DelBene, Suzan RSS Articles

DelBene, Dexter Introduce Legislation to Stop Future Capture, Breeding of Whales for Public Display

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03) reintroduced the Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings (SWIMS) Act, legislation that would end the future capture and breeding of whales for public display.

Certain cetaceans, such as orcas, beluga whales, pilot whales, and false killer whales, are cognitively, emotionally, and socially complex animals who cannot thrive in captivity, according to multiple studies. Whales held for display often exhibit signs of suffering and distress and have significantly shorter lifespans than whales in the wild. Currently, there are approximately 70 whales held in captivity in the United States.

The SWIMS Act would:

Prohibit the taking, importation, or exportation of these whales for public display.
Prohibit any breeding of these whales for future public display.
Allow exemptions for animals being transported to a sanctuary setting or released to the wild.

“Whales and dolphins are treasures to the Pacific Northwest, and they belong in the wild,” said DelBene. “Scientific evidence shows that when these majestic animals are kept in captivity, they suffer significant distress and shorter life spans. This legislation would prevent the capture and breeding of whales for public display to ensure they remain in their natural habitats and free from abuse and exploitation.”

“Whales belong in the open ocean, not behind glass,” said Dexter. “These extraordinary animals are icons of the Pacific Northwest, forming deep family bonds and playing a vital role in healthy oceans. Captivity robs them of the space, freedom, and connection they need to thrive. Their lives should be defined by the ocean’s possibilities, not the walls of a tank.”

“Science increasingly supports the conclusion that we cannot provide conditions in a concrete enclosure that accommodate the size, wide-ranging nature, and physiological, behavioral, and social needs of these species,” said Dr. Naomi Rose, senior scientist for marine mammal biology at the Animal Welfare Institute. “The SWIMS Act recognizes that reality and offers a path forward by prohibiting breeding, trade, and capture for public display. Let this be the last generation in captivity of these ocean predators.”

The SWIMS Act is supported by the Animal Legal Defense Fund, Animal Welfare Institute, Born Free USA, Cetacean Society International, CompassionWorks International, Humane World Action Fund, Humane World for Animals, International Marine Mammal Project of Earth Island Institute, Last Chance for Animals, Oceanic Preservation Society, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, Whale Sanctuary Project, and World Animal Protection.

The bill text can be found here.

DelBene Responds to White House Suspending Microsoft Workers from Permanent Resident Program

Thu, 08 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued the following statement on the Trump administration suspending Microsoft, Adobe, and other companies from the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) program.

“The Trump administration’s action today is an attack on current H-1B visa holders already in the United States. Haphazardly taking away the pathway to a lawful green card for skilled workers at certain American companies is a biased and punitive misuse of the law. Let’s be clear: this move will have no impact on purported H-1B visa abuse. It simply undercuts a legal way for people to work, stay with their family, and become a part of our communities. This will inject even more uncertainty into our already turbulent economy while hamstringing innovation, competitiveness, and ultimately American workers.”

DelBene Moves to Force Trump Administration to Release Files on AI Medicare Experiment

Mon, 05 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) announced that she is filing a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to force the Trump administration to release unseen information on the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) program, which pays private companies to use AI to review Medicare claims.

Since the program began in January in Washington and five other states, patients have been left in severe pain and unable to access care prescribed by their doctors. In June, DelBene announced that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ordered the company administering WISeR in Washington to submit a corrective action plan for delays in reviewing claims following an audit. Neither the audit nor the corrective action plan has been released to Congress or the public. DelBene previously requested information on the model's performance from the administration and then moved to require CMS to release these documents through an amendment during a House Ways & Means Committee markup. The majority of Ways & Means Republicans rejected the amendment by an 18-19 vote.

DelBene announced her latest move to force the release of these documents and hold the administration accountable in an op-ed in the Everett Herald.

“Washington seniors have borne the brunt of this experimental program’s malfunctions,” DelBene wrote. “From January to March, over half of the claims submitted in Washington were denied and far exceeded the 72-hour decision deadline. This triggered an internal CMS audit and corrective action plan. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the program pays these private companies for every claim they deny, which incentivizes them to reject more care.”

