National Association of Towns and Townships - www.natat.org
How Townships can access clean energy tax credits in the form of direct pay/transferability
2025 NATAT Policy Platform
NATaT Tax Priorities
NATaT Transportation Reauthorization Priorities
NATaT December 2024 Annual Meeting
Jerry B. Crabtree, Heidi Fought (Ohio ED), Past President Neil Sheradin (Michigan Ed), and NATaT President Dave Sanko (PA ED)
NATaT Weekly Legislative Report
May 11, 2026
Congressional Outlook
The House and Senate are back in Washington this week after a week-long recess. The Senate is back today, while the House returns tomorrow.
This week, the House will take up the first of the House Appropriations Committee’s twelve FY 2027 spending bills, the FY27 Military Construction – Veterans Affairs spending bill (H.R. 8469). The legislation, if passed, provides $157 billion in discretionary funding, up $4 billion or nearly 3 percent from enacted FY26 funding levels, and also includes $444.7 million in FY27 Community Project Funding (i.e., earmarks) for 18 projects. If passed, the legislation would fund mandatory spending for veterans’ benefits, at $469.5 billion. The bill represents a typical bipartisan starting point for the appropriations process; on April 21, the House Appropriations Committee approved the bill by a unanimous 58-0 vote. As a reminder of the House’s progress, the full Appropriations Committee has marked up four of the FY27 spending bills (MilCon-VA; Financial Services-General Government; National Security-State; and Agriculture), and plans to markup the remaining eight FY27 spending bills between May 13 and June 24. While the Senate Appropriations Committee has not listed any FY27 spending bills for markup, Senators are currently disclosing their project selections for the FY 2027 Congressionally Directed Spending process, and the Committee will most likely begin markups later this summer.
On November 3, Americans will head to the polls to vote in the midterm elections. Last week, there was considerable movement on the congressional redistricting front. Several states have attempted to make changes to their states’ current congressional district maps. Democrats were dealt a significant blow after the Virginia Supreme Court struck down
the state’s congressional redistricting map approved by voters on April 21, which would have potentially netted Democrats four additional House seats in the upcoming 120th Congress. Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) shared a Dear Colleague letter which states that despite setbacks, “Democrats will retake control of the House of Representatives in November.” Experts believe that Republicans have a considerable edge in redistricting with as many as 12 projected House pickups.
The House returns on Tuesday and is scheduled to advance ten resolutions and bills under suspension of the rules; including the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (H.R. 2853), which expands federal enforcement of criminal offenses related to organized retail and supply chain crime; the NICS Data Reporting Act of 2025 (H.R. 2267), which requires the Department of Justice to report annually on the demographic data of persons who are determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System; and the Criminal History Access Act of 2026 (H.R. 8352), which authorizes peace officer standards and training agencies to access criminal history record information maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The chamber will also consider six resolutions and bills pursuant to a rule; including the FY27 Military Construction-VA spending bill (H.R. 8469); the Cashless Bail Reporting Act (H.R. 5625), which requires the Department of Justice to publish an annual list of state and local jurisdictions that do not require individuals charged with certain crimes to pay bail to be released from pretrial detention; the Monitor Accountability Act (H.R. 8365), which sets new conditions for federal court appointments of monitors for supervising state or local government conduct; the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act of 2025 (H.R. 6260), which subjects the business of cash bail and bail bonds to federal insurance fraud laws; the Nationwide Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act of 2025 (H.R. 1346), which allows E15 gasoline to be sold year-round nationwide; and H. Con. Res. 96, a resolution expressing House appreciation for law enforcement officers and condemning efforts to defund police departments. The House may also vote on H. Con. Res. 75, directing the President to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran that began on February 28
Throughout the week the House will hold numerous committee meetings and markups, including a full Appropriations Committee markup of the FY27 Commerce-Justice-Science spending bill; an Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy-Water Development markup of the FY27 Energy-Water Development spending bill; an Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee hearing with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to discuss HUD’s FY27 budget request; an Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Workforce Protections hearing on Building a Safer Future: Private-Sector Strategies for Emerging Safety Issues; an Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Energy hearing on Wires, Rates, and States: Permitting Transmission for Reliable and Affordable Power; an Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement hearing on Privacy Protections & the Second Amendment: Examining ATF’s Relationship to the Tiahrt Amendment; an Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Examining the Policies and Priorities of the Department of Education; and eight hearings to examine various aspects of the President’s FY27 budget request.
The Senate returns on Monday evening and is scheduled to vote on a motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Kevin Warsh to be a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors and on the adoption of S. Res. 690, which authorizes the en bloc consideration of 49 executive nominations. The chamber will hold multiple committee hearings and markups throughout the week, including an Appropriations Interior-Environment Subcommittee hearing with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin to discuss EPA’s FY27 budget request; an Appropriations Transportation-HUD Subcommittee hearing with HUD Secretary Scott Turner to discuss HUD’s FY27 budget request; a Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee hearing to examine Whistleblower Testimony on COVID; a Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing on how social media verdicts demand federal action; a Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee hearing to examine industrialization and the rise of small manufacturers; a Special Committee on Aging hearing to examine supporting families in the Sandwich Generation; an Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry hearing to examine Perspectives on the Fertilizer Industry: Ensuring a Stable and Affordable Supply for American Producers; and thirteen hearings to consider various aspects of the President’s FY27 budget request.
When the Senate returns to Washington next week, it will consider a package of 49 pending executive nominations, in addition to the nomination of Kevin Warsh to serve as the new Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of four years (and separately, as a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for a term of fourteen years). The four-year term of current Fed Chair Jerome Powell ends on Friday, May 15—he has served in that role since February 2018.
On Tuesday, voters in Nebraska and West Virginia head to the polls to vote in Republican and Democratic primaries for U.S. House and Senate races. On Saturday, Louisiana voters will cast their ballots in the GOP Senate primary. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) could face the embarrassing prospect of finishing third behind Rep. Julia Letlow (R-La.) and former Rep. John Fleming
(R-La.). If no candidate clears 50 percent, there will be a runoff election on June 27 between the top two finishers. Louisiana congressional races are on hold while the state legislature draws a new congressional district map following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Voting Rights Act decision.
Week in Review
Capitol agenda: House vs. Senate rift threatens GOP agenda
US health agencies equipped to handle hantavirus, acting CDC director says
Trump-appointed FEMA review board reveals recommendations for changing the agency
Trump says he aims to suspend gas tax "for a period of time"
Border czar promises 'mass deportations are coming' to fulfill Trump's promises
Southern Republicans redistrict after Supreme Court rules, Dems lose big in Virginia
AI in the sky: Inside the FAA plan to overhaul air traffic
Trump approves plan to fire FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, sources say
Groups sound alarm over possible Trump housing cut
DOJ can keep 2020 Fulton County election records it seized, judge rules
Federal judge finds DOGE's elimination of humanities grants "unlawful"