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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Washington, D.C. — Earlier today, Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), along with Representatives Dave Min (CA-47), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Gabe Amo (RI-01), David Valadao (CA-22), and Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced the Armenia Security Partnership Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to strengthen U.S. policy toward Armenia while holding the Government of Azerbaijan accountable for continued aggression and human rights abuses.  It requires the President of the United States to certify to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps to:

• Completely withdraw all military forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia;
• Unconditionally release all Armenian prisoners;
• Cease engaging in hostilities toward Armenia; and
• Recognize the right of return for ethnic Armenians to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and commit to the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious sites in the region.

If the President is unable to make such a certification, the bill would:

• Require a comprehensive review of U.S. security assistance to Armenia to identify gaps in Armenia’s long-term defense needs and assess the threat posed by Azerbaijan; and
• Prohibit the reauthorization of the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, thereby enforcing existing statutory prohibitions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.

“Armenia is a key partner in a volatile region and deserves meaningful support as it faces continued threats to its sovereignty and security,” said Congressman Bilirakis. “This legislation sends a clear message that the United States will not turn a blind eye to aggression, human rights abuses, or the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians. Accountability must be at the center of our foreign policy.”

Congressman Pallone added, “For far too long, Azerbaijan has been allowed to act with impunity to destabilize the South Caucasus, commit horrific human rights abuses, and threaten the Armenian people. Our bill is a great step in the right direction to finally hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity and threats to lasting peace in the region. I look forward to working with Congressman Bilirakis and the rest of my colleagues to pass it into law.”

“A durable peace in the South Caucasus must be built on respect for sovereignty, human rights, and international law, not force or coercion,” said Congressman Brad Sherman, Democratic Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenia Caucus. “Azerbaijan’s continued aggression against Armenia, the detention of Armenian prisoners, and the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites demands a serious response. This bipartisan legislation makes clear that the United States will not reward violations of international law and that Armenia deserves a reliable partner as it works to secure its borders and pursue a just and lasting peace.”

“As co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Armenia Security Partnership Act,” said Congressman Valadao. “Azerbaijan’s aggression in the South Caucasus has gone on for far too long, and this bipartisan bill takes meaningful steps to hold them accountable for ongoing human rights abuses and hostilities against the sovereign territory of Armenia.”

The Members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, have long worked to promote policies that uphold international law, protect vulnerable populations, and support regional stability.

“We thank Congressman Bilirakis for proactively introducing this important, bipartisan, legislation. Azerbaijan’s continuing aggression toward Armenia and its reluctance to fully embrace the August 8 Joint Declaration must stop if a just and durable peace is to be achieved,” said Timothy Jemal, President of Global ARM. “We are hopeful this bill will receive broad, bipartisan support, and that Congress will actively consider and pass this legislation to strategically bolster peace negotiations and support U.S. interests in the South Caucasus.”

“The ARMENIA Security Partnership Act represents a common-sense approach to both checking Azerbaijani aggression and strengthening America’s partnership with Armenia,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “This bipartisan legislation grounds U.S. policy in concrete benchmarks for peace – the release of Armenian prisoners, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from occupied Armenian land, and the protection of Armenian cultural heritage. We need to stop incentivizing continued Azerbaijani hostility, by normalizing its genocide of Artsakh and ongoing violations of international law, and start holding its Aliyev regime accountable for its crimes.”

