Leadership Steve Scalise RSS Articles

Scalise's Summer Update: Key House Republican Wins of 2026

Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) released the following statement and accompanying summary of House Republican legislative victories showcasing the Conference's record of delivering results for the American people during the first half of 2026:

"House Republicans entered this year committed to building on the successes of President Trump's first year back in office—and that's exactly what we've done. We've worked to make life more affordable for hardworking families, passed the SAVE America Act to strengthen election integrity, reinforced our border security, advanced reforms to restore trust in government, and passed commonsense legislation that puts the American people first.

"While House Republicans have remained intent on governing, Democrats have repeatedly chosen obstruction over solutions. Rather than working to address the issues Americans care most about, they have spent much of the year locked in a public battle over the future of their own party.

“The contrast between the two parties has never been clearer. House Republicans have built a record of results that speaks for itself. As members return home for the district work period, they can point to these results as evidence of what a governing majority can achieve when it stays focused on the priorities of the American people.”

Keeping America Safe ✅

Border

S. 2 (Sen. Graham) – the Secure America Act: fully funds ICE and CBP through fiscal year 2029, guaranteeing these agencies have the necessary resources to carry out President Trump’s border agenda and ensuring congressional Democrats will no longer be able to stymie funding required to keep Americans safe.
- PASSED 214 - 212
  - Republicans: 214 - 0
  - Democrats: 0 - 211
  - Independent: 0 - 1

S. Con. Res. 33 (Sen. Graham) – establishes a congressional budget to responsibly fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection through the end of President Trump’s term, ensuring these agencies are able to keep the American people safe from threats.
- PASSED 215 - 211 - 1
  - Republicans: 215 - 0
  - Democrats: 0 - 211
  - Independent: 0 - 0 - 1

H.R. 1958 (Taylor) – the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026: amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make illegal aliens who commit federal fraud or unlawfully receive public benefits inadmissible and removable from the United States, protecting federal programs from exploitation and defending taxpayer dollars.
- PASSED 231 - 186
  - Republicans: 211 - 0
  - Democrats: 20 – 186

H.R. 4638 (Calvert) – the Federal Working Animal Protection Act: creates a ground of inadmissibility and a ground of deportability explicitly for aliens who harm law enforcement animals to prevent animal abusers from entering the U.S. and streamline their removal from our nation.
- PASSED 228 - 190
  - Republicans: 212 - 0
  - Democrats: 15 - 190
  - Independent: 1 – 0

H. Res. 1128 (Mackenzie) – acknowledges the importance of fully funding the Department of Homeland Security, reiterates that partial funding of individual DHS agencies would degrade coordination and increase uncertainty in a heightened threat environment, emphasizes that the American people are at increasing risk each day DHS goes unfunded, and expresses our deep gratitude to DHS employees for their unwavering commitment to protect the U.S. from those who seek to cause harm.
- PASSED 225 - 187
  - Republicans: 215 - 0
  - Democrats: 9 - 187
  - Independent: 1 - 0

National Defense & National Security

H.R. 8800 (Rogers) – National Defense Authorization Act, 2027: authorizes appropriations to expand U.S. defense production capacity, modernize our military, and ensure America’s armed forces remain the most lethal, ready, and robust in the world, all while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.
- PASSED 216 - 212
  - Republicans: 209 - 7
  - Democrats: 6 - 205
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 261 (Carter) – Undersea Cable Protection Act: amends NMSA to block the Secretary of Commerce from prohibiting or requiring a permit for the installation, operation, maintenance, repair, or recovery of undersea fiber optic cables in a national marine sanctuary if such activities have already been authorized by federal and state agencies, getting rid of duplicative permitting laws while protecting national marine sanctuaries.
- PASSED 218 - 212
  - Republicans: 215 - 1
  - Democrats: 3 – 211

H.R. 7084 (Pfluger) – the Defending American Property Abroad Act: imposes retaliatory prohibitions to deter and punish any foreign nation that unlawfully seizes American assets, making sure American businesses are safeguarded from unjust expropriation.
- PASSED 247 - 164
  - Republicans: 205 - 0
  - Democrats: 41 - 164
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Critical Mineral Security

H.J. Res. 140 (Stauber) – Expresses congressional disapproval of the Public Land Order No. 7917 that implemented a mineral withdrawal of approximately 225,504 acres, banning mining and other resource extraction in Northern Minnesota and putting our nation’s mineral security at risk.
- PASSED 214 - 208
  - Republicans: 213 - 1
  - Democrats: 1 - 207

H.R. 4090 (Stauber) – The Critical Mineral Dominance Act: bolsters America’s critical mineral supply chains by codifying key provisions of Trump executive orders to streamline permitting, support domestic extraction, deliver certainty and consistency, and map resources as we work to reduce reliance on foreign adversaries and achieve mineral dominance.
- PASSED 224 - 195
  - Republicans: 214 - 1
  - Democrats: 10 - 194

H.R. 3617 (James) – Securing America’s Critical Minerals Supply Act: unleashes domestic production and bolsters America’s critical mineral supply chain by requiring the Department of Energy (DOE) to assess and strengthen critical energy resource supply chains, reducing our reliance on foreign adversaries and enhancing our energy independence.
- PASSED 223 - 206
  - Republicans: 214 - 1
  - Democrats: 9 - 205

Law Enforcement

H. Con. Res. 96 (Nunn) – Expresses congressional support for the brave men and women in law enforcement who risk their lives to uphold our rule of law and keep Americans safe, recognizes their extraordinary sacrifice, and acknowledges their many contributions to our communities.
- PASSED 243 - 173 - 3
  - Republicans: 213 - 0
  - Democrats: 29 - 173 - 3
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 2189 (Fitzgerald) – Law-Enforcement Innovate to De-Escalate Act: amends federal firearms law to classify “less-than-lethal” devices like tasers, which are meant to stop high-risk situations without using deadly force. This reform makes it easier for law enforcement to procure these devices and enhance officer and community safety.
- PASSED 233 - 185
  - Republicans: 211 - 1
  - Democrats: 22 - 184

H.R. 6260 (Fitzgerald) – the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act: amends the federal criminal statute dealing with insurance-related crimes to include corporate, for-profit, and non-profit entities that post bail for defendants, subjecting charitable bail funds to federal insurance fraud laws and state licensing requirements, and requiring their employees to pass criminal background checks. This reform will help address the increased frequency of charitable bail funds posting bail for violent offenders, which is associated with higher rates of failing to appear in court.
- PASSED 243 - 179
  - Republicans: 210 - 1
  - Democrats: 32 - 178
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 5625 (Harris-NC) – the Cashless Bail Reporting Act: requires the Attorney General to publish a list of state and local governments that implement reckless bail “reform” policies allowing people who have been accused of certain violent crimes – including murder, rape, sexual assault, carjacking, assault, and robbery – to be released pending trial on personal recognizance or upon execution of an unsecured appearance bond.
- PASSED 308 - 116
  - Republicans: 211 - 2
  - Democrats: 96 - 114
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R.2853 (Joyce) – the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) of 2025: expands federal law enforcement tools to crack down on organized retail theft and supply chain crime by strengthening criminal penalties, targeting money laundering, authorizing criminal forfeiture, and establishing a Department of Homeland Security coordination center to combat organized theft networks.
- PASSED 348 - 60
  - Republicans: 203 - 1
  - Democrats: 144 - 59
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 8365 (Biggs-AZ) – the Monitor Accountability Act: codifies the Department of Justice's recommendations to establish term limits on monitors, cap fees, allow for public feedback on the selection of monitors, and provide a public accounting of monitors’ activities to ensure court monitors do not abuse their positions.
- PASSED 219 - 204
  - Republicans: 213 - 0
  - Democrats: 5 - 204
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Restoring Safety in Our Nation's Capital

H.R. 5103 (McGuire) – the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act: establishes a commission to reduce crime in D.C. by providing necessary federal resources and strengthening the Metropolitan Police Department, and tasks the Department of the Interior with creating a program to clean and maintain popular sites in the nation’s capital—including monuments and parks—and to restore damaged federal properties.
- PASSED 218 - 206
  - Republicans: 212 - 0
  - Democrats: 5 – 206
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Growing America’s Economy ✅

Unleashing American Energy

H.R. 4690 (Langworthy) – the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act: repeals Section 433 of EISA, which requires the Department of Energy to revise federal energy efficiency performance standards for new buildings and renovations to phase out the use of on-site, fossil fuel-generated electricity for impacted buildings by 2030.
- PASSED 215 - 202
  - Republicans: 209 - 1
  - Democrats: 5 - 201
  - Independent: 1 – 0

H.R. 5587 (Kim) – the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act: expedites geothermal energy production by exempting geothermal operators from federal drilling permit requirements, including NEPA, for wells on non-federal land where the United States holds an ownership interest of less than 50 percent of the subsurface geothermal estate.
- PASSED 231 - 186
  - Republicans: 208 - 0
  - Democrats: 22 - 186
  - Independent: 1 – 0

