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Congressional Daily Record
This section focuses on legislation moving through Congress. It mentions legislation such as AFTER Act of 2026, committees such as Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, members such as Susan Margaret Collins.
Issued
March 24, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextBy Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Peters):
S. 4172. A bill to amend the Animal Welfare Act to allow for the retirement of certain animals used in Federal research, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
Ms. Collins. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague from Michigan Senator Peters in introducing the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act, known as the AFTER Act, to promote the adoption or retirement of animals used for research by Federal Agencies.
approximately 775,000 animals for research purposes. These experiments occurred across 12 different Federal Agencies. the animals used were mainly cats, dogs, monkeys, and rabbits. Tracking these animals following experimentation is challenging. In many instances, animals no longer needed for research are killed since many Agencies lack formal retirement or adoption policies. Peer-reviewed studies indicate that research animals that are adopted, however, often thrive in their new environments.
Senate passed the CHIMP Act, which allowed for the retirement of hundreds of primates that were formerly used in National Institute of Health, NIH, experiments. In addition, the Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs,
policies developed by a few Federal Agencies, there are many other Federal Agencies, including the Agriculture Department, NASA, and the Environmental Protection Agency, that lack formal policies for animals used in experiments. Given the recent efforts at the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health to phase out animal testing for certain research, we should make sure that every Federal Agency that utilizes laboratory animals establishes policies to ensure that such animals, whenever possible, are retired and not killed when they are no longer needed for research.
directing all Federal Agencies to promulgate regulations that would facilitate the retirement of laboratory animals. Additionally, the AFTER Act requires that animals be evaluated by a licensed veterinarian and pronounced both mentally and physically healthy before leaving an Agency. This will help ensure a smooth transition to a new environment.
nonprofit organizations to help place retired animals in sanctuaries and shelters across the country, not just those closest to the research facility. This would allow a State like Maine, which does not have Federal research labs that use animals, to play a role in retiring these animals and providing homes for them.
Mr. President, animals that are suitable for adoption or retirement should not be killed by our Federal Government. The AFTER Act would provide the necessary direction Federal Agencies need in order to move forward with developing retirement policies. I urge all of my colleagues to join in support of this important bipartisan legislation, the Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act.
By Mr. BARRASSO (for himself and Ms. Lummis):
S. 4173. A bill to require that any debt limit increase or suspension be balanced by equal spending cuts over the next decade; to the Committee on the Budget.
S. 4173
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “Dollar-for-Dollar Deficit
Reduction Act”.
SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 31.
(a) In General.—Subchapter I of chapter 31 of title 31,
United States Code, is amended by inserting after section
3101A the following:
“Sec. 3101B. Debt limit control
“(a) Declaration of a Debt Limit Warning.—
“(1) In general.—In the event of a near breach of the
public debt limit established by section 3101, the Secretary
of the Treasury shall issue a debt limit warning to the
Committee on Finance of the Senate and the Committee on Ways
and Means of the House of Representatives that shall include
a determination as to when extraordinary measures may be
necessary in order to prolong the funding of the United
States Government.
“(2) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Extraordinary measures.—The term `extraordinary
measures' means measures that may be taken by the Secretary
of the Treasury in the event of a breach of the debt limit by
the United States to prolong the function of the United
States Government in the absence of a debt limit increase.
“(B) Near breach.—The term `near breach' means the point
at which the Secretary of the Treasury determines that the
United States Government will reach the statutorily
prescribed debt limit within 60 calendar days notwithstanding
the implementation of extraordinary measures.
“(b) Presidential Submission of Debt Limit Legislation.—
“(1) Savings recommendations from the president.—Any
formal Presidential request to increase the debt limit under
this section shall include the amount of the proposed debt
limit increase and be accompanied by proposed legislation to
reduce spending over the sum of the current and following 10
years by an amount equal to or greater than the amount of the
requested debt limit increase. Net interest savings may not
be counted towards spending reductions required by this
paragraph.
“(2) Calculation.—The spending savings under paragraph
(1) shall be calculated against a budget baseline consistent
with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit
Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 907). This baseline shall
exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been
enacted under an emergency designation.”.
(b) Subchapter Analysis.—The table of sections for chapter
31 of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting
after the item for section 3101A the following: “3101B. Debt limit control.”.
SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL REQUIREMENT TO RESTRAIN SPENDING WHILE
RAISING OR SUSPENDING THE DEBT LIMIT.
(a) In General.—Title III of the Congressional Budget
Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2 U.S.C. 631 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
“SEC. 316. DEBT LIMIT INCREASE POINT OF ORDER.
“(a) In General.—
“(1) Point of order.—Except as provided in subsection
(b), it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of
Representatives to consider any bill, joint resolution,
amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the
statutory debt limit unless the bill contains net spending
reductions of an equal or greater amount over the period of
the current and next 10 fiscal years. Net interest savings
may not be counted towards spending reductions required by
this paragraph.
“(2) Components of net spending reduction.—
“(A) Calculation.—The savings resulting from the proposed
spending reductions under paragraph (1) shall be calculated
by the Congressional Budget Office against a budget baseline
consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. This baseline shall
exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been
enacted under an emergency designation.
