WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Charlie Crist, D-Fla., has introduced legislation (H.R. 1482) to "extend the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs regarding presumptions of service connection for diseases associated with exposure to herbicide agents." The bill was introduced on March 4 and was co-sponsored by Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. It was referred to the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. For more information, Rep. Charlie Crist, 215 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20  more

WASHINGTON, March 9 -- Rep. Grace F. Napolitano, D-Calif., has introduced legislation (H.R. 1638) to amend title 32, U.S. Code, "to authorize the transfer of equipment and facilities from the Federal Government or a State, Tribal, or local government to the National Guard for purposes of the National Guard Youth Challenge Program." The bill was introduced on March 8 and has 13 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., Don Young, R-Alaska, Bobby L. Rush, D-Ill., Derek Kilmer,  more

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-N.J., has introduced legislation (H.R. 1570) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act "to waive coinsurance under Medicare for colorectal cancer screening tests, regardless of whether therapeutic intervention is required during the screening." The bill was introduced on March 6 and has 122 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., Donald A. McEachin, R-Va., David B. McKinley, R-W.Va., Nanette D. Barragan, D-Calif., San  more

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., has introduced legislation (S. 684) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage. The bill was introduced on March 6 and has 23 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Cory Gardner, R-Colo., John Boozman, R-Ark., Margaret Wood Hassan, D-  more

WASHINGTON, March 8 -- Sen. James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., has introduced legislation (S. 678) to "declare English as the official language of the United States, to establish a uniform English language rule for naturalization, and to avoid misconstructions of the English language texts of the laws of the United States, pursuant to Congress' powers to provide for the general welfare of the United States and to establish a uniform rule of naturalization under article I, section 8, of the Constitution."  more

WASHINGTON, March 9 -- Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., has introduced legislation (S. 692) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on medical devices. The bill was introduced on March 7 and has 25 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Margaret Wood Hassan, D-N.H., James M. Inhofe, R-Okla., Johnny Is  more