Why it Matters

The House Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled for March 26, 2026 puts seven bills on the table that collectively touch some of the most contested terrain in American policy: who controls the Justice Department, how the U.S. competes with China on technology, whether American businesses can be dragged into foreign courts by Russia, and how far Congress will go to shape the future of artificial intelligence. The breadth of the agenda reflects a committee trying to move a legislative backlog while capitalizing on White House momentum — particularly on AI, where the Trump administration released a national framework just days before the markup.

AI Takes Center Stage

The Protect American AI Act of 2026 arrives at the Judiciary Committee hearing with tailwinds from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The White House released its national AI framework on March 20 — just six days before the markup — calling for federal preemption of state AI laws and covering intellectual property rights, free speech protections, and AI workforce development. Reuters reported the framework was designed to give Congress a legislative roadmap.

Roll Call reported that Committee Chair Jim Jordan immediately signaled support for the White House proposal, alongside Energy and Commerce Chairman Brett Guthrie. The bill before the committee, introduced by Rep. Michael Baumgartner (R-WA-5) — himself a Judiciary Committee member — focuses specifically on limiting litigation that could delay permitting and construction of AI data centers, a chokepoint for U.S. AI infrastructure.

On the Senate side, Sen. Marsha Blackburn released a companion discussion draft covering AI developer liability and enforcement authority for state attorneys general — signaling bicameral momentum on the issue.

The lobbying footprint on AI is substantial. Anthropic PBC reported $1,010,000 in lobbying expenditures in the Third Quarter of 2025 alone, covering AI export controls, federal permitting for data centers, and AI governance — issues directly implicated by the bill before the committee. The American Security Fund logged separate lobbying activity across multiple quarters focused on AI national security funding and governance frameworks.

China, Russia, and the National Security Cluster

Two bills on the House Judiciary Committee hearing agenda address foreign threats directly.

H.R. 1468, the Protect America's Innovation and Economic Security from CCP Act, would establish a dedicated CCP Initiative within the Justice Department's National Security Division. Sponsored by Rep. Lance Gooden (R-TX-5), the bill targets Chinese espionage, intellectual property theft, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations involving Chinese companies, and supply chain vulnerabilities. It carries a six-year sunset provision and requires annual progress reports to Congress. A Senate companion bill, S.672, has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. First Solar Inc. lobbied across three quarters on the related question of barring CCP-linked companies from accessing U.S. tax credits — a thematic parallel to H.R. 1468's broader effort to wall off American economic programs from Chinese Communist Party influence.

H.R. 6194, the Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act, addresses a more targeted problem: foreign courts — particularly Russian ones — issuing judgments against American companies for complying with U.S. sanctions. The bill would bar enforcement of such judgments in U.S. courts and allow removal to federal court, which must then dismiss the action. A prior-Congress version passed the House in December 2024, and a Senate companion bill, S.2934, is active in the current Congress. The bill is notably bipartisan within the committee — six of its cosponsors are Judiciary Committee members, spanning both parties. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform has lobbied on the related "Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act," with lobbying registered by the Goodlatte Group.

DOJ Oversight and the U.S. Attorneys Question

The Restoring Executive Branch Authorities to Oversee Offices of the United States Attorneys Act of 2026 is the most politically charged item on the docket. The bill — for which Chair Jordan himself filed the committee amendment — would reassert executive branch supervisory authority over U.S. Attorney offices. The legislation arrives amid ongoing friction between the Trump administration and career prosecutors over the independence of U.S. Attorneys from White House direction, a tension that has surfaced repeatedly in the current Congress.

Bipartisan Bills Round Out the Agenda

Three additional measures before the Judiciary Committee hearing in March 2026 carry notably bipartisan support.

H.R. 7730, the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act, was introduced by a cross-party group including Reps. Ben Cline (R-VA), Lou Correa (D-CA), Laurel Lee (R-FL), and Joe Neguse (D-CO) — all committee members. The bill would permanently raise the small business Chapter 11 reorganization threshold to $7.5 million. A Senate companion, S.3977, has already been placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar.

H.R. 3420, the Words Matter Act, updates federal statutes to replace outdated terminology for intellectual disabilities with person-first language across more than two dozen provisions of U.S. Code — from military medical care to the Social Security Act. Special Olympics Inc. lobbied directly on this bill by name across multiple quarters, spending a combined $310,000 in the Second and Fourth Quarters of 2025. The National Down Syndrome Society also lobbied on companion legislation.

H.R. 6453, the ADA 30 Days to Comply Act, would require written notice and a 30-day cure period before a civil lawsuit can be filed over architectural barriers at public accommodations. The National Retail Federation lobbied on ADA compliance issues across the Second, Third, and Fourth Quarters of 2025, spending $60,000 per quarter through its engagement with Tholos Government Relations.

The Committee

The House Judiciary Committee hearing is chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-4), with Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8) serving as Ranking Member and Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) as Vice Ranking Member. The committee's 44-member roster spans the ideological spectrum, and the breadth of the markup agenda — from AI infrastructure to disability rights language — reflects the range of legislative priorities competing for floor time in the 119th Congress.

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