Federal Update: House Moves Public Lands and Forest Resilience Bills 

This week, the House considered several bipartisan public lands and natural resources bills. Among them was the Save Our Sequoias Act (H.R. 2709), introduced by Representatives Vince Fong (R-CA) and Scott Peters (D-CA), with companion legislation led by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and John Curtis (R-UT). The bipartisan bill seeks to protect California’s giant sequoia groves by accelerating forest restoration, reducing hazardous fuels buildup, and strengthening coordination among federal, state, tribal, and local land managers. It should be noted that Giant sequoias – found in roughly 70 groves across about 37,000 acres in California – have experienced significant losses from recent wildfires, with nearly 20 percent of the trees destroyed over the past decade. 

Lawmakers also advanced bipartisan legislation – the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act (H.R. 528) – that would direct the Department of the Interior, in coordination with states, tribes, local governments, and academic institutions, to identify lands damaged by natural disasters and support priority reforestation and ecosystem restoration projects through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. The measure aims to support community recovery after natural disasters while restoring forest ecosystems and reducing the risk of future catastrophic wildfires. 

Later this week, the House will consider the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act (H.R. 556), which would prohibit federal agencies – including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service – from banning the use of lead ammunition or fishing tackle on federal lands and waters for hunting and fishing unless such restrictions are consistent with state law and supported by science. Supporters argue the measure protects access to outdoor recreation and avoids increasing costs for hunters and anglers, who contribute significant funding to wildlife conservation through excise taxes on equipment. 

 Congress Faces DHS Shutdown, SAVE Act Fight, and Potential Iran Supplemental 

Several high-stakes issues are emerging on Capitol Hill that could shape the congressional agenda in the coming weeks. The White House and Republican leaders on Capitol Hill have begun early discussions on a potential supplemental funding package tied to the ongoing conflict in Iran. While the Trump administration has not yet sent a formal request to Congress, early estimates suggest the package could exceed $100 billion. Because it may serve as one of the few major must-pass legislative vehicles of the year, lawmakers are already looking at the measure as an opportunity to attach additional priorities, setting up a potentially significant debate over spending levels, offsets, and possible limits on the administration’s authority. 

At the same time, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been partially shut down for more than 30 days amid a funding impasse in Congress, leaving tens of thousands of employees unpaid and raising operational concerns at airports and other security checkpoints. The situation comes as the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing for Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the department and replace outgoing Secretary Kristi Noem. During the hearing, Mullin emphasized that he intends to take a different leadership approach at DHS and work to restore stability and confidence in the agency. 

Mullin indicated that, if confirmed, he would require federal immigration agents to obtain court-ordered warrants before entering homes or businesses to make arrests, except in exigent circumstances. Additionally, he said he would end a policy requiring the DHS secretary to personally approve certain grants and contracts above $100,000, calling the requirement unnecessary micromanagement. Lawmakers from both parties also raised questions about DHS’s broader responsibilities, including disaster response, as Congress continues to debate potential reforms to federal emergency management programs. The committee is expected to vote on Mullin’s nomination this week, with Senate floor consideration likely to follow shortly thereafter. 

Meanwhile, the Senate is preparing for extended debate on a House-passed election integrity proposal – the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act – that would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship (such as a passport or REAL ID-compliant identification) when registering to vote in federal elections. The legislation would establish new verification requirements, grant election officials access to certain federal databases to confirm citizenship status, and create new penalties related to voter registration compliance. For counties in California, which are primarily responsible for administering elections, the proposal could introduce significant new administrative responsibilities, including verifying citizenship documentation, conducting ongoing voter list maintenance tied to citizenship status, and complying with expanded enforcement provisions. It should be noted that the bill does not provide additional federal funding to help states or counties implement the new requirements, raising concerns among local election administrators about potential costs and administrative burdens. 

While Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has set up a multi-day debate process that could stretch into the weekend, the bill currently does not appear to have the votes needed to overcome the Senate’s 60-vote threshold. Some conservatives have urged congressional leaders to eliminate the filibuster to pass the legislation, though that approach also lacks sufficient support. 

White House Establishes Task Force to Combat Fraud 

On Monday, President Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) launching a task force, helmed by Vice President J.D. Vance, to crack down on fraudulent payments across the federal government. The EO calls on nearly a dozen federal agencies to develop a national strategy “to stop fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs,” including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Agencies on the task force will have 30 days to identify which of their benefit programs and transactions are most susceptible to fraud schemes, and to suggest fraud-prevention remedies. 

Notably, the task force will focus on ensuring agencies do more to identify fraudulent payments before they are distributed. The EO warns that “proactively pausing certain types of funding” may be necessary until certain controls can be put in place, doubling down on the administration’s ongoing practice of freezing grant payments. The EO further calls for greater data-sharing between federal, state and local government agencies – especially between benefit-providing agencies and law enforcement agencies – and suggests that agencies might utilize third-party contractors to root out fraud. 

Trump Administration Proposing New DEI Certifications for All Federal Grantees 

The General Services Administration, an independent agency of the U.S. government that manages and supports the basic functioning of federal agencies, has proposed significant changes to the System for Award Management (SAM) – the online portal state and local governments, tribes, nonprofits and other entities must use to apply for and receive federal financial assistance, including discretionary, mandatory, block, and formula grants, cooperative agreements, loans, insurance, and direct appropriations.  

Under the proposed changes, applicants and recipients of federal financial assistance would be required to sign new certifications under penalty of criminal and civil law. These certifications attempt to align with President Trump’s executive order and the U.S. Department of Justice guidance targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The revised certification also includes provisions related to undocumented immigration and terrorism. Comments on the proposal are due March 30.