Legislative Activity

The Azerbaijan Sanctions Review Act of 2025 mandates the President to review specific Azerbaijani government and military officials for potential U.S. sanctions. This review is prompted by Congressional findings detailing severe human rights abuses, including the forced displacement from Nagorno-Karabakh and the alleged war crimes committed by Azerbaijani forces. The President must report to Congress within 180 days on whether these individuals meet the criteria for sanctions under existing human rights and anti-corruption laws. This action aims to address ongoing abuses and the detention of political figures and prisoners of war.

This bill prohibits the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from disclosing individual records to immigration enforcement agencies. HUD records are protected from sharing unless the individual provides consent or makes a written request in a language they understand. The legislation also prevents HUD from compelling public housing agencies to share these confidential records for immigration purposes.

This bill, the Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2025, posthumously awards the Congressional Gold Medal to the pioneering civil rights attorney and federal judge, Constance Baker Motley. The legislation recognizes her historic achievements, including her role in *Brown v. Board of Education* and her service as the first African-American woman appointed as a federal judge. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to strike the medal, and provisions are made for selling bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2025 establishes a pathway for workers involved in a strike or lockout to receive unemployment insurance benefits after a mandatory 14-day waiting period. This legislation also exempts striking workers from the standard requirement to actively search for new employment while they are unable to work due to the labor dispute.

This bill officially names the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Toms River, New Jersey, in honor of decorated World War II hero, Second Lieutenant Leonard G. "Bud" Lomell. The renaming recognizes Lomell's extraordinary bravery on D-Day and his lifelong commitment to his community. This legislation ensures the Toms River VA clinic will henceforth be known as the Leonard G. Bud Lomell VA Clinic.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating September 2025 as National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month to combat this widespread disease. It highlights the critical need for increased public awareness, emphasizing that early detection through screening drastically improves survival rates. The bill encourages greater research efforts and improved access to quality care to reduce the significant impact of prostate cancer on American men.

The Restore Trust in Congress Act establishes strict new rules prohibiting Members of Congress and their immediate families from owning or trading specific financial assets, referred to as "covered investments," while in office. Covered individuals must divest existing prohibited holdings within a set timeframe or face significant financial penalties, including fines and forfeiture of profits. The legislation aims to eliminate conflicts of interest arising from personal financial trading while serving in federal office.

This resolution terminates the President's August 11, 2025, declaration of a crime emergency in the District of Columbia. Congress asserts that the President lacks the legal authority under the D.C. Home Rule Act to take operational control of the Metropolitan Police Department. Furthermore, the bill notes that local violent crime rates have been declining significantly.

This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's iconic album, *Born to Run*, recognizing his profound impact on American music and New Jersey culture. It highlights his extensive career achievements, numerous awards, and national honors. The bill serves as a formal commendation of Springsteen and the E Street Band without enacting any new laws. It also encourages continued federal support for the arts.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act of 2025 repeals specific prior reconciliation health provisions. This bill significantly expands eligibility for the Premium Tax Credit by eliminating the 400% Federal Poverty Level income cap. It also updates the subsidy calculation formula to ensure a smoother, linear adjustment of assistance across various income levels.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals an outdated ban that prevented Medicaid from making payments to certain healthcare providers. This legislation ensures that these previously prohibited entities will now be reimbursed for medical services rendered between the enactment of the original ban and the passage of this Act. In short, it restores payment eligibility and retroactively covers past services.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to conduct or support research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This dedicated funding is authorized for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2031. This new allocation is separate from and in addition to any existing CDC research funding.

The EATS Act of 2025 significantly updates eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by removing previous restrictions that often disqualified students. This legislation explicitly includes bona fide students enrolled at least half-time in recognized educational programs as eligible participants for food assistance. These changes take effect on January 2, 2026.

The Protected Time Off Act establishes a federal minimum standard for earned paid annual leave, requiring employers to grant employees at least one hour of paid time off for every 25 hours worked, up to 80 hours annually. This law specifies how leave is accrued, used, and rolled over, while protecting employees from retaliation for exercising these rights. It also ensures that existing state laws or agreements that provide more generous leave benefits remain in effect. Enforcement mechanisms are established, largely mirroring those under the Fair Labor Standards Act, allowing both government investigation and direct employee lawsuits.

The Keep Kids Covered Act aims to ensure children maintain continuous health coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for longer periods. This legislation extends continuous eligibility for children under age 19, significantly increasing the duration they remain covered without needing to re-enroll. Furthermore, it grants former foster youth continuous Medicaid eligibility until they turn 26.

This bill, the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, updates the eligibility requirements for creating records of lawful admission for long-term residents. It replaces a fixed entry date with a new standard requiring applicants to have resided in the U.S. for at least seven years prior to applying. These revised provisions will take effect 60 days after the Act is enacted.

The EACH Act of 2025 aims to ensure equal access to abortion coverage by requiring all federally funded health programs and facilities to cover abortion services. This legislation prohibits federal interference with state or private insurance coverage of abortion and repeals Section 1303 of the Affordable Care Act. Ultimately, the bill seeks to eliminate financial and insurance barriers to abortion care, particularly for low-income individuals relying on programs like Medicaid.

The Asunción Valdivia Heat Illness, Injury, and Fatality Prevention Act of 2025 mandates that employers protect workers from dangerous heat stress by establishing comprehensive safety standards. This Act requires the Secretary of Labor to create evidence-based rules covering engineering controls, administrative procedures, required training, and paid rest breaks to prevent heat-related illness. Furthermore, the law establishes strict enforcement mechanisms, whistleblower protections, and specific timelines for the implementation of these new federal heat protection standards.

The Stop ICE from Kidnapping U.S. Citizens Act strictly prohibits U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) from using any federal funds for civil immigration enforcement activities involving U.S. citizens. Specifically, this bill bans ICE from spending money to detain or transport any citizen of the United States. This measure ensures federal funds are not used to wrongfully target or remove American citizens.

The Child Care for Working Families Act establishes comprehensive federal programs to ensure access to high-quality, affordable child care and universal preschool for young children. The legislation creates an entitlement program for child care, mandates that provider reimbursement rates cover actual costs and ensure living wages for staff, and establishes free, universal preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds. Additionally, it provides dedicated funding to stabilize childcare providers and extend the operating hours and compensation for Head Start staff.