HR 6398 Passed in House – FY 2026 2nd Minibus

After holding a one-hour debate earlier in the day, the House today passed HR 6398, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026, by a final bipartisan vote of 397-28. Earlier the two procedural votes to retain Division A (CJS spending), and Divisions B (EWR) C (IER) passed by similar votes.

The bill will probably be considered next week in the Senate, where similar levels of support are expected. Having said that, there are means of delaying consideration of the bill in the Senate that could delay a final vote.

Review – Bills Introduced – 1-6-26

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in Washington,  there were 25 bills introduced. One of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:

HR 6938 Making consolidated appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and for other purposes. Cole, Tom [Rep.-R-OK-4]

Space Geek Legislation

I would like to mention one bill under my limited Space Geek coverage in this blog:

HR 6941 To direct the Secretary of Energy to conduct a study to identify the effects of covered geoengineering projects on the health of humans and the environment, and for other purposes. Crane, Elijah [Rep.-R-AZ-2]

 

For more information on these bills, including legislative history for similar bills in the 118^th Congress, as well as a mention in passing about a bill to prevent electrical car fires, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/bills-introduced-1-6-26 - subscription required.

Review – Committee Hearings – Week of 1-4-26

The first week of the 2^nd Session of the 119^th Congress starts out with both the House and Senate in Washington with a very light hearing schedule. I look at last night’s rule hearing for HR 6398, the 2^nd FY 2026 minibus spending bill and one chemical safety hearing later this week.

Minibus Rule Hearing

Last night at about 9:00 EST the House Rules Committee adjourned their rule hearing, subject to the call of the Chair, that included HR 6398, the Commerce, Justice, Science; Energy and Water Development; and Interior and Environment Appropriations Act, 2026, without approving a rule for the consideration of that bill and two others.

Chemical Safety

On Thursday, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee will hold a hearing on “Chemistry Competitiveness: Fueling Innovation and Streamlining Processes to Ensure Safety and Security”.

On the Floor

Beyond the potential consideration of HR 6398 this week in the House, there is nothing currently scheduled of specific interest here.

 

For more information on these hearings, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/committee-hearings-week-of-1-4-26 - subscription required.