After a two-week spring district work period, both chambers of Congress are scheduled to return to Washington on April 14. Lawmakers are coming back to a full plate — with several unresolved and contentious issues on the agenda.
Other than the war in Iran, the most pressing item is the ongoing partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has now dragged on since February 14. The House passed a short-term bill to fund DHS through May 22, but the Senate passed a different version that would fund most of the department except for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection. The two chambers went into recess without reconciling those bills.
Republican leaders in both chambers have coalesced around a two-track approach: passing a bipartisan bill to fund most of DHS and reopen the agency, while separately pursuing budget reconciliation to fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection — allowing those priorities to pass with a simple Senate majority without needing Democratic votes.
Of note to the chicken industry, House Appropriations subcommittees have scheduled hearings next week on President Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget requests:
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins will testify before the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee on Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
- Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will testify before the House Appropriations Commerce, Justice and Science Subcommittee on Thursday at 11 a.m.
