Legislative Activity

The "Saving NIST's Workforce Act" prevents the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) from conducting layoffs or involuntary separations of employees. This moratorium is in effect until full-year funding is secured for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made only in cases of employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency.

The "Protect Our Watchdogs Act of 2025" establishes that a President may only remove an Inspector General for specific causes, such as neglect of duty, malfeasance, or abuse of authority. Any removal must be documented with the specific reasons for the removal. This ensures Inspectors General can effectively perform their duties without political interference.

The Air America Act of 2025 authorizes the Director of the CIA to award payments to former employees of Air America and affiliated companies who supported the U.S. government between 1950 and 1976, or to their survivors. Eligible individuals or their survivors could receive up to $40,000 for five years of qualifying service, with additional amounts for longer service, with a cap on total awards at $60 million. The Act establishes application procedures, limitations on attorney fees, and prohibits judicial review of the Director's decisions, while also requiring regular reports to Congress on the status of the award payments. This act does not qualify anyone for federal benefits like retirement, disability, or death benefits.

The "Saving NOAA's Workforce Act" prevents the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) from initiating any workforce reductions or involuntary employee separations. This moratorium is in effect until the full-year appropriations for NOAA are enacted for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made only in cases of employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency.

The Keep the Watchdogs Running Act ensures Inspectors General can continue operations during government shutdowns. It allows them to use funds, up to the level of their last appropriation, even when Congress hasn't passed a budget. This maintains oversight and prevents disruption of critical watchdog functions.

The "Saving NSFs Workforce Act" prevents the National Science Foundation (NSF) from conducting layoffs or involuntary employee separations until full funding is secured for fiscal year 2026. Exceptions are made for employee misconduct, delinquency, or inefficiency. This moratorium aims to stabilize the NSF workforce during a period of funding uncertainty.

The "Saving NASAs Workforce Act" prevents NASA from conducting layoffs or involuntarily separating employees until the full budget for fiscal year 2026 is approved. This moratorium protects most NASA employees, with exceptions only for cases of misconduct or poor performance. The bill aims to stabilize NASA's workforce during a period of budget uncertainty. This is in addition to any other existing regulations regarding adverse personnel actions.

The Preventing Illegal Weapons Trafficking Act of 2025 aims to combat the illegal trafficking of machinegun conversion devices. It mandates a coordinated strategy among the Attorney General, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the Secretary of the Treasury to prevent the import and distribution of these devices, enhance law enforcement collaboration, and provide training to identify them. The Act also allows for the forfeiture of proceeds from illegal machine gun trafficking and requires the Attorney General to report data on machinegun conversion devices in the annual firearms trafficking report.

The Tribal Trust Land Homeownership Act of 2025 aims to streamline the mortgage approval process on tribal trust lands by setting strict deadlines for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) review and processing of mortgages and title status reports. It establishes a Realty Ombudsman position to ensure compliance and facilitate communication between tribes, lenders, and the BIA. The act also mandates annual reporting and a study on digitizing tribal mortgage packages to improve efficiency and transparency.

The Major Richard Star Act allows eligible combat-disabled veterans to receive both their retirement pay and disability compensation. This eliminates the previous offset that reduced retirement pay for those receiving disability compensation. The changes apply to payments beginning the month after enactment.

The Military Spouse Hiring Act amends the Internal Revenue Code to include qualified military spouses as eligible for the Work Opportunity Credit, incentivizing employers to hire them. A qualified military spouse is defined as someone certified by a local agency as married to a member of the U.S. Armed Forces. This change applies to amounts paid and individuals starting work after the Act's enactment.

The "Credit for Caring Act of 2025" introduces a tax credit for eligible working family caregivers to help offset expenses related to caring for a qualified spouse or relative with long-term care needs. This credit covers 30% of qualified expenses over $2,000, with a maximum credit of $5,000, and includes costs for assistance, technology, home modifications, transportation, and respite care. The credit is reduced for higher-income taxpayers and adjusted for inflation after 2025 and goes into effect after 2024.

The "Space National Guard Establishment Act of 2025" establishes a Space National Guard in select states as a reserve component of the Space Force, utilizing existing Air National Guard facilities and personnel. It mandates the transfer of space operation staff and resources from the National Guard Bureau to the Space National Guard, without allocating additional personnel or infrastructure. The Act also requires regular briefings to Congress on the implementation and operation of the Space National Guard. Finally, the bill amends existing sections of the US code to include the Space National Guard within the definitions and provisions related to the National Guard.

The "Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act" mandates the transition of TSA personnel management systems to align with Title 5 of the U.S. Code, ensuring TSA employees receive similar rights and protections as other federal employees, including collective bargaining rights. It protects current pay and benefits during the transition, requires consultation with employee representatives, and addresses concerns related to employee well-being, safety, and diversity. The Act also calls for reports and plans to improve recruitment, address workplace harassment, and update background check requirements.

The "Caring for Survivors Act of 2025" increases dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses of veterans. It changes the calculation of benefits to be based on 55 percent of a specified monthly compensation rate and includes a provision to ensure those receiving benefits based on a veteran's death before January 1, 1993, receive the greater of their current amount or the newly calculated amount. The Act also modifies the requirements for survivor benefits related to veterans who die while having a total disability rating, reducing the required period of disability from 10 to 5 years, and proportionally reducing benefits for those rated totally disabled for less than 10 years.

The American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025 modifies the tax treatment of research and experimental expenditures, allowing taxpayers to deduct these expenses in the year they are incurred rather than capitalizing them. This change applies to expenses related to the taxpayer's business and is effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2021. The act also includes provisions for electing to treat these expenditures as deferred expenses and updates related sections of the tax code.

The American Teacher Act aims to address teacher shortages and improve teacher compensation by establishing grants for states to increase teacher salaries, with the goal of ensuring a minimum annual salary of $60,000 for full-time teachers at qualifying schools, adjusted for inflation. The Act also allows for a national campaign to raise awareness of the value of the teaching profession and clarifies that the Act does not alter existing employee rights or agreements. Finally, the Act defines key terms and authorizes necessary appropriations for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to implement the grants and awareness campaign.

The "Protect Our Probationary Employees Act" allows federal employees who were involuntarily separated from service between January 20, 2025, and January 20, 2029, to resume their probationary period if reappointed to a similar position in their former agency. The resumed probationary period will only last the duration of the original probationary period. This provision terminates on January 20, 2029.

The "Woman on the Twenty Act of 2025" mandates that all $20 bills printed after December 31, 2028, will feature a portrait of Harriet Tubman on the front. It also requires the Secretary of the Treasury to release the preliminary design of the new $20 bill to the public by December 31, 2026.

The "Do No Harm Act" amends the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to ensure religious freedom is not used to justify discrimination or harm. It clarifies that the Act does not override federal laws protecting against discrimination, ensuring equal opportunity, or safeguarding access to healthcare and other essential services. This amendment confirms that the Religious Freedom Restoration Act applies only when the government is a party in a judicial proceeding.