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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jared Huffman Representing the 2nd District of California

June 10, 2026

Washington, D.C. — Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) and Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) introduced the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act 250 (GAOA 250).

“As millions of Americans are preparing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s independence, Congress is coming together in a bipartisan manner to enhance access, improve visitor experiences, and create new outdoor recreation opportunities. The Great American Outdoors Act 250 will make historic investments in and modernize our national parks, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education facilities, revitalize the economies of rural gateway communities that depend on public lands tourism, and create new recreation opportunities for American families to enjoy. I look forward to working with Ranking Member Huffman, my bipartisan colleagues in both the House and the Senate, and the Trump administration on advancing this historic legislation to President Trump’s desk.” – House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)
“As the nation turns 250, we have a chance to renew a promise behind what’s been called America’s best idea: that our greatest landscapes belong to every one of us. The Great American Outdoors Act 250 builds on a promise we made together, on a bipartisan basis, to keep our parks open and well cared for. It means a campsite ready when you pull in, clean restrooms and water at the spigot, and trails accessible enough for grandparents and kids to walk together. I thank Chairman Westerman for working across the aisle on a bill worthy of our nation’s birthday, so these places are ready for the next generation of visitors.” – House Committee on Natural Resources Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-Calif.)

Background

The GAOA250 invests $1.9 billion annually in America’s national parks, public lands, and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) facilities over each of the next five years. Funded by private donations, onshore energy revenue, and new foreign visitor fees, GAOA250 enhances access, invests in some of our nation’s most treasured assets, creates new jobs and revitalizes rural, gateway economies.
Specifically, the legislation:

• Targets high-priority deferred maintenance projects within each federal land management agency and the BIE.
• Restores campgrounds, trails, boat ramps, hunting and fishing sites and other recreational infrastructure to unleash new outdoor recreation opportunities for sportsmen and women and improve visitor experiences.
• Supports 72,500 jobs across the country and $26.4 billion in revenue for rural gateway communities neighboring our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and public lands.
• Promotes transparency and accountability by streamlining contracting and procurement, expediting project reviews and requiring regular reporting.
• Does not allow for new federal land acquisition.
• Creates new, sustainable funding sources through foreign visitor fees and incentivizing private donations.

Read the full text of the legislation here.
Read the full one-pager here.
Read what supporters are saying here.

Supporting organizations: America Outdoors Association, American Battlefield Trust, American Conservation Coalition Action, American Fly Fishing Trade Association, American Forest Resource Council, American Hiking Society, American Horse Council, American Sportfishing Association, American Wood Council, Americans for Prosperity, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, Arizona Rock Products Association, Associated Equipment Distributors, Badlands National Park Conservancy, Big Bend Conservancy, Boone and Crockett Club, C&O Canal Trust, Chickamauga Chattanooga Moccasin Bend, Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, ConservAmerica, Dallas Safari Club, Delta Waterfowl, Ducks Unlimited, Environment America, Forest Landowners Association, Friends of Acadia, Friends of Vicksburg National Military Park, Gateway Arch Park Foundation, Idaho Trails Association, Independent Women’s Forum, Megafire Action, Motorcycle Industry Council, National Association of Forest Service Retirees, National Audubon Society, National Deer Association, National Forest Foundation, National Forest Recreation Association, National Indian Education Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, National Ocean Industries Association, National Park Foundation, National Park Friends Alliance, National Parks Conservation Association, National Rifle Association, National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, Nature Is Nonpartisan, Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Hospitality Industry, Outdoor Industry Association, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, PeopleForBikes, Pew Charitable Trust, Pheasants Forever, Property and Environment Research Center, Quail Forever, Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, RV Dealers Association, RV Industry Association, Safari Club International, Save the Dunes, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, The Conservation Alliance, The Conservation Fund, The Great Outdoors Fund, The Nature Conservancy, The Student Conservation Association, Inc., The Wilderness Society, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Trails Preservation Alliance, Trust for Public Land, U.S. Oil & Gas Association, USA Energy Workers, Valley Forge Park Alliance, Washington Trails Association, Western Energy Alliance, Western States Tourism Policy Council and Wild Sheep Foundation.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV)

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, Congresswoman Carol Miller (R-WV) joined her colleagues on the House Ways and Means Committee for a hearing on a series of digital asset taxation bills. The hearing provided Members the opportunity to examine the digital asset ecosystem and assess how tax policy will shape this emerging class of investments. 

