Well, the biggest story in DC—as you have likely seen by the cable and nightly news—is the ongoing saga around Jeffrey Epstein. We’re not going to cover that much here, only to say that is has greatly disrupted the work of Congress, including leading to the House to go on recess early.

FY2025 Recissions Package

The President has signed the recessions package into law, canceling $9 billion in appropriated FY2025 funding for foreign aid, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, NPR, and PBS. The White House intends to send a second rescission package to Congress and this time it’s focus is likely to be education funding. GOP Congressional leaders have confirmed that they are in talks with the Administration regarding the content of the next recissions bill and have stated that they do not believe it will be as large as the first package.

It is also believed that the Administration is considering a “pocket rescission,” which is when a the White House would send up a rescission package to Congress in September. That action which start the 45-day clock for consideration of a recissions package and freeze the funds during that time period. But if the funds are not spent by September 30 (even if they are frozen as result of inclusion in a recessions package), then the monies are sent back to the Treasury. And then a pocket recission of that funding would be implemented.

FY2026 Appropriations

The Senate Appropriations Committee has noticed that there will be a full committee markup of the fiscal year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act (LHHS), on July 31 at 9:30am.

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