u/FervidBug42

Most people think of voting as a single moment. You show up, you cast your ballot, it gets counted. But that moment is actually the end of a long chain. And that chain has been quietly broken at almost every link.

It starts before you ever walk into a polling place. On their own, none of these things look connected.

Lawsuit Common Cause v. Department of Justice

Executive Action DOJ Request for Voter Rolls

Status Suit Filed

Last Updated April 21, 2026

Summary Common Cause sued the Department of Justice over its attempt to gain access to unredacted statewide voter registration lists from nearly every state and Washington, D.C.

Docket Number 1:26-cv-01352

Jurisdiction District Court, District of Columbia

Date Filed April 21, 2026

Sponsor: Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8] (Introduced 01/12/2026)

Committees: House - Natural Resources

Committee Meetings: 01/20/26 3:00PM

Latest Action: 04/17/2026 Presented to President. (All Actions)

Roll Call Votes: There have been 4 roll call votes

Titles (2)

Official Titles

Official Titles - House of Representatives

Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.

Official Title as Introduced

Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN.

https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hjres140/BILLS-119hjres140enr.pdf

Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (Introduced 04/16/2026)

Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

Latest Action: House - 04/16/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce

Titles (1)

Official Titles

Official Titles - House of Representatives

Official Title as Introduced

To provide that certain actions by the Federal Communications Commission shall have no force or effect.

Sponsor: Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10] (Introduced 04/09/2026)

Committees: House - Transportation and Infrastructure

Latest Action: House - 04/09/2026 Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Official Titles - House of Representatives

Official Title as Introduced

To amend title 49, United States Code, to repeal certain employee protective arrangements, and for other purposes.

•A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to repeal certain employee protective arrangements, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,2 SECTION 1. REMOVAL OF EMPLOYEE PROTECTIVE AR-3 RANGEMENTS.4 Subsection (b) of section 5333 of title 49, United5 States Code, is hereby repealed.

https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr8232/BILLS-119hr8232ih.pdf

•U.S. Code: Title 49 — TRANSPORTATION

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/49

•Title 49 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) mandates employee protective arrangements, primarily in rail and public transit, to protect workers from job loss, worsening conditions, or discrimination due to mergers, federal funding, or downsizing. Key provisions include 49 U.S.C. §11326 (rail mergers), 49 U.S.C. §5333(b) (transit grants), and 49 U.S.C. §20109 (safety whistleblowers). Key Protective Provisions in Title 49

Rail Carrier Transactions (49 U.S.C. §11326): When rail carriers merge or consolidate, they must provide a "fair arrangement" that ensures employees are not in a worse position regarding their employment for four years following approval.
Public Transit Labor Standards (49 U.S.C. §5333): Recipients of federal transit assistance must provide protective arrangements approved by the Department of Labor. These include:
    Preserving employee benefits and collective bargaining rights.
    Prioritizing reemployment of displaced workers.
    Providing paid training or retraining programs.
Railroad Employee Protections (49 U.S.C. §20109): Protects employees from discharge, demotion, or discrimination for reporting safety violations, filing complaints, or seeking medical treatment.
Motor Carrier Safety (49 U.S.C. §31105): Protects commercial motor vehicle employees from retaliation for reporting safety violations or refusing to operate a vehicle that violates federal safety regulations. 

Enforcement and Dispute Resolution

Dispute Procedures: Protective arrangements mandated by Title 49 generally include binding arbitration to resolve disputes over the application or interpretation of the protections.
Secretary of Labor Role: The Secretary of Labor oversees the compliance and certification of employee protections, particularly for public transit grants under section 5333(b).
Complaints: Employees alleging violations can file complaints, often within 180 days, with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which investigates for the Secretary of Labor. 

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/olms/compliance-assistance/mass-transit-employee-protections

•Subsection (b) of 49 U.S.C. § 5333 requires that as a condition of federal financial assistance for transit projects, the Secretary of Labor must certify that "fair and equitable" arrangements are in place to protect the interests of affected employees. These protections are mandatory for grants under sections 5307–5312, 5316, 5318, 5323, 5328, 5337, and 5338. Key protections under this section include:

Preservation of rights: Protection of existing rights, privileges, and benefits (including pension rights) under collective bargaining agreements or otherwise.
Collective bargaining: Continued rights to collective bargaining.
Employment security: Protection against a worsening of positions related to employment.
Reemployment: Assurances of employment for employees of acquired transit systems and priority of reemployment for laid-off workers.
Training: Provision of paid training or retraining programs. 

The Department of Labor (DOL) processes these applications, referring them to relevant unions to ensure compliance, as detailed in 29 CFR Part 215.

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-m&q=Subsection+%28b%29+of+section+5333+of+title+49%2C+United5%0AStates+Code%2C#lfId=ChxjMe

Sponsor: Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (Introduced 04/09/2026)

Committees: House - Judiciary

Latest Action: House - 04/09/2026 Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Official Titles - House of Representatives

Official Title as Introduced

To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit harassment of persons lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship, within a distance of 100 feet or closer to such place of religious worship, and for other purposes.

Cosponsors (1)

Cosponsor Date Cosponsored

Rep. Miller, Max L. [R-OH-7]* 04/09/2026