Legislative Activity

This resolution formally declares the escalating national debt a significant threat to U.S. national security. It outlines the current alarming financial picture, including massive deficits and unsustainable spending levels. The bill commits Congress to returning to regular order for budgeting and addressing the fiscal crisis.

The Rare Earth Solutions and Carbon Utilization Enhancement Act of 2025 (RESCUE Act) streamlines the permitting process for projects recovering critical materials from sources like mine waste and coal byproducts. This amendment expands eligibility under the FAST Act's expedited review to include the extraction of rare earth elements and specific forms of carbon from these secondary sources. The goal is to accelerate the development of domestic supplies of these vital resources.

This resolution expresses strong support for designating July 2025 as "American Grown Flower and Foliage Month." It aims to recognize the vital contributions of domestic flower and foliage growers to the U.S. economy and communities. The bill encourages consumers to actively choose and display flowers and greenery grown in the United States to support American farmers.

The Don Young American Grown Act mandates that official floral and greenery decorations in high-level federal buildings, including the Executive Office of the President, State, and Defense Departments, must be grown in the United States. This requirement applies to cut flowers and greens used for official displays, excluding personal decorations. The new rule will take effect one year after the Act is signed into law.

The Local Farmers Feeding our Communities Act establishes a new program to support local food producers and strengthen regional food security. This initiative requires the Secretary of Agriculture to fund agreements that ensure nutritious, locally sourced food is purchased and distributed widely, prioritizing small and beginning farmers. Funds must be used to buy minimally processed local products and provide technical assistance to producers. The program is backed by mandatory funding starting in Fiscal Year 2026.

The Biochar Research Network Act of 2025 establishes a National Biochar Research Network, managed by the USDA, to study the real-world effectiveness of biochar across various soils and climates. This network will focus on quantifying carbon sequestration, improving crop production, and developing science-backed guidance for sustainable biochar use. The goal is to provide farmers and land managers with the data needed to boost profits while enhancing soil health and climate resilience.

The Save Our Bacon Act establishes a federal right for producers to move and sell products derived from covered livestock across state lines, ensuring a single national market. This legislation prevents individual states from imposing unique production standards on livestock or products raised outside their borders. Essentially, it standardizes regulations to ensure free interstate commerce for meat and dairy products, excluding those primarily derived from egg-laying animals.

This bill establishes the United States-Israel PTSD Collaborative Research Act to foster scientific partnerships between the two nations. It creates a grant program, managed by the Secretary of Defense, to fund joint research projects between U.S. academic or non-profit entities and Israeli institutions specializing in PTSD treatment. The goal is to advance new and improved methods for diagnosing and treating post-traumatic stress disorder.

The DIGNIDAD Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill that significantly overhauls U.S. immigration policy across five major divisions. Division A focuses on aggressive border security enhancements, infrastructure modernization, and increased criminal penalties for immigration offenses, while Division B establishes pathways to legal status for long-term residents who entered as children and creates a temporary protection program for others. Finally, Division C aims to improve legal immigration by reducing green card backlogs, streamlining employment and student visas, and providing new discretionary relief for family separation cases.

The Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act generally prohibits federal agencies from banning the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal lands and waters open to hunting or fishing. Exceptions are allowed only for specific federal units where scientific data proves lead use is causing wildlife decline, and the restriction aligns with state law or policy. This legislation aims to maintain traditional hunting and fishing practices across most federal domains.

The Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act addresses significant delays in obtaining death certificates for veterans who die from natural causes, often due to VA medical staff delays. This bill mandates that VA medical providers must certify a veteran's death within 48 hours or allow the local medical examiner to step in. Furthermore, the VA must annually report on its compliance with this new timely certification requirement.

The AFIDA Improvements Act of 2025 modernizes the reporting requirements for foreign ownership of U.S. agricultural land by lowering the minimum reporting threshold for certain transactions. This legislation strengthens enforcement actions and mandates the sharing of critical foreign investment data with national security officials, specifically CFIUS. Furthermore, the Act requires updates to official handbooks to incorporate national security risk assessments and establishes a timeline for fully implementing electronic AFIDA disclosure systems.

This resolution officially commends Petty Officer 3d Class Scott Ruskan for his heroic actions during the devastating central Texas floods of July 2025. It specifically recognizes him for personally rescuing 165 individuals and coordinating triage efforts under hazardous conditions. Furthermore, the bill extends deep gratitude to all federal, state, and volunteer responders who risked their lives during this major natural disaster.

This resolution expresses support for designating July 10th as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. It honors the essential and dangerous work performed by these skilled professionals, especially their heroic efforts in restoring power after major disasters. The day serves to recognize their service and remember those who have lost their lives performing this vital work.

The Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2025 establishes a new federal crime specifically targeting individuals who knowingly defraud veterans or attempt to steal their federal benefits. This legislation creates enhanced penalties, including potential fines and imprisonment up to five years, for those convicted of such schemes. The Act ensures robust legal tools are in place to protect veterans from financial exploitation related to their earned benefits.

The Wildfire Infrastructure and Landowner Tax Relief Act of 2025 (WILTR Act) aims to incentivize wildfire prevention efforts by landowners. This bill excludes certain federal grants received for hazardous fuel reduction activities from gross income, making them tax-free. Additionally, it creates a new above-the-line tax deduction for qualified expenditures landowners make on certified fire mitigation work on their property.

The National Landslide Preparedness Act Reauthorization Act of 2025 updates federal landslide preparedness by refining key definitions, including those for atmospheric rivers and extreme precipitation events. It reauthorizes and strengthens the National Landslide Hazards Reduction Program, requiring specific risk assessments and improvements to the national hazard database. The bill also expands stakeholder inclusion, enhances interagency coordination, and reauthorizes funding for USGS landslide activities and the 3D Elevation Program through fiscal year 2030.

The Foreign Animal Disease Prevention, Surveillance, and Rapid Response Act of 2025 reauthorizes and significantly increases mandatory funding levels for critical animal disease prevention and management programs through 2031. This legislation ensures sustained financial support for national animal health laboratories, surveillance efforts, and preparedness initiatives. The bill updates funding allocations to enhance the nation's ability to rapidly respond to potential foreign animal disease outbreaks.

The Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2025 aims to streamline pesticide regulation by generally exempting legally authorized pesticide applications from needing separate Clean Water Act discharge permits. This change applies when authorized pesticides or their residues enter navigable waters from a specific discharge point. However, the exemption does not apply if the discharge violates FIFRA rules, involves certain stormwater runoff, or originates from industrial processes or vessels.

The PROTECT Act of 2025 enhances Tribal sovereignty by formally recognizing Tribal courts as competent jurisdictions under federal laws governing electronic data requests, such as the Stored Communications Act. It also expands the scope of offenses over which Tribal courts have jurisdiction, specifically including defined controlled substance and firearms offenses on Tribal lands. Furthermore, the bill ensures that offenders convicted under this expanded Tribal jurisdiction can participate in the Bureau of Prisons Tribal Prisoner Program.