Rep. Pat Harrigan

A retired Army special operations veteran is urging Congress to grant qualified former special operators nationwide concealed carry privileges similar to those enjoyed by retired U.S. law enforcement officers. He suggests that these highly trained individuals are uniquely equipped for self-defense, referencing the OODA loop concept. The movement has generated legislation, including the Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act.

An alternative bill to make standard time permanent, the Sunshine for Our Kids Act, is gaining support from doctors and lawmakers, opposing the recently House-passed Sunshine Protection Act that would make daylight saving time permanent. The key difference is the timing of sunrises and sunsets, with the alternative bill aligning mornings with natural light year-round. A 2025 poll shows most Americans oppose biannual clock changes, but preferences split between permanent daylight saving and standard time.

Rep. Pat Harrigan is leading efforts to phase out Chinese-made drones in U.S. law enforcement due to security concerns. The American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act of 2026 would allocate $1.5 billion from Trump's Section 301 tariffs to support domestic drone manufacturing and restrict foreign drone use after 2027. Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) is a major supplier of drones to U.S. law enforcement agencies, with 879 units registered in Texas in 2024.

Rep. Pat Harrigan is leading efforts to phase out Chinese-manufactured drones in U.S. law enforcement through the American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act of 2026. The bill allocates $1.5 billion, funded by Trump's Section 301 tariffs, to subsidize domestic drone production and condition federal grants on avoiding foreign drones after 2027. DJI, a Chinese manufacturer, dominates drone usage in Texas law enforcement.

A bipartisan group of lawmakers warns the Pentagon has not adequately protected U.S. military personnel from adversaries exploiting commercially available location data to track or surveil troops overseas. The lawmakers cited reports from U.S. Central Command indicating foreign adversaries may purchase data to identify military installations or monitor troop movements.

House Republicans are resisting the Senate's 'skinny' budget reconciliation plan to end the record-breaking DHS shutdown, arguing it lacks broader GOP priorities like defense funding and affordability measures. Senate Republicans aim to fund ICE and CBP through a partisan process, but House conservatives fear the narrow focus will jeopardize support and delay action ahead of November midterms.

House Republicans are resisting the Senate's narrow plan to end the record-breaking DHS shutdown, arguing it lacks broader GOP priorities like defense funding and affordability measures. Senate Republicans passed a budget resolution to fund ICE and CBP via reconciliation, but House conservatives oppose the limited scope, threatening the timeline for a full funding agreement.