H.R. 6398 (Joyce-PA) – the Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations (RED Tape) Act: streamlines the review process for federal projects by eliminating the Environmental Protection Agency’s duplicative review requirement on projects already reviewed by other agencies and covered by the National Environmental Policy Act.
- PASSED 222 - 205
  - Republicans: 214 - 1
  - Democrats: 7 - 204
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 6409 (Pfluger) – the Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability (FENCES) Act: amends the Clean Air Act to ensure that foreign natural or man-made emissions are not considered when determining states’ compliance with federal air quality standards, preventing U.S. states from facing penalties for emissions outside their control and allowing states to account for such emissions earlier in the regulatory process.
- PASSED 220 - 208
  - Republicans: 213 - 1
  - Democrats: 6 - 207
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Housing Affordability

H.R. 5184 (Houchin) – the Affordable HOMES Act: amends EISA to restore sole authority to HUD for setting energy efficiency standards for manufactured housing while allowing DOE to provide recommendations to HUD, streamlining the process for setting energy standards to help lower manufactured housing costs and increase housing affordability for hardworking Americans.
- PASSED 263 - 147
  - Republicans: 206 - 0
  - Democrats: 57 - 147

H.R. 6644 (Hill) – the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act: cuts government red tape to spur housing development and empower families — not institutional investors — to become homeowners.
- PASSED 358-32
  - Republicans: 166 - 32
  - Democrats: 191 - 0
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Protecting Consumer Choice

H.R. 4758 (Goldman-TX) – Homeowner Energy Freedom Act: repeals three provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act designed to subsidize the electrification movement and end the use of gas appliances, restricting consumer choice and raising the cost of home appliances.
- PASSED 210 - 199 - 1
  - Republicans: 210 – 1
  - Democrats: 0 – 198 - 1

H.R. 4626 (Allen) – Home Appliance Protection and Affordability Act: reforms and modernizes the EPCA to prevent future administrations from implementing unaffordable conservation standards that take away consumer choice, burden American families, and force Americans to use expensive appliances that do not perform as well.
- PASSED 217 - 190
  - Republicans: 210 – 0
  - Democrats: 7 – 190

H.R. 4593 (Fry) – SHOWER Act: defines “showerhead” using the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) standard, clarifies that each nozzle in a multi-head shower system is an individual showerhead that may operate at up to 2.5 GPM, and prevents future reinterpretations of the definition of a showerhead that would limit water flow and take away consumer choice, providing regulatory clarity and improving water flow for Americans by restoring Congress’ original intent.
- PASSED 226 - 197
  - Republicans: 215 - 0
  - Democrats: 11 - 197

Supporting Rural America

H.R. 7567 (Thompson-PA) – the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026: reauthorizes and reforms Department of Agriculture programs through FY2031 to build on pro-farmer provisions in the Working Families Tax Cuts, deliver certainty and regulatory clarity to farmers, and expand on investments in rural and agricultural communities, prioritizing responsible spending on agriculture without adding to the deficit.
- PASSED 224 - 200
  - Republicans: 209 - 3
  - Democrats: 14 - 197
  - Independent: 1 – 0

H. Res. 1182 (Fuller) – expresses support for rural communities across the United States; acknowledges their work to steward the environment, supply energy, produce food, and stabilize the economy; and recognizes the House’s efforts in the 119th Congress to support these communities.
- PASSED 220 - 196
  - Republicans: 212 - 0
  - Democrats: 7 – 196
  - Independent: 1 – 0

Cutting Taxes

H.J. Res 142 (Gill) – Exercises Congress’ authority to disapprove and prohibit the enactment of the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025, which decouples the D.C. tax code from specific WFTC tax-related provisions and denies local residents and businesses the tax relief they deserve.
- PASSED 215 - 210
  - Republicans: 215 - 0
  - Democrats: 0 - 210

H. Res. 1156 (Kelly-PA) – expresses support for tax policies that support working families and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money, and recognizes the significant tax relief provided by the Working Families Tax Cuts for hardworking Americans.
- PASSED 219 - 207
  - Republicans: 215 - 0
  - Democrats: 3 - 207
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Commonsense Reforms

H.R. 139 (Buchanan) – the Sunshine Protection Act: ends an outdated practice by making daylight savings time permanent. This legislation will lower crime, save Americans time and money, reduce traffic accidents, and encourage the public to get outside.
- PASSED 308 - 117
  - Republicans: 193 - 22
  - Democrats: 114 - 95
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 2988 (Allen) – The Protecting Prudent Investment of Retirement Savings, introduced by Rep. Rick Allen, forces financial institutions to focus on maximizing returns in retirement plans instead of woke ESG factors by ensuring financial institutions base investment decisions on economic factors and complete information is provided to retirement investors
- PASSED 213 - 205
- Republicans: 210 - 0
- Democrats: 3 - 205

Restoring Trust in Government ✅

Election Integrity

S. 1383 (Roy) – SAVE America Act: amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections and an eligible photo identification document before voting in federal elections, shoring up our election integrity.
- PASSED 218 - 213
  - Republicans: 217 - 0
  - Democrats: 1 - 213

Cutting Red Tape

H.R. 6387 (Evans-CO) – the Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events (FIRE) Act: amends the Clean Air Act to make sure communities and manufacturers are not penalized for emissions from wildfires, prescribed burns, and other exceptional events when determining compliance with national air quality standards.
- PASSED 220 - 198
  - Republicans: 211 - 1
  - Democrats: 8 - 197
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 6955 (Hill) – the Main Street Capital Access Act: eases regulations on community banks and credit unions by tailoring regulatory thresholds, increasing transparency among regulators, making regulation more predictable for small banks, and promoting new bank formation.
- PASSED 270 - 155 - 1
  - Republicans: 213 - 1
  - Democrats: 56 - 154 - 1
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 8884 (Scott) – Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act: allows the SSA to test different program rules to promote work for disabled Americans and improve work outcomes, so that every American can have an equal opportunity to excel in the workforce.
- PASSED 232 - 188
  - Republicans: 212-0
  - Democrats: 19-188
  - Independent: 1-0

Holding Government Accountable

H.R. 7008 (Steil) – Stop Insider Trading Act: prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing securities from publicly traded companies, establish a required window to alert the House Clerk of any intended sale, as well as impose forfeiture of gains and fees for lawmakers’ noncompliance.
- PASSED 232 - 198
  - Republicans: 218 - 0
  - Democrats: 13 - 198
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 8464 (Comer) – the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act: strengthens the federal payment system by building on oversight of state-administered programs, preventing federal agencies from making payments when an agency has deemed a program to be at an elevated risk for fraud or improper payments, and gives the U.S. Treasury new authority to return payment requests to agencies if they appear to be at risk for fraud.
- PASSED 218 - 200
  - Republicans: 211 - 0
  - Democrats: 6 - 200
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 8312 (Sessions) – the Fraud Prevention and Accountability Act: expands U.S. Treasury Fiscal Service’s financial and program integrity services and establishes a permanent Inspector General for Fraud, Accountability, and Recovery to provide sustained oversight during future national emergencies and maintain the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee’s (PRAC) anti-fraud data analytics tools.
- PASSED 240 - 181
  - Republicans: 211 - 0
  - Democrats: 28 - 181
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 7892 (Owens) – the No Aid for Ghost Students Act: tackles fraud in student aid by requiring the Secretary of Education to use a detection system to review, identify, and investigate suspicious FAFSA applications before any aid is distributed. The legislation also strengthens accountability by prioritizing audits of schools that recklessly distribute aid to unscreened or suspicious applicants.
- PASSED 249 - 172
  - Republicans: 212 - 0
  - Democrats: 36 - 172
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H. Res. 1335 (Fallon) – denounces the individuals who abuse and defraud taxpayer dollars and government entities and pledges that reforms which address fraud prevention will meaningfully improve the financial prosperity of the United States, most notably through up-front verification for eligibility before payments are issued.
- PASSED 235 - 177
  - Republicans: 211 - 0
  - Democrats: 23 - 177
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 7726 (Miller-IL) – the Stop Child Care Scams Act of 2026: requires HHS to withhold funds from states that repeatedly misuse child care dollars, increases state reporting requirements, codifies fraud standards, and imposes stricter penalties on both states and providers found to have misused funds under the CCDBG program.
- PASSED 217 - 207
  - Republicans: 212 - 0
  - Democrats: 4 - 207
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Protecting Sportsmen

H.R. 556 (Wittman) – the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act: stops the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service from banning lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters for hunting and fishing.
- PASSED 215 - 202
  - Republicans: 208 - 1
  - Democrats: 7 - 201

Protecting American Values ✅

Protecting Constitutional Rights

H.R. 1181 (Moore-WV) – the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act: prevents the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes, establishing guardrails to ensure financial institutions and credit card companies are not coerced into surveilling customers during constitutionally protected purchases.
- PASSED 221 - 201
  - Republicans: 215 - 1
  - Democrats: 5 - 200
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 1041 (Bost) – the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act: bars Veterans’ Affairs from giving the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) sensitive information without due process to protect veterans with fiduciaries.
- PASSED 216 - 201
  - Republicans: 208 - 1
  - Democrats: 7 - 200
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Protecting Children

H.R. 7757 (Guthrie) – The Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act: protects children online by requiring age verification for adult websites, banning disappearing messages and targeted ads on children’s accounts, creating transparency with AI chatbots, and providing parental controls on kids’ accounts.
- PASSED 267-117
  - Republicans: 162-32
  - Democrats: 104 - 85
  - Independents: 1-0

