The Senate’s Delay is Placing Important Legislation at Risk

The end of the 119th Congress is rapidly approaching, and the Senate has stalled out when it comes to considering House of Representatives-passed legislation.

The House of Representatives has introduced and passed a total of 938 bills, resolutions, concurrent resolutions, and joint resolutions since this Congress began in January 2025. 

Of those 938 measures, 792 are bills, and only 61 of those passed the Senate and were sent to President Trump’s desk to be signed into law. 

That leaves 730 pieces of legislation still sitting in the Senate awaiting consideration.

Below are five important bills that should be, but are not moving:

The Fix Our Forests Act, a bill that would streamline forest management and help prevent catastrophic wildfires.

The Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026 (Farm Bill) is another bill passed by the House but is still awaiting the Senate’s attention. This bill would reauthorize major USDA agricultural and nutrition programs for farmers, help secure America’s food supply, provide a safety net for farming operations in the form of crop insurance and commodity programs, and fund nutrition initiatives like SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), helping farmers are protected when weather, markets, supply chains, and other hazards threaten to drive them out of business. 

The bipartisan Ratepayer Protection Act is intended to protect ratepayers from increase and emergence of data centers. Sadly, it too has stalled out.

The House of Representatives has passed some version of the SAVE Act, a bill that requires proof of U.S. citizenship to vote in federal elections, four times, but it has not budged in the Senate.

The Fiscal Year 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (MILCON) would ensure continued support for infrastructure, healthcare, and services critical to active-duty military personnel, veterans, and their families. It would also allocate $80 million for the construction of an Academic Training Center at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon. This bill received overwhelming bipartisan support (400 yeas to 15 nays) in the House of Representatives, but the Senate has taken no formal action on it as of the writing of this newsletter.

When final adjournment of this 119th Congress occurs on January 3, 2027, any bill which has not completed the full legislative process dies in committee, and those supporting it must start over. These important bills (and hundreds of others) are therefore at risk if the Senate cannot get them passed. 

Milton-Freewater One Step Closer to Obtaining $13 Million Water System Grant

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week that included a $13 million authorization, which if passed by the Senate and if appropriated by the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, would be given to the City of Milton-Freewater for the replacement and expansion of a portion of the City’s outdated water supply system.

This biennial and bipartisan bill, the Water Resources Development Act of 2026 (WRDA), authorizes certain studies and projects presented by a congressman or congresswoman to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which, if approved by the Corp, becomes eligible for federal funding subject to appropriation by Congress.

In January of this year, I met with Milton-Freewater’s Mayor, City Manager, and a city counselor to discuss the City’s dire need for funding to replace one of the City’s three reservoirs, which reservoir is 70 years old, failing, and not repairable. Water and sewer rates in the city are already close to $80.00 per month. 

Because there are other additional and unavoidable City utility improvements on the near horizon, City leaders are trying to avoid borrowing the $13 million, which would, of course, necessitate a water/sewer rate increase. They asked if the Congressman would assist them by requesting a WRDA authorization. I did so, and this first step was successful. A provision for Milton-Freewater has been included in the WRDA bill and, if this $13 million authorization is passed by the Senate and later appropriated through the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, the City would receive the $13 million. The Congressman also asked that three additional WRDA authorizations be considered by the Corp and all three were included in the WRDA bill. 

First, the Congressman asked on behalf of the South Suburban Sanitary District (SSSD), a Klamath County municipal corporation providing critical infrastructure for Klamath Falls, for $37 million which would, if appropriated, be used to upgrade SSSD’s water treatment facility. These upgrades would provide recycled water for food production and water conservation, benefiting farmers and wildlife across Klamath County.

Second, the Congressman requested an extension of authorizations for Natel Energy, a technology company, as it completes its research and prototype production of more fish-safe hydropower turbines, giving the company more time to conclude its research.

Third, the Congressman requested a provision that would fund continued maintenance of the Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel which would reduce flood risk and increase navigation efficiency.

Fire Town Halls

As reported in our August newsletter, my team and I have been holding wildfire town hall meetings across our District. We have now held seven fire townhalls, the most recent of which was held on September 11th in The Dalles at the Columbia River Hotel and Conference Center. Community members from Wasco and Hood River Counties had the opportunity to meet with a fire panel including me, Wasco County Commissioners Jeff Justesen and Rodger Nichols, Mount Hood National Forest Supervisor Meta Loftsgaarden, Oregon Department of Forestry Representative Chase Duncan, Bureau of Land Management Representative Lisa Clark, and Lissa Biehn, the Farm Service Agency County Executive Director for Wasco and Hood River Counties.

Community members shared their thoughts regarding the Grasshopper and Austin fires. A common complaint was that fires were not being put out quickly enough and that local fire fighters were being told to stop fighting fire when the professionals arrived, giving the fires opportunity to gain ground on suppression efforts. Those in attendance were very supportive of efforts to enact the Fix Our Forests Act and the Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act. We also touched on the need for improved means of communication between federal agencies and community members working to fight fire.

Thank you to all who attended this Fire Town Hall and the others I held last month for conversations aimed at finding real solutions. 

