Press Releases
The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of June 22, 2026
Washington,
June 21, 2026
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
Strengthening American Energy Dominance and National Security
House Republicans consider American energy dominance a top priority to secure a safe and prosperous future for our nation. While significant strides have been made to bolster American energy production in recent years, strengthening our energy and water infrastructure remains critical as new threats emerge. The FY27 Energy and Water Appropriations bill responsibly invests taxpayer dollars to support American energy production, drive economic growth through job creation, and strengthen our national security. As nuclear threats evolve around the globe, the bill provides critical funding to modernize the nation’s nuclear stockpile, prevent nuclear proliferation, and support the naval nuclear propulsion program. This bill also responsibly funds research and development for reliable energy infrastructure, strengthens cybersecurity efforts, and invests in critical minerals to reduce reliance on foreign nations. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann’s legislation, H.R. 9022, the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2027, allocates $58.5 billion in FY27 funding to unleash American energy dominance, strengthen national security, and advance critical investments into the American economy. House Republicans will always prioritize policies that strengthen American energy production and secure our nation’s future by providing the tools needed to succeed.  Implementing an America First foreign policy agenda has bolstered freedom and security under the leadership of President Trump. At its core, an America First agenda strengthens national security while ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. The FY27 National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations bill demonstrates that America can continue to project strength and leadership abroad without increasing spending. The legislation allocates $47.32 billion—6% below FY26 levels—to counter Communist China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific, combat the illicit flow of fentanyl, strengthen key alliances, and advance American interests around the world. This bill achieves these priorities through reduced spending by codifying President Trump’s executive orders to defund Biden-era climate, gender, and DEI policies, and by reforming foreign assistance to promote self-sufficiency and alignment with America’s priorities. Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart’s legislation, H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2027, responsibly funds the America First agenda by safeguarding American national security while exercising fiscal discipline in the handling of taxpayer dollars. House Republicans continue to deliver on the America First agenda and ensure America remains a safe, strong, and prosperous nation.  Establishing Guardrails to Protect Americans’ Privacy in Firearm Purchases When Americans make a purchase at a firearm retailer, credit card companies can assign a specific merchant category code (MCC) to the transaction, identifying it as a firearm-related purchase. This policy has raised concerns that these codes could be weaponized to monitor or track law-abiding Americans exercising their constitutional rights. Some states, like Texas and Florida, recognize the threat to privacy posed by these codes and have banned the use of firearm retailer-specific MCCs; however, states like California and New York have instead mandated the use of these trackable MCCs. To ensure Americans’ rights to privacy do not depend on their ZIP code, House Republicans are advancing legislation this week to implement a national standard prohibiting firearm-specific MCCs and protecting law-abiding citizens’ financial data from being used to surveil lawful firearm purchases. Rep. Riley Moore’s measure, H.R. 1181, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, would prevent the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes, establishing guardrails to ensure financial institutions and credit card companies are not coerced into surveilling customers during constitutionally protected purchases. House Republicans remain committed to protecting Americans from overreaching surveillance, safeguarding consumer privacy, and defending Second Amendment rights nationwide.  Safeguarding Veteran Benefits From Government Red Tape The American heroes who fight for our country should receive the modernized and enhanced benefits they deserve – without burdensome red tape. Under current law, veterans face barriers to accessing healthcare, disability benefits, and retirement compensation because of Biden-era government overreach and outdated policies. Combat-wounded veterans who are medically retired before reaching 20 years of service are even denied the full retirement and VA disability benefits they earned. Major Richard Star was one of those veterans. After serving 32 years in the Army Reserve with 19 and a half years spent on active duty and nine deployments to combat zones, Major Star was diagnosed with deployment-linked cancer and forced to medically retire–only to be denied his earned full retirement benefits. This week, House Republicans will bring forward a package of more than 60 bills, including the Major Richard Star Act, to properly honor veterans who sacrificed for our country by strengthening healthcare, improving access to VA benefits and services, and expanding economic opportunities for veterans. Chairman Mike Bost’s legislation, H.R. 9237, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, closes the loophole that denied Major Star his compensation, allowing around 54,000 combat-wounded veterans to receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation, all while ensuring these costs are offset. This measure also cuts the red tape that allowed bureaucrats to dictate veterans’ healthcare, delay VA clinics and facilities, and restrict veterans from receiving the full scope of their disability benefits. House Republicans are committed to leaving no veteran behind and ensuring those who sacrifice for our country receive the care and benefits services they earned through their service.  ###
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