BAUMGARTNER'S WEEKLY VOTING RECORD
Civics 101 #11
April 20 – April 24, 2026
FOLLOWING HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS
CIVICS 101 is a record of bills passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate. Spokane Indivisible feels it is part of our civic duty, as standing members of We the People, to be aware of bills that are passed by our representatives and Senators in our name. We pay for their decisions with our tax dollars. We use the website clerk.house.gov and senate.gov (Floor Proceedings) to track bills. Other sites to find information about the House and Senate include justfacts.votesmart.org, govinfo.gov, c-span.org, LegisScan, and govtrack.us. We also use Wikipedia for historical congressional data.
Your Action: If you find a bill or resolution you feel has a local, regional, state and/or national impact, please contact our Rep and Senators who speak for us and let them know:
M. Baumgartner: (202) 225-2006
Patty Murray: (202) 224-2621
Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441
Due to the number of bills considered by the House and Senate between April 20 – April 24, 2026, the full text of some of the bill summaries are not included. The links included with each bill number will take you to the full bill summaries. We have also included comments on selected bills under “NOTE” following bill summaries.
Sylvia and the Indivisible Team
FUN FACTS
Several bills that have passed the House in recent weeks, including the FIRE Act passed this week, have been specifically designed to roll back Clean Air Act enforcement and weaken the EPA. Since “bills and budgets” go hand-in-hand, it is worth noting some proposed fiscal year 2027 budget requests by the Rs for the EPA:
$4.2B in base discretionary budget authority – A REDUCTION of $4.6B (52.4%) from FY 2026
· Seeks reconsideration of greenhouse gas regulations
· Seeks reduction in auto industry regulations
· Seeks reduction in funds to the following program areas
o Clean and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Funds (-$2.5B)
o Categorical Grants (-$1.1B)
o Office of Research and Development (-$235M)
o Federal Support for Air Quality Management (-$113M)
o Civil Enforcement (-$94M)
o Criminal Enforcement (-$54.6M)
o Air and Energy Research (-$63.2M)
o Targeted Airshed Grants ($31.6M)
o Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Fund (WIFIA, -$64M)
Bills of interest this week:
H.R. 6387. FIRE Act. Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act
H.R. 2493. Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025
H. Res. 1182. Expressing support for rural communities across the United States as stewards of the environment, major suppliers of United States energy resources, critical providers of food production and manufacturing capacity, and drivers of national economic stability, and recognizing the work of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress in support of those vital communities.
H.R. 4,690. Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LEGISLATIVE FLOOR ACTIVITY
April 20, 2026
H.R. 7386. First Responder Network Authority Reauthorization Act of 2026
Passed House by Voice Vote.
This bill extends through FY2037 and modifies the management of the First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority. The FirstNet Authority oversees the development and operation of FirstNet, a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for first responders. The bill also requires certain actions of the entity operating FirstNet.
H.R. 7022. Mystic Alerts Act
Passed House by Voice Vote.
This bill provides for wireless emergency alerts to be transmitted to mobile devices via satellite. Currently, wireless emergency alerts are sent via terrestrial mobile networks to individual devices in geographically targeted areas. Commercial mobile service providers are not required to participate; only devices connected to a participating service provider’s network receive alerts.
H.R. 1681. Expediting Federal Broadband Deployment Reviews Act
Passed House. 2/3 vote required. 384-9. MB voted Yes.
This bill establishes an interagency strike force to support federal land management agencies’ review of requests for communications use authorizations. The strike force must (1) conduct periodic calls with strike force members to ensure that each agency prioritizes the review of requests for communications use authorizations, (2) establish goals for the review of the requests, and (3) monitor and facilitate agency accountability for meeting the established goals.
H.R. 1343. Federal Broadband Deployment Tracking Act
Passed House by Voice Vote.
This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to submit a plan to Congress for tracking the acceptance, processing, and disposition of applications for communications use authorizations. These are requests for easements, rights-of-way, leases, licenses, or other authorizations to locate or modify a transmitting device, support structure, or other communications facility on public lands or National Forest System land.
H.R. 5200. Emergency Reporting Act
Passed House. 2/3 vote required. 386-7. MB voted Yes.
