The Bellevue Compass

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Welcome back to the Bellevue Compass. Congress is back from its week-long recess, and the same bills are on the Senate floor after Speaker Johnson managed to get them through the House. There’s not a lot of movement, but there’s always more context. We break it all down below. 

The Congressional Breakdown

What’s on the desk this week? Fortunately or unfortunately, the same few things have been floating around the last few weeks: budget reconciliation, FISA, farm bill, and housing. Last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Homeland Security Committee released legislative text for the $72 billion budget reconciliation bill that includes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol through 2029. 

Here’s what’s in the bill: $30.73 billion for hiring, training, and equipping ICE personnel, which includes officers, agents, investigators, attorneys, and support staff. It would also provide $22.57 billion to hire, train, pay, and equip Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel, $2.5 billion to the Secretary of Homeland Security’s office for enforcement, and $1 billion to the U.S. Secret Service to make security upgrades to the White House compound related to the construction of the East Wing ballroom complex. 

The legislation specifically states that none of the funds may be used for non-security elements of the ballroom. 

There’s growing opposition within the GOP to passing a third reconciliation bill, and concern about the rift it would cause among members, as well as with their colleagues across the aisle. Passing such partisan legislation could set GOP members up for failure if they continue to push it past the traditional legislative process. A general pessimism among the GOP conference that Republicans will lose control of the House in the fall, one Senator says (anonymously), is what is driving the desire for the reconciliation package. Their concern, the Senator says, is that this is the last opportunity the GOP will have to push anything over the line. 

As the budget reconciliation is ironed out, both chambers are dealing with the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which was previously approved for a 45-day temporary extension.  It’s expected that legislators will use the time to push for a warrant requirement for data access and a ban on the creation of central bank digital currency (CBDC). The timeline is tightening for Speaker Johnson to strike a deal. 

The farm bill passed the House, but in the Senate, it will need 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. As we discussed last week, the future of the usually bipartisan bill is uncertain, with Democrats saying they’re not supporting it without changes to nutrition program cost-sharing. From last week: 

Baked into the farm bill are changes inspired by the One Big Beautiful Bill, which requires states with high error rates in the SNAP program (6% or more) to share the cost of running it with the federal government. While the farm bill and H.R. 1 are separate entities, the farm bill covers nutrition programs, and Democrats see it as the most natural legislative vehicle to modify or reverse changes made to programs like SNAP in the reconciliation bill. 

Also happening in Congress is President Trump's proposal to suspend the federal gas tax amid a global oil shortage caused by the conflict in Iran. Republicans have typically been against the idea of suspending the 18.4-cents-per-gallon federal gasoline tax, but with the Strait of Hormuz still closed, it’s something that Majority Leader Thune seems open to. Some House and Senate Republicans have introduced legislation, but it’s TBD where they’ll go. We’ll keep you updated as the situation progresses. 

The House is holding onto a housing package called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, passed by the Senate back in March. The House is seeking to change the Senate bill's language that restricts large Wall Street investors from buying single-family homes, but House members on both sides of the aisle said that it might disincentivize housing construction. Thune has told Politico that he anticipates White House involvement will be needed to get the bill moving again in the House. 

The Sector Breakdown

The Pennsylvania Impact

Despite the purported ceasefire in Iran, Pennsylvania is still feeling the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing efforts to reopen the global shipping hub that moves most of the world’s oil. Some Pittsburgh-area gas stations have begun offering fuel discounts as gas prices soar above $ 5 per gallon. Giant Eagle announced that on Saturday and Sunday, they’ll be upping their perks when customers spend $100 or more—easy to do, given the prices—and receive $.50/gallon off. 

Just last week, Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA) joined a group of 18 lawmakers backing legislation that would cut off funding for the conflict in Iran, citing the hearing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said that the war was estimated to cost $25 billion. The bill, he said, is very straightforward: no more public money spent unless Congress declares war and authorizes the use of military force. It remains to be seen where that will go. 

Another group of Pennsylvania lawmakers has signed on to an immigration reform proposal in the wake of the DHS shutdown, amid the GOP push for the reconciliation bill. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-1), Chrissy Houlahan (D-6), Mike Kelly (R-16), and Lloyd Smucker (R-11) signed on as co-sponsors of the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025. The bipartisan bill includes five components: “permanently securing the border; modernizing our outdated asylum system; providing legal pathways for undocumented immigrants living in America; protecting American workers; and ensuring the United States remains prosperous and competitive in the future.” 

Unsurprisingly, the bill is not gaining much ground in the House. But we’ll be watching to see where it goes. 

In case you forgot: the primaries are happening on May 19th! The Philadelphia Inquirer has a voter guide, and be sure to subscribe to our other newsletter, The Bellevue Bulletin, for more Pennsylvania news and an upcoming election guide. 

What We’re Watching

Did you know? There’s a not-so-otherworldly town called Mars in Pennsylvania, and its history is tied to the railroad. There’s even a spaceship statue that you can visit. 

Till next time,