Committee Cliff Notes: Weekly Recap – Week of February 2, 2026

Here’s a recap of key moments from House Republican committees during the week:

Appropriations

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies held an oversight hearing called "U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of Inspector General." The hearing focused on oversight of USDA programs, highlighting issues with fraudulent and improper payments, national security concerns, including the smuggling of biological hazards and illicit agricultural products, the buying of farmland by China, and vulnerabilities in agricultural data and research labs. Appropriators will use what they learned in this hearing to inform decisions in the FY27 process.

This week, the House passed the Senate Amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, completing 11 out of 12 of the FY26 funding bills for the rest of the fiscal year. This package included funding for the Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development; Financial Services and General Government; and National Security and Department of State divisions. The bill also included a 2-week continuing resolution for the Department of Homeland Security, giving the White House and Congress time to negotiate on funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. With more than 95% of FY26 funding signed into law, Republicans ended yet another pointless Democrat shutdown and are restoring responsible governance with a member-driven, district-focused process.

The full-year funding bills signed by President Trump this week deliver pay raises to our military heroes, uphold lifesaving biomedical research and strengthen medical supply chains, reinforce classrooms and training to prepare our next generation for success, enhance the safety of our skies, modernize transportation safety and infrastructure, restore American strength and deterrence, fortify safeguards to stop terrorists and hostile actors, and direct community-informed investments to address real needs in localities nationwide. Additionally, the DHS CR provides stopgap funding for border protection and immigration services, as well as FEMA, the Secret Service, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, and more.

Education & Workforce

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing called "Building an AI-Ready America: Adopting AI at Work." This hearing, the second in a series on AI, focused on how AI is reshaping American workplaces and what that means for job creators and employees. Witnesses told Members that AI is creating jobs, not displacing workers. Committee Republicans are focused on harnessing AI to boost productivity, empower workers, and put the American Dream within reach for more Americans.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing called "Runaway College Spending Meets the Working Families Tax Cuts." This hearing highlighted how the Working Families Tax Cuts are lowering college costs. Too often, colleges prioritize flashy projects over responsible spending, using tuition dollars on megaprojects unrelated to students’ education. With few limits on raising costs, spending soared — leaving students and taxpayers with the bill. Republicans are working to rein in these costs. The Working Families Tax Cuts hold colleges accountable, curb runaway tuition, improve student outcomes, and streamline loan repayment. We’re committed to lowering college costs so students can earn degrees that are truly worth the price.

Energy & Commerce

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Energy held a hearing called "Oversight of FERC: Advancing Affordable and Reliable Energy for All Americans." The hearing focused on the work FERC has done to strengthen our grid and advance affordable, reliable energy.

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held a hearing called "Common Schemes, Real Harm: Examining Fraud in Medicare and Medicaid." This hearing examined ongoing Medicare and Medicaid fraud schemes occurring across the country and the duty Congress has to protect these programs for our most vulnerable Americans.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Communications & Technology held a hearing called "Evaluating FirstNet: Performance, Accountability, and Reauthorization." During this hearing, members questioned witnesses on the performance and accountability at FirstNet and examined legislation reauthorizing the program, which is critical to nationwide public safety communications.

Also on Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Energy held a markup of five bills that will strengthen American cybersecurity for our grid:

H.R. 7258, the Energy Emergency Leadership Act (Lee)
H.R. 7266, the Rural and Municipal Utility Cybersecurity Act (Miller-Meeks)
H.R. 7257, the Securing Community Upgrades for a Resilient Grid (SECURE Grid) Act (Latta)
H.R. 7272, the Pipeline Cybersecurity Preparedness Act (Weber)
H.R. 7305, the Energy Threat Analysis Center Act of 2026 (Castor)

Financial Services

On Wednesday, February 4, the Committee on Financial Services held a full committee hearing called "The Annual Report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council." The Committee hosted Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to examine the work of the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) and review its role in promoting a stable, resilient, and transparent financial system while ensuring regulatory accountability. The FSOC’s 2025 Annual Report makes clear that economic growth is essential to financial stability and Committee Republicans share in this commitment to promote economic growth through the elimination of unnecessary regulatory burdens.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Capital Markets held a hearing called "A New Day at the SEC: Restoring Accountability, Due Process, and Public Confidence." The Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Ann Wagner (MO-02), examined the SEC’s recent actions to rein in regulatory overreach, review its rulemaking process, and ensure transparency and accountability across the agency to ensure strong capital markets and investor confidence.