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to investigate and report on emergency communications outages (e.g., 9-1-1 outages). Specifically, the FCC must publish a general report on (1) the volume and nature of 9-1-1 outages that are not required to be reported under current outage notification rules, (2) the value and practicality of including visual information in outage notifications from communications providers, and (3) recommended changes to FCC rules to address these issues.
H.R. 5201. Kari’s Law reporting Act
Passed House. 2/3 vote required. 405 - 5. MB voted Yes.
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to publish a report on the enforcement of Kari’s Law, which requires multiline telephone systems to be preconfigured to allow users to dial 9-1-1 directly from any phone without dialing any additional code or prefix.
S. 98. Rural Broadband Protection Act of 2025
Passed Senate. Passed House by Voice Vote. To President. Became Public Law No. 119-89.
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a process to vet applicants for certain funding programs that support affordable broadband deployment in high-cost areas, including rural communities.
April 21, 2026
H.Res. 1201. Electing Members to certain standing committees of the House of Representatives.
Agreed to in the House.
H.R. 6387. FIRE Act. Fire Improvement and Reforming Exceptional Events Act
Passed House. 220-198. MB voted Yes.
This bill modifies the definition of exceptional events under the Clean Air Act and requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to revise its regulations regarding exceptional events or actions to mitigate wildfire risk. Generally, the EPA must exclude data from use in determinations of exceedances and violations of national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) if a state demonstrates that an exceptional event caused a specific air pollution concentration.
NOTE: For Republicans, this is a political win that aligns with their push for deregulation. States, especially those in the west, will be able to conduct prescribed burns without falling out of compliance with national air quality standards. Democrats and environmental and public health advocates are worried this is yet another push by Rs to roll back Clean Air Act enforcement and EPA authority. This bill fits with several related bills designed to revise Clean Air Act rules including the following bills:
CLEAR Act. H.R. 4218: Clean Air and Economic Advancement Reform Act to amend parts of the Clean Air Act to comply with EPA air-quality regulations. Not yet scheduled for vote on House calendar.
FENCES Act. H.R. 6409: Foreign Emissions and Nonattainment Clarification for Economic Stability Act to modify standards under the Clean Air Act to exempt states from penalties for emissions outside of the state’s control. Passed House. 04/16/26. 220-208.
RED Tape Act. H.R. 6398. Reducing and Eliminating Duplicative Environmental Regulations Act to eliminate all of EPA’s section 309 authority except to comment on proposed legislation. Passed House. 04/16/26. 222-205.
H.R. 2319. Women and Lung Cancer Research and Preventive Services Act of 2025
Passed House by Voice Vote.
FINALLY - acknowledgement that research on women’s health issues must focus on factors unique to women and other underserved populations. Without funding. Of course.
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct an interagency review to accelerate lung cancer research, prevention, and awareness with respect to women and underserved populations. The review must:
report on the status of existing research and current knowledge gaps;
identify new opportunities for collaborative research to determine the causes of lung cancer and advance prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment; and
provide recommendations for a national lung cancer screening strategy and public education campaign.
H.R. 2493. Improving Care in Rural America Reauthorization Act of 2025
Passed House. 2/3 vote required. 406-4. MB voted Yes.
This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 grant programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that provide funding to health care service providers and related entities in rural areas. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes grants for
expanding the delivery of health care services in rural areas,
developing integrated health care networks (i.e., collaborative groups of local health care organizations) in rural areas, and
improving the quality of services provided by small health care providers in rural areas.
NOTE: According to Mike Bell, retired healthcare CPA , “…..these are such small programs that they will not even make a dent in the harm the One Big Beautiful Bill will cause health care services in rural areas. This is a political gesture and no more.” Grants are temporary rather than structural solutions. They do nothing to solve the Medicaid reimbursement or hospital debt crisis. We can, however, cue the response from Mikey B as hyping this as a true solution to the ongoing struggles rural health care systems are experiencing. Again, Rs are masters at creating a crisis, convincing constituents Biden caused the crisis, and only they can solve said crisis.
H.R. 3419. To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs
Passed House by Voice Vote.
This bill reauthorizes through FY2030 grant programs to support telehealth networks and telehealth resource centers, which are administered by the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth within the Health Resources and Services Administration. These programs provide grants to health care providers and related entities to establish telehealth networks that expand access to and improve the quality of health care services and information in rural and medically underserved areas and for medically underserved populations.
