WEEK OF APRIL 28, 2025
Reconciliation: A Sprint, Not a Marathon 👟💨
State of Play:
Both the House and Senate are back in Washington this week following the two-week recess.
Reconciliation takes center stage this week, as House Committees look to markup portions of the bill relevant to their jurisdictions. Speaker Johnson faces a tight four-week window to pass President Trump’s major domestic policy bill through the House by Memorial Day. Outlook unclear as doubts are growing about whether that timeline is achievable.
Driving the News:
President Trump has finished his first 100 days of his second term, and now the country is looking at what he will do in the next 100. Over the past three months, Trump has largely focused on domestic policies around federal agencies and border protections. He is expected to shift his sites to global priorities, including trade and tariffs, Ukraine, and other international relationships.
Three Things to Watch in Tech:
1. Congress Likely to Pass TAKE IT DOWN: The House is expected to vote Monday on the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which bans the sharing of non-consensual intimate images, including AI-generated deepfakes, and requires platforms to remove flagged content or face FTC enforcement.
This would be the first significant piece of internet legislation to make it into law since SESTA/FOSTA in 2018. The bill passed the Senate unanimously earlier this year, and received strong support from First Lady Melania Trump.
There has been some pushback from industry and civil rights groups over possible censorship uses of the bill to remove legal and legitimate content.
2. Cyber’s Big Week Coast to Coast: This is a big week for cybersecurity on both the east and west coasts, as Congress tackles security concerns in Washington and industry flocks to San Francisco for the annual RSA conference.
The House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee will be examining the security of telecommunications infrastructure following last year’s Chinese-led Salt Typhoon hack of US telecom systems. The hearing serves to reinforce Congress’ focus on cybersecurity, particularly in the face of China tech competition.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will be focusing on another cyber topic - the future of cyber diplomacy. The Biden Administration led on establishing the Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy at the State Department in 2022 in an effort to work globally on cyber standards of practice. Under the Trump Administration, the State Department announced plans to split up the Bureau, which will be managed by three different undersecretaries.
The annual RSA conference is also happening this week. Given Congress is in session, federal attendance is expected to be quite light. Current officials from key US cybersecurity agencies, including CISA, the NSA, and Cyber Command, are largely absent from the 2025 RSA Conference, following White House and Defense Department directives to minimize official travel and amid major agency transitions and budget cuts.
3. What Does a China Trade Deal Mean for Tech?: In light of President Trump’s recent, sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports, China is striking back by refusing to engage in talks directly. The tariffs, now at 145 percent with exceptions, could have sweeping impacts on the tech industry including manufacturing concerns on chips and other materials.
It’s also worth mentioning the concerns from China hawks in Congress who are laser-focused on maintaining US dominance in AI and other emerging tech. Chinese-owned Huawei is said to be developing a new advanced AI chip to rival Nvidia’s chips. This development comes in the wake of congressional scrutiny around the DeepSeek AI system. President Trump is expected to issue an EO in the coming weeks banning DeepSeek from federal platforms.
Administration officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Trump himself, have signaled willingness around de-escalation talks with China, but no negotiations have been scheduled.
What's Happening This Week
Tech Hearings
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee holds a markup including H.R.1223, ANCHOR Act - Tuesday, April 29 at 10:00 AM EST
The House Oversight and Government Reform Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Made in the USA: Igniting the Industrial Renaissance of the United States” - Tuesday, April 29 at 11:00 AM EST
The House Oversight and Government Reform Cybersecurity, Information Technology, and Government Innovation Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Unlocking Government Efficiency Through IT Modernization” - Tuesday, April 29 at 2:00 PM EST
The House Foreign Affairs Europe Subcommittee holds a hearing on “Shaping the Future of Cyber Diplomacy: Review for State Department Reauthorization” - Tuesday, April 29 at 2:00 PM EST
The House Oversight and Government Reform Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee holds a hearing “Securing the Skies: Addressing Unauthorized Drone Activity Over U.S. Military Installations” - Tuesday, April 29 at 2:00 PM EST
The Senate Armed Services Cybersecurity Subcommittee holds a hearing to examine industry views on partnership with the Department of Defense and defense of the Defense Industrial Base - Wednesday, April 30 at 9:30 AM EST
The House Energy and Commerce Communications and Technology Subcommittee holds a hearing on "Global Networks at Risk: Securing the Future of Telecommunications Infrastructure" - Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 AM EST
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation holds a markup including the Nomination of Olivia Trusty to be a Member of the FCC and S. 196, MAIN Event Ticketing Act - Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 AM EST
The House Financial Services Committee hold a markup - Wednesday, April 30 at 10:00 AM EST
The House Energy and Commerce Energy Subcommittee holds a hearing on "Assuring Abundant, Reliable American Energy to Power Innovation" - Wednesday, April 30 at 10:15 AM EST
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation holds a hearing to examine the nomination of Paul Dabbar to be Deputy Secretary of Commerce - Thursday, May 1 at 10:00 AM EST
Tech Events
The Federal Communications Commission - April 2025 Open Meeting - Monday, April 28, 2025 at 10:30 AM EST
National Science Foundation - Virtual Meeting of Advisory Committee for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships - Monday, April 28, 2025 at 11:00 AM EST
Punchbowl News - "The Ones to Watch: Advancing with AI" series w/ Rep. Laurel Lee (R-FL) - Tuesday, April 29 at 8:30 AM EST
Commerce Department; Bureau of Industry and Security - Virtual Meeting of the Sensors and Instrumentation Technical Advisory Committee - Tuesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM EST
The R Street Institute - Virtual Discussion on "How Did Misinformation and AI Deepfakes Impact the 2024 Election?" - Tuesday, April 29 at 1:00 PM EST
The Center for a New American Security - Virtual Discussion on "The Stakes of Sino-American AI Competition" - Tuesday, April 29 at 2:30 PM EST
The Federal Communications Bar Association, CITA (The Wireless Association), NCTA (The Internet and Television Association), and NTCA (The Rural Broadband Association) - 2025 Congressional Reception with members of the House and Senate Commerce, Homeland Security, and Judiciary Committees - Wednesday, April 30 at 6:00 PM EST
NextGov and Washington Technology - The New Agenda Conference - Thursday, May 1 at 9:00 AM EST
