Congressional Dish CD333: January 2026 — Big Tests, Minimal Action
Feb 27, 2026
A rundown of how sudden vacancies and resignations shrank the Republican margin and muddled congressional action. A look at the late, partial government funding bills and the specific riders that survived. Coverage of intra-party defections, narrow votes that blocked or advanced measures, and what small laws and confirmations did make it across the finish line.
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Manure Reporting Ban Hides Agricultural Emissions
- Funding riders again block mandatory greenhouse gas reporting from manure management, obscuring agriculture's climate impact.
- Briney calls this a small legislative trick that hides emissions and helps deny climate effects.
Earmarks Delivered Concrete Local Funding In Austin
- Jen Briney used her Austin congressman Lloyd Doggett's earmarks to illustrate local impacts from the funding package.
- Doggett secured about $1M for maternal health research and $1M for Austin community violence intervention programs.
Whole Milk Returns To Public School Cafeterias
- Congress approved whole milk in public schools via S222, a low-profile bipartisan change that passed without recorded votes.
- Briney notes this was uncontroversial and moved quietly through the process.