Senate lines up Friday votes on Blanche, funding bill and sports measure before recess

The Senate adjourned for summer recess early Saturday without taking action on the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, postponing a vote on the college sports measure until lawmakers return Sept. 14. Senate Majority Leader John Thune said the bill had been "teed up for next month," while Sens. Ted Cruz and Maria Cantwell said they remain optimistic it can pass in September. The legislation, introduced in May by Cruz and Cantwell, would create federal rules for player compensation tied to name, image and likeness while also addressing broader pressures reshaping college athletics, including revenue-sharing, health care, the transfer portal and conference alignment. Cruz said the bill is meant to stop the "chaos" that he said is leading schools to cancel Olympic and women's sports, while Cantwell said she expects passage when the Senate returns. The bill had become a major obstacle in the Senate's pre-recess negotiations, alongside government funding and Todd Blanche's confirmation as attorney general. It initially faced opposition from the SEC and Big Ten before those conferences backed a revised version. If the Senate approves the measure, it would still need House passage, where a close vote is expected, before going to President Donald Trump, who has said he would sign it into law.