Legislative Activity

This resolution formally recognizes the widespread, decades-long human rights abuses occurring in Eritrea, including indefinite imprisonment and inhumane conditions. It condemns the absence of democratic institutions and expresses strong support for the rights and freedom of the Eritrean people. The bill calls on the Eritrean government to release political prisoners and uphold the freedoms promised in its own constitution.

The Sustaining Our Democracy Act establishes a new federal program to provide annual funding to states specifically for improving election administration, security, and accessibility. This funding is sourced from a dedicated Trust Fund and administered by a new federal office. States must submit detailed plans outlining how they will use the money for upgrades like cybersecurity and expanded voting options, while being prohibited from using funds for voter intimidation or other prohibited activities.

The Safeguarding the Integrity of the Human Rights Reports Act of 2025 reaffirms the U.S. commitment to promoting human rights globally. This bill mandates that the State Department's annual Human Rights Reports remain comprehensive and free from political interference. It updates reporting requirements to specifically detail abuses against vulnerable groups, including forced medical procedures, restrictions on movement, and the impact of government corruption on rights. The goal is to ensure these essential reports maintain credibility for accountability and advocacy worldwide.

The MORE USDA Grants Act aims to boost economic opportunities in rural areas, specifically targeting counties with significant federal land ownership and low populations. This bill lowers the required local matching funds by 50% for qualifying USDA grants in these designated areas. It also mandates priority consideration and enhanced technical assistance for grant applications submitted by local and Tribal governments within these counties. Furthermore, the Secretary of Agriculture is empowered to offer flexibility in grant scoring and requirements that disadvantage smaller, isolated communities.

The Expanding the VOTE Act clarifies existing requirements for providing voting materials in minority languages under the Voting Rights Act. It establishes a new grant program to incentivize jurisdictions to offer language assistance beyond current mandates. Furthermore, the bill addresses specific provisions for American Indian and Alaska Native languages and directs a study on lowering language assistance thresholds.

The MORE DOT Grants Act aims to increase transportation funding opportunities for specific rural areas designated as "High-Density Public Land Counties." This bill lowers the required local matching funds by 50% for eligible DOT grant programs in these counties. It also mandates technical assistance and gives priority to applicants from these areas that have not recently received funding from the specific program. Finally, the legislation allows for greater flexibility in application requirements for these local and Tribal governments.

The Service Dogs Assisting Veterans (SAVES) Act of 2025 establishes a five-year Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) pilot program to award grants to nonprofits providing service dogs to eligible veterans. This program mandates that the VA provide lifetime veterinary insurance coverage for every service dog placed through the program. Grants will fund the provision of service dogs to veterans with disabilities such as PTSD, TBI, or severe mobility issues, with recipients strictly prohibited from charging veterans any fees.

The Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act primarily repeals previous health subtitle changes and permanently extends enhanced premium tax credits for marketplace health insurance. This extension removes the income cap for receiving enhanced credits and updates the calculation method for determining an individual's required premium contribution. The bill aims to simplify the tax code related to health insurance affordability.

The Space Exploration Research Act grants the NASA Administrator expanded authority to lease government land for up to 99 years to specific educational, scientific, or governmental entities. This new power is intended to facilitate the construction and operation of facilities dedicated to space research, technology transfer, and workforce training. The Act allows NASA to provide support services for these leased facilities and overrides certain existing federal leasing regulations.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act mandates the Attorney General to release all unclassified Department of Justice records related to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of enactment. This sweeping requirement covers investigations, travel logs, and communications, with limited exceptions primarily focused on protecting victim privacy and active cases. Any redactions must be publicly justified, and the Attorney General must report the details of the release and any withheld information to Congress.

This resolution officially designates the week of August 3 through August 9, 2025, as "National Farmers Market Week." It aims to celebrate the vital role farmers markets play in strengthening local economies and supporting farmers across the nation. Furthermore, the resolution recognizes how these markets improve community health by increasing access to fresh food and promoting sustainable agriculture.

The Time Off to Vote Act mandates that employers provide employees with at least two consecutive hours of paid leave to vote in federal elections. Employers retain control over the timing of this leave, which cannot result in the loss of existing benefits. This federal requirement supplements, but does not override, any state or local laws that offer greater employee protections.

The Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2025 authorizes $50 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2031 to be appropriated to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This funding is specifically designated for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. This appropriation is in addition to any existing funds allocated for this purpose.

The All Aboard Act of 2025 aims to significantly modernize and expand the nation's passenger and freight rail systems through massive federal investment. It establishes major grant programs focused on electrifying infrastructure, developing zero-emission locomotives, and improving high-performance rail service. Furthermore, the Act mandates strong labor protections and creates new training centers to ensure a skilled workforce is ready for the industry's technological transition.

The John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the Voting Rights Act by establishing new standards to challenge discriminatory voting practices and updating federal oversight criteria for states. It mandates greater transparency for all changes to voting rules and implements "practice-based preclearance" for certain jurisdictions. Additionally, the bill creates new federal criminal penalties for using force or threats to intimidate voters or election workers.

This resolution reaffirms that immigration officers are not authorized to arrest, detain, interrogate, or deport United States citizens. It calls for the Department of Homeland Security to implement stronger measures to prevent future wrongful enforcement actions against American citizens. The bill emphasizes that such actions violate constitutional rights and undermine public trust.

The American Grown Act mandates that certain federal agencies, including the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense, and Department of State, must procure decorative cut flowers and greens only from U.S. domestic sources. This restriction applies to purchases made one year after the Act's enactment. Furthermore, if these agencies accept such items as gifts from foreign entities, they must clearly label the origin and display a domestically grown replacement alongside the gift.

The Restoring Essential Healthcare Act repeals a previous ban that prohibited Medicaid payments to certain healthcare entities. This legislation retroactively validates and ensures payment for essential healthcare services provided by these now-unbanned organizations during the period the prohibition was in effect.

The EATS Act of 2025 revises eligibility rules for students seeking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits by clarifying the definition of a "bona fide student." This legislation removes specific restrictions that previously barred many higher education students from receiving SNAP. The changes, including technical renumbering of relevant sections, will take effect on January 2, 2026.

This bill, the Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929, updates the eligibility requirements for a specific immigration registry status. It replaces outdated entry date requirements with a new standard requiring applicants to have resided in the United States for at least seven years prior to applying. These changes aim to modernize the criteria for long-term residents seeking this status.