H.R. 2616 (Walberg) – the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act: ensures parents remain central in their children’s lives by prohibiting federally funded elementary or middle schools from socially transitioning a child – such as by changing their name, pronouns, or bathroom access – without parental consent, and blocking federal funding from supporting gender ideology teachings in classrooms.
- PASSED 217 - 198
  - Republicans: 208 - 0
  - Democrats: 8 - 198
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Supporting Life & Families

H.R. 6359 (Hinson) – the Pregnant Students’ Rights Act: requires universities and higher education institutions to communicate and distribute information informing pregnant students of their rights, accommodations, and resources available to them.
- PASSED 217 - 211
  - Republicans: 216 - 0
  - Democrats: 1 - 211

H.R. 6945 (Fischbach) – the Supporting Pregnant and Parenting Women and Families Act: prevents the Secretary of Health and Human Services from restricting funding for pregnancy centers that serve new mothers and families that choose life.
- PASSED 215 - 209
  - Republicans: 214 - 0
  - Democrats: 1 - 209

Supporting Veterans

H.R. 6047 (Barrett) – the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefit Expansion Act: increases disabled veterans’ monthly compensation by $833.33 – or $10,000 per year. Additionally, compensation for family members of deceased veterans would increase by 1.5% over the next two years. This would provide meaningful relief for over 500,000 veterans and their families for the first time in decades.
- PASSED 235 - 179
  - Republicans: 204 - 3
  - Democrats: 30 - 176
  - Independent: 1 - 0

Funding the MAGA Agenda ✅

Appropriations

H.R. 7006 (Cole) – the Financial Services and General Government and National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to bolster our national security, implement the President’s America First foreign policy agenda, boost our economy, protect our financial institutions, and restore fiscal responsibility to Washington spending.
- PASSED 341 - 79
  - Republicans: 188 - 22
  - Democrats: 153 - 57

H.R. 7147 (Cole) – Homeland Security and Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, and enhance public safety.
- PASSED by Voice Vote

S. Amdts. To H.R. 7148 (Cole) – The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to put Americans’ safety first, defend our borders, protect the homeland, support American readiness and competitiveness, implement the President’s America First foreign policy agenda, protect our financial institutions, enhance our transportation system, invest in health and education, and restore fiscal responsibility.
- PASSED 217 - 214
  - Republicans: 196 - 21
  - Democrats: 21 – 193

H.R. 8029 (Ciscomani) – the Pay Our Homeland Defenders Act: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, deter and respond to cyber threats, counter terrorism, and enhance public safety.
- PASSED 218 - 206
  - Republicans: 213 - 0
  - Democrats: 4 - 206

H.R. 6938 (Cole) – the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026: makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to strengthen our energy security, secure our communities, reduce bureaucratic environmental red tape, advance critical programs, and implement President Trump’s America-First agenda.
- PASSED 397-28
  - Republicans: 191-22
  - Democrats: 206-6

H.R. 7744 (Cole) – the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2026, sponsored by Chairman Tom Cole, makes appropriations through FY26 and supports efforts to defend our homeland, bolster border protections, deter and respond to cyber threats, counter terrorism and enhance public safety.
- PASSED 221 - 209
  - Republicans: 217 - 0
  - Democrats: 4 - 209

H.R. 8469 (Carter-TX) – the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027: provides FY27 appropriations to bolster our national defense and critical infrastructure, deliver on veteran care, and improve quality of life for military families.
- PASSED 400 - 15
  - Republicans: 210 - 0
  - Democrats: 189 - 15
  - Independent: 1 – 0

H.R. 8646 (Harris-MD) – the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agency Appropriations Act, 2027: protect Americans’ food and drug supply, prioritize Americans’ health, and equip America to compete against our adversaries, while upholding the GOP’s commitment to fiscal responsibility through regular order appropriations.
- PASSED 213 - 210
  - Republicans: 208 - 5
  - Democrats: 4 - 205
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 8595 (Diaz-Balart) – the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027: responsibly funds the America First agenda by safeguarding American national security while exercising fiscal discipline in the handling of taxpayer dollars.
- PASSED 217 - 209
  - Republicans: 215 - 1
  - Democrats: 1 - 208
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H.R. 9770 (Cole) – Continuing Appropriations, 2027: provides funding to crucial programs, including SNAP, WIC, TANF, and disaster relief through the end of the year. This bill will prevent the September 30, 2026 funding lapse while also allowing Congress to complete the appropriations process in regular order.
- PASSED 220 - 205
  - Republicans: 213 - 1
  - Democrats: 6 - 204
  - Independent: 1 - 0

H. Con. Res. 113 (Arrington) – will establish budget guidelines for fiscal year 2027. This critical step towards providing a full reconciliation bill sets guidelines for funding to support our farmers, invest in our troops, and secure American election integrity.
- PASSED 216 - 214
  - Republicans: 216 - 2
  - Democrats: 0 - 211
  - Independent: 0 - 1

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The Hill: Scalise Embraces House GOP Elder Statesman Role Amid Leadership Shakeup Speculation

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This week, The Hill’s Emily Brooks profiled House Majority Leader Steve Scalise’s (R-La.) storied and successful leadership of the House Republican conference as we go into the 2026 midterm elections. Read the full article below or click here.

The Hill: Scalise embraces House GOP’s elder statesman role amid leadership shake-up speculation
July 23, 2026
By Emily Brooks

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) has reached his peak elder statesman era in President Trump’s second term.

The No. 2 House Republican has harnessed policymaking lessons from Trump’s rocky first-term trifecta, providing institutional memory that is unique among the conference’s other top leaders who rose to their positions later. At the same time, Scalise has grown his relationship with Trump and enjoyed more cohesive working relationships with leadership colleagues.

That experience, plus his conservative bona fides and surviving a brush with death in the 2017 congressional baseball shooting, has positioned Scalise to be a top contender for the House GOP’s No. 1 slot should control of the House flip after the midterms. The always-on-message Scalise brushed off that prospect, though, as he expressed optimism about Republicans’ chances of defying history to keep control of the chamber.

In an interview with The Hill in his Capitol office last week, Scalise said he has a “unique skill set” with his conservative policy wonk roots and history of building trust with Trump. That has helped him most, he said, in pushing major legislation through a historically slim and complicated Republican majority.

“I think that goes back to being chairman of the Republican Study Committee,” Scalise said, referring to the largest policy-minded, traditionally conservative caucus in the House, which he led more than a decade ago before jumping to be GOP whip in 2014.

“You’ve got to really take it serious and focus on the details, because the details are what matter.”

As House Republicans last year crafted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which extended tax cuts and pushed through partisan spending priorities, Scalise was the only member of House Republican leadership who was also in a top leadership position when Republicans crafted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reconciliation bill in Trump’s first term in 2017.

“I learned from the first Trump term that he was not in sync with all of leadership. Some were fighting President Trump,” Scalise said of Trump’s first term, noting the president’s rough relationship with then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and saying Trump “didn’t have the closest relationship” with former Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.).
That dynamic, Scalise said, led to delays in advancing the party’s legislative agenda.

“We literally wasted the first six months with everybody being on different pages,” Scalise said.

Republican leaders didn’t want that to happen again if Trump won the 2024 election and started planning months ahead of time what they would do legislatively if the GOP won trifecta control of government. Scalise said he flew to Mar-a-Lago to talk to Trump about those ideas about six months before the election — and took his suggestions of what kind of policies to add, like the “no tax on tips” provision for qualified tipped workers.

“Our relationship has grown through the years to where we not only trust each other, but he also knows that I have a really good understanding of how the House works,” Scalise said of his relationship with Trump. “We’ve been able to bridge some gaps through some of that trust.”

Then, Scalise got into the policy weeds — and management of the committee leaders crafting the various aspects of what would eventually get put into the bill, even months ahead of the election.

“I had tasked the committees with very aggressive things to do, but I gave them the clear direction along the way,” Scalise said. “I gave everybody deadlines — you know, ‘Get the bills out by these times. These are your target numbers.’”

In the end, the House GOP was able to overcome infighting made more complicated by the slim
Republican majority and deliver the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — which Republicans and the White House have since worked to rebrand as the Working Families Tax Cuts — to Trump’s desk by July 4 last year.

The dynamics in the House GOP have shifted dramatically in Scalise’s nearly two decades in Congress. Narrow margins and emboldened hard-liners have led to out-in-the-open rebellions on legislative items big and small on a near-weekly basis.

Scalise said the aim of the leadership team now is to bring different factions of the conference together to help them understand each other’s perspective.

“They think leadership’s stopping them from getting it, when it’s really other colleagues of theirs that won’t vote for that stuff,” Scalise said. “I said, well, don’t make it be leadership versus everybody else. Have them in the room, sitting across the table from their own colleagues.”

“You can hash out a lot of problems in an hour-and-a-half, two-hour meeting of some yelling and
screaming,” Scalise said.

He doesn’t do that alone. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has also embraced those kinds of meetings, which he dubs “intense fellowship.”

“The Speaker’s got incredible patience. He and I have a great relationship. We’ve known each other for 30 years,” Scalise said. “I do think that helps.”

It’s no secret on Capitol Hill that Scalise had a complicated relationship with Johnson’s predecessor, former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), even though they both publicly downplayed the tension. With fellow Louisianan Johnson at the helm, Scalise comes across as more empowered than in the past, though the majority leader declined to characterize it that way.

“I’m not going to compare leadership teams. I’m just going to talk about what we’re doing,” Scalise said.

