H.R. 1958 – Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026; H.R. 4638 – BOWOW Act of 2025; H.R. 556 – Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act

House Rules and Floor ProcedureHouse Rules · 2026-03-16 · 119th Congress
The House Rules Committee met to grant rules for floor consideration of three bills: H.R. Begins at 0:37:26
Transcript
Highlights

Title

Rules Committee sets floor debate for hunting lead-ammo, deportation, and BOWOW bills

Purpose

The House Rules Committee met to grant rules for floor consideration of three bills: H.R. 1958 (Deporting Fraudsters Act of 2026), H.R. 4638 (BOWOW Act of 2025), and H.R. 556 (Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act), along with extended debate time for H.J.Res. 139, a balanced budget amendment. The session included witness testimony from members on the immigration and hunting bills, followed by the Rules Committee's formal action to adopt closed rules for all three measures. Begins at0:37:26

Who spoke

Rep. Kat Cammack / "Miss Haochen" (transcript spelling)0:37:26: Yielded time back to Congressman Schmidt for additional comments and later questioned him on terror watch list concerns and DHS funding0:39:34.

Rep. Schmidt0:37:54: Argued the Founders never anticipated an administration allowing millions to enter illegally0:37:54 or widespread fraud on federal programs0:38:23; said DHS funding delays put Americans at risk and called for the department to be fully funded0:40:240:41:18.

Rep. Jamie Raskin [0:37:26 reference]: Thanked at close of prior testimony; not directly quoted further in this segment.

Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)0:41:44: Said the Founders could not have imagined Congress refusing to debate or vote on authorizing force in Iran0:41:44; later criticized the hearing's priorities amid rising gas prices and $22 billion spent on Iran0:51:26; moved to strike extended debate time for the balanced budget amendment, calling it hypocritical given $4.7 trillion added to the debt via reconciliation1:08:091:08:57; requested roll call votes1:11:071:12:08.

Rep. Griffith (R-VA)0:42:14: Corrected the record that Jefferson pursued the Barbary/Tripoli pirates, not Somali pirates0:42:42; later asked Chairman Westerman about cost-effective lead alternatives0:49:57; moved to grant closed rules for all three bills plus extended H.J.Res. 139 debate1:05:47.

Chairwoman Virginia Foxx0:43:43: Presided, welcomed the second panel, and managed proceedings including excusing witnesses and moving to committee votes0:43:431:05:23.

Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Natural Resources Chairman0:44:13: Testified in support of H.R. 556, saying it requires site-specific science before banning lead ammunition/tackle on federal land0:44:44; noted alternatives can cost up to 10 times more than lead0:45:03; cited Secretarial Order 3447 opening federal lands to hunting/fishing0:45:16; said hunting/fishing generates over $1 billion a year in excise taxes0:45:44; later detailed costs of tungsten/bismuth alternatives running $3-5 more per shell0:50:57 and steel shot's lower kill efficiency0:50:29.

Rep. Randall, Natural Resources0:46:40: Opposed H.R. 556, saying it creates an "impossible standard" requiring unit-specific proof lead causes population decline0:47:59; cited 53 wildlife refuges with zero staff and 366 understaffed0:47:59; said lead has been documented harming over 130 species0:48:51; noted 38 states already use voluntary buyback programs0:49:33; confirmed to Rep. Scanlon that the regulation was introduced due to documented lead poisoning in wildlife0:55:03; cited Winchester ammunition price comparisons showing narrowing cost gaps0:57:16.

Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-NY)0:51:58: Said hunters/anglers contribute over $1 billion annually to conservation via excise taxes0:51:58; asked Westerman how requiring local scientific evidence protects access while ensuring effective conservation policy0:52:28.

Rep. Mary Scanlon (D-PA)0:55:03: Questioned Randall to confirm the lead regulation stemmed from documented poisoning0:55:03; noted more than half of bald eagles suffer from lead poisoning0:55:33; argued the bill would undermine conservation progress0:56:00; supported McGovern's amendment striking extended debate for the balanced budget amendment, citing blocked exemptions for Social Security and Medicare1:10:15.

Rep. Horton0:58:39: Described an Indiana legislative error that inadvertently restricted hunting on public land and thanked Westerman for protecting access0:59:09; asked Westerman to address prior comments0:59:39.

Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)1:02:35: Voiced support for H.R. 556, citing Minnesota's hunting and ice-fishing traditions1:02:35.

Rep. Jack [1:02:35 ref, first speech 1:02:35]: Asked Westerman to expand on hunters/anglers as conservationists1:02:35; Westerman responded citing the "tragedy of the commons" concept and long-term stewardship1:03:06.

Key moments

Westerman said H.R. 556 requires any federal lead ammunition/tackle ban to be based on site-specific data coordinated with state agencies, and that alternatives can cost up to 10 times more than lead products0:44:440:45:03.

Randall countered that the bill sets an "impossible standard," noting 53 wildlife refuges have zero staff and 366 are insufficiently staffed, making unit-specific forensic studies unworkable0:47:590:48:21.

Randall stated lead poisoning has been documented in over 130 species, including bald eagles and California condors0:48:51, a claim Scanlon echoed later, citing that more than half of bald eagles suffer from lead poisoning0:55:33.

Griffith and Westerman discussed the price gap for lead alternatives, with tungsten/bismuth shotgun shells costing $3-5 more each, though Randall cited Winchester data showing some non-lead options only about $8 more or even cheaper than premium lead ammunition0:50:570:57:160:57:39.

Rep. Griffith corrected the historical record during floor discussion: Jefferson's naval campaign targeted the Barbary pirates of Tripoli and North Africa, not Somali pirates as stated0:42:42.

McGovern moved to strike Section 4 of the rule extending debate on H.J.Res. 139 (balanced budget amendment), arguing Republicans added $4.7 trillion to the debt via reconciliation while proposing this amendment, and that Trump's Iran war has cost over $22 billion1:08:091:08:57.

McGovern's amendment failed on a party-line roll call, 2 yeas to 6 nays1:11:35.

The underlying rule — granting closed rules for H.R. 1958, H.R. 4638, and H.R. 556, plus extended H.J.Res. 139 debate — passed on roll call, with the clerk reporting the tally as the ayes having it1:12:40.

Griffith's motion detailed that all three bills would receive closed rules with one hour of general debate each and one motion to recommit, waiving all points of order1:05:47.

Scanlon argued Republicans previously voted down amendments in the Judiciary Committee that would have exempted Social Security and Medicare from balanced budget amendment requirements1:10:38.

Metadata

CommitteeHouse Rules
Chamber / CongressHouse · 119th Congress
Date2026-03-16
TypeMeeting
Witnesses
(none listed in event metadata)
Videoyoutube
Transcript80 caption blocks · 5,619 words · 1:13:07 runtime
EventCongress.gov 118843