Sean Trambley

WASHINGTON – This week, Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., Mark Warner, D-Va., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.V., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Bob Casey, D-Pa., Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa., introduced the bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19 Mine Worker Protection Act.  The legislation requires the U.S.... Read More

TOPEKA, Kan. – This week, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly announced legislation to expand Medicaid, known as KanCare, and provide health insurance for 165,000 Kansans. The legislation also establishes a regulatory framework to make Kansas the 48th state to legalize medical marijuana. “After nearly a year of... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, in a letter to President Joe Biden, Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., requested the removal of Dr. Robert Marbut from his post as the executive director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. In the letter, Wyden asserts that Dr. Marbut, a... Read More

WASHINGTON — This week, U.S. Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., and Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., sent a bipartisan letter to Operation Warp Speed leadership urging them to consider the unique challenges of vaccine distribution to rural areas across Wisconsin and take steps to support timely and equitable vaccine... Read More

WASHINGTON — Last week, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., announced they successfully reversed a Department of Education decision that jeopardized funding for nearly 200 rural, low-income school districts.  A provision they negotiated was included in the year-end government funding bill and signed... Read More

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – This week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the country’s largest and most populous state has opted in to the federal COVID-19 Pharmacy Partnership, providing no-cost Pfizer vaccines to residents and staff in long-term care facilities. At no cost to the state or... Read More

LANSING, Mich. – This week, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the bipartisan relief bill that the legislature passed after she urged them to provide support for Michigan families, frontline workers, and small businesses.  The relief bill includes $55 million to help small businesses impacted by COVID-19.... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. – This week, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam allocated an additional $20 million in federal CARES Act funding to the Rebuild VA economic recovery fund to meet demand for the program and fulfill pending grant applications.  This new funding will bring the program total to... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., introduced the Crisis Housing Act establishing a new automatic housing assistance program to provide emergency rental assistance vouchers to households during natural disasters or economic recessions.  “When responding to an unforeseen disaster like a pandemic, hurricane, or economic... Read More

WASHINGTON - This week, Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, introduced legislation in the House to authorize a public advocacy campaign to promote COVID-19 vaccine participation and provide science-backed information to the public. Joined by Reps. Ron Kind, D-Wis., Roger Marshall, R-Kan., Scott Peters, D-Calif., John Joyce, R-Pa.,... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Reps. Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Tom Reed, R-N.Y., introduced the New Markets Stabilization Act, bipartisan legislation that will preserve access to the New Markets Tax Credit for underserved communities.  “Historically underserved communities have faced tremendous economic hardship this year because of the... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Reps. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, Andy Levin, D-Mich., and Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., sponsored the Sustainable Investment Policy Act and the Retirees Sustainable Investment Policies Act, two pieces of legislation aimed at protecting and increasing sustainable investments. The two bills together would give workers... Read More

WASHINGTON. – Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Rep. Tom Rice, R-S.C., introduced bipartisan legislation to help modernize America’s aging building infrastructure and spur more energy efficient investments. The Energy Efficient Qualified Improvement Property, or E-QUIP, Act will create an elective 10-year, straight line cost recovery period... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., introduced bipartisan legislation to allow individuals to seek compensation and relief in federal court for the non-consensual disclosure and transmission of intimate images of them, often referred to as... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Tom Emmer, D-Minn., sent a letter to the Securities and Exchange Commission urging them to address the issue of broker-dealer custody of digital securities. Rep. Emmer's letter urges the SEC to take three important actions: First, issue a formal clarification that... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., introduced the Youth Mental Health Services Act to improve mental health services for students in primary and secondary schools. “It’s a lot harder being a kid in 2020 than when I was growing up. Young people need helping... Read More

WASHINGTON — This week, the American Worker Holiday Relief Act was introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I. “With the economy backsliding as COVID-19 cases explode nationwide, Senate Republicans are... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Rep. Abby Finkenauer, D-Iowa, introduced the Rural Revitalization Now Act to provide up to $50,000 in student loan relief for people who commit to live and work in rural communities for at least eight years. The Rural Revitalization Now Act creates a... Read More

MADISON, Wis. — This week, Governor Tony Evers announced that COVID-19 Lodging Grants have been awarded to 663 Wisconsin lodging operators.  The grants aim to provide stabilization to the state’s lodging industry as it continues to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and related reductions in... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Rep. David McKinley, R-W. Va., introduced bipartisan legislation to prevent cuts to hospital payments through the duration of the COVID public health emergency.  The Medicare Sequester COVID Moratorium Act would delay the Medicare sequester through the duration of the... Read More

WASHINGTON – In a release this week, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced new regulations for animals flying on planes, including guidance that no longer recognizes emotional support animals as service animals. Additionally, dogs will be the only animals recognized as service animals. Prior rules did... Read More

