Rules Committee Hearing H.R. 8595, H.R. 9022, H.R. 9237, H.R. 1181

The House Rules Committee convened on June 24, 2026, to consider several bills including H.R. 9022 (Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, 2027), H.R. 8595 (National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act), H.R. 9237 (Take Care of Americans Veterans Act), and H.R. 1181 (Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act). The committee heard detailed testimony and debate on the appropriations bills, focusing on funding allocations, budget cuts, and policy priorities. H.R. 9022 proposed $58.5 billion for energy and water development, emphasizing national security and energy independence, but faced criticism for cuts to non-defense innovation and environmental programs. H.R. 8595 included reductions in foreign aid and diplomatic funding, with debate over the balance between defense spending and soft power diplomacy. The veterans bill, H.R. 9237, was a comprehensive package combining over 60 bills aimed at improving veterans' benefits and services, but was controversial due to its funding offsets that some argued would cut benefits for certain veterans. H.R. 1181 sought to prohibit the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes by payment networks to prevent financial surveillance of lawful gun purchases, sparking debate over privacy and gun violence prevention. The committee approved rules for consideration of these bills, with motions to report the bills advancing despite opposition amendments. The meeting featured extensive discussion on budget priorities, offsets, and policy riders affecting procurement and funding for national security, veterans affairs, energy, and gun-related financial regulations.