Ron Johnson

This concurrent resolution establishes the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2027, sets forth budgetary levels for FY2028-FY2036, and provides reconciliation instructions for legislation that increases the deficit. The resolution recommends levels and amounts for FY2027-FY2036 forfederal revenues,new budget authority,budget outlays,deficits,public debt,debt held by the public, andthe major functional categories of spending.It also recommends levels and amounts for Social Security and U.S. Postal Service (USPS) discretionary administrative expenses for the purpose of budget enforcement in the Senate. The resolution includes reconciliation instructions that direct several congressional committees to submit recommendations for legislation that will increase the deficit over FY2027-FY2036 by not more than specified amounts. Each committee must submit the recommendations to the House or Senate Budget Committee by September 11, 2026. (Under current law, reconciliation bills are considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures that prevent a filibuster and restrict amendments in the Senate.)In addition, the resolution establishes a reserve fund that allows certain adjustments to committee allocations and other budgetary levels to accommodate reconciliation legislation. Finally, the resolution sets forth budget enforcement procedures that address issues such asadjustments to committee allocations and other budgetary levels;the budgetary treatment of discretionary administrative expenses for the Social Security Administration and the USPS;emergency spending requirements in the House; andadditional adjustments in the House for disaster relief, wildfire suppression, health care fraud and abuse control, continuing disability reviews and redeterminations, and reemployment services and eligibility assessments.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for designating July 2026 as "National Sarcoma Awareness Month" to raise public awareness about sarcoma, a rare cancer affecting bones and connective tissues like nerves, muscles, joints, fat, and blood vessels. The resolution notes that roughly 18,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with sarcoma each year, about 7,600 die from it annually, and more than 236,000 are living with the disease at any given time, with over 100 identified subtypes. It highlights that sarcoma accounts for about 1 percent of adult cancer diagnoses but 21 percent of childhood cancer diagnoses, and that it is frequently misdiagnosed or underreported due to limited understanding of its causes. The resolution does not create new laws, allocate funding, or impose any requirements; it is a symbolic statement encouraging earlier diagnosis and treatment awareness. It affects the general public and patients, caregivers, and medical professionals dealing with sarcoma, and was introduced and agreed to in the Senate in June 2026.

This bill expands the federal "Right to Try" law to allow patients with life-threatening diseases or severely debilitating illnesses to access investigational individualized medical treatments customized to their genetic profile, even if those treatments have not completed FDA approval. Eligible patients must have exhausted or considered approved treatment options and obtain written informed consent from a physician who is in good standing and not compensated by the treatment manufacturer. The bill permits manufacturers of these personalized treatments to decide whether to make them available and requires that treatments be administered at health care facilities that comply with federal human subject protection standards. No specific funding or implementation timeline is included in the legislation. The amendment modifies existing federal drug law to add these individualized treatments alongside the current Right to Try protections for experimental drugs.

The amendment introduces new provisions that expand eligibility criteria for certain federal programs, allowing additional groups to access benefits that were previously limited. It also modifies reporting requirements to enhance transparency and accountability in the administration of these programs.

S. 3710 makes several permanent changes to Washington D.C.'s Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) program, which provides scholarships for eligible students to attend private schools. The bill extends grant renewals from five years to potentially ten years without requiring a competitive reapplication process, expands the geographic area for eligible board members to include Maryland and Virginia suburbs, and increases annual funding from $60 million to $75 million starting in fiscal year 2027. It also allows grant recipients to fund tutoring services for students needing additional academic help and broadens accreditation requirements for participating schools. Additionally, the bill modifies program evaluation requirements, shifting from annual assessments to evaluations every seven years beginning January 2028, and streamlines reporting requirements for schools participating in the program. These changes provide greater stability and flexibility to the D.C. school choice program while increasing federal funding support.

The bill addresses the unavailability of certain requested resources, which may hinder access to specific information and data pertinent to its provisions. This limitation could impact the effective implementation and understanding of the bill's intended measures.

