Congress is out of session until Monday, November 9 for the midterm campaign. No new roll-call votes until then; the last were the House on Sep 16 and the Senate on Sep 30.

Stories / Issue · Sep 26 – Oct 2, 2026

Environmental Protection

Congress is advancing multiple environmental protection measures this week. The Senate passed bipartisan bills on wildfire prevention, Great Lakes restoration, and floodplain ecosystem recovery. Members introduced legislation addressing PFAS chemicals in food packaging, toxic DDT waste off California, data center environmental impacts, and pesticide disclosure on federal lands. Democrats proposed bills on fossil fuel finance and prescribed fire use, while Republicans announced EPA brownfield funding for Georgia communities.

AI summary of the releases below · Oct 6, 2026

7D30D90D Export CSV
25Members · 15 D · 10 R
22Actions · 14 D · 8 R
16States & territories · OR · MI · MA · AZ lead
$6MFunding announced

How the conversation moved

Democrat Republican · one dot = one action
Action typeSat261Sun27Mon284Tue293Wed305Thu15Fri24Total
Sent lettersTo agencies, companies, officials 3
CriticizedA policy, decision or person 1
PraisedCredit for a decision or person 1
Visits and eventsTours, town halls, site visits 1
Announced fundingGrants and approvals 1
Filed or pushed billsNew, reintroduced or passed 14
Other 1

Developing stories

5 threads · 13 of 22 actions

Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act

4 members

  1. Sep 29Padilla Senate unanimously passed Padilla's bill to increase prescribed fire use and prevent catastrophic wildfires.
  2. Sep 30Evans (R) celebrated Senate passage of bipartisan Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act with prescribed fire reforms.
  3. Sep 30Merkley Senate unanimously passed bipartisan bill streamlining prescribed fire use to prevent wildfire emissions.
  4. Oct 2Kelly celebrated Senate passage of the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act.

4 actions →

Data Center Transparency and Community Empowerment Acts

3 members

  1. Sep 30Markey released report criticizing EPA deregulation of environmental protections for data center construction.
  2. Sep 30Wyden introduced bill banning development of data centers on federally-owned public lands.
  3. Oct 1Dingell announced draft of federal data center Bill of Rights to ensure community input on large-scale projects.

3 actions →

Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act

3 members

  1. Oct 1Downing (R) announced Senate passage of Floodplain Enhancement and Recovery Act to streamline ecosystem restoration projects.
  2. Oct 1Murray, Daines (R) Senate passed bipartisan bill simplifying ecosystem restoration approval in floodplains.

2 actions →

Regional Great Lakes Partnership Act

5 members

  1. Sep 28Walberg (R), Kaptur, Barrett (R) introduced bipartisan bill to designate Great Lakes Commission as official regional partnership within NOAA.
  2. Sep 29Joyce (R), Dingell introduced bipartisan bill to expand federal support for Great Lakes research and conservation.

2 actions →

Banning Toxics from Plastic Bottles Act

2 members

  1. Sep 26Hassan introduced bipartisan legislation to ban PFAS chemicals from food packaging and wrappers.
  2. Sep 28Tuberville (R) reintroduced bill to ban toxic PFAS chemicals in food packaging and wrappers.

2 actions →

Where they stand

Support · 16

  • DMarkey MAReintroduced legislation requiring banks to adopt emission transition plans
  • DKelly AZSponsored bipartisan bill to enable prescribed fires for wildfire risk reduction
  • DMurray WAPassed bipartisan floodplain restoration streamlining bill
  • RDaines MTPassed bipartisan bill streamlining ecosystem restoration project approvals
  • RDowning MTSecured Senate passage of bipartisan floodplain restoration legislation
  • RYoung INIntroduced and secured Senate passage of reauthorization bill
  • DMerkley ORPassed bipartisan bill to streamline prescribed fire for wildfire prevention
  • REvans COPraised Senate passage of bipartisan wildfire mitigation legislation
  • DPadilla CASecured Senate passage of bipartisan wildfire prevention legislation
  • DAnsari AZHosted town hall calling for climate action and addressing extreme heat
  • RTuberville ALIntroduced legislation to ban PFAS forever chemicals from food packaging
  • RWalberg MIIntroduced legislation to bolster Great Lakes conservation
  • RMace SCIntroduced legislation to require EPA database of pesticide applications on federal land
  • DKaptur OHIntroduced bill to designate Great Lakes Commission as official regional partnership
  • RBarrett MIIntroduced bipartisan bill to bolster federal support for Great Lakes research and conservation
  • DHassan NHIntroduced bill to ban forever chemicals from food packaging

Oppose · 3

  • DFletcher TXDemanded EPA explain lab relocation impact on Gulf Coast environmental testing and protection
  • DSalinas ORUrged RV industry to stop sourcing rainforest timber
  • DWyden ORIntroduced bill to ban data center development on public lands

What each party did · Democrats 14 · Republicans 8

  • 3Sent letters0
  • 1Criticized0
  • 0Praised1
  • 1Visits and events0
  • 0Announced funding1
  • 8Filed or pushed bills6
  • 1Other0

Most active

  1. DMarkey MA2
  2. DDingell MI2
  3. DKelly AZ1
  4. DFletcher TX1
  5. DSalinas OR1
  6. DMurray WA1
  7. RDaines MT1
  8. RFuller GA1

By state

  • OR4
  • MI4
  • MA2
  • AZ2
  • MT2
  • CA2
  • OH2
  • TX1

+8 more with fewer actions

Every action

22 actions · 28 releases
  1. Oct 2, 2026
  2. Oct 1, 2026
  3. Sep 30, 2026
  4. Sep 29, 2026
  5. Sep 28, 2026
  6. Sep 26, 2026

Summaries, action types, amounts and positions are read from each press release by AI and can be wrong. Joint releases (same day, same action, matching title or amount) count once. How it works