WASHINGTON – Last week, U.S. Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Rodney Davis, R-Ill., along with U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., led the bipartisan Illinois Congressional delegation in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue.  The letter opposes... Read More

WASHINGTON – Last week, a bipartisan resolution introduced by Reps. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., and Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, supporting the Three Seas Initiative unanimously passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The Three Seas Initiative is a strategic partnership of twelve Central and Eastern European nations with the... Read More

WASHINGTON – Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan measure increasing funding to the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to help combat corruption and illicit drug trafficking between the United States and Caribbean nations. Introduced by Reps. Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., and Francis Rooney, R-Fla.,... Read More

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Gov. Mark Gordon recently directed federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funds to assist Wyoming residents in signing up for health insurance. Governor Gordon allocated $600,000 for the effort, which will be directed to the Enroll Wyoming Program.  The funds will... Read More

WASHINGTON – Reps. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Anthony G. Brown, D-Md., Austin Scott, R-Ga., and Richard Hudson, R-N.C., have introduced the Africa Foreign Relations, International Cooperation, and Assistance Act, H.R. 8186, to enhance security and economic partnerships between the United States and African countries.   The bill requires... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wisc., announced nearly $2,000,000 in grants to support telehealth services and distance learning in Wisconsin.  The grants, approved by the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development, were awarded to St. Vincent Hospital and the HSHS System to help purchase telehealth... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., members of the Senate Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees, introduced the Brian Tally VA Employment Transparency Act, bipartisan legislation requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide explicit, timely information in... Read More

RICHMOND, Va. — Gov. Ralph Northam announced Virginia will allocate $25 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to fund monthly retainer payments for day support programs that provide services for Virginians with developmental disabilities.  These programs offer day support, community engagement,... Read More

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Gov. Mark Gordon will use CARES Act funding to assist Wyoming’s economic recovery and boost employment in the oil and gas industry. The Energy Rebound Program will utilize up to $15 million in CARES Act funding to provide business relief targeted towards drilled,... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, released her Fiscal Year 2021 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act bill.  The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies is responsible for funding agencies that are tasked with ensuring clean water and... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., celebrated the recent passage of the bipartisan Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, included in a package of veterans’ legislation, the Veterans’ COMPACT Act.  The Accelerating Veterans Recovery Outdoors Act, co-introduced by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., will create an... Read More

WASHINGTON – Reps. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Roy Blunt, R-Mo., are leading a bipartisan, bicameral call for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to include funding for Upper Mississippi water infrastructure projects in its Fiscal Year 2021... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Kim Schrier, D-Wash., recently helped the Nisqually and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in her district fulfill a long time dream. They are two of eight tribes in the state to receive first-of-their-kind licenses for 2.5 GHz wireless broadband services. ... Read More

WASHINGTON -- With Congress considering significant health care reforms, including creating a government-run health insurance plan called the public option, a new study shows that it could be significantly more expensive than previously estimated. The study, released by Lanhee J. Chen, Ph.D., Tom Church, and Daniel... Read More

When Gwen Boyd-Willis was released from a Georgia women’s prison after a four-month sentence for fraudulently using an ATM card left in a machine, she faced new barriers to gaining employment and becoming a productive member of society. Candid with her mistakes, she wanted to make... Read More

SAN FRANCISCO — On Sept. 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an Executive Order banning the sale of gas-powered vehicles by 2035. California has served as a market leader in driving environmentally sensitive changes to the auto industry for decades.  In his public statement, Newsom said... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., and U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., announced in a release that the U.S. House of Representatives passed a critically needed fix to the 2018 Water Resources Development Act that would provide relief to Klamath Basin irrigators... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, hosted a news conference call to discuss landmark legislation he introduced this fall to protect workers as corporations increasingly classify them as independent contractors and use sub-contractors, temporary (temp) agencies, and corporate franchises to avoid labor laws.  Brown’s legislation,... Read More

WASHINGTON. – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., James Lankford, R-Okla., and Angus King, I-Maine, reintroduced their bipartisan legislation to save taxpayer dollars by reducing the federal funding available for the acquisition and leasing of new federal vehicles. The Domestic Reduction In Vehicle Expenditure and Lowering Emissions... Read More

WASHINGTON – This week, Reps. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, and Brad Sherman, D-Calif., chairman of the Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets, led nine Financial Services Committee members in a letter to Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Jay Clayton asking the SEC to prioritize a... Read More

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington State Department of Commerce has announced $300,000 is available for grants to shellfish growers impacted by declining exports and restaurant sales due to COVID-19.  Local and global market demand for Washington’s world-renowned shellfish has dropped dramatically since January, with some growers... Read More

WASHINGTON - This week, the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act achieved final passage in the U.S. House of Representatives with support from a wide swath of bipartisan lawmakers.  The ACE Act helps conserve wildlife and wildlife habitat, including by reauthorizing the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and... Read More

