MIL USHOR-2b Engine

Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

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

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, along with U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-Va.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, led Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Representatives Danny Davis (D-Ill.), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.), Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), and Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) in questioning Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy Kenneth Kies on how Treasury will respond to lobbyists’ push to create a loophole in the corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT) for billionaire corporations taking massive retroactive research and experimentation (R&E) tax deductions.

“Corporate lobbyists are shamelessly trying to create yet another loophole and undermine this law so that profitable billionaire corporations pay little to no taxes,” wrote the lawmakers.

This lobbying push follows a series of regulatory changes and industry-friendly loopholes the Trump administration has implemented to chip away at CAMT, which sets a minimum 15 percent tax rate on the book income of billionaire corporations. These changes, combined with other recent policy changes at Treasury that favor the ultra-wealthy, are set to result in hundreds of billions of dollars in lost tax revenue, according to independent estimates. 

Corporations are demanding this additional loophole because of how CAMT interacts with the retroactive R&E expensing tax break in Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill. Retroactive R&E expensing allows corporations to immediately deduct the full costs of R&E expenses they incurred years ago — because it is retroactive, it cannot incentivize any economic activity. This tax break is estimated to hand corporations $67 billion in 2026 and would be an even larger windfall in the absence of CAMT.

If billionaire corporations could subtract these accelerated deductions from CAMT’s measure of income, their tax liability could fall far below 15% — and, in some cases, to zero. Even the conservative American Enterprise Institute opposes the creation of such a loophole, stating that “it would be contrary to Congressional intent and would have no economic benefit” and that it would “not encourage additional investment in R&D [research & development].”

“This policy would clearly undermine the purpose of CAMT: to ensure that no billionaire corporation pays a lower tax rate than 15% on the income it reports to shareholders, known as book income,” the lawmakers concluded. “We urge Treasury not to further rig the tax code in favor of billionaire corporations by creating a CAMT carveout for retroactive R&E expensing.”

The lawmakers requested answers on the Treasury’s response to corporate demands for a carveout in CAMT for retroactive R&E expensing by December 17, 2025.

Text of Letter (PDF)

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-HI-01) today joined 34 House colleagues led by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) in the release of their Commonground 2025: A Bipartisan Health Care Framework to address the impending expiration of critical premium tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace enrollees.

“Millions of Americans are facing a crippling increase in their healthcare costs because of Congress’s inability to extend these often literally lifesaving ACA provisions,” said Case during a news conference today at the U.S. Capitol with his colleagues. 

Their Bipartisan Health Care Framework would prevent impending drastic increases in premiums in 2026 for the more than 24 million Americans who get their health insurance through the ACA marketplaces including nearly 25,000 Hawai‘i residents. In most cases, the ACA is the only health insurance option available to participants, so the practical effect of its expiration would be not only dramatic premium increases but millions without health insurance.

“The expiration of these credits at year-end would represent an utter failure of a divided Congress to deliver solutions on the real issues facing Americans,” said Case. “Our plan calls for a two-year extension of expiring health insurance premium savings for American families, including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits, with targeted modifications.”

Since the passage of the enhanced premium tax credits, enrollment in ACA plans has increased from 11 million to more than 24 million people. If these enhanced premium tax credits are not extended by December 31, 2025, enrollees could see their premiums jump more than double on average, with some individuals seeing even greater increases.

To address the looming crisis, Case and his bipartisan group have worked behind-the-scenes over the last several months, including throughout the government shutdown which resulted in large part from the failure to address this central issue, to develop a solution they could all support and which would actually be able to pass Congress and be signed into law.

Case continued: “Our bipartisan plan offers a practical, common sense, mainstream solution, and many of its elements enjoy strong bipartisan support. As our plan lays out a two-year process, it also gives Congress the time to develop and legislate the deeper reforms necessary to improve a health care system which is simply too unavailable and unaffordable for too many Americans.”

The current premium tax credit provisions of the ACA expire on December 31^st of this year. Congress must pass either a straight extension, or an extension with modifications as the group has proposed, or some other solution, by then, or the large premium increases if not loss of insurance altogether will hit many if not most ACA participants in 2026.

Attachments

·        The proposal and the letter to House and Senate leadership explaining it is available here.

·        A video of Case’s remarks on the framework is available here.

·        Pictures of Case at today’s news conference are also attached.

