Ben Cline

This bill establishes a three-year pilot program through the Small Business Administration to provide grants to eligible veterans for starting or acquiring businesses. The program will make grants to up to 250 veterans nationwide, ensuring geographic diversity across regions, and will cover small businesses, franchises, and other qualifying enterprises. To receive funding, veterans must complete approved entrepreneurship training, develop a business plan approved by an advisor, and meet specific milestones, with grant amounts based on their remaining education benefits under the G.I. Bill plus monthly housing assistance stipends. The legislation requires the SBA to report to Congress within two years on the program's effectiveness and whether it should become permanent, and it defines eligible participants as veterans or active-duty service members with at least 24-36 months of service who are entitled to educational assistance benefits.

Daughters of the American Revolution Membership Integrity ActThis bill limits membership eligibility for the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (commonly known as the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR) to biological women. (Under the bill, biological women are human females who naturally have, had, will have, or would have—if not for a congenital anomaly or intentional or unintentional disruption—a female reproductive system.)Members must also satisfy any genealogical and membership qualifications the organization establishes, as under current law.As background, DAR's federal charter provides that its purposes include perpetuating the memory and spirit of the men and women who achieved American independence.

This bill prohibits the Department of Defense from contracting with retailers that use payment processing equipment, systems, or services controlled by countries of concern, specifically China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and any other country the Secretary of Defense designates as a national security risk. The legislation requires the Secretary of Defense to review all current retailers within 180 days to identify those using such "covered" equipment or services, issue guidance within 90 days directing modification or termination of affected contracts, and implement a complete prohibition on new contracts with these retailers starting January 1, 2027. The bill affects military payment processing and retail contractors who work with the Department of Defense, with no specific funding allocated in the text. The Secretary of Defense must report to Congress within one year on how the requirements have been implemented, ensuring military servicemembers' payment data is not processed through foreign adversary-controlled systems.

The No Bias in the Baseline Act modifies how the federal government calculates budget baselines, which are projections used to measure the cost of new legislation. Under current law, the baseline assumes that discretionary spending (like defense or agency operations) will increase with inflation each year, while this bill changes that to assume discretionary spending will remain flat at current levels. The bill also removes several adjustments that baseline calculations currently make for inflation and other factors, and eliminates certain exceptions for emergency spending. Additionally, the legislation requires the Congressional Budget Office to prepare alternative fiscal scenarios showing different budget outcomes when preparing its reports to Congress. These changes affect how Congress evaluates whether new bills will increase or decrease overall federal spending, potentially making proposed legislation appear more expensive under the new baseline methodology. The bill includes conforming changes to Social Security Act provisions and related budget laws but does not specify any direct funding or implementation timeline.

The Cost Estimate Clarity Act would require the Congressional Budget Office to provide more transparency when it estimates the costs of legislation. Specifically, the bill would require the CBO to explain how its baseline assumptions—the standard projections used to measure changes—affect its cost estimates, including showing the numerical difference between estimates made with and without these baseline assumptions. The legislation would also require the CBO to identify which specific baseline assumptions caused cost differences and to highlight situations where baseline assumptions make a program appear cheaper than it actually would be. This bill affects Congress and the public by making budget estimates more understandable and transparent during the legislative process. The bill was introduced in April 2026 and referred to the House Rules and Budget committees but includes no specific funding authorization or implementation timeline.

This bill requires state and local law enforcement agencies to participate in the federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program in order to receive grants from the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which provides federal funding for local police departments. Specifically, any state or local law enforcement agency that has not signed a memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement within 180 days of the bill's enactment would become ineligible for COPS grants. The bill affects all state and local police departments seeking federal funding and would apply starting with fiscal year 2027 grant applications. The legislation essentially ties federal law enforcement funding to mandatory participation in immigration enforcement activities, giving the federal government leverage to expand the 287(g) program's reach into local police departments.

