Q&A: Unfinished Business

11.06.2026

Q: What's on Congress' plate before the end of the year?

A: With the midterm elections behind us, the 119^th Congress returns to Washington with a plate of unfinished business to address. That includes passing the annual defense authorization bill, keeping the government open beyond the short-term funding bill that expires on Dec. 11 and reauthorizing key rural healthcare programs, including the Medicare-dependent and low-volume hospital programs, Rural Community Hospital Demonstration Program and a Medicare payment floor for rural doctors and clinics. For 65 years in a row, Congress has worked across the aisle to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The annual legislation sets defense-related policy and authorizes appropriations for the Pentagon, such as procurement for weapon systems, ships, and aircraft; payroll and personnel; military construction; and, nuclear weapons programs at the Department of Energy. The NDAA is often called must-pass legislation because it authorizes funding that supports military families, from housing to healthcare, and sets guidance on the nation's defense programs that protect national security. It's one of the most consequential bills every year on Congress' to do list. For example, the fiscal year 2025 NDAA included 794 pages of policy measures and discretionary authorizations exceeding $883 billion. The bill is often a vehicle for other homeland security legislation to get passed. This year, I've filed bipartisan amendments to the NDAA that would protect kids online, fight organized crime and stem illicit drug use.

I'll also be pushing to enact the five-year Farm Bill that's been stalled for the last three years and operating under annual extensions. Unfortunately, Senate Democrats have refused to join Republican-led efforts to cut fraud from the food stamp program. Meanwhile, farmers need certainty and are counting on Congress to update conservation, rural development and farm credit policies that are operating under the 2018 farm law. I'm also committed to getting permanent, year-round nationwide E15 across the finish line that was included in the Farm Bill that passed the Senate Agriculture Committee. Getting E15 signed into law will help lower gas prices, boost corn demand and pump $14 billion into the farm economy. I'm hopeful lawmakers will reach a consensus once and for all to get the Farm Bill to the president's desk before the end of the year.

Q: Why is permitting reform a bipartisan priority?

A: There is too much red tape in Washington. Public policies set decades ago to protect the environment are in dire need of an update to reflect changes in technology and address the regulatory and legal quagmire that's standing in the way of bringing costs down for the American people. The federal permitting process that determines when and if critical infrastructure projects move from the drawing board to shovels in the ground is ineffective and costly. The heavy-handed bureaucratic review process is forcing American families to pay more for energy and consumer goods. Lawmakers on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee have rolled up their sleeves in good faith to hammer out a bipartisan bill called the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. It would reform the nation's environmental review and federal permitting framework that's driving up costs for Americans and impeding economic growth. By responsibly untangling the regulatory thicket that takes years and even decades for infrastructure projects to get started - from pipelines to transmission lines needed to boost the nation's energy grid - Congress can fix the broken permitting process, better protect natural resources, pave the way for more affordable and reliable clean energy and foster economic development across the country. Importantly, the bill would help provide certainty to infrastructure projects that have received permitting approvals and secured financing by preventing future administrations from unwinding or blocking entire classes of energy projects. What's more, the Senate bill would ensure data centers pay for their energy costs and protect families from footing the bill. For years, Congress has taken bites at the permitting reform apple. It's time to get the job done and responsibly meet surging demand for affordable electricity so the U.S. economy isn't left behind.