Legislative Activity

The "Special Government Employees Transparency Act of 2025" aims to limit the use of special Government employees to 130 days per year and increase transparency by requiring a public database of these employees, including their positions, pay rates, and tenures. The Act also mandates the public release of financial disclosures filed by these employees, with exceptions for national defense information. This bill seeks to ensure that individuals temporarily working for the government are appropriately classified and that their activities are transparent to the public.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Congress and states to regulate campaign finance, setting reasonable limits on contributions and expenditures to promote democracy, political equality, and the integrity of government and elections. It aims to clarify the power to differentiate between natural persons and corporations in campaign finance regulations, potentially restricting corporate spending in elections. The amendment explicitly protects the freedom of the press from any restrictions.

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen and enhance the enforcement of equal pay requirements by modifying the "bona fide factor" defense, protecting employees who discuss their wages, and enhancing penalties for equal pay violations. It requires training and directs research, education, and outreach to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. The Act also prohibits employers from relying on wage history when considering prospective employees and mandates the collection of compensation data by the EEOC. Finally, the Act establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace and provides small business assistance.

This resolution affirms the rule of law and the legitimacy of judicial review, recognizing the Supreme Court's duty to interpret the law. It requires the executive branch to comply with federal court rulings, while allowing for appeals when authorized by law. The resolution reinforces the established judicial power of the U.S. Supreme Court and other federal courts.

The "Mining Schools Act of 2025" establishes a grant program to strengthen domestic mining education by awarding up to 10 grants annually to mining schools. These funds can be used for student recruitment, enhancing mining programs, and reducing reliance on foreign energy and mineral resources. A newly established Mining Professional Development Advisory Board will recommend grant recipients and amounts to the Secretary of Energy. The act also repeals the Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act and authorizes $10,000,000 to be appropriated each year from 2026 to 2033 to fund the grant program.

The Major Richard Star Act allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both veteran's disability compensation and military retired pay concurrently, without reduction. This act amends Title 10 of the United States Code to ensure that disability retirees with combat-related disabilities are not subject to reductions in retired pay due to receiving veteran's disability compensation. These changes will take effect the first day of the month following the enactment of the Act.

This bill aims to prioritize veterans and military families by amending titles 5 and 38 of the United States Code to provide protections for employees, benefits, and programs within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It focuses on safeguarding the rights and job security of VA employees and civil servants, ensuring transparency in VA operations, and restoring services and programs that may have been reduced or eliminated. The bill also seeks to enhance employment opportunities for veterans, military spouses, and caregivers, while improving the security and integrity of VA data and systems. Additionally, it addresses financial oversight of VA contracts and mandates increased reporting requirements to improve transparency and accountability.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to help first responders, including law enforcement, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, and teachers, become homeowners. It allows 100% financing (no down payment) for first-time homebuyers who qualify and eliminates monthly insurance premiums. The bill defines eligibility criteria, including housing counseling, employment requirements, and good standing as a first responder. It also authorizes appropriations for the program and requires reauthorization after 5 years.

The "Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act" transitions TSA personnel to standard federal employment rules under Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensuring they receive similar rights and protections as other federal employees, while maintaining current pay and benefits. It enhances collective bargaining rights for screening agents, requires reports on recruitment, implementation, and workplace safety, and addresses specific concerns within the Federal Air Marshal Service. The Act aims to improve job security, morale, and overall working conditions for TSA employees.

The "La Paz County Solar Energy and Job Creation Act" allows the Secretary of the Interior to transfer about 3,400 acres of federal land to La Paz County, Arizona, for fair market value, to promote solar energy development and job creation. The County must protect Tribal cultural artifacts on the land and pay for the conveyance and appraisal costs. Revenue from the land sale will be used as directed by the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act. The conveyed land will be withdrawn from mining and mineral leasing.