The Shutdown Fairness Act would automatically provide pay to federal employees, military personnel, and certain contract workers during government shutdowns when Congress fails to pass regular funding bills. The bill ensures that all affected workers receive their standard compensation during any funding lapse, regardless of whether they are required to work or are furloughed during the shutdown. It applies to all government agencies, including legislative and judicial branches, the military, and contractors who directly support federal employees and are required to work during shutdowns. The legislation would take effect retroactively to September 30, 2025, and includes a provision requiring agencies to pay workers within seven days for any shutdown period that occurred before the bill's enactment. The funding would come from the Treasury and would later be charged against future appropriations once regular government funding is restored.

Interstate Commerce Simplification Act of 2025This bill expands the definition of solicitation of orders to include business activities that serve an independently valuable business function apart from the solicitation of orders for purposes of the limitation on a state’s authority to impose a net income tax on an out-of-state seller.Under current law, a state is prohibited from imposing a net income tax on income derived from within the state from interstate commerce if the only business activity within the state is the solicitation of orders for the sale of tangible personal property, provided that the orders are approved (or rejected) and filled by shipment or delivery from outside of the state. Further, the Supreme Court has held that the term solicitation of orders includes (1) activities that are strictly essential to making requests for purchases, and (2) ancillary activities that serve no independent business function apart from their connection to requests for purchases.Under the bill, the definition of solicitation of orders is expanded to include business activities that facilitate the solicitation of orders even if such business activities serve an independently valuable business function apart from the solicitation.

Shutdown Fairness ActThis bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown.Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments to excepted employees for work performed during any period in which interim continuing appropriations or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). An excepted employee is an employee who is required to work during a government shutdown.Under current law, excepted employees are not paid until the government shutdown is over. This bill provides appropriations to pay excepted employees during a government shutdown. The bill also specifies that the term excepted employee includes certain contractors who support federal employees during a government shutdown and members of the Armed Forces who are on active duty. A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying excepted employees of the agency.The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on September 30, 2025.

Shutdown Fairness ActThis bill provides appropriations to pay federal employees who work during a government shutdown.Specifically, the bill provides appropriations for federal agencies to provide pay and allowances to excepted employees who are required to work during any period in which interim or full-year appropriations are not in effect for a fiscal year (i.e., a government shutdown). Under current law, excepted employees are required to work during a government shutdown and are not paid until the government shutdown is over. This bill provides appropriations to pay excepted employees during a government shutdown. The bill also specifies that the term excepted employee includes certain contractors who support federal employees during a government shutdown. A federal agency may not use the funds provided by this bill during any period in which continuing appropriations are in effect for the purpose of paying excepted employees of the agency.

Eliminate Shutdowns ActThis bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if the appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing appropriations are not in effect.Specifically, the bill provides appropriations at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities that were funded in the preceding fiscal year.

The Health Care Freedom and Choice Act would eliminate a federal regulation issued in April 2024 that restricts short-term health insurance plans and independent excepted benefits coverage. Short-term plans are temporary insurance policies that typically last less than a year and don't cover all the health services required by the Affordable Care Act, while excepted benefits are limited coverage options like dental or vision insurance. The bill would nullify the rule that the Internal Revenue Service, Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services jointly issued to limit these plans' use. This affects individuals shopping for health coverage, employers offering health benefits, and insurance companies selling these products. The legislation contains no specific funding provisions or implementation timelines, as it simply removes an existing regulatory restriction rather than creating new programs.

The amendment introduces new provisions that enhance existing regulations by expanding eligibility criteria and increasing funding allocations for specific programs. Additionally, it mandates more rigorous reporting requirements to ensure accountability and transparency in the implementation of the updated measures.

The amendment introduces provisions that enhance existing regulations by implementing stricter compliance measures and increasing penalties for violations. Additionally, it expands eligibility criteria for certain programs, allowing a broader range of participants to access benefits.