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IN THIS EDITION

Inside the House GOP’s plan for the next four weeks

Rubio picks another Hill fight with State Department overhaul

Life insurers launch charm offensive amid tax debate

Abortion-rights group targets 3 Republicans on Medicaid cuts

Former McConnell aide to Chamber

THE TOP

Inside the House GOP’s plan for the next four weeks

Happy Wednesday morning.

News: We got our hands on the House Republican leadership’s schedule for May. There’s a lot to cover here, so please bear with us.

First, the big news: House Republicans plan to have their reconciliation package on the floor the week of May 19. This isn’t entirely surprising as it’s the last week the House is in session before the Memorial Day recess.

But this does throw cold water on the idea that the reconciliation bill will be on President Donald Trump’s desk before Memorial Day. As we reported in Tuesday morning’s edition, that’s where this discussion was heading anyway. No one believed Memorial Day was a real deadline. We’ll see if they can get this on the floor by the week of May 19.

Also: The working title of the GOP reconciliation package is the “Renewing the American Dream Act.” We’ll see if this title – RADA or something like that – passes muster with the Senate parliamentarians. Or more importantly, the Brander-in-Chief, President Donald Trump.

Now let’s talk about April and May.

Next week: House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, who plans the floor schedule, has five Congressional Review Act resolutions on the docket for next week.

– H.J. Res. 87, which seeks to stop California’s efforts to force truck manufacturers to sell zero-emission trucks.

– H.J. Res. 88, which overturns the EPA’s waiver that permits California to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2025.

– H.J. Res. 89, another resolution that targets California, this time going after the EPA’s decision to allow the Golden State to tighten nitrogen oxide engine emission standards.

– H.J. Res 78, which repeals the endangered species listing for the longfin smelt.

– H.J. Res 60, which repeals a rule prohibiting the use of off-road vehicles and ATVs on 24 miles of park roads in the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Week of May 5: The House will consider the White House’s rescissions package, as we reported in Monday’s edition. This Trump administration package will attempt to claw back $9.3 billion in previously approved spending.

The House will also take up H.R. 276. This is Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) bill to officially rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

Also on the docket: H.R. 1789. This legislation by Rep. Russell Fry (R-S.C.) allows former presidents and vice presidents to move state cases to federal courts. Wonder where he got that idea!

Week of May 12: This is “Police Week” in the House, which lines up with National Police Week.

The House has three bills it will consider:

– H.R. 2240. Rep. Tim Moore’s (R-N.C.) bill to require the attorney general to collect and make public data about attacks on police officers has bipartisan support.

– Rep. Don Bacon’s (R-Neb.) bill would allow law enforcement officers to extend their concealed carry license if they continue to serve their communities.

– H.R. 2255 is Fry’s bill to allow federal law enforcement officers to purchase their service weapon at market value.

Medicaid: Now let’s talk about one of the biggest issues facing House Republicans – what are they going to try to do to Medicaid.

The Energy and Commerce Committee is wrestling with policy proposals to reach its reconciliation target of $880 billion in spending cuts, much of which will have to come from Medicaid.

Democrats have been hammering Republicans over potential Medicaid cuts for months. Moderate GOP members have warned they won’t vote for a final reconciliation package that has deep slashes to benefits.

Still, there’s only so many ways for E&C to reach $880 billion in cuts. Recently, we’ve heard chatter about possible changes to the federal funding match rate that states get for participating in Medicaid. E&C said there’s no final decisions on policies yet.

“We are still in the process of exploring options throughout our jurisdiction and putting together options for our members to examine,” E&C spokesman Matt VanHyfte said. “With that in mind, we are not yet ready to comment on policy-specific items that may or may not be included in the final bill text.”

Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.) told Fox Business on Monday that Republicans are considering lowering the federal match rate, shifting more costs to the states. In states like Arizona, that may trigger an end to the Medicaid expansion, leaving many uninsured. We’ll note, however, that Scott isn’t on E&C.

Broad changes to the match rate, often referred to as FMAP, are unlikely to pass the House. Some moderate Republicans have said they won’t support lowering the match rate.

“We’re not going to support anything that would lower the FMAP, and we’re not going to support anything that puts caps on traditional Medicaid,” Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.) told reporters earlier this month.

But a narrower proposal may be on the table. Republicans, months ago, floated cutting D.C.’s federal Medicaid reimbursement, which may be on the table now for reconciliation. Axios first reported this.

Under the measure, which was first circulated in January, D.C.’s federal Medicaid reimbursement would fall to 50% from 70%. This faces fierce pushback from the D.C. Hospital Association. It also doesn’t raise much money – estimates say around $8 billion over 10 years.

D.C. officials are already warning of cuts to emergency services and law enforcement because of lack of action from Congress on a budget issue, so this would further squeeze the District.

– Jake Sherman and Samantha Handler

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WASHINGTON X THE WORLD

Rubio picks another Hill fight with State Department overhaul

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s proposed overhaul of the State Department won public praise from Republicans. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to implement.

Rubio said Tuesday that the effort is intended to reduce bureaucracy and refocus the department on its “essential diplomatic mission in this new era of great power competition.”

While the proposal didn’t go as far as some had feared, Rubio recommends eliminating several human rights-centric bureaus, as well as offices and programs focused on advancing diversity, equity and inclusion. Rubio also proposes establishing a new office handling emerging threats.

Rubio will be able to do much of this without congressional approval, especially administrative changes like shifting reporting lines for some senior-level officials.

