Democratic appropriators infuriated by the Trump administration’s disregard for Congress’ power of the purse are getting their first chance to cross examine the secretaries who have aided the president’s slashing.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins are hitting the Hill Tuesday to testify on their portions of President Donald Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request. VA Secretary Doug Collins is also likely to face sharp budget questions when he appears before Senate Veterans’ Affairs Tuesday.
Democrats will push hard for answers on why Trump is unilaterally cutting congressionally approved funding — and why he’s proposing another $163 billion in nondefense cuts going forward.
“Appropriations laws are not suggestions,” Rep. Lauren Underwood, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security subcommittee, told POLITICO of the warning she’ll deliver to Noem. Here’s where things could get testy Tuesday:
The looming X-date: Expect lawmakers to press Bessent on when the Treasury Department believes Congress will have to act on the debt limit (unless Treasury drops that news before his 10 a.m. hearing). Bessent and House Republicans will need Democrats’ support to raise the debt limit if the X-date comes before the GOP can pass its party-line megabill.
Noem will have to defend Trump’s immigration policies: The president’s budget called for a 65 percent increase in funding for border security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Noem is almost certain to face scrutiny over disaster aid, with the Trump administration on track to run out of cash for FEMA this summer. The secretary plans to tell lawmakers that the agency “needs to be both reformed and reimagined,” while privately telling officials she wants FEMA to end its role in funding long-term rebuilding efforts and helping communities with disaster preparation.
But Congress will want to know whether the Trump administration has plans to fund existing disaster aid needs — and when it plans to make a formal request, kicking off what could be a contentious funding fight.
On the Senate side, expect Rollins to get questions on funding freezes and tariffs’ impact on U.S. farmers. Meanwhile, Democrats are expected to slam Collins over plans to cut tens of thousands of jobs at the VA. All in all, expect a preview of what other Cabinet secretaries will face as they parade up to the Hill for their budget hearings in the coming weeks.
What else we’re watching:
— D.C. funding fix: Speaker Mike Johnson said Monday the House will vote “as quickly as possible” on fixing D.C.’s $1 billion funding shortfall. But he also suggested it’s taking a back seat to resolving Republicans’ megabill problems. “We’re not delaying this for some political purpose or any intentionality,” Johnson told reporters Monday. “It’s just a matter of schedule.”
— Crypto bill changes: Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Monday he is open to amending landmark cryptocurrency legislation that GOP leaders hope to pass in the coming weeks. This comes as Republicans scramble to negotiate changes that would win over enough Democrats to overcome a filibuster.
— Sports executives on the Hill: Senate Commerce is meeting Tuesday to discuss how the rise in digital platforms is changing the way Americans watch sports. “Catching your favorite team on TV shouldn’t feel like solving a puzzle,” said Chair Ted Cruz. “Games that used to be free or easy to find are now scattered across pricey apps and exclusive deals.” Executives from the NBA, MLB and NHL are all scheduled to testify. According to Cruz, the NFL declined to send a representative.
Jordain Carney, Jasper Goodman, Meredith Lee Hill, Jennifer Scholtes and Katherine Tully-McManus contributed to this report.
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