Jefferson Shreve

Shreve Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Cut Red Tape, Build More Homes

Position: Introduces bipartisan legislation directing a study of pre-approved pattern book home designs and recommendations to reduce permitting delays and construction costs, with a focus on rural areas.

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) introduced the bipartisan Build More Homes Act today with Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), legislation to help communities reduce permitting delays, lower construction costs, and bring more homes to market. The bill focuses on pattern books — collections of home designs approved in advance by local governments. These pre-approved plans can streamline permitting, saving builders time and money. Currently, builders often face lengthy approval processes that can add thousands of dollars and months of delays to construction. Pattern books offer a practical alternative by allowing builders to use designs that have already undergone local review. The Build More Homes Act directs a study of these practices, identifies successful approaches communities can adopt, and calls for specific recommendations tailored to rural areas. “Homeownership is a pillar of the American Dream, but too many Hoosiers are being priced out,” said Congressman Shreve. “We need to make it easier and less expensive to build. My bill will help local communities find practical ways to cut red tape, shorten delays, and get more homes on the market.” “New Hampshire is in a full-blown housing crisis: 85% of households across our state are priced out of this cornerstone of the American Dream,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Nurses, teachers, firefighters, electricians, and hardworking people of all ages are being pushed out of the communities they love and the communities that depend on them. I’m using every tool I have to lower the sky-high housing costs New Hampshire families face and make it cheaper and faster to build the homes we urgently need. Our bipartisan Build More Homes Act is about cutting costs and red tape, and learning from communities like Lebanon that are already showing us what works.” Read the full bill text here.

Shreve Introduces Bill to Ban Scam Call Machines

Position: Supports legislation to ban SIM box devices used to disguise scam calls as local numbers, including prohibitions on manufacturing, importing, selling, owning, and operating them, and directs the FCC to coordinate with law enforcement to block imports and pursue scam operations.

WASHINGTON — Today, Stop Scams Caucus Chairman Jefferson Shreve introduced the Stop SIM Box Scams Act to ban devices that help scammers disguise their calls as local. Known as SIM boxes, these machines hold hundreds of SIM cards and cycle through phone numbers, helping scam operations reach Americans while evading detection. The bill would prohibit manufacturing, importing, selling, leasing, advertising, owning, or operating SIM boxes. It would also direct the Federal Communications Commission to coordinate with federal law enforcement to block imports and pursue the scam syndicates using them. "That ‘local’ Indiana number on your phone may be a scammer calling from halfway around the world. I wrote this bill to stop scammers from using these machines to pose as our neighbors," said Congressman Shreve (R-IN-06). "Scammers shouldn’t be able to use our area codes to rip off our communities. Our legislation bans the deceptive devices that allow scammers to masquerade as our neighbors, cutting off a key tool for fraudsters and protecting working families," said Congressman Rob Menendez (D-NJ-08). "Illegal calls and texts are the weapons of choice for criminals defrauding Americans in record numbers. That is why we have long called for banning SIM boxes, which enable high-volume illegal calling while allowing criminals to mask the call’s origin. The Stop SIM Box Scams Act would take this important step, and Congress should protect consumers by passing it as soon as possible," said Erik Rust, Bank Policy Institute SVP & Head of Government Affairs. "CTIA applauds Reps. Shreve and Menendez for their bipartisan work to introduce the Stop SIM Box Scams Act. CTIA and its members are dedicated to fighting SIM box-enabled fraud, and this bill would further enhance those efforts by giving the FCC greater enforcement tools and enhancing collaboration between government and the wireless industry to reduce scam and spam calls and texts. We urge Congress to swiftly advance this legislation," said Kelly Cole, CTIA SVP, Government Affairs. Read the full bill text here.

Shreve Bill to Strengthen American Mineral Supply Chains Passes House

Position: The release supports H.R. 1501, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025, which would make mining and mineral processing eligible for FAST-41 coordinated federal permitting with public timelines, and would block a proposed rule restricting which mining projects qualify. The release argues this will reduce reliance on China for critical minerals without changing environmental standards.