“I’ve been in majorities where we had 35-seat majorities where we didn’t get as much done.”

Scalise said leaders now try to emphasize to members that they “can do big things,” but to do so, “we’re going to have to come together and work through our differences.”

Despite Johnson’s odds-defying performance as Speaker given the slim majority and rebel culture, Republicans widely assume a midterm loss would result in the Speaker exiting from leadership altogether. Johnson recently told The Wall Street Journal he wants to stay in the post if Republicans win but demurred when asked about the possibility of Republicans being relegated to the minority.

Scalise, as the current No. 2 Republican, is an obvious contender to take the No. 1 slot if Johnson departs. But members have also speculated about whether House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) would seek the job, and they suspect House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) could make an insurgent bid — though none of them have confirmed that interest. All three leaders at various points sought to replace McCarthy as Speaker when he was ousted three years ago.

Scalise did not directly answer when asked if he would seek to be minority leader. He said people are always asking him: “Are you going to run against this guy? Are you going to run for that thing?”

“As long as I do this job well, I don’t worry about the next job, and I’ve never done that,” Scalise said. “I know some people walk in the building thinking they’re going to be president of the United States. That’s never been the approach I’ve had.”

His short-lived bid for Speaker after McCarthy’s ouster was complicated by uncertainty about whether he would be up for the job health-wise.

Scalise, 60, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer, in August 2023. The cancer was described by his office as “very treatable,” but some Republicans were hesitant to hand him the high-stress, travel-intensive job just a few months later.

He announced in February 2024 that his cancer was in “complete remission” and has traveled
extensively on the campaign trail since. Still, scrutiny of high-powered lawmakers’ health issues has increased in the last few years, with instances like former President Biden being pushed to end his reelection bid after a disastrous debate performance; Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.) refusing to explain his health-related absence for months; and McConnell waiting weeks to fully explain the circumstances of his hospital stay.

But Scalise’s cancer battle, combined with his emotional and legendary return after surviving the
congressional baseball shooting, also displays personal resilience that has endeared him to the rest of the GOP.

Through tough votes and turbulent internal politics in the Republican Party, Scalise has been a
disciplined messenger for Republicans, seemingly incapable of putting his foot in his mouth.

“I know what I need to do,” Scalise said about his message discipline. “We have got a tough conference, a complicated conference, but you know, you got to work with everybody. But you also have to be candid with him and go, ‘OK, it’s time. Now it’s time to get on the train.’”

It helps, he said, that Trump is engaged in the process. The president will ask Scalise to give him names of members to call to get on board — and while some might see the attention from Trump as a treat, Scalise insisted: “That’s not a call you want to have.”

“He’s our best closer for a reason — because he also knows what he wants to do, and we’re all helping each other achieve the things we ran on,” Scalise said of Trump.

###

Committee Cliff Notes: Week of July 20, 2026

Fri, 24 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:

Agriculture

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development held a hearing called "Examining Customer Protections and Market Integrity in Sports Event Prediction Markets," featuring testimony from Robert A. Schwartz of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and former CFTC General Counsel, David Z. Bean of the Indian Gaming Association, Christopher Cylke of the American Gaming Association, Carl Kennedy of Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP, and Asaf Meir of Solidus Labs.

As sports event prediction markets continue to grow rapidly, the hearing examined how customer protection and market integrity requirements under the Commodity Exchange Actapply to these markets as the CFTC considers updates to its oversight framework.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture held a hearing called "For the Purpose of Receiving Testimony from Chief Tom Schultz, U.S. Forest Service," during which committee members heard testimony from U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz on the agency’s priorities, organizational restructuring, wildfire preparedness and response, forest health, timber management, state partnerships, and other issues affecting the National Forest System and rural communities.

The hearing comes as the Forest Service is implementing an agency reorganization, while Congress continues to consider forestry and wildfire resilience provisions as part of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026.

Appropriations

Having completed committee action on all twelve Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations bills before the end of June, Appropriators turned their attention to an issue that too often overshadows the funding process: government shutdowns. On Wednesday, July 22, the House Appropriations Committee, led by Chairman Cole, held a rare full committee hearing, "Funding Lapses: Analyzing Shutdown Reform," to evaluate legislative proposals intended to reduce lapses, consider their implications, and discuss ways to promote a more stable process. Protecting the American people from the consequences of needless, partisan shutdowns should be an objective shared by all lawmakers.

Education & Workforce

On Tuesday, July 21, the Committee on Education and Workforce held a full committee markup on the following measures:

H.R. 8781, the Title IX Clarification Act of 2026 (Arrington)
H.R. 4986, the Parents Opt-in Protection Act (Miller)
H.R. 8747, the K-12 AI Literacy and Readiness Act of 2026 (Fine)
H.R. 8183, the Modernizing Access to Talents, Credentials, and Hiring (MATCH) Act of 2026 (Owens)
H.R. 9273, the Fit Future Act (Mackenzie)
H.R. 8660, the Valuing Employee Stock Today Act (Mackenzie)
H.R. 8347, the Reinforcing Underserved, Rural, and Local (RURAL) Healthcare Act (Owens)
H.R. 6213, the Heat Workforce Standards Act of 2025 (Messmer)
H.R. 8775, the Ending Predator Access to Union Power Act (Wilson)
H.R. 5267, the American Franchise Act (Hern)

These bills aim to protect women and girls, safeguard the rights of students and parents, prepare students and educators to use AI safely and effectively in the classroom, encourage healthy habits among children, strengthen the American workforce, support employers and entrepreneurs, prevent harmful regulations, and hold union leaders accountable.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing called "Broken Trust: How the Biden-Harris DOL Leaked Confidential Information." Today's hearing examined serious failures at the Biden-Harris Department of Labor (DOL) uncovered through the Committee's oversight. The Inspector General found the Biden-Harris DOL shared confidential investigative information with outside lawyers to skew court cases, couldn't keep track of what was shared or with whom, and lacked basic safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest. Americans deserve a government that enforces the law fairly—not one that gives special interests an unfair advantage.

On Friday, July 24, the Committee on Education and Workforce held a full committee field hearing called "Building an AI-Ready America: How AI Is Creating Opportunities Across America's Workforce."

Energy & Commerce

On Monday, July 20 and Tuesday, July 21, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a full committee markup on 29 measures. The Committee marked up 29 bills to lower energy costs, cut red tape, protect communities from illicit drug threats, and empowering patients by expanding access to clear pricing data. This markup included the Ratepayer Protection Act, which ensures that working families don’t pay the price for increased energy loads.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing called "Legislative Proposals to Strengthen Consumer Protection in a Changing Marketplace." This hearing examined a slate of consumer product and service protection bills. This legislation will help strengthen transparency and bolster enforcement against foreign companies breaking our consumer protection laws.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology held a legislative hearing called "Protecting Communications Networks and Improving Connectivity" on the following measures:

H.R. 9129, the GUARD Act (Moolenaar)
H.R. 1027, the QUIET Act (Sorensen)
H.R. 2805, the PLAN for Broadband Act (Walberg)
H.R. 4950, the Data BRIDGE Act (Houchin)
H.R. 6152, the Foreign Robocall Elimination Act (McDowell)
H.R. 7294, the AI for Secure Networks Act (Menendez)

Americans received an estimated 4.3 billion robocalls last month alone. This week, Chairman Hudson lead a C&T hearing examining legislation that will combat illegal robocalls, protect communications networks from foreign adversaries, and improve connectivity nationwide.

Financial Services

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a hearing called "Oversight of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network." The subcommittee, led by Chairman Warren Davidson (OH-08), examined efforts to strengthen the national anti-money laundering framework, improve FinCEN’s effectiveness, and combat illicit finance while reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens.

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance held a hearing called "Oversight of the Federal Home Loan Bank System." The subcommittee, led by Chairman Mike Flood (NE-01), explored the structure, operations, and mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee hosted a fireside chat with full Committee Chairman French Hill (AR-02) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Dan Meuser (PA-09) on the Committee’s work to address the rise of financial fraud and scams and strengthen protections for American consumers. The Committee also released a staff report titled: “Fighting Back: A Policy Framework for Combating the Rise of Financial Fraud & Scams.”

Foreign Affairs

On Tuesday, July 21, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a full committee hearing called "Confronting Haiti’s Terrorist Gangs: The Gang Suppression Force and the Path Ahead." The lawmakers examined the lessons learned from the U.N. Multinational Security Support mission aand how those lessons have been applied to the current Gang Suppression Force efforts to take the fight to the gangs that control an estimated 90% of Port-au-Prince.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a full committee hearing called "United Nations Accountability and Reform: Advancing an America First Foreign Policy Through Strategic Diplomacy and Burden Sharing." During his opening remarks, Chairman Mast underscored the dire need for reform at the U.N. and ensuring our foreign policy puts America First.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee held a hearing called "Building a New Regional Security Architecture: The Next Phase of the Abraham Accords." The lawmakers examined the success of the Abraham Accords in building lasting peace and prosperity to the Middle East, and the role Congress must play in building upon its success.

On Wednesday, July 22, the East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee held a hearing called "Charting a New Course: Countering China's Dominance in Global Shipbuilding." The lawmakers examined China’s control over global commercial shipbuilding capacity, and the imperative that America work with its partners and allies to counter China’s dominance.

House Administration

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Modernization and Innovation held a hearing called “Modernizing Public Access to Legislative Data and Information.”

