Congressional Record — March 17, 2026

Overview of the day

Senate activity included the start of consideration for an amendment to S. 1383, the introduction of 23 bills and 9 resolutions, the confirmation of Anna St. John as United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, and floor debates regarding the SAVE America Act, Department of Homeland Security funding, and Nebraska wildfires.
House activity included the passage of H.R. 4294 and S. 3971 under suspension of the rules, the agreement of H. Res. 1115 to provide for the consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958, and H.R. 4638, and the introduction of various public bills and resolutions.
Various House and Senate committees held hearings and markups concerning veterans' affairs, national security, appropriations, and judicial matters.

Summary of the House proceedings

H.R. 4294 was passed, which directs the Secretary of Commerce to establish a pilot program for the sale of blue catfish caught within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
S. 3971 was passed, which extends the SBIR and STTR programs.
H. Res. 1115 was agreed to, providing for the consideration of H.R. 556, H.R. 1958, and H.R. 4638.
H.R. 556 was mentioned as a bill to prohibit the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture from prohibiting the use of lead ammunition or tackle on certain Federal land or water.
H.R. 1958 was mentioned as the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026, which would clarify that aliens convicted of defrauding the United States Government or the unlawful receipt of public benefits are inadmissible and deportable.
H.R. 4638 was mentioned as the Federal Working Animal Protection Act, which would provide that an alien convicted of harming animals used in law enforcement is inadmissible and deportable.
H.J. Res. 139 was mentioned as a joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States requiring a balanced budget for the Federal Government.
H.R. 7481, the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act 2026, was mentioned as a proposal to fund law-abiding agencies under the Department of Homeland Security while excluding funding for ICE and CBP.
H.R. 6028 and H.R. 5891 were scheduled for markup by the Committee on House Administration.
H.R. 3286, H.R. 4290, H.R. 4716, H.R. 5555, H.R. 6062, and H.R. 7031 were mentioned during a hearing by the Committee on Natural Resources.
H.R. 6916, H.R. 428, H.R. 1722, H.R. 4642, H.R. 2069, H.R. 2766, H.R. 5525, H.R. 6399, and H.R. 6247 were scheduled for markup by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
H.R. 7813 was scheduled for markup by the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology.
H.R. 5688 was scheduled for markup by the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
H.R. 6733, H.R. 6580, H.R. 6755, H.R. 6599, H.R. 6583, H.R. 6549, H.R. 6740, H.R. 6764, H.R. 6904, H.R. 6843, H.R. 6861, H.R. 6833, H.R. 2303, H.R. 10, H.R. 3183, H.R. 5203, H.R. 4114, H.R. 3869, H.R. 1732, H.R. 2722, and H.R. 1391, H.R. 4876 were mentioned during a hearing by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
H.R. 7894, H.R. 7890, H.R. 7891, H.R. 7892, H.R. 7893, H.R. 7661, and H.R. 6084 were ordered reported as amended by the Committee on Education and Workforce.
H.R. 7953 was introduced to establish a reciprocal approval mechanism with international regulatory authorities for innovative medicines and clinical trials.
H.R. 7954 was introduced to assist Tribal governments in managing buffalo and buffalo habitat.
H.R. 7955 was introduced to prohibit wagers regarding specified events.
H.R. 7956 was introduced to reauthorize the State offices of rural health program.
H.R. 7957 was introduced to preserve the Traditional Cultural Place of Chi'chil Bildagoteel Historic District.
H.R. 7958 was introduced to deem specified activities in support of terrorism as renunciation of United States nationality.
H.R. 7959 was introduced to improve the treatment of whistleblowers under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
H.R. 7960 was introduced to impose a windfall profits excise tax on crude oil.
H.R. 7961 was introduced to exempt H-1B health care workers from certain entry restrictions.
H.R. 7962 was introduced to amend the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 regarding the interagency dispute resolution process.
H.R. 7963 was introduced to improve the Lifeline program of the Federal Communications Commission.