A video and transcript of Congresswoman Miller’s questions and the provided responses can be found below. 

Congresswoman Miller began her remarks by stressing the urgent need for tax clarity in the rapidly growing digital asset market, warning that continued ambiguity could push innovation offshore, disadvantage American taxpayers, and discourage good-faith compliance among those seeking to correct past mistakes. She then questioned the Director of Policy at Coin Center, Mr. Jason Somensatto, on whether taxpayers would truly benefit from forthcoming programs given the ongoing lack of clarity and transparency in the digital asset space.

“I do want to thank Chairman Smith for calling this legislative hearing and I want to thank you all for being here to discuss the important issues.

The digital asset market has grown rapidly over the last several years and we are at a crucial moment where tax clarity is needed to ensure the United States remains the crypto capital of the world. 

Without a clear administrable tax code, digital assets will be pushed offshore and give advantages to foreign adversaries and weaken our financial stability. 

As the digital asset market continues to grow, more and more taxpayers have entered this space. 

However, due to confusion, ambiguity, and a lack of clarity, as highlighted today, some digital asset owners may have underpaid tax due.

These taxpayers may be afraid to come forward and report their mistakes, fearing that the IRS may impose harsh penalties on what was otherwise well-intentioned activity or maybe even regret those less well-intentioned activities. They’re coming forward and willing to pay what their due is to start having a clean slate. 

That is why the Digital Assets Voluntary Disclosure Program Act would direct the Treasury to provide a voluntary disclosure program for taxpayers who failed to comply with tax law related to digital assets to come back into compliance, as well as providing reduced penalties and a clean slate in the process.

Mr. Somensatto, do you think that taxpayers could benefit from a program like this given the lack of clarity regarding the taxation of digital assets in recent years?” asked Congresswoman Miller. 

“Yes, Congresswoman. I think crypto tax has evolved over the years through notices and FAQs and enforcement actions.

And so going to the gentleman’s questions earlier, it puts the individual taxpayer in a very difficult position of people who are already engaging in this technology and want to engage in it.

I think from the perspective of trying to bring the clarity that people are talking about here today, and provide that framework that will allow people to proceed forward, it necessarily needs to come with an understanding of what the last decade plus has looked like for a lot of individual taxpayers.

I think that voluntary disclosure program is really important. I guess I would even add to it, and this is not necessarily part of the bill, but the opposite is true too, for those of us who are nervous about the tax consequences of what we do, I’m sure there’s tons of us who have put everything at a zero basis because we have no idea really what we’re looking at or when we’re going to potentially. 

Creating that level playing field for everybody and also allowing the consequences, understanding the nature of the consequences from before, a period where Congress has been clear about what it wants is really important,” answered Mr. Somensatto. 

Congresswoman Carol Miller closed her remarks by expressing her eagerness to continue working in this space and reaffirming her commitment to ensuring the United States maintains its global leadership and dominance in digital assets.

“Thank you. It is clear that the status quo is burdensome and confusing for the digital asset industry and without legislation the problems will only continue. 

I am looking forward to continuing to work on these issues with my colleagues to ensure tax clarity and parity allow the United States to remain the global leader. But we all will have a lot of questions moving forward. Thank you, I yield back my time,” said Congresswoman Miller.
 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-3)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representative Sharice Davids voted to pass bipartisan legislation that strengthens oversight of federal programs by preventing individuals convicted of defrauding the federal government from continuing to receive taxpayer-funded contracts, grants, loans, and other federal assistance. The bill passed the House with bipartisan support.

“Taxpayer dollars should be protected, and people who commit fraud against the federal government should be held accountable,” said Davids. “This bipartisan bill takes a commonsense approach to addressing documented cases of fraud while helping ensure federal resources are available for the families, businesses, and communities they are meant to serve.”

The Federal Program Integrity and Fraud Prevention Act would establish an automatic three-year ban on individuals convicted of certain federal fraud and theft offenses tied to federal programs, helping ensure taxpayer dollars are protected and directed to those who need them most.