“(B) Availability.—The Senate and the House of
Representatives may not vote on any bill, joint resolution,
amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the
public debt limit unless the cost estimate of that measure
prepared by the Congressional Budget Office has been publicly
available on the website of the Congressional Budget Office
for at least 24 hours.
“(C) Prohibit timing shifts.—Any provision that shifts
outlays or revenues from within the 10-year window to outside
the window shall not count towards the budget savings target
for purposes of this subsection.
“(b) Senate Supermajority Waiver and Appeal.—
“(1) Waiver.—In the Senate, subsection (a)(1) may be
waived or suspended only by an affirmative vote of three-
fifths of the Members, duly chosen and sworn.
“(2) Appeal.—An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the
Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be
required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a
point of order raised under subsection (a)(1).
“SEC. 317. DEBT LIMIT SUSPENSION POINT OF ORDER.
“(a) In General.—
“(1) Point of order.—Except as provided in subsection
(b), it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of
Representatives to consider any bill, joint resolution,
amendment, motion, or conference report that suspends the
statutory debt limit unless the bill contains net spending
reductions over the period of the current and next 10 fiscal
years in an amount that is equal to or greater than the
projected debt amount for the period of the suspension of the
statutory debt limit as determined by the Congressional
Budget Office in accordance with paragraph (3). Net interest
savings may not be counted towards spending reductions
required by this paragraph.
“(2) Components of net spending reduction.—
“(A) Calculation.—The savings resulting from the proposed
spending reductions under paragraph (1) shall be calculated
by the Congressional Budget Office against a budget baseline
consistent with section 257 of the Balanced Budget and
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. This baseline shall
exclude the extrapolation of any spending that had been
enacted under an emergency designation.
“(B) Availability.—The Senate and the House of
Representatives may not vote on any bill, joint resolution,
amendment, motion, or conference report that increases the
public debt limit unless the cost estimate of that measure
prepared by the Congressional Budget Office has been publicly
available on the website of the Congressional Budget Office
for at least 24 hours.
“(C) Prohibit timing shifts.—Any provision that shifts
outlays or revenues from within the 10-year window to outside
the window shall not count towards the budget savings target
for purposes of this subsection.
“(3) Calculation of projected debt amount.—For purposes
of paragraph (1), the Congressional Budget Office shall
determine the amount of projected debt for the period for
which the bill, joint resolution, amendment, motion, or
conference report suspends the statutory debt limit by
calculating the difference between—
“(A) the amount the statutory debt is projected to be on
the date on which the suspension of the statutory debt limit
is to end, as determined by the debt projection of the
Congressional Budget Office, and
“(B) the amount of statutory debt as of the date on which
the suspension of the statutory debt limit is to begin.
“(b) Senate Supermajority Waiver and Appeal.—
“(1) Waiver.—In the Senate, subsection (a)(1) may be
waived or suspended only by an
affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members, duly chosen
and sworn.
“(2) Appeal.—An affirmative vote of three-fifths of the
Members of the Senate, duly chosen and sworn, shall be
required to sustain an appeal of the ruling of the Chair on a
point of order raised under subsection (a)(1).”.
(b) Conforming Amendment.—The table of contents set forth
in section 1(b) of the Congressional Budget and Impoundment
Control Act of 1974 is amended by inserting after section 315
By Mr. DURBIN:
S. 4181. A bill to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to promulgate certain limitations with respect to pre-production plastic pellet pollution, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
S. 4181
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited the “Plastic Pellet Free Waters
Act”.
SEC. 2. EFFLUENT LIMITATIONS FOR WASTEWATER, SPILLS, AND
RUNOFF FROM PLASTIC POLYMER PRODUCTION
FACILITIES, PLASTIC MOLDING AND FORMING
FACILITIES, AND OTHER POINT SOURCES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE TRANSPORT AND PACKAGING OF PLASTIC
PELLETS OR OTHER PRE-PRODUCTION PLASTIC
MATERIALS.
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
(referred to in this section as the “Administrator”) shall
promulgate a final rule to ensure that—
(1) the discharge of plastic pellets or other pre-
production plastic materials (including discharge into
wastewater and other runoff) from facilities regulated under
part 414 or 463 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (as
in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), is
prohibited;
(2) the discharge of plastic pellets or other pre-
production plastic materials (including discharge into
wastewater and other runoff) from a point source (as defined
in section 502 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33
U.S.C. 1362)) that makes, uses, packages, or transports those
plastic pellets and other pre-production plastic materials is
prohibited; and
(3) the requirements under paragraphs (1) and (2) are
reflected in—
(A) all wastewater, stormwater, and other permits issued by
the Administrator and State-delegated programs under section
402 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1342) to facilities and other point sources (as defined in
section 502 of that Act (33 U.S.C. 1362)) that make, use,
package, or transport plastic pellets or other pre-production
plastic materials, as determined by the Administrator, in
addition to other applicable limits and standards; and
(B) all standards of performance promulgated under section
312(p) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C.
1322(p)) that are applicable to point sources (as defined in
section 502 of that Act (33 U.S.C. 1362)) that make, use,
package, or transport plastic pellets or other pre-production
plastic materials, as determined by the Administrator.