H.R. 7964 was introduced to prohibit the admission of aliens from certain countries where identities or backgrounds cannot be reliably verified.
H.R. 7965 was introduced to prohibit the unauthorized possession of a firearm at a Federal election site.
H.R. 7966 was introduced to ensure the integrity of hospice care furnished under the Medicare program.
H.R. 7967 was introduced to include methadone use in Federal workplace and Department of Transportation drug testing programs.
H.R. 7968 was introduced to authorize a study on challenges faced by United States small artificial intelligence businesses.
H.R. 7969 was introduced to assess the national security implications of foreign malign influence by the Chinese Communist Party.
H. Res. 1118 was introduced to support the designation of the third week of March as "National CACFP Week".
H. Res. 1119 was introduced to impeach Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
H. Res. 1120 was introduced to recognize March 14, 2026, as "Black Midwives Day".
H. Res. 1121 was introduced to honor the contributions of Irish Americans to the American War for Independence.
H.R. 569, H.R. 645, H.R. 722, H.R. 1038, H.R. 1111, H.R. 1329, H.R. 1443, H.R. 1505, H.R. 1521, H.R. 1548, H.R. 1965, H.R. 1993, H.R. 2089, H.R. 2257, H.R. 2385, H.R. 2411, H.R. 2457, H.R. 2547, H.R. 2586, H.R. 2729, H.R. 2766, H.R. 2767, H.R. 2881, H.R. 2910, H.R. 2941, H.R. 3184, H.R. 3197, H.R. 3199, H.R. 3277, H.R. 3401, H.R. 3413, H.R. 3418, H.R. 3447, H.R. 3526, H.R. 3719, H.R. 3740, H.R. 3774, H.R. 3821, H.R. 3864, H.R. 3871, H.R. 4032, H.R. 4290, H.R. 4662, H.R. 4733, H.R. 4768, H.R. 4840, H.R. 4852, H.R. 4936, H.R. 4966, H.R. 5011, H.R. 5221, H.R. 5267, H.R. 5271, H.R. 5309, H.R. 5435, H.R. 5470, H.R. 5536, H.R. 5621, H.R. 5622, H.R. 5688, H.R. 5913, H.R. 6160, H.R. 6284, H.R. 6293, H.R. 6509, H.R. 6621, H.R. 6677, H.R. 6786, H.R. 6797, H.R. 6806, H.R. 6825, H.R. 6845, H.R. 6961, H.R. 7066, H.R. 7137, H.R. 7206, H.R. 7230, H.R. 7235, H.R. 7247, H.R. 7265, H.R. 7368, H.R. 7378, H.R. 7380, H.R. 7391, H.R. 7398, H.R. 7417, H.R. 7443, H.R. 7481, H.R. 7543, H.R. 7576, H.R. 7594, H.R. 7601, H.R. 7622, H.R. 7678, H.R. 7703, H.R. 7817, H.R. 7858, H.R. 7863, H.R. 7874, H.R. 7877, H.R. 7892, H.R. 7906, H.R. 7925, and H.R. 7941 were mentioned as receiving additional sponsors.
H. Res. 925, H. Res. 994, and H. Res. 1116 were mentioned as receiving additional sponsors.

Summary of Senate proceedings

S. 1884 was passed, which clarifies the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery Act of 2016 to limit certain defenses to claims under the Act.
S. 1383 was mentioned as the SAVE America Act, also known as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which proposes requiring documentary proof of United States citizenship for voter registration, photo ID for casting ballots in Federal elections, and limiting absentee voting to specific exemption categories.
S. 1383 was used as the vehicle for proposed amendments regarding the Veterans Advisory Committee on Equal Access, windfall profits taxes on crude oil, payroll tax modifications for Medicare and Social Security, tax breaks for outsourcing, documentary proof of citizenship for weapon purchases, cell-site simulator warrants, Privacy Act modernization, personally identifiable information protections, mail-in voting, healthcare apprenticeships, voter waiting times, voter eligibility, cybersecurity standards for EBT cards, and the "Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2026".