The legislation was developed in consultation with inspectors general and is designed to streamline the process of preventing convicted fraudsters from receiving additional federal funding. According to the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency, more than 95 percent of individuals convicted of pandemic-related federal program fraud were not suspended or debarred from doing business with the federal government.

During the pandemic, Davids worked to strengthen oversight and combat fraud in federal relief programs. After Kansans had their identities stolen to obtain fraudulent Emergency Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), Davids urged federal oversight officials and the Small Business Administration to improve safeguards, implement anti-fraud recommendations, and better assist victims of identity theft. Her efforts followed reports that at least 35 Johnson County residents were impacted by fraudulent EIDL applications and broader findings that approximately $1.1 billion in potentially fraudulent loans had been distributed nationwide.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-9) today led a letter with Congresswomen Valerie Foushee (NC-4) and Debbie Dingell (MI-6) to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin urging him to withdraw a proposal to weaken federal safeguards regulating coal ash pollution. The letter has 30 additional Congressional co-signers.

“I have been appalled at this Administration tearing down environmental protections,” said Congressman Cohen. “This proposed coal ash rule puts communities near any of the 450 coal ash sites across the country at risk – including Boxtown in Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District and Kingston, Tennessee, which in 2008 experienced the largest coal ash spill and one of the largest environmental disasters in our country’s history. We need the existing rules in place to ensure that groundwater remains safe and the soil in yards and playgrounds has not been contaminated with toxic chemicals from coal ash.”

The letter reads in part:

“We write regarding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (“EPA”) recent regulatory proposal to significantly weaken federal safeguards governing coal combustion residuals (CCR), commonly known as coal ash. We are deeply concerned about the real-world consequences this proposal would have for communities across the country – many of which have already been harmed by coal ash pollution, and urge the Agency to reconsider this approach and prioritize public health over short-term industry interests.

“The current proposal would dismantle key elements of the nation’s only enforceable federal framework for managing coal ash. These protections were put in place to address well-documented risks to drinking water, land, and air. Weakening them now risks exposing communities—particularly working class communities and others already facing disproportionate environmental burdens—to a wide range of dangerous contaminants such as arsenic, cobalt, lead, lithium, mercury, and thallium. Exposure to these metals is widely known to substantially impair cognitive function and are toxic to a wide array of physiological processes.

“Coal ash remains one of the largest sources of industrial waste in the United States, and its legacy of contamination is well established. Based on industry’s own data, we know that over 90 percent of all coal ash sites are leaking contaminants into groundwater and there is widespread industry non-compliance. Existing CCR standards created baseline requirements for monitoring, closure, and cleanup of unsafe and leaking disposal sites after years of inadequate oversight. Rolling back those standards would not only undo that progress, but also erode public confidence in the federal government’s ability to prioritize and enforce basic environmental protections.

“We are especially troubled that the proposal would allow facilities to sidestep cleanup responsibilities and delay action at sites with known contamination. Changes to requirements for unlined and leaking impoundments, combined with reduced federal oversight, would place increased risk on nearby communities and shift responsibility to state agencies that may not have sufficient resources or authority to respond effectively.

“Beyond these concerns, the proposal raises serious legal issues. It is inconsistent with the EPA’s obligations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act to ensure the safe management of solid waste, safeguard groundwater for future generations, and protect human health and the environment. Moving away from long-standing safeguards not only puts communities at risk, but also creates legal uncertainty that could delay meaningful protections even further.

“We urge the Agency to withdraw this proposal and instead focus on nationwide enforcement of the existing coal ash standards. EPA should prioritize taking necessary enforcement action, as the federal government—and the EPA in particular—has a responsibility to enforce the existing protections to ensure clean water and a safe environment for all. As you know, EPA was established by President Nixon to protect human health and the environment. We hope you will act in full consideration of that mission in mind.

“We appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to continued engagement to ensure coal ash is managed safely and responsibly.”

See the letter here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Al Green (TX-9)

(Washington, DC) — On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, Congressman Al Green, a Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, shared remarks during a Homeland Security Committee shadow hearing entitled, “Tracked and Targeted: The Unconstitutional Surveillance State.”

You can access and listen to Congressman Al Green’s remarks to the witness by clicking here. The hearing remarks highlighted are also accessible on various social media platforms, including Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter).  

