Legislative Activity

The Essential Air Service Reliability Act of 2025 updates the Essential Air Service (EAS) program by requiring airlines seeking federal subsidies to submit contingency plans for non-weather-related service disruptions. This legislation also shifts the selection criteria for subsidy recipients to prioritize the proposed rate of compensation. These changes aim to ensure more reliable air service to smaller communities by mandating operational backups.

The Undersea Cable Protection Act of 2025 streamlines the permitting process for undersea fiber optic cables within National Marine Sanctuaries. It prohibits sanctuaries from requiring separate permits if the cable project already holds authorization from another Federal or State agency. This legislation also simplifies existing regulations by removing specific restrictions related to special use permits within these protected areas.

The Comprehensive Offshore Resource Enhancement Act of 2025 (CORE Act) mandates comprehensive federal assessments of U.S. offshore energy resources, including those shared with neighboring countries. It requires detailed reports on resource locations, international agreements, and the economic and environmental impacts of development. Furthermore, the bill establishes a requirement for regular comparative analyses detailing how U.S. offshore production practices stack up against those of major global producers.

The Protect RAIL Act amends immigration law to prevent non-citizens convicted of or admitting to crimes involving the theft or tampering of goods shipped across state or international lines from entering the United States. Furthermore, this bill makes non-citizens already in the U.S. deportable if they have committed such offenses related to interstate or foreign shipments.

This resolution formally censures Representative LaMonica McIver following her indictment for allegedly interfering with federal officers at an immigration facility. As a result of her conduct, the House is officially expressing its strong disapproval and immediately removing her from the Committee on Homeland Security. This action is taken because her alleged actions are deemed not to reflect creditably upon the House.

The LEDGER Act mandates the creation of a comprehensive, centralized system managed by the Secretary of the Treasury to track every expenditure made by all branches of the U.S. Government. This new system must detail exactly where federal funds are spent and how long those funds were available for obligation. The goal is to significantly enhance the traceability and transparency of government spending.

The GOLDEN DOME Act of 2025 establishes a comprehensive, next-generation missile defense shield to counter rapidly evolving threats from adversaries like China and Russia. It creates a powerful, direct-reporting Program Manager with broad authority to accelerate the development, acquisition, and deployment of integrated air and missile defense systems across all domains. This funding prioritizes space-based sensors, advanced interceptors, and modernized command and control capabilities to ensure the defense of U.S. citizens against all aerial and missile attacks. The Act also includes provisions to streamline procurement processes and protect the competitive space industrial base.

The Fire Weather Development Act of 2025 aims to significantly enhance wildfire preparedness and response by improving fire weather forecasting, detection, and information sharing through NOAA. The bill establishes new interagency and advisory committees to coordinate federal efforts and gather expert input on crucial needs. It also creates a dedicated fire weather testbed, addresses the incident meteorologist workforce, and mandates research into better communication systems for first responders.

The Streamlining NEPA for Coal Act directs the Secretary of the Interior to promptly identify existing and potential categorical exclusions under NEPA that could accelerate coal production and export activities. This action requires the Secretary to report specific environmental review exemptions that could speed up coal-related projects to relevant Congressional committees within 30 days of enactment.

This bill grants a Federal charter to the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, officially recognizing it as a nonprofit veterans service organization. The organization is tasked with promoting sustainable homeownership, financial literacy, and economic opportunity for veterans and service members. It must adhere to strict operational rules, including prohibitions on political activity and the distribution of profits to members. The charter remains contingent upon the organization maintaining its tax-exempt status and compliance with California corporate law.

The Think Tank and Nonprofit Foreign Influence Disclosure Act mandates that certain tax-exempt organizations must annually report significant contributions received from foreign governments, political parties, or controlled entities exceeding $\$10,000$. This information, including specific details on funding from the People's Republic of China or the Chinese Communist Party, will be made publicly accessible through a searchable online database. The legislation aims to increase transparency regarding foreign influence operations targeting U.S. policy experts and institutions.

This bill amends the Rules of the House of Representatives to mandate criminal background checks conducted by the U.S. Capitol Police for all House employees. Additionally, it requires current and new House employees to publicly disclose any prior payments or contracts received from foreign governments within the last three years. Employees must also report any current foreign citizenship status. These new requirements apply starting with the One Hundred Nineteenth Congress.

The Border Operations Service Medal Act establishes a new military decoration, the Border Operations Service Medal, to recognize service members and federal employees involved in designated national security operations along the U.S.-Mexico border starting January 2025. This medal will be awarded to active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve members who participated in these specific border security efforts. The Secretary of Defense is tasked with designing and implementing the medal within 60 days of the Act's enactment.

The Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2025 mandates that direct-to-consumer advertisements for prescription drugs covered by Medicare or Medicaid must disclose the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) for a 30-day supply, provided the cost exceeds $35. This aims to increase consumer awareness of drug pricing, as current advertising practices often drive demand for expensive, newly approved medications without providing cost transparency. Failure to comply with this new disclosure requirement will result in significant civil monetary penalties.

The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2025 (FISH Act of 2025) establishes a public "black list" of foreign vessels involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing or forced labor, banning them from U.S. ports and commerce. The bill mandates increased interagency cooperation to combat IUU fishing, including developing strategies to optimize data sharing and prevent seafood caught illegally or with forced labor from entering U.S. markets. Furthermore, it authorizes the Treasury Secretary to impose sanctions on entities engaged in these illicit activities and encourages international agreements to strengthen global enforcement.

This bill, the Preventing the Abuse of Immigration Parole Act, aims to drastically restrict the Secretary of Homeland Security's authority to grant immigration parole. It mandates that parole decisions must be made strictly on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit. Furthermore, the legislation imposes an annual cap on parole grants starting in FY 2029 and grants states the authority to sue the Secretary over perceived misuse of this authority.

The VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2025 (VALID Act) aims to increase awareness of VA loan options among homebuyers. It requires lenders to include comparative information about potential VA loan terms on standard FHA disclosure forms. Furthermore, the Act mandates that the Uniform Residential Loan Application include a prominent question regarding the applicant's military service.

The Patriots Over Politics Act creates a special, limited window for certain service members separated for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine between August 2021 and January 2023 to transfer their unused VA education benefits to an eligible dependent. This transfer option is available for 90 days following the bill's enactment. If transferred to a child, the benefit use is contingent upon the service member having completed at least six years of service.

The RESTORE Act aims to improve reproductive health care by promoting access to restorative reproductive medicine and fertility awareness-based methods. It directs federal agencies to review standards of care, expand relevant research, and update medical coding to ensure accurate classification and reimbursement for these treatments. Furthermore, the bill protects healthcare providers from discrimination based on their refusal to participate in assisted reproductive technology.

The Strategic Ports Reporting Act mandates that the Secretaries of State and Defense map critical global ports and report on any efforts by the People's Republic of China to gain influence over them. This legislation requires a detailed study assessing the national security and economic risks posed by Chinese control of these strategic locations. The resulting report must include a proposed strategy for securing trusted investment and protecting these vital maritime assets from foreign influence.