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Reps. Westerman and Gluesenkamp Perez Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand VA Home Loans for Rural Veterans

Reps. Westerman and Gluesenkamp Perez Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand VA Home Loans for Rural Veterans

Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA) have introduced the Veterans Owner-Builders’ Rights Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at expanding VA home loan access for rural veterans. The proposed legislation seeks to establish a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would provide direct housing loans to veterans in rural areas for the construction of new homes. This initiative is designed to allow veterans with relevant skills to utilize their VA home loan benefits to build their own residences, addressing a current limitation where only about 30% of veterans use these loans. The bill also includes provisions for providing blueprints with American wood sourcing requirements, streamlining the permitting process by requiring permits within 45 days and covering associated fees, and offering technical assistance for construction and permit applications. Additionally, it includes a safeguard against home-flipping by requiring veterans to reside in the home for...
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Congressional Stock Trading Legal Under STOCK Act, Despite Conflict of Interest Concerns

Congressional Stock Trading Legal Under STOCK Act, Despite Conflict of Interest Concerns

Members of the U.S. Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, are legally permitted to buy and sell individual stocks. This practice is governed by the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012. The law explicitly states that members and congressional staff are not exempt from insider trading prohibitions, meaning they cannot trade on material nonpublic information obtained through their official positions. However, the act does not require members to divest their holdings or use blind trusts. Instead, it mandates public disclosure of trades exceeding $1,000 within 30 days of notification, and no later than 45 days after the transaction. While trading a defense stock while serving on the Armed Services Committee is considered a conflict of interest, it is legal; trading based on nonpublic contract decisions from a closed briefing is illegal insider trading. Data from Kapitol.ai for 2026 shows that 86% of transactions were filed within the 45-day limit, though 1,427 transa...
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Representative Ryan Zinke Introduces Public Lands Bill Amidst Short Congressional Session

Representative Ryan Zinke Introduces Public Lands Bill Amidst Short Congressional Session

Representative Ryan Zinke has introduced 'A River Runs Through It Act,' a public lands bill aimed at creating 132,000 acres of new wilderness, establishing 181,000 acres of forest restoration areas, and authorizing 60,000 acres for motorized and bike recreation. Additionally, 60,000 acres would be designated as Conservation Management Areas, allowing current commercial and recreational use while prohibiting future mining, roadbuilding, or other development. This bill builds upon decades of efforts to protect wild lands in Montana, particularly around the Blackfoot River headwaters. The legislation includes components from previous proposals, such as the Lincoln Prosperity Proposal, and incorporates federal Inventoried Roadless Areas (IRAs) for both commercial work and wilderness designation. The bill also downgrades the Hoodoo and Wales Creek Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) to regular national forest status. Zinke's announcement comes as his term is set to expire in January, and he is not seeking re-election...
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Reps. Gluesenkamp Perez and Westerman Introduce Veterans Owner-Builders’ Rights Act to Expand VA Home Loans for Rural Veterans

Reps. Gluesenkamp Perez and Westerman Introduce Veterans Owner-Builders’ Rights Act to Expand VA Home Loans for Rural Veterans

Reps. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Bruce Westerman have introduced the Veterans Owner-Builders’ Rights Act. This bipartisan legislation aims to expand VA home loans, specifically enabling rural veterans to utilize these loans for building their own homes. The bill proposes a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide direct housing loans to veterans in rural areas for new home construction. The initiative seeks to address the shortage of starter homes, particularly in rural communities where housing demand often outpaces construction. Many veterans possess the skills to build homes but currently face limitations in using their VA home loan benefits for such projects. The legislation also includes provisions for blueprints with American wood sourcing requirements, streamlined permitting processes, and technical assistance for veterans, while safeguarding against home-flipping by requiring veterans to reside in the home for at least two years.
Asheville Citizen-TimesAsheville Citizen-Times
Opinion: North Carolina’s farm families are hurting — don’t tax them more

Opinion: North Carolina’s farm families are hurting — don’t tax them more

A national wealth tax could hurt family farms that are land rich but cash poor, says former Rep. Heath Shuler.
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Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to End Taxpayer-Funded Dog and Cat Lab Experiments and Ban Breeding for Research

Bipartisan Legislation Introduced to End Taxpayer-Funded Dog and Cat Lab Experiments and Ban Breeding for Research