“The audit and corrective action plan have never been released, which would further help inform lawmakers, health care providers, and patients about how WISeR is failing to function,” DelBene continued. “This stonewalling must end. That’s why I am filing a new FOIA request for these specific documents in addition to the audits and corrective action plans of any other private company participating in WISeR.”

This effort follows a bombshell report from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EEF) on the failures of WISeR that detailed widespread delays and denials, rushed implementation, and incentives for private companies reviewing claims to deny care. EFF obtained access to the documents uncovered in the report through a FOIA request and lawsuit. The report also revealed that the administration plans to expand WISeR to cancer treatments and other types of care despite clear, documented evidence of the program’s flaws.

DelBene introduced legislation last November to repeal WISeR and has led multiple other legislative efforts to stop the program.

Read DelBene’s op-ed here. The text of the FOIA request can be found here.

Rep. Suzan DelBene: Trump’s AI experiment is coming for seniors’ cancer treatments

Thu, 01 Oct 2026 04:00:00 GMT

When Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. sat before me during a Ways & Means Committee hearing in April, I shared the story of Joanne, a Washington senior on Medicare who had been lingering in crippling pain for weeks while she waited for approval for a common pain treatment. Her delay was the direct result of the Trump administration’s new AI experiment that started earlier this year. This program, known as the Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) program, pays private companies to use AI to review Medicare claims.

Joanne’s severe pain forced her to use crutches and a wheelchair to get around, leading to multiple falls that compounded her injuries. Secretary Kennedy called this a “terrible outcome,” yet defended the program, saying it was running as planned. Conveniently, Joanne’s treatment was approved quickly after the hearing. If her doctor had ordered the procedure last year, it would have been approved without friction. Instead, her nightmare is emblematic of this chaotic rollout.

When WISeR was first announced, I cautioned the administration that quickly rolling out a program that uses the same problematic delay tactics that private Medicare Advantage plans use would leave patients frustrated and in pain. Sure enough, I began hearing about issues with WISeR from health care providers and patients almost as soon as it launched in January in Washington and five other test states.

For months, the administration operated in the dark, releasing no meaningful data. Even Congress couldn’t see under the hood until the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the administration and finally received almost 1,000 pages of internal documents. What I called a Trojan horse to privatize Medicare earlier this year is now more alarming than ever.

So far, this pilot program only applies to certain procedures, like the pain treatment that Joanne was waiting for. My concern from the start was that once the administration started doing this, it was only a matter of time before it was scaled up to more procedures and more states. The new documents confirm exactly that, outlining the administration’s next targets: cancer treatments, cardiology procedures, and even air ambulances. To state the obvious, none of these treatments can wait weeks for approval.

Washington seniors have borne the brunt of this experimental program’s malfunctions. From January to March, over half of the claims submitted in Washington were denied and far exceeded the 72-hour decision deadline. This triggered an internal CMS audit and corrective action plan. This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the program pays these private companies for every claim they deny, which incentivizes them to reject more care.

The audit and corrective action plan have never been released, which would further help inform lawmakers, health care providers, and patients about how WISeR is failing to function. This stonewalling must end. That’s why I am filing a new FOIA request for these specific documents in addition to the audits and corrective action plans of any other private company participating in WISeR.

Congress has a constitutional duty to conduct oversight of the administration, but the Republican-controlled House has shown little interest in carrying out this responsibility since Trump took office. Most recently, the majority of Ways & Means Republicans voted down a proposal I offered that would have released more WISeR documents. After pressure from Republican leadership in the room, five of them flipped their votes to reject the effort. Even if my fellow lawmakers don’t represent districts in these pilot states, their constituents will be impacted if the administration scales up the program as planned. When Democrats take control of the House in November, we need to rigorously investigate this program so more seniors like Joanne aren’t victims of this reckless AI experiment.

Read the full article here.

WA Delegation Supports Governor’s Request for Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance for Devastating Wildfires in Washington State

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) joined Washington state’s entire Congressional delegation in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to approve Governor Bob Ferguson’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance to help families recover and repair damage due to the devastating wildfires that swept through Central and Eastern Washington from July 23 through August 31.