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) announced that the House passed his Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 (H.R. 1501), legislation to strengthen American mineral supply chains and reduce dependence on China. Cars, appliances, cell phones, medical equipment, defense systems and the power grid all depend on minerals such as copper, lithium and rare earth elements. America has these resources, but years of government delay leave manufacturers dependent on foreign suppliers. “America has the resources. We have the workers. What we don’t need is years of government delay and uncertainty,” said Rep. Shreve. “My bill gives qualified mining projects a clear and accountable permitting process. That will strengthen American manufacturing, support American jobs and reduce our dependence on China.” H.R. 1501 establishes mining and mineral processing as sectors eligible for FAST-41. The program coordinates federal reviews, establishes public timelines and increases accountability without changing environmental standards. The bill also blocks a proposed Biden administration rule that would have restricted which mining projects qualify. “I’m thrilled to see the Protecting Domestic Mining Act, which I introduced with Rep. Shreve, pass the House today. Mining plays a critical role in our national security, and this bill is an important step towards a more streamlined and coordinated approval process for new mines," said Rep. Blake Moore (UT-01). "In Utah alone, mining contributes over $5 billion to our state GDP annually. As demand for hardrock minerals continues to grow, we should be producing more resources here, with American workers, rather than relying on foreign adversaries. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to pass this bill so that we can increase domestic mineral production and make government work better for our miners.” “It’s critical for the United States to achieve mineral dominance and end our reliance on foreign adversaries for critical natural resources,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (AK-04). “The Protecting Domestic Mining Act will speed up permitting for mining and processing, allowing America to unleash its domestic mineral abundance, support good-paying jobs and decrease reliance on foreign sources. I thank Representative Shreve for his work on advancing policies to secure America’s mineral supply chains.” “By codifying into law what has already been a great success for American jobs, national security and supply chain independence, the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 (H.R. 1501) will bring increased transparency, accountability and predictability in the permitting review process, reaffirming mining as a covered project under the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s (FPISC) permitting dashboard,” said Rich Nolan, President and CEO of the National Mining Association. “By streamlining the permitting process and establishing greater coordination and cooperation between regulatory agencies, we can bring domestic mining operations online more efficiently and help America unlock its true potential. We congratulate Representatives Shreve and Moore on passage of H.R. 1501 and encourage the Senate to quickly take up and pass this important legislation. The bill will help to ensure that made in America truly means mined in America.” “Strengthening America’s mineral supply chains is critical to our national and energy security, and will require both greater domestic production and a permitting process that can move projects forward efficiently,” said James Dozier, President and CEO of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. “The Protecting Domestic Mining Act would help achieve both by expanding access to the FAST-41 program and giving critical mineral projects a clearer path toward expedited review. CRES is proud to support this important legislation and efforts to strengthen access to critical minerals vital for advanced, domestic, and cleaner energy production.” The Protecting Domestic Mining Act now heads to the Senate for consideration. Read the full bill here.

ICYMI: Congressman Shreve’s Rural Animal Shelter Legislation Included in 2026 Farm Bill

WASHINGTON — Last week, Congressman Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) joined House Republicans in advancing the 2026 Farm Bill through the House of Representatives. The final bill included provisions from Rep. Shreve’s bipartisan Rural Animal Shelter Investment Act, which helps rural animal shelters access existing federal funding to build, expand, or improve their facilities. Congressman Shomari C. Figures (AL-02) co-led the legislation. Animal shelters play an important role in rural communities. They rescue and care for animals, support public health, and often fill gaps where veterinary services are limited. Yet many rural shelters operate on tight budgets and have not fully accessed support available through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant Program. Over the past decade, rural shelters have received funding through this program only a handful of times. The Rural Animal Shelter Investment Act clarifies that animal shelters qualify as “Essential Community Facilities” under the USDA program, helping local shelters apply for funding to improve their facilities and better serve their communities. “Rural animal shelters do important work, often with limited resources,” said Rep. Shreve. “This is a simple fix. It makes clear that shelters are eligible for existing federal support so they can build, expand, and improve the facilities they rely on every day.” “Animal shelters in rural communities house and care for animals in critical need,” said Rep. Figures. “This bipartisan bill will help animal shelters apply for more federal funding to support their work.” The legislation is endorsed by the American Kennel Club.