“We commend Congressmen Bilirakis and Pallone for their bipartisan leadership in advancing this vital legislation,”said Mariam Khaloyan, Congressional Relations Director of the Armenian Assembly. “Azerbaijan’s continued unlawful holding of Armenian hostages underscores the need for this bill and the importance of enforcing Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, while also strengthening America’s support for Armenia’s security and sovereignty.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise and House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman published an op-ed in the Washington Times highlighting the importance of the SPEED Act, legislation that will simplify and streamline America’s overly burdensome permitting process. The legislation will allow America to start building again, which will create new jobs, reduce costs, and unleash American energy. Read the full op-ed below or here. The SPEED Act: Helping America build againThe economy today faces a large but, thankfully, simple problem. Our demand for energy is rising faster than our ability to generate it. The solution is also simple: build more infrastructure — more power plants, more roads, and pipelines — so we can produce more energy.
President Donald Trump’s administration has made it clear that energy dominance is a priority. The private sector is ready to invest billions in energy abundance, and workers are ready to break ground on next-generation infrastructure. Unfortunately, for decades now, shovel-ready projects across the country have been routinely stalled and even strangled by our antiquated federal permitting system.As AI data centers and reshored manufacturing drive demand higher, Congress has to decide whether the next decade brings the United States an energy crisis or global energy dominance. Permitting reform — specifically the Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act — is a generational opportunity to deliver higher wages and real affordability for working families.At the heart of permitting dysfunction today is the National Environmental Policy Act. Passed in 1969, NEPA used to require federal agencies to consider the environmental impact of any new government construction project. But five decades of bureaucratic mission creep and agenda-driven lawsuits have twisted the original, sensible law into a black hole of costly red tape.For construction workers to law professors to small business owners, the very word “NEPA” is today more synonymous with waste and abuse than environmental protection. Consider that the average NEPA Environmental Impact Statement from 2013 to 2018 totaled 575 pages and took nearly five years to complete. A quarter of them took six years or more. These delays cost the economy hundreds of billions of dollars.And even when reviews do get completed, approved projects face a gauntlet of expensive, time-consuming lawsuits. NEPA is the nation’s most litigated and frivolously litigated environmental statute. According to research by the Breakthrough Institute, it takes an average of more than four years to resolve legal challenges after publication of NEPA environmental review documents. And where do these lawsuits come from? Ten extremist environmentalist groups are responsible for 35% of all NEPA lawsuits.The scrapped Atlantic Coast Pipeline is a textbook case. It was a 600-mile, $8 billion project, initially approved in 2015 to deliver affordable natural gas from West Virginia to North Carolina. By the time the project was abandoned in 2020, NEPA had delayed it 894 days, and litigation another 570 days. Billions of dollars’ worth of affordable and reliable energy for one of the fastest-growing regions of the country was lost. And all the jobs, economic development, and tax revenue that went with it disappeared in a tsunami of legal fees and broken promises.These aren’t failures of planning or engineering. They are failures of policy. And in 2025, the federal government’s tolerance for NEPA’s red tape is becoming existential. If the U.S. cannot build energy and mineral infrastructure, China will surpass us in AI technology — for both civilian and military applications. That would have disastrous economic and strategic consequences for America and our allies. If, due to our policy failures, we cede global leadership to China, America would become a less safe, less affordable, and less free country.A generation from now, we cannot tell our children that a heavily abused permitting process contributed to losing the AI arms race. If Congress passes the SPEED Act, we won’t have to.The bill, scheduled for a vote in the House of Representatives this week, fixes several of NEPA’s systemic problems by restoring the law to its original purpose: a procedural review for proposed projects.The SPEED Act would restrict NEPA lawsuits to parties actually affected by a project and establish reasonable filing deadlines.It would codify key elements of the Supreme Court’s Seven County decision, clarifying judicial review in NEPA cases. It would align judicial remedies with the fact that NEPA is, after all, a procedural statute, not a progress impediment.Finally, the SPEED Act would reaffirm the scope of NEPA reviews as they were initially intended.The SPEED Act would establish clear rules and a level playing field for federal projects across all agencies and industries. It enjoys bipartisan sponsorship in the House and support from over 300 NEPA-adjacent industries and organizations.NEPA was originally written to facilitate thoughtful growth, not reckless obstruction. The SPEED Act restores its proper function and will finally empower the people to build. The challenges we face demand that we act. It’s time to pass the SPEED Act and protect America’s future.