Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of March 31, 2025
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Appropriations
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Agencies held a Member Day hearing. Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart of the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee is prioritizing funding effective and accountable programs that protect America and its interests for Fiscal Year 2026. To facilitate input from fellow lawmakers into the annual appropriations process, Chairman Diaz-Balart hosted a Member Day to discuss and review these priorities.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State, and Related Agencies held an Outside Witness Day hearing. National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee Chairman Mario Diaz-Balart spent the week reaffirming a vigilant stewardship of American tax dollars. He led an outside witness day hearing with key foreign assistance recipients to discuss funding priorities for the Fiscal Year 2026 bill.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on the Legislative Branch held a budget hearing called "U.S. House of Representatives." Legislative Branch Subcommittee Chairman David Valadao convened senior leadership from the U.S. House of Representatives to review their Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposals. The discussion focused on modernization efforts, staff recruitment and retention, and ongoing initiatives aimed at optimizing taxpayer savings.
Armed Services
On Tuesday, April 1, the Armed Services Committee held a full committee hearing on U.S. military posture and national security challenges in North and South America. Members heard from Department of Defense officials on President Trump’s efforts to secure the border and counter China and Russia’s malign influence in the Western Hemisphere.
Education & Workforce
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing called "From Chalkboards to Chatbots: The Impact of AI on K-12 Education." Members and witnesses examined the impact of AI on our K-12 classrooms, how students are using it, and how AI will continue to revolutionize education and the workforce. Members and witnesses also discussed the need to use AI to support – not replace – critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Witnesses also expressed the need for states and localities to be empowered to make decisions on best practices surrounding AI, as the technologies involved are evolving too quickly for the federal government to regulate.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "A Healthy Workforce: Expanding Access and Affordability in Employer-Sponsored Health Care." Members and witnesses examined the challenges small businesses and employers face as they seek to offer high-quality and low-cost health care to workers. Members emphasized the importance of employer-sponsored health care and Association Health Plans (AHPs) as strong alternatives to government-run health care, as AHPs allow small businesses to band together to negotiate better coverage for workers and their families. As more than 160 million Americans have employer-sponsored health care plans, Members underscored the danger posed by Democrats trying to force all Americans onto government-run health plans, like Obamacare.
Energy and Commerce
On Tuesday, April 1, the Health Subcommittee held a hearing called "Examining the FDA’s Regulation of Over-the-Counter Monograph Drugs." Over-the-Counter (OTC) drugs play a vital role in allowing Americans to live longer and healthier lives. This hearing examined how the Food and Drug Administration regulates OTCs. It is imperative that Congress reauthorize the Over-the-Counter Monograph Drug User Fee Program to continue providing increased access and innovation of prescription drugs.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing called "Aging Technology, Emerging Threats: Examining Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities in Legacy Medical Devices." The hearing explored the growing threat of cyber attacks within our nation’s health care industry. Such threats have been linked to legacy medical devices, also known as devices produced under outdated medical device requirements, with insufficient cybersecurity incorporated into the design. To ensure both hospitals and patients are protected, we must reduce vulnerabilities found in legacy medical devices and ensure all devices comply with modern safety standards.
Financial Services
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions held a hearing called "Following the Money: Tools and Techniques to Combat Fraud." The hearing explored the growing threat of financial fraud in the U.S., analyzed tools and practices used to "follow the money" when it comes to countering investment scams, and assessed the effectiveness of Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) and Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) in the U.S. financial system.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Committee on Financial Services held a full committee markup of the following measures:
- H.R. 2392, the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) Act of 2025 (Steil), passed the Committee by a bipartisan vote of 32-17.
- H.R. 2384, the Financial Technology Protection Act of 2025 (Nunn), passed the Committee by a bipartisan vote of 49-0.
- H.R. 976, the 1071 Repeal to Protect Small Business Lending Act (Williams), passed the Committee by a vote of 27-22.
- H.R. 1919, the Anti-CBDC Surveillance State Act (Emmer), passed the Committee by a vote of 27-22.
- H.R. 478, the Promoting New Bank Formation Act (Barr), passed the Committee by a bipartisan vote of 28-21.
Foreign Affairs
On Tuesday, April 1, the South and Central Asia Subcommittee held a hearing called “Censorship-Industrial Complex: The Need for First Amendment Safeguards at the State Department.” The subcommittee is tasked with examining the public diplomacy functions, or R branch, of the State Department which housed the Global Engagement Center. The GEC, which was originally authorized for the purpose of countering foreign propaganda, was disbanded in December of 2024 after the committee exposed GEC grants deployed across a network or organizations that facilitated the censorship of American voices. During his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga, underscored the importance of upholding the right to free speech enshrined in the First Amendment of the Constitution.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Foreign Affairs Committee held a full committee hearing called “A Return to Maximum Pressure: Comprehensively Countering the Iranian Regime’s Malign Activities.” During the hearing members examined the success of the maximum pressure policy towards Iran under President Trump’s first administration in contrast to President Biden’s failed attempts to revive the Iran nuclear deal through lifting sanctions. Ahead of the hearing, Chairman Mast warned Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei: “President Trump will work with you to peacefully end your nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program, or President Trump will destroy your nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program. You get to choose the remedy.”