For the first time, on August 1, the National Weather Service upgraded a Red Flag Warning for fire weather conditions to a Particularly Dangerous Situation, which is very rare and typically reserved for extreme fire weather conditions. Three massive fires tore through neighborhoods across Spokane, the Old Trails Fire burned in northwest Spokane, the Autumn Lane Fire burned near Nine-Mile Falls, and the Fairview Fire burned in Mead. The Spokane Complex Fires forced 67,000 people to evacuate, burned nearly 10,000 acres, with damages predicted to exceed $1 billion.

This was one of Washington state’s worst wildfire seasons on record, with fires causing severe damage and threatening lives, property, businesses, and livestock. In Okanogan County, the Kaiser Canyon, Modrite, and Sinlahekin fires burned over 350,000 acres total.

“As members of the Washington state delegation, we write in support of Washington state’s September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance due to devastating wildfire damages incurred from July 23 through August 31. We implore you to approve the request for assistance as quickly as possible,” the lawmakers wrote. “A record-setting drought and an unusually small snowpack contributed to numerous large and fast-moving wildfires in Central and Eastern Washington, devastating communities in Benton, Spokane, Stevens, and Okanogan Counties, as well as on the Spokane Indian Reservation. These fires spread rapidly, jumping roads and rivers, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate quickly, with many escaping with little more than they could carry.”

The lawmakers continued, “Local, state, and federal resources responded quickly to the wildfires. Firefighting crews from around the country, as well as international firefighting forces and the National Guard, deployed to Washington state to assist local first responders with evacuations and firefighting. While their heroic efforts helped to contain these devastating fires, federal assistance is required to support communities as they begin to rebuild. The fires destroyed over 2,500 structures, including entire neighborhoods, and forced tens of thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Ultimately, over 650 primary residences were destroyed by these fast-moving wildfires, leaving hundreds of Washingtonians displaced.”

“Throughout this crisis, state, local, Tribal, and federal first responders have stepped up and worked tirelessly to keep our communities secure. We are incredibly grateful for their diligent work and careful coordination to keep Washingtonians safe and informed throughout this disaster, as well as for your prompt approval of the state’s Emergency Declaration request submitted on August 2nd, which allowed for critical federal assistance that supported fire suppression, emergency shelter operations, and other vital needs. We reiterate our full support for the September 28th request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance,” the lawmakers concluded.

Joining DelBene in the letter to President Trump were Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), and Representatives Rick Larsen (WA-02), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Michael Baumgartner (WA-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).

The full letter can be found here.

Medicare’s Plan to Expand AI Program Criticized as Overreach

Mon, 28 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Recently released federal documents show the Trump administration planned an expansion of an AI-driven Medicare prior authorization program to millions more patients nationwide, drawing concern after early data from the pilot points to delays in care.

Internal communications from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services surfaced by a FOIA request from the Electronic Frontier Foundation show how the administration planned to expand its Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) Medicare pilot beyond the handful of states now testing it.

The program uses artificial intelligence to screen whether costly procedures such as knee surgeries and steroid injections are medically necessary. Private insurance and Medicare have used this system — known as prior authorization — for years to control costs, though critics say the practice can delay necessary medical care, increase administrative burdens on providers, and compromise patient health outcomes.

The document, a June 2025 investment plan for the pilot, says the prior authorization model is intentionally designed for expansion to drive savings on low-value services without adversely affecting the quality of care. The CMS said in the document that the model would scale well to a larger population because prior authorization has been effectively demonstrated in other areas.

The pilot, which runs until 2031, is currently in place across Texas, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Ohio, Washington, and Arizona, and affects nearly 6.5 million patients on traditional Medicare.

The administration’s plan to expand the program nationwide has drawn pushback from lawmakers, since preliminary quality reporting data the Electronic Frontier Foundation analyzed in the released documents found coverage delays, increased denials, and physician complaints of patient harm.

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Director Abe Sutton said in a panel discussion with conservative health leaders in September that the agency had led several conversations with lawmakers about the demonstration program

“My hope is that we’ve been able to reassure folks that this has been well designed,” said Sutton, and “that we are going to closely monitor it and learn from its lessons before we look to expand.”

The CMS uses pilots to test ways to lower costs and improve quality of care in the Medicare program. Generally, Medicare law allows the agency to permanently adopt these pilots if they are proven to reduce spending without harming quality or if they improve quality without increasing costs.