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) appeared on Fox Business Network’s Mornings with Maria to discuss cutting costs for hardworking families through lower premiums, historic tax cuts, permitting reform, and President Trump’s America First agenda. Despite House Democrats’ failed efforts to stop Republicans’ work, Leader Scalise emphasized that House Republicans will continue delivering for the American people.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On Democrats shutting the government down to try to stop President Trump’s historic agenda:“Look, I think Democrats today wake up with the socialist left taking over their party, the Mamdani wing of the party, and they want to shut the government down every day. They want to fight Donald Trump every day and try to block anything we’re doing to move this country forward. I think the American people are sick of it. Look, most Americans just want to go about their daily lives. They want gas prices to go down, as President Trump talked about last night. They want their wages to go up, Maria, as President Trump also talked about last night. Democrats here in Washington have been voting against every one of those policies to do those things. We pass bills to lower gas prices. Every Democrat voted no. We pass bills to prevent the largest tax increase on American families, including low-income families. Every Democrat voted no. They’ve proven they want to shut the government down, and they want to raise taxes and costs on hardworking families, including low-income families. We’re going to keep doing our work for the American people. Sometimes we’ll get bipartisan votes, even if we don’t, we’re going to keep passing these bills, Maria, because we need to keep working with President Trump to deliver on the promises we made and turn this great country around.”On House Republicans fixing the health care system that Democrats broke:“You’ve just seen the radical left, look Ro Khanna said it proudly. He voted to shut the government down. He wants all Americans on government-run health care. It’s, by the way, failed in every country it’s been tried. Maria, does everybody in America want to be on Medicaid? That’s what Democrats are doing. Look at the Affordable Care Act. They’ve shoveled hundreds of billions of dollars to insurance companies, and yet the price is still unaffordable. They called it the Affordable Care Act. That was a lie. They said, ‘If you like your doctor, you can keep it.’ That was a lie. They promised insurance prices would go down $2,500 a family. That was a lie. Everything they said about health care was a lie. Are they really going to be the ones to fix it? We want to lower health care costs for 100% of Americans. That’s what we brought yesterday. Democrats have voted time and time again to raise health care costs on 95% of Americans, and they voted against the bill yesterday that would lower costs. Everybody in America could see who wants to lower your health care premiums — it’s Republicans — and who’s voted to raise those premiums and bail out insurance companies who are getting record profits. It’s bizarre.”On Republicans working to lower costs after years of Bidenflation:“We need to keep pushing policies that are going to lower costs. But as you see, Democrats are voting to raise costs, to make things unaffordable. People went through the 40-year high on inflation under the Biden years. Biden jacked up inflation. Costs are high. We’re bringing them down, but they’re not down enough. We want to keep doing that. President Trump talked about it last night. We’ve made progress. It’s not as much as we want to make. I’d like it if Democrats would vote with us every blue moon to lower costs, but we’re going to keep doing it. We need to keep lowering costs, making things more affordable, getting the economy moving, and increasing wages for families. We’re going to be doing that early in the new year.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Speaker Johnson, Whip Emmer, Chairwoman McClain, and Congresswoman Miller-Meeks released a statement after House Republicans passed the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act:“Today, every House Republican voted to lower health care costs for all Americans. Every House Democrat voted against it. After months of empty ‘affordability’ rhetoric and forcing the longest government shutdown in American history, Democrats once again rejected a valuable, common-sense solution to address the unaffordability they created with their own health insurance law – the Unaffordable Care Act. “House Republicans are taking meaningful action to fix what Democrats broke. For too long, Democrats have forced hardworking American taxpayers to bail out big health insurance companies for hundreds of billions of dollars. Meanwhile, Americans are left paying for increasingly expensive care with fewer choices, lower quality, and worse health outcomes. They broke America’s health care system and with today’s vote, Democrats have abandoned a critical opportunity to fix their own failed law. “The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act puts patients first. It does exactly what its title promises and more: lowers premium costs, expands access to affordable, quality care, gives every American more options and flexibility to choose coverage that is best for their needs, and brings greater transparency to the health care system. It delivers twice the cost reduction of the Democrats’ temporary, COVID-era enhanced subsidies and brings those costs down for ALL Americans – not just some. House Republicans are working to fix what is broken, restore integrity in our nation’s health care system, and lower the cost of health care for every citizen.