The Protect Veteran Jobs Act allows for the reinstatement of veteran Federal employees who were involuntarily dismissed without cause between January 20, 2025, and the date of enactment. It also mandates Executive agencies to report to Congress every 90 days on the number and reasons for veteran employee dismissals until January 20, 2029.

This resolution acknowledges the significant contributions of women-owned businesses in the United States, which have experienced substantial growth and play a vital role in the nation's economy. It recognizes the increasing number of women-owned businesses, their employment figures, and their revenue generation. The resolution commends the entrepreneurial spirit of women business owners and celebrates their achievements.

This resolution designates March 6, 2025, as "National Slam the Scam Day" to combat government imposter scams and other pervasive scams. It aims to raise awareness and promote education to protect individuals, especially older adults, from financial losses and identity theft. The resolution encourages reporting scams and supports the efforts of law enforcement, consumer groups, and financial institutions in preventing these scams. It also honors those who are actively fighting against government imposter scams.

The Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2025 aims to maintain and modernize the Air Force's fighter aircraft fleet by setting minimum inventory levels, requiring regular reports on the status of the fleet, prioritizing the assignment of new aircraft to existing squadrons, and preserving the Air National Guard's fighter capabilities. It mandates the Air Force to retain a minimum number of fighter aircraft, with allowances for temporary reductions during unit recapitalizations, and ensures the Air National Guard maintains a specific number of fighter squadrons while receiving modern aircraft. The Act also includes provisions for annual recapitalization plans for the Air National Guard and defines key terms related to fighter aircraft.

The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 amends the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws to strengthen protections for employees engaging in labor disputes and collective bargaining. It redefines employer and employee status, addresses unfair labor practices, streamlines collective bargaining, and increases penalties for employers who violate labor laws. The Act also updates strike/lockout notification procedures and clarifies reporting requirements for employer-employee communication. Finally, it ensures the law's provisions are severable and authorizes necessary appropriations for implementation and enforcement.

This resolution affirms the rule of law and the legitimacy of judicial review, emphasizing the Supreme Court's duty to interpret the law. It supports the established precedent that the executive branch must comply with Federal court rulings. The resolution expresses concern over statements suggesting the executive branch may disregard the authority of the Federal Judiciary.

This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States to investigate the historical and ongoing effects of these policies on Native American communities, including forming advisory committees and addressing the handling of Native American cultural items and remains. The commission will conduct a comprehensive review, gather testimony, and recommend actions for the federal government to acknowledge its role and promote public awareness. It also ensures the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act applies to cultural items from Indian Boarding Schools. The bill allocates \$90 million to fund the activities of the Commission and Subcommittee.

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act aims to make child care more accessible and affordable for families by expanding employer-provided child care credits, increasing tax-free dependent care assistance, and creating a refundable household and dependent care tax credit. The employer-provided child care credit is expanded by increasing the amount of qualified child care expenditures and the maximum credit amount, with special rules for small businesses. The amount excludable for dependent care assistance programs is increased from $5,000 to $7,500 (or $2,500 to $3,750). A new refundable tax credit is created for employment-related expenses paid for household services and care of qualifying individuals, with the credit amount varying based on income and the number of qualifying individuals.

The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act amends the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 to modernize regulations around online data collection, use, and deletion for children and teens. It expands the definition of personal information, requires verifiable consent for data collection and usage, and prohibits individual-specific advertising to children and teens. The Act also mandates FTC reports on mobile app oversight and enforcement, a GAO study on teens' privacy using financial technology, and includes a severability clause.

The HOPE for Homeownership Act introduces an excise tax on certain taxpayers, like hedge funds, who fail to sell excess single-family residences, taxing new acquisitions and excess holdings. It disallows mortgage interest and depreciation deductions for single-family homes owned by these covered taxpayers. This bill aims to discourage the accumulation of single-family homes by large entities to promote homeownership. The Act defines key terms such as "applicable taxpayer," "hedge fund taxpayer," and "single-family residence" to clarify the scope and applicability of the tax.