Capitol Hill Update: Trump Delivers First Joint Address of Second Term

It was business as usual from President Donald Trump during last night’s record-length joint address to Congress as he sought to rally the “GOP trifecta” on his accomplishments over the course of his first couple of months back in office, as well as his legislative agenda. The president reiterated familiar promises and demands from the campaign trail, and defended the activities of the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency” or DOGE. Of note, he called on Congress to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) permanently in addition to no tax on tips, overtime pay, Social Security benefits, and car loans for autos made in the U.S. However, President Trump did not delve into specifics on some of the “must have” tax policies like removing the cap on the state and local tax deduction, nor did he weigh in on potential cuts to public benefit programs such as Medicaid.

• Situational awareness. While Joint Addresses like these can be void of specific policy details, the President’s budget for fiscal year (FY) 2026 will provide a more comprehensive overview of what the White House hopes to accomplish through the government funding process. However, the Trump administration is already well behind the statutorily required deadline, and rumors suggest that the president’s FY 2026 request might not be released until the middle of May.
• Sad note. Sylvester Turner (D-TX), elected to replace the late Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX) in Texas’s 18th congressional district, passed away late last night.
• On the floor. The Senate will meet today for a vote on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution to overturn a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule relating to “Defining Larger Participants of a Market for General-Use Digital Consumer Payment Applications.” Additionally, senators will resume consideration of pending presidential nominees, starting with Todd Blanche to be Deputy Attorney General today. Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) also filed a procedural vote on Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s nomination to lead the Department of Labor. Meanwhile, the House will consider a pair of CRA resolutions pertaining to energy efficiency standards for appliances, as well as pollutant rules for rubber tires.