Questions? Please use the email icon at left to contact NCSL's State-Federal Affairs Division.
Congressional Updates
House Passes Bill to Limit Judicial Power
The House passed the No Rogue Rulings Act, which would limit the power of lower court judges to issue nationwide injunctions in cases with far-reaching national implications. Supporters of the bill assert it is necessary to curb what they see as judicial overreach, while detractors argue that it would erode the system of checks and balances necessary to ensure that no one branch of government accumulates too much power. The bill is not likely to pass the Senate. Read more
Medicaid Hangs in the Balance: Reconciliation Showdown
The Energy and Commerce Committee chair, Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), appears to have zeroed in on establishing new Medicaid work requirements ($200 billion in savings, according to Guthrie), lowering the federal share of costs for the expansion population ($561 billion in savings, per a list compiled by the House Budget Committee) and increasing the frequency of eligibility checks ($170 billion in savings, Guthrie says).
Democratic pushback to the Medicaid proposals is well documented. Earlier this month, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) held a press conference expressing the party's unified opposition to Medicaid cuts. But some Republicans are also now pushing back. Fourteen Republican members of the Minnesota Legislature, 12 Republican members of the Utah Legislature and 12 Republican members of Congress recently sent letters to Guthrie and others in Congress opposing some of the proposed changes.
In describing the potential impact of the proposals in Minnesota, signatories of the letter warned, "The only choices available are being forced to raise local property taxes drastically or close services." The legislators also noted that "health care is a major employer in rural Minnesota. Reductions in already-too-low reimbursement rates would not only limit access but would also reduce pay and services, hugely impacting rural economies and the rapidly growing aging population in Greater Minnesota." Over 1 million people in Minnesota receive Medicaid services, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Utah letter expresses concerns over the damage that "indiscriminate large cuts" would do to Utah's Medicaid program, which has been "carefully tailored and structured by the Utah State Legislature and successive Utah governors. It is a program that strengthens Utah families and helps ensure that our state remains one of the healthiest and most economically successful states in the nation." According to HHS, Medicaid covers 1 in 10 Utahans, half of whom are children.
In their letter, congressional Republicans reminded their colleagues that while they support efforts to "reduce improper payments, and modernize delivery systems to fix flaws in the program that divert resources away from children, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and pregnant women-those who the program was intended to help," they will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations. They warn that Medicaid cuts "also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and safety-net providers nationwide. Many hospitals-particularly in rural and underserved areas-rely heavily on Medicaid funding, with some receiving over half their revenue from the program alone. Providers in these areas are especially at risk of closure, with many unable to recover."
Additional resources:
Congress Votes to Overturn CFBP Rules
The House approved two resolutions (HJ Res. 18 and SJ Res. 28) to overturn two recently enacted Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules, using its authority under the Congressional Review Act. The overturned rules would have reduced most bank overdraft fees from $35 to $5 and expanded the CFPB's oversight authority over technology payment companies. Like the House, the Senate approved identical resolutions largely on a party-line vote. The resolutions now go to the president for his signatures. The president has expressed his support for both measures. The CRA, enacted in 1996, allows Congress to review and potentially overrule new federal regulations issued by government agencies if those regulations were issued within 60 days.
Consumer advocacy groups expressed disappointment with the votes. According to the National Consumer Law Center, Congress' vote "allows big banks to collect excessive junk fees from struggling consumers" and "blocks the oversight needed to ensure that big tech companies comply with fraud and privacy laws."
On the other hand, banks and financial tech companies applauded the votes, arguing both rules were misguided, overreaching and would ultimately hurt consumers.
In a recent staff memo discussing its 2025 enforcement and supervisory priorities, the bureau explained that it would be moving resources away from supervision and enforcement activities that could be done by the states through their own enforcement and regulatory authority, and that it would deprioritize oversight over student loans, medical debt, consumer data and digital payments. Instead, the agency said, its new priorities would include mortgage fraud, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, fraudulent overcharges, and breaches of personal information.
Administration
Federal Emergency Management Agency
FEMA Ends Disaster Resiliency Grant Program
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced on April 4 that it has ended the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities grant program, characterizing it as "wasteful and ineffective." FEMA will not review applications already submitted for the fiscal year 2024 BRIC funding opportunity. In addition, all grant funds that have not yet been disbursed to states from FY 2020-23 will be returned to the Disaster Relief Fund or the U.S. Treasury. The BRIC grant program was first authorized by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021. Read more
White House
Administration Issues Two Executive Actions on Energy Development
The first action, Protecting American Energy From State Overreach, aims to remove state barriers to the development, siting, production and investment in or use of domestic energy resources and is intended to strengthen domestic energy supply. The order specifically identifies oil, natural gas, coal, hydropower, geothermal, biofuel, critical minerals and nuclear energy. It directs the attorney general to stop the enforcement of state laws and civil actions determined to be illegal, including state laws and regulations that the administration identifies as burdensome and ideologically motivated, and those that the administration deems adverse to interstate and international trade and the principle of federalism.
The second action, Updating Permitting Technology for the 21st Century, calls for agencies to use technology to accelerate the environmental review and permitting processes for infrastructure projects. For more information on recent executive orders, see NCSL's 2025 Administration Actions: Key Executive Orders and Policies tracker.
Department of Agriculture
USDA Cancels Climate-Smart Commodities Program
After a three-month funding freeze, the Department of Agriculture announced the "cancellation" of the $3.1 billion Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities program, which will be merged into the Advancing Markets for Producers initiative. The department said it will allow projects that were awarded funding under the previous program to continue receiving funding if they meet certain qualifications, such as demonstrating that at least 65% of federal funds are being sent directly to producers. However, these projects need to submit revised applications by June 20. The department will reimburse expenses incurred under current partnership agreements before April 13.
Upcoming State-Federal Briefings
State-Federal Playback Resources
In Every Edition