U.S. Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) and Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have introduced the Companion Animal Protection Against Cruel Testing (COMPACT) Act, H.R. 10522. This bill aims to prohibit the use of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) research funds for experiments on live dogs and cats, enhance oversight of animal testing, and facilitate the rehoming of animals currently in laboratories. Concurrently, Representative Nancy Mace has introduced the Prohibiting Unethical Procedures on Pets in Science (PUPPS) Act, which seeks to make it a federal offense to breed, sell, transfer, or knowingly acquire dogs specifically for research purposes. The PUPPS Act also mandates that dogs already designated for research be offered for adoption rather than euthanized. These legislative efforts align with a broader push by HHS to reduce the reliance on animals in biomedical evaluations. The introduction of the COMPACT Act was accompanied by rescued beagles from Ridglan Farms, a facility previously involved ...
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Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduces Federal Tax Credit for Film and TV Productions

Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduces Federal Tax Credit for Film and TV Productions

Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduces Federal Tax Credit for Film and TV Productions
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Congressman Finstad Hosts Biofuels Roundtable in Janesville, Emphasizing E15 Opportunities

Congressman Finstad Hosts Biofuels Roundtable in Janesville, Emphasizing E15 Opportunities

Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) recently hosted a roundtable discussion with biofuels leaders, farmers, and advocates in Janesville, Minnesota. The event included a tour of the Guardian Energy facility, which is undergoing a significant construction project to build one of the world's largest grain bins. As a fourth-generation corn and soybean farmer, Congressman Finstad highlighted the domestic opportunities that E15, a blend of gasoline and ethanol, can create for both producers and consumers. The discussion focused on advancing a new Farm Bill and achieving nationwide, year-round availability of E15.
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Lawmakers Express Doubt on Congressional Capacity to Regulate AI Amid Rapid Advancements

Lawmakers Express Doubt on Congressional Capacity to Regulate AI Amid Rapid Advancements

Many U.S. lawmakers are expressing significant skepticism regarding Congress's ability to effectively regulate artificial intelligence (AI). Concerns stem from a perceived lack of technical expertise among members, with some senators quipping that many colleagues 'can’t spell it' or 'don’t know how to get on the internet.' This sentiment highlights a broader issue of Congress's historical slowness in regulating new technologies, as evidenced by the lack of comprehensive internet legislation decades after its invention and ongoing struggles with social media regulation. While some, like Rep. Don Beyer, believe Congress possesses the capacity and that numerous AI bills are already in circulation, others, including Sen. Thom Tillis and Sen. Ruben Gallego, remain unconvinced. Rep. Ro Khanna, representing Silicon Valley, points out that the problem isn't a lack of computer scientists in Congress, but rather a fundamental understanding of how the technology works. The debate over AI regulation is intensifying, w...
USA TodayUSA Today
SNAP checks rise Oct. 1, but new rules may mean benefit cuts ahead

SNAP checks rise Oct. 1, but new rules may mean benefit cuts ahead

SNAP benefits are rising slightly, but new cost-sharing requirements for states could strain budgets and threaten future access.
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House Financial Services Committee Advances CFPB Reform, State Lending Rate Parity, and Payment Scam Bills

House Financial Services Committee Advances CFPB Reform, State Lending Rate Parity, and Payment Scam Bills

On September 16, the House Financial Services Committee held a markup session, advancing eight out of nine bills to the full House. Key among these was the American Lending Fairness Act of 2026 (H.R. 7866), which passed 31-18. This bill aims to repeal Section 525 of DIDMCA and amend the FDI Act and the Federal Credit Union Act, ensuring that any state opt-out from DIDMCA federal interest-rate preemption applies only to loans made by that state’s own chartered institutions, not out-of-state entities. The committee also advanced the Consumer Financial Protection Accountability and Reform Act of 2026 (H.R. 10184) by a 28-21 vote. This bill seeks to subject the CFPB to the congressional appropriations process, revise the definition of 'abusive' under the Bureau’s UDAAP authority, and restrict the Bureau from interpreting its UDAAP authority to encompass discriminatory practices. Additionally, the Civil Investigative Demand Reform Act of 2025 (H.R. 1653) passed 29-20, imposing a six-year limitations period on t...
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Representative Carlos A. Gimenez Introduces H.R. 10554 to Modify Information Sharing for Missing and Exploited Children

Representative Carlos A. Gimenez Introduces H.R. 10554 to Modify Information Sharing for Missing and Exploited Children

Representative Carlos A. Gimenez has introduced H.R. 10554, titled the 'Strengthened Checks for Reliable Evaluation of Entrants Nationwide Act of 2026.' This bill, received on September 24, 2026, and currently having two cosponsors, aims to alter the rules governing information sharing by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Specifically, the legislation proposes to add the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to the list of federal agencies authorized to receive certain disclosures from NCMEC. The primary purpose of these expanded disclosures would be for security or immigration-related screening and vetting processes. The bill does not create new agencies, programs, or penalties, but rather expands the scope of who can access existing NCMEC disclosures for specific governmental functions. Quiver Quantitative estimates Representative Gimenez's net worth at $3.2 million as of September 26, 2026.