MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata, who serves as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC), is highlighting a lengthy slate of 27 Veterans’ bills and proposals examined by the Committee in a Wednesday legislative hearing. 

The US Capitol on a rare warm day earlier this March

These bills are part of the Committee’s reauthorization effort led by Chairman Mike Bost (R-IL) to review and improve programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), many of which have not been specifically reauthorized by Congress in 30 years, with the objective of renewing expired authorities, providing better oversight, improving infrastructure, and modernizing the delivery of healthcare, benefits, and research for Veterans.

“To each of our Veterans, thank you for your service and your leadership in our islands,” said Vice Chairman Amata. “Better services and the well-being of our Veterans are constant priorities, as well as keeping you informed. This week, the Committee examined the text of 27 bills, with each bill seeking to improve a specific area of need for our Veterans, or reform an aspect of the VA for better services. I will keep our Veterans updated as votes are scheduled.”

Chairman Bost said, “From reorganizing the largest integrated healthcare system in the country, to cutting through the red tape in VA’s construction and facility leasing process, to modernizing VA’s healthcare research processes and education benefits delivery to better serve veterans, and much more – the bills we discussed at today’s hearing would make a difference in the day to day lives of veterans and their families.”

The Committee examined the following legislation and proposals:

• H.R: 6733, the VISN Reform Act of 2025 (introduced by Chairman Bost regarding the Veterans Integrated Service Network)
• H.R. 6843, the Establishing the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration Act of 2025
• H.R. 6861, the Consolidating Veteran Employment Services for Improved Performance Act
• H.R. 6580, the VA National Formulary Act of 2025
• H.R. 6755, the Accountable Leadership for Veterans Act of 2025
• H.R. 6599, the Leasing and Infrastructure Act of 2025
• H.R. 6583, the Research Reform Act of 2025
• H.R. 6549, the VA Contracting and Procurement Act
• H.R.6740, the VA TRUST Act
• H.R. 6764, the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee Oversight Act of 2025
• H.R. 6833, the Acquisition Reform and Cost Assessment Act of 2025
• H.R. 2303, the Board of Veterans’ Appeals Attorney Retention and Backlog Reduction Act
• H.R. 210, the Dental Care for Veterans Act
• H.R.5203, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to update directives of the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the management of acute sexual assault
• H.R.4114, the Ensuring Veterans’ Smooth Transition (EVEST) Act (regarding the VA patient enrollment system)
• H.R.3183, the SAFE STEPS for Veterans Act of 2025 (regarding age-related falls prevention)
• H.R.3869, the Every Veteran Housed Act
• H.R.1732, the GUARD VA Benefits Act
• H.R.2722, the VA Funding and Workforce Protection Act
• H.R.1391, the Student Veteran Benefit Restoration Act of 2025
• H.R. 6904, the Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement and Accountability Act of 2025
• H.R.4876, the Reproductive Freedom for Veterans Act
• Discussion Draft, the Get Justice-Involved Veterans BACK HOME Act
• Discussion Draft, the Toxic Exposure Advisory Committee Establishment Act
• Discussion Draft, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish the Advisory Committee on Toxic Exposure of the Department of Veterans Affairs
• Discussion Draft, the Honor Vets Act
• Discussion Draft, to provide for the modernization of the electronic health record system and other health information technology activities and systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D, MN-04) and Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today reintroduced the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act bicameral legislation to address the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the domestic supply chain. The use of PFAS, commonly known as “forever chemicals,” has severely contaminated water sources and their surrounding environments across the United States. 

“Minnesotans know all too well the threat that PFAS contamination poses to the health and safety of our communities. I’m proud to partner with Senator Durbin to reintroduce our legislation which will set a ten-year national deadline to eliminate PFAS wherever possible,” said McCollum. “This legislation builds on the leadership of Minnesota’s elected officials, who passed Amara’s Law to protect the health of our residents and confront environmental contamination through a ban on non-essential uses of PFAS. Our legislation would establish a federal ban, while also investing in research and ensuring thoughtful, science-backed safeguards that keep people safe and healthy. Reintroducing this legislation is the first step towards ensuring that communities across America have access to the clean and safe drinking water they deserve.”

