Legislation

This resolution formally recognizes the 2024 Venezuelan election results, affirming the opposition's victory and condemning the Maduro regime's refusal to step down. It specifically honors Nobel Laureate María Corina Machado for her courageous advocacy for democracy. Furthermore, the resolution demands the regime ensure Machado's safety and release all political prisoners.

The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act requires the FCC to create and maintain a public list of entities holding U.S. communications licenses that are owned or controlled by covered foreign adversaries. This process involves an initial list based on existing ownership reporting and a subsequent rulemaking to identify entities with other types of FCC authorizations. The FCC must update this transparency list annually.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that active duty and reserve military personnel continue to receive pay and essential allowances if Congress has not passed the full budget for fiscal year 2026 by the start of that year. This legislation provides automatic continuing appropriations to cover military salaries, support staff, and necessary contractor payments during any funding lapse. The authority granted by this Act is set to terminate on September 30, 2026, or sooner if a comprehensive budget is enacted. Furthermore, the provisions of this Act are made retroactively effective as of September 30, 2025.

The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025 mandates an increase in disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) rates for veterans and survivors. This adjustment, effective December 1, 2025, must match the percentage increase applied to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLA). The Secretary of Veterans Affairs is required to publish these new payment rates concurrently with the SSA's annual COLA announcement.

The Lactation Spaces for Veteran Moms Act mandates that every Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center must establish a dedicated, private, and accessible space for breastfeeding or pumping. This space must be clean, shielded from view, and equipped with a chair and a flat surface. The VA is required to implement these new lactation facilities within two years of the Act's enactment.

The Keep America Flying Act of 2026 ensures that essential Air Traffic Controllers and TSA security personnel continue to receive pay and benefits at the start of fiscal year 2026, even if Congress has not yet passed a budget. This continuing appropriation provides necessary funding for FAA and TSA staff, as well as their contractors, to maintain safe and secure air travel operations. The funding automatically ceases once a full budget is enacted or on September 30, 2026.

The DOE and NASA Interagency Research Coordination Act directs the Department of Energy and NASA to formally collaborate on research and development projects that benefit both agencies. This collaboration focuses on key areas such as advanced propulsion, quantum information sciences, and Arctic resilience. The bill also establishes new mechanisms for transferring research funds between federal agencies to support NASA's science and engineering missions.

The Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act establishes a program to correct historical burial errors for Jewish American service members lost in WWI and WWII who are interred overseas under incorrect grave markers. This initiative tasks the American Battle Monuments Commission with identifying these service members and contacting their families over a ten-year period. The goal is to restore the correct religious heritage for these fallen troops buried in U.S. military cemeteries abroad.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of a recent rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) concerning adherence to the text of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA). By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this resolution immediately nullifies the proposed HHS policy. Consequently, the new rule regarding APA adherence will have no legal effect.

This resolution expresses support for designating the week of October 20 to October 24, 2025, as "Careers in Energy Week." It aims to recognize the vital contributions of the energy workforce and highlight the growing career opportunities across the sector. The bill encourages promoting energy education and fostering partnerships to develop a skilled pipeline for future energy needs.

The Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that federal employees and contractors deemed essential are automatically paid for the work they perform during a lapse in appropriations, starting in fiscal year 2026. This automatic funding mechanism from the Treasury covers standard pay and benefits for excepted employees until Congress passes a full-year budget. Once regular funding is enacted, these payments are charged against the agency's final appropriation.

The Border Lands Conservation Act focuses on enhancing border security and managing federal lands adjacent to the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico. It mandates infrastructure improvements, allows for increased access to wilderness areas for security operations, and establishes a new initiative to manage hazardous fuels near the border. Furthermore, the Act requires extensive reporting on environmental damage caused by illegal immigration and prohibits using federal funds to house undocumented immigrants on most federal lands.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue without interruption, even if Congress fails to pass the Department of Agriculture's budget for fiscal year 2026. This legislation authorizes automatic funding from the Treasury to maintain payments and cover any retroactive benefits missed due to the delay. This temporary funding mechanism remains active until the regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations are officially enacted.

The American Workforce Act establishes a new Division within the Commerce Department to administer a program offering paid, on-the-job training contracts between employers and prospective trainees. This program provides employers with education subsidies and hiring bonuses for training U.S. citizens who lack a bachelor's degree for high-wage jobs. The Act mandates rigorous reporting, compliance checks, and sets an automatic sunset date for the program after ten years, contingent upon evaluation reports to Congress.

The 21st Century Dyslexia Act formally recognizes dyslexia under federal education law by updating the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) definition of specific learning disabilities. This legislation provides a clear definition of dyslexia, emphasizing unexpected reading difficulty due to phonological processing challenges. Furthermore, the Act ensures equitable access to necessary accommodations and services for all eligible children, specifically addressing disparities for low-income and English language learner students.

The HOME Reform Act of 2025 updates the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act by redefining eligibility for low-income assistance and expanding local flexibility in using housing funds. It allows certain infrastructure spending adjacent to affordable housing and streamlines environmental review processes for smaller projects. Furthermore, the bill removes expiration dates on certain trust funds and adjusts affordability standards for homeownership and rental units.

The 21st Century Dyslexia Act updates federal education law to specifically define dyslexia and ensure children with this learning disability receive appropriate support. This legislation amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) to include dyslexia in its definitions of qualifying conditions. Furthermore, the Act mandates that schools guarantee equitable access to necessary accommodations and services for all eligible students, regardless of socioeconomic status or English proficiency.

The Shutdown Guidance for Financial Institutions Act requires federal financial regulators to issue guidance encouraging banks and lenders to support consumers and businesses impacted by a government shutdown. This guidance must promote flexible loan modifications and prevent negative credit reporting for those experiencing lost income. Furthermore, regulators must quickly inform the public when a shutdown occurs and report on the effectiveness of the guidance afterward.

The SAFE Drivers Act mandates that all applicants for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) or learner's permit must pass a standardized English proficiency test approved by the FMCSA. This requirement applies immediately upon the bill's enactment for all new and renewing applicants. States are responsible for administering the test, and failure to comply with these new federal oversight rules may result in the withholding of federal highway funding.

The Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act mandates that federal agencies must report detailed data regarding staffing levels and salary expenditures before and during any lapse in appropriations, or government shutdown. These individual agency reports must be submitted to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and relevant congressional committees within 30 days of the shutdown's end. Furthermore, congressional committees are required to publicly post these reports online, and OPM must issue a consolidated report summarizing the impact across all affected agencies.