The Week Ahead: January 27 - 31, 2025

Driving the Week​

​House Republican Retreat
House Republicans are in Miami this week for their annual policy retreat. President Trump will be the keynote speaker at the retreat this evening. Vice President Vance will address the retreat on Tuesday.​

​On Tuesday and Wednesday, there will be a leadership town hall, a budget reconciliation overview discussion, and breakout sessions by committee. House Republicans have indicated that they will seek to use a single bill to advance TCJA tax cuts, energy policy, and border policy through the reconciliation process. Successfully executing the reconciliation process will require nearly unanimous support from the House Republican majority, but disagreements continue over “pay-fors” and the cost of tax cuts, among other priorities. 

Cabinet Nominations
This week, the Senate will begin the confirmation process for Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the Secretary for Health and Human Services, Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel to be the Director of the FBI. 

This evening, Senators will vote on the confirmation of Scott Bessent to be Treasury Secretary. On Tuesday, the Senate is expected to vote on Sean Duffy to be Transportation Secretary. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) is expected to file cloture on additional cabinet nominees that could include Doug Burgum, Lee Zeldin, Scott Turner, Doug Collins, and Chris Wright. 

On Friday, Vice President Vance broke a Senate tie to confirm Pete Hegseth to be the Secretary of Defense. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) voted against the nomination. On Saturday, the Senate voted 59-34 to confirm Kristi Noem as the Head of the Department of Homeland Security. 

Congress​

House
The House is out this week. 

Senate
The Senate will meet today at noon to resume post-cloture consideration of Scott Bessent’s nomination to be the Secretary of the Treasury. At 5:30 pm the Senate will vote on confirming Bessent’s nomination and will motion to invoke cloture on Sean Duffy’s nomination to be the Secretary of Transportation.

Key Events

Tuesday

• Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Defense Innovation and Acquisition Reform
• Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on The Panama Canal and Its Impact on US Trade and National Security, Focusing on Fees and Foreign Influence with Federal Maritime Commission Chair Louis Sola

Wednesday

• Senate Judiciary Committee Business Meeting to Consider Pam Bondi’s Nomination to be the Attorney General
• Senate Commerce Committee Business Meeting to Organize for the 119th Congress to be Immediately Followed by a Hearing on Howard Lutnick’s Nomination to be Secretary of Commerce
• Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Nominations to be The Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Senate Small Business Committee Hearing on Kelly Loeffler’s Nomination to Lead the Small Business Administration

Thursday

• Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Kash Patel’s Nomination to be the FBI Director
• Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on Daniel Driscoll’s Nomination to be the Secretary of the Army
• Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee Hearing on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Nomination to be the Secretary of Health and Human Services
• Senate Intelligence Committee Hearing on Tulsi Gabbard’s Nomination to be the Director of National Intelligence

White House/Administration

• President Trump is in Florida for the House Republican retreat at Trump National Doral Miami and is expected to return to the White House tonight.
• The Vice President will visit Damascus, Virginia to check on hurricane clean up efforts. The Vice President is expected to attend the House Republican Retreat on Tuesday.

ICYMI

• Last night, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the tariffs on Colombian imports threatened earlier in the day will now be held in reserve.
  
• House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) invited President Trump to deliver a joint address to Congress on March 4.
  
• The final candidate forum for the DNC Election will take place on January 30 with the DNC Election to follow on February 1.
  
  • At a rally in Las Vegas, the President said that he may consider rejoining the World Health Organization.