Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act

Download PDF
Bill ID: 119/hr/3428
Last Updated: February 4, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

ID: B001327

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

September 9, 2025

Introduced

Committee Review

Floor Action

Passed House

Senate Review

📍 Current Status

Next: Both chambers must agree on the same version of the bill.

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the 119th Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose the real disease beneath.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions Review Act (HR 3428) claims to promote transparency and congressional oversight by requiring a review of the ethics policies and practices of three river basin commissions. How quaint. In reality, this bill is a Band-Aid on a bullet wound, designed to placate environmental groups and local interests while maintaining the status quo.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill requires the Comptroller General to review the Mid-Atlantic River Basin Commissions' ethics policies, communication practices, federal responsibilities, funding sources, and potential duplications of effort. The report will be submitted to Congress, which will then... do nothing meaningful with it. The commissions must submit plans for compliance with the recommendations, but we all know how well that works out in practice.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved:

1. Environmental groups: They'll get a few crumbs of information and some empty promises. 2. Local interests: They might receive some token funding or attention from their representatives. 3. River basin commissions: They'll undergo a superficial review, which will likely result in minor tweaks to their operations. 4. Lobbyists: They'll continue to influence the commissions and Congress behind closed doors.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a prime example of "legislative placebo effect." It creates the illusion of action while doing nothing substantial to address the real issues:

1. The review will likely be superficial, and any recommendations will be watered down or ignored. 2. The commissions' operations will remain opaque, with minimal changes to their ethics policies or practices. 3. Funding sources will continue to be influenced by special interests rather than public needs.

In short, this bill is a masterclass in bureaucratic doublespeak, designed to maintain the status quo while pretending to address concerns. It's a symptom of a deeper disease: the corruption and inefficiency that plagues our legislative system.

Diagnosis: Terminal case of "Legislative Theater-itis," characterized by symptoms of empty promises, superficial reviews, and a complete lack of meaningful action. Prognosis: Poor. Treatment: None, as the patient (Congress) is too far gone to be saved.

Related Topics

Transportation & Infrastructure Federal Budget & Appropriations Small Business & Entrepreneurship Government Operations & Accountability National Security & Intelligence State & Local Government Affairs Criminal Justice & Law Enforcement Congressional Rules & Procedures Civil Rights & Liberties
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$141,212
19 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$0
Committees
$0
Individuals
$141,212

No PAC contributions found

No organization contributions found

No committee contributions found

1
BATMASIAN, JAMES
2 transactions
$15,812
2
TAMBUR, ROBERT L.
1 transaction
$13,200
3
BRESNAHAN, DODIE
1 transaction
$6,600
4
CONFORTI, ANGELO
1 transaction
$6,600
5
KUHARCHIK, RHODA
1 transaction
$6,600
6
CAMERON, RONALD
1 transaction
$6,600
7
EMMET, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,600
8
GILLIAM, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,600
9
GRIFFIN, KENNETH
1 transaction
$6,600
10
RICHARDS, DANIEL
1 transaction
$6,600
11
SCHWAB, CHARLES
1 transaction
$6,600
12
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
1 transaction
$6,600
13
STERN, ELIZABETH
1 transaction
$6,600
14
VANDERSLOOT, BELINDA
1 transaction
$6,600
15
VANDERSLOOT, FRANK
1 transaction
$6,600
16
WEEKLEY, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,600
17
DOWD, JOHN J.
1 transaction
$6,600
18
BERNSTEIN, LAWRENCE
1 transaction
$6,600
19
STEDMAN, STUART
1 transaction
$6,600

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 1 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]

ID: P000605

Top Contributors

10

1
MARTIN, CARL MR.
AQUABILITI CEO
Individual MILLERSBURG, PA
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
2
KENNEDY, MICHAEL P. MR.
SELF EMPLOYED DEVELOPER
Individual BOILING SPRINGS, PA
$5,000
Nov 25, 2024
3
GOLDMAN, MARC MR.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual BOCA RATON, FL
$5,000
Oct 31, 2024
4
KENNEDY, MICHAEL P. MR.
SELF EMPLOYED DEVELOPER
Individual BOILING SPRINGS, PA
$5,000
Nov 25, 2024
5
FISHER, PAUL
BOYER & RITTER LLC CPA
Individual CAMP HILL, PA
$5,000
Dec 31, 2023
6
SUTLIFF, GREG L. MR.
RETIRED RETIRED
Individual CAMP HILL, PA
$5,000
May 31, 2024
7
SUTLIFF, GREGORY L. MR.
Individual CAMP HILL, PA
$5,000
Jun 10, 2024
8
BLASCO, KINGSLY J. MR.
KINGLY BLASCO INSURANCE OWNER
Individual NEWVILLE, PA
$5,000
Aug 28, 2024
9
COLBERT, THOMAS W. MR. JR.
COMMUNITY BANCSHARES OF MS. BANK
Individual FLOWOOD, MS
$5,000
Sep 30, 2024
10
DEASON, DARWIN MR
DEASON CAPITAL SERVICES CHAIRMAN
Individual DALLAS, TX
$4,000
Oct 29, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 24 nodes and 23 connections

Total contributions: $157,812

Top Donors - Rep. Bresnahan, Robert P. [R-PA-8]

Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount

19 Individuals