Congress to Review Appropriations Bills Ahead of Midterm Elections

As previously reported, Congress has officially turned to its work on the fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations bills. The House Appropriations Committee has already advanced 7 of the 12 spending bills out of committee, including the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS) bill (see analysis). The House has kept to the schedule they released in April, and is on track to mark up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill later this week on June 5 (watch live here). On the other side of the Hill, the Senate has started working on their respective bills and is scheduled to consider the first batch of bills, including the CJS bill that funds the National Science Foundation, June 4 (watch live here).

Further, primaries for the upcoming midterm elections continue to shake up leadership on the Hill. In addition to Sen. Bill Cassidy’s loss in the Louisiana Republican primary election, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), who currently serves as Senate Majority Whip, recently lost in the Texas Republican primary runoff election after serving four terms. As election season continues, leadership vacuums could signal priority shifts in the upcoming year.

Stay tuned for COSSA’s continued coverage of the 119th Congress.