The group’s common news release is here:

RELEASE: Bipartisan Group of 35 House Members Announce New Health Care Framework “CommonGround 2025”  

Addressing Skyrocketing Health Insurance Premiums for American Families

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, December 4, 2025, a bipartisan group of 35 total House Members, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), announced a new health care framework, CommonGround 2025. The bipartisan framework includes a two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families, including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

The Members backing the framework have also co-signed a letter urging House and Senate leadership to meet with them to discuss the framework and a constructive pathway forward in both chambers.

The framework and letter, co-led by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Jen Kiggans (VA-2), are also co-signed by Reps. Adam Gray (CA-13), Juan Ciscomani (AZ-6), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-34), Maria Salazar (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-9), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Jim Costa (CA-21), Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-2), Josh Riley (NY-19), Tom Kean (NJ-7), Susie Lee (NV-3), Jeff Hurd (CO-3), Jared Golden (ME-2), David Valadao (CA-22), Chris Pappas (NH-1), Ryan MacKenzie (PA-7), Ed Case (HI-1), Carlos Gimenez (FL-28), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), Monica De La Cruz (TX-15), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Robert Bresnahan (PA-8), Greg Landsman (OH-1), Don Bacon (NE-2), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Kevin Kiley (CA-3), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Nick LaLota (NY-1), Don Davis (NC-1), Scott Peters (CA-50), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-3), Hillary Scholten (MI-3), and Tom Suozzi (NY-3).

Find the CommonGround 2025 framework here and below. Find the letter to House and Senate leadership here.

Top-line Summary.

Two-year extension of health insurance premium savings for American families — including a year of the enhanced Premium Tax Credits (ePTCs), with targeted modifications, to be voted on by December 18, 2025, in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Year One: An extension of the ePTCs, with targeted modifications.

·                     Extension of the ePTCs for enrollees earning less than 600% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and a phase out of the ePTCs for enrollees earning between 600% FPL and 1000% FPL.

·                     New guardrails to prevent “ghost beneficiaries” and crack down on fraud, including:

o        Implementing the Insurance Fraud Accountability Act to crack down on civil & criminal penalties for fraudulent agents / brokers;

·                     Extension of open enrollment until March 19, 2026, and requiring HHS to notify qualified individuals of the extension of open enrollment.

·                     PBM reform (provisions included in the bipartisan Continuing Resolution from December 2024 and featured in the PBM Reform Act and Bipartisan Health Care Act) which:

o        Bans “spread pricing” in Medicaid.

• Reforms Medicare Part D by delinking PBM compensation from the cost of medications.
• Promotes transparency for both employers and patients in their prescription drug plans.

Year Two: Continued health insurance premium savings, including more significant reforms, agreed upon and voted on in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by July 1, 2026. 

Reforms for consideration: 

• Option for consideration: Medicare physician fee schedule (from December 2024 CR).
• Boosts the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
• Option for consideration: Hospital billing transparency.
• Requires hospitals to disclose prices, including negotiated rates and cash prices.
• Option for consideration: Give Kids A Chance Act (from December 2024 CR).
• Accelerates pediatric cancer treatments and expands access to life-saving therapies for children battling rare diseases.
• Option for consideration: Elimination of zero-dollar premiums with minimum monthly payments, but with need-based hardship support for those who cannot afford this payment.
• Option for consideration: HSA Accounts (Sen. Cassidy proposal).
• Shifts funding that would have paid for the ePTCs to HSA accounts.

Potential Pay-fors.

• Anti-Fraud provisions of IFAA, HOPE Act: not yet scored, but substantial.
• PBM reforms: as delineated in the December 2024 CR.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jim Costa Representing 16th District of California

