Press Releases
The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of May 18, 2026
Washington,
May 17, 2026
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
Safeguarding Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights
For decades, VA bureaucrats have blocked over 250,000 veterans with fiduciaries from exercising their Second Amendment rights. Under current law, the VA automatically reports veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) if they are assigned a fiduciary to help manage their VA benefits due to a disability. As a result, veterans can lose their right to bear arms simply for needing financial assistance. Unlike civilians, veterans with fiduciaries are not guaranteed the same due process protections before being added to NICS. Instead of a judge determining whether someone poses a danger to themselves or others, VA bureaucrats can strip veterans of their constitutional rights without a court ruling. The VA accounts for roughly 97% of all federal agency NICS submissions, while the policy discourages some veterans from seeking assistance and perpetuates harmful stigmas surrounding veteran mental health. House Republicans are advancing legislation to protect veterans’ Second Amendment rights and prevent bureaucrats from stripping veterans of their constitutional freedoms solely because they need a fiduciary. H.R. 1041, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, sponsored by Chairman Mike Bost, bars Veterans’ Affairs from giving the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) sensitive information without due process and protects veterans with fiduciaries. House Republicans remain committed to ensuring America’s veterans receive the care, respect, and constitutional rights they fought to defend.  When service members suffer catastrophic injuries or make the ultimate sacrifice, VA compensation programs are meant to help veterans and their families shoulder the burden. But many recipients have found these benefits no longer keep pace with rising medical costs, caregiving needs, and everyday expenses. After Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donovan Lee ‘Bull’ Briley was tragically killed overseas in 1993, his wife, Sharri Briley, relied on the VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program. Like many Gold Star families, she found those survivor benefits fell short of meeting her family’s financial needs. In 2005, Sgt. Eric Edmunson was serving in Iraq when his vehicle was struck by an IED, leaving him in need of around-the-clock at-home medical care. Congress created Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) to help veterans with life-altering injuries cover medical expenses and caregiver costs, but outdated payment levels and eligibility requirements have left many struggling to afford the care they need. No Gold Star family or disabled veteran should be left carrying these burdens alone after sacrificing for our nation. This week, House Republicans are bringing a bill to the floor to raise DIC compensation rates for Gold Star families and double SMC benefits for veterans with service-oriented disabilities, ensuring these payouts are equitable to their level of need. H.R. 6047, the Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefit Expansion Act, sponsored by Rep. Tom Barrett, increases disabled veterans’ monthly compensation by $833.33 – or $10,000 per year. Additionally, DIC for family members of deceased veterans would increase by 1.5% over the next two years. This would provide meaningful relief for over 500,000 veterans and their families for the first time in decades. House Republicans will continue fighting to ensure service members, veterans, and their families receive the benefits, support, and care they earned through their sacrifice.  Protecting Parents’ Rights and Preventing Woke Gender Ideology Indoctrination in Schools For years, schools across the country have increasingly cut parents out of decisions involving their children while promoting woke gender ideology in classrooms. Under the Biden Administration, school boards tried to silence concerned parents while the Department of Justice and FBI investigated those who spoke out at school board meetings. At the same time, some schools encouraged students to transition to the opposite gender without informing their parents. A report from Parents Defending Education found that 1,200 school districts—covering 21,000+ schools and 12 million students—have policies requiring or encouraging staff to withhold information about a child's gender transition from parents. Parents deserve transparency and must remain central in their children’s lives. That’s why House Republicans are advancing legislation to stop schools from socially transitioning children without parental consent and prevent taxpayer dollars from funding gender ideology in classrooms. Chairman Tim Walberg’s legislation, H.R. 2616, the Stopping Indoctrination and Protecting Kids Act, ensures parents remain central in their children’s lives by prohibiting federally funded elementary or middle schools from socially transitioning a child – such as by changing their name, pronouns, or bathroom access – without parental consent, and blocking federal funding from supporting gender ideology teachings in classrooms. It’s past time we stop taxpayer-funded indoctrination and the sidelining of parents in America’s schools. House Republicans are fighting to keep parents in the know when it comes to their children and make sure parental rights are protected and respected in schools. Standardizing NIL for College Athletics and Protecting Student-Athletes For years, NCAA rules prevented student-athletes from profiting off their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL). That began to change in 2021 after the Supreme Court’s NCAA v. Alston decision and other events prompted the NCAA to allow athletes to earn compensation through NIL deals. But with more than 30 different state NIL laws now in effect and major changes following the House v. NCAA settlement, college athletics has entered an unstable and constantly changing environment. The lack of consistent rules around recruiting, transfers, eligibility, and athlete compensation has fueled uncertainty, intensified recruiting battles, and expanded “pay-for-play” arrangements through donor-funded collectives and boosters. House Republicans are advancing legislation to create a national NIL framework that protects student-athletes and empowers college sports to govern itself. The legislation safeguards student-athletes’ rights to enter NIL agreements, protects benefits like medical coverage and scholarships, increases transparency of agents, allows an Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IIAA) to oversee eligibility and recruiting rules, and clarifies that student-athletes are not employees. H.R. 4312, the Student Compensation & Opportunity through Rights & Endorsements (SCORE) Act, introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, standardizes and establishes a national framework for NIL deals to provide consistency and stability for college athletics, supporting athletic opportunities, protecting student-athletes from exploitation, clarifying that student-athletes are not employees, and ending the mass ongoing litigation threatening college sports. Student-athletes deserve compensation for their contributions to college sports, but the current NIL system lacks clarity, stability, and the guardrails needed to prevent exploitation. Establishing a national framework is long overdue and will bring much-needed consistency to college athletics.  Allocating Federal Land for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Since Congress established the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum in 2020, the Smithsonian Institution has worked to secure a permanent location for the museum. During the 116th Congress, the House passed H.R. 133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, on a bipartisan basis, beginning the process of designating federal land for construction. However, the Act also prohibited the museum from being built on the Reserve of the National Mall — one of the most historic and visible locations in the country. This bill authorizes the Smithsonian Institution to designate land and begin construction on the National Mall, creating a landmark honoring the achievements and contributions of American women alongside other historic Smithsonian institutions. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis’ legislation, H.R. 1329, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act, appropriates federal land on the National Mall for the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum and clarifies the scope and purpose of the museum. House Republicans remain dedicated to honoring the generations of women whose leadership, innovation, and service helped shape our nation and ensuring their stories are recognized for generations to come.  ###
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