Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of December 1, 2025
Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:
Budget
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on the Budget held a Member Day hearing.
Education & Workforce
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "Pension Predators: Stopping Class Action Abuse Against Workers’ Retirement." This hearing examined the rise in frivolous lawsuits against retirement plans offered by employers and their impact on American retirements. Every dollar spent on legal defense is a dollar not invested in workers’ retirement security or other employee benefits. Committee Republicans are safeguarding workers’ retirement savings and the employers who provide these benefits from meritless, predatory class-action lawsuits.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing called "Public Funds, Private Politics: Examining Bias in the Truman Scholarship Program." The taxpayer-funded Truman Scholarship has been disproportionately awarded to candidates who favor liberal causes at a ratio of about 14:1 over conservative candidates. The Truman Scholarship program is shaping the nation’s future leaders, yet the data shows a dramatic political skew—raising serious questions about transparency, fairness, and whether public money is being used to advance an ideological agenda.Committee Republicans argued if it promotes only one political viewpoint, it doesn’t deserve Congressional support, taxpayer funding, or its respected public image.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing called "Safeguarding Student Privacy and Parental Rights: A Review of FERPA and PPRA." At the heart of this hearing was a simple truth: parents have a fundamental right to know what is happening in their children’s schools. But somehow, despite broad agreement, parents are still shut out. Democrats used this hearing to defend the status quo and argued that rightsizing the Education Department means students and families would lose protections offered by FERPA and PPRA. However, both bills were signed into law in 1974, but the Education Department wasn’t even established until 1979.
On Thursday, December 4, the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections held a hearing called "In Their Corner: Creating More Opportunities for American Boxers." Boxing has a rich history—from the Ancient Olympics to its peak popularity in the 1970s. Today, with the rise of sports betting, interest in boxing is growing again but so are concerns about the sport’s integrity. This Committee hearing examined H.R. 4624, Muhammad Ali American Boxing Revival Act (MAABRA), which provides professional boxers with more career opportunities, better pay, and stronger safety protections all while encouraging innovation in the sport.
Energy & Commerce
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade held a hearing called "Legislative Solutions to Protect Children and Teens Online." During this hearing, members discussed a range of comprehensive solutions to protect children and teens online, empower parents, and hold big tech accountable.
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing called "Securing America’s Energy Infrastructure: Addressing Cyber and Physical Threats to the Grid." In this hearing, members discussed the variety of threats facing the U.S. grid and ways we can strengthen and protect our grid from bad actors.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a full committee markup of the following legislation:
- H.R. 1343, the Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act (Pfluger)
- H.R. 1588, the Facilitating DIGITAL Applications Act (Miller-Meeks)
- H.R. 1665, the DIGITAL Applications Act (Cammack)
- H.R. 1681, the Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Act (Evans)
- H.R. 1731, the Standard FEES Act (Palmer)
- H.R. 6046, the Broadband and Telecommunications RAIL Act (Joyce)
- H.R. 2289, the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2025 (Carter)
- H.R. 3474, the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act (Weber)
- H.R. 3699, the Energy Choice Act (Langworthy)
- H.R. 5184, the Affordable Housing Over Mandating Efficiency Standards (Affordable HOMES) Act (Houchin)
- H.R. 4690, the Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act (Langworthy)
- H.R. 4593, the Saving Homeowners from Overregulation With Exceptional Rinsing (SHOWER) Act (Fry)
- H.R. 4758, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act (Goldman)
- H.R. 4626, the Don’t Mess With My Home Appliances Act (Allen)
- H.R. 1355, the Weatherization Enhancement and Readiness Act of 2025 (Tonko)
Financial Services
On Tuesday, December 2, the Committee on Financial Services held a full committee hearing called "Oversight of Prudential Regulators." The Committee reviewed how the Federal Reserve Board (FRB), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), and National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) are aligning their supervisory and regulatory actions with the Committee’s goal of streamlining financial regulations and reducing compliance burdens for community banks and institutions of all sizes.
On Tuesday, December 2, the Task Force on Monetary Policy, Treasury Market Resilience, and Economic Prosperity Subcommittee held a hearing called "Examining Primary Dealers and Balance Sheet Constraints." The Task Force explored the role of primary dealers in Treasury markets and how increasing government debt issuance impacts their capacity to make markets and participate in Treasury auctions. Members discussed how central clearing could help relieve balance-sheet pressures on primary dealers and what steps might encourage additional institutions to join the primary dealer system.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on Financial Services held a full committee hearing called "Building Capacity: Reducing Government Roadblocks to Housing Supply." The Committee explored ways to boost housing development and improve support for housing providers, focusing on regulations that raise construction costs, limit competition, and slow industry growth.