“Protecting our environment and Americans from toxic hazards like PFAS is a matter of public health—especially when PFAS is commonly used in household products and can be found in our water systems,” said Durbin.  “With the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act, we can work toward phasing out the unnecessary uses of PFAS, protecting consumers and our environment from the hazards of these chemicals.”

PFAS are a class of chemicals that are highly toxic and can even be harmful at low doses. They are considered “forever chemicals” as they do not break down easily and can accumulate in people, food, and the environment. Exposure in people can occur by consuming PFAS-contaminated water or food or by using products that contain PFAS such as food packaging or non-stick cooking surfaces. Despite preliminary evidence showing the chemicals’ toxicity as early as the 1960s, these dangers were not publicly known until the late 1990s. It is estimated 99 percent of Americans have PFAS in their blood. PFAS have been linked to serious illnesses, including several types of cancer, birth defects, and thyroid disease.

The Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act would:

1. Initiate a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine study to review the persistence, bioaccumulation, and human health risks of PFAS. The Academies would also identify current PFAS uses and provide guidance on classification of essential or non-essential uses, which will be used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to require those designated “non-essential” be phased out;
2. Require all PFAS manufacturers and users to file reports with EPA to disclose certain information relating to PFAS, and require manufacturers and users to submit a phase-out schedule of their products to be completed within 10 years;
3. Direct EPA to facilitate phasing out non-essential PFAS production, consumption, and possession and prohibit manufacturers and commercial users from releasing any PFAS into the environment within 10 years;
4. Establish deadlines for manufacturers to remove PFAS from certain consumer goods such as rugs, furniture, and child products;
5. Reinforce that, to the maximum extent possible, PFAS should be eliminated from products or replaced by substitutes that reduce risk to human health and the environment. The bill also would direct federal agencies to maximize resources to achieve this goal;
6. Establish regional PFAS rapid response hubs to advance PFAS replacement and remediation;
7. Require EPA to collect fees to administer the reporting and petition processes;
8. Prevent large corporations from exploiting bankruptcy procedures to avoid persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic chemicals, claims, ensuring that individuals who have been harmed by such chemicals can have their day in court; and
9. Update the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) to toll state statutes of limitations and statutes of repose for newly-designated hazardous substances, such as PFAS, until the later of the date on which it was designated as a hazardous substance or when the plaintiff knew or reasonably should have known their injury was caused by the substance. 

The full text of the bill can be found here. A fact sheet on the bill can be found here. A section by section summary can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04)

WASHINGTON — Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-Ala.) and House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) are continuing their investigation into pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to protect patient care as new bipartisan reforms are implemented.

Aderholt also pointed to the real-world impact of PBM practices on independent pharmacies in North Alabama, including a column by Brooke Walker, a pharmacist at Geraldine Drugs in DeKalb County, who described the growing financial strain these practices are placing on community pharmacies and their customers.

“In her heartfelt piece, Brooke Walker made clear what I’ve been hearing across our district, independent pharmacists are being pushed to the brink by unfair reimbursement practices,” said Congressman Aderholt. “These pharmacies are more than businesses; they are lifelines for our rural communities.”

PBMs act as middlemen in the prescription drug supply chain, determining reimbursement rates and influencing where patients fill prescriptions. Critics say their practices—including low reimbursement rates and steering patients toward affiliated pharmacies—have contributed to the closure of independent pharmacies across Alabama and the country.

In Alabama alone, pharmacists have warned that they are sometimes paid less than the cost of filling prescriptions, with some reporting losses on a significant share of medications. These pressures have led to widespread pharmacy closures, particularly in rural communities where access to care is already limited.

“Patients in places like rural Alabama shouldn’t have to drive miles to fill a prescription because their hometown pharmacy was forced to close,” Aderholt continued. “That’s why this issue matters—not just in Washington, but in communities across our district.”

In a letter to CMS, Aderholt and Comer emphasized that recently passed bipartisan reforms aimed at increasing PBM transparency and accountability must be implemented in a way that:

• protects patient access to medications,
• ensures fair reimbursement for pharmacies, and
• prevents PBMs from circumventing the law.

“The House Oversight Committee exposed how the three largest PBMs colluded to line their own pockets,” said Chairman Comer. “These self-benefitting pricing tactics have done nothing but jeopardize patient care, undermine local pharmacies, and raise prescription drug prices. Congress took action to advance legislative solutions to support patients and provide greater transparency in the PBM industry. While these new bipartisan reforms take effect, CMS must also ensure patients are protected and can access quality care without interference from PBMs. Americans deserve affordable medications, and Congress will continue to work in a bipartisan fashion to restore competition in the pharmaceutical marketplace.”

