Blank Rome Government Relations LLC (BRGR) provides the Weekly Washington Update to inform you of recent developments in Congress and Washington. For information on President Trump’s Executive Orders and other actions, please see our Executive Order Tracker.

Top of the News:

  • Appropriators Push to Jumpstart FY27 Funding Talks Ahead of Dec. 11 Deadline - Top Democratic appropriators are urging early bipartisan FY2027 spending negotiations while advocating for a short-term funding extension into next year to give incoming Democratic majorities greater influence over final appropriations decisions. 
  • Aviation Safety Bill Faces Year-End Uncertainty - Congress is unlikely to finalize aviation safety legislation before year-end due to unresolved differences between the House and Senate bills. 
  • Senate Advances Bipartisan Permitting Reform Bill Toward Passage - The Senate advanced bipartisan permitting reform legislation to debate with strong support, though some Democrats are seeking changes to provisions affecting tribal consultation and historic preservation protections. 
  • Interior Unveils Plan to Streamline BLM Public Land Management and Planning- The Department of the Interior has proposed updating the Bureau of Land Management's decades-old land-use planning rules to simplify permitting and reduce regulatory delays. 

Budget, Tax and Small Business

Senate Panel Drops $173.2 Billion Military Construction-VA Bill: The Senate Appropriations Committee released its fiscal 2027 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs spending bill ahead of the December 11 government funding deadline, proposing $173.2 billion in discretionary funding, including $144.2 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs and $28.6 billion for the Department of Defense's military construction programs. Most VA funding, $123.4 billion, would support veterans’ medical care, supplemented by $54.6 billion from the Toxic Exposures Fund. Senate Republicans released the bill without a formal markup, signaling an effort to advance full-year appropriations despite ongoing disagreements over overall Pentagon spending levels. Those disputes have stalled broader appropriations negotiations, with Senate Appropriations Vice Chair Patty Murray advocating for a short-term continuing resolution into next year to give incoming Democratic majorities greater influence over FY2027 spending and related foreign policy issues. (BGOV) 

Appropriators Try for Progress by December 11th: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, is urging appropriators to begin advancing fiscal 2027 spending negotiations before the Dec. 11 funding deadline, even though Congress is expected to need a short-term continuing resolution to avoid a government shutdown. DeLauro has pressed Susan Collins (R-ME), chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to publicly release all Senate Republican funding bills so House and Senate negotiators can begin bipartisan talks. So far, only the Military Construction-VA and Agriculture-FDA bills have been released, while broader negotiations remain stalled, particularly over defense spending levels.  

While a full bipartisan funding agreement by Dec. 11 appears unlikely, appropriators in both chambers are signaling interest in laying the groundwork for eventual compromise. At the same time, DeLauro and Patty Murray (D-WA) are advocating for a funding stopgap that would extend into next year, allowing incoming Democratic majorities in the House and Senate to play a larger role in shaping fiscal 2027 appropriations. Their strategy would also provide Democrats with additional leverage in negotiations with the Trump administration, particularly regarding U.S. policy related to the Israel-Iran conflict. (BGOV) 

Defense and National Security

House Republicans Support Hegseth and Vote Down Impeachment Articles: House Republicans voted 211-204 to sideline an impeachment effort against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, effectively ending the matter for the remainder of the current Congress. The impeachment articles were introduced by outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), who accused Hegseth of constitutional violations and abuse of authority related to U.S. military operations in Iran, Yemen, Latin America, and elsewhere. Democrats uniformly supported advancing the measure, while Massie was the lone Republican to join them; most Republicans instead voted to refer the resolution to committee, a procedural move that halted further action.  

Massie argued that Hegseth conducted military actions without congressional authorization, ignored congressional directives, endangered civilians, and retaliated against protected speech. Hegseth vigorously rejected the accusations, calling the effort a political stunt driven by a defeated lawmaker's personal grievances and defending the operations as lawful and successful. President Trump, Vice President Vance, and House Republicans rallied behind Hegseth, pointing to military recruitment gains, counterterrorism successes, and anti-drug trafficking operations as evidence of effective leadership. While Democratic leaders supported allowing the impeachment vote to proceed, they signaled that their focus in the next Congress will be oversight and accountability rather than immediately pursuing a renewed impeachment effort. (The Hill) 

