/>iCongress Returns to Focus on Reconciliation
After a two-week recess, lawmakers are back on Capitol Hill to begin marking up their budget reconciliation legislation. The budget resolution that passed in early April instructs committees to spend or save a certain amount. The action is starting in the House. Five House committees will hold reconciliation markups this week, including the Oversight and Government Reform and Education and Workforce Committees.
On the healthcare front, the budget resolution instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee to save $880 billion, much of which is anticipated to come from Medicaid reforms. Most of the health work this week will be behind the scenes as committee staff finalize language and review provisions with members, particularly moderate Republicans who have expressed concerns about cuts to Medicaid. Energy and Commerce will reportedly hold its markup on May 7, but nothing has been officially announced yet.
The timeline for reconciliation remains up in the air. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) aims to put the package on the House floor the week of May 19, giving the House four weeks to compile and pass its bill before leaving for Memorial Day recess. Johnson’s tight timeline intends to deliver an early legislative win for President Trump’s second term and build on his first 100 days in office, which he will mark this week. Senate Republicans will then start their process, with an aim to pass the bill before the July 4 recess.
Also happening this week, the US Department of the Treasury will release its estimate of the “X-date” when the federal government will reach the debt limit. The Congressional Budget Office previously estimated the X-date to be in August or September 2025. If Treasury’s estimate is earlier, it could put pressure on Republicans to move more quickly on reconciliation, or it could force lawmakers to change plans and address the debt limit outside of reconciliation. Doing so would require a 60-vote threshold in the Senate, which might give Democrats some leverage to push for their own priorities. To avoid that, Republicans would need to pass separate reconciliation instructions to raise the debt limit, which would be unlikely to occur.
In non-reconciliation news, the Energy and Commerce Committee will mark up six healthcare bills on April 29, including reauthorization of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. On April 30, the Senate Appropriations Committee will hear from biomedical researchers about the importance of US innovation. We also might see the release of President Trump’s “skinny” budget proposal this week, which will outline high-level funding requests for agencies for fiscal year 2026. The skinny budget release will jumpstart the appropriations process on Capitol Hill.
Today’s Podcast
As Congress returns from a two-week recess, Debbie Curtis and Rodney Whitlock join Julia Grabo to discuss how the House Energy and Commerce Committee is preparing for their May 7 markup of budget reconciliation legislation.
