Legislative Activity

This concurrent resolution expresses support for recognizing March 10, 2025, as "Abortion Provider Appreciation Day" to honor abortion providers and staff for their essential care, courage, and dedication, particularly in light of increasing restrictions on abortion access. It affirms Congress's commitment to ensuring the safety of abortion providers and patients' right to access care without fear of violence or criminalization. The resolution condemns actions that limit abortion access and expresses a vision for a future where everyone has full access to necessary care without penalty or stigma.

The Extreme Risk Protection Order Expansion Act of 2025 aims to reduce firearm-related deaths and injuries by establishing a grant program for states, Indian Tribes, and local governments to implement extreme risk protection orders, which temporarily restrict firearm access for individuals deemed a danger to themselves or others. The act also amends federal firearms prohibitions to include individuals subject to these orders and mandates the inclusion of extreme risk protection orders in national crime information databases. Furthermore, it requires states and Indian Tribes to recognize and enforce extreme risk protection orders issued by other jurisdictions and affirms Tribal court jurisdiction to issue and enforce these orders within their Indian country.

The "Do No Harm Act" amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to clarify that religious freedom cannot be used to justify discrimination, deny access to healthcare, or violate labor protections. It ensures the RFRA only applies to lawsuits involving the government, preventing its use in disputes between private parties. This bill aims to protect civil rights and ensure equal access to services, benefits, and opportunities.

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.

The "Farewell to Foam Act of 2025" bans the sale and distribution of expanded polystyrene food service ware, loose fill, and coolers starting January 1, 2028. The EPA Administrator is tasked with enforcing the ban, with escalating fines for repeat offenders, and is authorized to allow states to carry out enforcement. This act aims to reduce environmental pollution caused by polystyrene foam products.

The Guaranteeing Overtime for Truckers Act amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, repealing the overtime wage exemption for certain employees. This change ensures that truckers are eligible for overtime pay, entitling them to receive additional compensation for working beyond the standard 40-hour work week.

This resolution establishes the first Monday in March as COVID-19 Victims Memorial Day to remember the lives lost during the pandemic. It acknowledges the pandemic's devastating impact, particularly on vulnerable communities, and honors the sacrifices of frontline workers. The resolution aims to ensure that the memory of those who died and the challenges faced are never forgotten.

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 bill aims to reform mining practices on federal lands by setting royalties on mineral extraction, introducing stricter permitting and environmental regulations, and establishing a fund for reclaiming abandoned mines. It requires mining operators to pay annual fees and royalties, obtain permits for mineral activities, and provide financial assurances for land reclamation. The bill also prioritizes the protection of sensitive lands and mandates tribal consultation before mineral activities begin. These changes are intended to balance resource extraction with environmental protection and ensure fair compensation for the use of public lands.

The HELP Copays Act ensures that financial assistance from non-profits and drug manufacturers counts towards a person's deductible, coinsurance, and copay limits for health insurance plans. Beginning in 2026, this includes a "safe harbor" provision to protect high-deductible health plans. These changes apply to specialty drugs and those subject to utilization management, while still allowing the use of tools like prior authorization. The Act is effective for health plans starting on or after January 1, 2026.

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 "Broadcast Freedom and Independence Act of 2025" aims to protect viewpoint expression in broadcasting by preventing the FCC from punishing broadcasters based on their viewpoints or imposing viewpoint-related conditions on broadcast approvals. It affirms the FCC's authority to address violations related to lotteries, fraud, obscenity, and content inciting violence or illegal activities. This act reinforces the FCC's independence and ensures broadcasters are not intimidated into aligning with any political agenda.

The "Defending American Jobs and Affordable Energy Act of 2025" repeals four executive orders related to energy policy issued on January 20, 2025. It prevents federal funds from being used to implement these orders, while ensuring the law does not diminish any existing presidential powers. The four executive orders that are repealed involve American energy, international environmental agreements, declaring a national energy emergency, and offshore wind leasing.

The "End Tobacco Loopholes Act" aims to equalize and increase excise taxes across all tobacco products, including setting specific rates for roll-your-own tobacco, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco, cigars, and creating a new tax for nicotine. It adjusts tax rates for inflation starting in 2025 and imposes floor stock taxes on existing inventories. The act also provides a transition rule for businesses manufacturing or importing taxable nicotine, allowing them to continue operating while their permit application is pending if submitted within 90 days of enactment.

The Social Security Expansion Act aims to increase Social Security benefits across the board, including increased cost-of-living adjustments, expanded eligibility for students, and a higher minimum benefit for low-income earners. To fund these expansions, the bill raises payroll taxes on earnings above $250,000 and increases taxes on investment gains. It also establishes a new "Social Security Trust Fund" to manage the program's finances.

The SAFE Lending Act of 2025 aims to protect consumers from abusive practices in electronic and small-dollar lending. It requires small-dollar lenders to register with the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, ensures state laws apply to online and national bank loans, and restricts the distribution of sensitive financial information. The Act also expands consumer control over bank accounts by limiting remotely created checks and overdraft fees on prepaid accounts. Finally, the Act mandates a study on the impact of small-dollar lending on economic opportunity for Native American tribes.

The Keep Americans Safe Act seeks to regulate large capacity ammunition feeding devices by prohibiting their import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession, with certain exceptions for law enforcement, government entities, and other authorized parties. It also mandates unique markings on newly manufactured devices and allows for their seizure and forfeiture if used in violation of the law. Furthermore, the Act enables the use of Byrne grants for buy-back programs targeting these devices and includes a severability clause to ensure the rest of the Act remains effective if a provision is found unconstitutional.

The Public Health Funding Restoration Act aims to restore funding to the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which supports various public health programs. By amending the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the bill allocates $2,000,000,000 annually, starting in fiscal year 2026, to bolster initiatives focused on disease prevention, mental health, and immunization efforts. This restoration seeks to enhance public health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and improve the nation's ability to prevent and respond to future health crises.

This resolution condemns the U.S. delegation's vote against a UN resolution supporting Ukraine, which aligned the U.S. with Russia and other autocratic regimes. It criticizes the failure to identify Russia as the aggressor and demands collaboration with Ukraine and European allies in future UN efforts. The resolution reaffirms support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency concerning energy declared by the President in January 2025. The resolution nullifies Executive Order 14156, effectively ending the emergency powers invoked under the National Emergencies Act.