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Below is this week’s congressional update by BakerHostetler’s <a href="https://www.bakerlaw.com/services/federal-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Federal Policy</a> team. We’ll continue to post in weeks when both chambers of Congress are in session.

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Republicans face a make-or-break week for their ambitious timeline to advance their budget reconciliation bill.

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President Donald Trump will visit Saudi Arabia and other Gulf nations.

Budget hearings continue with the cabinet on Capitol Hill, including Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifying in both chambers.

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The House will be in <a href="https://www.majorityleader.gov/schedule/weekly-schedule.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">session</a> tomorrow through Friday, taking up <a href="https://rules.house.gov/media/announcement/meeting-announcement-may-13-2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">legislation</a> aiming to support law enforcement officers.

The <a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Energy &amp; Commerce</a>, <a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ways &amp; Means</a>, and <a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Agriculture</a> committees all plan to mark up their portions of reconciliation legislation tomorrow, the most politically difficult <a href="https://agriculture.house.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">votes</a> so far in the process.

Several cabinet officials will appear for budget hearings, including <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hearings/budget-hearing-us-department-health-and-human-services" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kennedy</a> on Wednesday and Labor Secretary <a href="https://appropriations.house.gov/schedule/hearings/budget-hearing-us-department-labor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lori Chavez-DeRemer</a> on Thursday.

The full schedule of committee activity can be found <a href="https://www.house.gov/legislative-activity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

The Senate will continue <a href="https://www.senate.gov/legislative/floor_activity_pail.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">voting</a> on Trump’s nominations.

Kennedy is also <a href="https://www.help.senate.gov/hearings/hearing-on-fiscal-year-2026-department-of-health-and-human-services-budget" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scheduled</a> Wednesday before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

On Tuesday, the Judiciary Committee will hold a <a href="https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/committee-activity/hearings/pbm-power-play-examining-competition-issues-in-the-prescription-drug-supply-chain" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hearing</a> examining pharmacy benefit managers’ role in the prescription drug market.

The full list of Senate committee meetings can be found <a href="https://www.senate.gov/committees/hearings_meetings.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.

Trump last night <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/114491534347862682" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">announced</a> he will sign an executive order today implementing a “most favored nation” policy targeting drug costs, a policy initiative his first administration advanced until it was blocked in federal court.

Tomorrow, he will travel to Saudi Arabia for the first formal state visit of his second term, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/prospects-saudi-ties-israel-elusive-trump-seeks-1-trillion-bonanza-2025-05-11/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planning</a> to deepen ties with the kingdom.

Trump’s Middle East <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/11/middleeast/trump-visit-gulf-arab-states-saudi-uae-qatar-intl" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trip</a> also includes stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar before his return Friday.

The Weekly Hill Update