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa) to preview legislation on the House floor this week focused on lowering costs. Leader Scalise highlighted the SPEED Act, which will simplify and streamline the permitting process, and the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, which lowers costs for all Americans, not just those on Obamacare, and provides workers with better health care options.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full remarks. 
On the recent tragedies around the world:“My prayers go out to all those killed in so many different horrible tragedies. Here in America, Brown University, you look at our two army soldiers that were killed, the antisemitic attacks on the other side of the globe. Just reminds you, during this Christmas season, this Hanukkah season, it’s a special time, it’s a time we celebrate, but it’s also a time where evil still lurks here and all around the globe. And we just pray, pray for those who have been murdered, harmed, injured. We pray for those who have evil in their hearts, that God can touch them and hopefully remove that evil so that they don’t go harm innocent people.”On House Republicans lowering costs through permitting reform:“We’ve heard complaints from members all across the country that know that just trying to build things in America, road projects, bridges, pipelines to move energy, anything you’re trying to do, more and more, laws are getting in the way. NEPA is a heavily abused law that delays a lot of the projects that ought to be built. Bruce Westerman and his committee have done incredible work to bring a bipartisan bill that starts to address the abuses here in NEPA so that we can actually build things in America again. You think about the cost savings that would come if it only takes two years instead of 10 years to build a major project. And we all know what’s happening all across America, why so many projects are shelved in many cases or take so long to be built because of the abuses of some of these laws, like NEPA and Endangered Species Act, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act. All of these laws are being heavily abused. So this is a really important first step, getting the SPEED Act passed to get real meaningful permitting reform.”On providing health care options and lower premiums for all Americans:“Dr. Miller-Meeks talked about her bill, which is such an important step to lower costs in health care for all Americans, 100% of Americans. While Democrats only care about bailing out insurance companies and focusing on less than 10% of Americans that are in the Unaffordable Care Act, we’re focused on lowering premiums for all Americans. And that’s what you’re going to see on the floor this week. You think about Association Health Plans, which have been proven to give people more options to lower costs. The CHOICE [Arrangement] Act, which, while everybody complains, they say, ‘Why, when I watch TV commercials, I see this gecko lizard, and I see the emu, and I see all these other animals out there selling car insurance, they’re selling homeowners’ insurance; why aren’t they selling health insurance?’ That’s because the laws at the federal level prohibit the ability for people to have choices to get people trying to offer them lower cost products for health insurance. Imagine if, for example, with CHOICE [Arrangement] Act, where you can run through a health savings account, the ability where if you get your health insurance through your employer, if you’re able to go find a better plan, if somebody could compete for your business and offer you a lower deductible plan with lower copayments for your families, right now you can’t go buy that product. “We create those options with the bill that we’re bringing to the floor tomorrow, the PBM reform that Dr. Miller-Meeks talked about, where you can actually have lower prescription drug costs, again, for 100% of Americans. This is something that our three committees of jurisdiction have been working on for a long time. And yet, while Democrats only want to bail out insurance companies while premiums go up, we’re focused on having lower premium options, lower cost options for 100% of Americans.“So, another busy week where we’re going to be focused on helping families that are struggling under the weight of all the damage that President Biden did. President Trump is working to lower costs. President Trump wants to see these bills on his desk, and we’re going to work to deliver here in the House.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steve Scalise (1st District of Louisiana)