S. 1020. A bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to extend the time period during which licensees are required to commence construction of certain hydropower project
Passed Senate. Passed House. To President. Became Public Law No. 119-90.
This bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction deadlines for hydropower projects that were issued a license before March 13, 2020. FERC is authorized, upon the request of the licensees, to extend the deadline for beginning construction on such projects an additional six years beyond the eight-year extension FERC is authorized to provide under current law. The extension must consist of no more than three consecutive two-year periods. The bill also provides that FERC may reinstate certain expired licenses for projects with construction deadlines extended under this bill, effective as of the date they expire.
H.Res. 1202. Electing a member to a certain standing committee of the House of Representatives.
Agreed to in House.
April 22, 2026
H. Res. 1182. Expressing support for rural communities across the United States as stewards of the environment, major suppliers of United States energy resources, critical providers of food production and manufacturing capacity, and drivers of national economic stability, and recognizing the work of the House of Representatives in the 119th Congress in support of those vital communities
Agreed to in House. 220-196. MB Voted Yes.
NOTE: In true R fashion, this was a messaging resolution rather than substantive legislation. Rs need to convince their rural constituents they have not harmed them through Medicaid cuts, loss of ACA subsidies, increased gas prices, increased cost of living, and increased costs to farmers (gas, fertilizer, equipment, and loss of markets). Rs realize they need to dominate the narrative they are the defenders of rural America, and resolutions such as this go a long way to provide the opportunity to share this message. Dems voted against this resolution because of the framing and implied policy claims, not opposition to rural communities. That being said, Dems need to stop ignoring rural communities and be present year-round to listen to these constituents and respond to their concerns. Dems also need to take up the banner of running for every office in every community. We need to do better.
H.R. 4690. Reliable Federal Infrastructure Act
Passed House. 215-204. MB voted Yes.
· This bill repeals certain energy efficiency performance standards for new federal buildings and federal buildings undergoing major renovations. Specifically, the bill repeals the performance standards that phase out fossil fuel use in such buildings by FY2030.
NOTE: This bill repeals Section 433 of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, which encouraged new and renovated federal buildings toward eliminating on-site fossil fuel use by 2030. The energy companies who supported this bill and stand to benefit include: ONE Gas, American gas Assoc., American Public Gas Assoc., National Propane Gas Assoc National Energy and Fuels Institute, American petroleum Institute, pipeline and LNG infrastructure companies, and large gas utilities and affiliates. Big loss to renewable energy focused construction contractors, utilities invested in all-electric building systems, and building electrification firms. Big losses also to the American people who will continue to suffer greater effects of climate change.
April 23, 2026
H.R. 5587. HEATS Act. Harnessing Energy at Thermal Sources Act
Passed House. 231 – 186. MB voted Yes.
This bill exempts certain geothermal activities on state and private lands (except Indian lands) from drilling permit requirements as well as environmental and historic preservation review requirements.
NOTE: Although D’s generally support geothermal energy (clean energy, reliable 24/7 power, creates union/trade jobs, helps decarbonize the grid, domestically sourced energy), they voted against this bill because of reduced federal oversight, environmental review concerns, concern about varying state standards and a precedent for broader permitting rollbacks (e.g. for weakening federal review in oil, gas, mining or other sectors – because of course it will).
SENATE LEGISLATIVE FLOOR ACTIVITY
April 20, 2026
No Legislative activity.
April 21, 2026
S. 1528. CHILD Act of 2025
Passed Senate with unanimous consent.
A bill to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to ensure that businesses and organizations that work with vulnerable populations are able to request background checks for their contractors who work with those populations, as well as for individuals that the businesses or organizations license or certify to provide care for those populations.
S. 2132. CLEAR Path Act
Passed by Voice Vote.
A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent and mitigate the potential for conflicts of interest following government service, and for other purposes.
April 22, 2026
S.Con.Res.33. A concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2026 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2027 through 2035.
Agreed to in Senate. 50 – 48 (after 19 roll call votes on proposed amendments)
April 23, 2026
No legislative activity.
April 24, 2026
No legislative activity.