REEDLEY, Calif. –  U.S. Representatives Jim Costa (CA-21), David Valadao (CA-22), and Kevin Kiley (CA-03), have reintroduced the Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation that strengthens oversight of highly pathogenic agents and high-containment laboratories to protect Americans from public health and national security threats.  This legislation will address gaps in the regulation of labs revealed in the investigative report by Costa and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).  “Since we first uncovered the illegal lab in Reedley, I’ve continued working with local, state, and federal leaders to push for stronger safeguards at the federal level to ensure public safety. That’s why I first introduced this bill last year, and why I’m reintroducing it today with bipartisan support — to close gaps in the regulation of labs and prevent bad actors from exploiting our public health system. The legislation strengthens tracking, improves oversight of anyone working with infectious diseases, and ensures deeper cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies,” said Congressman Jim Costa.  “The Reedley Lab incident was a dangerous national security failure, and it’s critical we put safeguards in place to ensure it never happens again,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bipartisan bill closes the federal loopholes that allowed a facility like Reedley to operate under the radar and strengthens oversight so bad actors can’t exploit gaps in the future. I’m proud to partner with Congressman Costa to reintroduce this commonsense legislation and improve coordination at the local, state, and federal levels.”   “The situation in Reedley made clear that the federal government must do more to prevent illegal labs from operating in our neighborhoods. This legislation creates the accountability and oversight needed to close dangerous gaps and protect the public. I’m grateful for the partnership on this issue and committed to ensuring our communities never face a threat like this again,” said Congressman Kiley.  “The Reedley incident highlighted a gap in the nation’s bio security. Any city around this country could have dozens of deadly pathogens stored next to sensitive locations and be completely unaware of it. Congressman Costa took this issue seriously from the very beginning and understood the national implications. His proposed legislation puts us on a path to closing that critical gap that will help keep every American safe from the hazards like those like those discovered in the Reedley lab,” said Nicole Zieba, City Manager of Reedley.  “The County of Fresno appreciates Congressman Costa for taking proactive steps by introducing legislation that will address issues experienced during the response to the unlicensed laboratory in Reedley. The proposed legislation will fill gaps in our national biosecurity surveillance while establishing a standardized framework for tracking the movement of highly infectious materials. These measures will enable authorities to identify and mitigate potential risks more effectively,” said Joe Prado, Director of Public Health for Fresno County.  
The Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025 would address the gaps in federal law outlined in the congressional report by Costa and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The legislation would: 

Require distributors of highly pathogenic agents to maintain federally reviewable logbooks of all transfers, including purchaser identity and intended use, for at least three years.
Strengthen oversight by mandating federal review of the number, location, and risks of high-containment labs, with updated national standards for design, construction, and operation.
Protect against foreign threats by ensuring adversaries cannot exploit weak U.S. oversight to establish secret labs.
Create a Public Health Biosafety & Biosecurity Team as a single point of contact for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments when suspicious labs are identified.
Require a feasibility study on creating a centralized national database of high-containment labs, accessible to state and local officials for biosecurity purposes. 

 BACKGROUND In 2023, local code enforcement discovered an unlicensed laboratory operating in Reedley, California, that contained hazardous pathogens, including samples of COVID-19, and unsafe storage of infectious materials. Investigations revealed the operation had ties to Chinese ownership and funding, raising alarms about foreign adversaries exploiting weaknesses in U.S. biosafety oversight.  Current federal law regulates only a limited list of “select agents,” leaving many dangerous pathogens outside of federal tracking requirements. The Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act closes these gaps by requiring distributors to maintain federally reviewable records of all transfers, creating a federal framework to evaluate high-containment labs nationwide, and strengthening coordination between federal, state, and local governments to protect public health and national security.  The text of the bill is available HERE. 

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07)

A Champion of Baby Bonds, Pressley Has Urged Trump Admin. to Ensure New Child Savings Accounts Don’t Worsen Inequality

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, issued a statement renewing her calls for the Trump Administration to ensure that Trump Accounts, the newly created child savings accounts, do not widen the wealth gap and worsen economic inequality. The Congresswoman’s statement comes after the Dell family committed $6.5 billion to help fund accounts for 25 million children across America.

Last week, Congresswoman Pressley, who has long championed Baby Bonds as a tool for closing the wealth gap, urged the IRS to develop regulations to alleviate the harm Trump Accounts would cause by expanding wealth inequality, ignoring poor and low-income families in urban and rural communities, and causing children born into rich families to disproportionately benefit while others continue to struggle.

“The Dell family’s investment in these new child savings accounts is meaningful—but economic justice cannot and must not depend on the benevolence of billionaires,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement today. “That’s why I continue to call on Secretary Bessent to issue equitable guidance to ensure Trump Accounts uplift our most vulnerable families and not leave these children behind. Every child deserves a chance to build wealth and opportunity—not just the wealthy few.”

A copy of the Congresswoman’s letter to Secretary Bessent is available here.