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Chris Pappas (D-NH)

Today Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) joined Congresswomen Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Emilia Sykes (OH-13), Judy Chu (CA-28), Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and 82 of their colleagues in conducting oversight of the recently-launched Moms.gov. 

Moms.gov launched in May with the purported goal of offering guidance to expectant mothers, but the website instead features potentially harmful information about deceptive crisis pregnancy centers and puts sensitive health information at risk. The lawmakers demanded Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. provide answers about HHS’s goals in developing, funding, reviewing, and operating Moms.gov.

“This website purports to be a resource to support the health and well-being of women and families, yet it deceives vulnerable people by sending them to anti-abortion centers, or so-called ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ that are not real medical providers,” the Representatives wrote. “Additionally, these organizations often engage in questionable data collection practices of individuals’ sensitive health information. We have long raised concerns about deceptive practices that jeopardize patient privacy and mislead people seeking reproductive health care, and we urge the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to guarantee that all federally supported public-facing maternal health resources provide medically accurate, evidence-based, and comprehensive information and protect Americans’ private health information.”

The Representatives noted that the “Find Pregnancy Centers Near You” feature on Moms.gov appears to direct users to Option Line, a 24/7 contact center managed by Heartbeat International, a nationwide anti-choice organization and network of over 1,000 crisis pregnancy centers. Heartbeat International has faced significant scrutiny regarding its collection, storage, and handling of sensitive reproductive health information through services including the Option Line.

“Deciding whether or when to bear a child is a deeply personal decision that should be made by the patient and trusted health care providers using medically-accurate and comprehensive information, not by opponents of reproductive freedom,” the Representatives wrote. “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services already has resources with comprehensive information for women on reproductive health, including pregnancy, birth control methods, infertility, sexually-transmitted infections, and more. Moms.gov is duplicitous, a waste of government resources, and a thinly-veiled attempt to push a far right agenda onto people at a vulnerable time in their lives.”

The letter is supported by the Democratic Women’s Caucus, Reproductive Freedom for All, National Partnership for Women & Families, National Women’s Law Center, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, and Power to Decide.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Completed in 2000, evidence-based report identified key metrics of educational excellence and established “Science of Reading”

 

ABOVE: Harder speaks in support of the National Reading Panel during Tuesday’s markup

Restored Panel would give teachers, parents, and lawmakers clear path to improving reading scores across America

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09) announced that he secured language in federal appropriations legislation to restore the National Reading Panel and jumpstart Science of Reading initiatives at the Department of Education. The provisions were included in report text accompanying the Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies bill that passed out of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee last night. 

First established by the Committee in 1998, the National Reading Panel was completed in 2000 as the seminal text for the growing body of evidence referred to as the “Science of Reading.” The panel identified key pillars of educational excellence built on phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

When implemented, the Science of Reading works, but the rest of the country is facing a growing literacy crisis:

• States like California, Louisiana, and Mississippi have successfully adopted Science of Reading initiatives, with the latter rising from 49th in the country to the top ten in fourth-grade reading over the past decade.
• But nationwide, 12th-grade reading scores are at their lowest levels since the National Assessment of Educational Progress began tracking these scores in 1992.
• As the next generation enters the workforce, the impact of low reading levels is already being felt to the tune of nearly $40 billion in lost productivity.

“The National Reading Panel kickstarted an entire movement around education excellence – but decades later, those lessons have not been fully adopted,” said Rep. Harder. “Since then, our kids have been paying the price in lower reading scores and worse educational and career outcomes. It’s time for the federal government to take our literacy crisis seriously by bringing back the National Reading Panel and scaling up Science of Reading initiatives. Yesterday’s markup is an exciting step towards improving literacy across America.” 

Harder’s efforts included in federal appropriations legislation to scale up the federal response to severe literacy rates:

• Restored National Reading Panel– Reestablishes the National Reading Panel, giving teachers, parents, and lawmakers a clear path to improving reading scores across America.
• What Works Clearinghouse Reforms– Directs the Department of Education to make recommendations for streamlining and enhancing one of the main federal tools for evaluating educational research.
• Science of Reading Investments– Commits to increasing funding for comprehensive state literacy grants by 13%, with a priority for programs aligned with the Science of Reading.