S. 1383 had 105 amendments proposed to it.
S. 3183 had 6 amendments proposed to it.
S. 342, S. 410, S. 649, S. 1116, S. 1657, S. 1665, S. 1726, S. 1868, S. 2061, S. 2220, S. 2264, S. 2309, S. 2328, S. 2333, S. 2397, S. 2683, S. 2807, S. 2981, S. 3033, S. 3119, S. 3138, S. 3303, and S. 3758 were mentioned during a business meeting of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
S. 1034, S. 1242, S. 2437, S. 2753, S. 3409, S. 3500, S. 3518, S. 3635, S. 3684, S. 3693, S. 3723, S. 3725, S. 3732, S. 3736, S. 3737, S. 3738, S. 3743, S. 3792, S. 4040, and S. 4041 were examined during a hearing by the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, along with H.R. 3857.
S. 4105 was introduced to include felony convictions as grounds for revocation of naturalization.
S. 4106 was introduced to improve access to certain medications under the TRICARE program.
S. 4107 was introduced to amend the Clayton Act regarding proposed voluntary dismissals and consent judgements.
S. 4108 was introduced to increase burial and funeral expenses for deaths from service-connected disabilities.
S. 4109 was introduced to reauthorize the Stem Cell Therapeutic and Research Act of 2005.
S. 4110 was introduced to revise and extend health workforce programs under the Public Health Service Act.
S. 4111 was introduced to impose a windfall profits excise tax on crude oil.
S. 4112 was introduced to extend the credit period for the production of refined coal.
S. 4113 was introduced to limit the use of artificial intelligence by the Department of Defense.
S. 4114 was introduced to provide for institutional ineligibility based on low cohort repayment rates under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
S. 4115 was introduced to ban certain types of wagers.
S. 4116 was introduced to advance next-generation geothermal electricity generation demonstration projects.
S. 4117 was introduced to allow Federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired service weapons.
S. 4118 was introduced to ensure the integrity of hospice care under the Medicare program.
S. 4119 was introduced to allow married couples to apply the student loan interest deduction limitation separately.
S. 4120 was introduced to designate categorical exclusions for water resources development projects.
S. 4121 was introduced to prohibit the unauthorized possession of a firearm at a Federal election site.
S. 4122 was introduced to equalize treatment of capital gains and earned income.
S. 4123 was introduced to prohibit preferential screening for Members of Congress at airports.
S. 4124 was introduced to prohibit Department of Justice funds from being used for personal payments to the President in connection with claims subject to the Federal Tort Claims Act.
S. 4125 was introduced to impose a tax on damages received by certain United States officers from civil actions.
S. 4126 was introduced to address the ineligibility of Ashli Babbitt for military funeral honors.
S. 4127 was introduced to provide continuing appropriations for Transportation Security Administration pay and operations.
S. J. Res. 125 was introduced to disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection rule regarding "Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F); Pay-to-Pay Fees".
S. J. Res. 126 was introduced to disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection rule regarding "Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (Regulation F); Time-Barred Debt".
S. J. Res. 127 was introduced to disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection rule regarding "Fair Credit Reporting; File Disclosure".
S. J. Res. 128 was introduced to disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection rule regarding "Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2024-03: Unlawful and Unenforceable Contract Terms and Conditions".
S. J. Res. 129 was introduced to disapprove a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection rule regarding "The Fair Credit Reporting Act's Limited Preemption of State Laws".
S. Res. 645 was introduced to recognize 2026 as the "International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists".
S. Res. 646 was introduced to recognize March 14, 2026, as "Black Midwives Day".
S. Res. 647 was introduced to designate March 21, 2026, as "National Osceola Turkey Day".
S. Res. 648 was introduced to honor the memory, service, and sacrifice of Master Sergeant Nicole M. Amor.
S. 142 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to wildland firefighters.
S. 410 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses.
S. 478 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from transmitting certain information to the Department of Justice.
S. 492 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to improve and enhance the work opportunity tax credit.
S. 494 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Maine (Ms. Collins) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to establish a national plan to coordinate research on epilepsy.
