State of Play
The Senate returns to a snow-covered Washington this week while the House is in recess.
With a Friday night funding deadline fast approaching, Senate Democrats, and a handful of Republicans, said they would block a six-bill FY2026 funding package unless the DHS bill, which includes ICE funding, was stripped out and renegotiated in light of the Minneapolis shooting over the weekend.
Driving the News
The looming question remains whether the Senate will force its hand to spur another government shutdown. If the Senate strips the DHS bill, it would force the House to vote again on the bill, pulling Members out of recess.
The standoff heightens shutdown risk because Democrats said they would not support DHS funding in any form, while Republicans pushed to pass the full package as-is and the White House and GOP leaders want to avert another shutdown.
Three Things to Watch in Tech
Senate Commerce Tackles Ticketing Industry: The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy will hold a hearing on Wednesday aimed at examining ticket fees, reseller practices, and bot activity in the live entertainment industry as lawmakers intensify oversight of ticketing markets.
The hearing follows bipartisan committee approval of the TICKET Act, which would require sellers to disclose the full ticket price up front, and features testimony from Kid Rock, Live Nation, and industry representatives.
Chair Cruz and Subcommittee Chair Blackburn said the goal was to curb hidden fees, combat bots and fraud, and improve price transparency and competition for consumers. But Members will likely use the opportunity to press on antitrust monopoly concerns with LiveNation/TicketMaster.
Senate Armed Services Gets the Low-Down on Cyber Force: The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday with Defense Department officials, including newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy Katie Sutton, to get their insight on implementation of the Department’s Cyber Force Generation Plan released in November.
The plan lays out steps to improve recruitment, training, and retention of cyber personnel, though some critics argue deeper structural reforms are needed, including a dedicated cyber military service.
Sutton has said the model reshapes how the department builds cyber forces by increasing operational effectiveness and fostering a warrior ethos centered on domain expertise, specialized skills, and mission agility.
What’s Going on with the Crypto Bill: The Senate market structure crypto bill remains in flux as tensions remain over old arguments and new ones are introduced. While the Senate Banking Committee has yet to mark up the bill after an eleventh hour postponement, the Senate Agriculture Committee will attempt to take a stab at marking up its part of the legislation Thursday.
The latest is that Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) agreed not to offer his credit card swipe fee amendment during the markup, easing a potential complication for passage of the digital asset market structure bill. The decision followed private talks and White House involvement, as officials warned the amendment could jeopardize the administration’s priority crypto legislation.
A markup in Senate Banking has not yet been rescheduled.
You’re Invited: AI Integrators Council Demo Day
We are excited to invite you to the AI Integrators Council Demo Day on Wednesday, February 11 at 11:00 AM in the Rayburn Foyer. This event will showcase leading companies that are integrating AI across industries to drive innovation, efficiency, and security. Learn more about the AI Integrators Council here.
🏛️ Tech Hearings
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Telecommunications and Media Subcommittee holds a hearing to “examine the front lines of connectivity, focusing on FirstNet's role in public safety” - Wednesday, January 28 at 10:00 AM EST
The Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee holds a hearing to “examine the Department's cyber force generation plan and the implementation plan” - Wednesday, January 28 at 2:30 PM EST
The Senate Commerce, Science, and Technology Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy Subcommittee holds a hearing to “examine the live entertainment industry” - Wednesday, January 28 at 2:30 PM EST
The Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry holds a hearing to “consider an original bill entitled, Digital Commodity Intermediaries Act” - Thursday, January 29 at 10:30 AM EST
🗓️ Upcoming Events
The Atlantic Council - Discussion on "Allied Partnership for Minerals Security” - Tuesday, January 27 at 9:00 AM EST
Federal Communications Commission - Open Meeting - Thursday, January 29 at 10:30 AM EST
The Government Executive Media Group's DefenseOne - Virtual Discussion on "From Skies to Seas: How Drones Are Reshaping The INDOPACOM (United States Indo-Pacific Command) Challenge" - Thursday, January 29 at 2:00 PM EST
The Center for Strategic and International Studies - "Exploring Global AI Policy Priorities Ahead of the India AI Impact Summit" - Friday, January 30 at 9:15 AM EST