“Parents have been clear: invest in reading,” said Keri Rodrigues, President, National Parents Union. “The House education budget answered that call with increased funding for federal literacy programs that will help more children become strong readers. We are grateful to Congressman Harder’s continued leadership on behalf of kids and families.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10)

Reconciliation package redirects nearly $70 billion in taxpayer and health care dollars to ICE

WASHINGTON – Today, following the U.S. House passage of legislation to redirect billions in taxpayer and health care dollars to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Rep. Josh Harder (CA-09), who voted no, released the following statement condemning the bill:

“ICE has been terrorizing our community for months, and Washington just voted to give them another $70 billion using our health care dollars without any reforms, guardrails, or oversight. I’m outraged, and I voted no.

“Our top priority right now should be lowering costs for families who have been struggling for months to afford gas, groceries, and medication. Instead, Washington is ripping health insurance away from thousands, pushing clinics to the brink of closure, and causing premiums to double. All to pay for more ICE chaos with zero accountability. 

“We need to rein in ICE, end the war in Iran, and stop the tariff madness, but most of all we need more backbone from Washington. I’m going to do everything in my power to fight back against these attacks and hold corrupt politicians accountable.” 

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Don Beyer (D-VA)

Representative Don Beyer (VA-08), co-chair of the House Artificial Intelligence Caucus, and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today reintroduced the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Environmental Impacts Act of 2026. The legislation would require artificial intelligence (AI) data centers to report on their environmental and energy-related impacts, with fines levied for those that fail to comply. In order to develop the framework for corporate reporting, the AI Environmental Impacts Act would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology to convene a consortium of experts responsible for establishing measurement standards. The legislation would also require the Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with other relevant federal agencies, to compile and publish a comprehensive study on the environmental and energy-related lifecycle impacts of AI and related infrastructure.

Communities around the country are currently experiencing effects from the build-out of AI-related infrastructure—including on energy costs, air quality, water quality, noise and light pollution, and land use—and those impacts are only projected to grow. However, there is no comprehensive federal study or reporting requirement to assess the full scope of these impacts. The AI Environmental Impacts Act will help close this information gap and empower policy makers to enact common sense protections for communities across the United States.

This legislation is cosponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Peter Welch (D-Vt), and Representative Nanette Barragán (CA-44).

“As artificial intelligence advances at an extraordinary pace, and as the data centers and energy infrastructure that power it continue to expand, we have a responsibility to fully understand its environmental impacts,” said Congressman Beyer. “Our legislation would ensure that we have better data, coordination, and transparency to identify risks and develop solutions that ensure AI development does not compromise our environment and serves the American people as it brings us into a new age of technology.”

“Data centers are literally changing the landscape for families across the country—from the air they breathe to the electricity bills hitting their inboxes every month,” said Senator Markey. “Understanding the environmental and energy impacts of AI data centers and requiring transparency from the companies that operate them is the first step toward protecting communities and working to tackle this rapidly growing crisis.”

This legislation is endorsed by the Center for AI and Digital Policy, Public Citizen, Center for Biological Diversity, Union of Concerned Scientists, GreenLatinos, Food and Water Watch, Moms’ Clean Air Force, and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“Compelling data centers to report to the environmental and energy impacts of their operations to the EPA provides essential public transparency,” said Tyson Slocum, Director of Public Citizen’s Energy Program. “Communities can’t evaluate whether proposed data centers are appropriate when the developers lock all the detail behind non-disclosures. Requiring the federal government to collect and publish energy and environmental data of data center operations is an essential part of the ongoing public debate on the role of AI in our economy and society, and will enhance our ability to ensure that any data centers comply with the public interest.”

“GreenLatinos is wholeheartedly endorses Sen. Markey’s Artificial Intelligence Environmental Impacts Act. Data centers powering AI are being built in our backyards, consuming shocking amounts of energy and water while driving up emissions in the communities that already bear the heaviest environmental burdens. In Latino communities, we cannot afford to have the AI boom accelerate unchecked. This legislation will create key tools for measuring AI’s true environmental footprint and creating a public reporting framework, which are crucially needed to protect communities from further AI-related environmental harms,” said Andrea Marpillero-Colomina, PhD., Sustainable Communities Policy Advisor at GreenLatinos.

