U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) recently unveiled legislation that would expand access to credit for an estimated 45 million Americans having little to no credit history. “Too many Americans are denied the opportunity to build wealth through buying a home Read more…
A bipartisan bill sponsored on July 14 by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) would ensure that consumers have year-round access to biofuels. Sen. Fischer introduced the Consumer and Fuel Retailer Choice Act, S. 2339, with 11 original cosponsors, including U.S. Read more…
The bipartisan Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2021, recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD), would extend the single block grant program for another decade to help more Native American families find safe, affordable housing. Read more…
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and three of their colleagues last week urged President Joe Biden to uphold his campaign promises and support the biofuels industry and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). “While we Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently helped introduce the Republican-led IRS Customer Service Improvement Act to rectify how many current IRS employees are spending much of their time on the job completing tasks unrelated to their official duties, called taxpayer-funded Read more…
The U.S. Senate recently passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) that would repeal 11 discriminatory federal laws targeting Native American Indians. “We are one step closer to removing these immoral, discriminatory federal laws from our books,” Read more…
As congressional appropriators begin work on the fiscal year 2022 Defense Appropriations bill, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and a bipartisan group of lawmakers asked them to include $500 million for continued support of United States-Israel collaborative defense programs to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently led a bipartisan, bicameral contingent of lawmakers in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate the nation’s meatpacking industry for antitrust violations. “The Justice Department needs to take a serious look Read more…
U.S. Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) on May 28 joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers to introduce a bill that would authorize a federal grant program to provide behavioral health crisis response training for law enforcement officers and corrections officers. “Having Read more…
United States military veterans who receive emergency care outside the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) would not be held liable for out-of-pocket healthcare costs under legislation introduced last week by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). The Veterans’ Emergency Care Read more…
Bipartisan legislation introduced earlier this month by U.S. Reps. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) and Tom Cole (R-OK) would repeal outdated and discriminatory laws against Native Americans. “It’s no secret, America’s past is flawed,” Rep. Johnson said. “We have come a long Read more…
U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) on May 19 signed on as an original cosponsor of a comprehensive bipartisan reform bill to prop up and improve the finances of the United States Postal Service (USPS). “Americans rely on the U.S. Postal Read more…
The U.S. Treasury Department would be authorized to mint coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., under a bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). “We must make sure this memorial is Read more…
U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) recently sponsored bipartisan legislation to counter efforts by foreign governments to pursue, harass, or otherwise persecute individuals for political and other unlawful motives overseas. “Autocratic states like Russia and China for years have abused Red Read more…
A national database for United States military service members and veterans experiencing health problems possibly due to contamination from toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) would be established under legislation introduced on April 14 by U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD). Read more…
Some of the nation’s most important federal programs are financed through dedicated revenue sources and managed through trust funds, several of which the Congressional Budget Office says are headed toward insolvency that’s been made worse by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Read more…
Bipartisan legislation introduced on March 25 by U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) would establish a working group at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to examine specific regulations for long-haul agricultural truckers. The Modernizing Agricultural Transportation Act, S. 1053, which Read more…
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) last week urged floor action in the U.S. Senate on her End Child Trafficking Now Act, which would require a DNA test to determine the familial relationship between an alien and an accompanying minor trying Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) joined a bipartisan contingent of his Senate colleagues in providing President Joe Biden with a bipartisan, comprehensive diplomatic strategy on Iran that would garner overwhelming support in Congress. “Democrats and Republicans may have tactical differences,” Read more…
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and several colleagues urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to provide an updated, federally supported lifecycle assessment of soybean oil-based biodiesel that would help ensure the product is given accurate credit when Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on March 17 unveiled a bipartisan bill that would repeal several outdated federal laws that are discriminatory against Native Americans, such as those allowing for the forced removal of Native American children from their homes Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and seven of his Republican colleagues earlier this month requested that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) final rule on the importation of sheep, goats, and certain other ruminants be withdrawn until its impact on Read more…
Because COVID-19 continues to be a threat to public health, U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently introduced a bipartisan bill that would require the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to prioritize contracts necessary to promote pandemic preparedness Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently reintroduced a bipartisan bill to allow the interstate sale of state-inspected meats and poultry. “Our bill would allow these high-quality products that pass state inspection standards to be sold across state lines,” Sen. Rounds Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) recently helped lead a Republican contingent in seeking increased accountability and transparency in the federal regulatory process. “Congress must play a role in approving major federal rules and regulations to ensure Americans’ best interests are Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined a bipartisan contingent of colleagues in requesting that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) strengthen the COVID-19 Telehealth Program and ensure that funds from the next federal pandemic stimulus package go to small rural healthcare Read more…