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on House Administration held a full committee hearing called “Oversight of the Smithsonian: Radical Revisionism at the National Museum of American History.”

Intelligence

On Monday, July 20, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a closed full committee markup on the following measure:

H.R. 9624, the Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (Crawford)

On Tuesday, July 21, the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence held a full committee hearing called "25 Years After 9/11: Confronting the Next Generation of Threats."

Judiciary

On Tuesday, July 21, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup on the following measure:

H.R. 9773, the Permanent Trump Secure Border Act Bill (Roy)

On Wednesday, July 22, the Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing called "False Narratives Surrounding Conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE Detention Center."

Natural Resources

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a legislative hearing on the following measures:

H.R. 8003, the Expanding the Fast Track Act of 2026 (Deluzio)
H.R. 9640, the Earth MRI Reauthorization Act of 2026 (Wittman)
H.R. 9646, the Quantum-Enhanced Critical Minerals Mapping Act of 2026 (Hurd)

The hearing examined legislation to modernize America's geologic mapping capabilities, expand the use of advanced sensing and quantum technologies and strengthen domestic critical mineral development by improving the identification of the nation's mineral resources.

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on the following measures:

H.R. 7332, the Whale CHARTS Act of 2026 (Matsui)
H.R. 7466, the SAFE CATTLE Act (Jackson)
H.R. 8876, the Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Prevention Act of 2026 (Walberg)
H.R. 9621, the Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act of 2026 (Baumgartner)

The hearing examined Republican legislation to strengthen species recovery efforts, improve coordination to combat aquatic invasive species and New World Screwworm and support science-based wildlife management for America's fisheries, livestock and food supply.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Natural Resources held a full committee markup on the following measures:

H.R. 309, the National Law Enforcement Officers Remembrance, Support and Community Outreach Act (Nehls)
H.R. 1693, To redesignate the National Historic Trails Interpretive Center in Casper, Wyoming, as the “Barbara L. Cubin National Historic Trails Interpretive Center" (Hageman)
H.R. 4219, the National Wildlife Refuge System Invasive Species Strike Team Act of 2025 (Case)
H.R. 4931, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act (Murphy)
H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act (Kiggans)
H.R. 6021, the Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act (Begich)
H.R. 8121, To designate the Christiansted Bandstand at the Christiansted National Historic Site, St. Croix, Virgin Islands, as the “Peter G. Thurland, Sr., Bandstand" (Plaskett)
H.R. 8454, To provide for the transfer of administrative jurisdiction over certain Federal land in the State of California, and for other purposes (McClintock)

The Committee advanced legislation to support law enforcement officers, improve visitor experiences across the National Park System, ensure adequate lifeguard staffing at federal beaches, honor Alaska Native traditions and improve public land management in California.

Oversight and Government Reform

On Tuesday, July 21, the Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency held a hearing called "Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past." During the hearing, members examined efforts of the National Museum of American History (NMAH) and the broader Smithsonian Institution to promote divisive, inappropriate, and factually inaccurate programming on U.S. history. Members criticized the use of the taxpayer-funded NMAH as a tool to promote a politicized agenda concerning issues of race, class, gender and sexuality. This hearing follows a reportreleased by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4, 2026, revealing the NMAH’s extensive left-wing biases that significantly alter and disparage United States history.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee markup and advanced legislation to lower prescription drug costs, protect patients and local independent pharmacies from predatory pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices, strengthen congressional oversight of Washington, D.C.’s taxing authority, and improve the efficiency of federal government operations. Chairman Comer published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner lauding the bipartisan Pharmacists Fight Back Act (H.R. 6610) to hold PBMs accountable for raising prescription drug prices to unaffordable levels for many Americans.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses held a hearing called "The Future of DEI in Law School Accreditation and the Legal Profession." During the hearing, members analyzed how the American Bar Association (ABA) has weaponized its accreditation authority to promote DEI policies that are contrary to federal civil rights law and the negative consequences in the legal profession that result from these harmful policies. Members also heard from witnesses the need for Congress to act to ensure permanent elimination of DEI policies within American institutions, including the legal profession and academy.

Rules

On Monday, July 20, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:

H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act (Steil)
H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act (Hill)
H. Con. Res. 113, Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2027 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2028 through 2036 (Arrington)
H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027 (Cole)
H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 [Rule Markup Only] (Rogers)
H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act [Rule Markup Only] (Scott)

This week the Committee took testimony on measures designed to restore trust in Congress, empower community banks, safeguard our troops and elections, and take a lapse in appropriations off the table for Democrats. Rules Republicans discussed the extent to which members’ lucrative stock trades can erode faith in this institution. The discussion also covered Dodd-Frank’s shortcomings and how community lenders were severely disadvantaged compared to national banks. Rules Republicans stressed the importance of acting amidst Democrat obstruction—especially to support our troops in conflict and defend our elections from foreign and illegal influence. Finally, members outlined the recent history of woefully irresponsible Democrat shutdowns and detailed how everyday Americans neither need nor deserve another intentional appropriations lapse in the name of radical, left-leaning politics.

Science, Space, and Technology

On Tuesday, July 21, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee markup on the following measures:

H.R. 3168, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Valadao)
H.R. 8437, the Geo POWER Act (Begich)
H.R. 9326, the USA Act (Webster)
H.R. 8981, Standards and Calibration for American Leadership in Engineering Biology Act (McClain Delaney)

These four bipartisan bills encompass the consistent focus of the Science, Space, and Technology Committee—reducing risk, expanding opportunity, and keeping America prepared for whatever comes next.

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee hearing called "Unleashing the Golden Age of Science: Examining the Priorities of the FY2027 Research and Technology Enterprise." The purpose of the hearing was to assess the FY27 budget request to Congress to support the nation’s science enterprise.

Select Committee on China

On Monday, July 20, Chairman John Moolenaar and Senators John Cornyn and Tom Cotton, the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, introduced H.R.9789 - Stop PRC Economic Espionage Act of 2026. This bill amends current law to make it harder for Chinese entities to commit economic espionage, and easier for the U.S. justice system to prosecute them for it.

On Wednesday, July 22, the House-passed NDAA included provisions of H.R.8623 - Guarding the U.S. Against Adversarial Robotics Dominance (GUARD) Act, Chairman Moolenaar’s bill to require the Pentagon to begin the process of determining whether Chinese robots should be banned nationwide. The GUARD Act was also included in Wednesday’s legislative hearing in the House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communication and Technology. Additionally on Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed the Senate version of Chairman Moolenaar’s bipartisan H.R.8730 - Connected Vehicle Security Act of 2026, which would prohibit the importation, manufacture, and sale of connected vehicles, software, and hardware linked to China.

Small Business

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of SBA’s Office of Entrepreneurial Development." The purpose of this hearing was to conduct oversight of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Entrepreneurial Development (OED) and its efforts to help small businesses start, grow, and compete. The hearing also provided Members an opportunity to review reforms and operational changes implemented under the Trump Administration and assess their impact on the delivery of entrepreneurial assistance.

Ways and Means

On Wednesday, July 22, the Committee on Ways and Means held a full committee markupon the following measures:

H.R. 9772, the Foreign Funding Transparency Act (Schweikert)
H.R. 9771, the Stopping Foreign Influence in Elections Act of 2026 (Malliotakis)
H.R. 9721, the Fiscal Sponsorship Transparency Act of 2026 (Smucker)
H.R. 9722, the Fair Treatment of Religious Organizations Act of 2026 (Moore)

The Committee advanced legislation to increase transparency in America’s tax-exempt sector, hold bad actors accountable, prevent foreign influence in American politics and public discourse, and protect religious freedom.

###

The Leader's Floor Lookout: Thursday, July 23, 2026

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:

Empowering Americans with Disabilities in the Workforce

Millions of Americans have achieved the American Dream through the opportunity to work, build careers, and provide for their families. However, many Americans with disabilities face unnecessary barriers to employment because of outdated policies and unclear eligibility rules.

Nearly 60 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries say they want and believe they are able to work within the next two to five years. Yet fewer than one percent of SSDI beneficiaries leave the program each year.

Americans with disabilities who want to work should have every opportunity to do so. That is why, today, House Republicans are advancing the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act. The bill reauthorizes a provision of the Social Security Actallowing the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct demonstration projects that test alternative policies to help SSDI beneficiaries who are able to work reenter the workforce. It also prohibits the SSA from conducting demonstration projects that would reduce a participant's overall income.

Rep. Austin Scott’s measure, H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, will allow the SSA to test different program rules to promote work for disabled Americans and improve work outcomes, so that every American can have an equal opportunity to excel in the workforce.

House Republicans are committed to expanding opportunities for all Americans – including disabled Americans.

###

The Republican Recap: Week of July 20, 2026

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Here's a recap of what Republicans achieved on the House floor this week:

Replenishing Funding for Vital National Security Sectors ✅

Supporting our farmers, strengthening our military, and protecting the integrity of our elections are essential to keeping America safe, secure, and prosperous. Yet time and again, Democrats have been willing to hold these priorities hostage to advance their radical left agenda. Especially with Democrats’ opposition to policies as common sense as showing your ID to vote, it is clear the Democrat party is out of touch with the American people.

House Republicans are committed to ensuring these critical priorities receive the resources they need. That's why we advanced a budget resolution to responsibly fund these programs and keep America strong.

