Legislative Activity

The Supporting the Local Radio Freedom Act prevents Congress from imposing new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between broadcasters and the recording industry, where radio provides free publicity that boosts music sales and supports artists. The act recognizes local radio's crucial role in communities by providing news, weather updates, and public service announcements. Ultimately, this bill aims to protect local radio stations and businesses from economic harm, ensuring they can continue serving their communities without additional financial burdens.

The "Smithsonian American Women's History Museum Act" authorizes the creation of the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum on the National Mall. It ensures the museum's exhibits and programs reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of women in the United States, seeking guidance from varied sources. The Act mandates regular reports to Congress on the museum's efforts to meet these diversity requirements.

The "Alternatives to PAIN Act" amends Medicare Part D to improve access to non-opioid pain management drugs by waiving deductibles and ensuring they are placed on the lowest cost-sharing tier starting in 2026. The Act also prohibits the use of step therapy and prior authorization requirements for these drugs, further easing access for patients. These changes aim to provide more accessible alternatives for pain management, reducing reliance on opioids.

The "National Right-to-Work Act" amends both the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act to protect an employee's right to choose whether or not to join or support a labor union. It eliminates the possibility of mandatory union membership or dues payments as a condition of employment, ensuring that employees cannot be forced to join or support a union against their will.

The Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act of 2025 expands milk options available to students in the National School Lunch Program by allowing schools to offer organic or non-organic whole milk. This legislation provides greater flexibility for schools in providing fluid milk choices while maintaining accommodations for students with special dietary needs. Importantly, the saturated fat content of these offered milk options will not count toward the meal's overall saturated fat limits.

The "Combating Illicit Xylazine Act" aims to combat the illegal use of xylazine by adding it to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, which would allow for increased regulation and tracking of the substance. The bill includes exemptions and delayed effective dates for certain requirements to ease the transition for legitimate users, such as veterinarians and animal handlers. It also directs the Sentencing Commission to review sentencing guidelines for xylazine-related offenses and mandates reports to Congress on the prevalence and impact of illicit xylazine use. Finally, it will include xylazine in Arcos tracking.

The "Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act" aims to reduce wildfire risks by directing the Secretary of Agriculture to expand the use of livestock grazing on Forest Service land. The plan includes strategies such as expediting environmental reviews for grazing permits, employing targeted grazing, and increasing the use of temporary permits for fuels reduction and invasive species control. It also promotes grazing as a post-fire recovery tool and utilizes all available legal authorities to achieve these goals.

The WEST Act of 2025 nullifies the Bureau of Land Management's Conservation and Landscape Health rule. This prevents the rule from being implemented.

The "Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act of 2025" reauthorizes and modifies the Department of Defense's authority to sell aircraft and parts for wildfire suppression, extending it to October 1, 2035. It allows sold aircraft to drop water in addition to fire retardant and specifies that these aircraft can only be used for wildfire suppression services.

The "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" ensures that infants born alive after an abortion receive the same medical care as any other newborn, mandating immediate hospitalization and requiring healthcare practitioners to report any failures to comply. Violators face fines, imprisonment, and potential prosecution for homicide or attempted homicide, while the mother of the child cannot be prosecuted. The bill also allows the woman who had the abortion to file a civil action against anyone who violated the act. It defines abortion and attempts at abortion, and renames "Partial-Birth Abortions" to "Abortions" in relevant sections of the U.S. Code.

The "Fix Our Forests Act" aims to improve forest management and wildfire resilience through landscape-scale restoration, community protection in wildland-urban interfaces, and enhanced transparency and technology. It establishes programs for wildfire risk reduction, reforestation, and biochar development, while also focusing on restoring white oak populations and supporting the families of firefighters. The act streamlines project approvals, encourages collaboration, and implements litigation reforms to expedite forest management activities. Additionally, it creates a casualty assistance program for firefighters and support personnel who are seriously injured, become ill, or die while on duty.

The "Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2025" aims to prevent federal funds from going to colleges and universities that offer abortion drugs or abortions through school-based service sites. To remain eligible for federal funding, these institutions must annually certify that their campus clinics do not provide abortion drugs or abortions, with specific exceptions for procedures intended to save a mother's life. The term "abortion drug" is defined as any drug used to intentionally kill an unborn child or terminate a pregnancy. This act does not apply to hospitals.

The Northwest Energy Security Act mandates that the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) be operated as outlined in the 2020 Supplemental Opinion, with limited exceptions for public safety, grid reliability, or removal of unnecessary requirements. It also prevents restrictions on electrical generation at FCRPS dams and navigation on the Snake River without explicit Congressional authorization. This act preserves the ability of the Secretaries to conduct operation, maintenance, and capital improvements.

The "Repealing Big Brother Overreach Act" repeals the Corporate Transparency Act, eliminating the requirement for companies to report beneficial ownership information to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). It also makes necessary technical adjustments to Title 31 of the United States Code, specifically sections related to financial recordkeeping and reporting of currency and foreign transactions, to reflect the repeal.

The Healthcare Freedom and Choice Act nullifies a final interagency rule concerning Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance and Independent, Noncoordinated Excepted Benefits Coverage, effectively invalidating the rule.