In a Washington Post op-ed published in June, Congresswoman Pressley and economist Darrick Hamilton urged Congress to reject Trump Accounts and instead embrace Baby Bonds to close the wealth gap and advance economic justice. In March 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Booker urged the Treasury Department’s advisory committee to study the merits of Baby Bonds and embrace them in its upcoming reports to the Treasury Department about ideas that could advance greater equity in the economy.

Rep. Pressley has consistently advocated for race-conscious policies to help close the racial wealth gap in America, uplift Black, brown, and other marginalized communities.

• Building on the legacy of Black women in the civil rights movement, Rep. Pressley led a historic resolution calling for a federal job guarantee.  
• In a House Financial Services Committee hearing, Congresswoman Pressley questioned Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on the issue of full employment and the Civil Rights history of the Federal Reserve’s dual mandate. Powell conceded, for the first time in Federal Reserve history and on the Congressional record, that the Fed alone cannot get the United States to full employment.
• Congresswoman Pressley, along with Senator Cory Booker, is the lead co-sponsor of the American Opportunity Accounts Act—also known as Baby Bonds—legislation that would create a federally-funded savings account for every American child in order to make economic opportunity a birthright for every child and help close the racial wealth gap.
• Rep. Pressley introduced the Equity in Government Act to codify racial equity across federal agencies and improve government services for underserved communities.
• Rep. Pressley has also called on the five largest banks in America to provide a detailed update on the racial equity commitments the institutions made following the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
• Rep. Pressley was also a leading voice in Congress urging President Biden to cancel student debt. Following years of advocacy by Rep. Pressley—in partnership with colleagues, borrowers, and advocates like the NAACP—the Biden-Harris Administration announced a historic plan to cancel student debt that stands to benefit over 40 million people.
• Congresswoman Pressley has also consistently sounded the alarm on the crisis of unemployment among Black women in America, and demanded the Federal Reserve take action.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (1st District of Washington)

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) announced AnemoDx, coded by Isabella Li, Hiya Pandey, and Anya Mehta from Redmond High School, as the winner of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge from Washington’s 1^st Congressional District.

AnemoDx is an app that serves as a non-invasive, early warning system for people with anemia by helping users estimate their hemoglobin levels and alert them if they are too high or too low. It encourages users to seek out medical attention when necessary, making it especially useful to those who are prone to anemia and people in underprivileged or rural areas who may have limited access to regular blood tests or healthcare facilities. A demo of AnemoDx can be found here.

The winning app was selected by a panel of impartial judges from our local technology community.

The panel also awarded second place to BillBrain, created by Abhinav Bandaru, Vishvath Vinesh, Lohith Thimmichetty, and Ghirish Senthil Kumar from Lake Stevens High School, and third place to SwiftPermit, created by Arron Randhawa, Rohan Chilikuri, and Ishwin Baweja from Lake Washington High School.

AnemoDx will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for the next year, along with winning apps from other congressional districts.

More about the Congressional App Challenge can be found here.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Congressmen Jim Costa (CA-21) and Kevin Kiley (CA-03) to reintroduce the Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act of 2025. This bipartisan bill would help address gaps in federal law that regulate highly infectious agents and high-containment biomedical laboratories to protect Americans from public health and national security threats.

Earlier this year, Congressmen Valadao and Costa also reintroduced the Safety Training for Officers on Public (STOP) Health Threats Act—another bipartisan effort that takes critical steps to help prevent public health threats like the Reedley Lab incident.

“The Reedley Lab incident was a dangerous national security failure, and it’s critical we put safeguards in place to ensure it never happens again,” said Congressman Valadao. “This bipartisan bill closes the federal loopholes that allowed a facility like Reedley to operate under the radar and strengthens oversight so bad actors can’t exploit gaps in the future. I’m proud to partner with Congressman Costa to reintroduce this commonsense legislation and improve coordination at the local, state, and federal levels.”

 “Since we first uncovered the illegal lab in Reedley, I’ve continued working with local, state, and federal leaders to push for stronger safeguards at the federal level to ensure public safety,” said Congressman Costa. “That’s why I first introduced this bill last year, and why I’m reintroducing it today with bipartisan support — to close gaps in the regulation of labs and prevent bad actors from exploiting our public health system. The legislation strengthens tracking, improves oversight of anyone working with infectious diseases, and ensures deeper cooperation between local, state, and federal agencies.” 

