Legislative Activity

The "Boosting Long-term US Engagement in the Pacific Act" or "BLUE Pacific Act" aims to establish a comprehensive U.S. strategy for the Pacific Islands, focusing on strengthening partnerships, promoting regional stability, and supporting sustainable development. It directs the President to develop a detailed partnership strategy, encourages increased staffing and strategic communication, and enhances coordination with allies. The Act authorizes various programs to improve public health, education, media freedom, and workforce development, while also addressing peace and security through institutional strengthening and transnational crime prevention. Additionally, it focuses on resource and economic development, environmental and disaster resilience, ocean and environmental sustainability, and enhanced technology and connectivity, with significant funding allocated to support these initiatives.

The FAIR Act mandates a 3.3% increase in basic pay for federal employees under statutory pay systems and prevailing rate employees in 2026. Additionally, it increases locality pay for federal employees by 1% in 2026.

The 911 SAVES Act of 2025 aims to recognize the critical role of public safety telecommunicators by potentially reclassifying them within the Standard Occupational Classification system as Protective Service Occupations. This reclassification would acknowledge their life-saving work and align the system with the duties they perform. The Act mandates a report to Congress explaining the reasoning if the Director of the Office of Management and Budget decides against creating a separate code for these telecommunicators.

The No Foreign Gifts Act of 2025 prohibits colleges and universities that receive federal funding from accepting gifts from countries that support foreign terrorist organizations, as determined by the Secretary of State, or from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran. Institutions must report any gift offers from these countries to the Secretary to remain eligible for federal funding.

The "Saving the Civil Service Act" limits the ability to reclassify civil service positions, maintaining competitive service standards. It requires OPM approval for certain position changes and sets restrictions on the number of employees that can be moved between service types during a presidential term. Employee consent is mandated for transfers between different service schedules. The Office of Personnel Management is tasked with creating regulations to implement the provisions of this act.

The "Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2025" seeks to modernize Medicare coverage for chiropractic services. It expands coverage to include all services provided by licensed Doctors of Chiropractic, not just manual spinal manipulation. Doctors of Chiropractic are required to attend an educational webinar to be eligible for Medicare reimbursement. This aims to align Medicare with other healthcare systems and private insurance in recognizing the full scope of chiropractic care.

The No Russian Tunnel to Crimea Act imposes sanctions on foreign persons who knowingly assist in the construction, maintenance, or repair of any tunnel or bridge connecting mainland Russia to illegally occupied Crimea. These sanctions include asset freezes and visa bans, recognizing Crimea's use as a staging ground for Russia's aggression against Ukraine. The President retains the authority to waive these sanctions if deemed necessary for U.S. national security interests, provided Congress is notified in advance.

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the railroad track maintenance credit from $3,500 to $6,100, adjusting for inflation after 2025. It applies to qualified expenditures starting January 1, 2024, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The Veterans Member Business Loan Act amends the Federal Credit Union Act to include loans to veterans as member business loans. The term "veteran" will be defined according to title 38, section 101 of the U.S. Code. This change aims to support veteran entrepreneurship by increasing their access to capital through credit unions. The changes will be effective six months after the enactment of this Act.

The "Medicare Hearing Aid Coverage Act of 2025" aims to remove the existing Medicare exclusion for hearing aids and related examinations starting January 1, 2026. Additionally, the bill requires the Comptroller General to conduct a study and report on existing hearing aid programs, assessing their effectiveness and providing recommendations for improvement.

The "Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act of 2025" establishes a grant program for the Secretary of Interior to award grants to state entities for wildfire monitoring using satellite technology. These grants will fund the purchase and integration of high-resolution satellite imaging capabilities to improve wildfire detection, assessment, response, and management. The act requires a report to Congress on the program's impact and authorizes \$20 million annually from 2026-2028 for the program.

The United States-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act aims to reduce double taxation and encourage economic activity between the U.S. and Taiwan by lowering tax rates on certain income for Taiwanese residents and businesses in the U.S., contingent upon Taiwan offering reciprocal benefits to U.S. individuals and companies. Additionally, the United States-Taiwan Tax Agreement Authorization Act outlines the process for establishing a tax agreement with Taiwan, ensuring congressional oversight and adherence to existing U.S. tax laws, to further reduce double taxation.

Mel's Law requires higher education institutions to develop a policy for awarding posthumous degrees to students who were in good academic standing but died before completing their program. It prevents accreditation agencies from factoring posthumous degrees into their evaluations of institutions. This law aims to provide recognition for students who were close to achieving their academic goals before their untimely passing. The law goes into effect one year after enactment.

The "Skills Investment Act of 2025" renames and expands Coverdell education savings accounts into "Coverdell lifelong learning accounts" to cover a broader range of skill development and educational expenses. It modifies age restrictions and contribution rules, introduces a new tax credit for employers contributing to employee accounts, and allows beneficiaries to deduct contributions made to their accounts. These changes aim to promote lifelong learning and workforce development.

This bill formally acknowledges the sacrifices and courage of Vietnam War veterans, recognizing their service and the challenges they faced, including exposure to Agent Orange and the loss of over 58,000 American lives. It urges the President to address the mistreatment of these veterans and issues a formal apology on behalf of the American people for the lack of support they received both during and after the war. The bill also supports enhanced education in schools to accurately reflect the experiences of Vietnam War veterans.

The "Veterans Foreign Medical Coverage Equality and Modernization Act of 2025" ensures veterans with permanent and total service-connected disabilities can receive hospital care and medical services outside of the United States. It requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide care that meets U.S. standards, including FDA-approved medications, and mandates direct deposit for reimbursements. The Act also directs the VA to modernize its digital services by allowing digital submission and tracking of required forms, and requires a report to Congress on the implementation and effectiveness of these changes.

The PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act establishes a grant program within the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund peer-to-peer mental health support for veterans. Grants, up to $250,000, will be awarded to eligible entities like nonprofits and veteran service organizations to operate programs that meet specific standards, hire veteran peer specialists, and provide 24/7 mental health support. The Secretary of Veterans Affairs will establish an advisory committee to set program standards and best practices. The bill allocates $25,000,000 over three years to carry out the program.

The "Rosie the Riveter Commemorative Coin Act" directs the Department of Treasury to mint and issue gold, silver, and half-dollar coins in 2028 to honor the women who contributed to the World War II Home Front. The coin designs will represent the legacy of these women, with input from the Rosie the Riveter Trust, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee. Surcharges from the coin sales will go to the Rosie the Riveter Trust to support the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park and educational programs. This act ensures that the coin minting incurs no net cost to the government and recognizes the invaluable contributions of women during WWII.

The "Housing Survivors of Major Disasters Act" broadens eligibility for FEMA disaster assistance by recognizing "constructive ownership" in cases where formal documentation is lacking. It also modifies housing assistance criteria to include homes damaged (instead of uninhabitable) by a major disaster, allowing for cost-effective repair and rebuilding solutions. These changes apply to assistance applications and funds allocated after the Act's enactment.

This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to support or facilitate the participation of the Russian Federation in any Group of Seven (G7) proceeding. It also blocks federal funding for reconstituting a Group of Eight (G8) that includes Russia. The goal of the bill is to restrict the Russian Federation's involvement in these international forums.