SENATE UPDATE: Budget Debate This Week?

Last Week

The Senate confirmed nine of President Trump’s executive branch nominees:

• John Phelan to be Secretary of the Navy (62-30)

• Christopher Landau to be Deputy Secretary of State (60-31)

• Michael Kratsios to be Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (74-25)

• Jay Bhattacharya to be Director of the National Institutes of Health (53-47)

• Martin Makary to be Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (56-44)

• Dan Bishop to be Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget (53-45)

• Aaron Reitz to be Assistant Attorney General (52-46)

• Michael Faulkender to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (53-43)

• Paul Lawrence to be Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs (51-45)

The Senate also voted to rescind two banking regulations put in place by former President Joe Biden.

Conservative Spotlight

MIKE LEE — Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) accompanied Vice President J.D. Vance on his trip to Greenland last week. Lee — chairman of the Senate’s Energy Committee — joined Vance to promote U.S. energy production and thank the Space Force troops stationed up there at Pituffik Space Base.

RAND PAUL — Dr. Rand Paul (R-KY) was for “making America healthy again” long before it was cool. Last week, he introduced legislation that combines Paul’s MAHA and libertarian principles: the “Nutritious SNAP Act.” Paul’s bill would prohibit federal food welfare debit cards — from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) — from being used to buy junk food. Given how unhealthy we know sugary and processed food and drinks are, there is no reason for taxpayers to subsidize them.

TED CRUZ — U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) is becoming the policy leader on artificial intelligence in Washington. The Commerce Committee Chairman has hammered President Biden’s vague and “heavy-handed” approach to regulating AI. He prefers a targeted policy approach — illustrated by his bill banning AI-generated revenge porn that passed the Senate unanimously last month. Cruz believed Congress should address specific AI challenges as they arise rather than letting politicians decide where the technology goes. Cruz’s AI leadership could end up being one of the most important, low-key legislative projects of the year.

This Week

The Senate has only one vote teed up for this week — to confirm Matt Whitaker to be the U.S. Permanent Representative on the Council of NATO.

Though it’s not official yet, rumors are swirling around Washington that the Senate could take up the 2026 budget resolution this week. Passing a budget begins the “reconciliation” process, enabling Congress to pass major fiscal legislation with a bare majority in the Senate. This would be Senate Republicans’ first step toward cutting taxes, cementing DOGE budget cuts, and permanently securing our borders.

If the budget does come up this week, we will soon have a much better sense of the scope of President Trump’s agenda, his support among Senate Republicans, and the future of our country.

Thank you, as always, for your patriotism and support!

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