Legislative Activity

This resolution commemorates the 80th anniversary of the conclusion of World War II with the surrender of Imperial Japan. It formally honors the sacrifices of the more than 16 million Americans who served in both the Pacific and European theaters. The resolution calls upon the nation to recognize this historic milestone and express deep gratitude to the "Greatest Generation."

This Act officially renames the VA medical center in West Haven, Connecticut, in honor of Medal of Honor recipient and dedicated veterans advocate, Captain Paul W. 'Bud' Bucha. The designation recognizes his extraordinary military service and lifelong commitment to supporting fellow veterans. This legislation ensures his legacy is permanently associated with the facility where he received compassionate care.

The Cruise Passenger Protection Act of 2025 establishes comprehensive consumer protections and enhances safety standards for passengers on large cruise vessels operating in U.S. waters. It creates a new Department of Transportation office to handle consumer complaints, clarifies contract terms, and restricts mandatory arbitration for disputes. Furthermore, the bill mandates faster crime reporting to the FBI, increases video retention requirements, and standardizes crew training and medical support services onboard.

The Food Date Labeling Act of 2025 establishes national standards for food date labeling, requiring manufacturers to use specific phrases like "BEST If Used By" for quality dates and "USE By" for discard dates. This legislation clarifies the meaning of these dates for consumers and prevents states from creating conflicting terminology. The new labeling requirements will take effect two years after the bill is enacted.

The Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2025 aims to significantly improve support for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST). It mandates a VA report on technology-facilitated MST and overhauls the disability claims process to be more sensitive and evidence-flexible for survivors. Furthermore, the bill expands access to necessary healthcare and support services for a broader range of former service members affected by MST.

The Medical Disability Examination Improvement Act of 2025 aims to enhance the efficiency and quality of medical disability examinations for veterans' claims. It establishes a pilot program for the VA to use its own medical facilities for these exams and mandates studies to improve access for rural veterans and review current scheduling processes. Furthermore, the bill requires improved training for VA staff reviewing these examinations and establishes a system for regular quality reviews of all disability exams.

This resolution celebrates the 100th anniversary of Pratt & Whitney, recognizing its century of leadership in designing and servicing aircraft engines. It specifically commends the dedication of Connecticut's workforce, whose contributions have been central to the company's global success. The Senate encourages public recognition of Pratt & Whitney's significant contributions to aviation innovation and the economy.

The TRUTH in Labeling Act mandates clear, front-of-package warning labels for foods high in added sugars, sodium, or saturated fat to help consumers make healthier choices. This legislation requires the Secretary of HHS to finalize rules establishing what constitutes "high in" these nutrients based on daily reference values. Furthermore, the bill requires specific disclosure and warnings on front labels if a product contains non-nutritive sweeteners, especially for foods marketed to young children.

This concurrent resolution formally recognizes the critical need to improve physical access to federally funded facilities for all Americans, especially the growing population of people with disabilities. It emphasizes that equal access is fundamental to the nation's founding principles of equality and freedom. The resolution supports existing civil rights laws and commits Congress to prioritizing universal and inclusive design in future infrastructure projects.

The Disaster Relief Medicaid Act establishes a temporary, simplified Medicaid pathway for survivors of federally declared disasters, effective January 1, 2027. This pathway provides two years of coverage with relaxed income verification rules, ensuring immediate access to necessary healthcare. The bill also mandates 100% federal funding for these services and supports state efforts to rapidly deploy medical assistance and home care teams following a disaster. Finally, it adjusts Medicare enrollment rules to prevent penalties for survivors delayed by the disaster period.

The Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings (MORE Savings) Act aims to increase access to evidence-based opioid treatments by testing the elimination of Medicare cost-sharing for these services in select states. It also mandates that private health plans eliminate cost-sharing for essential opioid medications, behavioral health services, and recovery support. Finally, the bill enhances federal Medicaid matching funds for medication-assisted treatment and allows states to cover related recovery support services.

The Insurrection Act of 2025 completely rewrites the rules governing the President's authority to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces domestically, establishing military intervention as a strict last resort. It mandates specific, severe conditions—such as overwhelming insurrection or widespread denial of constitutional rights—and requires the President to issue a detailed proclamation and consult with Congress before deployment. Any initial deployment automatically expires after seven days unless Congress passes a resolution of approval.

The Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act repeals key liability protections for gun manufacturers found in the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). This legislation also mandates that records from the federal Firearms Trace System database must be discoverable and admissible as evidence in civil proceedings. The bill aims to allow victims of gun violence greater access to information for civil lawsuits.

The VALOR Act of 2025 simplifies Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) for service members by counting periods of covered active duty service, including deferments and forbearances, as qualifying payments. Furthermore, it waives the 120-payment requirement for borrowers who complete 10 years of full-time service while on active duty. This ensures military personnel receive full access to loan forgiveness benefits earned through their service.

The Ready Reserve Act of 2025 modifies early retirement eligibility for certain members of the Ready Reserve. This legislation updates the qualifying service date used to determine these benefits, replacing January 28, 2008, with September 11, 2001. This change aligns eligibility calculations with service periods related to the September 11th timeframe.

The Care for Military Kids Act ensures that active duty military families do not lose essential Medicaid benefits when relocating due to service orders. This bill mandates that new states treat relocated service members and their dependents as residents for Medicaid eligibility purposes. Furthermore, it protects a family's place on waiting lists for crucial Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) when they move. These provisions aim to provide stability and continuous access to necessary healthcare services during military transfers.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to specifically exclude certain military bonuses from gross income for tax purposes. It updates existing tax law to ensure that bonuses paid to members of the uniformed services under specific statutes are not subject to federal income tax. This exclusion will take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2024.

This bill amends federal law to require the Coast Guard to retain active-duty enlisted members who have completed 18 or more, but less than 20, years of service when facing involuntary separation or non-reenlistment. The goal is to prevent these service members from being discharged just before they qualify for retirement benefits. This protection applies to both regular and reserve members nearing the 20-year service threshold.

The Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act of 2025 addresses a gap in healthcare coverage for federal civilian employees who also serve in the National Guard or Reserves. This bill removes the restriction preventing these dual-status members from enrolling in TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) if they are already covered by the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) plan. By allowing earlier enrollment into TRS starting January 1, 2026, the Act ensures these service members maintain continuous and comprehensive healthcare coverage during active duty mobilization periods.

This resolution affirms that accepting a gifted airplane from the government of Qatar violates the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution. It explicitly withholds Senate consent for the acceptance or transfer of such a plane to the President. Furthermore, the resolution demands that any plane already received from Qatar be immediately transferred to the permanent control of the U.S. Government.