Legislative Activity

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.

The Safe and Secure Transportation of American Energy Act broadens criminal penalties for actions that threaten energy transportation infrastructure. This legislation expands prohibited activities beyond simple destruction to include vandalism, tampering, and disrupting the operation or construction of pipelines and related facilities. These enhanced penalties are enforced under existing federal law.

The AMERICA Act aims to increase transparency and competition in the digital advertising market by imposing strict ownership separation requirements on large industry players. It establishes new fiduciary duties for digital advertising brokers, requiring them to act in their customers' best interests and provide detailed execution data upon request. The bill also mandates public routing disclosures and grants the Attorney General enforcement power, including the ability to seek damages and oversee required divestitures.

This bill, the United States African Development Foundation Dissolution Act, officially abolishes the United States African Development Foundation. It repeals the original act that established the foundation and transfers all its functions, assets, and responsibilities to the Secretary of State. Moving forward, any reference to the former foundation in existing law or documents will be updated to refer to the Department of State.

The Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act of 2025 amends the Clean Air Act to prohibit states from receiving waivers to set new vehicle emission standards that restrict the sale or use of new cars with internal combustion engines. This legislation invalidates any existing or future state standards that directly or indirectly limit traditional gasoline-powered vehicles. Furthermore, the bill mandates the revocation of any previously granted waivers that conflict with this new restriction.

The Choice in Automobile Retail Sales Act of 2025 repeals the EPA's recent multi-pollutant emissions standards for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. Furthermore, this Act prohibits the EPA from issuing future tailpipe emission regulations that mandate specific technologies or limit the availability of new motor vehicles based on engine type. The EPA must update existing rules within 24 months to comply with these new restrictions.

The Traveler's Gun Rights Act updates the federal definition of "State of residence" for individuals, including military members, to better reflect where they actually live or are stationed. This change also modifies the identification requirements for firearm background checks to accommodate those without a traditional physical residence. The goal is to clarify residency rules across various federal firearms laws.

The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act ensures that spouses of active-duty service members stationed overseas can legally receive firearms or ammunition under existing federal exceptions. This legislation also standardizes how a military spouse's residency is determined for federal firearms laws, aligning it with that of the service member. The goal is to provide consistent rights and recognition for military families regarding firearm ownership, regardless of their duty station location.

This bill officially designates the United States Postal Service facility located at 620 East Pecan Boulevard in McAllen, Texas, as the "Agent Raul H. Gonzalez Jr. Memorial Post Office." The legislation ensures all official records are updated to reflect this new memorial name for the post office.

The Pay Our Military Act of 2025 ensures that active duty service members, essential civilian staff, and critical defense contractors continue to receive pay during any lapse in regular appropriations for Fiscal Year 2025. This automatic funding remains in effect until Congress passes a full budget or until January 1, 2026, whichever comes first. The legislation is designed to prevent disruptions to military compensation during government funding gaps.

The Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint and sell a limited series of gold, silver, and clad coins to honor the life and legacy of baseball legend and humanitarian Roberto Clemente. These coins must feature designs celebrating both his athletic achievements and his activism, with final approval resting with the Secretary of the Treasury after consultation with the Clemente Foundation and family. All proceeds from the mandated surcharges on the coin sales will be directed to the Roberto Clemente Foundation to support its charitable and educational programs. The issuance of these coins is strictly limited to the calendar year 2027.

The Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2025 establishes new minimum fleet sizes for the Air Force's fighter aircraft inventory and delays the enforcement date for these higher requirements until 2030. The bill mandates strict quarterly reporting on new aircraft procurement and distribution, while prioritizing the assignment of new, advanced fighters to existing operational squadrons. Furthermore, it places a freeze on reducing the number of Air National Guard fighter squadrons through 2030 and requires an annual plan to ensure the Guard's fleet recapitalizes at the same pace as the active force.

The "Frank Connor and Trooper Werner Foerster Justice Act" seeks the extradition or return of U.S. fugitives, including Joanne Chesimard and William Guillermo Morales, who are believed to be living in Cuba to avoid prosecution. It mandates an annual report from the Secretary of State on efforts to extradite these fugitives and determine Cuba's compliance with U.S.-Cuba extradition treaties. Additionally, the Act prohibits the use of International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement funds for programs in Cuba until Cuba meets specific conditions related to extradition and resuming economic activity with the U.S..

The Guarding Readiness Resources Act ensures that funds reimbursed to the National Guard Bureau by states or territories are directly returned to the specific budget account that covered the initial expense. These returned funds are strictly limited to being used for the repair, maintenance, or replacement of the military assets involved. This guarantees that reimbursement money directly supports the readiness of the equipment used by the National Guard.

The "WHO is Accountable Act" prohibits federal funds from being used to rejoin or contribute to the World Health Organization (WHO) unless the Secretary of State certifies that the WHO has met specific reform criteria. These criteria include ensuring the WHO is free from political influence (particularly from the Chinese Communist Party), is transparent and accountable, and focuses on its core mission without engaging in politically charged issues. The Act also requires the WHO to grant observer status to Taiwan and ensure its directives are not legally binding on U.S. citizens.

The Lieutenant Osvaldo Albarati Stopping Prison Contraband Act aims to reduce contraband in prisons by increasing penalties for providing or attempting to provide a phone to an inmate. It mandates the Director of the Bureau of Prisons to review and update policies regarding inmates who make, possess, or try to obtain prohibited items to improve safety.

The American Victims of Terrorism Compensation Act aims to increase financial support for victims of state-sponsored terrorism by transferring forfeited funds and penalties into the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. It mandates the distribution of these funds to eligible claimants through additional, pro-rata payments, and requires regular reporting on the Fund's activities and balances. The Act also allows for the use of Department of Justice personnel to assist with the administration of the fund, and ensures remaining funds from prior payments are used for additional compensation.

The Alan T. Shao II Fentanyl Public Health Emergency and Overdose Prevention Act aims to prevent fentanyl from entering the U.S. by suspending the entry of individuals illegally crossing the border from Canada or Mexico who do not have the required travel documents. These individuals will be returned to their country of origin or the country they entered from. The Department of Homeland Security is authorized to transport these individuals.

This resolution commemorates the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima, recognizing the valor and sacrifice of the U.S. service members involved. It acknowledges the battle's significance in securing victory in the Pacific during World War II and honors the reconciliation between the United States and Japan. The resolution also encourages Americans to remember and honor the veterans of Iwo Jima.

This resolution urges the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3) to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran under UNSCR 2231 due to Iran's repeated violations of the JCPOA and advancements in its nuclear program. It condemns Iran's non-compliance and the support it receives from Russia and China. The resolution reaffirms the U.S. commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and supports sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear and missile programs. It calls for the E3 to act before the expiration of the snapback option in October 2025.