“The situation in Reedley made clear that the federal government must do more to prevent illegal labs from operating in our neighborhoods,” said Congressman Kiley. “This legislation creates the accountability and oversight needed to close dangerous gaps and protect the public. I’m grateful for the partnership on this issue and committed to ensuring our communities never face a threat like this again.”

“The Reedley incident highlighted a gap in the nation’s bio security. Any city around this country could have dozens of deadly pathogens stored next to sensitive locations and be completely unaware of it. Congressman Costa took this issue seriously from the very beginning and understood the national implications. His proposed legislation puts us on a path to closing that critical gap that will help keep every American safe from the hazards like those like those discovered in the Reedley lab,” said Nicole Zieba, City Manager of Reedley.

“The County of Fresno appreciates Congressman Costa for taking proactive steps by introducing legislation that will address issues experienced during the response to the unlicensed laboratory in Reedley. The proposed legislation will fill gaps in our national biosecurity surveillance while establishing a standardized framework for tracking the movement of highly infectious materials. These measures will enable authorities to identify and mitigate potential risks more effectively,” said Joe Prado, Director of Public Health, Fresno County Department of Public Health.

The Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act would:

• Require distributors of highly pathogenic agents to maintain federally reviewable logbooks of all transfers, including purchaser identity and intended use, for at least three years.

• Strengthen oversight by mandating federal review of the number, location, and risks of high-containment labs, with updated national standards for design, construction, and operation.

• Protect against foreign threats by ensuring adversaries cannot exploit weak U.S. oversight to establish secret labs. 

• Create a Public Health Biosafety and Biosecurity Team as a single point of contact for state, local, Tribal, and territorial governments when suspicious labs are identified.

• Require a feasibility study on creating a centralized national database of high-containment labs, accessible to state and local officials for biosecurity purposes.

Background:

In 2023, local code enforcement discovered an unlicensed laboratory operating in Reedley, California. This lab contained hazardous pathogens, including samples of COVID-19, and unsafe storage of infectious materials. Investigations revealed the operation had ties to Chinese ownership and funding, raising alarms about foreign adversaries exploiting weaknesses in U.S. biosafety oversight.

Current federal law regulates only a limited list of “select agents” which leaves many dangerous pathogens outside of federal tracking requirements. The Preventing Illegal Laboratories and Protecting Public Health Act closes these gaps by requiring distributors to maintain federally reviewable records of all transfers, creating a federal framework to evaluate high-containment labs nationwide, and strengthening coordination between federal, state, and local governments to protect public health and national security.

Read the full bill here.

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Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Pete Aguilar (31 CD Ca)

The U.S. National Science Foundation grants will provide $600,000 for California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) and $400,000 for the University of California, Riverside (UCR)
Today, Rep. Pete Aguilar (CA-33) announced $1 million in federal grant funding for California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), in collaboration with the University of California, Riverside (UCR), to expand and enhance artificial intelligence (AI) education and workforce development in the Inland Empire. The U.S. National Science Foundation’s Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) Program will provide a $600,000 grant to CSUSB and a $400,000 grant to UCR.
“As the artificial intelligence workforce rapidly expands and evolves, it is essential that students in the Inland Empire have the skills and knowledge they need to have successful careers in this growing field,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar. “This grant funding for CSUSB and UCR is an important investment in our students’ futures, our region’s workforce and our community’s economic development.”
“With this NSF grant, we will launch new academic programs in AI, establish a community-focused AI Help Desk, and expand research opportunities for all students in the Inland Empire,” said Dr. Yunfei Hou, Executive Director of the Leonard Transportation Center and Professor of Computer Science and Engineering at CSUSB. “These efforts will provide students with hands-on experience solving real-world challenges, strengthen the region’s workforce, and create flexible pathways into AI careers.” 
“We at UCR are delighted to partner with CSUSB on this grant and provide students in the Inland Empire with a world-class education in AI,” said Dr. Evangelos Papalexakis, Professor and Ross Family Chair in Computer Science at the Computer Science and Engineering Department at UCR. “This grant aligns with our ongoing efforts on interdisciplinary AI education and research and the campus-wide RAISE@UCR AI institute, which encompasses around 100 faculty from different departments and colleges and where AI serves as the connective tissue across disciplines.”
The funding comes as part of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Hispanic-Serving Institutions: Enriching Learning, Programs, and Student Experiences (HSI:ELPSE) grant program. The project, Promoting Regional Opportunities for Practical and Engaged Learning in AI (PROPEL AI), will allow CSUSB to develop new AI-focused academic programs, create an AI Help Desk that supports local businesses and organizations and build inclusive pathways into AI careers for first-generation and underrepresented students. Additionally, the grant funding will allow UCR graduate students to mentor CSUSB undergraduate students on innovative AI research and joint research projects.

