House preps for crypto votes on Wednesday and Thursday
With several senators insisting on changes to Trump's proposal to claw back $9.4 billion for foreign aid and public media, White House budget director Russ Vought will head to the Hill on Tuesday to talk with senators about the plan. Tuesday is also when the Senate is expected to take its first procedural vote on the rescissions bill.
One of the week's main characters is shaping up to be Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins. The Maine Republican is among the senators resisting Trump's rescissions request in its current form. She's also trying to get the Senate's bipartisan funding negotiations back on track, after a fiscal 2026 Commerce-Justice-Science amendment from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) targeting the relocation of FBI headquarters triggered a rift among Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and other committee Republicans.
In the House, Republicans are less concerned with salvaging bipartisanship as they gear up to pass fiscal 2026 Defense Department appropriations this week. Though Pentagon funding has long enjoyed backing from both parties, Speaker Mike Johnson can't bank on much Democratic support for the bill and will need to keep the GOP conference united to pass it.
The $831.5 billion bill cleared House Appropriations last month almost entirely along party lines, as Democrats decried conservative policy provisions that would block funding for troops to travel to seek abortions — a rolled-back Biden-era policy — and Pentagon diversity efforts. Democrats will push for votes to remove those and other GOP policy riders they consider nonstarters, as well as to undo the Trump administration's policy barring transgender people from serving in the military.
Many Republican hawks had hoped for a larger price tag for the defense bill, which would keep annual Pentagon funding static. But expect hard-liners, whose votes Johnson will need to keep the bill on track, to continue to try to put their stamp on the plan. Several Republicans including Reps. Paul Gosar (Ariz.), Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Scott Perry (Pa.) have filed amendments to block funding, foreign military sales or munitions transfers to Ukraine.
What else we're watching:
Trump poised for big crypto win: House Republicans are set to make history this week when they send a landmark crypto policy revamp to Trump for his signature. The bill originated in the Senate and is headed to House Rules on Monday night, and could pass as soon as Tuesday.
Trump judges incoming: The Senate is poised to confirm Whitney Hermandorfer on Monday night, making her the first new judge of Trump's second term. Hermandorfer, who is expected to receive party-line support, is the president's pick to serve on the 6th Circuit, the federal court that hears appeals from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
Russia sanctions bill: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), the bipartisan sanctions bill's lead sponsors, will meet with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for dinner Monday night with other senators as the two try to shore up support. Trump is also expected to make an announcement on Russia on Monday.
Jordain Carney, Connor O'Brien, Jasper Goodman, Hailey Fuchs and Mia McCarthy contributed to this report.
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