The CMS in the Investment Plan said that if the “model is successful at reducing Medicare expenditures,” it believed that “this historical precedent and evidence would directly factor into a certification analysis and would strengthen the case for certification, regardless of evaluation results.”

The language came as a surprise to Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), who called the plans unlawful overreach by the agency.

“I don’t believe this is in their authority to do. I think that’s one of the reasons why they have been very cagey with us,” Landsman said in an interview.

A CMS spokesperson said in a statement the paragraph pertained to a specific component of the evaluation process and does not encompass all that goes into the decision to expand.

The agency said it “will consider evaluation findings related to quality of care, beneficiary access, or other model outcomes when considering whether WISeR should be expanded.”

Access Concerns

The program was originally billed by the agency as a method to provide an “improved and expedited prior authorization process” relative to original Medicare’s existing process.

CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz said the goal was to “bring Medicare into the 21st Century by testing a streamlined prior authorization process, while protecting Medicare beneficiaries from being given unnecessary and often costly procedures.”

So far, WISeR has yet to accomplish those goals, according to the recently released documents. Records released by EFF found prior authorization request delays, with many taking longer than the 72 hours the agency promised.

Some doctors reported these delays have led to patients calling offices crying in pain because their procedures were postponed.

The CMS told Bloomberg Law that it took concerns of beneficiary access seriously but cautioned that some of the early data from specific months can often be accounted for by reporting issues that do not impact beneficiary access.

The agency said it will be releasing its own six-month analysis of outcomes data, prepayment review volumes, turnaround times, and preliminary data on accuracy in the months ahead.

Under current law, CMS expansion authority insulates the agency from litigation over the substance of a certification, said Jeff Wurzburg, a former attorney at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Challenges could instead focus on whether the agency followed the correct procedural processes.

“Any sort of challenge judicially is going to have to be pretty narrow. So in terms of APA challenges, it’s really going to be based on the record that the secretary provides in that rulemaking,” referring to the Administrative Procedure Act. “Perhaps if evidence demonstrates delayed or denied medically necessary care or CMS fails to adequately consider beneficiary access consequences,” he said.

Legislative Pushback

Both lawyers and lawmakers say that it may ultimately take an act of Congress to prevent the CMS from continuing its plans to expand WISeR across the country. That said, while there are some Republicans joining Democrats in urging caution, efforts to repeal the program have stalled.

In May, Landsman, along with Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), introduced a Congressional Review Act resolution to axe the pilot. The Senate voted 46-50 along party lines to keep the program in place.

House appropriators also added language to a Health and Human Services Department funding bill that would block funding for the CMS model.

Landsman said a win in the midterm elections could be what it takes to get a repeal of the program across the finish line.

“We need folks who will stand up to Big Tech, and in this case, pause or end WISeR and require CMS to be fully transparent about what they are doing here.”

Read the full article here.

New K-12 Education Package Would Better Support Students, Families, Teachers

Mon, 21 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) cosponsored the introduction of the Transforming Education for the Future Act, a comprehensive legislative package authored by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01) to modernize and strengthen K-12 education to help our kids have a brighter future.

The American education system has experienced significant turbulence during the past decade, including the Trump administration’s mismanagement and dismantling of the Department of Education, learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic, increased use of technology and social media, the rise of generative AI, increased teacher burnout, and the reduction of federal support for public schools. The Transforming Education for the Future Act will help address these critical issues and more.

“We have a fundamental responsibility to ensure every child has access to a high-quality education,” said DelBene. “From funding rollbacks to learning setbacks, our public schools are facing tighter budgets and increased challenges. This bill contains several meaningful reforms to strengthen public education, including restoring and increasing funding, expanding school meal programs, and implementing universal preschool. I thank Rep. Bonamici for her leadership in modernizing public education and making a difference in the lives of our students and teachers.”

“For decades, public schools have been asked to do more with less. Add to that the fact that we have seen many new and complicated challenges over the past ten years,” said Bonamici. “Circumstances have changed, but the American system of public education has not yet adapted. We need a public education system that meets the moment for today’s students and tomorrow’s. We need an education system that prepares students not to pass a test, but to think critically and build a future. We need to support the educators who make that possible. And we need to remove those barriers that stand between children and opportunity. The Transforming Education for the Future Act is a blueprint for doing just that.”

