Legislative Activity

The "Welcome Back to the Health Care Workforce Act" establishes a federal grant program to help internationally educated health care professionals integrate into the U.S. workforce. By funding both system-level improvements and individual support services, the act aims to address critical staffing shortages, with a priority on serving rural and underserved communities.

The Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act aims to ensure educational programs provide real value by holding institutions accountable for student outcomes and professional readiness. The bill mandates that programs meet strict debt-to-earnings standards to remain eligible for federal student aid and requires institutions to ensure their curricula fully qualify graduates for necessary professional licensure. Additionally, it strengthens oversight of distance education by requiring institutions to maintain legal authorization in every state where their students reside.

The Federal Jobs for STARs Act of 2026 aims to expand federal employment opportunities for skilled workers without bachelor’s degrees by removing unnecessary educational requirements. The bill directs the Office of Personnel Management to prioritize skills-based hiring, create dedicated job search pathways, and study new training and educational support programs for these employees.

This resolution strongly condemns the President's use of racist rhetoric targeting Indian and Chinese Americans. It reaffirms the vital contributions of immigrants from all backgrounds to the United States. Finally, the bill calls on all elected officials to cease using language that promotes racial or ethnic division.

The Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2026 establishes a temporary United States Commission on Hate Crimes to investigate factors contributing to hate crimes and recommend federal actions to improve reporting and prevention efforts. The Commission will be composed of ten members from law enforcement and civil rights communities. Furthermore, the bill mandates an independent audit by the Government Accountability Office to assess the accuracy and reliability of the FBI's hate crime data collection methods.

The Disaster Declaration Transparency Act of 2026 establishes a process for Congress to override a Presidential refusal to issue a major disaster declaration requested by a Governor. If the President denies a request against FEMA recommendations, they must provide a written explanation to Congressional leadership within 24 hours. Congress can then use fast-track procedures in both chambers to pass a joint resolution forcing the President to issue the declaration. This process is established as an exercise of Congress's inherent rulemaking authority.

The Baby Food Safety Act of 2026 establishes strict new limits and testing requirements for toxic contaminants like lead and arsenic in infant and toddler foods. It mandates that manufacturers implement rigorous sampling and testing programs, with results subject to FDA oversight. Additionally, the bill enhances FDA authority for mandatory recalls and modernizes inspection procedures, including allowing remote record requests.

This bill officially renames the United States Postal Service facility located at 1300 East Northwest Highway in Palatine, Illinois. The facility will now be known as the "Bernie Bluestein Post Office Building." This designation will be used in all official records and documents pertaining to this location.

The Medicare Expansion and Lowering Costs Now Act aims to enhance healthcare access and affordability through several key provisions. It establishes a Medicare buy-in option for individuals aged 50 to 64, creates a new direct supplemental insurance option for Original Medicare beneficiaries, and grants the Secretary authority to negotiate lower Part D drug prices. Additionally, the bill stabilizes the individual insurance market by establishing a reinsurance fund and removes the income cap for premium tax credit eligibility.

The Puerto Rican People’s Power Restoration Act of 2026 establishes a formal process to terminate the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. It allows the Puerto Rican government to designate a successor entity to oversee the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority’s bankruptcy proceedings and fiscal management. This legislation ensures a structured transition of authority while maintaining the validity of existing fiscal plans and court-supervised debt adjustments.

The Kids Need Lunch Act establishes universal free school lunches for all students in participating schools and creates a federal program to reimburse schools for existing unpaid meal debt. The bill also permanently prohibits schools from collecting any future unpaid lunch charges from students or families. These provisions will take effect one year after the Act is signed into law.

This bill, the "No Private Bounty Hunters for Immigration Enforcement Act," prohibits the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using private contractors for activities like skip tracing, surveillance, or location verification in civil immigration enforcement. It mandates the termination or amendment of all existing contracts that involve these practices. Furthermore, the legislation generally bans paying private entities on a per-person or bonus basis for locating individuals subject to civil immigration detainers.

The First Home Affordability Act establishes a new refundable tax credit for first-time homebuyers, generally claimed over five years, up to a maximum of \$25,000. The credit amount is subject to phase-outs based on the buyer's income and the home's purchase price relative to local area medians. Special provisions allow certain essential workers (teachers, childcare workers, and first responders) to receive the full credit immediately, and taxpayers have the option to transfer the credit directly to their mortgage lender at closing.

The Kids Before Cuts Act prohibits the federal government from freezing or withholding funds intended for critical social services, including the TANF, SSBG, and Child Care Development Block Grant programs. This measure ensures that funds appropriated by Congress for child care and social services reach the states as intended. The Act specifically targets recent actions that froze billions in funding designated for supporting families and children.

The No Occupation of Venezuela Act of 2026 (NOVA Act) strictly prohibits the use of U.S. Federal funds to support any form of U.S. military occupation, control, or administration over Venezuela. This ban includes funding for military deployments intended to assert sovereignty or control over Venezuelan territory or resources. The Act carves out narrow exceptions allowing for the acquisition or use of property for U.S. diplomatic or consular establishments, provided the Venezuelan government approves. Importantly, this legislation does not affect existing laws governing the provision of emergency humanitarian aid.

The Investing in American Workers Act establishes a new tax credit for employers who invest in qualifying job training for their non-highly paid employees. This credit is calculated based on the amount by which current training expenses exceed the average of the past three years' inflation-adjusted training costs. Eligible training must lead to a recognized postsecondary credential, and small businesses may elect to apply the credit against payroll taxes instead of income tax.

The SAFE LiDAR Act prohibits the use of covered foreign adversary LiDAR technology by U.S. critical infrastructure operators and the Federal Government, with phased implementation timelines. It also bans certain business partnerships with foreign adversary LiDAR companies to prevent espionage and supply chain compromise. The Secretary of Commerce is granted authority to issue waivers and manage a transition assistance program for impacted users. This legislation aims to secure critical technologies against national security threats posed by specified foreign adversaries.

This Act mandates the Director of National Intelligence to report on oil and ballistic missile-related transactions between China and Iran, detailing circumvention tactics. Following this report, the Secretary of the Treasury must determine if China is engaged in sanctionable activities related to these transactions. The bill aims to track and restrict adversarial circumvention of existing embargoes.

This bill aims to reform high-skilled immigration by significantly increasing the annual H-1B visa cap. It also establishes the Promoting American Ingenuity Grant Program to strengthen STEM education and teacher retention in the U.S. Furthermore, the legislation adjusts the criteria used to define H-1B-dependent employers.

This bill, titled the Brand USA Restoration Act, appropriates \$80 million for fiscal year 2026 to the Travel Promotion Fund. These funds are intended to offset previous reductions made to the Fund by the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." This action aims to restore funding for travel promotion initiatives.