Legislative Activity

This resolution designates the week beginning February 3, 2025, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week," recognizing the vital role of TCUs in providing culturally relevant education to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other students. TCUs serve over 230 federally recognized Indian Tribes by offering high-quality postsecondary education and workforce preparation. The resolution encourages the public to participate in activities and programs that support these institutions.

The American Values Act permanently prohibits the use of federal foreign assistance and Peace Corps funding for abortion services, involuntary sterilizations, and related lobbying or research activities. This legislation codifies long-standing restrictions to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are not utilized to support or promote these practices internationally.

The Wildfire Emergency Act of 2025 addresses wildfire risk through three main avenues: establishing a novel financing pilot program to accelerate large-scale forest restoration, increasing community resilience through infrastructure hardening and home weatherization updates, and building capacity via new research centers and workforce development grants. This comprehensive bill seeks to leverage private investment for ecological work while simultaneously making communities safer and developing the necessary skilled workforce for future mitigation efforts.

The Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act amends the Social Security Act to provide Medicare coverage for FDA-approved multi-cancer early detection (MCED) screening tests starting in 2028. This legislation establishes a formal coverage and payment framework for these innovative blood-based tests while ensuring they complement, rather than replace, existing cancer screening protocols.

The "Defund the CFPB Act" seeks to eliminate the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s primary source of mandatory funding by capping its annual transfer from the Federal Reserve at zero dollars. This legislation effectively removes the Bureau's independent funding mechanism, requiring a fundamental change to its financial structure.

This resolution designates January 26 through February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week," recognizing the importance of diverse educational options (public, charter, magnet, private, online, and homeschooling). It emphasizes the role of parents in choosing the best educational environment for their children and encourages awareness of the benefits of school choice. The resolution supports celebrating educational choice and acknowledges the contributions of students, parents, teachers, and school leaders.

The Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025 mandates that the Secretary of the Interior reissue the 2017 rule to remove the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly bear population from the federal endangered species list. This legislation requires the action to be completed within 180 days and explicitly prohibits judicial review of the reissued rule.

The Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025 establishes a federal tax credit for individuals and corporations that donate to scholarship-granting organizations. These organizations provide scholarships to help eligible students cover a wide range of K-12 educational expenses, including private school tuition, tutoring, and educational therapies. The bill includes a $10 billion annual volume cap on these credits and contains robust protections to ensure the autonomy of participating schools and the rights of parents to direct their children's education.

The Laken Riley Act mandates the detention of illegal aliens who commit theft, burglary, larceny, or shoplifting. It empowers state attorneys general to sue the Department of Homeland Security or the Secretary of State if they believe the state or its residents are harmed by violations of immigration enforcement or visa granting. The bill aims to ensure that these aliens are detained throughout their removal proceedings and to provide states with legal recourse against perceived failures in federal immigration enforcement.

The Freedom from Government Surveys Act makes participation in the American Community Survey (ACS) entirely voluntary. It eliminates legal penalties for refusing to answer survey questions and requires the Census Bureau to explicitly inform recipients that participation is not mandatory.

The Dignity for Aborted Children Act mandates that abortion providers offer patients the choice to take possession of fetal remains for burial or cremation. If the patient releases the remains to the provider, the provider is legally required to ensure the remains are interred or cremated within seven days. The bill also establishes federal reporting requirements and imposes significant civil and criminal penalties for non-compliance.

The Protecting Life in Health Savings Accounts Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to prohibit the use of tax-advantaged health accounts—including HSAs, FSAs, and HRAs—for abortion expenses, with limited exceptions for cases of rape, incest, or medical necessity. Under this bill, using these funds for non-excluded abortions would no longer qualify for tax-free treatment and would be subject to tax penalties. These changes are set to take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

This concurrent resolution recognizes the significant historical and ongoing contributions of tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies to communities across the United States. It acknowledges their extensive volunteer network and substantial charitable giving, which helps to meet various needs and support financial security. The resolution affirms that their tax-exempt status continues to benefit the country and that their work should be encouraged.

The "No Tax Dollars for Terrorists Act" mandates that the U.S. government develop and implement a strategy to prevent foreign entities from providing financial support to the Taliban. The bill requires the Secretary of State to submit regular reports to Congress detailing efforts to curb such support, as well as oversight measures for direct cash assistance programs in Afghanistan and the status of the Afghan Fund. These requirements aim to ensure that U.S. foreign assistance is not diverted to or misused by the Taliban.

The "Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government Act" (SWAG Act) prohibits federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to purchase promotional merchandise or create agency mascots. The bill mandates annual reporting on public relations spending to ensure fiscal responsibility while providing specific exceptions for recruitment, the census, and essential mission-related activities.

The Promoting Domestic Energy Production Act amends the corporate alternative minimum tax to allow companies to fully deduct intangible drilling and development costs when calculating their adjusted financial statement income. By modernizing how these expenses are treated, the bill aims to incentivize increased domestic oil and gas production. These changes are set to take effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act aims to reduce double taxation for residents of Taiwan and the U.S. by lowering withholding rates on cross-border income and establishing clear tax residency rules. Additionally, the bill authorizes the President to negotiate a formal tax agreement with Taiwan, ensuring congressional oversight and public transparency throughout the process. This legislation seeks to boost bilateral trade and investment while ensuring reciprocal tax benefits for both nations.

The Unborn Child Support Act amends the Social Security Act to allow states to establish and enforce child support obligations for unborn children, beginning from the month of conception. Upon the mother's request and consent, biological fathers may be required to provide financial support, with payment amounts determined by a court in consultation with the mother. The legislation ensures these requirements remain mandatory for states, prohibiting any waivers that would bypass these enforcement duties.

The Veterans Health Care Freedom Act establishes a three-year pilot program designed to increase veteran access to care by removing geographic and administrative barriers to choosing both VA and community-based providers. Following the pilot, the bill mandates permanent reforms to expand veteran choice across the entire VA health care system. These changes aim to streamline care coordination and ensure veterans have greater flexibility in selecting their primary, specialty, and mental health care providers.

The POLICE Act of 2025 makes non-citizens deportable if they are convicted of, or admit to, assaulting a law enforcement officer or first responder. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to submit and publish an annual report detailing the number of individuals deported under this provision.