LANSING, Mich. - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Michigan Opioids Task Force announced the state has received $80 million in federal funding to respond to the ongoing opioids crisis.  The funds will support prevention, treatment and harm... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Tom O’Halleran, D- Ariz., criticized the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a recent House hearing on the western wildfires, saying “forest management has long been on the backburner at the federal level.” Halleran made his observation during a hearing of the House Agriculture... Read More

WASHINGTON - A bipartisan resolution introduced by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Chuck Grassly, R-Iowa, would designate Oct. 5-9 “Malnutrition Awareness Week.” Malnutrition is a significant problem in the United States and results from eating a diet which does not supply a healthy amount of one... Read More

With what seems like an annual tradition, consumers flip on their TV to catch a playoff game or some other “must see TV” program only to find the station blacked out in the pay TV provider’s lineup because the provider can’t reach an agreement with the... Read More

Reps. Donna Shalala, D-Fla., and Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., introduced the Expanding Cannabis Research and Information Act, bipartisan legislation that would facilitate research into the potential medical benefits and public health impacts of marijuana.  The bill would develop a national cannabis research agenda, direct the U.S.... Read More

Freshman U.S. Representative Deb Haaland, D-N.M., joined U.S. Senator Cory Booker, D-N.J., in introducing a climate change bill focused on voluntary farm and ranch conservation practices, massive reforestation, and wetlands restoration.  The lawmakers say the Climate Stewardship Act of 2019 was inspired by measures implemented in... Read More

Freshman Rep. Anthony Brindisi, a member of the bipartisan Women Veterans Task Force, has introduced legislation to mandate accessibility for women at the VA’s healthcare call center. Brindisi’s legislation, H.R. 2972, would statutorily require the Veterans Affairs Women Veterans Call Center be accessible via text and... Read More

In July, freshman Representative Deb Haaland, D-N.M., was joined by a dozen colleagues to introduce important legislation aimed at supporting family-friendly workplaces and incentivizing businesses to implement family-friendly policies for their workers.  H.R. 3838, the Honoring Family Friendly Workplaces Act, would create a Department of Labor... Read More

In July, freshman Representative Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., introduced the Personal Needs Allowance Modernization Act to improve the financial security of Medicaid beneficiaries living in nursing facilities.  Currently, Medicaid beneficiaries who are eligible for nursing care must contribute almost their entire personal income to the cost of... Read More

Representatives Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Peter King, R-N.Y., have introduced H.J. Res. 72 to overturn U.S. Treasury Department regulations that bar the deduction of charitable contributions from federal taxes.  The bipartisan action comes after the Treasury, in June, barred municipalities from creating work... Read More

Freshman Representative Chrissy Houlahan, D-Penn., was joined by Representative Troy Balderson, R-Ohio, to introduce bipartisan and bicameral legislation to enhance commercialization services for federally funded research and development.  Introduced in the House on July 18, H.R. 3839, the Research Advancing to Market Production (RAMP) for Innovators... Read More

WASHINGTON - Earlier this month, freshman Rep. Jason Crow, D-Col., had the pleasure of seeing one of his first pieces of legislation passed unanimously in the House by a voice vote. Crow’s SBA Cyber Awareness Act requires the Small Business Administration to issue a report assessing... Read More

Last week, a bipartisan, bicameral coalition led by freshman Representative Sean Casten D-Ill., introduced legislation aimed at encouraging innovation that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sources. Casten and his counterparts in the Senate, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., believe their... Read More

In the wake of a scathing, bipartisan letter from lawmakers, the Department of Veterans Affairs says it will refund $100 million in fees erroneously charged to thousands of exempted veterans who participated in the VA Home Loan Program. In June, the department’s Office of Inspector General... Read More

Legislation intended to make it easier for small businesses to comply with federal regulations passed the House with bipartisan support last week. Introduced by freshman Representative Antonio Delgado, D-N.Y., the bill requires the Small Business Administration to create a centralized website providing compliance guidelines for federal... Read More

First-term Representatives Lucy McBath, D-Ga., and Greg Steube, R-Fla., have introduced legislation aimed at protecting disabled veterans and their families who are experiencing financial hardship. Introduced in May, the bipartisan Honoring American Veterans in Extreme Need (HAVEN) Act, H.R. 2938, would amend current bankruptcy law to... Read More

New legislation passed the House last week to help small businesses gain access to capital, expand, and hire workers.  H.R. 3050, the Expanding Investment in Small Businesses Act of 2019, was introduced by Freshman GOP Representative Bryan Steil, R-Wis., and passed the U.S. House of Representatives... Read More

In our new series, Freshmen Get it Done, The Well News will be highlighting legislative accomplishments by freshman Members of Congress from both parties. *** In June, legislation passed the House to expand veterans’ access to the Edith Nourse Rogers Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)... Read More