Homeland Security
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection held a hearing entitled “Cybersecurity is Local, Too: Assessing the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program.” Members discussed the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP), which is administered by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Additionally, they explored opportunities for Congress, in partnership with the Trump administration, to ensure the preparedness and resiliency of state and local governments against cyberattacks.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement and the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology held a joint hearing entitled “Exploring the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Across the DHS Enterprise.” In this hearing, members discussed the Department of Homeland Security’s partnerships with private industry and public institutions to develop drones to assist in border security, drug interdiction, disaster mitigation, and emergency response missions.
Judiciary
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet held a hearing called “Judicial Overreach and Constitutional Limits on the Federal Courts,” to examine the constitutional limits of the judicial power, with a focus on recent temporary restraining orders (TROs) and injunctions that have infringed on the rightful power of the President of the United States. The hearing also addressed potential legislative solutions addressing injunctive relief, the organization of federal courts, and the funding of federal courts.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust held a hearing called "Artificial Intelligence: Examining Trends in Innovation and Competition," to examine the competitive landscape within the AI sector, emphasizing the importance of solutions that preserve economic dynamism, technological innovation, and America's global leadership. It also addressed several critical issues, starting with the competitive landscape within the AI industry itself.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing called "Inside the Biden FBI: Waste, Fraud, Abuse, and a Bureau Leadership in Decline," to examine how the Biden-Harris Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), under former Director Christopher Wray, abandoned its core mission to uphold the Constitution and protect the American people, wasting taxpayers' hard-earned money on partisan investigations, ineffective procedures, and abusive tactics. It also highlighted how the FBI, under the Trump Administration and Director Kash Patel's leadership, is focused on regaining public trust and returning to its original mandate of protecting the American public.
Natural Resources
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing titled "Unleashing the Golden Age of American Energy Dominance." The United States possesses abundant natural resources, many of which are available for energy exploration and production. Domestic energy exploration and production, particularly on federal lands and waters, is crucial to America’s social and economic future. A recent economic model created by the Heritage Foundation indicates that a 50% increase in domestic oil and gas production would result in $25 trillion in GDP growth by 2050. Given available and emerging technology, and federal policy decisions that expand production on federal lands and waters, this figure is well within America’s reach.
On Friday, April 4, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held an oversight field hearing titled “Examining 50 years of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act in Indian Country.” Since the 1970s, the U.S. has implemented a policy of self-determination for Indian tribes and enacted legislation to support self-determination contracts and self-governance compacts with the federal government, allowing tribes to run certain federal programs that serve their members. The current federal policy of self-determination for tribes has enabled many tribes to take on programs, functions, services, and activities (PFSAs) previously provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and the Indian Health Service (IHS) and, ultimately, provide services to tribal members in a better and uniquely local manner.
Oversight & Government Reform
On Tuesday, April 1, the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs held a hearing called “America’s AI Moonshot: The Economics of AI, Data Centers, and Power Consumption.” During the hearing, expert witnesses discussed ways to effectively and responsibly harness artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster the United States' economic competitiveness, national security, and technological leadership for generations to come. Members stressed that the Trump Administration recognizes that AI is one of the most transformative technologies of our time and Congress has a responsibility to identify legislative opportunities and encourage strategic partnerships with the private sector to ensure the United States remains the leader in AI development and innovation.
On Tuesday, April 1, the Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets held a hearing called “Task Force on the Declassification of Federal Secrets: the JFK Files.” At the hearing, members underscored the significance of newly declassified documents related to President John F. Kennedy’s assassination and criticized past government efforts to withhold this information from the public. Members and witnesses discussed new information contained in the JFK files released by the Trump Administration and identified tranches of documents that still require declassification. Members concluded that more transparency about the JFK files will help restore trust in American institutions and help prevent such an event from happening again.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Subcommittee on Military and Foreign Affairs held a hearing called “Salt Typhoon: Securing America’s Telecommunications from State-Sponsored Cyber Attacks.” During the hearing, members examined cyber espionage efforts by state-sponsored groups, including Salt Typhoon, and their threats to our nation’s critical infrastructure and Americans’ personal information. Members agreed that the U.S. cannot remain in a reactive “damage control” posture but must take proactive steps to ensure federal agencies responsible for cybersecurity work seamlessly together, and with private industry, to deliver a unified response to emerging threats.