But getting buy-in from Congress on the rest will be challenging. Lawmakers from both parties are still waiting for key details about the proposal. And Senate Democrats have leverage with the annual State Department authorization bill, typically a bipartisan effort.

What Republicans are saying: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chair Jim Risch (R-Idaho) praised the plan and pledged to help make it a reality.

“Change is not easy, but President Trump and Secretary Rubio have proposed a vision to remake the State Department for this century and the fights that we face today, as well as those that lie ahead of us,” Risch said in a statement.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce described the document as more of a “roadmap” and said it would not result in immediate firings. This wasn’t the case when the Trump administration shuttered USAID and folded it into the State Department and laid off thousands of employees.

The department’s annual authorization bill will be the vehicle for the key fights related to Rubio’s consolidation effort. Separately, Congress will use the FY 2026 appropriations process to hash out State Department funding levels. Last week, it was revealed that the Trump administration wants to slash State’s budget by half, including closing dozens of embassies and consulates.

But Republicans will be in a bind — especially because they’ve historically supported many of the programs Rubio now wants to cut. For example, the Office of Global Women’s Issues would be shuttered under the reorganization plan.

The view from Dems: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), the Foreign Relations Committee’s top Democrat, warned that any structural changes “must be carefully weighed with the real costs to American security and leadership.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), the top Democrat on the appropriations subcommittee for the State Department, said Rubio was “once one of the strongest advocates for American diplomacy, leadership, and engagement around the world,” but is now presiding over “the continued weakening of the State Department.”

— Andrew Desiderio

THE TAX FIGHT

Life insurers launch charm offensive amid tax debate

News: Life insurance companies are launching a new ad campaign touting the industry’s benefits as Republicans put together their reconciliation bill.

The American Council of Life Insurers is airing a TV ad in the D.C. area next week that’s set to be broadcast on Fox and Fox Business, saying the industry boosts jobs and local communities.

ACLI has spent $4 million on the ad campaign so far, which also includes nationwide digital ad buys. Spots are set to air at least through the spring and summer.

The ad also touts life insurers as the “single largest investor in job-creating, innovation-driving and economy-building U.S. corporate bonds.” Watch it here.

Tax timing: The new ad buy comes as the GOP is crafting a package to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts and grant President Donald Trump’s new priorities. Republicans have been eyeing offsets to cut down the cost of new tax cuts in the bill. That has a range of industries on edge.

ACLI President and CEO David Chavern noted that timing in a statement:

Remember that Republicans’ 2017 tax package raised some taxes on life insurance companies, even though many also benefited from a lower corporate tax rate in the law, per ACLI.

ACLI represents major life insurance companies like Prudential, MetLife, New York Life Insurance, Northwestern Mutual and MassMutual.

— Laura Weiss

ON THE AIRWAVES

Abortion-rights group targets 3 Republicans on Medicaid cuts

Reproductive Freedom For All, an abortion-rights group, is hitting the airwaves in three GOP-controlled districts where the incumbent Republican has expressed opposition to cutting Medicaid funding as part of the broader effort to extend the 2017 Trump tax cuts.

The effort is targeting Reps. Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Young Kim (R-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). Ciscomani and Kim signed a letter to GOP leaders last week saying they won’t support a budget reconciliation bill that “includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations.” And Fitzpatrick has separately pledged to protect Medicaid and Social Security.

In three separate ads, the group seeks to spotlight potential cuts to Medicaid and Planned Parenthood as part of Republicans’ effort to cut federal spending and make the 2017 tax cuts permanent. The ads, we’re told, have $100,000 behind them and are running on streaming TV and online.

Abortion-rights organizations have long argued that cuts to Medicaid would threaten Planned Parenthood as well given the services it provides to low-income Americans.

Here’s what Reproductive Freedom For All’s president, Mini Timmaraju, said in a statement:

— Andrew Desiderio

… AND THERE’S MORE

Former McConnell aide to Chamber

Doug Andres, a former top aide to Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) when he was Senate GOP leader, is going to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce as a VP for political communications.

In addition to his stint with McConnell, Andres worked for former Speaker Paul Ryan and the House Rules Committee.

New website: There’s a new website, FormerGov.com, to connect former government employees to the private sector via a network of ex-government and military experts and specialists. It’s founded by Brian Levine, a former FBI cybersecurity prosecutor.

The Campaign. Deja Foxx, a social media influencer who worked on Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign, is running for the open seat in Arizona’s 7th District.

Foxx, 25, is one of several candidates vying for the seat following Rep. Raul Grijalva’s (D-Ariz.) death in March. A primary election will take place on July 15, followed by a general election to fill the remainder of Grijalva’s term on Sept. 23.

Grijalva’s daughter, Adelita Grijalva, is the favorite in the race. The Congressional Progressive Caucus’ campaign arm endorsed her Tuesday.

New York latest: Democrat John Sullivan, a former FBI intelligence analyst, is stepping into the crowded primary race for Rep. Mike Lawler’s (R-N.Y.) seat in Congress.

In a campaign launch video, Sullivan touted his career fighting national security threats and said it made him the ideal candidate to combat the Trump administration.

Sullivan, who resigned from the FBI earlier this month, shared on Substack that he left the department after FBI Director Kash Patel’s response to Signalgate.

Sullivan joins a primary field featuring local legislator Beth Davidson, veteran Cait Conley, former television reporter Mike Sacks and nonprofit executive Jessica Reinmann.

– John Bresnahan, Mica Soellner and Lillian Juarez

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