Legislative Activity

This resolution honors the life and legacy of Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a pioneering female surgeon during the Civil War who received the Medal of Honor for her meritorious service. It recognizes her contributions to medicine, her advocacy for women's rights, and her embodiment of service, courage, and resilience as a U.S. hero. The resolution also commits to preserving her story to inspire future generations to pursue justice and equality.

The Snow Survey Northeast Expansion Act of 2025 directs the Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service to expand its snow survey and water supply forecasting program to include the Northeastern United States. This expansion will provide crucial data and forecasts for water resource management in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, and other states as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

The Major Richard Star Act allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both veteran's disability compensation and military retired pay concurrently, without reduction. This act amends Title 10 of the United States Code to ensure that disability retirees with combat-related disabilities are not subject to reductions in retired pay due to receiving veteran's disability compensation. These changes will take effect the first day of the month following the enactment of the Act.

This bill establishes an Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The Ambassador will represent the U.S. in Arctic matters, coordinate Arctic-related foreign policy, and focus on national security, international cooperation, responsible resource management, environmental protection, indigenous involvement, and scientific research in the Arctic region. The Arctic region includes areas north of 66.56083 degrees latitude, U.S. territory north and west of specific Alaskan rivers, contiguous seas, and the Aleutian Chain. The Arctic countries are defined as the permanent members of the Arctic Council.

The "GATE Act of 2025" prohibits National Laboratories from admitting citizens of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Cuba as visitors or assignees, with exceptions for US citizens and lawful permanent residents. The Secretary of Energy may waive this prohibition if the benefits outweigh the risks, after consulting with intelligence officials. Congress must be notified within 30 days of any waiver issued, including the reasons for the waiver.

The "Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025" amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require molecularly targeted pediatric cancer investigations for certain new and existing drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program for rare pediatric disease treatments until 2029 and mandates studies on the effectiveness of both initiatives.

The "Credit for Caring Act of 2025" establishes a tax credit for eligible working family caregivers to help offset expenses related to caring for a spouse or relative with long-term care needs. Caregivers can claim a credit of up to $5,000, which is 30% of qualified expenses exceeding $2,000. Eligibility requires earned income above $7,500 and incurring qualified expenses for a certified care recipient, with income limitations applying to reduce the credit amount. The credit takes effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The MATE Improvement Act expands the list of organizations that can develop or accredit pain management and addiction treatment training programs for physicians and other healthcare practitioners who prescribe controlled substances. It also adds podiatric medicine and accredited schools of pharmacy to the list of medical fields and institutions whose graduates must complete such training. These changes are retroactive to December 29, 2022, the original enactment date of the MATE Act.

This bill amends the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act to authorize ongoing appropriations for the Interagency Council on Homelessness, ensuring the council has the necessary funds to carry out its responsibilities. It modifies the allocation of funds by removing the previous fixed amount and instead providing "such sums as may be necessary." The bill also repeals and redesignates sections within the Act to streamline and update the legislation.

This resolution recognizes AmeriCorps Week (March 9-15, 2025) to honor AmeriCorps members, alumni, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers for their positive impact on communities. It celebrates 30 years of AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs and encourages public awareness of national and community service. The resolution also acknowledges the significant contributions of these volunteers and encourages people of all ages to explore service opportunities within these programs.

This resolution acknowledges the significant contributions of women-owned businesses in the United States, which have experienced substantial growth and play a vital role in the nation's economy. It recognizes the increasing number of women-owned businesses, their employment figures, and their revenue generation. The resolution commends the entrepreneurial spirit of women business owners and celebrates their achievements.

This resolution designates March 6, 2025, as "National Slam the Scam Day" to combat government imposter scams and other pervasive scams. It aims to raise awareness and promote education to protect individuals, especially older adults, from financial losses and identity theft. The resolution encourages reporting scams and supports the efforts of law enforcement, consumer groups, and financial institutions in preventing these scams. It also honors those who are actively fighting against government imposter scams.

The "Northern Border Security Enhancement and Review Act" amends existing law to require updated threat analysis reports on the northern border every three years, starting in 2025, and updates to the Department of Homeland Security’s Northern Border Strategy every five years, starting in 2026. It also mandates classified briefings to Congress after each threat analysis and directs the development of performance measures for Air and Marine Operations. The bill stipulates that no additional funds will be allocated for its implementation.

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act aims to make child care more accessible and affordable for families by expanding employer-provided child care credits, increasing tax-free dependent care assistance, and creating a refundable household and dependent care tax credit. The employer-provided child care credit is expanded by increasing the amount of qualified child care expenditures and the maximum credit amount, with special rules for small businesses. The amount excludable for dependent care assistance programs is increased from $5,000 to $7,500 (or $2,500 to $3,750). A new refundable tax credit is created for employment-related expenses paid for household services and care of qualifying individuals, with the credit amount varying based on income and the number of qualifying individuals.

This resolution supports the Local Radio Freedom Act, opposing any new performance fees on local radio stations for playing music. It emphasizes the mutually beneficial relationship between the radio and recording industries, where radio provides free publicity and essential local services. The resolution warns that new fees would harm local radio stations, small businesses, and the communities they serve. Ultimately, it asserts that Congress should not impose any new charges on local radio for broadcasting sound recordings.

The SHOPP Act of 2025 expands the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program to increase access to healthy foods. It broadens the types of produce eligible for incentives to include fresh frozen options and legumes. This aims to improve the year-round availability of nutritious food options for program participants.

The Rural Veterans Transportation to Care Act modifies the Department of Veterans Affairs' transportation grant program by including county and tribal organizations as eligible grant recipients. The bill sets the maximum grant amount to $60,000, but allows it to increase to $80,000 if a vehicle purchase is required to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It defines "rural" and "highly rural" using the Department of Agriculture's Rural-Urban Commuting Areas (RUCA) coding system and authorizes such sums as may be necessary.

The "Invest to Protect Act of 2025" establishes a grant program to support local law enforcement by providing resources for training, mental health services, recruitment, and retention. These grants prioritize de-escalation training, victim-centered approaches, and officer well-being. The program emphasizes accountability through audits, reporting requirements, and transparency in officer recruitment and retention incentives. It allocates \$50 million annually from 2026 to 2030 to facilitate these improvements in law enforcement practices and community safety.

The "Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act" amends Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code to allow the use of 529 education savings accounts for expenses related to postsecondary credential programs. These programs include workforce training, professional certifications, and licenses. This change expands the definition of qualified higher education expenses to include tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, and testing fees associated with recognized postsecondary credentials. The bill aims to make workforce training and professional certifications more accessible and affordable.

The Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act extends and modifies the Conrad State 30 program, which allows foreign physicians to work in the U.S. in underserved areas in exchange for a waiver of certain visa requirements. It increases the number of available waivers, provides employment protections for participating physicians, and modifies the requirements for physicians seeking waivers, including allowing them to pursue permanent residency and extending their visas in certain circumstances. The Act also requires annual reporting on the program's usage.