U.S. Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) on Jan. 6 joined more than a dozen of his Republican colleagues in introducing legislation that would establish a committee to examine the 2020 presidential elections. “After the 2020 election, too many North Dakotans and Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) applauded recent action by the U.S. House of Representatives to approve his bipartisan bill to help end veterans’ homelessness as part of a larger veteran benefits improvements package that is heading to the president’s desk Read more…
Versions of the Veterans Benefits Fairness and Transparency Act of 2020 (VBFTA) and the Veteran STEM Scholarship Enhancement Act, both sponsored by U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY), received approval from the U.S. House of Representatives as part of a larger Read more…
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) joined a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers in calling on congressional leaders to make permanent expanded coverage of Medicare telehealth services. “Specifically, immediate action to permanently waive geographic restrictions for originating sites, authorize health Read more…
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) recently unveiled legislation to prevent and decrease homelessness among the nation’s military veterans. “These are men and women who’ve served and sacrificed for us — they deserve every benefit they’ve earned,” Read more…
U.S. Sens. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE) and several other Republicans called on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update its biogenic carbon emissions rulemaking and provide regulatory clarity to the nation’s farmers, businesses and entrepreneurs who want to Read more…
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a bipartisan group of colleagues to request changes to certain hospital reporting requirements published last month by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Specifically, the lawmakers said that they “grave concerns” Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) seeks to establish the first congressional charter for a Native American military veterans’ organization. Sen. Rounds on Sept. 24 sponsored S. 4715 to grant the National American Indian Veterans Inc. (NAIV) a congressional charter, which Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on Oct. 1 introduced bipartisan legislation that would make $200 million in emergency supplemental appropriations available for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program. “Our legislation would allow for an existing FCC program to Read more…
The U.S. House of Representatives on Sept. 22 passed a bipartisan bill led by U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) that would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish on its website a certain disability benefit form for Read more…
U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) last week joined several of his U.S. Senate colleagues in expressing concerns about recent actions by pharmaceutical manufacturers that they say threaten to undermine the role of contract pharmacies in the 340B Drug Pricing Program Read more…
U.S. Sens. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) applauded action on Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency to reject 54 “gap” small refinery exemption requests from oil refineries seeking economic hardship exceptions from ethanol blending requirements under the Renewable Read more…
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) recently joined more than 30 of her colleagues in urging leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass bipartisan legislation that would improve mental health care for America’s military veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) joined several of his Republican colleagues in requesting that Attorney General William Barr provide details about the violence against America’s law enforcement officers. “We know that you and the Justice Department are doing everything you Read more…
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) joined a bipartisan group of two dozen lawmakers in calling on the Trump administration to ensure America’s trading partners abide by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Specifically, Sen. Ernst and her colleagues asked U.S. Department Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) recently unveiled a bipartisan bill that would bolster the federal government’s funding contribution to improve public transportation in America’s rural communities. Sen. Rounds on Aug. 6 cosponsored the Investments in Rural Transit Act of 2020, Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on Aug. 5 introduced the Missouri River Basin Drought and Snowpack Monitoring Act to help improve flood monitoring in the Missouri River Basin area. Sen. Rounds is the lead original cosponsor of S. 4444 with Read more…
U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) on July 27 introduced the bipartisan Time to Rescue United States’ Trusts (TRUST) Act of 2020 to rein in the national debt, which as of today totaled nearly $26.6 trillion. “By including the TRUST Act Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on July 23 introduced a bipartisan bill that would establish a grant program for providing training to physicians on the health effects of exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a class of man-made chemicals Read more…
America’s military veterans face a health crisis due to exposure to toxic burn pits overseas, said U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) last week during a roundtable discussion. “Veterans exposed to toxins is a very personal issue for me since my Read more…
U.S. Sens. Cory Gardner (R-CO), Mike Rounds (R-SD), and Roger Wicker (R-MS) joined a bipartisan group of 27 of their colleagues in seeking expanded and permanent Medicare coverage of telehealth services. “Americans have benefited significantly from this expansion of telehealth Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) led a bipartisan contingent of more than 40 lawmakers in seeking a streamlined Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application for small businesses. “As small businesses begin to reopen their doors, the last thing they Read more…
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-SD) on June 9 led a bipartisan contingent of lawmakers in unveiling legislation to expand telemental health services in America’s rural areas via a newly established federal demonstration program. “Those living in rural areas may live Read more…
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) on June 4 introduced a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Defense Secretary to carry out a grant program to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Read more…