In a memo penned by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) Friday, Republicans reps enumerated the issues that will dominate their summer congressional session. At the top of the list - extending Bush era tax cuts and repealing President Barack Obama's 2010 health care law.
"Before we leave for August, I expect to schedule a vote on legislation preventing the largest tax increase in history," Cantor wrote in the memo, placing the goal at the top of the wish list.
Although the tax cuts will most likely be blocked by the Democrat-controlled Senate, Cantor urged them to reconsider in the memo, stating, "the Senate should join us in providing this very basic level of certainty prior to November."
Repealing President Obama's health care law, making further cuts to bureaucratic "red tape" and pushing domestic energy production - calling for more drilling on public lands and easing regulations for energy companies - were also key items mentioned in the memo's summer agenda.
Most of these issues, however, will be almost necessarily be blocked in the Senate, where Democrats stand opposed to the Republican health care and regulatory stances across the board. The main thrust behind pushing these issues now is to bring them to the forefront before the August and September GOP and Democrat presidential nomination conventions.
The Republicans hope highlighting these issues will bring undecided voters to their side by appealing to the number one issue on all Americans' minds - the economy. A fight on these issues will resume after the long weekend marking Memorial Day.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.