Key Takeaways
- •The Rules Committee considered a Senate amendment to H.R. 7148, funding five government divisions for the full year and providing a two-week continuing resolution for DHS.
- •Witness Cole (Republican) urged support for the amended funding package, prioritizing 90% of government funding despite Senate changes to the DHS bill.
- •Witness DeLauro (Democratic) supported the five full-year bills but stressed using the 10-day DHS CR to secure reforms for ICE's "lawless" actions and ensure accountability.
- •Rep. Neguse (D-CO-2) pressed Witness Cole (R) on his stance regarding impeaching Secretary Noem, contrasting it with the previous impeachment of Secretary Mayorkas.
- •The 10-day continuing resolution for DHS will lead to further negotiations on its funding and potential reforms, with a risk of a partial government shutdown.
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Hearing Analysis
Overview
The House Rules Committee met on February 2, 2026, to consider a rule for several high-stakes legislative measures, most notably the Senate amendments to H.R. 7148, which serves as a vehicle for the final tranche of fiscal year 2026 appropriations. The committee also addressed H.J. Res. 142, a resolution disapproving of a District of Columbia tax act; H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act; and two House reports recommending that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton be held in contempt of Congress. Chair Virginia Foxx (R-NC-5) opened the hearing by emphasizing the importance of funding the government while criticizing the Senate for "torpedoing" a previously negotiated six-bill appropriations package.
Key Testimony
The primary focus of the testimony from Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK-4) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-3) of the House Committee on Appropriations was the path forward for H.R. 7148. Chairman Cole explained that the Senate had returned the House-passed package with an amendment that provides full-year funding for five divisions—Defense; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Transportation and Housing and Urban Development; State and Foreign Operations; and Treasury—while placing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) under a 10-day continuing resolution (CR). Cole described this as a "Hobson’s choice," arguing that while the Senate broke the original agreement, the House must pass the measure to ensure that 94% of the government remains funded and that military personnel and air traffic controllers receive their pay.
Overview
Ranking Member DeLauro expressed support for the five full-year bipartisan bills, noting they reject proposed cuts to domestic spending and protect Democratic priorities like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Head Start. However, she remained staunchly opposed to the current operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). DeLauro and other Democrats, including Rep. James McGovern (D-MA-2), used the hearing to highlight recent fatal shootings of American citizens Alex Preddy and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis. They argued that the 10-day CR for DHS provides necessary leverage to negotiate "guardrails" for ICE, such as requirements for judicial warrants, the use of body-worn cameras, and prohibitions on detaining U.S. citizens.
The hearing featured sharp partisan disagreements regarding federal law enforcement. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX-21) defended ICE, listing numerous instances where the agency removed violent criminals, including gang members and sex offenders, from American streets. He argued that the agency is vital for national security and criticized the "big ugly" spending levels of previous years, though he noted that discretionary spending has remained relatively flat over the last three cycles. Conversely, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5) and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez (D-NM-3) cited reports of ICE detaining children and Native Americans, characterizing the agency as "lawless." Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO-2) challenged the fiscal responsibility of the package, citing Cato Institute data suggesting the bill represents a significant increase over previous budget targets.
Beyond appropriations, the committee discussed H.J. Res. 142, which seeks to strike down the D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025. Chair Foxx argued the D.C. Council’s measure would "rob" residents of tax cuts granted to other Americans. Rep. McGovern countered that the resolution was another attempt by the Republican-led Congress to "micromanage" the District of Columbia and strip it of autonomy. Regarding H.R. 4090, the Critical Mineral Dominance Act, Republicans argued the bill is necessary to expedite domestic mining projects on federal lands by removing regulatory bottlenecks. Democrats criticized the bill as a giveaway to mining CEOs that would undermine environmental protections.
The contempt of Congress reports for Bill and Hillary Clinton also sparked significant debate. Chair Foxx and other Republicans argued the subpoenas were necessary for the Oversight Committee’s investigation into Jeffrey Epstein to ensure "justice is applied equally." Rep. McGovern dismissed the reports as a partisan distraction, pointing to President Trump’s own documented ties to Epstein and criticizing the administration for failing to release all Epstein-related files as required by law.
Notable exchanges occurred regarding the leadership of DHS. Rep. Neguse and Ranking Member DeLauro called for the removal or impeachment of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, with Neguse accusing her of unlawfully impounding funds in violation of the Impoundment Control Act. Chairman Cole declined to speculate on impeachment, maintaining that the committee's immediate duty was the appropriations process. Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA-8) reminded the committee that DHS encompasses more than just ICE, including the U.S. Coast Guard, TSA, FEMA, and the Secret Service, all of which are impacted by the funding uncertainty.
The hearing concluded with the understanding that the House would move to vote on the rule for these measures. The immediate next step is the floor consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 7148 to avert a broader government shutdown, with the 10-day deadline for DHS funding setting the stage for a renewed confrontation over border policy and ICE reform. Organizations mentioned during the proceedings included the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture, and the American Civil Liberties Union (via references to court cases). Specific programs highlighted included the SAVE Act, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Transcript
[Gavel sounds.] Good afternoon. The committee will come to order. Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare recess at any time. I sincerely apologize for keeping everybody waiting, but the Speaker came by for an impromptu meeting, and we wanted to have that meeting with him. So...
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