The Protecting Access to American Products Act creates a waiver process that allows companies to temporarily use foreign-owned ships to transport goods along the U.S. coast when American vessels are unavailable. Currently, federal law requires that domestic shipments use vessels that are American-owned and built, but this bill lets agencies grant temporary waivers when a company demonstrates it has searched for an American ship but cannot find one available to do the job. Waivers are short-term, lasting at least 30 days but can be extended if the shortage continues, and the relevant federal agency must respond to waiver requests within 60 days or the request is automatically approved. The bill also requires agencies to notify Congress within 48 hours of receiving any waiver request or issuing any waiver, along with an explanation of why the waiver is necessary. This legislation affects shipping companies and industries that rely on transporting goods by sea, potentially making their operations more flexible and cost-effective during periods when American vessels are scarce.

Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Act of 2026This bill restores changes that expired in 2024 applicable to debt limits for Subchapter V (small business reorganization) and Chapter 13 (the wage earner's plan) bankruptcies.Specifically, the bill increases the debt limit under Subchapter V from approximately $3.4 million to $7.5 million and increases the cumulative debt limit under Chapter 13 from approximately $2.1 million to $2.75 million.The bill also applies both secured and unsecured debt towards the Chapter 13 limit. (Currently, separate limits apply to secured and unsecured debt under Chapter 13 bankruptcy.)

The No Tax on Takings Act would amend the tax code to exclude from federal income taxes any gain that property owners receive when their land or buildings are seized through eminent domain (government takings). Currently, when the government takes property and compensates the owner, that compensation may be subject to capital gains taxes; this bill would eliminate that tax burden. The legislation applies to all property located in the United States that is converted due to eminent domain, whether seized directly or sold under threat of seizure. Property owners could still choose to be taxed on the gain if they prefer, and the bill would take effect for any property conversions occurring after it becomes law. The measure effectively protects landowners from paying federal taxes on compensation they receive for government takings, though it does not provide any direct federal funding and contains no specific timeline for implementation.

Protecting Ballot Measures From Foreign Influence Act of 2025This bill prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda.

This bill imposes new procedural requirements on federal agencies when they settle lawsuits or enter into consent decrees (court agreements) that require the agencies to take regulatory action affecting the public. The law requires agencies to publicly disclose proposed settlements at least 60 days before filing them with a court, accept and respond to public comments, and publish notices of intent to sue and complaints online within 15 days of receiving them. It also makes it easier for affected parties—including states, local governments, and businesses—to intervene in these cases and participate in settlement negotiations, and requires agency heads to personally certify certain high-impact settlements. Additionally, judges must ensure that settlement agreements allow agencies sufficient time to follow normal rulemaking procedures under federal law. The bill applies to all covered lawsuits and settlements filed or proposed after the date it becomes law and requires agencies to submit annual reports to Congress detailing these agreements.

Skinny Labels, Big Savings ActThis bill provides a statutory safe harbor from patent infringement claims for generic or biosimilar manufacturers that seek or obtain approval for skinny labels of their drugs.Under current law, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may approve generic and biosimilar drugs through a process known as skinny labeling, which allows a generic manufacturer to seek approval only for approved uses of the drug that are no longer protected by patents. However, in GlaxoSmithKline LLC v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA, Inc., a court held that a generic manufacturer may sometimes be liable for patent infringement when it markets skinny label generics.The bill specifically lists the following as actions that are not considered infringement of a method of use claim in a patent under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act:submitting or seeking approval of a skinny label for a generic or biosimilar drug;promoting or commercially marketing a drug with skinny labeling approved by the FDA; ordescribing a drug product approved by the FDA as a generic of, or therapeutically equivalent to, the branded drug.The bill also applies the safe harbor to similar actions under the Public Health Service Act.

H.Con.Res. 63 authorizes the use of the Capitol's rotunda for the Congressional National Prayer Breakfast on February 5, 2026. The resolution permits food and beverage service at the event and requires that any physical preparations comply with conditions set by the Architect of the Capitol. This is a concurrent resolution that affects no funding or specific groups beyond those organizing and attending the breakfast event. The measure is primarily administrative in nature, granting permission for the use of this prominent congressional space for the religious observance.