“Congress has taken important steps to rein in PBMs,” Aderholt said. “Now CMS must ensure these reforms are carried out as intended so patients—not middlemen—come first.”

The lawmakers pledged to continue their oversight efforts to ensure that federal policy strengthens patient protections, lowers prescription drug costs, and preserves access to care in communities like those across North Alabama.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom McClintock Representing the 4th District of California

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today passed HR 1958 (Taylor) with Rep. McClintock’s legislation “Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act” folded into the bill.

Rep. McClintock’s “Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act” makes specific acts related to Social Security or identification document fraud a ground for barring a non-U.S. national from admission into the United States or deporting the individual.  Offenses that trigger this ground of inadmissibility and deportability include knowingly and without lawful authority producing a false identification document and making a false statement of material fact in an application for Social Security disability benefits.

Congressman McClintock delivered remarks in support of the amendment containing his bill language at the House Judiciary Committee markup:

 This amendment delineates specific federal crimes that make an alien inadmissible to, or removable from, the United States.  This amendment also incorporates my “Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act” which the House passed on a bi-partisan basis two years ago. 

That bill simply says if you are an alien who admits to, or is convicted of, social security fraud or identification document fraud, you cannot enter the country, and if you are already here, you should be deported.  That’s just common sense. Even the New York Times recently reported that “as many as one million” illegal aliens are using fraudulent or stolen social security numbers.  According to another report in 2017 there were 1.2 million cases in which illegal aliens used social security numbers that belonged to somebody else or were fabricated.  That number surely has skyrocketed following four years of the Biden-Harris open borders.  

A 2022 investigative report found that because of this fraud “victims may face tax bills for income they didn’t earn, or depleted benefits, and may suffer from poor credit histories, or even criminal histories.” By specifically listing federal crimes that make an alien inadmissible to, and removable from, the United States this amendment closes loopholes, removes the years-long litigation that so often bogs down the removal process, and strengthens the immigration system.  

Finally, the amendment guarantees that the fraudsters described in this bill cannot exploit Americans generosity ever again by receiving any immigration relief in this country.

The legislation will next go to the Senate.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Frank Pallone (6th District of New Jersey)

WASHINGTON, D.C.— With electricity costs climbing across New Jersey, House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) is pressing federal regulators to step in before ratepayers are hit with another increase.

In a letter sent today to Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Laura Swett, Pallone called for immediate approval of PJM Interconnection’s proposal to extend its price cap for upcoming capacity auctions, arguing that failure to act will leave New Jersey residents exposed to another round of sharp cost hikes. 

“I urge you to approve PJM Interconnection’s proposal to extend its price cap for the upcoming capacity auctions and prevent New Jersey residents from absorbing yet another sharp increase in their electricity costs. When PJM fell behind in connecting new sources of energy generation to the grid, electricity ratepayers in New Jersey and throughout PJM’s territory were punished for that incompetence,” wrote New Jersey’s 6th District Congressman. 

Electricity prices across the PJM region have already surged following increases in capacity auction prices, with average residential rates in New Jersey now roughly 18 percent higher than they were a year ago. The current price cap has helped limit additional increases this year, but that protection is set to expire without further action from FERC.

Pallone pointed to PJM’s ongoing failure to connect new sources of energy to the grid as a central driver of the problem, leaving supply constrained while demand continues to rise. As a result, ratepayers across New Jersey and the broader PJM region are bearing the cost of those delays.

At the same time, broader market pressures are compounding the situation. Supply chain disruptions tied to tariffs and the repeal of key energy tax credits under Republicans’ “Big Ugly Bill” have made it more difficult for developers to bring new power generation online. Those challenges are expected to persist through the end of the decade, raising concerns about whether sufficient electricity supply will be available to meet demand in 2029 and 2030.

Pallone argued that extending the price cap for two additional auction cycles would provide a necessary pause, giving regulators, states, and Congress time to pursue longer-term solutions to stabilize the grid and protect consumers. He also noted that growing electricity demand from data centers and artificial intelligence is adding new pressure to the system, making timely action even more critical.

