Cinderella Senate: Finishing the Chores Before Recess 

With the House already headed home, the Senate finds itself in its annual Cinderella role: ready to leave Washington but still facing a daunting list of chores before recess can begin. Among them are issues that matter deeply to retailers, including trade policy, organized retail crime legislation, and nominations for key positions. 

Trade policy shifted rapidly over the last week. On Monday, the Trump administration imposed new tariffs on certain Canadian goods, escalating tensions with America’s northern neighbors. By Thursday, the administration unveiled a new Section 301 tariff framework, imposing duties of 10% to 12.5% on imports from roughly 60 trading partners, accounting for 99% of U.S. imports.

The creation of even more tariffs remains an open question. Senate Majority Leader Thune announced plans late Thursday to add Iran-related provisions to the “Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026,” a move meant to garner more support for legislation that also includes the potential for 100% tariffs on imports from nations that buy energy from Russia. The bipartisan bill has attracted 62 Senate co-sponsors, and lawmakers are considering bringing it to the floor before the August recess, potentially as soon as this week coinciding with memorial services honoring the late Senator.  

RILA strongly supports imposing meaningful sanctions on Russia. However, RILA has expressed concerns about the risk of unintended consequences from creating new tariff authorities that could increase the cost of millions of consumer products purchased by American families. We will continue engaging and educating lawmakers and staff as the legislative process moves forward. 

While international trade policy commands attention, lawmakers are also advancing national security priorities through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The House passed its version of the bill this week. 

The House passed its version of the FY27 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last Wednesday. In addition, Senate leaders have now included the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) in the Senate NDAA managers' package. This action marks another significant step forward for the legislation, which received strong support in the House earlier this year. Following sustained advocacy by RILA and its coalition partners, CORCA's inclusion in the Senate NDAA bill reflects growing bipartisan recognition of the threat that organized retail crime poses to retailers, workers, consumers, and supply chains. While final action on the NDAA before the August recess appears unlikely, RILA will continue working to ensure that the Senate's CORCA language is retained in any final legislative package, which may not be completed until the fall.

Also on the Senate’s lengthy to-do list are several pending nominations that could shape consumer protection, product safety, trade, payments, supply chain, and labor policy. Senate leadership may use the final days before the August recess to advance nominations even as work continues on other legislative priorities. RILA is monitoring nominations given the potential impact these roles can have on the retail industry. 

As the House heads home and the Senate works through its legislative chore list, the real question is not just what can be accomplished before August recess. It is how much unfinished business lawmakers are willing to leave for September. The clock is ticking, and unlike fairy tales, there is no magic solution waiting at midnight, even if all the unapproved legislation will turn into a figurative pumpkin come January. With government funding deadlines, election-year pressures, and an increasingly complicated foreign policy landscape on the horizon, every item left unresolved now becomes one more challenge competing for Congress's limited time later. 

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