Firearm Access During Shutdowns ActThis bill requires various federal agencies to continue certain operations, functions, and services related to firearms during a government shutdown.The bill applies to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, including the processing of background checks in support of the operations of the Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF);the ATF's Directorate of Enforcement Programs and Services;the activities of the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses; andthe activities of the Department of State's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls relating to firearms and firearm-related products, including activities related to processing of applications for export licenses.Under the bill, (1) these operations, functions, and services are deemed to relate to an emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property; and (2) employees carrying out the operations, functions, and services are deemed to be excepted employees. (Under an exception in the Antideficiency Act, an employee whose duties involve the safety of human life or the protection of property may be required to work during a government shutdown. Employees who are required to work during a government shutdown because they fall under this or other exceptions are known as excepted employees.)

The Fiscal Contingency Preparedness Act requires the Treasury Secretary and the Office of Management and Budget to annually examine how the federal government would handle major financial crises and shocks to the economy. The bill directs them to assess the fiscal impact of potential disasters such as recessions, pandemics, natural disasters, cyber attacks, armed conflicts, and financial crises, including both short-term and long-term effects on federal finances. The examination must be included in the Treasury's annual financial report, which can be structured in whatever format best communicates the findings. The Government Accountability Office will independently review the methodology and results of these analyses and report to Congress within one year of the first examination and periodically thereafter. The reporting requirement takes effect 180 days after the bill is enacted or when the Treasury submits its next required report, whichever comes later.

The Don't Sell My DNA Act amends federal bankruptcy law to protect individuals' genetic information from being sold or used without their explicit consent. The bill prevents bankruptcy trustees or debtors from selling, leasing, or using a person's genetic information—defined under the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008—unless every affected individual provides written permission after the bankruptcy case begins. Additionally, the legislation requires that trustees destroy any genetic information that is part of a bankruptcy estate and is not sold or transferred, using secure deletion methods such as those recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The bill applies immediately upon enactment to all bankruptcy cases, both those already pending and those filed in the future. This legislation addresses concerns that individuals' DNA data could be liquidated to pay creditors in bankruptcy proceedings, giving people explicit legal protection over their genetic information.

The Bankruptcy Administration Improvement Act of 2025 addresses compensation and funding for the federal bankruptcy system. The bill doubles Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustees' compensation from $60 to $120 per case for the first time since 1994, acknowledging that inflation would value the original $60 payment at over $125 in today's dollars. To fund this increase and support the bankruptcy court system, the bill adjusts various bankruptcy-related fees, including raising quarterly fees for Chapter 11 cases and redirecting fee collections to the United States Trustee System Fund through fiscal year 2031. Additionally, the bill extends temporary bankruptcy judge positions from 5-year to 10-year terms to help handle growing bankruptcy caseloads. All changes take effect on October 1 following the bill's enactment, and the bill explicitly preserves the ability of courts to waive filing fees for low-income individuals.

H.R. 3229, the Foreign Agents Transparency Act, amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to strengthen enforcement against individuals who work as agents for foreign governments or entities. The bill clarifies that people who previously served as foreign agents must register for their past activities, even if they are no longer actively working in that capacity, and allows the Attorney General to pursue compliance orders against former foreign agents. The legislation applies retroactively to anyone who served as a foreign agent during the five years before enactment and going forward. Additionally, the bill requires the Attorney General to submit annual reports to Congress detailing all enforcement actions taken against covered individuals, including the individuals' names, rationale for action, and case status. There is no specific funding authorization in the bill, though reports must begin within one year of enactment.

H.R. 2676, the "No Union Time on the Taxpayer's Dime Act," would eliminate "official time"—the practice that allows federal employees to perform union-related work during their paid work hours. Under current law, federal employees can spend a portion of their official working time on union business, such as representing coworkers in grievances or negotiating contracts, while still being paid by taxpayers. This bill would prohibit that practice and require all union-related activities to occur only during employees' personal, non-working time. The legislation would affect federal workers who are union members or representatives and aims to reduce what supporters view as taxpayer-funded union activities, though critics argue it could weaken workers' ability to address workplace issues. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the bill text.

Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation ActThis bill limits third-party financing of civil litigation by foreign entities in federal courts and establishes related disclosure requirements.The bill makes it unlawful for a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund to provide any monetary support for a civil action in which it is not a named party. The bill also makes it unlawful for any party or counsel to receive monetary support for civil litigation from a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund that is not a party.The bill also prohibits third-party litigation funding agreements involving money from a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund in which someone other than named parties or counsel of record receives a payment that is contingent on the outcome or proceeds from the civil action or from any matter within a portfolio that includes the civil action.The bill requires any party or counsel in a civil action to disclose the name of any foreign person, state, or sovereign wealth fund that has agreed to provide monetary support for the civil action, has a right to receive a payment contingent upon the outcome of the civil action, or has the right to receive payment that is contingent on proceeds from any matter within a portfolio that includes the civil action.The bill also requires parties to produce the agreement creating a contingent right to payment.These requirements apply to claims that are pending on or commenced after this bill's date of enactment.

Federal Grant Accountability ActThis bill limits the indirect costs that are allowable under federal research awards to institutions of higher education (IHEs). (Generally, indirect costs represent expenses that are not specific to a research project but are needed to maintain the infrastructure and administrative support for federally funded research.)Specifically, the total amount of indirect costs allowable under a federal research award may not exceed the total amount of indirect costs allowable under private research awards. The Office of Management and Budget must determine the average indirect cost rate applicable to private research awards.Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on (1) the indirect cost rates allowable under federal research awards to IHEs, including awards made by the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and other such organizations; and (2) the indirect cost rates allowable under private research awards to IHEs.

No Welfare for the Wealthy Act of 2025This bill requires all households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to meet the program's income and asset requirements, thereby eliminating certain alternative SNAP eligibility pathways.Currently, a household may be eligible for SNAP by meeting program-specific federal eligibility requirements, which include both income and asset tests. A household may also be automatically or categorically eligible for SNAP based on eligibility for or receiving cash benefits from other specified low-income assistance programs (e.g., Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF]). Under this categorical eligibility, households that already meet financial eligibility rules in a program like TANF are not required to go through a SNAP financial eligibility determination. A majority of states also provide broad-based categorical eligibility (BBCE), a policy that makes most households with an income below a certain threshold categorically eligible for SNAP. Under BBCE, these states typically make households categorically eligible through receiving or being authorized to receive a minimal non-cash TANF benefit or service (e.g., a pamphlet). A state may set its own BBCE financial eligibility requirements for a household so long as the gross income requirement is below a certain level. A state's requirements do not have to match SNAP program-specific eligibility requirements. For example, most states that provide BBCE do not have an asset test for SNAP eligibility.The bill requires all SNAP households, including those that qualify under categorical eligibility, to meet the program's income and asset requirements.

The Hearing Protection Act would reclassify gun silencers under federal tax and firearms law by removing them from the National Firearms Act's definition of regulated firearms. Currently, silencers are heavily restricted and require federal registration, a $200 tax stamp, and extensive paperwork; this bill would eliminate those requirements while instead subjecting silencers to a standard 10 percent federal excise tax like other firearm accessories. The bill would take effect 90 days after passage and requires the federal government to destroy all existing silencer registration records within one year. Additionally, the legislation would preempt state laws that impose special taxes, registration requirements, or marking rules on silencers, though it would still allow states to apply general sales taxes. This bill affects gun manufacturers, importers, dealers, and anyone who currently owns or might purchase a silencer, potentially making these devices significantly easier and cheaper to obtain.

Ensuring Accountability in Agency Rulemaking ActThis bill requires, subject to a limited exception, that any agency rule promulgated under notice and comment procedures must be (1) initiated by a senior appointee (e.g., an individual who was appointed by the President or is a non-career member of the Senior Executive Service), and (2) issued and signed by an individual who was appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs must issue guidance for agencies to implement this requirement.

Protecting America From Spies ActThis bill expands the grounds for barring non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) from entering the United States on the basis of espionage or sabotage.Currently, an individual is inadmissible if the individual seeks to enter the United States to engage in an act that (1) violates a U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage; or (2) violates any U.S. law prohibiting the export of goods, technology, or sensitive information. Under the bill, an individual is inadmissible if the individual engages, has engaged, or will engage in such an act or in an act that would violate any U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage if it occurred in the United States.Furthermore, the bill expands these grounds of inadmissibility and other security-related grounds to cover the spouse or child of the barred individual if the act occurred in the last five years.