Weekly Update 5/18/2026
Weekly Update 5/18/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners
Appropriations:
House Committee advances Commerce-Justice-Science bill: The House Appropriations Committee approved a $77.3 billion fiscal year 2027 funding bill for the departments of Commerce and Justice, NASA, federal science programs, and several trade agencies on May 13 by a 32-28 vote. The measure represents roughly a 1% cut from current funding, with the Commerce Department facing a nearly 9% reduction to $10.2 billion and the Justice Department receiving a roughly 4% increase to $38.6 billion. The committee adopted an amendment barring federal law enforcement agencies from purchasing personal data from third-party brokers, and rejected several…
Senate votes to withhold member pay during government shutdowns: The Senate voted last week by voice vote to withhold senators' paychecks during future government shutdowns, with back pay to be restored once funding lapses end. The rule change takes effect after the November midterm elections. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), the measure's sponsor, framed it as a shared sacrifice after a period of repeated funding lapses, including a record 43-day shutdown last fall, a brief partial shutdown in late January, and a 76-day lapse in Department…
President and Administration:
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) imposes moratorium on new home health and hospice Medicare enrollments: CMS announced May 13 a six-month nationwide moratorium on new Medicare enrollments for home health and hospice providers, the latest in a series of fraud enforcement actions under CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz. The agency cited systemic exploitation of vulnerable Medicare patients in both sectors and said it will use the moratorium period to investigate suspected fraudulent providers and prevent bad…
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to enforce housing assistance income adjustments in 2027: HUD notified public housing authorities last week that it will begin enforcing congressionally mandated changes to how tenant income and assets are calculated for federal housing assistance starting January 1. The changes, passed by Congress in 2016, raise the threshold for tenants to qualify for a medical expense deduction from 3% to 10% of household income, and bar households that own another home or hold more than $100,000 in net family assets from receiving public housing or housing choice voucher…
White House seeks to reduce cost of living: The administration is reportedly looking for ways to reduce the cost of living. It is reportedly considering a gas tax holiday and increasing affordable housing. Concurrently, Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL 13) plan to introduce legislation to suspend federal gas taxes for three months, with a provision to allow the president to extend the tax…
Congress:
Legislation would require Surgeon General to issue screentime guidelines for children: House lawmakers introduced bipartisan legislation last week that would require the U.S. Surgeon General to develop age-based screentime recommendations for children, with input from an independent entity free of conflicts of interest. The SMART Kids Act, or Screentime Management and Recommendations for Teens and Kids Act, is cosponsored…
House Republicans eye third reconciliation bill before summer recess: A group of House Republicans discussed pursuing a third party-line reconciliation bill before the summer recess begins July 23, according to reporting from last week. Speaker Mike Johnson expressed optimism that the chamber could act on the measure, which would be separate from the immigration enforcement bill currently moving through the…
Senate parliamentarian strikes key provisions from GOP immigration enforcement bill: The Senate parliamentarian ruled May 14 that four major provisions in the Republican immigration enforcement package do not comply with budget reconciliation rules, dealing a setback to GOP leaders racing to meet a June 1 deadline set by the president. The rulings affect $19.1 billion in Customs and Border…
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) loses Louisiana primary, advances runoff to June 27: The senator failed to advance to a June 27 runoff after Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming claimed the top two spots. Cassidy, who is completing his second term, has faced significant political headwinds since…
Hearings:
On Tuesday, 5/19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies is expected to hold a hearing examining proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Labor.
On Tuesday, 5/19, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies is expected to hold a hearing examining proposed budget estimates and justification for fiscal year 2027 for the Department of Transportation.
On Wednesday, 5/20, the Senate Committee on Budget is expected to hold a business meeting to consider S.Con.Res.33, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.
On Wednesday, 5/20, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold a hearing examining meeting the individual needs of all students, focusing on the role of charter schools.
On Thursday, 5/21, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is expected to hold a hearing examining gender transition procedures on minors.
California:
Newsom proposes $350 billion budget with school funding deferral: Gov. Gavin Newsom released his $349.9 billion final budget proposal May 14, projecting $16.5 billion in revenues above expectations while pursuing structural balance through austerity rather than new programs. Despite the surplus, Newsom maintained a plan to defer $3.9 billion in constitutionally guaranteed school funding under Proposition 98, a reduction from the $5.6 billion deferral he proposed in January, framing it as a hedge against future revenue…
Education:
(NACSA, CLE, BGCPR, Vimenti, PSI) Influential choice advocate argues blue states should opt into federal education tax credit: Thomas B. Fordham Institute President Michael Petrilli argued last week that blue-state governors should opt into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit despite its design flaws, pointing to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's announcement of intent to participate, as did Colorado Gov. Jared…
McMahon testifies before House committee on ED priorities: Education Secretary Linda McMahon testified before the House Education and Workforce Committee on May 14, defending the department’s interagency agreements to transfer program oversight to other federal agencies. Republican members praised the moves as creative cost-cutting, while Democrats called the arrangements illegal and…
ED shuts Office of English Language Acquisition: The U.S. Department of Education (U.S. ED) formally shuttered the Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) on May 14, completing a closure it notified Congress of in February. The office oversaw $890 million in Title III funding, the federal program that supports English learners and immigrant children and youth, serving more than five million students nationwide…
ED releases $144 million in additional IDEA funding: U.S. ED announced May 13 it will release $144 million in additional special education funding drawn from non-expiring returned funds. Roughly $123.6 million will go toward Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants for students ages…
DOJ finds Yale medical school discriminated against white, Asian applicants: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced May 14 that a yearlong investigation found Yale School of Medicine intentionally selected applicants based on race, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and the Supreme Court's 2023…
Clients that have workforce training programs and education (BGCPR) McMahon unveils final Workforce Pell Grant rule: U.S. ED released its final regulation expanding Pell Grants to workforce training programs as short as eight weeks, down from the previous 15-week minimum. New programs require approval from the state’s governor and the education secretary and must meet annual outcome…