Foreign Affairs

On Tuesday, February 3, the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee held a hearing called "U.S. Policy Toward Lebanon: Obstacles to Dismantling Hezbollah’s Grip on Power." During his opening remarks, Subcommittee Chairman Mike Lawler underscored the significant opportunity for Lebanon following the 2024 cease fire agreement that ended the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, including the chance to help the government to break free from Iran’s influence. He urged the international community to seize the moment and for Lebanon’s government to make long promised economic and structural reforms.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Africa and Western Hemisphere Subcommittees held a joint hearing called "Defending Religious Freedom Around the World." Africa Subcommittee Chairman Smith and Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman Salazar underscored that religious freedom remains under attack and noted their commitment to working with President Trump in making religious freedom a reality. “Thank God there is a leader at the White House that understands the importance of the Western Hemisphere liberty, democracy, free market economy and religious rights,” Chairwoman Salazar said.

Homeland Security

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security held a hearing entitled “Frontline Defenders: How the Coast Guard’s Deployable Specialized Forces Combat Narcoterrorists and other Maritime Threats on the High Seas.” The hearing provided an opportunity for members to better understand the role of the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) within the nation’s broader homeland security strategy. Most recently, USCG’s DSF played a critical role in the seizure of sanctioned oil tankers off the coast of Venezuela, demonstrating the high-risk maritime operations these units conduct and the importance of these specialized forces in protecting U.S. interests.

Judiciary

On Tuesday, February 3, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee markup of the following measures:

H.R. 1028, the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (Steube)
H. J. Res. 139, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring a balanced budget for the Federal Government (Biggs)

The markup worked on legislation that intends to bar biological males from female-designated Olympic and amateur sports to protect women's fairness. It also worked on legislation that proposes a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget with limited exceptions.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Judiciary Committee held a full committee hearing called "Europe’s Threat to American Speech and Innovation: Part II." This hearing highlighted how European online censorship laws, such as the European Union's (EU) Digital Services Act (DSA) and the United Kingdom's (UK) Online Safety Act (OSA), threaten Americans' right to speak freely online in the United States. Additionally, the hearing explained how European regulation, including the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA), Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), and Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), target American companies and hurt innovation.

Natural Resources

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing titled “Fix Our Forests: The Need for Urgent Action One Year After the L.A. Wildfires.” The hearing examined the urgent need for the Senate to pass the Fix Our Forests Act, which passed the House in an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in January 2025. Last year, wildfires devastated the Los Angeles, California, area, destroying entire communities, homes, and businesses, and tragically claiming the lives of 31 people. Without urgent action, thousands of additional communities risk sharing the same fate as the Palisades, Altadena, and Pasadena, California.

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs held an oversight hearing titled “Making Federal Economic Development Programs Work in Indian Country.” The hearing examined how federal economic development programs can better serve Indian Country.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries held a legislative hearing on the following bills related to wildlife stewardship, conservation, and water project operations:

H.R. 3276, the Local Communities & Bird Habitat Stewardship Act of 2025 (Dingell)
H.R. 6021, the Archie Cavanaugh Migratory Bird Treaty Amendment Act (Begich)
H.R. 6568, the Lower Yellowstone River Native Fish Conservation Act (Downing)
H.R. 7159, the Protecting Local Zoos Act of 2026 (Gosar)

Oversight and Government Reform

On Wednesday, February 4, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a full committee markup and passed legislation aimed at modernizing federal technology and procurement, strengthening protections against risky supply chains, reducing waste, incentivizing savings, and ensuring more intentional government spending.

H.R. 7274, the Federal Acquisition Security Council Improvement Act of 2026 (Timmons)
H.R. 2985, the Modernizing Government Technology Reform Act (Mace)
H.R. 4123, the Federal Improvement in Technology Procurement Act (Burlison)
H.R. 7283, the Ensuring Federal Purchasing Efficiency Act (Fallon)
H.R. 1118, the Value Over Cost Act of 2025 (Donalds)
H.R. 5438, the Incentivize Savings Act (McCormick)
H.R. 5000, the Cybersecurity Hiring Modernization Act (Mace)
H.R. 7256, the Federal Workforce Early Separation Incentives Act (Langworthy)
H.R. 7265, the Vote By Mail Tracking Act (Mfume)

This week – once it became clear that the House of Representatives would hold the Clintons in contempt of Congress for defying duly issued subpoenas – Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) announced that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to appear for transcribed, filmed depositions to face questioning as part of the investigation related to Jeffery Epstein’s and Ghislaine Maxwell’s crimes. Former President Clinton will appear for a deposition on February 27, 2026, and former Secretary Clinton will appear for a deposition on February 26, 2026.

