The Week Ahead: February 3 - 7, 2025

​Driving the Week​

Government Funding
Government funding expires on March 14. With Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY) stepping down as soon as next week, the House faces a narrow one-vote margin, and there is a 60-vote threshold in the Senate needed for passage. House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senate Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) reportedly will insist that any government funding agreement increase spending by one percent over the enacted FY24 bills.

​Further, President Trump wants the debt limit suspension expiration to be addressed through 2029 on the spending package, a move that will require bipartisan support in both chambers. Lawmakers are also expected to provide substantial emergency disaster relief funding for California in the aftermath of this year’s devastating wildfires.

Cabinet Nominations
The nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be Secretary of Health and Human Services will be taken up by the Finance Committee on Tuesday morning. It is also being reported that the Senate Intelligence Committee plans to vote on Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination as the Director of National Intelligence on Tuesday. 

Tonight, the Senate votes on the motion to proceed to executive session regarding Office of Management and Budget Director nominee Russell Vought, followed by a vote to confirm Chris Wright as Secretary of the Department of Energy. The Senate will then vote to invoke cloture on Pamela Bondi’s nomination to be Attorney General. Absent a time agreement, the vote to confirm Bondi could take place Wednesday morning. 

The Senate will also seek to confirm Doug Collins as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and hold a cloture vote on Eric Turner’s nomination to be Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Tariffs
Please note, this is a rapidly evolving situation. It has just been announced that after a phone call between President Trump and Mexican President Sheinbaum, tariffs will be put on hold for one month. President Sheinbaum tweeted that Mexico will immediately reinforce its northern border with 10,000 National Guard members.

President Trump will hold negotiations with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum today. The President's 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico go into effect at midnight. President Sheinbaum is expected to hold a televised press conference this morning to unveil Mexico’s retaliatory tariffs, following Canada’s announcement of similar tariffs on Saturday evening. Canada will implement its first tranche of targeted tariffs on goods from the United States on Tuesday, with additional tariffs scheduled to follow in three weeks. 

Following President Trump’s announcement of a ten percent tariff on goods imported from China, China’s Commerce Ministry issued a statement expressing dissatisfaction and vowing countermeasures. Last night, President Trump promised to pursue tariffs on the European Union in the near term.


Congress​

House
The House will meet on Tuesday at noon for morning hour and 2:00 pm for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 pm. A full list of legislation that could be considered under suspension of the rules is linked here. 

Senate
The Senate will reconvene today at 3:00 pm, following Leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business.  At 5:30 pm, the Senate will have three roll call votes on the following:

• Motion to proceed to Executive Session for the consideration of Executive Calendar #13 Russell Vought, of Virginia, to be Director of the Office of Management and Budget (Senator Thune intends to file cloture on the nomination.)
• Confirmation of Executive Calendar #10 Christopher Wright, of Colorado, to be Secretary of Energy
• Motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar #12 Pamela Bondi, of Florida, to be Attorney General

Key Events

Monday

• Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Business Meeting to Consider Brooke Collins’ nomination to be the USDA Secretary

Tuesday

• Senate Finance Committee Business Meeting to Consider Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s Nomination to be the HHS Secretary

Wednesday

• Senate Commerce Committee Business Meeting to Consider Howard Lutnick’s Nomination to be the Commerce Secretary and at Least 17 Bills
• Senate Small Business Committee Business Meeting to Organize and Authorize Committee Expenditures for the 119th Congress, Consider Kelly Loeffler’s Nomination to be Small Business Administration Administrator, and Four Bills

Thursday

• Senate Finance Committee Hearing on Jamieson Greer’s Nomination to be the U.S. Trade Representative

White House/Administration
This week, President Trump will welcome Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the White House. Key issues for the visit include maintaining the fragile ceasefire and hostage release agreement, taking steps to broker ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and addressing the threat posed by Iran.

• On Sunday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino that Panama must reduce the alleged Chinese influence in the Panama Canal area or the Trump administration will take necessary measures. Addressing reporters, Mulino stated that Panama will not cede control but will conduct an audit of Chinese-operated ports on both sides of the canal. Rubio will continue his tour of Central America today.

​
ICYMI
At least six senior FBI officials have been ordered to retire, resign or be fired today. Additionally, thousands of FBI employees reportedly have been given until 3:00 pm today to answer a questionnaire asking if they played a role in the January 6 investigations.

• Over the weekend, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Chairman Elon Musk called for the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Following a series of suspensions and layoffs, the President has indicated that a decision on its future is forthcoming.