Legislative Activity

The Fit to Serve Act prohibits the U.S. Armed Forces from discriminating against service members based on their gender identity. This means military branches cannot set different standards, involuntarily discharge personnel, or deny medically necessary healthcare due to a service member's gender identity. The bill ensures equal opportunity for joining, serving, and receiving care regardless of one's internal sense of self.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

The Pacific Partnership Act formally establishes the U.S. commitment to strengthening its comprehensive policy toward the Pacific Islands region, emphasizing peace, security, and prosperity. It mandates the President to develop and submit a detailed "Strategy for Pacific Partnership" to Congress by 2026 and 2030, outlining diplomatic, economic, and security goals. Furthermore, the bill enhances coordination with allies on aid delivery and grants the Pacific Islands Forum diplomatic immunities. Finally, it requires enhanced reporting from the State Department on transnational issues affecting the region.

This bill establishes a new, Senate-confirmed position within the State Department: the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. This Ambassador will be responsible for coordinating all U.S. foreign policy efforts related to the Arctic region. Their duties include leading international cooperation, overseeing resource management, and ensuring the protection of the Arctic environment.

This Act officially designates the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington, as the National Museum of Pop Culture. This designation is purely honorary and does not change the museum's operational status or obligate the federal government to provide funding.

The VA Employee Fairness Act of 2025 modifies the collective bargaining rules for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) by streamlining existing statutes. This act removes outdated subsections related to bargaining and renumbers the remaining relevant section. Importantly, these changes do not affect the Secretary of Veterans Affairs' existing authority regarding incentive pay or expedited hiring processes.

The ICELAND Act treats Iceland as a treaty country for the purposes of granting E-1 (treaty trader) and E-2 (treaty investor) nonimmigrant visas. This allows Icelandic nationals to apply for these visas, provided Iceland offers reciprocal visa treatment to U.S. citizens. The legislation aims to foster economic and commercial ties between the two nations.

The Assault Weapons Ban of 2025 comprehensively defines and bans the manufacture, sale, and transfer of specific semiautomatic assault weapons and large capacity ammunition feeding devices. The bill grandfathers existing weapons but imposes new requirements for their secure storage and mandates dealer involvement for future private transfers. It also allows federal grant money to be used by states for buy-back programs targeting these banned items.

The REHIRE Act establishes a temporary hiring preference for certain Federal employees involuntarily removed from their positions between January 1, 2025, and January 1, 2027. These eligible former employees will receive the equivalent of a "preference eligible" status plus five extra points on their earned scores when applying for competitive service jobs. This hiring advantage excludes those removed for misconduct, poor performance, or from political positions, and it expires five years after enactment.

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act officially repeals the previous law authorizing oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. This legislation simultaneously designates approximately 1.56 million acres within the Refuge as protected wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Secretary of the Interior is now required to manage this newly designated land according to strict wilderness preservation standards.

The Equality Act comprehensively expands federal civil rights protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity across key areas of American life. It amends existing laws to prohibit discrimination in public accommodations, housing, credit, employment, and federal funding. The purpose of the bill is to provide consistent, explicit, and comprehensive remedies for individuals facing bias in these essential sectors.

This Act mandates improvements to the mental health components of the Department of Defense's Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and the Department of Veterans Affairs' Solid Start Program. It ensures transitioning service members and new veterans receive comprehensive information on available mental health services, suicide risk, and related support resources. The Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs must jointly report to Congress on these updates within one year of enactment.

This Act immediately terminates specific existing presidential executive orders imposing tariffs. It requires Congressional approval via a fast-tracked joint resolution before the President can impose new trade barriers or withdraw existing trade agreement concessions. This ensures major new trade restrictions require legislative authorization, except in cases involving existing anti-dumping enforcement or specific trade dispute rulings.

The West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2025 permanently prohibits all new oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington. This legislation specifically bans the Secretary of the Interior from issuing any new leases or permissions for drilling activities in designated planning areas. The goal is to secure long-term protection for these vital West Coast marine environments.

The Resilient Coasts and Estuaries Act of 2025 overhauls federal coastal protection by establishing a new Coastal and Estuarine Resilience and Restoration Program focused on protecting high-value lands and restoring damaged areas, with priority given to vulnerable low-income communities. The bill also significantly expands the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, mandating the designation of at least five new sites and bolstering research efforts focused on climate change adaptation. Furthermore, it establishes new requirements for non-governmental partners and updates funding authorizations through fiscal year 2029.

The Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act of 2025 prevents Congress from using the budget reconciliation process to cut funding or eligibility for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This protection establishes a significant procedural roadblock against reducing benefits for these essential social programs. However, this restriction is temporary and is set to expire on January 20, 2029.

The American Family Act fundamentally overhauls the Child Tax Credit by replacing the annual lump sum with a system of advance, refundable monthly payments delivered directly to families. These monthly allowances vary based on the child's age, with higher amounts provided for younger children. The bill also establishes a separate, smaller credit for other dependents and outlines procedures for annual renewal and reconciliation of advance payments when filing taxes.

The Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025 seeks to amend federal gun laws by banning devices and modifications that significantly increase the rate of fire of semiautomatic firearms, effectively treating them like machineguns. The bill specifically prohibits the manufacture, sale, or possession of such accessories and modified firearms after 120 days of enactment. Existing owners of previously modified firearms must register them under the National Firearms Act within that same timeframe to legally keep them.

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2025 establishes federal minimum standards for collective bargaining rights for public employees across the nation. It requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to review state laws to ensure they substantially provide these minimum rights, including the right to organize and bargain collectively. If a state fails to meet these standards, the FLRA will administer federal labor relations rules for the uncovered employees. The Act also prohibits strikes or lockouts that would measurably disrupt emergency or public safety services.

The Raise the Wage Act of 2025 establishes a phased increase of the federal minimum wage, culminating in a \$17.00 per hour rate five years after enactment, followed by automatic annual adjustments tied to median wage growth. This bill also phases out the lower minimum wage for tipped employees and workers under 20, ensuring they eventually earn the standard federal minimum wage. Furthermore, it sets a schedule to eliminate subminimum wages for individuals with disabilities and prohibits the issuance of new special certificates allowing for lower pay.