Legislative Activity

The Protecting Our Courts from Foreign Manipulation Act of 2025 mandates strict transparency regarding foreign funding in U.S. civil litigation. It requires parties to disclose any financial interest held by foreign persons, states, or sovereign wealth funds contingent on a case's outcome. Furthermore, the bill explicitly prohibits using funds directly sourced from a foreign state or sovereign wealth fund for third-party litigation funding. The Attorney General must also submit annual reports to Congress detailing foreign litigation funding activities in federal courts.

The Stuck On Hold Act mandates that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implement an automated system on all covered customer service lines to inform callers of their expected wait time. If the wait exceeds 10 minutes, the system must offer an automatic callback option. Furthermore, the VA is required to issue guidance aimed at reducing average wait times to 10 minutes or less.

This resolution mandates a reduction in the annual pay rate for Senators if a government shutdown occurs. Specifically, Senators will lose one day's pay for every 24-hour period a shutdown is active during a pay period. This pay reduction mechanism is set to take effect after the November 2026 general Federal election, with any earlier withheld funds being returned to Senators.

This Act, the Ideologically Motivated Violence Accountability Act, establishes the victim's actual or perceived political or religious beliefs as a new aggravating factor for imposing the death penalty in federal cases. It targets violence intended to intimidate or silence individuals based on their lawful beliefs. The bill also mandates adjustments to federal sentencing guidelines to reflect this new aggravating factor.

The Pay the People Act ensures that federal employees, military service members, and essential contractors continue to receive their regular pay and benefits automatically if Congress fails to pass full-year or interim continuing appropriations. This automatic funding is drawn from the Treasury and ceases once standard appropriations are enacted. The bill is designed to prevent government shutdowns from disrupting essential personnel compensation.

The Paychecks for Patriots Act of 2025 ensures that all members of the Armed Forces receive their pay and allowances for Fiscal Year 2026, even if standard appropriations bills have not yet been enacted. This automatic funding mechanism guarantees continuous compensation for active duty and reserve service members. The authority remains in effect until a specific law is passed to fund these military personnel costs.

The Withhold Member Pay During Shutdowns Act mandates that Members of Congress will not receive pay for any day a government shutdown is in effect. This pay reduction will be calculated based on the number of shutdown days within a pay period. For shutdowns occurring before November 2026, the withheld pay will be held in escrow until that date to comply with constitutional requirements.

The STREAMLINE Act updates federal regulations to modernize anti-money laundering reporting requirements. It significantly raises the cash transaction reporting threshold from $\$10,000$ to $\$30,000$ and adjusts thresholds for Suspicious Activity Reports. Furthermore, the bill mandates that these reporting thresholds be reviewed and adjusted every five years to account for inflation. The Treasury Department is also required to review and streamline existing reporting forms and processes.

This Act extends the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until 2027 and directs the U.S. Trade Representative to develop a strategy for future bilateral trade agreements with beneficiary nations. Additionally, Title II mandates a comprehensive review of the U.S.-South Africa relationship, requiring the President to report on whether South Africa's actions harm U.S. national security interests. This section also calls for a classified report identifying South African officials eligible for sanctions.

The NFIP Extension Act temporarily reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This legislation extends the program's funding and operational authority from its current expiration date until November 21, 2025. The bill ensures continuous coverage by pushing back key deadlines within the National Flood Insurance Act of 1968.

This resolution urges the Executive Branch and G7/EU leaders to seize frozen Russian sovereign assets under their jurisdiction. These seized assets should then be disbursed to Ukraine in regular tranches of at least $10 billion per month until fully expended. The action is justified by documenting Russia's extensive war crimes and the massive financial cost of its invasion.

The NFIP Extension Act temporarily reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This legislation extends the program's funding authorization and overall expiration date from September 30, 2023, to September 30, 2026. The bill ensures continuous operation of federal flood insurance programs for three additional years.

The District of Columbia Judicial Nominations Reform Act eliminates the existing Judicial Nomination Commission responsible for recommending judicial candidates. This act grants the President of the United States the authority to directly nominate candidates for D.C. judicial positions, including chief judges. Consequently, the process for filling judicial vacancies in the District of Columbia is fundamentally changed.

The U.S.-South Africa Bilateral Relations Review Act mandates a comprehensive review of the current relationship between the two nations based on concerns over South Africa's foreign policy alignment with Russia, China, and Hamas. Following this review, the President must report to Congress and certify whether South Africa's actions harm U.S. national security interests. If such harm is certified, the bill requires the President to identify sanctionable officials and immediately terminate South Africa's eligibility for key trade preference programs.

This resolution commends the Caesars Superdome on the occasion of its golden jubilee, celebrating 50 years of service to Louisiana and the United States. It recognizes the venue's history of hosting major sporting events, cultural performances, and serving as a vital shelter during numerous hurricanes. The resolution officially honors the facility's enduring legacy and recent modernizations.

This resolution urges all NATO members to commit to spending a minimum of 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, clarifying the breakdown between traditional and non-traditional defense expenditures. It emphasizes that failing to meet current spending goals reflects a lack of political will rather than financial inability. Ultimately, the resolution reaffirms the U.S. Senate's strong support for a unified and robust NATO alliance.

The Service-Disabled Veteran Opportunities in Small Business Act aims to increase federal contract awards to small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans. It mandates that the Small Business Administrator provide specialized training to any agency failing to meet its established contract goals for these businesses. Furthermore, the Act requires the Administrator to issue best practices guidance and report annually to Congress on agency compliance and training efforts.

This joint resolution expresses Congress's disapproval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's final rule regarding the Barred Owl Management Strategy in Washington, Oregon, and California. By invoking the Congressional Review Act, this action nullifies the submitted management rule, preventing it from taking legal effect. Essentially, Congress is overturning the executive branch's specific plan for managing the Barred Owl population in these states.

The Build Now Act of 2025 adjusts Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocations by rewarding cities and counties with faster recent housing growth and reducing funds for those with slower growth. It establishes a "Housing Growth Improvement Rate" based on historical housing unit increases to determine eligibility for bonus funding or mandatory allocation cuts. The law mandates the use of precise Census data for these housing counts and requires annual public reporting on the resulting adjustments.

This resolution congratulates the Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSU Shreveport) baseball team for achieving the first undefeated season in collegiate baseball history. It specifically recognizes their perfect 59-0 record and their victory in the 2025 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series. The measure also honors the team's top performers and Head Coach Brad Neffendorf for bringing significant pride to the university and the State of Louisiana.