The Transforming Education for the Future Act will:

Provide a Well-Rounded Education for All Students

Make school breakfasts and lunches free for all children, provide summer meals and summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), and streamline and expand the Child and Adult Care Food Program.
Establish free, universal preschool for all three- and four-year-old children.
Expand access to career and technical education, arts, civics, humanities, and more.
Reduce state and federal reliance on standardized test scores and expand the use of multiple high-quality measures to capture a more accurate picture of student achievement.
Repeal the federal school voucher program.
Restore funding and staff to the Department of Education.

Support Educators

Strengthen the educator pipeline through historic investments in educator pay, improved working conditions, and ample resources for educators and staff.
Fund high-quality education research and promote transformational, evidence-based practices for student success and well-being.

Address Socioeconomic Barriers to Learning

Fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) so children with disabilities get the free and appropriate public education and services they need.
Triple funding for Title I to better serve students from disadvantaged backgrounds and the schools that educate them.
Address discrimination and bias in K-12 schools, uphold civil rights, and address racial segregation.

This legislation is endorsed by: American Federation of Teachers (AFT), American Psychological Association (APA), Glisten, National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE), National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Principals Association, National PTA, and the School Social Work Association of America.

A summary of the legislation can be found here.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

DelBene, LaHood Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Encourage Prepared Meal Donations

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene and Darin LaHood (IL-16) introduced the bipartisan Meals for Communities Tax Credit Act. This legislation would encourage restaurants and retail food establishments to donate prepared meals to charitable organizations serving communities across the country by creating new tax incentives for donations.

Currently, businesses and individuals can receive tax deductions for bulk food donations. However, no deduction or credit exists for prepared meals donated to nonprofit organizations that takes into consideration the added costs of food preparation.

The Meals for Communities Tax Credit Act establishes a new nonrefundable credit for eligible businesses that donate prepared meals to charitable organizations. Specifically, the bill would:

Provide a 50% tax credit for the fair market value of qualified prepared meal donations, with a maximum credit of $7 per meal, adjusted to inflation;
Cap the credit at $50,000 per year;
Include guardrails to prevent businesses from double dipping by claiming both the prepared meal credit and the existing charitable deduction for any food donation; and
Retain the same health and food safety standards for kitchens and donated meals as already required for commercial restaurant service.

“Millions of families across the country are struggling to reliably put food on the table because of rising grocery bills and a more expensive economy. Our food pantries and local nonprofits are stretched thin and cannot meet the demand in their communities. Meanwhile, restaurants are also contending with higher overhead costs and fewer customers,” said DelBene. “This legislation helps address both problems by providing restaurants with incentives to donate prepared meals directly to nonprofits serving hungry families. It will support restaurants, their workers, and families who don’t have enough to eat.”

“Restaurants and food retailers in Illinois and throughout the country have an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in their communities by donating prepared meals to organizations that can put them directly into the hands of people in need,” said LaHood. “The Meals for Communities Tax Credit Act provides a commonsense incentive for businesses to be charitable and turn surplus prepared food into meals for families and individuals who need them. By encouraging these donations, we can help strengthen our communities and make sure good food reaches the people who need it most.”

"Restaurants are more than places where people eat – they are a vital part of our community infrastructure, with the kitchens, talent, and local relationships to help address food insecurity at scale,” said Matt Jozwiak, Founder and CEO of Rethink Food. “The Meals for Communities Tax Credit creates a practical way to unlock that capacity, helping local restaurants stay strong while providing nutritious, chef-prepared meals to neighbors who need them. We’re grateful to Representatives LaHood and DelBene for recognizing that supporting small businesses and strengthening food access can, and should, go hand in hand.”

Representative Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) also joined the legislation as an original cosponsor.

The bill text can be found here.

House Passes Bill Letting Taxpayer Advocate Fight for You in Federal Court

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bipartisan measure Tuesday that would give the National Taxpayer Advocate a new court-related authority: seeking to participate as a friend of the court in federal tax cases involving issues that could affect large numbers of taxpayers. The bill passed under suspension of the rules by voice vote, so there is no record of how individual members voted. It now goes to the Senate.