Rules

On Monday, February 2, the Committee on Rules met on the following measures:

H.J. Res. 142, Disapproving the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025 (Gill)
H. Res. ___, Report to accompany the Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives find William J. Clinton in Contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Comer)
H. Res. ___, Report to accompany the Resolution Recommending that the House of Representatives find Hillary R. Clinton in Contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Comer)
H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act (Stauber)
Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (Cole)

This week, the Rules Committee considered measures designed to ensure DC families enjoy the benefits of the OBBA, fund the government, and guarantee America harnesses its god-given resources. Members highlighted how the House did its job and passed all 12 appropriations bills, only to be trapped by the shortcomings of the Senate. Rules Republicans contended with multiple calls to abolish ICE and defended the popular border enforcement program that President Trump ran on. The Committee also exposed Democrats for only offering lip service on affordability while fighting efforts to bring tax cuts to working families in our nation’s capital. Finally, the conversation switched to our ever-increasing reliance on critical minerals and the need to prevent adversaries like China from dominating the underlying market.

The Clinton contempt items were postponed, subject to the call of the chair.

Science, Space, and Technology

On Wednesday, February 4, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology held a full committee markup of H.R. 7273, the NASA Reauthorization Act of 2026. This important legislation, led by Chairman Brian Babin and Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren, strengthens America’s leadership in space by providing clear direction for NASA and supporting critical programs and initiatives that will keep our nation at the forefront of exploration and discovery well into the future. The bill passed by a recorded vote of 37-0.

Select Committee on China

Chairman Moolenaar applauded President Trump’s plans for Project Vault, a critical minerals stockpile that will be created with the support of private industry. “President Trump and his administration are leading on critical minerals and building a stockpile that will counter China and secure the future of American manufacturing. China’s attempt to cut off our supplies of critical minerals was a declaration of economic war against the United States and a threat to supply chains around the world. Project Vault will protect our economy from China’s mineral manipulation, create jobs, and send a signal to American miners and our allies that there is a demand for their product,” he said.

Moolenaar scrutinized Ford’s reported joint venture with Xiaomi, a Chinese-military linked company. “If it is true that Ford is starting a joint venture with Xiaomi, it will be choosing to do business with yet another Chinese military-linked company. It will be turning its back on American and allied partners, and it will make our country further dependent on China. Joint ventures with Chinese companies frequently end poorly for American companies, and this new one would be a deal only Xi Jinping could love. Ford can promise more jobs in the near-term but China will always offer cheaper workers, and this will be a losing deal for American labor, American suppliers, and our nation’s entire auto industry. Ford should work with American companies and our nation’s allies, not our adversaries,” he said.

Veterans Affairs

On Tuesday, February 3, the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a legislative hearing on the following measures:

H.R. 1004, the Love Lives On Act of 2025 (Hudson)
H.R. 1685, the Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 (Fitzpatrick)
H.R. 2164, the Dayton National Cemetery Expansion Act of 2025 (Turner)
H.R. 6698, the Board of Veterans Appeals Annual Report Transparency Act of 2025 (Self)
H.R. 6943, the Veterans Burial Allowance and Reimbursement Act of 2026 (Evans)
H.R. 7260, the National Cemetery Administration Annual Report Act of 2026 (Mackenzie)
H.R. 4469, the PRESUME Act (Titus)
H.R. 5723, the FRAUD in VA Disability Exams Act (Takano)
H.R. 5339, the Susan E. Lukas 9/11 Servicemember Fairness Act (Subramanyam)

The subcommittee held a legislative hearing on several bills affecting veterans’ disability compensation, survivor benefits, burial benefits, appeals transparency, and cemetery operations. The hearing featured testimony from bill sponsors, veterans service organizations, and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials. During the hearing, the Republican members focused on ensuring proposed changes are practical and fiscally responsible. Members raised concerns about creating condition-specific carveouts, duplicating existing VA authorities, and imposing new reporting requirements that could strain already limited resources or slow claims processing. Republican members highlighted areas of bipartisan agreement, particularly proposals aimed at improving transparency at the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and increasing public reporting by the National Cemetery Administration. Throughout the hearing, Members stressed the need for realistic implementation to ensure reforms meaningfully improve outcomes for veterans and their families without introducing new inefficiencies or inequities.

On Wednesday, February 4, the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization and the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity held a joint oversight hearing called "Digital G.I. Bill Undelivered: Contracting Challenges and the Need for Acquisition Reform." The hearing examined VA’s mismanaged contracting decisions and weak program oversight that led to delays, cost overruns, and payment disruptions in the Digital G.I. Bill program, directly impacting veterans, students, and schools. The program has more than doubled in cost, from approximately $453 million to $932 million. GOP Members highlighted how unclear contract requirements, poor coordination between VA offices, and failure to follow best practices undermined a major IT modernization effort intended to streamline education benefits. GOP Members heard from witnesses about VA’s progress toward implementing internal controls to stabilize the Digital G.I. Bill program and pressed VA to commit to clear accountability measures, a streamlined acquisition organization to improve oversight, and adherence to best practices to prevent future cost overruns and disruptions to veterans’ benefits.

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