Legislative Activity

The CARGO Act of 2025 prohibits the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from funding research or programs involving live animals outside of the United States. This bill addresses concerns over the lack of oversight and potential mistreatment of animals in foreign research projects funded by American taxpayers. The Act ensures that NIH funding for animal research is restricted to projects conducted within the U.S. and its territories.

The "PATROL Act" prevents the Department of Justice from suing states for building barriers along their borders to prevent illegal immigration and protect their territory. This bill specifically applies to civil actions under Section 9 or 10 of the Act of March 3, 1899, concerning unauthorized obstruction of navigable waters. The term "barrier" includes physical structures like walls, fences, or floating buoys.

The "Love Lives On Act of 2025" amends titles 10 and 38 of the United States Code to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses. This act modifies Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) rules, allowing surviving spouses who remarry to still receive benefits. Additionally, it ensures continued Survivor Benefit Plan annuity payments for certain remarried surviving spouses and expands TRICARE eligibility to include remarried widow/widowers whose subsequent marriage ended.

The Dismantle DEI Act of 2025 aims to immediately rescind diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates across the federal government, including shutting down related offices and banning specific ideological training for federal personnel and contractors. The bill prohibits the use of federal funds for DEI activities by grant recipients and mandates that federal advisory committees cease all such practices or face termination. Furthermore, it establishes strong enforcement mechanisms, allowing individuals to sue violators and seek financial penalties for non-compliance.

The "Educational Choice for Children Act of 2025" establishes federal tax credits for individuals and corporations who contribute to scholarship granting organizations that provide scholarships for eligible students to attend elementary and secondary schools. It sets a volume cap on the total amount of credits that can be claimed and prioritizes allocation on a first-come, first-served basis. The act also exempts these scholarships from gross income and protects the autonomy of scholarship organizations and non-public schools from government control.

The "287(g) Program Protection Act" amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to mandate that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) enter into agreements with states and their subdivisions, enabling their law enforcement officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions, provided they meet DHS standards. It requires DHS to justify denials of state requests, prohibits limits on the number of agreements, and ensures agreements accommodate various enforcement models preferred by the states. The Act also establishes appeal processes for agreement terminations, mandates uniform training standards, and directs DHS to publish annual performance reports and recruitment plans for the 287(g) program.

The "Safeguarding American Workers Benefits Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code to modify Social Security number (SSN) requirements for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. It mandates that to claim these credits, the SSN must be issued by the Social Security Administration to a U.S. citizen or someone authorized to work in the U.S. These modifications will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act" ensures that infants born alive after an abortion receive the same medical care as any other newborn, mandating immediate hospitalization and requiring healthcare practitioners to report any failures to comply. Violators face fines, imprisonment, and potential prosecution for homicide or attempted homicide, while the mother of the child cannot be prosecuted. The bill also allows the woman who had the abortion to file a civil action against anyone who violated the act. It defines abortion and attempts at abortion, and renames "Partial-Birth Abortions" to "Abortions" in relevant sections of the U.S. Code.

This bill expresses support for designating January 26 - February 1, 2025, as "National School Choice Week" to recognize the importance of diverse K-12 education options and the role of parents in choosing the best learning environment for their children. It encourages raising awareness about the benefits of educational choice and congratulates those involved in education.

The "Main Street Tax Certainty Act" amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the deduction for qualified business income. This removes the previous expiration date, providing long-term tax certainty for eligible businesses. The change applies to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2025" seeks to prohibit the use of federal funds for abortions and for health plans that cover abortions, while allowing individuals and entities to purchase separate abortion coverage with non-federal funds. It clarifies that premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) cannot be used for health plans that include abortion coverage. The Act also revises notice requirements for health plans, mandating clear disclosure of abortion coverage and any associated premium surcharges to enrollees. Exceptions to the funding restrictions are included for cases of rape, incest, or when the mother's life is in danger.

The SANE Act of 2025 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to employ at least one sexual assault nurse examiner at each of its hospitals and urgent care facilities or contract with other qualified health care providers to conduct sexual assault forensic examinations. Following an examination, the health care provider must verbally refer the individual to mental health care services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary must ensure these new responsibilities do not negatively impact the existing patient care duties of Department employees. It also defines "sexual assault nurse examiner" and "sexual assault forensic examination" as defined in section 304(a) of the DNA Sexual Assault Justice Act of 2004.

The ALIGN Act makes 100% expensing for qualified property permanent, applying to property placed in service after September 27, 2017. This amends sections of the Internal Revenue Code to reflect the change as if it were part of previous tax legislation.

Sarah's Law mandates the detention of aliens who are charged with or have committed crimes resulting in death or serious bodily injury. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to gather information about victims of crimes committed by these aliens and provide them with timely updates about the alien's status and removal efforts. The law also ensures that victims' rights under other laws are protected.

The Birthright Citizenship Act of 2025 amends the Immigration and Nationality Act, clarifying that individuals born in the U.S. are citizens if at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, legal permanent resident, or an alien with lawful status serving in the armed forces. This clarification applies to those born after the Act's enactment, ensuring that citizenship is tied to a parent's connection to the U.S. The bill specifies the criteria for being "subject to the jurisdiction" of the United States for citizenship at birth.

The "Red Snapper Act of 2025" restricts the Secretary of Commerce from implementing area closures for snapper-grouper fisheries in the South Atlantic until the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count study is completed and its data is integrated into a red snapper stock assessment. This aims to ensure fishery management decisions are based on the most current data, potentially mitigating negative economic impacts on recreational fishing.

The "Restore Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability Act of 2025" aims to improve accountability within the VA by modifying procedures for disciplining VA supervisors, senior executives, and other employees for misconduct or poor performance. It expedites the disciplinary process, limits external review of disciplinary actions, and broadens the scope of employees subject to these procedures. The bill emphasizes the VA Secretary's authority in disciplinary matters, while also protecting whistleblowers. These changes apply retroactively to misconduct or performance issues dating back to the enactment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017.

The "Empowering Law Enforcement To Fight Sex Trafficking Demand Act of 2025" allows Byrne JAG funds to be used for programs that combat human trafficking. This will provide additional resources to law enforcement agencies and organizations working to fight sex trafficking.

This bill urges the NCAA to reverse its current transgender athlete policy, arguing it discriminates against female athletes. It advocates for policies that ensure biological females compete against biological females in collegiate sports. The bill also calls on all sports governing bodies in the U.S. to protect women's sports.

The "Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act of 2025" amends Title IX to prohibit schools receiving federal funds from allowing males to participate in female athletic programs. Sex is defined as based on reproductive biology and genetics at birth. The bill allows males to train with female teams if it doesn't deprive females of opportunities. It also requires a study on the benefits lost to women when males participate in female sports.