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) joined CNBC’s Squawk Box to discuss Republicans’ efforts to lower costs for all Americans following years of Biden’s economic failures. Leader Scalise highlighted House Republicans’ work to lower premiums and touted affordability wins so far this Congress, including the largest tax cut for working families in history.

Click here or the image above to view Leader Scalise’s full interview. 
Highlights from Leader Scalise’s interview:On House Republicans working to lower premiums for all Americans:“We’ve been working for a long time to lower premiums for all Americans, 100% of families across America. Democrats, as you know, have only been focused on trying to give big bailouts to insurance companies dealing with 7% of Americans. So big difference between the two sides.“What we’re going to be bringing to the House floor tomorrow — on the floor on Wednesday — is the Lower Premiums Act. This is a bill to lower health care premiums for all Americans. It’s going to be focused on things like association health plans, the CHOICE Act, which is a way to use health savings accounts so that employers can work with their employees and give them better options for lower-premium health care plans. We do what’s called cost-sharing reductions. It’s basically a term up here in Washington to lower premiums for everybody in Obamacare. If you want to stay in Obamacare, a lot of people probably don’t. But for those people, there would be a 12% reduction.”On the Senate taking up the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act:“I think Americans, once they see this, are going to call their United States senator, Republican and Democrat, because it will take 60 votes, make no mistake. Call your senator and say, ‘Hey, I want some health care freedom. I want some choices.’ We have PBM reform in this, too. So you get lower prescription drug costs. Another big cost escalator in health care is in this bill. So a lot of options for families to lower costs. We pass it through the House. It still has to go through the Senate.“The President wants to sign this bill. The President’s talked about this a lot. The President wants to see better options and lower premiums for families. He knows that the Affordable Care Act is not affordable. The Democrats created a system that’s incredibly broken. They broke it, we’re going to fix it.”On increasing affordability following years of Bidenflation: “Think about this: for four years under Joe Biden, we saw a dramatic increase, 40-year increase in inflation, meaning things cost more, government was borrowing trillions of dollars, jacking up the cost of everything, and your buying power got lower during the Biden years. And so we’re finally starting to fix it. We’re bringing that down, but it’s taking time. And I know people, they want to see it all happen overnight. We’re seeing good improvement, but not enough yet. We’re still working on it.“Look, next April, when people file their taxes because of the tax bill we passed this year, you’re not going to see it until you file your return, but most families are going to get over $1,000 back in their filing from the IRS because of no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, holding all the income levels the same so that we didn’t get a tax increase. There was going to be a massive tax increase that would have hit. We’re doing a number of things.“We got a big housing bill coming up this week out of committee, and we’re going to actually be focused on lowering the cost of homeownership. You talked about the Federal Reserve. I hope the Federal Reserve keeps lowering interest rates. As we’re reducing the deficit, the deficit up here plays a big role in interest rates back home when people borrow for things like homeownership or credit cards. And so we’re finally getting control over spending. That’s going to lower interest rates, so people can go buy a home. And then we’re bringing these housing bills.“So all of it takes time, but we’re working on all of it at the same time right now. I think early next year, you’re going to start seeing bigger indicators. Trillions of investments already coming into the country from deals President Trump has already cut. Manufacturing, higher wage jobs. You’re seeing it all. The AI revolution is bringing good jobs, too.”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the United States House of Representatives voted to pass Congresswoman Kim Schrier’s, M.D. (WA-08), bipartisan legislation to improve the quality and nutrition of school lunches by allowing public schools to serve reduced-fat and whole milk. The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act was unanimously passed by the Senate last month and now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law. 

