The Modern, Clean, and Safe Trucks Act of 2026 repeals the 12 percent federal excise tax on new heavy trucks, tractors, and trailers. By removing this tax, the bill aims to lower the purchase price of these vehicles and encourage the replacement of older, less efficient models with newer, cleaner technology. The legislation directly affects truck manufacturers, dealerships, and fleet operators by eliminating a specific line item in the Internal Revenue Code that currently applies to the first retail sale of these items. Additionally, the act includes technical amendments to related tax sections to ensure consistency after the main tax is removed.
HR 1654, the CUTS Act, redirects unobligated pandemic relief and infrastructure funds to other federal spending priorities. It rescinds leftover money from COVID-19 relief acts (including the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan) and specific infrastructure programs like the Education Stabilization Fund and transportation initiatives. The rescinded funds are limited to the total amount allocated for Israel, Ukraine, and Indo-Pacific security supplements. This bill reallocates existing unspent federal funds without creating new programs or affecting current beneficiaries.
This bill prohibits federal funds from being allocated as congressional earmarks (specific funding requests) to states or local governments designated as "sanctuary jurisdictions." A sanctuary jurisdiction is defined as any state or local area with policies that restrict sharing immigration status information or refuse to comply with Department of Homeland Security detainer requests. The law includes an exception for policies allowing cooperation with DHS when individuals are victims or witnesses in criminal cases. It applies to earmarks starting in fiscal year 2026, not general federal funding.
Unauthorized Spending Accountability Act This bill reduces budgetary levels for certain federal programs that are funded through the annual appropriations process and do not have an authorization of appropriations. Under the bill, budgetary levels are spending allocations provided to the congressional appropriations committees by a congressional budget resolution or a deeming resolution. The allocations are provided under the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and are often referred to as 302(a) allocations. The bill applies to programs included in the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) annual report listing programs that are funded through the appropriations process and have an authorization of appropriations that has either expired or will expire during the year. If a program is listed in the CBO report, the bill requires specified reductions to be implemented over a three-year period and terminates the unauthorized programs at the end of the third unauthorized year.
S 515 would repeal the Impoundment Control Act of 1974, a federal law that restricted the president's ability to withhold funds Congress had appropriated. This bill directly affects the executive branch (the president) and Congress by removing requirements for the president to seek congressional approval before deferring or reducing spending on specific programs. The key mechanism is the complete removal of the legal framework established by the 1974 Act, which previously mandated that the president notify Congress and obtain its consent to withhold funds. This change would allow the president greater unilateral authority over budget execution without congressional approval for deferrals.
HR 374, the DIRECT Act, redirects unused funds originally allocated to the IRS for enforcement under the Inflation Reduction Act toward border security. It rescinds unobligated IRS enforcement funds and appropriates the exact same amount to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for hiring new border agents. This bill directly affects the IRS by reducing its enforcement budget and CBP by increasing its funding for border personnel. The key mechanism is a simple transfer of existing, unspent funds without creating new spending. The bill makes no changes to tax law or policy, only reallocating previously authorized resources.
HR 2524, the "REPEAL CBO Requirements Act," would allow congressional committees (excluding Appropriations committees) to replace Congressional Budget Office (CBO) budget estimates with estimates from private accounting firms. Specifically, committee chairs could obtain budget cost estimates from the top 10 accounting firms by revenue instead of the CBO for any bill or resolution, using these private estimates for budget enforcement under key laws like the Balanced Budget Act and Pay-As-You-Go rules. The bill requires that if a private firm's estimate is used, the CBO would no longer prepare an estimate for that measure. This change would shift the responsibility for budget scoring from the nonpartisan CBO to for-profit accounting firms for most legislative measures.
This bill requires automatic, across-the-board spending cuts to nonsecurity federal programs for fiscal years 2026 and beyond. It targets nonsecurity discretionary spending (like education, transportation, and environmental programs) by rescinding the percentage of growth above 1% compared to the previous year's funding. The cuts apply proportionally to all nonsecurity programs after appropriations are made available for the fiscal year (by September 30). Security-related spending (such as defense) is excluded from these reductions.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total federal expenditures for a year from exceeding the average annual federal receipts collected in the three prior years, adjusted for changes in the population of U.S. citizens and inflation. Expenditures for payment of debt and receipts derived from borrowing are excluded. Under the amendment, Congress may authorize specific expenditures in excess of the limit with (1) a roll call vote of two-thirds of each chamber, or (2) a roll call vote for any year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The amendment also prohibits any bill to levy a new tax or increase the rate of any tax from becoming law unless it has been approved by a roll call vote of two-thirds of the whole number of each chamber of Congress. The requirements take effect in the fifth year beginning after ratification of the amendment.
SRES 517 is a Senate resolution opposing congressional spending on earmarks - special spending projects directed by lawmakers for specific local projects. It condemns the use of earmarks to allocate taxpayer funds, reaffirms previous bans on such spending (including a 2019 permanent ban), and urges Congress to focus on reducing the national debt instead. The resolution does not change current spending rules but expresses the Senate’s position against earmarks as a way to curb deficit spending and debt growth. It directly affects how Congress manages federal budget allocations, emphasizing fiscal responsibility over targeted project funding.