This budget resolution supports America's farmers so our nation remains food secure and never depends on foreign countries to feed our people. It also provides critical funding for our military, ensuring our servicemembers have the resources and pay they deserve to defend our nation. Finally, it strengthens election security by incorporating vital components of the SAVE America Act, including showing ID and proof of citizenship to vote. Every American deserves elections they can feel confident in, and commonsense policies like voter ID are a vital way to reestablish election integrity.

Chairman Jodey Arrington’s resolution, H. Con. Res 113, will establish budget guidelines for fiscal year 2027. This critical step towards providing a full reconciliation bill sets guidelines for funding to support our farmers, invest in our troops, and secure American election integrity.

"I am humbled by the steadfast unity and unwavering determination from House Republicans to break the Democrat obstruction so we can provide emergency support for our troops, safeguard the integrity of our elections, and continue delivering on the priorities of the American people," said Chairman Jodey Arrington. "I urge the Senate to seize this fateful moment to SAVE and Protect America.”

What Members Said:

Rep. Adrian Smith applauded how this resolution provides important framework to protecting American security.

Rep. Jeff Crank highlighted the farmers, troops, and voter ID measures that will benefit by House Republicans unlocking the reconciliation 3.0 package.

Preventing Democrats’ Partisan Shutdown ✅

Last fall, congressional Democrats triggered the longest full government shutdown in American history by blocking Republican funding efforts and holding the American people hostage to their radical agenda and obsession with opposing President Trump.

Republicans reopened the government by passing a continuing resolution and remain committed to ensuring Americans never again endure a Democrat-imposed shutdown. This week, nearly every Democrat once again chose partisan pandering over responsible governing.

House Republicans advanced a continuing resolution this week to keep the government open, ensure hardworking Americans continue receiving their paychecks through the end of the year, and prevent another round of needless political brinkmanship.

H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027, sponsored by Chairman Tom Cole, provides funding to crucial programs, including SNAP, WIC, TANF, and disaster relief through the end of the year. This bill will prevent the September 30, 2026 funding lapse while also allowing Congress to complete the appropriations process in regular order.

"Too many members in Congress mistake a cliff's edge for political leverage – and this bill refuses to reward those who depend on obstruction and chaos. Instead, it puts certainty and stability for the nation first. There is no virtue in waiting until every option has disappeared before deciding to act," said Chairman Tom Cole. "This legislation protects our national security, preserves critical services, and removes any party from seeking to manufacture shutdown leverage before elections. There are no poison pills, no political gimmicks, and no partisan riders – just a clean, straightforward stopgap. So, today leaves no question where House Republicans stand – we chose responsibility over crisis, leadership over politics, and governing over gamesmanship. That is what Article I demands, and it is exactly what the American people expect.”

What Members Said:

Rep. August Pfluger underscored how nearly all Democrats abdicated their duty to responsibly govern our country.

Chairman Tim Walberg highlighted how this bill is vital for delivering paychecks to some of the hardest working Americans.

Investing in the Arsenal of Freedom ✅

America's military is unmatched, but preserving that strength requires continued investment and a commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats. House Republicans are committed to ensuring our Armed Forces remain the most capable and lethal fighting force in the world.

This week, House Republicans passed the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to advance President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda. The bill makes critical investments in our military by supporting President Trump's request for a 5 to 7 percent pay raise for every service member, recognizing their service and sacrifice.

The legislation also strengthens our defense industrial base, secures critical supply chains, eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, expands domestic defense production, and creates new opportunities for innovators and manufacturers to reinforce the Arsenal of Freedom.

Chairman Mike Rogers’ bill, H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, authorizes appropriations to expand U.S. defense production capacity, modernize our military, and ensure America’s armed forces remain the most lethal, ready, and robust in the world, all while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

“Our national security depends on a ready, capable, and well-equipped fighting force backed by a robust and innovative defense industrial base. The FY27 NDAA delivers that,” Rogers said. This is a strong bill that builds on President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda, supports servicemembers and military families, and gives our warfighters the resources they need to fight and win. Peace Through Strength begins long before the battlefield—it is forged in America’s factories, depots, and shipyards,” said Chairman Mike Rogers. "After years of underinvestment, the FY27 NDAA revitalizes America’s defense industrial base and gives our military the capacity to deter our adversaries and carry out President Trump’s Peace Through Strength Agenda."

What Members Said:

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart celebrated how this bill enforces President Trump’s Peace Through Strength agenda.

Rep. Zach Nunn highlighted how this bill will equip our brave men and women in uniform with the tools they need.

Banning Congressional Stock Trading ✅

Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents and uphold their office as a public trust. Because Members have access to sensitive, nonpublic information as part of their official duties, many Americans believe stronger safeguards are needed to help reinforce confidence in Congress.

House Republicans approved legislation this week to prohibit Members of Congress from trading individual stocks while serving in office. This commonsense reform is designed to help reassure the American people that their elected representatives are focused on serving the public interest and maintaining the integrity of the institution.

Chairman Brian Steil’s bill, H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing securities from publicly traded companies, establish a required window to alert the House Clerk of any intended sale, as well as impose forfeiture of gains and fees for lawmakers’ noncompliance.

“The Stop Insider Trading Act is a major step forward for ethics reform on Capitol Hill. It ensures no lawmaker can profit off of insider information,” said Chairman Brian Steil. “I urge my Senate colleagues to quickly take it up and send it to President Trump’s desk.”

What Members Said:

Rep. Scott Perry reiterated that Americans deserve leaders in Congress who are here to serve, not grow their wealth.

Rep. Young Kim spoke about how this commonsense measure will help restore trust in Congress.

Empowering Main Street and Local Economies ✅

Main Street businesses are vital to local economies and help millions achieve the American Dream. However, the community banks and credit unions that serve Main Street have suffered from overregulation after the 2008 financial crisis that subjected them to many of the same regulatory standards as large financial institutions. As a result, many community banks have closed, making it increasingly difficult for small businesses to access capital.

Community banks should not be subject to the same regulatory framework as Wall Street's largest financial institutions. Because of this, House Republicans passed legislation this week to modernize the one-size-fits-all regulatory system, reduce unnecessary burdens on community banks, and make it easier to establish new local financial institutions in underserved communities.

Chairman French Hill’s bill, H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act, eases regulations on community banks and credit unions by tailoring regulatory thresholds, increasing transparency among regulators, making regulation more predictable for small banks, and promoting new bank formation.

"As a former community banker, I've seen firsthand how community banks drive Main Street's growth. For decades, Washington has forced these institutions to operate under rules built for the largest, most systemically important banks, stifling local lending and accelerating industry consolidation. This bill fixes that,” said Chairman French Hill. "It spurs the formation of new banks, restores common-sense tailoring to bank regulation, and removes barriers that have limited lending in communities across the country. Expanding access to capital means entrepreneurs can invest, businesses can grow, and families can build wealth. I want to thank Subcommittee Chairman Andy Barr for his partnership on this bill, and I look forward to the Senate taking up this important legislation.”

What Members Said:

Rep. Marlin Stutzman celebrated how this measure will remove restrictive regulations so small banks can serve the communities who need them.

Rep. Michelle Fischbach applauded how this measure will help rural communities by tailoring regulations for banks that serve smaller communities.

Empowering Americans with Disabilities in the Workforce ✅

Millions of Americans have achieved the American Dream through the opportunity to work, build careers, and provide for their families. However, many Americans with disabilities face unnecessary barriers to employment because of outdated policies and unclear eligibility rules.

Nearly 60 percent of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries say they want and believe they are able to work within the next two to five years. Yet fewer than one percent of SSDI beneficiaries leave the program each year.

Americans with disabilities who want to work should have every opportunity to do so. That is why House Republicans advanced the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act. The bill reauthorizes a provision of the Social Security Act allowing the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct demonstration projects that test alternative policies to help SSDI beneficiaries who are able to work reenter the workforce. It also prohibits the SSA from conducting demonstration projects that would reduce a participant's overall income.

Rep. Austin Scott’s measure, H.R. 8884, the Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act, will allow the SSA to test different program rules to promote work for disabled Americans and improve work outcomes, so that every American can have an equal opportunity to excel in the workforce.

“The Removing Barriers to Work for Disabled Americans Act is about helping disabled Americans pursue opportunities without the fear of losing the benefits that help them live with dignity," said Rep. Austin Scott. "This bill would allow the Social Security Administration to pursue scoped demonstration programs while ensuring voluntary participants' overall income is not reduced, giving disabled Americans the chance to build the future they want."

What Members Said:

Rep. Austin Scott highlighted how this bill provides an on-ramp for disabled Americans to successfully return to work.

Chairman Jason Smith reaffirmed that Americans who want to work should have accessible avenues to employment.

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The Leader's Floor Lookout: Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:

Replenishing Funding for Vital National Security Sectors

Supporting our farmers, strengthening our military, and protecting the integrity of our elections are essential to keeping America safe, secure, and prosperous. Yet time and again, Democrats have been willing to hold these priorities hostage to advance their radical left agenda. Especially with Democrats’ opposition to policies as common sense as showing your ID to vote, it is clear the Democrat party is out of touch with the American people.

House Republicans are committed to ensuring these critical priorities receive the resources they need. That's why today we'll bring forward a budget resolution to responsibly fund these programs and keep America strong.