Trade and Tariffs

Bessent Calls for More Balanced Trade with China Ahead of Talks: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States is seeking a more balanced economic relationship with Xi Jinping's China ahead of an expected meeting between President Trump and Xi later this month, emphasizing that the administration's goal is to "de-risk, not decouple" the bilateral relationship. Bessent argued that the U.S. has become overly dependent on foreign production while China relies too heavily on foreign demand, and called for both countries to rebalance by producing and consuming more domestically. His comments come as the two nations continue a trade truce that lowered tariffs and eased Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals, with a broader trade agreement still under negotiation before the current deal expires in January 2027. President Trump has indicated that discussions with Xi, and potentially Vladimir Putin, at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Shenzhen will also include denuclearization and other strategic issues. (The Hill) 

Transportation

Hopes to Pass Aviation Safety Bill in Lame Duck Fades: Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) said prospects for passing aviation safety legislation this year are uncertain, though he remains confident that the Senate-passed ROTOR Act will ultimately become law, either during the lame-duck session or early next year. The legislation is Congress’s response to the January 2025 midair collision near Washington, D.C., but House and Senate negotiators have yet to reconcile differences between the Senate’s ROTOR Act and the House-passed ALERT Act, sponsored by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO). A key distinction is that the ROTOR Act more aggressively requires the use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology to improve aircraft tracking and collision avoidance. If an agreement is not reached before the end of the year, lawmakers will need to reintroduce legislation in the next Congress, where Democrats, led by Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Rick Larsen (D-WA), are expected to take control of the relevant committees and continue pushing for aviation safety reforms. (BGOV) 

BAE Systems Awarded $138 Million Contract for Virginia-Class Submarine Propulsors: BAE Systems has received a $138 million U.S. Navy contract to continue manufacturing propulsor systems, reinforcing its role as a key supplier for their undersea fleet. The company, which has delivered major propulsor assemblies for every Virginia-class submarine built to date, is currently meeting the Navy’s production target of two propulsor sets annually. The contract includes production of propulsor assemblies, engineering support, replacement parts, and related services through September 2032. According to Jason Casciotti, vice president of BAE Systems Weapon Systems, the award reflects the company’s ongoing investment in advanced manufacturing and workforce capabilities across facilities in Louisville, Kentucky; Jacksonville, Florida; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, supporting the Navy’s goal of sustaining an expanded submarine construction cadence. (PR Newswire)

Energy and Environment

Permitting Measure Clears Another Procedural Hurdle in Senate: The Senate moved bipartisan permitting reform legislation one step closer to passage Tuesday by approving a 62-21 motion to proceed to debate on the measure, which is being considered under H.R. 2347. The vote represents another significant procedural victory for supporters of the bill, who argue that streamlining the permitting process is necessary to accelerate infrastructure, energy, and other major development projects. Senate negotiators also worked to build broader support by briefing members of the House Problem Solvers Caucus on the legislation.  

Despite the bill's momentum, amendments are already being filed to address concerns from some lawmakers. A group of Democrats is seeking to remove provisions that would modify the National Historic Preservation Act, a section that has sparked opposition from tribal groups and advocates. Critics contend the proposed changes could weaken tribal consultation requirements and undermine tribal sovereignty in decisions involving energy projects and development within or affecting their communities. (BGOV) 

Natural Resources and Native American Issues

Interior Proposes to Modernize BLM's Outdated Public Land Planning Rules: The Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced a proposal to modernize the Bureau of Land Management Director Steve Pearce's agency's public land planning regulations, which have remained largely unchanged since 1979. The proposal aims to streamline the Bureau of Land Management’s land-use planning process by eliminating outdated requirements, reducing duplicative procedures, updating terminology, and improving coordination with state and local governments. Interior officials argue that the current system is overly complex and slow, creating unnecessary delays and costs for taxpayers while hindering effective management of public lands.  

The proposed rule would also revise how Areas of Critical Environmental Concern are designated, giving the BLM greater flexibility to focus protections on resources that genuinely require special management while avoiding overly broad buffer zones. Interior says the changes will better align planning regulations with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, support multiple-use land management, and ensure public input is collected at the most meaningful stages of decision-making. The proposal will be published in the Federal Register with a 60-day public comment period, and the BLM plans to hold a virtual public information session on December 3 to explain the changes and gather stakeholder feedback. (U.S. Department of the Interior Press Release)