Policy Alerts
100% Pharmaceutical Tariffs Take Effect via Executive Order — On April 2, President Trump signed an executive order imposing 100% tariffs on patented pharmaceutical products imported into the United States. The order targets drugs that lack a "most favored nations" pricing agreement with the U.S. Companies that commit to domestic manufacturing see their rate drop to 20%. Drugs manufactured in allied nations with existing trade agreements — including Switzerland, Japan, South Korea, and the 27-member European Union — face a reduced 15% tariff. This is the most aggressive pharmaceutical trade action in modern history. American consumers and supply chains will feel the impact within weeks. The stated objective: force reshoring of pharmaceutical production onto American soil.
$1.5 Trillion Defense Budget Request Submitted — The White House submitted its FY2026 defense spending request at $1.5 trillion — a 42% increase over current levels and the largest such request in decades. The proposal pairs this historic Pentagon boost with $73 billion in cuts to nondefense discretionary spending, a 10% reduction. Senate Appropriations Chair Susan Collins (R-ME) has already pushed back on the domestic reductions, noting that Congress rejected similar cuts last year. The gap between the administration's ambitions and congressional appetite for domestic austerity will define budget negotiations through the summer.
Federal Legislative Activity
FY2026 Appropriations Completed — H.R. 7148 and H.R. 7147 Passed
Status: Enacted | The House passed its final FY26 appropriations bills, which the Appropriations Committee describes as advancing the administration's agenda while codifying DOGE-backed reforms to eliminate waste, duplication, and unchecked federal spending. Congress kept nondefense spending relatively flat despite the administration's push for a roughly one-fifth decrease. This is a significant check on executive spending authority — Congress is asserting its power of the purse.
DISCLOSE Act of 2026 — H.R. 2498
Status: Introduced, March 6 | Sponsors: Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15) and 184 Democratic cosponsors; all 47 senators who caucus with Democrats | This bill would require super PACs, 501(c)(4) dark money groups, corporations, and other organizations spending more than $10,000 in elections or on judicial nominations to promptly disclose donors who contribute more than $10,000. The 2026 version adds provisions targeting digital advertising and social media influencer-based political spending. With zero Republican cosponsors, the bill faces steep odds in the current Congress — but the underlying issue of anonymous political spending remains a bipartisan concern among voters. Dark money topped $1.9 billion in the 2024 cycle, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. Americans deserve to know who is buying influence.
Conscience Protection Act of 2025 — H.R. 3411
Status: Introduced | This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against healthcare entities that decline participation in abortion services, and strengthens enforcement of existing federal conscience protections. The Committee for Religious Liberty has endorsed this legislation alongside the Equal Campus Access Act and the FACE Act Repeal Act. These bills represent a concerted push to fortify conscience rights in healthcare — a core First Amendment priority.
Do No Harm Act — Reintroduced
Status: Introduced | This competing proposal would amend the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) to prevent its use in cases involving access to healthcare, taxpayer-funded services, or civil rights protections. Proponents argue it restores RFRA to its original purpose. Critics warn it would gut religious liberty protections entirely. This bill is unlikely to advance in the current Congress but signals the ongoing legislative battle over the scope of religious freedom.
Executive & Agency Actions
EO: "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections" (March 31, 2026)
This executive order directs the federal government to strengthen citizenship verification using existing federal databases to help states confirm voter eligibility. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to create and transmit to states a "State Citizenship List" of verified U.S. citizens. This order centralizes voter eligibility data at the federal level — a significant expansion of executive involvement in election administration that will face immediate legal challenges.
EO: Independent Agency Rulemaking Oversight
A new executive directive requires independent agencies — including the FCC, FTC, SEC, and FERC — to submit all "significant regulatory actions" to the OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) for review and approval before publication. This represents a fundamental shift in regulatory oversight, bringing historically independent agencies under tighter White House control. The constitutional implications are significant and litigation is expected.
EO: "Ending Certain Tariff Actions" + Pharmaceutical Tariff Adjustment (April 2, 2026)
In addition to the pharmaceutical tariff order detailed above, the administration issued a companion order adjusting levies on industrial metals. The two-track approach — escalating pharmaceutical tariffs while selectively relieving pressure on industrial inputs — signals a more targeted trade strategy than the broad tariff regime of 2025.
State Watch
Texas 89th Legislature — Immigration Enforcement Expansion
The Texas Legislature advanced several major border security measures: Senate Bill 8 mandates all Texas sheriffs operating jails enter into 287(g) agreements with ICE, requiring compliance by December 1, 2026. The bill also creates a grant program to fund personnel and operations. Additional measures include the creation of a new Homeland Security Division within DPS and record-setting border security funding in the 2026–27 state budget. Faith-based groups, including Texas Lutheran bishops and Texas Impact, have raised religious liberty concerns about related enforcement bills SB 4 and HB 4, arguing they could infringe on Texans' religious exercise when congregations serve immigrant communities.
Florida — 287(g) Expansion
Florida has expanded local law enforcement participation in federal immigration programs to 344 agencies signed onto 287(g) agreements as of March 2026, according to ICE data — the most aggressive state-level enforcement posture in the nation.
Arizona — Dark Money Disclosure Law Under Review
The Arizona Supreme Court is hearing a challenge to Proposition 211, the state's landmark dark money disclosure law passed by voters. The outcome could set precedent for similar disclosure measures advancing in Hawaii, Illinois, and Maine. If the court upholds Prop 211, expect a wave of state-level transparency legislation. If struck down, the dark money status quo hardens.
Illinois — State Bivens Act Enacted
Illinois became the fifth state to provide a state civil remedy against federal officials for constitutional violations, joining a growing movement to create state-level accountability mechanisms for federal overreach. This has significant implications as states increasingly assert constitutional protections independent of federal courts.
Oversight Tracker
GAO: Federal Deficit Projections (Published March 31, Released April 3)
The Government Accountability Office projects that continued federal deficits will add an average of $2 trillion to U.S. debt each year through 2036. The Treasury Department is responsible for financing this borrowing. At a moment when the administration is requesting $1.5 trillion in defense spending alone, these projections underscore the unsustainable fiscal trajectory. Congress has an obligation to demand accountability on both the spending and revenue sides of the ledger.
GAO: Crisis Pregnancy Center Federal Funding Review (Published March 2, Released April 1)
A new GAO report reviewed federal funding flows to crisis pregnancy centers from 2018–2024. The findings will likely fuel both sides of the reproductive policy debate and may prompt legislative action on funding eligibility criteria.
HHS Inspector General — Healthcare Fraud Enforcement
The HHS Office of Inspector General reported multiple enforcement actions in the first week of April 2026, including cases on April 2, 3, and 6. These actions represent ongoing efforts to recover taxpayer dollars lost to fraud in federal healthcare programs — precisely the kind of institutional accountability work that protects American taxpayers.
DOGE vs. Congressional Oversight
Tension continues between the Department of Government Efficiency's spending reduction agenda and congressional spending directives. While DOGE-backed reforms have been codified in FY26 appropriations, lawmakers from both parties have pushed back on attempts to claw back funds or slash agencies beyond what Congress authorized. Reports indicate DOGE spending cuts have created operational challenges at federal agencies during a period of heightened national security demands. The constitutional principle is clear: Congress appropriates, the executive executes.