This budget resolution supports America's farmers so our nation remains food secure and never depends on foreign countries to feed our people. It also provides critical funding for our military, ensuring our servicemembers have the resources and pay they deserve to defend our nation. Finally, it strengthens election security by incorporating vital components of the SAVE America Act, including showing ID and proof of citizenship to vote. Every American deserves elections they can feel confident in, and commonsense policies like voter ID are a vital way to reestablish election integrity.

Chairman Jodey Arrington’s resolution, H. Con. Res 113, will establish budget guidelines for fiscal year 2027. This critical step towards providing a full reconciliation bill sets guidelines for funding to support our farmers, invest in our troops, and secure American election integrity.

House Republicans will always support the hardworking Americans who contribute to our national security.

Investing in the Arsenal of Freedom

America's military is unmatched, but preserving that strength requires continued investment and a commitment to staying ahead of emerging threats. House Republicans are committed to ensuring our Armed Forces remain the most capable and lethal fighting force in the world.

Today, House Republicans are bringing forward the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to advance President Trump's Peace Through Strength agenda. The bill makes critical investments in our military by supporting President Trump's request for a 5 to 7 percent pay raise for every service member, recognizing their service and sacrifice.

The legislation also strengthens our defense industrial base, secures critical supply chains, eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, expands domestic defense production, and creates new opportunities for innovators and manufacturers to reinforce the Arsenal of Freedom.

Chairman Mike Rogers’ bill, H.R. 8800, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027, authorizes appropriations to expand U.S. defense production capacity, modernize our military, and ensure America’s armed forces remain the most lethal, ready, and robust in the world, all while safeguarding taxpayer dollars.

House Republicans will always stand with the brave men and women who defend our country by providing the resources, infrastructure, and support they need to keep America safe.

Banning Congressional Stock Trading

Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents and uphold their office as a public trust. Because Members have access to sensitive, nonpublic information as part of their official duties, many Americans believe stronger safeguards are needed to help reinforce confidence in Congress.

The 2012 STOCK Act established important protections against insider trading, but many believe additional steps can further strengthen transparency, accountability, and public trust.

House Republicans are taking action by bringing forward legislation today to prohibit Members of Congress from trading individual stocks while serving in office. This commonsense reform is designed to help reassure the American people that their elected representatives are focused on serving the public interest and maintaining the integrity of the institution.

Chairman Brian Steil’s bill, H.R. 7008, the Stop Insider Trading Act, would prohibit Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children from purchasing securities from publicly traded companies, establish a required window to alert the House Clerk of any intended sale, as well as impose forfeiture of gains and fees for lawmakers’ noncompliance.

House Republicans believe public service should always come before personal financial gain. Congress should be focused on serving the American people, not profiting from stock trades.

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Scalise: House Republicans Are Delivering Results While Democrats Continue to Obstruct

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today on the House floor, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) contrasted House Republicans' record of lowering costs, strengthening border security, combatting fraud, and advancing election integrity with Democrats' continued opposition to those priorities. Leader Scalise also pointed to recent reports that New Jersey identified more than 6,600 noncitizens on its voter rolls as evidence of the need for stronger election integrity measures.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.

Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:

“Over and over again, we see nothing but obstruction from Democrats. It's sad to say. It's sad to see. The American people are watching a party that has become a rudderless ship running off the left edge, socialists taking over. Watching what is going on to that other party, look at some of the things that we've been able to do even with their obstruction. Working to produce more energy in America so we can lower costs for American families while every Democrat voted no. Working to lower tax rates for working families. Yes, no tax on overtime, a benefit that has helped over 30 million Americans. These aren't the millionaires and the billionaires that Democrats go fight for every day. These are hardworking families making under $100,000 a year, many of them shift workers, law enforcement officers.

“Maybe they voted against that bill because they want to defund the police, not help police officers and firefighters have a little bit more money in their pocket with no tax on overtime, no tax on tips. Somebody making $32,000 a year on average has thousands more in their pocket now because of the work we did. And how did we pay for it, Mr. Chairman? We paid for it by putting anti-fraud measures in that bill. Yes, going after theft of American taxpayer dollars. And not just small-time folks. You've got foreign countries operating with criminal organizations in states like Minnesota. We saw it. We documented it... President Trump was able to go out and recoup not millions, but billions and tens of billions of dollars that we were able to take out of the hands of people stealing your money. And we, we put it in the pockets of hardworking families.

"Overtime workers, waiters, waitresses, senior citizens who now have a tax credit. All of that we paid for with money that was being stolen. And every step of the way, Democrats opposed it. They would rather theft of your tax dollars go to fraudsters than hardworking families have their money back. So their obstruction is nothing new, Mr. Chairman.

…

“And then we get to today where we say, shouldn't we make sure our men and women in uniform have the tools they need to do their job safely? Shouldn't we make sure that our farmers get the relief they need so we can keep working to lower food costs? And oh, by the way, can't we ensure the integrity of the American vote? Basic things that most Americans understand. Democrats in Washington don't.

…

“They get up here and they start voting against the wishes of the American people over and over and over again. And why? Not just to defend fraudsters. If you know that requiring a picture ID, just something so basic that every American understands, by the way, those same Democrats have to show that picture ID to get on the airplane to come up here and vote for socialist policies. But then yet they don't want that to be the case when you vote. And then they would say, ‘don't worry, there's no fraud.’ There's no fraud? Well, why is it just today's New York Post uncovered yet again what we've known all along? Here in New Jersey, they just admitted 6,600 noncitizens are on their rolls, many of them voting, voting in elections, illegals on their rolls voting. And they document in this article many elections that were decided by just a small number of votes. In fact, the margin of the theft, the stolen votes are that margin. You can stop that by just requiring a picture ID. And then you would say, well, then why would anybody be against that? And they'll hide behind all these other ruses, but they'll vote no.

“We've got a bill later today to say, well, let's ban members of Congress from trading stocks. And you're going to watch the board. On an issue that every American understands, and almost every Democrat's going to vote no. And you'll say, why is that? Because it requires a photo ID. What's so harmful about that? You can't go get an unlimited bowl of pasta at Olive Garden without showing a photo ID. Can we at least have the Olive Garden standard when we protect the democracy and the franchise that we have to keep this great democracy? And that's just requiring that you prove you are who you say you are.

“And this, Mr. Chairman, is such a fundamental principle. Not hard to explain to the American people, but actively opposed by Democrats in Congress. And it just begs the question, why? Who are they protecting? Who are they protecting with a no vote, Mr. Chairman, if they know illegals are voting in many of these states where they don't require photo ID?

…

“I think it's critical we protect the sanctity of every American's right to vote. And if somebody else is stealing your vote because they're voting illegally, thousands in New Jersey, then it takes away your right to vote. Mr. Chairman, we ought to be protecting everybody's right to vote."

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The Leader's Floor Lookout: Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:

Preventing Democrats’ Partisan Shutdown

Last fall, congressional Democrats triggered the longest full government shutdown in American history by blocking Republican funding efforts and holding the American people hostage to their radical agenda and obsession with opposing President Trump. Their obstruction left servicemembers wondering when their next paycheck would arrive and families wondering how they would put food on the table.

Republicans reopened the government by passing a continuing resolution and remain committed to ensuring Americans never again endure a Democrat-imposed shutdown. That's why House Republicans have advanced every appropriations bill through committee and brought many to the House floor. Today, Democrats will once again have to make a choice between responsible governance and partisan pandering.

House Republicans will bring a continuing resolution to the floor today to keep the government open, ensure hardworking Americans continue receiving their paychecks through the end of the year, and prevent another round of needless political brinkmanship.

H.R. 9770, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2027, sponsored by Chairman Tom Cole, provides funding to crucial programs, including SNAP, WIC, TANF, and disaster relief through the end of the year. This bill will prevent the September 30, 2026 funding lapse while also allowing Congress to complete the appropriations process in regular order.

House Republicans have shown time and again that they are focused on governing responsibly.

Empowering Main Street and Local Economies

Main Street businesses are vital to local economies and help millions achieve the American Dream. However, the community banks and credit unions that serve Main Street have suffered from overregulation after the 2008 financial crisis that subjected them to many of the same regulatory standards as large financial institutions. As a result, many community banks have closed, making it increasingly difficult for small businesses to access capital.

Community banks should not be subject to the same regulatory framework as Wall Street's largest financial institutions. Because of this, House Republicans are bringing forward legislation today to modernize the one-size-fits-all regulatory system, reduce unnecessary burdens on community banks, and make it easier to establish new local financial institutions in underserved communities.

Chairman French Hill’s bill, H.R. 6955, the Main Street Capital Access Act, eases regulations on community banks and credit unions by tailoring regulatory thresholds, increasing transparency among regulators, making regulation more predictable for small banks, and promoting new bank formation.

House Republicans are committed to ensuring community banks have the opportunity to grow, compete, and serve the communities that rely on them.

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Scalise: House Republicans Advance Agenda to Strengthen Affordability, Security, and Trust

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

This morning, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to preview a busy week in the House, outlining House Republicans' agenda to keep the government open, strengthen election integrity, reform congressional stock trading, support America's military, and lower costs for American families. Leader Scalise also contrasted Republicans' focus on delivering commonsense solutions with Democrats' embrace of radical collectivist policies that would raise costs and undermine America's security.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full interview.

