The Leader's Floor Lookout: Week of July 13, 2026

When Americans make a purchase at a firearm retailer, credit card companies can assign a specific merchant category code (MCC) to the transaction, identifying it as a firearm-related purchase. This policy has raised concerns that these codes could be weaponized to monitor or track law-abiding Americans exercising their constitutional rights.

Some states, like Texas and Florida, recognize the threat to privacy posed by these codes and have banned the use of firearm retailer-specific MCCs; however, states like California and New York have instead mandated the use of these trackable MCCs.

To ensure Americans’ rights to privacy do not depend on their ZIP code, House Republicans are advancing legislation this week to implement a national standard prohibiting firearm-specific MCCs and protecting law-abiding citizens’ financial data from being used to surveil lawful firearm purchases.

Rep. Riley Moore’s measure, H.R. 1181, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, would prevent the use of firearm-specific merchant category codes, establishing guardrails to ensure financial institutions and credit card companies are not coerced into surveilling customers during constitutionally protected purchases.

House Republicans remain committed to protecting Americans from overreaching surveillance, safeguarding consumer privacy, and defending Second Amendment rights nationwide.

The American heroes who fight for our country should receive the benefits they deserve – without burdensome red tape.

Under current law, veterans face barriers to accessing healthcare, disability benefits, and retirement compensation because of outdated policies. Combat-wounded veterans who are medically retired before reaching 20 years of service are even denied the full retirement and VA disability benefits they earned.

Major Richard Star was one of those veterans. After serving 32 years in the Army Reserve with 19 and a half years spent on active duty and nine deployments to combat zones, Major Star was diagnosed with deployment-linked cancer and forced to medically retire–only to be denied his earned full retirement benefits.

This week, House Republicans will bring forward a package of more than 60 bills, including the Major Richard Star Act, to properly honor veterans who sacrificed for our country by strengthening healthcare, improving access to VA benefits and services, and expanding economic opportunities for veterans.

Chairman Mike Bost’s legislation, H.R. 9237, the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act, closes the loophole that denied Major Star his compensation, allowing around 54,000 combat-wounded veterans to receive both their military retirement pay and VA disability compensation. This measure also cuts the red tape that allows bureaucrats to dictate veterans’ healthcare, delay VA clinics and facilities, and restrict veterans from receiving the full scope of their disability benefits.

House Republicans are committed to leaving no veteran behind and ensuring those who sacrifice for our country receive the care and benefits services they earned through their service.
 

---

Maximizing Sunshine Across America

Americans shouldn’t have to change their clocks twice a year. The outdated practice of switching between standard time and daylight saving time disrupts daily life, burdens families, and creates unnecessary challenges for businesses, travel, and public safety.

Congress has previously adopted permanent daylight saving time twice–including during World War II–to conserve energy, but current federal law prevents states from making daylight saving time permanent.

House Republicans are bringing legislation to the floor this week that will make daylight saving time permanent nationwide, ending the twice-yearly clock changes and helping boost economic activity.

Rep. Vern Buchanan’s bill, H.R. 139, the Sunshine Protection Act, ends an outdated practice by making daylight savings time permanent. This legislation will lower crime, save Americans time and money, reduce traffic accidents, and encourage the public to get outside.

House Republicans will always choose commonsense solutions that maximize economic and energy efficiency and benefit families and workers.