Foreign Affairs
On Tuesday, December 2, the Europe Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Flashpoint: A Path Toward Stability in the Western Balkans.” Subcommittee Chairman Keith Self underscored the bipartisan goal of promoting balance in the region, prosperity for its citizens, and deterrence of future conflicts. Those goals, he said, directly align with U.S. interests. He also applauded the Trump administration for reengaging in the often-overlooked region.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on Foreign Affairs held a full committee markup of the following legislation:
- H.R. 5490, the Dismantle Foreign Scam Syndicates Act (Shreve)
- H.R. 6297, the Protecting Europe from Antisemitic Crime and Extremism (PEACE) Act (Fine)
- H.R. 4291, the Sanctions Lists Harmonization Act (Fine)
- H.R. 1848, the Houthi Human Rights Accountability Act (Issa)
- H.R. 6347, the Global Child Thrive Reauthorization Act of 2025 (Castro)
- H.R. 5021, the American Decade of Sports Act (Kamlager-Dove)
- H.R. 4413, the End the Cyprus Embargo Act (Pappas)
- H.R. 6230, the Tehran Incitement to Violence Act (Self)
- H.R. 4397, the Muslim Brotherhood Terrorist Designation Act of 2025 (Diaz-Balart)
- H.R. 6338, the Stop Illegal Fishing Act (Meeks)
Homeland Security
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on Homeland Security held a full committee hearing titled, “When Badges Become Targets: How Anti-Law Enforcement Rhetoric Fuels Violence Against Officers.” The hearing examined how increasingly hostile anti-law enforcement rhetoric is contributing to the rise in threats and targeted attacks against law enforcement officers and personnel. Witness testimony was provided by Michael Hughes, executive director at Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association; Jonathan Thompson, executive director and chief executive officer at National Sheriffs’ Association; Patrick Yoes, national president at Fraternal Order of Police; and Daniel Hodges, law enforcement officer at D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. Members and witnesses urged elected officials to support state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies as they confront the evolving threat landscape and protect our communities.
Judiciary
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held a hearing called "Balancing the Federal Budget: Examining Proposals for a Balanced Budget Amendment" to focus on proposals for a constitutional amendment that would mandate a balanced federal budget. The fiscal year 2025 national deficit currently stands at around $1.78 trillion and the national debt is at $38 trillion and counting. The country's fiscal crisis is reaching a breaking point and Congress must balance its budget just like American households.
Natural Resources
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a legislative hearing on the following bills:
- H.R. 4671, the Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters Act (Harder)
- H.R. 4931, the National Park System Long-Term Lease Investment Act (Murphy)
- H.R. 5063, the Safe Beaches, Safe Swimmers Act (Kiggans)
- H.R. 5103, the Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act (McGuire)
- H.R. 5254, the Gateway Partnership Act of 2025 (Bell)
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held an oversight hearing titled, “Sea Lion Predation in the Pacific Northwest.” The legislation in the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries hearing examined sea lion and seal predation of salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest to see what’s working, where existing authorities fall short, and what additional solutions we must consider to protect salmon, honor tribal treaty rights, and restore balance to the Columbia River Basin.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing titled, “Unleashing American Energy Dominance and Exploring New Frontiers.” The Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an oversight hearing on the need to unleash innovation and secure America’s mineral supply chains.
Oversight and Government Reform
On Tuesday, December 2, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee markup and passed eleven bills to reform procedures in the federal workforce to promote greater transparency and bring accountability to federal agencies and the District of Columbia.
- H.R. 151, the Equal Representation Act (Edwards)
- H.R. 5750, the Ensuring a Qualified Civil Service Act of 2025 (Gill)
- H.R. 5749, the Official Time Reporting Act (Foxx)
- H.R. 5810, the Federal Supervisor Education Act of 2025 (Timmons)
- H.R. 6330, the Federal Relocation Payment Improvement Act (Jack)
- H.R. 6329, the Information Quality Assurance Act of 2025 (McClain)
- H.R. 3766, To prohibit the District of Columbia from requiring tribunals in court or administrative proceedings in the District of Columbia to defer to the Mayor of the District of Columbia's interpretation of statutes and regulations, and for other purposes (Hageman)
- H.R. 5457, the Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act (Brown)
- H.R. 5235, the Skills-Based Federal Contracting Act (Mace)
- H.R. 5578, the Expanding Whistleblower Protections for Contractors Act of 2025 (Garcia)
- H.R. 143, the Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act: To establish a budgetary level reduction schedule, and for other purposes (Cammack)
Rules
On Monday, December 1, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:
- H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act (Joyce)
- H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act (Hern)
- H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act (Bean)
- H.R. 2965, the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025 (Van Duyne)
- H.R. 4305, the DUMP Red Tape Act (Wied)
- H.R. 4312, the SCORE Act (Bilirakis)
Science, Space, and Technology
On Thursday, December 4, the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics held a hearing called "Strategic Trajectories Assessing China’s Space Rise and the Risks to U.S. Leadership." The hearing’s purpose was to examine the progress of the People’s Republic of China in achieving its goal of becoming a dominant space power. It outlined China’s objectives for its national space programs, both in terms of completing space missions and in advancing its geopolitical influence. The hearing also evaluated China’s space strategy, including the benefits of a consistent political direction, sustained funding, and its military-civil fusion approach. Finally, it highlighted the risks of ceding leadership in space exploration to China, with a particular focus on the Moon, as well as the broader economic, geopolitical, and national security consequences of China attaining preeminence in space.
Select Committee on China
Chairman John Moolenaar introduced a resolution honoring imprisoned pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. The resolution will recognize December 8, 2025—his 78th birthday—as Jimmy Lai Day. In addition to this, the resolution affirms the support for Lai in Congress, calls on Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately and unconditionally release him, and condemns these authorities for silencing dissent and violating the rights of all Hong Kongers.
Chairman Moolenaar also delivered a floor speech in support of three bills the House passed to counter CCP-malign influence in K-12 education. The bills are: H.R. 1005, the Combating the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act (Joyce), H.R. 1069, the PROTECT Our Kids Act (Hern), and H.R. 1049, the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education Act (Bean).
Chairman Moolenaar backed the Stop Stealing Our Chips Act, bipartisan legislation designed to combat the smuggling of American-made artificial intelligence chips and other sensitive technologies into China. The legislation was originally introduced by Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ) and Julie Johnson (D-TX).
Small Business
On Monday, December 1, the U.S. House of Representatives passed five bipartisan small business bills under suspension favorably out of the chamber.
- H.R. 2066, the Investing in All of America Act of 2025 (Meuser)
- H.R. 3174, the Made in America Manufacturing Finance Act (Williams)
- H.R. 4491, the SBA IT Modernization Reporting Act (Cisneros)
- H.R. 4495, the SBA Fraud Enforcement Extension Act (Downing)
- H.R. 4549, the Office of Rural Affairs Enhancement Act (Goodlander)
On Wednesday, December 3, two bills from the House Committee on Small Business passed favorably out of the House.
- H.R. 2965, the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act of 2025 (Van Duyne)
- H.R. 4305, the Destroying Unnecessary, Misaligned, and Prohibitive (DUMP) Red Tape Act of 2025 (Wied)
Transportation and Infrastructure
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing to examine the general state of the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry, including implementation of relevant provisions from the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2024 and relevant regulatory actions, as well as the AAM industry’s and state governments’ perspectives on air traffic control (ATC) modernization.
Veterans Affairs
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held an oversight hearing titled, “Strengthening the Workforce of Veterans in America.” During the hearing, the Subcommittee examined the different pathway options for veterans to enter into high paying non-traditional educational industries that boost the American economy. Committee members questioned VA about the barriers veterans face when navigating how to find apprenticeships and certifications with the end goal of finding and maintaining meaningful careers after service. GOP members are concerned about the lack of awareness of these hands-on educational opportunities, and the decline of participation with only 1% of Post-9/11 GI Bill users pursuing apprenticeships and on-the-job-training. The hearing highlighted that these jobs can offer veterans high paying salaries and fill critically important jobs in our economy.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs held a full committee legislative hearing on the following legislation:
- H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act of 2025 (Barrett)
- H.R. 4077, the GUARD Veterans’ Health Care Act (Doggett)
On Thursday, December 4, the Committee Veterans' Affairs held a full committee hearing titled, “119th Congress Member Day Hearing.” Member Day allows representatives from across Congress to present ideas related to the committee or the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). This hearing provided members an opportunity to discuss topics brought to them by constituents in their districts. Topics discussed included ALS legislation, treatment methods for veterans with mental illness, and opportunities to improve existing VA hospitals. Although every congressional member represents veterans, not all serve on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
Ways and Means
On Tuesday, December 2, the Subcommittee on Oversight held a hearing called "Lives at Stake: Holding Tax-Exempt Organ Procurement Organizations Accountable." Americans shared shocking stories of organ donations gone terribly wrong, and testimonies that highlight the need for greater accountability and transparency. A Missouri woman spoke about how she watched her mother die shortly after receiving a liver that was infected with cancer while a former OPO employee pulled back the curtain on an instance where an OPO tried to procure organs from a patient who regained consciousness.
The hearing comes amidst a months-long Committee investigation into questionable practices by tax-exempt OPOs that has revealed troubling clinical practices, misuse of taxpayer dollars, and questionable financial practices. In addition to life-threatening failures, investigations have unveiled instances of waste, fraud, and abuse by OPOs across the country. Worse, the Committee’s investigation found that 18 of the 21 most profitable OPOs fall in the lowest-performing tiers, as established by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The hearing took place one day before the deadline the Committee set for another OPO, the New Jersey Sharing Network, to produce key documents and schedule transcribed interviews.
On Wednesday, December 3, the Subcommittee on Tax held a hearing called "Promoting Global Competitiveness for American Workers and Businesses." Tax experts applauded the working families tax cuts – enacted earlier this year by Republicans – for continuing and building on the pro-growth tax policies of the 2017 Trump tax cuts. The working families tax cuts made permanent successful reforms that ended the decades-long trend of American companies offshoring their jobs, tax revenue, headquarters, manufacturing, and research and development.
Since the 2017 Trump tax cuts, the United States has not experienced a single corporate inversion. Long-run capital investment increased by 7 percent, of which 1.5 percent is directly attributable to the international tax provisions. The tax reforms protect the U.S. tax base, remove barriers to onshoring high-quality jobs, and reduce regulatory burden.
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