Highlights from Leader Scalise's interview:

On House Republicans fighting for Americans on the floor this week:

“We have a busy week. We're moving a number of bills. We're going to be moving what's called a continuing resolution, a bill to make sure we can keep government funded because the basic function of government is to pay the troops, to make sure we can fund, for example, we had the big fight over the Department of Homeland Security and where it hurt families, as you saw lines at airports and Democrats shut the government down. We don't want to have that happen again. So we're going to bring a bill tomorrow to prevent a government shutdown.

“We're going to bring a bill to ban stock trading... a lot of people have this frustration when they see that Members of Congress— some do trade stocks. I don't, but some do. And, you know, right now it's legal. You're not allowed to use insider information, but just the perception of it's not good. And so banning day trading by members of Congress, you know, if you come in from another job, you have a 401K, you can hold that, but you can't be trading along the way while you're a Member of Congress. I think that's a really good, long-needed reform that's going to move this week. We're going to pass that bill.

“We're going to be moving, as you talked about, Reconciliation 3.0. This is a bill, at least a budget, to start that process so that we can actually have the ability to, number one, move the SAVE America Act over to the Senate in a way where they can take this up with 51 votes, not 60. You know, we've seen in the Senate that Democrats do not want to work with President Trump on anything, and this is an important reform to ensure voter integrity. So we're going to move that bill over as well.

"We're also moving the NDAA, the National Defense Authorization Act. This is a bill that ensures that our troops get the priorities they need in military spending so that our department of war is able to stay up to date with our adversaries like China.

"And then we're moving a really good Main Street bill that French Hill over at financial services have moved to help community banks get more level footing with the large banks. So we're doing a lot of important things this week.”

On House Republicans working to secure elections and lower costs:

“There are a lot of really good bills that are over in the Senate. You know, we've got a great permitting reform bill that would be really important to help Americans build again. I mean, everything from homebuilding to roads and bridges that take ten years and sometimes just get shelved because of ridiculous, overriding bureaucracy. We have a great bill that solves that problem that passed with a big bipartisan vote in the House. Can't go anywhere in the Senate. They've got serious problems over there getting bills moved. Just the appropriations bills to fund basic functions of government. They can't get 60 votes to take the bill up and start debating it, let alone to pass it.

"So when you think about something like SAVE America, which is at the heart of democracy, just saying show picture ID to vote, for God's sake, you can't go get pasta at Olive Garden without a picture ID. Why not be able to show a picture ID to vote, the franchise of American democracy, and the Senate can't get 60 votes to move it. So we're sending them this idea in a bill that only needs 51 votes. And, and look, at some point the Senate's going to have to take this up and find a way to get it to the president's desk. It's an 85-15 issue with the American public. Everybody— Democrats, Republicans, black, white— understand this. You get on an airplane, you show an ID, Shouldn't you show an ID to vote when some states actually ban the people at the polls from asking you for an ID? So you don't even know who the people are that are showing up, and it undermines the integrity of the vote. So we're going to get that bill back over to the Senate in a new form. At some point, they've got to pass that bill.”

On the direction of the Democrat party:

“It's a contrast election. Look at how insane the Democrat Party has gone to the Marxist communist left. I mean, they're in a civil war right now where their own leaders are fighting each other. I mean, Hakeem Jeffries is fighting Bernie Sanders. And guess what? Bernie Sanders and Mamdani are winning in their primaries. So they're sending all these far-left extremists who want to defund not just the police, they want to defund prisons. Those are the candidates they're sending up against our Republicans this year.

“And our Republicans are working to make life more affordable for American families. So we're, we're going to keep working on good policies. Democrats this week have said they're going to vote to shut the government down again. That continuing resolution, the funding bill I talked about, Democrats are saying they're going to vote no because they want a government shutdown. They want chaos in America. You know, do you want lines at the airports again for four hours? Do you want our troops not to get paid? That's what Democrats are going to vote for, and that's their message when families just want the government to function, make their lives better, not try to instill chaos just because Democrats are still upset with the president...

“Go look at the polling. We've asked the question, ‘who do you trust more to make life more affordable for you? Republicans or Democrats right now?’ And voters by a large margin trust Republicans because they're watching the Democrats talk about collectivism. They want to talk about getting rid of private property rights, raising tax rates on everybody. That's insane. That's not where we need to go. They, by the way, also want to ban fossil fuels. So, you know, if you're concerned about oil at, you know, $4 a gallon today, imagine California's prices would be the national standard... So these are all going to be on the ballot this November. So there's a lot at stake and their party is showing just how extreme they've gone.”

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Scalise: House Republicans Offer a Clear Contrast on Freedom, Security, and Affordability

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) to highlight the growing divide within the Democrat Party as far-left candidates gain momentum while House Republicans continue advancing legislation to strengthen election integrity, support national security, lower costs, and keep the government open.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise's full remarks.

Highlights from Leader Scalise’s remarks:

On the Communist takeover of the Democrat Party:

“The Bolshevik takeover of the Democrat Party is in full swing, and communism is on the ballot this November against freedom. Make no mistake about that. The lines have never been more clear in an election. You know, just look right now at the fight between Hakeem Jeffries and Bernie Sanders. They're in public war with each other right now, and Bernie Sanders is winning. Bernie's candidates are beating Hakeem's candidates in Democrat primaries.

"Now, in far-left Democrat districts, those communist candidates are gonna likely be elected, but in swing districts, it draws an incredibly sharp contrast between our incumbent Republicans who are working to make life more affordable for working families against these communists who want to literally defund the police. Some are running on platforms, as [Chairwoman] Lisa [McClain] and [Rep.] Nicole [Malliotakis] said, of defunding prisons, defunding the Department of War, taking away private property rights. This isn't a joke. This is something they actually believe in. And you're seeing it play out in cities like New York, but it's coming to a town near you, and it will absolutely be on the ballot this November because the American people do not want America to become a communist nation. But that means Americans have to participate this November to stop it from happening."

On House Democrats' record of opposing commonsense measures:

"And we're going to see more votes on the House floor. You know, what do they want to do? They want chaos. They want power is ultimately what they want. They can't articulate a real clear agenda for the American people because they've been fighting us on all the things that would actually work to lower costs. Keeping taxes low, keeping regulations low, getting government off the backs of working families, producing more energy in America, which lowers costs. Every Democrat voted against that bill.

"So their votes have been very clear on what they want to do. But look at some of their other votes. Last week, we had a vote on the House floor that was brought forward not by leadership, but a vote that would have defunded America's support of Israel. And the Democrats were literally divided right down the middle. A majority of Democrats voted to defund Israel. All but one Republican voted to support Israel. But if you look at the vote, even their own leadership was split right down the middle. Half of their leadership voted to defund Israel and half of their leadership didn't. They're a divided party right now.

"Again, where the communist wing of the party is starting to win out on all of these votes. Look at some of these votes. Again, a majority of Democrats voted to block military aid to Israel. A majority of Democrats voted no on denouncing the antisemitic terrorist attacks in Boulder, Colorado. A majority of them voted against denouncing those attacks. A majority of Democrats voted no on expressing support for law enforcement. A majority. That is who the Democrat Party is today. That's what communism is. They can call themselves whatever they want. Look at their votes. Look at their platform. Look at their actions. And then we're going to bring more bills."

On Democrats threatening a government shutdown:

"We've got a bill this week to just fund the government, a continuing resolution that Chairman Cole is bringing forward today to say, look, we don't want a government shutdown. We don't want the chaos that comes with it. Republicans are united, by the way, behind that. And what is Hakeem saying? He's voting to shut the government down today. Let's watch how all Democrats vote. But the American people are going to be watching that too, because they remember the long lines just a few months ago at every airport.

"Democrats will be voting today to have four hour lines at every airport when you're going and taking your summer vacation this month for a hardworking family. Democrats will be voting today to take away paychecks from our men and women in uniform. That's what they'll be voting on today."

On House Republicans' agenda to strengthen election integrity, ethics, and defense:

"Tomorrow we're bringing up a bill to ban stock trading by members of Congress, something people have been calling for for years. We're bringing that bill to the floor. Chairman Steil's committee worked really hard to get a bill brought forward. Now Democrats are talking about voting against that. Bringing the NDAA. Let's see how that vote goes to just provide the basic layout for how our national defense should be prioritized. These are basic functions of government, basic responsibilities of reforming government.

"Bring in the SAVE America Act again. What is the SAVE America Act? Showing picture ID to vote. Not a complicated subject. Again, anybody that gets on an airplane has to show a picture ID to vote. Nowadays, if you want to go to Olive Garden and get unlimited pasta, you got to show a picture ID. This isn't complicated stuff, yet every Democrat is against these basic things. Why? The only reason you can be against that is if you want voter fraud. It's the only explanation. And they know that. American people get it. We've all seen polling. It crosses every spectrum — Black, white, Republican, Democrat.

"Everybody says, of course, ensure the integrity of the vote. One person, one vote. So that, and by the way, in states, and you saw this yesterday in Rules Committee, Chairman Steil did a really good job of explaining it. In the states where they put stronger voter integrity in place, you actually have higher voter participation because voters actually trust the process better. And so we're going to have these votes this week before we leave for everybody to go back to their districts and work. We're going to have a lot to talk about during this break because we're going to be talking about the contrast, the contrast on the ballot this November between communism and freedom. And the American people will absolutely choose freedom and keep this Republican House majority."

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