Legislative Activity

This bill amends the Foreign Service Act of 1980 to ensure that Foreign Service members are eligible for and receive necessary per diem, lodging, and travel benefits when they are ordered to take mandatory leave. This ensures members are financially supported while fulfilling these required leave obligations.

The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 imposes sweeping economic and financial sanctions on Russia to isolate its economy and disrupt its defense and energy sectors. The bill further mandates the extension of existing sanctions against Iran through 2031 to maintain ongoing diplomatic and economic pressure. Together, these measures aim to penalize foreign aggression and restrict access to U.S. capital and markets.

The Right to IVF Act of 2026 establishes a nationwide statutory right to access assisted reproductive technology (ART) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) while prohibiting states from imposing restrictive barriers. The bill further expands family-building support by mandating comprehensive fertility coverage across private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, and federal employee health plans. Additionally, it guarantees expanded access to fertility services and preservation for military service members and veterans.

The American Franchise Act aims to protect the traditional franchise business model by clarifying the definition of a "joint employer." This legislation establishes that a franchisor is only considered a joint employer if it exercises "substantial direct and immediate control" over the essential terms of employment for a franchisee's workers. This change specifically targets liability risks associated with maintaining brand standards, ensuring franchisors are not automatically held responsible for local labor practices. The new standard applies prospectively to future legal proceedings.

The Protecting America’s Diplomatic Workforce Act establishes stricter oversight and transparency requirements for significant staff reductions across major U.S. foreign affairs agencies. The bill mandates congressional notification for large-scale layoffs, updates retention procedures for Foreign Service members, and ensures advance notice for personnel changes. These measures aim to protect the stability and effectiveness of the nation’s diplomatic and international development workforce.

The Foreign Service Test-Free Reentry Act of 2026 streamlines the rehiring process for qualified former career Foreign Service members who were involuntarily separated due to reductions in force between 2025 and 2030. This legislation allows the Secretary of State to reappoint these individuals without requiring them to repeat standard written or oral examinations.

The Essential Caregivers Act of 2026 ensures that residents in long-term care facilities maintain access to designated essential caregivers, even when general visitation is suspended. The bill mandates that facilities allow residents to appoint up to two caregivers who can provide in-person support, provided they adhere to established safety protocols. It also prioritizes the investigation of access complaints and guarantees that these visitation rights cannot be waived during emergencies.

The Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act of 2025 aims to streamline and modernize the prior authorization process within Medicare Advantage plans. This bill mandates the adoption of electronic prior authorization systems and significantly increases transparency regarding approval rates and decision times starting in 2027. Furthermore, it establishes new enrollee protections and grants the Secretary authority to enforce faster decision timeframes for medical services.

This resolution designates July 10th as Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day to honor the essential, high-risk work performed by these skilled professionals. It pays tribute to the lineworkers who provide critical service during emergencies and recognizes those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

The Voter Choice Act establishes a new federal program to support state and local governments in transitioning to ranked choice voting systems. Through the Election Assistance Commission, the bill provides technical assistance and matching grants to help jurisdictions update voting equipment, design ballots, and conduct voter outreach. This initiative aims to modernize election administration by facilitating the adoption of systems that allow voters to rank candidates by preference.

This bill, the Great American Outdoors Act 250, significantly reforms and renames the existing public lands restoration fund to the America’s Legacy Restoration Fund. It secures dedicated funding streams, primarily from energy revenues and new fees on foreign visitors, to address critical deferred maintenance across the National Park Service, Forest Service, and other public land agencies. The legislation establishes strict spending priorities for infrastructure repair while also creating pilot programs for enhancing outdoor recreation and sportsmen's access. Finally, it mandates increased transparency and accountability through standardized metrics and public reporting on all funded projects.

The Stop Scamming Americans Act mandates the State Department to develop specialized training for diplomatic staff stationed in countries with high levels of online scams targeting Americans. This training will focus on understanding transnational scam syndicates, associated human trafficking, and foreign government involvement. The goal is to equip diplomats with the tools to identify, prevent, and respond to these criminal activities.

The Jewish American Security Act addresses the rising threat of antisemitism across the nation. This bill mandates new protections for Jewish students in educational settings and significantly increases funding and administrative support for securing Jewish community institutions. Furthermore, it requires increased transparency from large online platforms regarding their moderation of antisemitic content and mandates federal assessments of domestic and transnational antisemitic threats.

This bill strengthens U.S. access to critical minerals by authorizing international partnerships and agreements to build secure, transparent supply chains with allies. It establishes Energy Security Compacts to diversify energy and mineral sources while protecting American jobs and the environment. Finally, the legislation creates new leadership roles and exchange programs at the State Department to build a skilled domestic mining workforce and counter foreign leverage over essential resources.

The Build American Efficiency Act streamlines the process for HUD funding recipients to certify compliance with domestic content requirements under the Build America, Buy America Act. It directs HUD to recognize documentation from the Make It American Process Standard as sufficient evidence for this certification. This change offers flexibility, as recipients are not required to use this specific documentation.

The Ukraine Support Act strengthens U.S. diplomatic, military, and economic support for Ukraine while intensifying pressure on Russia through comprehensive sanctions and export controls. The bill establishes long-term reconstruction and security programs, bolsters independent media, and mandates strategies to reduce European reliance on Russian energy. Additionally, it reinforces NATO’s collective defense and imposes strict oversight on the use of U.S. aid to ensure accountability and strategic impact.

This bill expresses support for designating June 5, 2026, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and the entire month of June 2026 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." The designations aim to honor the nearly 47,000 people killed by gunfire each year and raise public awareness about the devastating impact of gun violence. The resolution encourages the public to wear orange on that day and focus on community efforts to promote gun safety.

The American Manufacturing Revitalization Exchange Program Act of 2026 establishes a temporary international workforce exchange program to strengthen the U.S. manufacturing sector. This program will send skilled U.S. workers to allied nations for hands-on training in strategically important manufacturing fields. The goal is to build expertise, share best practices, and develop a more skilled domestic workforce to fill critical labor gaps.

The Celiac Safety Act of 2026 amends federal law to officially classify gluten-containing grains (wheat, rye, and barley) as a major food allergen. This change mandates that foods containing these grains must be clearly labeled as such, similar to existing major allergens like peanuts or milk. This new labeling requirement will take effect 18 months after the Act's enactment.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue commemorative gold and silver coins marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The coins will honor the victims, first responders, and survivors, with designs selected in consultation with the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. All surcharges from the sale of these coins will be paid directly to the Memorial and Museum to support its operations and maintenance.