Matt Van Epps

H.R. 1, sponsored by Committee on the Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (CPAC Lifetime Rating 93%) and known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, delivered a host of landmark Conservative victories, including a school choice tax credit to empower parents, more resources for border security and immigration enforcement, and the continuation of the Trump tax cuts that keep more money in the pockets of hardworking Americans. For these reasons, CPAC supported this bill. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Senate-amended version of the bill on July 3, 2025, in a 218-214 vote (2 Republicans and all Democrats voted against). President Trump signed the measure into law. Republican Nay Votes: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Kevin Hern (CPAC Lifetime Rating 96%), prohibits programs in our schools that receive support, either direct or indirect, from Communist China. CPAC believes American children must be protected from the influence of foreign adversaries and opposes any educational program funded or guided by China. CPAC supported this bill. The House passed the bill on December 4, 2025, by a vote of 247-164 (all Republicans and 33 Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure.

This bill, sponsored by Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (CPAC Lifetime Rating 89%), lengthens the statute of limitations from 5 to 10 years for fraud and other serious crimes committed under programs that received extra money when Congress lost its collective mind during the Chinese Coronavirus hysteria. CPAC supports rooting out the rampant fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer dollars that occurred during the Chinese Coronavirus spending spree and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on March 11, 2025, by a vote of 295-127 (all Republicans and 83 Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken a vote on this measure.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Richard Hudson (CPAC Lifetime Rating 85%), streamlines the permitting process for pipelines through the Interagency Coordination Review Act. The bill allows more pipelines to be built, delivering cheaper energy for Americans. CPAC supports cutting the red tape and bureaucratic hurdles that hold up critical American energy infrastructure and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on December 12, 2025, by a vote of 213-184 (2 Republicans voted against and 7 Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure. Republican Nay Votes: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)

A Rep. Andy Biggs (CPAC Lifetime Rating 97%) amendment to the Defense Authorization bill would deny designating “critical habitats” under the Endangered Species Act when they conflict with defense priorities. CPAC supports efforts to rein in the Endangered Species Act, which is routinely weaponized to block development and undermine national defense, and supported this amendment. The House defeated the amendment on September 10, 2025, by a vote of 200-228 (18 Republicans voted against, and 2 Democrats voted in favor).

This resolution, sponsored by Rep. Andrew Clyde (CPAC Lifetime Rating 99%), invokes the Congressional Review Act to reject a Department of Energy rule that imposes energy regulations and labeling requirements on household appliances, which would make household appliances like microwaves and refrigerators less effective and more expensive. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a law that lets Congress overturn federal agency regulations. After a federal agency creates a new rule, Congress has 60 legislative days to review it. If both houses of Congress pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval and the President signs it, the rule is cancelled. CPAC opposes unnecessary regulatory burdens that raise prices on American consumers and supported this resolution. The House passed the resolution on March 5, 2025, by a vote of 222-203 (all Republicans and 7 Democrats voted in favor). The resolution later became law.

Nutria are invasive, semi-aquatic rodents. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Josh Harder (CPAC Lifetime Rating 7%), reauthorizes through FY2030 the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003, which provides federal money to states to eradicate the nutria rodents, and restore marshland damaged by the nutria rodents. CPAC believes that States should not be forced to pay for other States’ rodent problems, and opposed this bill. The House passed this bill on February 4, 2025, by a vote of 361-56 (155 Republicans and all Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube (CPAC Lifetime Rating 98%), prohibits biological males from participating in girl’s and women’s sports. CPAC believes in protecting the integrity of women’s athletics and the hard-won opportunities of female athletes, and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on January 14, 2025, by a vote of 218-206 with 216 Republicans and 2 Democrats voting for and 206 Democrats voting against. The bill failed to reach the 60 votes needed to pass the Senate, and it did not become law. Democrat Aye Votes: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX)

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Clay Higgins (CPAC Lifetime Rating 93%), prohibits the District of Columbia from becoming a so-called “sanctuary city” that refuses to cooperate with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws. CPAC opposes sanctuary city policies that shield criminal illegal aliens from federal immigration enforcement and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on June 12, 2025, by a vote of 224-194 (All Republicans and 11 Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Nancy Mace (CPAC Lifetime Rating 77%), adds domestic violence and child abuse to the list of crimes that bar an individual from entering America or gaining legal status while in the country. CPAC supports protecting Americans from violent illegal aliens and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on January 16, 2025, by a vote of 274-145, with 212 Republicans and 61 Democrats voting for and 145 Democrats voting against. The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate.

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Michael Rulli (CPAC Lifetime Rating 70%), reestablishes the National Coal Council which had been allowed to lapse in 2021 under the Biden administration’s war on American energy. The National Coal Council is a voice for coal communities in the White House and the Council is entirely funded by private donors with no government money. CPAC supports a strong American electric grid, including coal, and opposes government efforts to eliminate affordable and reliable energy sources, for these reasons CPAC supported this bill. The House passed the bill on September 18, 2025, by a vote of 217-209 (3 Republicans voted against, and 4 Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure. Republican Nay Votes: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) Democrat Yea Votes: Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Donald Davis (D-NC), Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner (CPAC Lifetime Score 76%) requires that when a botched abortion results in a live birth, the baby must be given the same medical care and attention received by any other newborn child. CPAC considers every abortion a human tragedy and believes that every life, including those who survive an abortion, deserves protection. CPAC supported this bill. The House passed the bill on January 23, 2025, by a vote of 217-204 with 215 Republicans, 1 Democrat, and 1 independent voting for and 204 Democrats voting against. The bill was defeated in the Senate. Democrat Aye Vote: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Maxine Waters (CPAC Lifetime Rating 4%), gives life support to DEI by requiring the SEC to create special outreach programs for so-called “underrepresented” businesses including women-owned and minority-owned small businesses. CPAC opposes Maxine Waters’ deranged plan to make the SEC discriminate on the basis of race and gender. CPAC believes that DEI programs violate the equal protection guarantees of the 14th Amendment. All Americans should be treated equally under the law, and the government should not direct taxpayer resources to favored groups based on identity. CPAC opposed this bill.  The House passed the bill on June 23, 2025, by a vote of 321-87 (121 Republicans and all Democrats voted in favor). The Senate has not taken floor action on the measure.

