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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Washington, March 18, 2026
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor today:
 
Confronting Deficit Spending and Getting America’s Financial House in Order

For years, the federal government’s spending has been out of control, driving up our deficit and sending the United States deeper into debt. We saw the disastrous effects of deficit spending under the Biden-Harris Administration, racking up over 8 trillion dollars in new national debt and resulting in an inflation crisis.

In FY24, for every dollar that the federal government took in, the federal government was spending $1.40. This kind of spending cannot sustain itself and is the driving force behind runaway deficits. Currently, the national debt is over $38 trillion. Reckless government spending not only sticks future generations with explosive national debt, but also puts at risk vital programs like Social Security and Medicare. 

Working with President Trump, House Republicans have taken steps to reduce government spending. For example, House Republicans worked with President Trump to spend less year over year on discretionary appropriations and, through the Working Families Tax Cut, we cut more than $1 trillion in waste, fraud, and abuse. We also eliminated $9 billion in wasteful spending through a rescissions package. 

Now, House Republicans are bringing forward a constitutional amendment to further rein in federal spending through a balanced budget constitutional amendment. Our legislation instills fiscal discipline while providing necessary flexibility to address emergency situations such as natural disasters or times of war.

H.J. Res. 139, introduced by Rep. Andy Biggs, mandates a permanent end to deficit spending by restricting federal expenditures to the average annual revenue collected over the preceding three fiscal years, adjusted for inflation and the population, while including an exception for national emergencies and war with approval from a two-thirds supermajority in both chambers.

House Republicans are fighting to restore fiscal discipline to Washington and ensure future generations don’t have to pay the price for runaway government spending. 


Deporting Illegal Aliens that Commit Fraud and Safeguarding Taxpayer Dollars

From California to Minnesota, we’ve seen widespread fraud across America, particularly in Democrat-led states. The Trump Administration and House Republicans have been working to crack down on fraud, protect American taxpayer-funded benefits, and hold those responsible accountable.

Illegal immigrants have repeatedly defrauded the United States and taken advantage of benefit programs at the expense of the American taxpayer. Last year, several illegal immigrants were convicted in a fraud scheme scamming the elderly for millions of dollars. A few months later, another illegal alien from Nigeria was also sentenced for operating a nationwide fraud ring targeting the elderly and other vulnerable populations – again, for millions of dollars.

Despite the harm caused by fraud to hardworking and vulnerable Americans, certain fraudulent acts do not always result in an illegal immigrant being deemed inadmissible or removable from the United States. Currently, the Immigration and Nationality Act does not explicitly define fraud against the United States as a deportable offense, potentially leaving aliens who commit fraud as still eligible for immigration relief and benefits like asylum that let them stay in the U.S. indefinitely. 

It should be common sense: if an illegal alien is exploiting our resources and stealing from Americans in need by defrauding the government, they should be removed from our country and never allowed to return. 

House Republicans are bringing forward legislation that ensures criminal illegal aliens that commit fraud are held accountable to the People and permanently removed from the United States. 

Rep. Dave Taylor’s legislation, H.R. 1958, the Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make illegal aliens who commit federal fraud or unlawfully receive public benefits inadmissible and removable from the United States, protecting federal programs from exploitation and defending taxpayer dollars.

American taxpayers deserve better – House Republicans are fighting to ensure illegal aliens who shouldn’t be here in the first place are held accountable if they commit fraud.


Defending Hunters and Anglers’ Access to Recreation

Each year, hunters and fishers contribute over a billion dollars to conservation funding through excise taxes on recreational hunting and fishing equipment like tackle and ammunition – the most cost-effective options being lead ammunition and fishing tackle. 

The raw material alternatives to lead tackle and ammo are significantly more expensive: in 2021, the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that lead-free hunting ammunition is on average 24.66 percent more expensive than lead ammunition, and non-lead fishing tackle like tungsten tackle is up to ten times more expensive than lead fishing tackle.

Despite the substantially higher financial burden, the Biden Administration’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed banning the use of lead ammunition and fishing tackle on federal land – increasing costs on sportsmen and women and potentially resulting in a significant decrease in hunting and fishing participation.

A ban like this would affect millions of Americans who use traditional lead ammunition and tackle, as well as put wildlife conservation funding sources at risk. 

Sportsmen and women know what it means to sustainably utilize America’s natural resources and great outdoors so that our lands are left in better condition than before. Banning lead ammunition and tackle and making it harder for Americans’ to responsibly enjoy outdoor recreation will do nothing to help conserve our lands: it will only prevent conservationists who can’t afford to spend more on ammo or tackle from continuing healthy recreational use of our federal lands.

H.R. 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, introduced by Rep. Rob Wittman, stops the Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Forest Service from banning lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters for hunting and fishing.

House Republicans are defending Americans’ access to recreation from burdensome and counterproductive regulations.