What moved in Congress - 31-AUG-2026 to 07-SEP-2026
Became law
This law provides temporary funding for federal government operations through December 11, 2026, and extends various expiring trade, transportation, and veterans programs.
- Continues appropriations for most federal agencies at fiscal year 2026 spending rates, with limited exceptions for certain programs
- Extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act duty-free trade benefits and customs user fees through 2028
- Extends surface transportation programs and Highway Trust Fund authorities through December 11, 2026
- Extends numerous Department of Veterans Affairs health care, benefits, housing, and support programs
Sponsor: Rep. Jason Smith (R-Missouri)
Cosponsors: 1 Republican
Cosponsors: 1 Republican
Headed to the President
This bill removes deed restrictions from a 3.62-acre parcel of land in Paducah, Kentucky, allowing the City of Paducah to use or transfer it more freely, while requiring that any future use remain compatible with public recreation and that the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club have a right of first refusal if the city wants to transfer it.
- Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to remove deed restrictions from a specific parcel at the Paducah Memorial Army Reserve Center
- Requires that the City of Paducah cannot sell or transfer the land except to the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club
- Mandates that the Oscar Cross Boys & Girls Club must offer the land back to the federal government before transferring it to any other entity
- Any new use or development must remain compatible with public use or recreation purposes
Sponsor: Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky)
Cosponsors: none
Cosponsors: none
Headed to the President
This bill requires federal agencies to report 'other transaction agreements' (a type of government contract) to USAspending.gov so the public can see how federal money is being spent, and mandates annual reports on any federal spending that remains unreported.
- Amends federal transparency law to include 'other transaction agreements' in the USAspending.gov database within 3 years
- Requires agencies to publish annual reports detailing total unreported federal spending and reasons it wasn't posted (such as national security concerns)
- Mandates inspector general audits to verify agencies are accurately reporting spending data and complying with quality standards
- Establishes government-wide requirements for complete, accurate, and consistent data reporting on federal funding
Sponsor: Rep. Barry Moore (R-Alabama)
Cosponsors: 2 Democrats / 1 Republican
Cosponsors: 2 Democrats / 1 Republican
Also this week
HR 5366 — Headed to the President
This bill would allow taxpayers to deduct disaster-related personal casualty losses more generously and exclude wildfire relief payments from taxable income.
Rep. W. Gregory Steube (R-Florida) · Cosponsors:
8 Democrats / 6 Republicans
HR 2196 — Headed to the President
This bill extends the deadline for the National Emergency Medical Services Memorial Foundation to build a commemorative memorial in Washington, D.C. by seven years from the enactment of this law.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina) · Cosponsors:
5 Democrats / 1 Republican
S 858 — Headed to the President
This bill would allow the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to build a monument to Medal of Honor recipients on the National Mall, within a designated reserve area that would otherwise be restricted from new commemorative works.
Sen. James C. Justice (R-West Virginia) · Cosponsors:
12 Republicans / 1 Democrat
HJRES 1 — Failed a floor vote
This bill would propose a constitutional amendment to fix the Supreme Court's size at nine justices, one chief justice and eight associates.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Arizona) · Cosponsors:
2 Republicans
HR 4795 — Passed a chamber
This bill would make colleges and universities ineligible for certain federal higher education funds if they engage in commercial boycotts of U.S. strategic partners, and would require them to certify that students can participate in academic programs in those countries on equal terms with other foreign countries.
Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) · Cosponsors:
1 Democrat
HR 1501 — Passed a chamber
This bill expands the federal permitting process for mining and mineral processing projects and blocks a proposed rule that would have narrowed which mining activities qualify for expedited review.
Rep. Jefferson Shreve (R-Indiana) · Cosponsors:
2 Republicans
HRES 1504 — Passed a chamber
This resolution finds Michael Joseph in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas and directs the House Speaker to refer the matter to federal prosecutors.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi) · Cosponsors:
none
HRES 1505 — Passed a chamber
This resolution finds Hector Roos in contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with subpoenas and directs the House Speaker to refer the matter to federal prosecutors.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi) · Cosponsors:
none
HRES 1498 — Passed a chamber
This resolution censures Representative Chuck Edwards of North Carolina based on findings in an Ethics Committee report and requires him to appear in the House chamber for the Speaker to read the censure aloud.
Rep. Michael Guest (R-Mississippi) · Cosponsors:
none
HRES 1490 — Passed a chamber
This resolution condemns socialism and the Democratic Socialists of America, reaffirms support for election security, and calls for passage of the SAVE America Act to require citizenship verification for voting.
Rep. Jeff Crank (R-Colorado) · Cosponsors:
25 Republicans
HR 9436 — Passed a chamber
This bill extends regulations intended to protect North Atlantic right whales from fishing gear entanglement until 2035 instead of 2028.
Rep. Michael Lawler (R-New York) · Cosponsors:
1 Democrat
HR 8481 — Passed a chamber
This bill requires federal courts to issue lifetime contact orders against people convicted of violent felonies or sex offenses, prohibiting all forms of communication or contact with their victims.
Rep. Abraham J. Hamadeh (R-Arizona) · Cosponsors:
21 Republicans
S 32 — Passed a chamber
This bill adds College Station, Texas and El Centro, California as authorized locations where federal district courts in those states may hold proceedings.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) · Cosponsors:
1 Democrat
S 307 — Passed a chamber
This bill requires the Bureau of Prisons to implement recommendations from a 2023 Justice Department Inspector General report on sexual harassment and assault of staff by incarcerated people, and directs the Inspector General and Attorney General to analyze the problem and establish national standards for prevention and punishment.
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee) · Cosponsors:
2 Democrats / 1 Republican
HR 1869 — Passed a chamber
This bill would establish a task force within the Department of Justice's Criminal Division to investigate and prosecute crimes related to tariff evasion, import-export violations, trade-based money laundering, and smuggling.
Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) · Cosponsors:
27 Democrats / 16 Republicans / 1 Independent
Also acted this week
Everything else that moved this week. Title only, no summary.
Passed a chamber
HR 6048 NDO Fairness Act of 2025
Advanced toward a vote
HR 9497 Water Resources Development Act of 2026
HR 9329 SEC Reform and Restructuring Act
HR 8141 Fair Credit Reporting Reseller Accuracy Act
HR 1483 Protecting Investors’ Personally Identifiable Information Act
HR 5402 Credit Access and Inclusion Act of 2026
HR 1640 HEIRS Act of 2025
HR 7187 Clarity for Compensation Act
HR 4646 Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025
Committee activity
8 bills saw committee activity this week (hearings, markups and subcommittee referrals). Not listed here.
Other action
Routine and procedural:
HRES 1430
Bills introduced this week: 137.
Not listed above. Introducing a bill is not news on its own, and most
never leave the committee they are sent to.
How these were picked.
This newsletter ranks bills by how far they actually moved, so anything
that became law, passed a chamber, or cleared committee comes first. The
most significant get a summary, and everything else that moved is listed
by title at the end. Bills that were only introduced, or sent to a
committee that may never take them up, are left out, which is most of
what Congress does in a week.
Summaries are written by an AI model from the latest official text of
each bill. Every bill links to its page on congress.gov, where you can
verify the summary and learn more about the bill.
Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to What Moved in Congress: