Legislative Activity

The Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2025 requires courts to independently decide all legal questions, including interpreting laws and agency rules, when reviewing agency actions. This changes the standard of judicial review, ensuring courts do not defer to an agency's interpretation but make their own judgment. This applies to all agency actions unless explicitly exempted by law.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

The Confronting CCP Human Rights Abusers Act mandates the addition of the Ministry of Public Security's Institute of Forensic Science of China to the U.S. trade entity list within 60 days of enactment. This action restricts the institute's access to U.S. goods and technology. The President may waive this designation only if they certify to Congress that the institute is not acting against U.S. interests or aiding in human rights abuses against minorities in Xinjiang.

This bill seeks to formally reject a recent rule submitted by the Department of Energy (DOE) concerning new energy conservation standards for consumer gas-fired instantaneous water heaters. By invoking congressional disapproval, the legislation immediately cancels the DOE's proposed efficiency standards. In essence, Congress is overriding the DOE's attempt to implement these specific new regulations for tankless gas water heaters.

The American Energy Act streamlines the process for handling drilling permit applications, requiring the Secretary to continue processing them even when litigation is pending, unless the underlying lease is vacated. It also establishes a four-year validity period for new drilling permits. Furthermore, the Act places significant limitations on the ability of courts to halt oil and gas lease sales or stop the awarding of leases once bidding has commenced.

This resolution expresses support for designating May 2, 2025, as "NKH Awareness Day." The goal is to raise public and medical community awareness for nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare genetic disorder affecting children. Increased awareness aims to promote research, patient registry participation, and earlier diagnosis of this condition.

The Countering Hate Against Israel by Federal Contractors Act prohibits federal agencies from awarding contracts over \$100,000 to companies that boycott Israel. Companies seeking these contracts must certify they are not currently boycotting Israel and agree not to start one during the contract period. Agencies must terminate contracts if a violation is found, unless the company ceases the boycott.

The NFA SBS Act redefines short-barreled shotguns under federal tax law, removing specific restrictions and ensuring they are not treated as destructive devices. This legislation eliminates disparate federal restrictions on these shotguns and preempts state or local laws that attempt to impose special taxes or registration requirements referencing the National Firearms Act. Furthermore, the Act mandates the destruction of specific government records related to the registration and transfer of these shotguns.

The Protecting the Mailing of Firearms Act repeals the federal ban on mailing certain concealable firearms. This legislation also prohibits the U.S. Postal Service from enacting rules that would block or unduly restrict the mailing of firearms, ammunition, or their components. Furthermore, the USPS cannot require sellers to disclose customer records or firearm serial numbers as a condition for mailing these items.

This resolution strongly affirms the constitutional right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment. It criticizes recent actions by the Biden administration and federal agencies, such as the ATF, for implementing what are viewed as infringements on these freedoms. The resolution commends former President Trump for his past efforts to protect Second Amendment rights against such measures.

The Finding Opportunities for Resource Exploration Act, or Finding ORE Act, authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, through the USGS, to enter into Memoranda of Understanding with foreign partners. These agreements focus on cooperatively mapping critical mineral and rare earth element reserves in partner countries. The goal is to secure supply chains by prioritizing development opportunities for U.S. and allied companies, while ensuring data security.

The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) significantly amends federal law to require individuals registering to vote in federal elections to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. This legislation mandates that states actively clean their voter rolls and cooperate with federal agencies to verify citizenship status. It establishes new criminal penalties for officials who fail to enforce these documentation requirements.

The Safeguarding Charity Act clarifies that the federal income tax exemption granted to many tax-exempt organizations, such as charities and social welfare groups, will no longer be counted as "Federal financial assistance." This change specifically redefines federal aid for the purpose of applying various federal laws and regulations moving forward. The Act ensures that the value of existing tax breaks is excluded from future calculations of government assistance received by these entities.

This bill, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act, strictly prohibits the sale or release of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to any entity owned, controlled, or influenced by the Chinese Communist Party. Furthermore, it prevents the sale of SPR products to non-Chinese buyers if those products are intended for export to the People's Republic of China. The legislation aims to safeguard U.S. energy reserves from benefiting the Chinese government.

The Nuclear Family Priority Act significantly restructures U.S. family-based immigration by redefining "immediate relatives" to only include spouses and children of U.S. citizens, removing parents from that top category. It also establishes a new, temporary nonimmigrant visa for parents of adult U.S. citizens, which prohibits work and public benefits. Furthermore, the bill revises the annual cap for family-sponsored visas and makes numerous technical amendments across immigration law to align with these changes.

The Aid Accountability Act of 2025 significantly strengthens penalties for the misuse of specific foreign assistance funds. This bill mandates immediate termination and lifetime bans for federal employees who knowingly misappropriate these funds, requiring them to personally repay the misused amounts. Furthermore, grantees and contractors found in violation will be permanently barred from receiving future federal funding. The Secretary of State is tasked with enforcing these penalties and reporting all final decisions to Congress within 60 days.

The CBO Scoring Accountability Act mandates that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) produce annual reports for ten years following the enactment of any "major legislation." These reports must compare the actual financial impact of the law against the CBO's original estimates. If significant discrepancies occur, the CBO is required to explain the variance to Congress.

The Promoting New Bank Formation Act aims to encourage the creation of new banks by providing regulatory relief for newly insured institutions. This includes a three-year phase-in period for new capital standards and streamlined processes for adjusting initial business plans. The Act also establishes temporary, favorable capital requirements for new rural depository institutions and expands lending authority for Federal savings associations to include agricultural loans. Finally, it mandates a study on barriers to new bank formation, especially in underserved areas.

The No Iranian Energy Act aims to strengthen U.S. policy by explicitly targeting Iran's growing natural gas industry with sanctions. This bill amends existing law to ensure that sanctions apply to the sale, supply, or transfer of Iranian natural gas. The legislation reflects Congress's intent to restrict Iran's energy sector activities.

The Military Installation Retail Security Act of 2025 restricts the Department of Defense from entering into long-term retail concessions agreements with businesses controlled by designated foreign nations. This legislation mandates that existing agreements with such retailers undergo immediate review by CFIUS for national security risks, with termination required if control by a covered nation is confirmed. Exceptions are permitted only if the service provided is vital and security risks are mitigated, requiring notification to Congress.