Senate Returns for Legislative Push Ahead of Midterms

The U.S. Senate is reconvening Monday following a five-week recess, with lawmakers facing a compressed schedule to address key legislative priorities before departing Washington next month for the midterm election campaign trail.

Having successfully delayed a government funding showdown until after November’s elections, the chamber now plans to focus on a digital assets framework and measures governing college athletics. On Tuesday, senators are scheduled to hold a procedural vote on the Clarity Act, which would establish federal regulations for cryptocurrency. The outcome remains uncertain, as the legislation requires 60 votes to advance. Republican senators introduced revised text over the weekend, highlighting more than a year of bipartisan negotiations and numerous amendments in an effort to attract Democratic support.

Lawmakers are also advancing the Protect College Sports Act, a bipartisan bill addressing name, image, and likeness rights and transfer eligibility for student-athletes. While the White House and major athletic conferences such as the Big Ten and SEC have endorsed the measure, it faces opposition from certain lawmakers and advocacy groups.

Last month, the Congressional Black Caucus announced it could not support the bill in its current form, arguing that Black athletes, coaches, agents, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the caucus itself were not meaningfully included in the drafting process. Despite transforming college athletics into a highly profitable enterprise, the caucus stated that those most affected by the regulations had been left out of the conversation.

Additionally, the Senate may act to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which lapsed in June. Lawmakers had previously reached a bipartisan agreement to extend the surveillance authority for three years, but the plan was disrupted when President Trump selected Bill Pulte to lead the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

Progress on the Farm bill appears stalled, having failed to move out of the Agriculture Committee prior to the recess. The delay coincides with the absence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has not returned to Capitol Hill since being hospitalized in June.

Meanwhile, the House is also resuming operations Monday after its own five-week break. Both chambers are under increasing pressure to address artificial intelligence regulation amid warnings from industry leaders about potential risks. Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to ban superintelligence, and other proposals have called for a so-called kill switch. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries indicated that AI would be a high priority during upcoming caucus meetings, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer requested a briefing from administration officials on the topic.

House Speaker Mike Johnson cautioned against imposing an immediate legislative moratorium, emphasizing corporate responsibility instead. However, he advocated for a closed-door meeting between industry leaders and the White House to resolve outstanding issues, stating he would push for such discussions to take place.