WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Nanette D. Barragan, D-Calif., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6707) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act "to limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to reduce certain royalties, to amend the CARES Act to limit the provision of assistance to certain businesses, to impose a moratorium on certain oil and natural gas lease sales, the issuance of coal leases, and modifications to certain regulations, to extend certain publ  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo. has introduced legislation (H.R. 6711) to "provide for the expedited and transparent procurement and distribution of equipment and supplies needed to combat COVID-19." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 48 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, Katie Porter, D-Calif., Bradley Schneider, D-Ill., Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., Angie Craig, D-Minn., Paul Tonko  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Josh Harder, D-Calif., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6717) to "direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to extend the period of authorized stay for certain alien health care workers during the COVID-19 emergency period." The bill was introduced on May 5 and was co-sponsored by Reps. James McGovern, D-Mass., and Jim Costa, D-Calif. It was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. For more information, Rep. Josh Harder, 131 Cannon House Office Building, Washington,  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Ann Kuster, D-N.H., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6699) to "establish a commission to determine essential employment during the COVID-19 crisis period and provide loan repayment and education credit to workers employed in such essential employment during such crisis." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 21 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., Stephen F. Lynch, D-Mass., Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, Madeleine Dean, D  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6721) to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 hate crimes. The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 19 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Alan Lowenthal, D-Calif., Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J., Joseph P. Kennedy III, D-Mass., Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., Barbara Lee, D-Calif., Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., Eliot L. Engel, D-N.Y., Nydia M. Velazquez, D-N.Y., Adriano Espaillat, D-N.Y., Earl Blume  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6724) to "authorize emergency homeless assistance grants under the Emergency Solutions Grants program of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for response to the public health emergency relating to coronavirus." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has seven co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.,   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. David E. Price, D-N.C., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6702) to amend the national service laws "to prioritize national service programs and projects that are directly related to the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 19 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. Doris O. Matsui, D-Calif., Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., Ami Bera, D-Calif., Kim Schrier, D-Wash., Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Conn., Bradley Schneide  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6698) to amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act "to improve the quality of care in skilled nursing facilities under the Medicare program and nursing facilities under the Medicare program during the COVID-19 emergency period." The bill was introduced on May 5 and was co-sponsored by Reps. Doris O. Matsui, D-Calif., Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Calif., Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., a  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6700) to "authorize the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to approve State, local, and Indian tribal government plans to partner with small and mid-size restaurants and nonprofit organizations to provide nutritious meals to individuals in need, to waive certain matching fund requirements." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 20 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Reps. James McGovern, D-  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., has introduced legislation (H.R. 6733) to amend section 6304 of title 5, U.S. Code, "to restore annual leave lost by certain Federal employees due to the COVID-19 pandemic." The bill was introduced on May 5 and was co-sponsored by Reps. Stephen F. Lynch, D-Mass., Don S. Beyer, D-Va., Jamie Raskin, D-Md., and Del. Eleanor Holmes-Norton, D-D.C. It was referred to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. For more information, Rep. Jennifer Wexton  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., has introduced legislation (S. 3627) to "provide for the expedited and transparent procurement and distribution of equipment and supplies needed to combat COVID-19." The bill was introduced on May 6 and has 45 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Robert Casey Jr., D-Pa., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Kirsten G  more

WASHINGTON, May 6 -- Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., has introduced legislation (S. 3598) to "require commercial airlines to provide cash reimbursements, and to authorize the Secretary of State to waive or reimburse travel expenses, for any United States citizen who is evacuated from a foreign country and repatriated to the United States due to travel restrictions implemented in response to COVID-19 or any future pandemic or international crisis." The bill was introduced on May 4 and has seve  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has introduced legislation (S. 3649) to "promote competition, to preserve the ability of local governments to provide broadband capacity and services." The bill was introduced on May 7 and has six co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y. The legislation was referred to the Senate Commerce, Scien  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., has introduced legislation (S. 3645) to "require the release of most aliens detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a national emergency related to a communicable disease." The bill was introduced on May 7 and has six co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, and Edward J. Markey, D-Mass. The legisla  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Christopher Coons, D-Del., has introduced legislation (S. 3624) to amend the national service laws "to prioritize national service programs and projects that are directly related to the response to and recovery from the COVID-19 public health emergency." The bill was introduced on May 6 and has 16 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Jack Reed, D-R.I., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Holle  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., has introduced legislation (S. 3633) to "require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to continue to update and make publicly available EJScreen or an equivalent tool." The bill was introduced on May 6 and has 13 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Thomas R. Carper, D-Del., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Edward   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., has introduced legislation (S. 3606) to "provide for the establishment of a Health Force and a Resilience Force to respond to public health emergencies and meet public health needs." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 11 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Ros  more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., has introduced legislation (S. 3623) to "provide for an enhanced Coronavirus relief fund for units of government with a population of 500,000 or less." The bill was introduced on May 6 and has 16 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Doug Jones, D-Ala., Patty Murray, D-Wash., Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Catherine Cortez Masto,   more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii, has introduced legislation (S. 3609) to "ensure that all communities have access to urgently needed COVID-19 testing, treatment, public health information, and relief benefits regardless of immigration status or limited English proficiency." The bill was introduced on May 5 and has 14 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Elizabeth Warren,  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., has introduced legislation (S. 3669) to respond to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The bill was introduced on May 7 and has nine co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Christopher Coons, D-Del., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn., Tim Kaine, D-Va., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Cory Booker, D-N.J. The legislation was referred to the Senate Foreign Relations Com  more

WASHINGTON, May 7 -- Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., has introduced legislation (S. 3611) to amend the Mineral Leasing Act and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act "to limit the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to reduce certain royalties, to amend the CARES Act to limit the provision of assistance to certain businesses, to impose a moratorium on certain oil and natural gas lease sales, the issuance of coal leases, and modifications to certain regulations, to extend certain public comment   more

WASHINGTON, May 8 -- Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., has introduced legislation (S. 3620) to establish a Housing Assistance Fund at the Department of the Treasury. The bill was introduced on May 6 and has 18 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Jon Tester, D-Mont., Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, Doug Jones, D-Ala., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., Mark R. Warner, D-Va., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., has introduced legislation (S. 3652) to "allow 2020 recovery rebates with respect to qualifying children over the age of 16 and other dependents." The bill was introduced on May 7 and has 21 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Kamala D. Harris, D-Calif.  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., has introduced legislation (S. 3642) to "mobilize individuals in the U.S. in the fight against coronavirus by expanding volunteer opportunities in AmeriCorps, expanding employment opportunities at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and utilizing the expertise of Peace Corps volunteer leaders whose service ended on March 15, 2020." The bill was introduced on May 7 and was co-sponsored by Sens. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Chris Van Hollen, D  more

WASHINGTON, May 9 -- Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has introduced legislation (S. 3640) to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 "to allow certain taxpayers a 2-year carryback of net operating losses and to restore and make permanent the limitation on excess business losses of non-corporate taxpayers." The bill was introduced on May 7 and has 23 co-sponsors. Co-sponsors include Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Tom Udall, D-N.M., Richard Blumentha  more