“As a pediatrician, I know how important a balanced and nutritious diet is for children’s health and development, and I’m thrilled that my bipartisan bill has passed the House and is heading to the president’s desk,” said Congresswoman Schrier, M.D. “Ensuring that our children have access to a healthy diet is fundamental to their physical growth, academic performance, and overall well-being, and can set the foundation for lifelong healthy eating habits. Milk is a significant part of many children’s diets and contains essential nutrients that keep them full and healthy. This bill will improve children’s nutrition by allowing schools to provide the types of milk most kids prefer to drink, and I’m eager to see this legislation signed into law.”

“I have worked for a decade to restore whole milk to our school cafeterias, which have been limiting healthy choices for students, but that changes today,” said Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture. “Whole milk is an essential building block for a well-rounded and balanced diet, and students should have the option to choose the milk they love. I am proud that my bill, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act, passed the House today and now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.”

Whole milk has been prohibited in school lunches for over a decade due to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. That bill changed nutrition standards and mandated that flavored milk be fat-free and traditional milk be, at most, 1% fat. Congresswoman Schrier’s bill would amend the nutrition standards and allow schools to serve flavored and unflavored reduced-fat (2%) and whole milk.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act is supported by Darigold, the National Milk Producers Federation, and the International Dairy Foods Association.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08), voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), an annual piece of legislation that authorizes defense programs to maintain military readiness and increase national security. The package includes provisions that will raise pay for service members, bolster access to quality healthcare and child care, and authorize millions to build new schools. This year’s legislation finally reclaims Congress’ war power authority, after delegating that responsibility to the president for decades.

“This bipartisan bill makes vital investments to bolster our national security at home and abroad, and support those brave service members who protect our country,” said Congresswoman Schrier. “I’m proud to cast my vote to give our service members a much-deserved pay raise, provide proper oversight of the Trump Administration, and strengthen healthcare and child care access for our military personnel.” 

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 includes these key provisions:

• Provides a 3.8% pay raise for all service members and increases the Family Separation Allowance for deployed service members.
• Makes the most substantive reforms to the defense acquisition process and system in decades.
• Repeals the 1991 and 2002 Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Iraq, preventing further involvement in the Middle East without appropriate congressional oversight. 
• Fences funding until the Secretary of Defense provides unedited videos of strikes that have occurred in the Caribbean, as well as copies of related classified Executive Orders. 
• Makes necessary investments to maintain our standing across the globe by strengthening nuclear deterrence, expanding missile defense, and providing critical resources and authorities to counter adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. 
• Authorizes $491 million to build new child care centers, extends the Child Care in Your Home pilot program, and improves the fee assistance program rate cap for eligible community-based child care providers.
• Prevents the Department from reducing healthcare staff and expands travel reimbursement for specialty care.
• Requires an assessment of mental health staffing levels, wait times, and the availability of telehealth services. 
• Authorizes over $206 million to build new Department of Defense Education Activity schools, authorizes $50 million in Impact Aid assistance, and allows Department schools to limit or ban student cell phone use.
• Allows retiring service members to move into civilian defense positions and establishes a transition assistance pilot program for military spouses.
• Authorizes $800 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative over two years and additional funding for the Baltic Security Initiative and Taiwan Security Initiative. 

You can read more about the FY26 NDAA here. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—Reps. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) and Linda Sánchez (CA-38) led a bipartisan letter from 27 of their colleagues from the Committee on Ways and Means, expressing grave concerns about Canada’s digital trade barriers. The letter was addressed to Canada-US Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Canada’s Ambassador to the United States Kristen Hillman.  
“While we are strong supporters of the bilateral relationship with Canada, discriminatory policies, like the Online Streaming Act, undermine the value of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA),” the lawmakers write. 

Canada’s Online Streaming Act “is actively restricting access, disadvantaging U.S. companies and artists, and undermining the shared commitment to fair competition that is essential as our countries prepare for the USMCA review,” the letter states. 

The Online Streaming Act is a discriminatory tax that requires American streaming companies operating in Canada to contribute part of their revenues to funds that produce local Canadian content. Estimates show that this law could cost American companies up to $7 billion by 2030. 

Read the full letter. Full text below. 

Dear Minister LeBlanc and Ambassador Hillman,

We write to share our deep concerns with Canada’s Online Streaming Act (formerly Bill C-11)
and the subsequent Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
implementing decisions. We urge the Canadian Government to rescind this digital trade barrier
immediately, including by terminating the collection of fees. This is especially important as our
two countries undertake the six-year review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement
(USMCA). While we are strong supporters of the bilateral relationship with Canada,
discriminatory policies, like the Online Streaming Act, undermine the value of the United States-
Mexico-Canada Agreement.