“We know that the recent surge in buildout of data centers and associated infrastructure is already having enormous consequences for people, their pocketbooks, and the environment. However, the tech industry has repeatedly worked to hide the full magnitude of these harms from decisionmakers and the general public to duck accountability and maximize profits. This Act rightly confronts the issue head-on, demanding urgently needed transparency across a wide range of impacts to enable accountability and inform the development of rigorous industry requirements,” said Julie McNamara, Director at Federal Energy Policy, Union of Concerned Scientists.

“The Southern Environmental Law Center welcomes Senator Markey’s bill requiring the EPA and other agencies to take a closer look at the environmental impacts of AI data centers. It is past time to dig deeper. Every day we see communities terrified of what will happen to their clean water, clean air, local landscapes, and electric bills when data centers move in. These are often communities that have long grappled with the impacts of other polluting industries and bad siting and zoning decisions. Communities need and deserve the transparency that the Markey bill will provide,” said Amanda Garcia, Senior Attorney at Southern Environmental Law Center.

“We must build AI infrastructure with the public rules around it, with community input, and mitigating environmental impacts. The AI Environmental Impacts Act sets common sense transparency and accountability guardrails. It charts the path for incentivizing data and energy efficient AI models to ensure that a singular focus on scale doesn’t compromise American’s pocketbooks and well-being,” said Christabel Randolph, Associate Director at CAIDP.

“Data centers are polluting our air and water and driving up electricity costs, yet Big Tech continues to operate with zero accountability,” said Camden Weber, climate and energy policy specialist at the Center for Biological Diversity. “This unchecked growth is causing real environmental harm. Sen. Markey’s bill is a critical first step in understanding the full scope of the damage so that Congress can take aggressive action to address it.”

Full text of the AI Environmental Impacts Act is available here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Salud Carbajal (CA-24)

U.S. Representatives Salud Carbajal (D-CA-24) and Jared Huffman (D-CA-02) reintroduced the Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act, a bill to create a new federal program encouraging commercial shipping companies operating off the Pacific coast to reduce the speeds of their vessels in order to protect marine life and cut air pollution.

Read the full text of the legislation here.

The bill models the new federal program off the regional Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies vessel speed reduction (VSR) program, which recognizes shipping companies that reduce speeds off California’s coast – including shipping lanes within the Greater Santa Barbara Channel Region off Rep. Carbajal’s Central Coast district.

“Since 2014, the Protecting Blue Whales Blue Skies program has made California’s coastline cleaner and safer for both marine life and local communities. It’s a commonsense solution that has delivered a win-win for both the environment and public health. The program’s successful regional impact supports a case for scaling it to the federal level,” said Rep. Carbajal. “My legislation will do just that by expanding the program’s scope to include the entire Western coast of our country. I thank Congressman Huffman for partnering with me on this important bill, which honors my former colleague Alan Lowenthal’s advocacy and strengthens federal protections for our whales and our air quality.”  

“When ships are barreling through the ocean, not only does it guzzle up fuel and throw out more emissions, it makes it hard for them to avoid collisions with whales – leading to the death of these iconic and endangered species on top of impacts to our climate and communities,” said Rep. Huffman. “California came up with a solution to tackle both of these problems that my friend and former colleague Alan Lowenthal championed locally as well as here in Congress. I’m glad to join Rep. Carbajal in this renewed and expanded legislation that would incentivize shipping companies to reduce their speeds along the entire West Coast, protecting marine mammals and our planet.”

Since 2018, 76 shipping companies have participated in the regional Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies VSR program. Over the past decade, the program has cut air pollution at a scale equivalent to taking nearly 6 million cars off the road for an entire year.

The Alan S. Lowenthal Blue Whales, Blue Skies Act honors the retired California Congressman who had previously championed legislation to create federal recognition for speed reduction off California’s coastline. The legislation reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week expands on Lowenthal’s advocacy by mandating the creation of a federal program that would cover the eligible recognition area to the entire Western coast of the lower 48 U.S. states.

The bill would create the federal recognition program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with the California program serving as the model for the qualifications and the recognition to be provided by NOAA to participating shipping companies.

The regional program is run by a partnership of public and nonprofit entities including the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, San Luis Obispo County Air Pollution Control District, Ventura County Air Pollution Control District, California Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and others.