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USDA Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Foreign Farmland Ownership Reporting, Congress Debates Broader Legislation

USDA Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Foreign Farmland Ownership Reporting, Congress Debates Broader Legislation

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed significant new administrative rules to overhaul the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA), aiming to broaden reporting obligations and increase penalties for non-compliance. These proposed rules, which closed their public comment period on August 10, are projected for final action in December 2026. Concurrently, both the House and Senate have introduced their own versions of the Farm Bill, each containing distinct provisions to reform AFIDA. The House bill, H.R. 7567, seeks to integrate AFIDA reporting with national security concerns, prohibit foreign adversaries from purchasing agricultural land, and establish a new compliance office within the USDA. The Senate's version of the Farm Bill focuses on extending reporting duties to long-term leases and land converted from agricultural use, while also increasing civil penalties and mandating audits. These three efforts represent a concerted push to update AFIDA, which has seen minimal cha...

USDA Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Foreign Farmland Ownership Reporting and Penalties

USDA Proposes Sweeping Reforms to Foreign Farmland Ownership Reporting and Penalties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed new administrative rules under the Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act (AFIDA) to significantly broaden the scope of reportable interests and increase penalties for noncompliance. These proposed changes, which are expected to finalize in December 2026, aim to modernize AFIDA, which has seen little amendment since its 1978 enactment. The reforms include restructuring AFIDA's implementing regulations, expanding the definition of 'agricultural land' to include 'under cover' production, agricultural support services, research, conservation land, and even solar and wind power generation. Crucially, the proposed rule would reduce the lease exemption from 10 years to one year and eliminate it entirely for foreign adversaries. The definition of 'foreign person' would also expand, lowering the threshold for 'substantial control' of a domestic entity by foreign interests from 50% to 10% in aggregate, and removing it entirely for foreign adversaries. R...

FAA Progressing on ATC Reform but Needs Improved Schedule, GAO Report Indicates

FAA Progressing on ATC Reform but Needs Improved Schedule, GAO Report Indicates

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is making progress on air traffic control (ATC) reform, but a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report indicates that the agency needs a better schedule for implementation. The GAO report specifically criticized the FAA's execution of a new air traffic control system. While the FAA is moving forward with modernizing its ATC infrastructure and procedures, the lack of a clear and efficient timeline for these critical updates is a point of concern. This assessment suggests that while the intent and direction of the reforms are generally positive, the practical application and timely rollout of these changes are lagging, potentially impacting the efficiency and safety enhancements intended by the reforms.

US NTSB says one-third of FAA answers to safety recommendations are 'unacceptable'

US NTSB says one-third of FAA answers to safety recommendations are 'unacceptable'

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - The U.S.

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith Calls for Reinstatement of Rule on Obamacare Abortion Coverage Transparency

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith Calls for Reinstatement of Rule on Obamacare Abortion Coverage Transparency

U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, who leads the congressional Pro-Life Caucus, is urging President Trump to reissue the Exchange Program Integrity Final Rule. This call follows a report from a nonpartisan federal watchdog, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), which found that nearly a third of Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans cover abortions. Specifically, 1,719 out of 6,655 qualified health plans offered on Obamacare exchanges cover “non-excepted abortion services,” meaning elective abortions not resulting from rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life. The report indicates that approximately 4.4 million Americans are enrolled in Obamacare plans that include abortion coverage. Congressman Smith asserts that the ACA currently fails to apply the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions except in specific circumstances, thereby allowing taxpayer dollars to subsidize these services. He also highlighted that some insurance issuers did not comply with the ACA’s consumer transp...

Senators Kaine and Warner Introduce Bill to Curb Overcrowding at Reagan National Airport Following Deadly Crash

Senators Kaine and Warner Introduce Bill to Curb Overcrowding at Reagan National Airport Following Deadly Crash

Virginia's U.S. Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner, both Democrats, have introduced the DCA Air Safety Act in response to a deadly 2025 crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and ongoing concerns about overcrowding. The crash, which involved an American Airlines Bombardier jet and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River, killed 67 people. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation revealed that one air traffic controller was managing 29 aircraft within an 18-minute period on the night of the collision. The proposed legislation aims to enhance safety by capping hourly arrivals at no more than 28 aircraft per 60-minute period, down from the current rate of 30 (which was 32 at the time of the crash). It also seeks to reduce flight clustering by requiring airports to set limits for each 30-minute period to spread out flights more evenly. Additionally, the bill proposes removing 30 flight slots over five years, starting in 2028, including at least 26 flights t...