Energy & Commerce: The Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act

Baker City Hospital has lost its obstetrics department, and rural obstetric units across the country are facing hardships and shutting down. That is why I have joined in co-sponsoring H.R. 1254, the Rural Obstetrics Readiness Act.

If enacted, this bill would provide grants for obstetric care training, equipment, and telehealth programs for obstetrics units in rural areas and will authorize a study on rural maternity ward closures—such as is the case in Baker City. 

Below, you can see my full conversation with Dr. Eilean Attwood, the president of the Women and Infants Hospital Medical Staff Association, at today’s Energy & Commerce Subcommittee hearing about this bill and my mention of Baker City’s situation.

WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBQWS-BWF3E 

The IMD CARE Act

Congressman Dan Goldman (D-NY) and I are going to introduce the IMD CARE Act, legislation that would expand eligibility for those psychiatric care facilities to receive Medicaid funding for more than 16 patients suffering from severe mental illness.

When the Social Security Act was enacted in 1965, it defined the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion, which limits federal Medicaid funding for services provided to adults ages 22–64 in psychiatric facilities with more than 16 beds, resulting in a shortage of beds during a growing need for inpatient mental health care.

The IMD CARE Act would amend the Social Security Act to establish a State Plan Amendment, allowing IMDs with more than 16 beds to receive Medicaid funding for all IMD patient beds.

Under current law, States that wish to receive federal Medicaid funding for IMDs with over 16 beds must submit a request for a waiver allowing them to receive Medicaid reimbursement for individuals needing psychiatric care. 

These waivers are temporary and unstable and require complex renewal negotiations.

The State Plan Amendment option included in the IMD CARE Act would provide predictable reimbursement structures, durable financing mechanisms, and greater continuity for patients and providers.

This bill would make inpatient mental health care more available and would help address psychiatric bed shortages, jails being used as an improper substitute for mental health services, and the number of impoverished patients subjected to the expensive burden of unsupported mental health care.

Eastern Oregon Women’s Coalition Pendleton Round Up Governor’s Luncheon

It was my honor, on September 18th, immediately following the Westward Ho parade, to address those attending the Eastern Oregon Women’s Coalition Governor’s Luncheon on the Blue Mountain Community College campus in Pendleton, Oregon. In my brief remarks, I thanked State Representative Bobby Levy for all of her work with the Women’s Coalition, and several of my legislative priorities, including the Fix Our Forests Act, the Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act, and a bill I will introduce soon that would allow grazing on federal lands to help reduce fine fuels building up on rangelands and forests.

Dedication of the Evelyn S. Dame Nursing & Applied Health Professions Center:

On Thursday, September 17, Treasure Valley Community College celebrated the opening of its new nursing building dedicated to Ms. Evelyn S. Dame. Evelyn is a good friend with whom I served on the Ontario 8C School District Board of Directors. Unfortunately, I could not be present at the dedication, so I prepared a short note for Sarah Theall, my Eastern Oregon Field Rep., to read on my behalf. I include the full note that Sarah read here:

“I am speaking on behalf of Congressman Cliff Bentz, who could not be here because he is flying back to Oregon today.

The Congressman asked me to thank this community, President Dr. Dana Young, the Border Board, and Executive Director Cathy Yasuda for all the work and years of effort dedicated to the creation of the Evelyn S. Dame Nursing & Applied Health Professions Center. 

Congressman Bentz considers Treasure Valley Community College as one of the most important parts of Ontario’s community. Thus, he was extremely pleased when the Border Board, which he helped establish, delivered one million dollars to help fund this project. 

This building will house TVCC’s first Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, which will provide nurses with further education in nursing research, leadership, and public health. 

This center’s new program will create a demand for nursing instructors, and filling these roles is becoming increasingly difficult. 

That is why Congressman Bentz and his staff are working on legislation that, if enacted, would create tax incentives for nursing instructors, helping to resolve staffing and funding needs. 

Congratulations again to those that made this important facility a reality, with a very special thanks to the Congressman’s good friend—with whom he served on the 8C School District Board of Directors—Ms. Evelyn Dame. 

On behalf of Congressman Bentz, thank you!”

Pendleton Roundup
It was a real pleasure to be at the 116th Annual Pendleton Roundup and appear in the Westward Ho! Parade. 

I had a great time riding alongside State Senator Todd Nash, my Chief of Staff Nick Strader, and my Field Rep. Sarah Theall. There were some 17,000 people watching, so I got to see a lot of friends!

As I mentioned in my remarks at the Governor’s lunch, if Congress ran half as well as the Pendleton Round Up, we would have a lot fewer problems in this country!!!

Service Academy Nominations Are Closing Soon!

Every year I have the privilege of nominating qualified young men and women to be candidates for the United States Service Academies. If nominated, these candidates have the opportunity to be accepted into one (or more) of the four academies which require a Congressional Nomination: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. Additional information and applications are available on my website HERE! 

For those who wish to apply for Fall 2027 admission, the deadline is October 30, 2026, and applications will not reopen until May of next year. 

Sincerely,

Cliff Bentz

Member of Congress

It is the honor of a lifetime to represent you in Congress. Should you need to contact me or my staff, please do not hesitate to do so. You can visit my website here.

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