILD America 250 Act (H.R. 8870), a bipartisan, five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill that invests in America’s roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and highway and motor carrier safety programs. In particular, the BUILD America 250 Act focuses on core surface transportation infrastructure programs, provides the largest ever investment in America’s bridges, cuts red tape in transportation project permitting, encourages innovation, provides the first ever autonomous commercial motor vehicle framework, ensures electric vehicles also pay for the use of the roads, institutes significant passenger rail reforms, and improves rail and highway safety across the country.    Veterans’ Affairs On Wednesday, May 20, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee legislative hearing on 19 bills. The hearing examined a broad package of legislative proposals to reform and reauthorize key Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and authorities — many of which have operated under expired authorizations for nearly 30 years. Members reviewed bills and discussion drafts addressing VA healthcare delivery, infrastructure, benefits, workforce, research, and accountability, including major proposals such as the VISN Reform Act of 2025, the VA National Formulary Act of 2025, and the Leasing and Infrastructure Act of 2025, alongside additional measures on procurement, homelessness, transition assistance, and benefits modernization. The hearing provided VSOs and external stakeholders an opportunity to share their views on the legislation. While stakeholders offered specific feedback on individual proposals, there was broad agreement that reauthorization is necessary and that it is time for Congress to revisit these laws and update them to meet the needs of today’s veterans.    Ways and Means On Wednesday, May 20, the Subcommittee on Tax will hold a hearing called "Tax Subcommittee Hearing on Your Paycheck, Returned: How the Working Families Tax Cuts Delivered for Americans." Republican and Democrat differences on taxes were on clear display during the hearing. Republican witnesses – an adoptive father, small business owner, restaurant server, and steelworker – shared how the new tax relief in the Working Families Tax Cuts personally benefitted them and millions of other working Americans. Meanwhile, the lone Democrat witness began her testimony by calling on Congress to “raise taxes”, a position that aligns with every House and Senate Democrat who voted to raise taxes by an average of 22 percent on every taxpayer.    On Thursday, May 21, the Committee on Ways and Means held a full committee markup on the following bills:
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