H.R. 9498, known as the Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act, would authorize the National Taxpayer Advocate to appear as amicus curiae in federal tax cases, according to GovTrack. Under current statute, the National Taxpayer Advocate is barred from filing amicus briefs in federal court, according to reporting from the Tampa Free Press. The bill was co-sponsored by Florida Republican Rep. Greg Steube and Washington Democratic Rep. Suzan DelBene, per the same report.

The measure would amend section 7803(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, according to the legislative text reviewed by Tax Notes. The proposed text would require a U.S. court to grant the National Taxpayer Advocate's application to appear in qualifying cases and would make the change effective on the date of enactment.

What the Bill Would and Wouldn't Do

The Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act would allow the National Taxpayer Advocate to weigh in on systemic legal questions, but only with respect to an issue that may broadly affect the rights of taxpayers, per the taxnotes.com legislative text. According to the Tampa Free Press, the bill does not authorize the National Taxpayer Advocate's office to represent individual taxpayers — its reach is limited to cases with wider implications for taxpayer rights, not one-off disputes.

The Advocate's Existing Mission

The National Taxpayer Advocate's 2024 Purple Book says Internal Revenue Code section 7803(c)(2)(A) directs the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate to help taxpayers resolve problems with the IRS, identify recurring problems and recommend administrative and legislative remedies. The Taxpayer Advocate Service describes itself as an independent organization within the IRS, while the Purple Book says current law does not authorize the National Taxpayer Advocate to submit an amicus curiae brief in a federal tax case, according to the National Taxpayer Advocate's 2024 Purple Book.

Authorizing amicus participation was also an existing recommendation of the office, rather than an idea introduced only by H.R. 9498. The National Taxpayer Advocate's 2025 Purple Book included authorization to file amicus briefs among its recommendations, and the 2024 Purple Book likewise listed that proposal, according to the 2025 Purple Book.

Steube said current law prevents the National Taxpayer Advocate from weighing in on federal court cases that could affect millions of Americans, according to the Tampa Free Press. He said taxpayers should have an advocate when their rights are at stake and urged the Senate to send the bill to President Trump's desk.

DelBene said taxpayers deserve an independent voice in court and that the bipartisan measure would let the National Taxpayer Advocate address issues affecting large numbers of Americans, according to the Tampa Free Press.

Ways and Means Backing and Outside Support

Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith said existing restrictions limit the National Taxpayer Advocate's core mission, the Tampa Free Press reported, and called the bill a targeted solution to a weakness in the office's ability to carry out its mission. The House Ways and Means Committee reportedly cleared the legislation unanimously on July 1, 2026, per the same report.

The bill has drawn support from a range of outside groups, including the National Taxpayers Union, Intuit, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, the 60 Plus Association, and the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the Tampa Free Press reported. The outlet also noted that the 2026 Purple Book includes recommendations backing the Taxpayer Advocate Participation Act.

The Taxpayer Advocate Service describes itself as an independent organization within the IRS that works to ensure every taxpayer is treated fairly, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service. The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee before reaching the floor, GovTrack's bill tracker shows.

What Happens Next

H.R. 9498 now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration, according to GovTrack, which also estimates the bill has a 34% chance of being enacted. That figure is GovTrack's own projection, not an official congressional determination, and the bill would still need Senate passage and a presidential signature before becoming law.

Read the full article here.

An AI-fueled model to combat Medicare fraud has some Republicans worried

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

As anxiety over artificial intelligence rises, some members of Congress are taking aim at the Trump administration’s controversial AI model to combat Medicare fraud.

House Democrats and a few Republicans are pushing for more transparency around the payment model, known as WISeR, after a tranche of government records showed it was delaying patient care.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services launched the model this year in six states. Providers in those states must get approval from a verified third-party vendor before performing six services CMS says are at a high risk of fraud, such as skin substitutes. The preapproval process, called prior authorization, is a common tool insurers use to control costs by requiring a doctor to get payments approved by insurers before performing medical procedures or writing prescriptions.

Prior authorization is used primarily in privately run Medicare Advantage plans and in some Medicaid managed care plans, but less so in traditional Medicare that pays providers for individual services.

Democrats, who have pushed back on the model since it was announced last year, say they're concerned it's an end run to privatize Medicare and enable for-profit entities to deny medical care to patients.

“The more that American seniors learn about WISeR, the more they are outraged that the Trump administration is allowing tech companies to profit by delaying and denying necessary care,” Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.), a leading critic of the model, said in a statement to POLITICO.