As you know, the Online Streaming Act requires foreign streaming services to contribute five
percent of gross revenues to Canadian production funds as a condition of market access. A
forthcoming CRTC decision may extend these obligations further, adding direct spending
requirements tied to what the Canadian government deems to be “Canadian content.” This
constitutes a clearly discriminatory and burdensome levy on cross-border trade that violates the
spirit of the USMCA.

The USMCA was built upon principles of fair and cooperative trade, and decisions that impose
discriminatory regulations on American platforms create a clear distortion in the digital
marketplace. Under this law, Canada is actively restricting access, disadvantaging U.S.
companies and artists, and undermining the shared commitment to fair competition that is
essential as our countries prepare for the USMCA review.

Additionally, streaming services are a vital part of the Canadian economy, but the
implementation of the Online Streaming Act threatens to chill foreign investment. In 2022,
global studios and streaming platforms invested $7.58 billion1 in production in Canada, while
music streaming specifically generated more than $422.7 million in recorded music revenue in
Canada in 20242. Global studios increased their production levels in Canada by 285 percent
between 2011 and 2021, with an average of 97 percent of cast, crew, and production personnel
working on those projects in Canada3. Heavy-handed regulations from the Canadian government
could jeopardize these foreign investments through the Online Streaming Act and CRTC
decisions.

This law not only endangers cross-border investment but also risks undermining confidence in
Canada’s commitment to a fair and open digital marketplace at the precise moment when our
countries should be working to strengthen cooperation ahead of the USMCA review. We
recognize the importance of the U.S.-Canada trade relationship and appreciate Canada’s decision
to rescind its Digital Services Tax Act. This was the right call, and it certainly improves
opportunities for bilateral cooperation. However, the Online Streaming Act poses an equally
significant threat to this relationship. As we begin our work to prepare for the USMCA review
next year, we urge you to rescind the Online Streaming Act to show a true willingness to end
discrimination against American companies and artists.
 

# # # 
 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Lloyd Smucker (PA-16)

WASHINGTON—Rep. Lloyd Smucker (PA-11) voted in favor of the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act (H.R. 6703) and released the following statement:

“The Democrats made empty promises to the American people a decade and a half ago. Their poorly named “Affordable” Care Act has been anything but affordable for my constituents who purchase their health coverage from the marketplace. The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Act will do exactly what it says—reduce premiums for all Americans, not just those on the Obamacare marketplace, and give them more options when choosing their health care,”said Rep. Smucker.

Background:  

The Congressional Budget Office reports the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act will “reduce gross benchmark premiums by 11 percent.”

The Lower Health Care Premiums for All Act, courtesy of Speaker Mike Johnson: 

Lowers Premiums for all Americans

• Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency: Requires PBMs to provide employers with detailed data on prescription drug spending, rebates, spread pricing, and formulary decisions—empowering plans and workers with the transparency they deserve.
• Appropriates Cost Sharing Reduction Payments: Provides necessary funding for CSR payments beginning in 2027, lowering premiums, and stabilizing the individual market while ensuring taxpayer dollars are used responsibly. Relief would be better directed towards low-income enrollees that need them.

Improves Health Care Options for America’s Workers

• Association Health Plans: Expands access to Association Health Plans by allowing employers—including self-employed workers—to band together across industries to purchase affordable, high-quality coverage.
• Access to Stop-Loss Insurance: Ensures small and mid-sized employers can protect themselves from catastrophic claims by clarifying that stop-loss insurance is not “health insurance coverage.” This would allow small businesses to offer their employees more tailored, affordable care.
• CHOICE Arrangements: Codifies and strengthens 2019 rules allowing employers to offer defined contributions for employees to purchase their own coverage—renamed as CHOICE arrangements—and permits employees to pay premiums pre-tax.