Legislative Activity

The UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act of 2025 aims to restore United States funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) to address humanitarian needs in Gaza and support Palestinian refugees. It repeals previous legislation that prohibited funding to UNRWA and directs the Secretary of State to resume contributions, contingent upon UNRWA's progress in implementing recommendations for accountability and transparency. The Act also requires regular reports to Congress on UNRWA's progress and encourages cooperation between the U.S. and Israel to aid UNRWA in implementing reforms.

The IMPACT Act aims to reduce emissions from cement, concrete, and asphalt production through the creation of an "Advanced Cement, Concrete, and Asphalt Production Research Program." This program will support research, development, and demonstration of advanced technologies for low-emissions production, and foster collaboration between government, industry, and universities. The goal is to enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness, strengthen supply chains, and create jobs in the process. The program is set to sunset after seven years.

This resolution recognizes the significant gender pay gap, where women earn less than men for comparable work, and highlights the economic impact this disparity has on women, families, and the nation. It also acknowledges the disproportionate effect on women of color. The resolution reaffirms the commitment to achieving equal pay and reducing the gender wage gap.

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen and enhance enforcement of equal pay requirements by redefining "sex," modifying the "bona fide factor" defense for pay disparities, broadening the definition of "same establishment," strengthening non-retaliation protections, and enhancing penalties for employers who violate equal pay provisions. The Act also requires training programs, research, education, and outreach initiatives to eliminate pay disparities, and establishes a National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Additionally, the Act directs the EEOC to collect compensation data, reinstates pay equity programs, prohibits the use of wage history in determining salary, and establishes a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to improve compliance and enforcement of equal pay laws.

This bill validates the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) as a valid part of the U.S. Constitution. It asserts that the ERA has been ratified by the required number of states, regardless of any previously set time limits.

The Puppy Protection Act of 2025 amends the Animal Welfare Act to establish comprehensive standards for dog dealers, focusing on humane treatment. These standards include requirements for flooring, space, temperature, nutrition, exercise, socialization, veterinary care, and breeding practices. The Act sets specific guidelines for breeding frequency, age, and veterinary procedures, as well as humane placement for retired breeding dogs. It directs the Secretary to finalize regulations for these standards within 18 months.

The "Saving NOAA's Workforce Act" prevents the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from initiating any workforce reductions or involuntary employee separations. This moratorium is in effect until the full-year appropriations for NOAA are enacted for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made only in cases of employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency.

The "Saving NSFs Workforce Act" prevents the National Science Foundation (NSF) from conducting layoffs or involuntary employee separations until full funding is secured for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made for employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency. This moratorium aims to stabilize the NSF workforce during a period of funding uncertainty.

The Saving DOE's Workforce Act prohibits the Department of Energy from conducting workforce reductions or involuntary employee separations until full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are enacted. This moratorium excludes actions due to misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency and applies to employees in the competitive service, excepted service, and Senior Executive Service. The new law does not override any other authorities regarding adverse personnel actions.

The Air America Act of 2025 authorizes the Director of the CIA to award payments to former employees of Air America and affiliated companies who supported the U.S. government between 1950 and 1976, or to their survivors. Eligible individuals or their survivors could receive up to $40,000 for five years of qualifying service, with additional amounts for longer service, with a cap on total awards at $60 million. The Act establishes application procedures, limitations on attorney fees, and prohibits judicial review of the Director's decisions, while also requiring regular reports to Congress on the status of the award payments. This act does not qualify anyone for federal benefits like retirement, disability, or death benefits.

The "Saving NASAs Workforce Act" prevents NASA from conducting layoffs or involuntarily separating employees until the full budget for fiscal year 2026 is approved. This moratorium protects most NASA employees, with exceptions only for cases of misconduct or poor performance. The bill aims to stabilize NASA's workforce during a period of budget uncertainty. This is in addition to any other existing regulations regarding adverse personnel actions.

The "Down East Remembrance Act" designates six creeks in North Carolina with new names to honor Noah Styron, Hunter Parks, Kole McInnis, Stephanie Fulcher, Jacob Taylor, and Daily Shepherd. It mandates that all federal references to these creeks be updated to reflect these new designations.

The "Saving NIST's Workforce Act" prevents the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from conducting layoffs or involuntary separations of employees. This moratorium is in effect until full-year funding is secured for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made only in cases of employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency.

The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 aims to combat the illegal trafficking of machinegun conversion devices. It mandates a coordinated strategy among the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of the Treasury to prevent the import and distribution of these devices, enhance law enforcement collaboration, and provide training to identify them. The Act also allows for the forfeiture of proceeds from illegal machine gun trafficking and requires the Attorney General to report data on machinegun conversion devices in the annual firearms trafficking report.

The "Deliver for Democracy Act" aims to improve the on-time delivery of periodicals by the USPS by setting a 95% on-time delivery target or requiring a 2% increase in on-time delivery performance to unlock additional rate authority. It mandates annual reporting on delivery performance and requires a study on alternative pricing to support periodicals.

The Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2025 expands Medicare coverage to include dental, vision, and hearing services, including preventative care, exams, and devices like dentures, eyeglasses, and hearing aids. Coverage for most services begins in 2026, with specific cost-sharing arrangements and limitations outlined in the bill. The Secretary has the authority to implement additional limitations and modify coverage based on recommendations from the United States Preventive Services Task Force. The bill also requires the United States Preventive Services Task Force to include at least one oral health professional.

The Insurance Fraud Accountability Act aims to combat fraud in health insurance enrollment by increasing penalties for fraudulent agents and brokers, enhancing consumer protections through verification processes and notifications, regulating marketing organizations, and promoting transparency through audits. It also establishes a list of suspended and terminated agents and brokers to prevent further fraudulent activity. These measures are intended to ensure accurate enrollment, protect consumers from unauthorized changes, and maintain the integrity of qualified health plans.

The Stop Comstock Act seeks to revise Title 18 of the U.S. Code and the Tariff Act of 1930, narrowing the scope of prohibited materials that cannot be sent through the mail or interstate commerce to only obscene materials, thus removing restrictions related to abortion and contraception. This bill aims to repeal sections of the Comstock Act, an 1873 law that criminalized the dissemination of certain materials through the mail. By amending these laws, the bill intends to clarify and limit the federal government's power to regulate the distribution of materials deemed to be obscene.

The American Teacher Act aims to address teacher shortages and improve teacher compensation by establishing grants for states to increase teacher salaries, with the goal of ensuring a minimum annual salary of $60,000 for full-time teachers at qualifying schools, adjusted for inflation. The Act also allows for a national campaign to raise awareness of the value of the teaching profession and clarifies that the Act does not alter existing employee rights or agreements. Finally, the Act defines key terms and authorizes necessary appropriations for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to implement the grants and awareness campaign.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 modifies the tax treatment of research and experimental expenditures, allowing taxpayers to deduct these expenses in the year they are incurred rather than capitalizing them. This change applies to expenses related to the taxpayer's business and is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021. The act also includes provisions for electing to treat these expenditures as deferred expenses and updates related sections of the tax code.