Congress Returns to Washington to Kick Off 2026

Lawmakers will continue to debate solutions to rising health-care costs after the Affordable Care Act subsidies lapsed on December 31st. Congress will also seek to avoid another government shutdown as funding is set to expire on January 30th.

This week, the House is scheduled to vote on two bills to limit the Energy Department’s ability to issue household efficiency standards. The first measure would roll back DOE’s authority to issue efficiency standards for manufactured homes, while the second would require regulators to use the industry-developed definition for a showerhead when enforcing federal water pressure requirements. The House may hold votes on overriding President Donald Trump’s vetoes of bills related to a Colorado pipeline project and the expansion of the Miccosukee Reserve Area in Everglades National Park. The House could also consider a three-year extension of the ACA subsidies after a discharge petition to compel a vote on the measure reached the required 218 signatures at the end of 2025.

The Senate will continue to negotiate funding levels for key federal agencies ahead of the January 30th deadline, including the IRS. The Senate may also consider a Democratic-led effort to block the Trump administration from taking further military action in Venezuela without approval from Congress.

Lawmakers in the House will convene committee hearings this week, including the following:

  • The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will hold a hearing on the alleged fraud and misuse of federal funds in Minnesota
  • The House Committee on Small Business will highlight the SBA Office of Advocacy’s work to cut red tape
  • The House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will discuss competition and consumer choice in digital streaming
  • The House Committee on Education and the Workforce’s Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing on modernizing retirement policy
  • The House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Health will discuss legislative proposals to support patient access to Medicare services.