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (1st District of Maine)

In a bipartisan, bicameral effort to provide vital assistance to farmers affected by toxic “forever chemicals,” also known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) reintroduced the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act. The legislation would authorize grants for states to provide financial assistance to affected farmers, expand monitoring and testing, remediate PFAS, or even help farmers relocate.

“USDA must provide support to our nation’s farmers, who through no fault of their own are at risk of losing their livelihoods,” said Senator Collins. “In the past, the federal government’s response has failed to keep pace with this growing problem. Our bipartisan legislation would direct USDA to help by providing financial assistance and expanding PFAS monitoring and testing where it is needed most.”

“The PFAS crisis isn’t some theoretical or distant problem. It’s here, it’s growing, and it’s putting real pressure on farmers in Maine and across the country,” said Pingree, a longtime farmer and senior member of the House Agriculture Committee. “For farmers already navigating thin margins, discovering ‘forever chemicals’ on their land can mean lost income, unusable land, and questions about the safety of their crops and livestock. They deserve federal support that matches the scale of the crisis. Our Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act creates a dedicated USDA program to test for contamination, compensate affected farmers, and advance the research and remediation strategies we need to protect our food supply and rural economies. This bill is a critical step in giving farmers the tools to safeguard their operations while federal and state agencies work to fully confront PFAS.”

Specifically, the funds authorized by the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act could be used for a variety of purposes at the state level, including:

• Providing financial assistance to affected farmers;

• Building capacity for PFAS testing for soil or water sources;

• Monitoring blood for individuals to make informed decisions about their health;

• Upgrading or purchasing equipment to ensure a farm remains profitable during or after known PFAS contamination;

• Developing alternative production systems or remediation strategies;

• Developing educational programs for farmers experiencing PFAS contamination; and

• Researching soil and water remediation systems, and the viability of those systems for farms

The bill would also create a task force at USDA charged with identifying other USDA programs to which PFAS contamination should be added as an eligible activity.  This would help bring even more resources to farmers through existing programs.  Additionally, the task force would provide technical assistance to states to help them coordinate their responses effectively.

“Maine farmers, residents and policymakers are leading the country on tackling PFAS contamination in our food and water,” said Sarah Alexander, executive director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA). “Maine has created essential policies to help farmers who have suffered consequences of forever chemicals through no fault of their own. Senator Collins’ and Congresswoman Pingree’s bill signals a critical opportunity for the federal government to coordinate a response so that farmers across the country will have the support they need to address PFAS contamination.”

 “PFAS contamination of agricultural land is a nationwide challenge that has been met with an inconsistent patchwork of policy and program responses to date. What is needed in response to the challenge of PFAS contamination of agricultural land is dependable and comprehensive support so that farm families, the agricultural sector, and our food system are not in jeopardy. This bill seeks to do just that. Maine Farmland Trust is grateful for the introduction of the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act and the strong federal safety net of support that it would provide.  Maine farmers stand with farmers nationwide who deserve comprehensive support and solutions,” said Shelley Megquier, Policy and Research Director of Maine Farmland Trust.

“American Farmland Trust (AFT) applauds the reintroduction of the bipartisan Farmers Hit with PFAS Act,” said Tim Fink, Vice President of Policy for AFT. “The discovery of PFAS contamination can be devastating for farms, farmers, and their families – all through no fault of their own. However, the experience of the Maine relief program has shown that with the right financial and technical support, most farms can return safely to operation. It’s time that this essential financial, technical, healthcare, and research support be available to impacted farmers across the nation.”

“PFAS contamination poses a significant threat to our farms, wildlife, and food,” said Rebecca Meuninck, Ph.D., Great Lakes regional executive director for the National Wildlife Federation. “Farmers are being put out of business because they unknowingly spread biosolids containing PFAS on their land or had their water contaminated from neighboring military or industrial sites. The reintroduction of this legislation is a big step forward in supporting farmers and ensuring their resilience against the impacts of PFAS.”

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