“While the price cap is not a silver bullet for the problems facing the PJM region, extending it is a critical first step toward prioritizing affordability.  Without it, I am concerned that other reforms and changes to our region’s electricity system will not be able to protect New Jersey families and small businesses from higher energy bills,” Pallone wrote.

The public comment period for PJM’s proposal ends tomorrow, Friday, March 20.

Full letter can be found here and below: 

The Honorable Laura V. Swett

Chairman

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

888 First Street NE

Washington, DC 20426

 

RE: PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., Docket No. ER26-1556

 

Dear Chairman Swett:

 

                  I urge you to approve PJM Interconnection’s  proposal to extend its price cap for the upcoming capacity auctions and prevent New Jersey residents from absorbing yet another sharp increase in their electricity costs. When PJM fell behind in connecting new sources of energy generation to the grid, electricity ratepayers in New Jersey and throughout PJM’s territory were punished for that incompetence.  The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) must act to extend the price cap because New Jersey residents and businesses cannot shoulder additional energy price increases. 

 

                  New Jersey families are facing an electricity cost crisis and they deserve immediate relief. As you know, the increase in PJM’s capacity price starting with the 2025/2026 Base Residual Auction (BRA) has caused retail electricity prices to spike across the PJM footprint, including in New Jersey where the average residential rates are now 18 percent higher than they were a year ago.[1]  That means the typical New Jersey household saw their annual electricity bill increase by more than $300 per year.[2]  PJM’s existing price cap was absolutely vital to ensuring that residential rates in New Jersey will see relatively limited increases this year.[3]  But without action from FERC, that limited reprieve will disappear. 

 

                  There is only one solution to PJM’s problems: ensuring there is a sufficient supply of electricity to meet demand, but PJM’s antiquated processes for interconnecting new sources of power to the grid will prevent significant amounts of electricity from coming online by the end of the decade.  Making matters worse is the chaos in energy supply chains resulting from President Trump’s illegal tariffs and the foolish repeal of energy tax credits last year in Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill.[4]^,[5]  Combined, these factors erode any ability for power plant developers to build new power plants in PJM’s territory in time to serve the region’s needs in 2029 or 2030.  That is why FERC must grant relief for PJM’s ratepayers by extending the price cap for two more auction cycles. 

 

                  As PJM noted in its transmittal letter, this filing is just one in a suite of filings that PJM plans to make over the course of this year to reform its markets.  However, those filings and incremental auctions will not come until afterthe 2028/2029 BRA – leaving ratepayers who will pay for the costs of that auction in limbo, unless FERC acts.[6]  If FERC acts expeditiously, it will give PJM, its states, and Congress time to debate and enact other vital reforms to safeguard ratepayers from increasing electricity prices driven by data centers fueling artificial intelligence tools. You must allow time for this process and allow energy system operators and regulators the opportunity to chart a more stable path. 

 

                  I appreciated the commitment you made to prioritize affordability at an Energy Subcommittee hearing last month.  While the price cap is not a silver bullet for the problems facing the PJM region, extending it is a critical first step toward prioritizing affordability.  Without it, I am concerned that other reforms and changes to our region’s electricity system will not be able to protect New Jersey families and small businesses from higher energy bills.  I appreciate your consideration and, as always, stand ready to work with you and your colleagues to make electricity more affordable. 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Frank Pallone, Jr. 

 

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[1] U.S. Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers by End-Use Sector(Feb. 24, 2026) (https://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly/epm_table_grapher.php?t=epmt_5_06_a)

[2] New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, NJBPU Announces Conclusion of New Jersey’s Annual Electricity Supply Auction (March 18, 2026) (https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/2025/approved/20250212.html)

[3] New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, New Jersey Board of Public Utilities Certifies 2026 Electricity Auction Results (Feb. 12, 2026) (https://www.nj.gov/bpu/newsroom/2026/approved/20260212.html)

[4] David Yellen and Sagatom Saha, Policy Brief: How Tariffs are Undermining U.S. Energy and Economic Security, Clean Air Task Force (June 4, 2025) (https://www.catf.us/resource/policy-brief-how-tariffs-undermining-us-energy-economic-security/)

[5] Marina Domingues, Matthew Bernstein, and Katie Keenan, Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Transforms Supply Chains, Undercuts Renewables and Recalibrates Energy Finance, Rystad Energy (Sep. 3, 2025) (https://www.rystadenergy.com/insights/trump-s-big-beautiful-bill-transforms-supply-chains-undercuts-renewables-and-reca)

[6] Letter from Craig Glazer, Vice President–Federal Government Policy, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C. and Chenchao Lu, Associate General Counsel, PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., to Debbie-Anne A. Reese, Secretary, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (February 27, 2026).