S. 522 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to modify the frequency of board of directors meetings for Federal Credit Unions.
S. 545 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Florida (Mrs. Moody) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to prohibit certain uses of xylazine.
S. 624 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to achieve parity between cost-of-living adjustments for the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Civil Service Retirement System.
S. 679 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Husted) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to improve the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.
S. 782 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to allow certain packers to have an interest in market agencies.
S. 976 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Warnock) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to reduce fraudulent enrollments in qualified health plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
S. 1283 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to modernize Federal firearms laws.
S. 1343 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell) and the Senator from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand) were added as cosponsors of the bill to improve coordination between the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation on the National Quantum Initiative Program.
S. 1404 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott) and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) were added as cosponsors of the bill to combat organized crime involving the illegal acquisition of retail goods and cargo.
S. 1532 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from New York (Mr. Schumer) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to modify the railroad track maintenance credit.
S. 1542 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to support the human rights of Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.
S. 1552 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to protect living organ donors from discrimination.
S. 1572 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to improve the Federal carjacking statute.
S. 1609 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Maine (Ms. Collins) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to provide research on unruptured intracranial aneurysms.
S. 1746 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to establish the Commission on American Quantum Information Science Dominance.
S. 1816 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to establish requirements for prior authorization under Medicare Advantage plans.
S. 1918 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to allow a refundable tax credit for the purchase of qualified access technology for the blind.
S. 1970 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Reed), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin), and the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan) were added as cosponsors of the bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the service members of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam-Studies and Observations Group.
S. 2265 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Maine (Ms. Collins) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to mint coins commemorating the 2028 and 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
S. 2541 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to establish requirements for quality and discard date phrases on food labels.
S. 2842 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to provide for congenital Cytomegalovirus screening of newborns.
S. 2903 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Washington (Ms. Cantwell) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to require an exceptions process for medication step therapy protocols in group health plans.
S. 3062 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to require age verification and disclosures for artificial intelligence chatbots.
S. 3138 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to include adaptive prostheses for sports and recreation in medical services for veterans.
S. 3220 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) were added as cosponsors of the bill to transfer funds from the Travel Promotion Fund to Brand USA.
S. 3257 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) were added as cosponsors of the bill to revise FAA regulations for individuals who disclose a mental health diagnosis.
S. 3304 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to provide coverage for medical food and vitamins for digestive and inherited metabolic disorders.
S. 3456 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to provide free National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes for law enforcement officers and firefighters.
S. 3726 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to define veteran success and develop a National Veterans Strategy.
S. 3892 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to prohibit price gouging and surveillance-based price setting in retail food stores.
S. 3938 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff) and the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) were added as cosponsors of the bill to authorize veterans service organizations to participate in Transition Assistance Program presentations.
S. 3949 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Kim) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to require cybersecurity and digital service regulations for EBT cards.
S. 3985 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to allow States to require boating fees as a condition for vessel numbering.
S. 4049 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff) and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) were added as cosponsors of the bill to repeal section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
S. 4051 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis) and the Senator from Maryland (Mr. Van Hollen) were added as cosponsors of the bill to mint coins emblematic of the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.
S. 4061 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Maine (Ms. Collins) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to require mental health and suicide prevention information on student identification cards.
S. 4064 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Justice) was added as a cosponsor of the bill to regulate the offer and sale of digital commodities by the CFTC.
S. 4087 was mentioned as the names of the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan) were added as cosponsors of the bill to exempt public school employees from certain H-1B visa fees.
S. Res. 629 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Alsobrooks) was added as a cosponsor of the resolution honoring Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.
S. Res. 642 was mentioned as the name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley) was added as a cosponsor of the resolution celebrating the 175th anniversary of the YMCA.
H.R. 528, H.R. 1422, H.R. 1665, H.R. 2196, H.R. 2294, H.R. 2709, H.R. 3073, H.R. 4284, H.R. 5254, H.R. 5729, and H.R. 6380 were received and referred from the House.