Legislative Activity

The Equality Act amends existing civil rights laws to explicitly include protections against discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas such as public accommodations, employment, housing, credit, and jury selection. It clarifies and expands the definition of sex to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. The act ensures equal access to shared facilities and prohibits the use of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 to justify discrimination. Ultimately, the Equality Act seeks to provide consistent and comprehensive protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ individuals and women across various sectors.

The "Miracle on Ice Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the presentation of three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the 1980 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team for their historic "Miracle on Ice" victory. These medals will be given to the Lake Placid Olympic Center, the United States Hockey Hall of Fame, and the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum for public display. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to fund the medal production.

This bill supports the designation of April 10 as "Dolores Huerta Day" to recognize her lifelong commitment to activism, including co-founding the United Farm Workers Union and advocating for civil rights. It celebrates her achievements in improving Latino voting access, ensuring safer working conditions, and promoting feminism and women's equality. The bill also acknowledges her numerous awards and ongoing work through the Dolores Huerta Foundation.

The Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 aims to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and countering its support for terrorism by imposing sanctions on those involved in Iran's energy sector and those who provide financial support for its destabilizing activities. It mandates sanctions on foreign entities involved in processing, exporting, or selling Iranian oil, gas, and petrochemicals, while also establishing an interagency working group to coordinate and enforce these sanctions. The Act also amends existing legislation to require the identification of individuals involved in sanctionable activities or sanctions evasion related to Iranian oil and gas sales.

The American Family Act establishes a refundable child tax credit with monthly advance payments, providing up to $300 per month per child, and creates a $500 tax credit for other dependents. The amount of the credit is reduced based on the taxpayer's income, with initial reductions starting at $150,000 for joint returns. The IRS will make monthly advance payments and establish an online portal for taxpayers to manage their payments and provide necessary information. This act terminates the existing annual child tax credit after 2024 and aims to provide regular financial support to families.

The "Hands Off Medicaid and SNAP Act of 2025" prevents any reconciliation bill from reducing Medicaid enrollment or benefits, or SNAP eligibility or benefits, through January 20, 2029. It amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to enforce this protection, ensuring these vital programs remain untouched by budget cuts. Violations of this act will be subject to a point of order.

The "Closing the Bump Stock Loophole Act of 2025" outlaws devices that accelerate a semi-automatic firearm's firing rate or simulate machine guns. It redefines "semi-automatic firearm" and requires current owners of affected devices to register them. There are exceptions for governmental entities, and lawful transfers of registered devices are permitted.

The "Invest to Protect Act of 2025" establishes a grant program within the Department of Justice to provide resources to local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 175 officers. These grants can be used for de-escalation training, mental health support for officers, officer recruitment and retention, and other community safety programs. The Act prioritizes a streamlined grant application process and emphasizes accountability and transparency in the use of funds, with \$50 million authorized annually from 2027 through 2031.

The "Raise the Wage Act of 2025" aims to increase the federal minimum wage to $17.00 per hour over five years, after which it will be annually adjusted based on the median hourly wage of all employees. The bill also gradually raises the minimum wage for tipped employees until it matches the standard minimum wage, while ensuring they retain all tips. Additionally, it increases and then eliminates the subminimum wage for newly hired employees under 20 and individuals with disabilities, promoting fair wages for all workers.

The "Tax Fairness for Workers Act" permits employees to deduct union dues and other employee business expenses above-the-line, bypassing previous deduction limitations. This change is achieved by amending sections of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, specifically 62(a)(1) and 67(g). These amendments will be effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.

The "No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act" aims to eliminate tax deductions for employer expenses used to influence employees' decisions regarding unionizing and collective bargaining. It defines "labor organization activity" broadly, encompassing elections, disputes, and collective actions. The bill mandates detailed reporting of such activities, with significant penalties for non-compliance, and directs the Treasury Secretary to issue implementing guidance. This would apply to expenses incurred more than 240 days after the bill's enactment.

The "Protect America's Workforce Act" nullifies a 2025 executive order that limited federal labor-management relations programs. It prevents the enforcement of the executive order and prohibits the use of federal funds for its implementation. Additionally, the bill ensures the validity of existing collective bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor organizations until their original expiration dates.

The "Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025" aims to impose significant sanctions on Russia if it refuses to negotiate peace with Ukraine, violates a peace agreement, or initiates further military action against Ukraine. The bill mandates the President to determine and impose sanctions on individuals, entities, and financial institutions affiliated with the Russian government, targeting key sectors of the Russian economy, and restricts trade and financial interactions with Russia. It also increases import duties on goods from Russia and countries purchasing Russian energy products, while providing limited exceptions for humanitarian aid and intelligence activities. The President has the authority to terminate and reimpose sanctions based on Russia's actions.

The "Armenian Genocide Education Act" directs the Librarian of Congress to develop and implement a program to support Armenian Genocide education by creating resources, offering teacher training, and encouraging the inclusion of these resources in school curriculums. The Act authorizes the Librarian of Congress to collect and manage donations to support these activities and requires an annual report to Congress on the program's progress. It also authorizes $2,000,000 in appropriations for fiscal year 2026 and each of the following four fiscal years to implement the Act.

The "Improving Newborns’ Food and Nutrition Testing Safety Act of 2025" (INFANTS Act of 2025) aims to enhance the safety and quality of infant and toddler foods by mandating manufacturers to test for contaminants, maintain detailed records, and report positive pathogen test results. It grants the Secretary of Health and Human Services mandatory recall authority over contaminated infant and toddler food and requires manufacturers of powdered infant formula to establish environmental monitoring programs. The Act also requires food facilities to provide records to the Secretary of Health and Human Services upon request, either in advance of or instead of an inspection.

The Raise the Age Act of 2025 prohibits licensed firearm dealers from selling certain semiautomatic rifles and shotguns to individuals under 21, with exceptions for active military members and law enforcement officers. It also requires purchasers of these firearms to certify they are at least 21 or a "qualified individual". Additionally, the Act mandates a report from the FBI Director on improving information-sharing protocols for the FBI's public access line.

This resolution recognizes the significant gender pay gap, where women earn less than men for comparable work, and highlights the economic impact this disparity has on women, families, and the nation. It also acknowledges the disproportionate effect on women of color. The resolution reaffirms the commitment to achieving equal pay and reducing the gender wage gap.

This resolution celebrates the 204th anniversary of Greek Independence Day, reaffirming the democratic ideals shared between the United States and Greece. It recognizes the historical ties, strategic alliance, and growing cooperation between the two nations, particularly in energy and security. The resolution also acknowledges the contributions of the Greek-American community and Greece's role in promoting stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans.

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen and enhance enforcement of equal pay requirements by redefining "sex," modifying the "bona fide factor" defense for pay disparities, broadening the definition of "same establishment," strengthening non-retaliation protections, and enhancing penalties for employers who violate equal pay provisions. The Act also requires training programs, research, education, and outreach initiatives to eliminate pay disparities, and establishes a National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace. Additionally, the Act directs the EEOC to collect compensation data, reinstates pay equity programs, prohibits the use of wage history in determining salary, and establishes a National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to improve compliance and enforcement of equal pay laws.

This bill reauthorizes the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act of 2009, updating references and adding a clause to develop requirements for data sharing. It also authorizes $56,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to support these activities.