Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers

Maddy summaryHR 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, makes a permanent the 20% tax deduction for eligible small business owners under Section 199A of the tax code. This provision directly affects pass-through business owners (like S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) who qualify for the deduction. The bill achieves this by removing the temporary expiration language (subsection (i)) from the existing tax code provision. The key change is ending the need for annual congressional extensions of this deduction, providing long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

Maddy summaryHR 1815 creates a three-year pilot program to test assisted living services as an alternative to VA nursing home care for eligible veterans. It directly affects veterans currently receiving VA nursing home care or needing higher care than VA domiciliary services but not meeting full nursing home criteria. The program selects six VA service networks (prioritizing regions with high nursing home use and rural areas), contracts with approved facilities meeting VA standards, and pays lower rates than nursing home costs. The VA must report annually on participants, costs, barriers, and quality, with a final report recommending whether to expand the program nationwide.

Maddy summaryHR 1774, the VA Emergency Transportation Act, expands VA benefits to cover emergency transportation for veterans. It amends existing law to replace "emergency treatment" with "emergency services" throughout, explicitly including ambulance or air ambulance transport as covered services. This means veterans needing emergency transport to or from a medical facility (to receive treatment) can now have those costs reimbursed by the VA. The bill directly affects veterans who require urgent medical transport, clarifying that such transportation is part of their covered VA benefits.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 1282 (Major Richard Star Act), expands benefits for certain military retirees by allowing them to receive both veterans' disability compensation and military retirement pay simultaneously. It specifically affects combat-related disabled retirees under Chapter 61 of the military retirement system who have fewer than 20 years of service. The key change removes the automatic reduction of military retirement pay when these retirees also receive disability compensation, as amended in Section 1413a(b)(3) of Title 10. Technical updates to the law’s structure and effective date (starting after enactment) complete the provisions.

Maddy summaryHR 4435, the Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act, requires automatic budget cuts for federal programs that outlive their funding authorizations. It applies to programs listed in the Congressional Budget Office's annual report on expired authorizations, directly affecting those programs and the congressional budget committees responsible for their funding. The bill mandates a 10% budget reduction in the first year after authorization expires, increasing to 15% in the second and third years, with automatic termination after three years unless Congress reauthorizes the program with a strict three-year sunset provision. Unobligated funds from terminated programs may still cover prior valid spending.

Maddy summaryThe IDEA Full Funding Act (HR 4519) mandates specific annual increases in federal funding for special education programs under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It requires Congress to appropriate increasing amounts each fiscal year - from $5.87 billion for 2024 up to $55.53 billion for 2033 - to reach 40% of the national average per-pupil expenditure for public schools by 2033. This directly affects all public school districts serving students with disabilities, as federal IDEA funding supports their special education services. The bill sets fixed dollar amounts or percentage targets (whichever is greater) for each fiscal year, aiming to gradually close the long-standing gap between promised and actual federal funding. It does not alter eligibility for services but mandates higher, phased funding levels to meet the 40% target.

Maddy summaryThe EHR Program RESET Act of 2023 establishes a new program to modernize the Department of Veterans Affairs' electronic health record system, creating a dedicated program office within the Veterans Health Administration. The bill sets specific performance metrics that facilities must meet before continuing EHR deployment, requires termination of the current Oracle-Cerner contract for training and change management, and mandates new reporting requirements on system stability, staff satisfaction, and interoperability. It also creates an advisory subcommittee of health care experts to provide guidance on the EHR modernization strategy and requires detailed reports on contract savings, system performance, and alternatives to the current EHR technology. The legislation aims to improve veteran care quality, provider satisfaction, and system security while reducing costs and preventing vendor lock-in.

Maddy summaryHR 4335, the VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2023, requires mortgage lenders to include specific information about VA home loan programs in standard mortgage disclosures. The bill amends the National Housing Act to mandate that lenders provide details on VA loans (guaranteed under Title 38) alongside other loan options, including assumptions about prevailing interest rates. This change directly affects lenders processing VA-guaranteed mortgages, ensuring borrowers receive clearer comparisons between VA loans and other financing. The law does not require lenders to verify borrower eligibility for VA loans, only to include the specified disclosure language.

Maddy summaryHJRES 44 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a 2021 rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The rule classified firearms with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles," which would have required additional licensing and regulation. This resolution uses a specific legal process (under Title 5, U.S. Code) to formally disapprove the ATF rule, meaning the rule would no longer be in effect. It directly affects firearm owners, manufacturers, and dealers who would have been subject to the rule’s requirements.

Maddy summaryHR 277 would require Congress to approve major federal regulations before they take effect. Major rules are defined as those with significant economic impact ($100 million+ annually), major cost increases for consumers or industries, or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, or innovation. Agencies must submit detailed information about these rules to Congress, including cost-benefit analyses, before they can take effect. Congress would have 70 session days to approve the rule with a joint resolution; if they don't act within that timeframe, the rule would not take effect. This would increase congressional oversight of federal regulations and require more detailed information about proposed rules before they become law.