Last week, U.S. Senators Todd Young, R-Ind., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and Jim Risch, R-Idaho, introduced the Investing in Main Street Act to increase investment in small businesses by permitting banks to invest up to 15 percent of their capital in Small Business Investment Companies.  The dramatic... Read More

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, more than 20 veterans and military members die by suicide every day across the United States, and suicide rates are nearly two times higher for veterans than for non-veteran adults.  These tragic statistics have spurred a bipartisan coalition in... Read More

As the opioid crisis continues to devastate families and communities across the country, a new bipartisan bill, the Fentanyl Sanctions Act, promises to put more teeth in efforts to curb the activities of Chinese and other traffickers of Fentanyl and synthetic opioids. Included in the Senate... Read More

The Federal Communications Commission and Congress have long sought to map specific regions’ access to broadband services in order to help policymakers identify unserved areas. The Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2019, introduced last week in the House of Representatives by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.,... Read More

On Tuesday, the House passed a much-needed disaster aid bill that was blocked by three Republican congressmen leading to a two week delay for the $19.1 billion relief package to Puerto Rico, Texas, California, and other states. Following the bill’s passage in the Senate, the House... Read More

In a stunning move Friday, a solitary House Republican from the Freedom Caucus blocked the passage of a $19.1 billion disaster aid package providing aid to Americans hit by wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, including $1.4 billion for Puerto Rico. The funding passed the Senate on Thursday... Read More

This week, U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider, D-Ill., and Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., announced the introduction of new bipartisan legislation to improve primary care options for individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans. H.R. 2774, the Primary Care Patient Protection Act of 2019, would create a primary care benefit... Read More

This week, U.S. Representative Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, and U.S. Representative David McKinley, R-W.V., introduced the Clean Up Our Neighborhoods Act of 2019, authorizing the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to make grants to states to eliminate residential and commercial blight and assist in neighborhood revitalization.... Read More

An important bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week protecting senior citizens from financial fraud and scams. The bipartisan Senior Security Act, introduced by Representatives Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Trey Hollingsworth R-Ind., creates a Senior Investor Task Force at the Securities and Exchange Commission... Read More

On Thursday, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced the Portable Certification of Spouses Act, legislation to improve the portability of occupational licenses from state to state for military spouses. The bill will also help alleviate the burden military spouses endure... Read More

This week, U.S. Representatives Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., and Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., reintroduced the bipartisan, bicameral Stopping Improper Payments to Deceased Individuals Act, legislation that would allow all federal agencies access to the Death Master File, a registry maintained by the Social Security Administration that contains the... Read More

New legislation in the California state house is seeking to end surprise hospital bills that catch unwitting patients with expensive out-of-network insurance costs for emergency care. Earlier this year, Vox’s Sarah Kliff reported on San Francisco woman Nina Dang and Austin man Scott Kohan, who suffered... Read More

This week, U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider D-Ill., Susan W. Brooks R-Ind., Jennifer Wexton D-Va., and Brian Fitzpatrick R-Penn. introduced legislation to extend clear and consistent non-discrimination housing protections to LGBTQ individuals. H.R. 2402, the Fair and Equal Housing Act of 2019 would include “sexual orientation” and... Read More

Two months after being introduced by a coalition led by Senators Doug Jones, D-Ala., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, bipartisan and bicameral support for the Military Widow’s Tax Elimination Act of 2019 continues to grow. The bill, now supported by 57... Read More

Seven years ago, Republicans took over nearly every lever of power in North Carolina in a political takeover that seemed destined to transform the state into a conservative stronghold. North Carolina, once considered a moderate state, was now in Republican hands for the first time since... Read More

This week, Representatives Terri Sewell, D-Ala., and Adrian Smith, R-Neb., introduced the Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas and Lands (RURAL) Act, legislation to help preserve jobs and encourage infrastructure development by expanding access for tax-exempt cooperative organizations to a variety of government grants and assistance, including FEMA... Read More

Tax season is upon us, and this year it seems many Americans are frustrated with smaller refund checks after the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has failed to live up to the hype for most working families. But in a major boon to tax preparation... Read More

This week, U.S. Senators Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Pat Toomey R-Pa., announced the introduction of the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act, legislation that would support small businesses by removing burdensome restrictions from individuals who want to invest in startups and help create jobs. In... Read More

This week, a bipartisan group of Senators led by Senator Bob Menendez, D-N.J., ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced new comprehensive legislation to help restore democracy and address the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. The most comprehensive effort to... Read More

A robust and important health policy discussion occurred on Capitol Hill yesterday with lawmakers on both sides of aisle appearing to reach a rare consensus on the problems of countless Americans who have been surprised with expensive out-of-network medical bills. The House Education and Labor Subcommittee... Read More