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

Today, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries held a press conference where he highlighted how Donald Trump and Republicans continue to work against the best interests of hardworking American taxpayers, including waging an illegal war of choice in the Middle East.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Yesterday, House Democrats launched a discharge petition to force an up or down vote to make sure that we are paying TSA agents, paying the Coast Guard, supporting FEMA and supporting cybersecurity professionals who are working hard to keep us safe. There is no reason why the parts of the Department of Homeland Security that have been shut down by Republicans several weeks ago remains shuttered or that individuals like TSA agents have been forced for more than a month to work without pay.

Republicans have consistently refused, at this point in time, to enact the type of bold, meaningful, and dramatic changes to ICE that are necessary to get ICE under control. Our position remains the same. Taxpayer dollars should be used to make life more affordable for the American people in the midst of an affordability crisis where life has become more expensive for everyday Americans because of failed Republican policies. And yet Republicans have decided that they would rather spend billions of dollars to unleash masked and untrained ICE agents to brutalize American communities and violently target law-abiding immigrant families, and at the same time are now spending billions of dollars on a reckless war of choice to drop bombs in the Middle East. But these same extremists in Congress and within the administration, starting with the President, can’t find a dime to make life more affordable for the American people or to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits so that 20 million Americans of every political persuasion can afford to go see a doctor when they need one.

The priorities of the Trump administration and Republicans are all screwed up. They’re focused on unleashing ICE brutality, enacting massive tax breaks for their billionaire donors and spending billions of dollars to drop bombs in the Middle East. But they don’t give a damn about making life better for the American people. Democrats are going to continue to focus our efforts on driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system, making sure that immigration enforcement in this country is fair, just and humane and that we actually are focused on lifting up the quality of life of working class Americans, middle class Americans and everyday Americans, not the wealthy, the well off and the well-connected, which is what has been the obsession of the Republican Party.
 
Full event can be watched here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) issued the following statement regarding the multi-year investigation by The New York Times into sexual misconduct by the late César Chávez:

“I’m shocked and horrified by these revelations that César Chávez groomed and sexually abused young women and minors,” said Rep. Lofgren. “My heart breaks for the survivors who had to carry this pain for so many years, including UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, and my thoughts are with all the brave women who have shared their stories. The United Farm Workers and the movement it represents is so much bigger than one man, and we must continue confronting the injustices faced by America’s farmworkers.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18) re-introduced the Online Privacy Act, legislation that sets a national baseline for how Americans’ personal data can be collected, used, and shared.

“Privacy is a fundamental right, but for too long, Congress has failed to set clear nationwide rules to protect Americans’ personal data. The Online Privacy Act gives Americans the power to view, correct, and delete their information,” Rep. Lofgren said. “This legislation shifts power back to the people and ensures federal law finally catches up to the realities of the 21st century.”

Key provisions of the Online Privacy Act:

• Prohibits companies from using private communications like users’ emails or web traffic for ads or other invasive purposes

• Requires companies to articulate the need for and minimize the user data they collect, process, disclose, and maintain

• Criminalizes doxxing

• Ensures companies minimize employee and contractor access to user data 

• Gives users the right to access, correct, delete, and transfer data about them; choose for how long their data can be kept; and request a human review of impactful automated decisions

• Establishes a Digital Privacy Agency (DPA) to issue regulations for bill implementation and impose fines for violations

The full bill text for the 119th Congress can be read here. A one-page explainer of the bill can be found here.

The Online Privacy Act was previously introduced by Rep. Lofgren and former Rep. Anna Eshoo (CA-17) in the 116th, 117th, and 118th Congresses. This legislation has the support of organizations including Public Knowledge and Free Press Action.

“With federal privacy protections long overdue, Public Knowledge is pleased to see that Rep. Lofgren remains committed to this important work,” said Sara Collins, Director of Government Affairs at Public Knowledge. “The OPA includes strong data minimization standards, prohibitions against discrimination, and a critical private right of action to ensure the law is enforced. We hope the Commerce Committee takes this bill seriously and returns to the vital work of protecting Americans’ privacy.”