Shreve Introduces VERIFY Act to Strengthen Immigration Verification and Protect Public Safety

Position: The release advocates for the VERIFY Act, which would modernize the federal SAVE immigration verification system by requiring faster status updates (within 24 hours), improving inter-agency coordination, and strengthening oversight to prevent ineligible individuals from obtaining commercial driver's licenses and other benefits.

WASHINGTON — Following multiple deadly crashes involving illegal aliens unlawfully holding commercial driver’s licenses, including incidents that claimed the lives of Hoosiers, Congressman Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) introduced the VERIFY Act of 2026 with his Republican colleague Dave Taylor (OH-02). The VERIFY Act would modernize the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system, known as SAVE, which agencies use to verify immigration status for licenses, benefits, and other approvals. Gaps and delays in federal record updates have left agencies relying on outdated information when making eligibility decisions. The VERIFY Act requires immigration status updates within 24 hours, improves coordination across federal databases, and strengthens oversight so federal, state, local, and tribal agencies receive faster, more reliable verification. “This is about accountability. When agencies issue commercial driver’s licenses, they need accurate information without delay,” said Congressman Shreve. “Americans have died because of these failures. The SAVE system is outdated. The VERIFY Act brings it into the modern era and strengthens public safety.” “The SAVE system is vital to ensuring that individuals in our country are here lawfully,” said Congressman Dave Taylor. “I am proud to support Rep. Shreve’s efforts to strengthen enforcement from within and protect Americans from bad actors. By modernizing the SAVE System, we will equip the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies with the most accurate, reliable data to enforce our nation’s immigration laws.” Read the full bill here.

Congressman Shreve’s Bill to Strengthen Domestic Mining Advances Out of Committee

Position: Congressman Shreve supports streamlining federal permitting for domestic mining and refining projects through the FAST Act to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign sources.

WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Jefferson Shreve (IN-06) and Congressman Blake Moore (UT-01) announced that the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 advanced out of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The bill is an important step toward strengthening America’s critical mineral supply chain, cutting permitting delays, and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries. The legislation amends the FAST Act to ensure mining and refining projects can benefit from a more coordinated and efficient federal permitting process. It also stops a proposed Biden-era rule that would narrow which mining projects qualify for that process. “The Biden Administration’s proposed rule would make it harder to produce critical minerals in the United States and easier for China to keep gaining ground. That makes no sense,” said Congressman Jefferson Shreve. “We should be cutting red tape, strengthening American mining and processing, and securing the supply chains our economy and national security depend on.” “The U.S. mining industry is critical to our national security and energy dominance. In Utah alone, mining supports more than 43,000 jobs and contributes more than $5.2 billion to our state’s GDP each year,” said Congressman Blake Moore. “As demand for critical minerals continues to grow, our permitting process must keep pace. I’m proud to work with Congressman Shreve on the Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 to ensure more mining projects can qualify for FAST-41 status.” “America’s ability to build, power, and defend itself starts with reliable access to critical minerals,” said House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman. “H.R. 1501 strengthens domestic mining by expanding FAST-41 expedited permitting for mining and processing projects, supporting jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign adversaries. I thank Rep. Shreve for his leadership on policies that strengthen our supply chains and support American workers and industry.” “It is imperative to our nation’s economic prosperity and national security that we not only move forward with more mining projects, but move forward faster,” said Heather Reams, President and CEO of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions. “The Protecting Domestic Mining Act is an important step in the right direction by creating greater opportunity for mineral projects to receive expedited consideration under FAST-41. CRES is proud to support this legislation.” The Protecting Domestic Mining Act of 2025 now heads to the full House for consideration. Read the full bill text here.