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Daily Legislative Intelligence

Sunday, May 24, 2026

Generated by Apogee - AI-native legislative intelligence

Executive Summary

Congress is in recess through the week of May 24, with no committee hearings or markups scheduled in the coming 7 days. The dominant legislative story remains H.R. 1 ("One Big Beautiful Bill Act"), the sweeping reconciliation package that continues to attract the highest lobbying intensity of any bill in the 119th Congress (1,502 registered lobbyists). On the public health front, the CDC expanded Ebola screening to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport as the WHO-declared global emergency grows. The FY2027 appropriations cycle is in active subcommittee markup phase, with 55 member offices now accepting constituent funding requests.

H.R. 1 — "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" Reconciliation Package

H.R. 1 (119th Congress) remains the central legislative vehicle of the session. The bill provides for reconciliation pursuant to H. Con. Res. 14 and spans sweeping changes across agriculture (SNAP work requirements expanded to age 65, state cost-sharing beginning FY2028 at 0–15% based on error rates), defense (additional FY2025 funding for shipbuilding, missile defense, UAS industrial base, nuclear forces, and border operations), banking (CFPB funding reduction, SEC Reserve Fund closure), commerce (FCC spectrum auction authority renewed through 2034, FAA infrastructure modernization), and tax policy. The bill carries 1,502 lobbying registrants — the highest of any bill in the 119th Congress — and has received 102 recent media mentions against a baseline of 717, indicating sustained but slightly declining media intensity.

Status: Referred; Senate action pending.

→ Walk me through H.R. 1's current Senate procedural posture and what amendments are in play

→ Draft a one-page memo on H.R. 1's SNAP provisions and state fiscal impact

House Floor Schedule — Week of May 18 (Carryover Activity)

The House floor schedule for the week of May 18 includes 24 items, several of which may carry into this week. Key measures under rule or suspension:

  • H.R. 1041 — Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act (under rule via H. Res. 1300): prohibits VA from transmitting certain information to DOJ for use in the NICS background check system.
  • H.R. 6047 — Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2026 (under rule): directs VA to increase disability compensation and DIC dollar amounts.
  • H.R. 1329 — Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act (under rule): permits the museum to be located within the National Mall Reserve.
  • H.R. 785 — Representing our Seniors at VA Act of 2025 (suspension): VA-related senior representation.
  • H.R. 3482 — Veterans Community Care Scheduling Improvement Act (suspension).
  • H. Con. Res. 86 — Directing the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Iran (listed as "items that may be considered").
  • H.R. 4312 — SCORE Act (under rule).
  • H.R. 6506 — Taxpayer Due Process Enhancement Act (suspension).
  • H.R. 7432 — Foster Youth Housing Opportunity Act (suspension).
  • H.R. 5317 / H.R. 3234 / H.R. 4544 — Community banking deposit access package (suspension).

→ Pull the full vote breakdown and amendment history for H.R. 1041 Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act

→ Tell me more about H. Con. Res. 86 directing removal of U.S. forces from Iran hostilities

Public Health Emergency — Ebola Screening Expansion

The CDC expanded enhanced Ebola screening to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (the world's busiest airport) for passengers arriving from Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan. The WHO declared a global public health emergency last week tied to the rare Bundibugyo strain. As of May 23, Congo's health ministry reported 83 confirmed cases and 9 confirmed deaths, with an additional 176 suspected cases. The federal response is focused on border screening; no domestic cases have been confirmed.

Action item: Monitor for potential emergency supplemental appropriations requests or CDC/HHS regulatory actions tied to the outbreak.

→ Pull any pending congressional legislation or emergency funding requests related to the 2026 Ebola outbreak

High-Momentum Bills to Watch

Beyond H.R. 1, the following bills show notable momentum signals in the 30-day window:

  • S. 3752 — SAVE America Act (Sen. Mike Lee, R-UT): Requires documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to vote in federal elections. 63 recent media mentions vs. 22 baseline (surge ratio: 14.3x). Referred to Senate Rules and Administration. Momentum score: 0.24.

→ See the competitive landscape and opposition positions on S. 3752 SAVE America Act

  • S. 452 — BARCODE Efficiency Act (Sen. Todd Young, R-IN): Requires IRS to use barcodes and OCR technology to digitize paper tax returns. 3 recent mentions vs. 1 baseline (15x surge ratio); 6 lobbying registrants. Referred to Senate Finance. Momentum score: 0.25.
  • S. 1705 — Chip Security Act (Sen. Tom Cotton, R-AR): Semiconductor security legislation. 2 recent mentions vs. 1 baseline (10x surge ratio); 29 lobbying registrants; 4 floor speeches. Referred to Senate Banking. Momentum score: 0.20.

→ Pull lobbying registrants and donor context for S. 1705 Chip Security Act

  • H.R. 8831 — Democracy protection/presidential accountability bill: 105 new cosponsors in 30 days (cosponsor signal: 0.83). Momentum score: 0.23.

FY2027 Appropriations — Active Subcommittee Markup Phase

Current phase: Subcommittee Markups (active). Full Committee Markups begin in approximately 8 days.

Live signals:

Public testimony window: Active through May. No specific closing deadlines detected in the next 14 days.

Action item: With full committee markups beginning in ~8 days, this is the final window to submit constituent funding requests to the above member offices and to engage subcommittee staff on chairman's marks before they are locked.

→ Draft a FY2027 funding request letter for submission to one of these member offices

Regulatory Comment Deadlines — Closing Soon

Two proposed rules close within 4 days:

  1. Coast Guard — Safety Zone, James River, Richmond, VA (Doc. 2026-09377): Temporary safety zone for fireworks display. Comments close May 27. Submit comment | Full text
  2. FCC — FY2026 Regulatory Fee Schedule Review (Doc. 2026-09193): Seeks comment on revising the FCC's fee schedule for FY2026. Comments close May 28. Full text

Additional rules closing June 5–8:

  • CFTC — Privacy Act Regulations / Insider Risk Program (Doc. 2026-08979): Closes June 5. Submit comment
  • USDA Forest Service — Administrative Site Leases (Doc. 2026-08937): Deregulatory action aligning leasing with private market practices. Closes June 5. Submit comment
  • EPA — NC Vehicle Inspection/Maintenance Program Removal (Doc. 2026-09146): Closes June 8. Submit comment
  • NOAA/NMFS — Atlantic Tuna and Swordfish Quotas (Doc. 2026-09059): Implements ICCAT recommendations including increased U.S. bluefin tuna baseline quota. Closes June 8. Submit comment

→ Draft a comment letter on the FCC FY2026 regulatory fee schedule review closing May 28

No Committee Hearings or Markups Scheduled

No committee hearings or markups are scheduled in either chamber for the 7-day period beginning May 24, 2026. Congress is in recess. The next significant committee activity window opens when members return.

Sources

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