Rules
On Monday, March 31, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
- H.R. 1526, the No Rogue Rulings Act of 2025 (Issa)
- H.R. 22, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (Roy)
- S.J. Res. 18, Disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to ‘‘Overdraft Lending: Very Large Financial Institutions’’ (Scott)
- S.J. Res. 28, Disapproving the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to ‘‘Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications’’ (Ricketts)
Science, Space, and Technology
On Tuesday, April 1, the Space & Aeronautics Subcommittee held a hearing called "Leveraging Commercial Innovation for Lunar Exploration: A Review of NASA’s CLPS Initiative." Witnesses included a representative from NASA, academia, and three Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) providers. The discussion evaluated the structure and outcomes of CLPS missions to date, assessed whether they have achieved their original objectives, identified areas for improvement, and explored how CLPS can enhance future collaborations between NASA and the private sector. The hearing also provided an opportunity for CLPS providers to share their experiences with members of Congress.
Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
On Monday, March 31, 2025, Chairman John Moolenaar spoke at the SAFE Summit during a panel titled “Reshoring Supply Chains: Countering the CCP’s Economic Playbook.” The session focused on how the United States can counter China's unfair trade practices, reshore critical manufacturing, and build secure, domestic supply chains—particularly in critical minerals vital to national security and clean energy technologies.
On Wednesday, April 2, Chairman Moolenaar issued statements backing former President Trump’s newly announced tariffs on Chinese imports and reinforcing support for his Restoring Trade Fairness Act. “For far too long, the Chinese Communist Party has exploited America's generosity, stolen our intellectual property, and undermined our workers,” he said. “These tariffs, along with my legislation to revoke China’s PNTR status, will finally put an end to this abuse—holding China accountable and protecting American jobs.” Moolenaar warned that China has “weaponized our open markets—cheating, manipulating, and exploiting loopholes,” and emphasized the urgent need to reset U.S. trade policy to prioritize American workers and national security.
On Thursday, April 3, Chairman Moolenaar spoke at the U.S. International Trade Commission Hearing where he explained how the PRC's industrial overcapacity—particularly in chemicals and industrial inputs—undermines fair market competition and threatens U.S. producers.
Chairman Moolenaar also signed on to Rep. Lawler's Remote Access Security Act and the HSC’s Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act.
Small Business
On Tuesday, April 1, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing called "The Golden Age: Unleashing Main Street Through Deregulation." During the hearing, members examined the impact of the previous administration’s burdensome regulations on small businesses.
On Wednesday, April 2, the Committee on Small Business held a full committee hearing called "Fueling America's Future: How Investment Empowers Small Business Growth." During the hearing, members discussed the role and importance of private sector investment and public-private partnerships in funding small business growth.
Transportation and Infrastructure
On Wednesday, April 2, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a full committee markup where Members approved nine pieces of legislation, including bills to strengthen the U.S. supply chain and maritime industry, and to increase transparency and accountability at Amtrak and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
Following the markup, Chairman Sam Graves said, “The Committee covered a lot of ground at today’s markup, and I want to thank our T&I Members for their work to address these issues. Bills introduced by Congressmen Rouzer and Calvert will strengthen our supply chain and limit the potential for Chinese, Russian, North Korean, and Iranian influence at U.S. ports. Representative McDowell’s bill will strengthen the Coast Guard’s ability to both go after drug traffickers and to respond to opioid overdoses. Legislation by Congressmen Nehls and Burchett will increase transparency at Amtrak and TVA, making more of their meetings and decision-making open to public scrutiny. And the measure from Congressman Donalds honors the legacy of Frederick Douglass and his ties to the United States Capitol.”
Veterans Affairs
On Tuesday, April 1, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee oversight hearing titled “Harnessing Biomedical Innovation: Modernizing VA Healthcare for the Future.” This hearing examined how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can leverage cutting-edge biomedical innovations to enhance healthcare for veterans while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars. The Committee assessed whether VA’s current procurement and acquisition processes foster or hinder the adoption of these innovations, explored best practices for streamlining integration, and considered how the VA can position itself at the forefront of medical advancements to become a leading provider in modern healthcare. The witness list included representatives who are leaders in their field of biomedical innovation, such as Podimetrics’ Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Jon Bloom, M.D. In his testimony, Dr. Bloom discussed the ongoing struggle for rural and low-income veterans to access the system, stating that “until incentives are fixed for this complication, the VA will struggle to deliver preventative care. We have all the people we need; they’re just too busy treating preventable complications.” Chairman Bost emphasized the committee's dedication to providing cutting-edge, quality services and products for veterans through the VA, and he worked toward the day when veterans receive the care they need to regain their strength, mobility, and independence – without barriers of access or cost.
Distribution channels: U.S. Politics
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