Legislative Activity

The PAST Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Horse Protection Act to combat the painful practice of soring in specific horse breeds. This bill increases penalties for violations, establishes stricter licensing and oversight for inspectors, and explicitly bans the use of "action devices" designed to cause unnatural gaits. The legislation aims to enhance enforcement, ensure fairer competition, and hold violators accountable through increased fines and disqualifications.

The Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2025 provides increased dependency and indemnity compensation to surviving spouses of veterans who die from ALS, regardless of the duration of the illness. To be eligible, the surviving spouse must have been married to the veteran for at least eight years, and the veteran must have died on or after October 1, 2025. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a report to Congress identifying other service-connected disabilities that should receive similar treatment as ALS under existing compensation guidelines.

The MODERN WIC Act of 2025 aims to modernize the WIC program by expanding options for remote certification appointments, including telephone and video calls, and allowing for remote delivery of food benefits. It requires state agencies to offer various formats for certification appointments, ensuring accessibility for individuals with disabilities. The Act also mandates a report to Congress on the use of remote technologies in WIC, focusing on their impact and best practices.

The "Delaware River Basin Restoration Program Reauthorization Act of 2025" reauthorizes and modifies the Delaware River Basin Conservation Program. It broadens the definition of the Basin to include Maryland, allows prioritization of funding for projects benefiting small, rural, or disadvantaged communities, and extends the program's operation until 2032.

The Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025 aims to enhance the safety of postal workers by funding high-security infrastructure upgrades, including electronic mailbox keys. The bill also mandates the appointment of dedicated federal prosecutors for postal crimes in every judicial district and requires stricter sentencing guidelines for those who assault or rob postal employees.

The Patriot Day Act formally designates Patriot Day as a federal holiday. This legislation adds the observance to the official list of legal public holidays under 5 U.S.C. § 6103(a).

The Protecting VA Employees Act repeals the expedited disciplinary procedures that previously bypassed standard federal protections for Department of Veterans Affairs staff. By restoring traditional civil service due process, the bill ensures VA employees are subject to the same standards as other federal workers while explicitly preserving and relocating existing whistleblower safeguards.

This resolution designates January 2025 as "National Stalking Awareness Month" to highlight the prevalence and severe consequences of stalking in the United States. It aims to educate the public on the risks of this crime while encouraging policymakers, law enforcement, and community organizations to strengthen victim support services and prevention efforts.

This bill supports the designation of January 30, 2025, as CTE and RHI Awareness Day to increase public knowledge of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and repeated head impacts (RHI). It acknowledges the risks and impact of these conditions, particularly for athletes, veterans, and others susceptible to head trauma. The bill encourages further research, early diagnosis, and informed decision-making, while also recognizing the contributions of researchers, affected families, and organizations dedicated to CTE awareness. It also urges the CDC and NIH to include CTE and RHI information in concussion education.

The Bipartisan Restoring Faith in Government Act prohibits Members of Congress, their spouses, and their dependents from owning or trading individual stocks, commodities, and other specified financial instruments. To comply, covered individuals must divest these assets or place them into a qualified blind trust. The bill establishes strict oversight, reporting requirements, and civil penalties for non-compliance to prevent conflicts of interest.

The "CLEAN Public Service Act" terminates future retirement benefits for Members of Congress under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System, 90 days after enactment of the bill. This act halts government contributions and payroll deductions for congressional retirement, while preserving already earned benefits. Members of Congress can still participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.

This proposed constitutional amendment changes the rules for ending debates on legislation in the Senate. It mandates that ending a debate requires either adherence to the rules in place on January 3, 2025, unanimous consent, or a three-fifths majority vote of all Senators. This new rule would not apply to presidential nominations.

The Restoring Faith in Elections Act establishes uniform national standards for federal elections to improve security, accuracy, and consistency. The bill mandates standardized mail-in ballot procedures, implements automatic voter registration, ensures equal administrative rules across all voting methods, and creates a centralized database to maintain clean and accurate voter rolls. These measures aim to increase public confidence in the electoral process by streamlining administration and modernizing registration systems nationwide.

The CLEAN Elections Act requires states to use independent, nonpartisan commissions for Congressional redistricting. States must use similar commissions for state legislative districts to access federal election administration funds. A commission is considered nonpartisan and independent if the number of members from the state's two largest political parties is equal and none of its members are elected officials.

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the number of terms a person can serve in Congress. Representatives would be limited to six two-year terms, and Senators would be limited to two six-year terms. The term limits would not be applied retroactively to anyone serving before the 118th Congress.

The Election Day Act designates Election Day as a federal legal public holiday. This change aims to increase voter participation by ensuring more citizens have the time and opportunity to cast their ballots.

The "Let America Vote Act" aims to increase voter participation and prevent noncitizen voting. It mandates that states allow unaffiliated voters to participate in any primary election without being treated as party members or having their information shared and prohibits non-citizens from voting in any election. Non-compliant states risk losing federal election administration funding, while compliant states can receive transition assistance grants.

This proposed constitutional amendment mandates a balanced federal budget, where total spending cannot exceed total income, unless a supermajority in Congress approves specific overspending. The President must submit a balanced budget annually. Exceptions are allowed for declared wars, national emergencies, or natural disasters, each requiring specific congressional approval. The amendment would take effect five years after ratification, giving Congress time to enact enforcement legislation.

This proposed constitutional amendment would prohibit Members of Congress from receiving compensation during a fiscal year if they fail to pass a concurrent budget resolution before the start of that fiscal year. This requirement would apply to fiscal years beginning after the amendment's ratification.

The Securing our Elections Act of 2025 amends the Help America Vote Act to require all voters in federal elections to present a valid photo identification, beginning with the 2026 election cycle. The bill establishes uniform standards for both in-person and mail-in voting while mandating that states provide free photo IDs to those unable to obtain one. It also ensures that states with existing, compliant identification laws may continue to utilize their current systems.