Weekly Update 8/03/2026
Weekly Update 8/03/2026 Capitol Advocacy Partners
Reconciliation:
Senate GOP faces pressure to pass third reconciliation bill: White House officials urged Senate Republicans last week to quickly adopt a spending blueprint for a narrowly focused, party-line spending bill under the budget reconciliation process, but faced skepticism from within the GOP conference. Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought said the bill should focus only on defense spending and farm aid, without efforts to offset its cost or raise the debt limit. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he does not currently believe he has the votes for the narrow resolution the administration wants, citing concerns…
Congress:
Senate Republicans said to back attorney general nominee ahead of vote: Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), who had threatened to block the confirmation of the acting attorney general, said last week they would now support the nomination after he confirmed in writing that the Justice Department had abandoned parts of an earlier…
Senate reaches continuing resolution funding deal that would delay grant approval overhaul, preparing it for Senate passage this week: Senate appropriators released a stopgap funding bill last week to avert a government shutdown before the fiscal year ends, punting broader negotiations until after the midterm elections. The bipartisan plan would fund federal agencies through December 11 at current levels, with a temporary provision blocking the administration from finalizing a proposal to put political appointees in charge of grant approval. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) and Sen. Lisa Murkowski…
California:
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit challenging California's school antisemitism law: A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit challenging California's law addressing antisemitism in K-12 schools, rejecting claims that it has a chilling effect on students and teachers. The law, AB 715, requires teachers to remain factually accurate…
Federal government proposes Colorado River water cuts affecting California: The federal government released a proposal last week for potentially steep cuts to Colorado River water use in California, Arizona, and Nevada, as part of an effort to manage the river's shrinking supply. The plan could cut the three states by up to three million acre-feet per year, deeper than the 1.6 million acre-feet the states themselves proposed for the next two years. California relies on the river for drinking water as well as…
California Forever pursues legislation to advance Solano County project: California Forever, the company behind a proposed new city between San Francisco and Sacramento, is pursuing legislation in the final weeks of the session to bring advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding development to Solano County. Former legislative leaders Bob Hertzberg and Darrell Steinberg, now special counsel for the company, are pitching the effort as economic development rather than…
Education:
GOP tax credit for private school scholarships divides Democratic governors: A new federal tax credit is projected to funnel billions of dollars into scholarships covering private school tuition, tutoring, and after-school programs, and it is forcing Democratic governors to choose between teachers unions opposed to the program and parent groups pushing them to opt in. About 30 mostly Republican states have joined so far, while Colorado Gov. Jared Polis remains the only Democratic governor to…
Senate committee advances education bills, including one blocking department breakup: The Senate HELP Committee advanced several education bills last week, including bipartisan legislation from Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) blocking the Education Department from transferring special education and other core offices to other federal agencies. The committee also approved a contested measure from Chair Bill Cassidy (R-LA) creating a new federal…
52 Million U.S. kids are eligible for new federal education tax credit scholarships, but California hasn't opted in: Nearly six million children in California would be eligible for a scholarship under the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit, more than in any other state, according to a report from the American Federation for Children. Unlike Texas, Florida, and New York, California has not opted into the program and has not indicated that it will. So far, 31 states have opted in…
Federal proposal would loosen Head Start wage and health standards: Head Start, which provides free early education and health services to low-income children nationwide, proposed in May to strip wage and benefit requirements in the name of local flexibility, with further rollbacks expected. The program bundles health and behavioral screenings…