A Rep. Scott Perry (CPAC Lifetime Rating 97%) amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill would eliminate funding for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, which oversees the government spending that favors some energy sources over others. CPAC supports eliminating wasteful government offices that primarily exist to advance the radical green agenda with taxpayer dollars and supported this amendment.  The House defeated the amendment on September 4, 2025, by a vote of 127-297 (87 Republicans and all Democrats voted against).

This resolution, sponsored by Rep. August Pfluger (CPAC Lifetime Score 83%) invokes the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reject an EPA methane emission rule which would have forced oil and gas facilities to pay burdensome fees. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a law that lets Congress overturn federal agency regulations. After a federal agency creates a new rule, Congress has 60 legislative days to review it. If both houses of Congress pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval and the President signs it, the rule is cancelled. CPAC opposes unnecessary regulatory burdens that inevitably raise energy prices for hardworking Americans and supported this resolution. The House passed the bill on February 26, 2025, by a vote of 220-206, with 213 Republicans and 6 Democrats voting for and 205 Democrats and 1 Republican voting against. The resolution later became law. Republican Nay Vote: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) Democrat Aye Vote: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA), Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-MI), Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)

This bill requires the detention of illegal aliens who have been charged with serious crimes, ending the dangerous catch-and-release policies that put American communities at risk. CPAC believes that protecting American citizens from criminal illegal aliens is a fundamental duty of the federal government and supported this bill. The House passed S. 5 on January 22, 2025, by a vote of 263-156 (46 Democrats voted for and no Republicans voted against.) President Donald J. Trump signed the measure into a law on January 29, 2025.

This resolution, sponsored by Rep. John James (CPAC Lifetime Rating 66%), invokes the Congressional Review Act to overturn an EPA waiver that had granted California authority to set vehicle emissions standards even stricter than federal law permits. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a law that lets Congress overturn federal agency regulations. After a federal agency creates a new rule, Congress has 60 legislative days to review it. If both houses of Congress pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval and the President signs it, the rule is cancelled. California’s plan is to gradually burden gas cars with more and more regulations until gas cars become uneconomical. Since California is a large state, many auto manufacturers design their cars around California’s regulations, thus impacting the whole country. CPAC opposes California’s radical overregulation of vehicles that threatens consumer choice and drives up costs for all Americans, and supported this resolution.  The House passed the resolution on April 30, 2025, in a 231-191 vote (1 Republican voted against, and 13 Democrats voted in favor), and it later became law. Republican Nay Vote: Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)

A Rep. David Schweikert (CPAC Lifetime Rating 94%) amendment to the Energy and Water Appropriations bill would reduce spending by cutting unobligated funds, specifically those funds that have been approved but not yet spent. This reduces the deficit because the government will no longer borrow to cover those unobligated funds. CPAC supports efforts to rein in the massive, reckless government spending spree that has burdened hardworking taxpayers since the Chinese Coronavirus hysteria and supported this amendment. The House defeated the amendment on September 4, 2025, by a vote of 76-351 (140 Republicans and all Democrats voted against).

This bill, sponsored by Rep. Andy Biggs (CPAC Lifetime Score 97%) allows Congress to disapprove multiple regulations under a single joint resolution rather than addressing each rule individually, provided the regulations were submitted during the final year of a President's term. CPAC supports this effort to rein in the regulatory state and prevent outgoing administrations from imposing a flood of last-minute regulations on Americans, and supported this bill. The House passed the bill on February 12, 2025, by a vote of 212-208, with 210 Republicans and 1 Democrat voting for and 207 Democrats and 1 Republican voting against. The bill did not receive a vote in the Senate. Republican Nay Vote: Rep. Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) Democrat Aye Vote: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)

This resolution, sponsored by Rep. Craig Goldman (CPAC Lifetime Rating 87%), invokes the Congressional Review Act to reject the Department of Energy’s energy-use regulations on walk-in freezers and coolers, which forced freezers to use less electricity, thus making them less able to freeze food. The Congressional Review Act (CRA) is a law that lets Congress overturn federal agency regulations. After a federal agency creates a new rule, Congress has 60 legislative days to review it. If both houses of Congress pass a Joint Resolution of Disapproval and the President signs it, the rule is cancelled. CPAC opposes regulatory burdens that force consumers and small businesses to pay for more expensive and less effective products and supported this resolution.  The House passed the resolution on March 27, 2025, by a vote of 214-193 (all Republicans and 5 Democrats voted in favor), and President Donald J. Trump signed the measure into law on May 9, 2025. Democrat Aye Votes: Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Donald Davis (D-NC), Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX), Rep. Adam Gray (D-CA), Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA)