Lloyd Smucker legislative activity: June 12, 2025 – June 30, 2025

Remark 171-101, page H2796-3. On June 12, 2025, LLOYD SMUCKER spoke in favor of passing HR 4 – Rescissions Act of 2025. Direct quote in its entirety: Mr. Speaker, this bill represents a tiny fraction of the total we are spending annually. It is a tiny fraction, 0.2 percent, one-fifth of a percent of what President Biden added to the debt over the last 4 years. Yet, Democrats are saying that these savings are cruel. They literally said this will destroy America as we know it. No one outside of the beltway will take them seriously.
Have my Democratic colleagues even looked at what is in this bill before attacking? Is it cruel to suggest that American taxpayers shouldn't have to pay $60,000 to celebrate DEI in the Netherlands or $30,000 to foster ``queer-feminist discourse'' in Albania? Is it cruel to cut a program spending $700,000 to expand fruit and jam sales in Honduras?
By the way, speaking of jam, my last name is Smucker, but even I know that is a bad deal. Mr. Speaker, I can tell you what will destroy America as we know it, and that is this unsustainable debt that we are passing on to our kids and grandkids. I urge my colleagues to support this rescission package.

Remark 171-101, page E564. Also on June 12, 2025, LLOYD SMUCKER congratulated Larry Richardson, President and CEO of YMCA of the Roses, on his retirement.

Remark 171-101, page E609: On June 24, 2025, LLOYD SMUCKER congratulated Manheim High School’s boys’ volleyball team on winning the state championship.

Remark 171-108, page E617: On June 24, 2025, LLOYD SMUCKER congratulated Dr. Beth Haldeman on her retirement from Cocalico School District.

H.R.4148 – To provide that the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to “Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulation” shall have no force or effect.
Introduced June 25, 2025 by LLOYD SMUCKER. Cosponsored by fifteen Republicans and no Democrats.
Comment: In August 2023, the Department of Labor under Biden updated decades-old DOL rules. If you are interested in labor law, here’s a readable summary of the August 2023 update.
Every update I read praised the 2023 update to “DBRA” – essentially raising the threshold for wages to be paid for government contracts. Davis-Bacon prohibited contractors’ wage suppression in a region, for example, blocking import of cheap labor instead of hiring locally.
H.R.4148 undoes that.

H.R.2548 – Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025. This summary is from congress.gov: This bill imposes penalties on certain persons (individuals and entities) if the President determines that the Russian government or a person acting at Russia's direction is involved with (1) refusing to negotiate a peace agreement with Ukraine; (2) violating a negotiated peace agreement; (3) initiating another invasion of Ukraine; or (4) overthrowing, dismantling, or seeking to subvert the Ukrainian government.
If the President makes such a determination, the bill requires certain actions including

The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on specified persons such as the Russian president, certain Russian military commanders, and any foreign person that knowingly provides defense items to the Russian armed forces;
The President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported from Russia into the United States to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services;
The President must increase the rate of duty on all goods and services imported into the United States from countries that knowingly engage in the exchange of Russian-origin uranium and petroleum products to at least 500% relative to the value of such goods and services;
The Department of the Treasury must impose property-blocking sanctions on any financial institution organized under Russian law and owned wholly or partly by Russia, and any financial institution that engages in transactions with those entities; and
The Department of Commerce must prohibit the export, reexport, or in-country transfer to or in Russia of any U.S.-produced energy or energy product.

Introduced April 1, 2025 by Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). Three original cosponsors were: Mike Quigley (D-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH). LLOYD SMUCKER cosponsored on June 26, 2025.

H.R.4204 – Medicare Patient Choice Act. To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare beneficiaries to choose their physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and chiropractors.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by LLOYD SMUCKER. Originally cosponsored by Donald Davis (D-NC), with Kevin Hern (R-OK) cosponsoring on July 15, 2025. Note that JOHN JOYCE, who is a physician, did not cosponsor.
Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Comment: H.R.4204 only applies to Section 1802(b) of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1395a(b)]. Smucker’s only change to that provision: In every instance where the law reads “physician or practitioner,” substitute “physician, practitioner, therapist, or qualified audiologist.” That’s it. That is H.S.4204.

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