Senator Rick Scott Urges Congress to Pass SAFE KIDS Act to Combat Birth Tourism

Senator Rick Scott Urges Congress to Pass SAFE KIDS Act to Combat Birth Tourism

U.S. Senator Rick Scott is calling on Congress to pass his proposed legislation, the SAFE KIDS Act, aimed at preventing birth tourism and addressing the exploitation of America's immigration laws by foreign adversaries, including Communist China. Senator Scott highlighted the urgency of this bill by referencing a specific case in St. Augustine, Florida, where children are in legal limbo due to an uncollected surrogacy arrangement involving a Chinese national who has never entered the U.S. He also noted an upcoming hearing by the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Task Force on Defending Constitutional Rights and Exposing Institutional Abuses, which will focus on suspected birth tourism abuses in the Miami area. Scott emphasized that current businesses in Florida appear to be structured around exploiting the immigration system, underscoring the need for legislative action to protect vulnerable individuals from being trafficked and treated as commodities. He urged his Senate colleagues to p...

Representative Harriet Hageman Calls for Halting U.S. Funding to UN Agencies Led by CCP-Linked Officials

Representative Harriet Hageman Calls for Halting U.S. Funding to UN Agencies Led by CCP-Linked Officials

U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman has advocated for the U.S. government to cease funding United Nations agencies that are led by officials with ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In a recent interview with NTD, Representative Hageman asserted that the CCP has strategically placed its members in leadership positions within various UN organizations over several years. She contends that these individuals operate these agencies not for the benefit or objectives of the UN, but rather to serve the interests of the CCP. Representative Hageman is actively promoting legislative measures in the U.S. Congress to adjust funding mechanisms for UN agencies, specifically targeting those influenced by the CCP. She emphasized that no U.S. funds should be provided to UN agencies where officials with close ties to the CCP are in charge. Furthermore, she stated that leadership roles within UN agencies should be filled by individuals who align with U.S. values, such as freedom, human rights, and individual autonomy, ...

Congresswoman Houchin Introduces Bipartisan '16 Up Social Media Act' to Establish National Age Standard

Congresswoman Houchin Introduces Bipartisan '16 Up Social Media Act' to Establish National Age Standard

Congresswoman Erin Houchin (R-IN-09) and Congressman Jake Auchincloss (D-MA-04) have jointly introduced the '16 & Up Social Media Act.' This bipartisan legislation aims to set a national age standard of 16 for social media platforms, prohibiting individuals under this age from creating or maintaining accounts. The bill specifically targets platforms that utilize engagement-driven design features, such as infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, and personalized feeds, which are engineered to capture and retain user attention. According to Rep. Houchin, the legislation is a response to the addictive nature of these platforms, particularly for children, and seeks to provide a clear guideline for both platforms and parents. The act also mandates the deletion of children's data upon account termination and requires platforms to establish a five-day appeals process for account closures, focusing on design features rather than content regulation.

House Republicans Propose Overhaul of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Funding

House Republicans Propose Overhaul of Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Funding

House Financial Services Committee Republicans are advancing legislation to significantly alter the funding and governance of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The centerpiece of this effort is H.R. 10184, the Consumer Financial Protection Accountability and Reform Act of 2026, co-sponsored by nearly 30 Republicans, including Rep. French Hill (R-AR-2). This bill aims to remove the CFPB's current funding mechanism, which draws directly from the Federal Reserve, and instead subject it to the congressional appropriations process. Additionally, the proposed legislation would establish an inspector general specifically for the CFPB. This move follows a discussion draft circulated by House Republicans and a roundtable discussion on modernizing consumer financial protection, which included Rep. French Hill and former CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger, alongside industry representatives.

Congressmen Introduce Bill to Prevent Transfer of Qatari-Gifted Air Force One to President Trump's Library

Congressmen Introduce Bill to Prevent Transfer of Qatari-Gifted Air Force One to President Trump's Library

Congressman Joe Courtney (CT-02) and Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) have introduced the Safeguarding Taxpayer Investment for Executive Airlift Act. This proposed legislation aims to prohibit the use of congressionally authorized or appropriated Fiscal Year 2027 funding to transfer the Qatari-gifted Boeing 747, currently designated as the VC-25B Bridge Aircraft and used as Air Force One, out of the possession of the U.S. Air Force. The bill directly addresses public claims made by President Trump that this aircraft would be transferred to his presidential library. According to Rep. Courtney, the aircraft, which had approximately 1,000 flight hours upon transfer from Qatar and was described by President Trump as 'practically brand new,' has received substantial taxpayer investment for retrofitting. Both congressmen argue that the plane is the property of the U.S. Air Force and should not be treated as a private jet or a library trophy piece, citing concerns over the misuse of taxpayer dollars and the need fo...

Representative Shontel Brown Co-Introduces The Refresh Act to Support School Personnel Wellness Programs

Representative Shontel Brown Co-Introduces The Refresh Act to Support School Personnel Wellness Programs

Representative Shontel Brown, a Democrat representing Ohio's 11th congressional district, has co-introduced H.R.8676, known as The Refresh Act. This legislative initiative aims to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The primary goal of The Refresh Act is to establish a grant program that would provide funding to state educational agencies. These agencies would then use the grants to implement comprehensive wellness programs specifically designed for school personnel. The proposed act seeks to address the well-being of educators and other staff within the school system, recognizing the critical role they play in student success and the challenges they often face. The introduction of this bill highlights a growing focus on mental health and support systems within the educational sector.