“It’s unbelievable that in 2026, after years of understanding the harms that come from rampant data collection, we still don’t have a comprehensive federal data privacy standard,” said Amanda Beckham, Government Relations Director at Free Press Action. “Private companies collect an enormous amount of our personal data. Websites, apps, and devices we wear or carry collect information about where we work, the places we visit, our browsing history, political opinions, medical and biometric data, and more. When aggregated, all of this data represents the power to influence, manipulate, and discriminate. Especially now, when AI tools are being deployed by private industry and government to ingest and analyze massive amounts of data to make predictions about us, data privacy legislation with robust civil rights and anti-discrimination principles is critical. The Online Privacy Act would be an important step in that direction.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ken Calvert (CA-42)

Today, the House of Representatives passed (228 to 190) H.R. 4638, the Federal Working Animal Protection Act. Congressman Ken Calvert introduced the bill to protect animals used by federal law enforcement agencies. The bill was introduced after Freddie, a Customs and Border Patrol agriculture detector dog, was assaulted last June by a non-citizen from Egypt. The Federal Working Animal Protection Act would make the assault of an animal used by federal law enforcement a deportable offense under Section 237(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. It would also make applicants with such offenses on their record inadmissible to the U.S. under Section 212(a)(2) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“I appreciate my House colleagues passing the Federal Working Animal Protection Act and joining me in standing up for our law enforcement animals who help keep Americans safe,” said Rep. Calvert. “Coming to America is a privilege, not a right. Anyone who assaults a law enforcement animal, like Freddie, simply has no place in our country. Animals like Freddie work to keep us safe, so it’s only right for us to take steps to protect them.”

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Haley Stevens (MI-11)

Washington, D.C. — Today, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens along with Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act, legislation to help communities upgrade wastewater systems, address emerging contaminants like PFAS, and keep water bills affordable.

“Clean water is essential for our health, our economy, and the future of the Great Lakes,” said Rep. Stevens. “Michigan knows all too well the impact of contaminants like PFAS on our communities. This legislation will help utilities deploy next-generation wastewater treatment technologies, modernize infrastructure, and keep water safe and affordable.”

“Across the country, communities are facing a growing challenge: confronting contaminants like PFAS, modernizing aging wastewater infrastructure, and doing so without imposing unsustainable costs on families and ratepayers. This bipartisan legislation delivers the kind of smart, targeted federal partnership needed to help utilities deploy proven treatment technologies, strengthen public health protections, and keep water affordable. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force, I have worked to keep these issues at the forefront, and this bill is an important step toward giving communities the tools they need to meet today’s challenges and build long-term water resilience,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick.

Each day, wastewater treatment plants process tens of billions of gallons of wastewater nationwide. But as new contaminants emerge, many communities face steep costs to install the advanced technologies needed to keep water safe. According to an EPA study, estimated costs for needed improvements in Michigan ballooned to $181 million in 2022—the most recent year we have accurate data for.

The Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act would create a five-year federal grant program to help water utilities deploy advanced treatment technologies—such as granular activated carbon and reverse osmosis—that remove difficult pollutants, like PFAS. These treatment technologies also help prevent harmful algal blooms that threaten the Great Lakes.

Specifically, the bill would:

• Authorize $1 billion over five years for advanced wastewater treatment projects across the country, covering up to 50% of project costs.

• Direct at least 49% of funding to communities that do not have the financial resources to replace infrastructure on their own and waive cost-share requirements for those recipients.

• Cap administrative costs at 1% for the EPA and participating states.

• Launch a national study evaluating how effectively advanced treatment technologies remove contaminants such as PFAS.

This legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies and the Michigan Rural Water Association.

“Clean water utilities are on the front lines of protecting public health and the environment, but the rising costs of advanced wastewater treatment technologies—especially to address emerging contaminants like PFAS—are placing real strain on communities and ratepayers,” said Adam Krantz, CEO of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA). “The bipartisan Advanced Wastewater Treatment Assistance Act would provide targeted federal support to help utilities deploy proven advanced treatment solutions, prioritize disadvantaged communities, and ensure Americans continue to have access to affordable, reliable clean water.”

The bill text can be found here.

 

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