On the Hill: A Critical Week for Congressional Action

Congress has returned this week with a packed agenda, including planned votes on nearly 80 bills. This is the very last week the House is scheduled to be in session before the midterm elections. While last week's continuing resolution averts a government shutdown until Dec. 11, this week represents a sprint to the finish line in terms of addressing many unresolved issues.

One of the most contentious issues is the growing concern over Artificial Intelligence (AI) as leaders from the top AI companies call for a slow in development. House Democrats circulated a letter Friday urging Speaker Johnson to call the House back immediately to take urgent action to address catastrophic risk posed by advanced AI.

There is also concern that Congress is spending valuable time this week on the wrong issues, such as regulating the crypto industry, college sports, and hearings for President Trump's nominees, instead of AI, housing and affordability. Ultimately, Congress is unlikely to find agreement on any larger issues in the next three weeks, especially with the House scheduled to be in for just four more days before the election.

Committee Activity This Week

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform, and Antitrust will hold a field hearing, "Examining Healthcare Markets: Fraud and Competition" on Monday, September 14, 2026, at 9 am ET.

The House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing, "Examining Legislative Proposals to Reform Medicare Provider Payment and Bolster Health Care Cybersecurity," on Sept. 15, at 10:15 am ET.

The Senate Committee on Finance will hold a nomination hearing for several administrative positions, including two within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 10 am ET.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a nomination hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 10 am ET, to consider the confirmations of Chris Klomp to be deputy secretary of HHS; Nicole Saphier to be medical director in the Regular Corps of the Public Health Service and Surgeon General of the Public Health Service; and Timothy Westlake to be assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use.

The House Ways and Means Committee will hold a markup of H.R. 10357, H.R. 10334, H.R. 6130, H.R. 5439, H.R. 4093, H.R. 10346, and H.R. 10356 on Sept. 16 at 10 am ET. This markup will cover several health care bills that are pertinent to Essential hospitals including, Medicare Advantage and maternal health.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging will hold a hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 3:30 pm ET, on "Meeting the Moment to End the Menopause Care Gap in America"

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