The third-party vendors rely on AI to sift through clinical evidence delivered by physicians as part of their requests for payment approval, but CMS has said human clinicians make the final denials.

That explanation hasn't satisfied some doctors and hospitals who say using AI to assess claims could lead to patients being inappropriately denied care. Major advocacy groups, such as the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association, are against the model.

But some providers who are responsible for monitoring their Medicare spending have lauded the model for attempting to stop fraudulent payments. Chief among them is skin substitutes, a wound care treatment that shot up to $15 billion in Medicare spending last year.

The model’s use of AI comes amid increased scrutiny of the AI industry on Capitol Hill this week after revelations from several former AI researchers about the potential harms the technology could have on humanity. But while AI anxiety among lawmakers has skyrocketed, there has been little consensus on how to regulate it, especially for health care.

New concerns

Opponents of the model pointed to a tranche of more than 1,000 pages of CMS records obtained by the civil liberties advocacy group Electronic Frontier Foundation after a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The files showed problems with delays in answering requests from providers participating in WISeR.

The documents included a feedback form for one of the third-party tech vendors, Innovaccer, which showed more than two dozen complaints from providers about poor communication from vendors and long wait times for answers to requests. Innovaccer, which did not return a request for comment, handles prior authorization requests for model participants in Ohio.

CMS said in a statement to POLITICO that the data released in the records is from the “earliest months of WISeR implementation” and doesn't reflect current performance.

“When interpreting this data, it is important to account for the different outcomes a prior authorization request may have,” CMS said. “In addition to affirmations and non-affirmations, requests may be dismissed because they are incomplete, contain invalid information, or fall outside the scope of the WISeR Model.”

CMS added that it will release a report card for the first six months of the model, which launched in January.

WISeR is a part of a larger CMS effort to stop fraudulent payments at the agency. Traditionally CMS identifies payments that have already gone out and attempts to claw back funding if it is linked to fraudsters, a costly and burdensome process.

Democrats have been critical of the WISeR model since it was announced in summer 2025, but GOP support for the model also appears to be slipping.

During a House Ways and Means Committee markup on Wednesday, DelBene introduced an amendment to force CMS to disclose any audits or corrective action plans the agency has for the third-party vendors and to require the independent Medicare Payment Advisory Commission panel to examine cost-control practices such as prior authorization.

While the amendment was voted down, largely along party lines, it garnered support from Republican Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania. Kelly told POLITICO after the hearing that he's been working with DelBene on prior authorization reform for years and the amendment wasn't controversial. He didn’t comment on whether he wants the model to be nixed.

“I just thought it made sense. I thought the amendment was fine,” he said.

Several other House Republicans voted in favor of DelBene’s amendment before switching their votes at the last minute.

“It was a remarkable display to see Republicans recognize there was a problem there, to vote for it and get leaned on by their chair for no reason other than it wasn’t in his markup,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas), top Democrat on Ways and Means’ health subcommittee.

Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) did not return a request for comment on the markup amendment vote.

While efforts to fix prior authorization have traditionally been bipartisan, Republicans have been reticent to criticize WISeR, especially as the party has made combating fraud a top priority ahead of the midterms.

‘Common ground’

On the same day as the markup, Chris Klomp, a top health department official, acknowledged concerns about the model during his confirmation hearing to be the department's deputy health secretary.

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) asked Klomp about WISeR during his hearing before the Senate Health Committee. Murray said seniors in her state were experiencing delays in their care and asked whether third-party vendors were being incentivized to deny them.

Murray said she was worried the model would be expanded to include services beyond the six high-risk ones the agency originally approved.

Klomp said he understood her concerns and explained that third-party vendors will face financial penalties if they deny care inappropriately. If the model isn't working, he won't expand it, Klomp told Murray, adding that one of his family members had to deal with a six-week wait for prior authorization.

“You and I are in common ground on this topic. It must be done appropriately or it should not expand,” he said.

Read the full article here.

DelBene Hosts Telephone Town Hall

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 02:15:00 GMT

Join Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) for a telephone town hall on Monday, February 24 at 6:16 PM PT for a discussion on what's happening with the Trump administration and what she's doing in Congress to protect Washington families.