Legislative Activity

The Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection Act withdraws approximately 225,504 acres of federal land and water in Minnesota's Rainy River Watershed from most forms of entry, mineral leasing, and material sales. This action aims to protect the area, though the Forest Service retains limited authority to permit the removal of certain materials if environmental health is not compromised. The bill formally establishes the boundaries for this withdrawal based on existing environmental assessments.

The Tax Fairness for Workers Act aims to restore certain federal tax deductions for employees. This bill makes union dues fully deductible "above-the-line," meaning they can be claimed without itemizing. Additionally, it temporarily allows employees to itemize specific work-related business expenses through the end of 2025.

The Rural Housing Service Reform Act of 2025 is a comprehensive bill designed to modernize and strengthen federal rural housing programs. It streamlines foreclosure processes, establishes a permanent program to preserve existing affordable rental housing, and creates new lending pathways for Native CDFIs to boost rural homeownership. Furthermore, the Act increases financial assistance limits for minor home repairs and mandates significant technology upgrades and increased transparency across the Rural Housing Service.

The New Producer Economic Security Act establishes a new federal program administered by the Farm Service Agency to provide financial and technical support to new and disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and forest owners. This program funds established entities to run projects that increase land, capital, and market access for these qualified beneficiaries. Priority is given to projects offering direct financial assistance, strong partnerships, and tools to ensure long-term affordability and success for producers.

The Stop Comstock Act aims to modernize and streamline federal laws concerning obscene materials. This legislation removes outdated and overly broad language, such as "indecent" and "immoral," from various sections of the U.S. Code and the Tariff Act. The bill focuses on technical clean-up to clarify existing statutes regarding the distribution and importation of materials.

The "Bus Rolling Stock Modernization Act of 2025" allows transit agencies to make advance payments for bus purchases without pre-approval or performance bonds. These advance payments are capped at 20% of the total purchase order value and require a signed contract, pre-award authority, and fulfillment of existing oversight and risk assessment requirements.

The Job Protection Act amends the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 to expand leave eligibility. The Act reduces the employment period required for eligibility to 90 days for all employees, including federal and congressional employees. It also broadens the scope of employers subject to the Act to include those with one or more employees. These changes apply to leave taken on or after the date of the Act's enactment.