Breaking the Gridlock Act
The Breaking the Gridlock Act is a multi-title bill that seeks to advance a broad set of policy priorities, many of which involve new programs, study requirements, reporting obligations, and targeted funding. In essence, it combines ceremonial, procedural, national security, veterans, and regulatory provisions into a single measure. Key ideas include creating a West Lawn time capsule to be opened in 2276, establishing new or revised procedures for fire-suppression cost-sharing, boosting Udall Foundation funding, mandating a regional strategy to counter Boko Haram, enhancing veterans-focused interagency work and retention programs, studying TSA commuting hours, assessing China’s financial impact, periodically reviewing veterans’ life insurance coverage, restoring some veterans’ tax withholdings, increasing House committee oversight, tightening a data-privacy/foreign-adversary data transfer rule, ensuring on-budget considerations (PAYGO), requiring domestically made U.S. flags, and modest appropriations for several agencies. Overall, the bill packages a mix of symbolic measures, administrative reforms, foreign-policy initiatives, and targeted funding that would require broad congressional attention and multiple committees to implement.
Key Points
- 1Time Capsule for the Semiquincentennial: The Architect of the Capitol would bury a “Semiquincentennial Congressional Time Capsule” on the West Lawn by July 4, 2026, to be opened in 2276, with contents chosen by congressional leadership and possible consultation with federal museums/architects. A commemorative plaque would accompany it, and funds would be appropriated as needed.
- 2Fire suppression cost-share reforms: Within a year, federal departments must establish standard operating procedures for payment timelines under Reciprocal Fire Protection Act cost-share agreements, align them with cooperative fire protection agreements, and require reimbursements to local fire departments. A sense of Congress urges timely repayments after fires.
- 3China financial threat Mitigation and Boko Haram strategy: The bill requires (a) a one-year, five-year plan from the State and Defense Departments to counter Boko Haram and support Nigeria and its neighbors, including humanitarian efforts, rule-of-law capacity-building, anti-extremism work, and education/safety improvements; (b) a separate intelligence assessment of Nigeria’s willingness/capacity to execute the plan and US information gaps; and (c) a formal sense-of-Congress statement linking poverty/education/justice access to radicalization risks.
- 4Udall Foundation funding boost: The Udall Foundation Act provisions would extend authorization through 2029, increase certain funding amounts, and set the 2026 start point for specific funding actions.
- 5Veterans/interagency focus and retention: A new Veterans Interagency Task Force reporting requirement embeds a broader outreach plan for veteran-focused programs. A separate pilot program would fund grants to local governments to improve retention in veterans treatment courts and drug courts, with reporting on participant demographics and completion rates.
- 6TSA commuting benefits study: The TSA would study whether time spent commuting between duty locations and parking lots/bus stops at airports could be treated as on-duty hours, including cost and data-reporting considerations.
- 7Data privacy and foreign adversaries: A new prohibition on data brokers selling or sharing personally identifiable sensitive data of U.S. individuals with foreign adversary countries or entities controlled by them. The FTC would enforce this prohibition, with a detailed definition of “sensitive data.”
- 8Veterans life insurance: A periodic review mechanism would adjust automatic maximum SGLI coverage based on CPI, with a formal reporting requirement to Congress every three years starting in 2026.
- 9House committee hearings and ethics: Mandates standing committees to hold hearings on the Act’s implementation within a year, framed as a rulemaking directive for the House.
- 10Domestic flags procurement: Agencies would have to buy domestically made U.S. flags (100% manufactured in the U.S.) with limited exceptions and a presidential waiver process; applicability begins 180 days after enactment.
- 11Budgetary accounting and narrowly targeted appropriations: Several small, specified appropriations (mostly $1 million-level) are included for various departments and programs (e.g., rural telehealth support, budget analysis, capital investment, Army O&M, DHS oversight, and Energy Information Administration).