Legislative Activity

The America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 establishes a new pathway to permanent residency for certain college graduates who entered the U.S. as long-term dependents of temporary visa holders. It also introduces significant age-out protections, allowing many individuals to retain their original priority dates for visa processing. Furthermore, the bill updates the definition of "child" for immigration purposes and grants work authorization to certain nonimmigrant dependents.

The Child Care Modernization Act of 2025 aims to significantly update federal child care funding by increasing state flexibility, broadening eligibility for assistance, and strengthening workforce support. The bill mandates that states develop plans ensuring child care payment rates cover actual costs, determined by new cost estimation models. Furthermore, it establishes new grant programs to fund the startup, expansion, and physical improvement of child care facilities.

This resolution expresses support for designating the week of September 14 through 20, 2025, as National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week. It highlights the urgent need to improve basic reading, math, and digital skills for millions of U.S. adults to boost the economy and improve individual well-being. The bill encourages communities and organizations to support vital adult education and family literacy programs.

This resolution formally condemns the assassination of Charlie Kirk and honors his life and legacy as a devoted husband, father, and founder of Turning Point USA. It recognizes his commitment to encouraging civil discourse on college campuses across the nation. The Senate also extends its deepest sympathies to his surviving family.

This resolution officially designates September 2025 as National Literacy Month to raise awareness about the critical importance of reading skills. It highlights the significant national challenges in literacy rates and the economic costs associated with low literacy. The measure calls upon all sectors of society to observe the month by promoting evidence-based reading programs and activities.

This resolution officially designates September 25, 2025, as "National Lobster Day." It recognizes the lobster's significant historical, economic, and cultural importance to the United States, highlighting the industry's long-standing commitment to sustainability. The measure encourages Americans to observe the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities celebrating this iconic seafood.

The SEED Act expands the existing educator expense tax deduction to include early childhood educators. This amendment updates the Internal Revenue Code to recognize educators working with very young children alongside traditional K-12 teachers. These changes will apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This Act officially establishes the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025 to honor the life and groundbreaking civil rights achievements of the late legal pioneer. The bill authorizes the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to her family in recognition of her service, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education*. Furthermore, it permits the Treasury to strike and sell bronze duplicates of the medal to cover production costs.

The Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act aims to address healthcare staffing shortages by recapturing unused employment-based immigrant visas from previous years. These recaptured visas are specifically reserved for professional nurses (25,000) and physicians (15,000) to expedite their entry into the U.S. The bill also mandates premium processing for these petitions without imposing extra fees and includes worker protection attestations to prevent displacement of U.S. workers.

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2025 significantly updates federal efforts to combat harmful algal blooms (HABs) and hypoxia across all U.S. waters, including freshwater systems. The bill expands the scope of the interagency Task Force, mandates the creation of a five-year national Action Strategy for HABs, and enhances monitoring and forecasting capabilities. It also clarifies agency roles, assigning EPA new duties for freshwater blooms while tasking NOAA with marine and Great Lakes response, and establishes a new incubator program for control technologies.

The Federal Firefighter Cancer Detection and Prevention Act of 2025 mandates specialized, regular cancer screenings for Department of Defense (DoD) firefighters. This includes age-appropriate testing for breast, colon, and prostate cancers, as well as screenings for other cancers identified as prevalent in the profession. The bill ensures firefighters can opt out of any service while requiring documentation of offered versus accepted screenings to track cancer trends.

The Drug Shortage Prevention Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the nation's drug supply chain by improving how manufacturers report potential disruptions for critical medicines. This legislation mandates earlier and more detailed notifications to the government regarding production halts, demand spikes, or supply interruptions for life-supporting drugs. Furthermore, it requires drug makers to report their active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) suppliers twice annually, increasing transparency into the entire supply chain.

This resolution officially designates July 30, 2025, as "National Whistleblower Appreciation Day." It honors individuals who report waste, fraud, and abuse, recognizing their vital role in government accountability. Furthermore, the bill directs federal agencies to use this day to educate employees and the public about whistleblower rights and acknowledge the importance of their service.

The Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act of 2025 aims to secure the jobs at vital public naval shipyards by prohibiting workforce reductions and hiring freezes. This legislation specifically protects essential roles, including welders, engineers, and nuclear maintenance staff, from budget-driven cuts. The Act ensures the stability of the shipyard workforce while preserving the Secretary of Defense's authority to address individual employee performance or misconduct.

The Energy Savings and Weatherization Reauthorization Act of 2025 extends the critical Weatherization Assistance Program through 2030. This bill significantly increases the average cost limit for weatherizing low-income homes from $\$6,500$ to $\$15,000$ per unit. It also establishes clear standards for defining a "fully weatherized" home, requiring both recommended upgrades and a final quality control inspection.

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.

The Veterans Mental Health and Addiction Therapy Quality of Care Act mandates an independent study comparing the quality of mental health and addiction care provided by the VA and non-VA providers. This study will evaluate health outcomes, use of evidence-based practices, care coordination, and patient satisfaction. The goal is to identify areas for improvement in veteran mental health and addiction treatment within and outside the VA system. A report of the study's findings must be submitted to Congress and published online.

The Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act updates the schedule for the Northern Border threat analysis, requiring new submissions by September 2, 2025, and every three years thereafter. It mandates that the Department of Homeland Security update its Northern Border strategy every five years, incorporating the latest threat analysis findings. The bill also requires classified briefings on the analysis and directs the development of performance measures for Air and Marine Operations along the northern border, all without authorizing new appropriations.

The DAIRY PRIDE Act aims to ensure food products labeled as "milk," "cheese," or other standardized dairy terms actually meet established definitions. This legislation prevents companies from selling non-dairy items across state lines using official dairy names unless they meet strict ingredient and sourcing standards. The FDA is required to quickly issue new guidance on enforcing these labeling requirements.

The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2025 aims to address physician shortages by adding 2,000 new Medicare-funded residency positions annually from 2027 through 2033. These new slots are distributed through an application process, prioritizing hospitals serving rural areas, Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and those supporting new medical schools. Additionally, the bill mandates a study and report on effective strategies for increasing diversity within the healthcare workforce.