Legislative Activity

The Paycheck Fairness Act aims to strengthen protections against sex-based wage discrimination and close the gender pay gap. It enhances enforcement by tightening employer defenses for pay disparities, expanding anti-retaliation protections, and increasing penalties for violations. The bill also mandates new data collection by the EEOC and establishes grant programs to support negotiation skills training.

This resolution expresses strong support for the nation's public K-12 schools and condemns any efforts to defund or dismantle the Department of Education. It affirms the crucial federal role in ensuring equitable funding and support for students, especially those with disabilities and from low-income families. The resolution warns that weakening the Department would severely disrupt vital programs serving millions of students nationwide.

This resolution celebrates the 108th anniversary of Selfridge Air National Guard Base, recognizing its historical importance, economic impact, and strategic value to U.S. national security. It acknowledges the base's contributions to national defense and aerospace, including its role as one of the oldest military airfields and its selection for the KC46A Pegasus tanker aircraft beddown. The resolution also commends the personnel at Selfridge and encourages continued support and cooperation to ensure the base's ongoing success.

The FIGHT China Act of 2025 establishes new government powers to safeguard U.S. national security against risks posed by the People's Republic of China. The bill imposes sanctions on specific foreign persons and prohibits U.S. investment in certain high-technology sectors involving entities from the "country of concern." Furthermore, it mandates reporting requirements and strengthens restrictions on U.S. persons holding securities in Chinese military-industrial complex companies.

The Major Richard Star Act allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both veteran's disability compensation and military retired pay concurrently, without reduction. This act amends Title 10 of the United States Code to ensure that disability retirees with combat-related disabilities are not subject to reductions in retired pay due to receiving veteran's disability compensation. These changes will take effect the first day of the month following the enactment of the Act.

The Baltic Security Initiative Act establishes a new program to deepen U.S. military cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to deter Russian aggression and implement NATO strategy. This initiative will focus on long-term projects like enhancing air defense, improving cyber resilience, and developing regional military capabilities. The Secretary of Defense must submit a strategy outlining these efforts and is authorized $350 million annually from FY2026 through FY2028 to support the program.

The HELPER Act of 2025 establishes a new FHA mortgage insurance program to help first responders, educators, and law enforcement officers purchase homes. This program offers qualifying first-time homebuyers the potential for a zero down payment mortgage. A key feature is the elimination of monthly mortgage insurance premiums, though an upfront premium will still be charged.

The Resident Education Deferred Interest (REDI) Act allows medical and dental interns and residents to defer payments on their student loans during their training programs. This deferment specifically prevents principal payments and stops interest from accruing on the loan balance while the borrower is in residency or an internship. This ensures that medical professionals can focus on their training without accruing additional debt.

The Protect our Parks Act of 2025 mandates the Secretary of the Interior to immediately ensure full staffing, including all maintenance positions, across the National Park Service. This Act also requires the reinstatement of any NPS employees involuntarily removed between January 20 and February 25, 2025. Furthermore, it authorizes the continuation of existing, funded National Park Service projects under several key federal acts.

The Save Our Forests Act of 2025 aims to strengthen the management of our national forests by immediately boosting Forest Service staffing levels. This legislation mandates the hiring of new personnel and the reinstatement of employees dismissed between January 20 and February 25, 2025. Furthermore, it ensures the continuation of authorized Forest Service projects funded under existing major conservation and infrastructure laws.

The Securing American Agriculture Act mandates an annual assessment of U.S. reliance on China for critical agricultural products and inputs. This report will identify supply chain vulnerabilities that could be exploited by foreign adversaries. Based on these findings, the Secretary of Agriculture must recommend strategies to onshore or nearshore the production of these essential farming supplies. The data collection for this assessment will rely solely on voluntary submissions from private companies to protect confidential business information.

The FARMLAND Act of 2025 aims to increase scrutiny and penalties regarding foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land, driven by national security concerns. It enhances disclosure rules, mandates annual risk reports on ownership by certain foreign entities, and empowers the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to review significant real estate purchases by "foreign entities of concern." Furthermore, the bill establishes new enforcement roles within the Department of Agriculture and prohibits foreign persons from participating in Farm Service Agency programs.

The Producer and Agricultural Credit Enhancement Act of 2025 aims to strengthen agricultural financing by significantly increasing the maximum loan amounts available for farm ownership and operating expenses. It also updates the calculation method for inflation adjustments in farm programs and raises the cap on microloans. Furthermore, the bill establishes new procedures allowing the Farm Service Agency to refinance certain troubled guaranteed loans into direct loans, provided the operation has a reasonable chance of future success.

The Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 significantly strengthens the National Labor Relations Act to bolster worker organizing rights and impose stricter penalties on employers who violate labor laws. It redefines joint employment, makes it harder to classify workers as independent contractors, and bans class action waivers. The bill also establishes mandatory arbitration for first contracts and allows employees to sue employers directly for serious unfair labor practices.

The Fighter Force Preservation and Recapitalization Act of 2025 establishes new minimum fleet sizes for the Air Force's fighter aircraft inventory and delays the enforcement date for these higher requirements until 2030. The bill mandates strict quarterly reporting on new aircraft procurement and distribution, while prioritizing the assignment of new, advanced fighters to existing operational squadrons. Furthermore, it places a freeze on reducing the number of Air National Guard fighter squadrons through 2030 and requires an annual plan to ensure the Guard's fleet recapitalizes at the same pace as the active force.

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025 resolves historical claims by the Community against the U.S. government for uncompensated taking of Reservation lands. This Act authorizes a payment of $33.9 million to the Community as full compensation for these lands. Upon receipt of the payment, the Community's claims against the specific "Reservation Swamp Lands" and "Reservation Canal Lands" are extinguished, thereby confirming clear title for current, good-faith landowners. The settlement explicitly prohibits the use of these funds for acquiring land for gaming purposes.

The Child Care Availability and Affordability Act aims to lower childcare costs for families and incentivize employers to offer benefits. It significantly expands the employer tax credit for providing childcare and increases the tax-free exclusion amount for employee Dependent Care Assistance Programs (DCAPs). Furthermore, the bill introduces a new, refundable tax credit for working families based on their household and dependent care expenses.

The Faster Labor Contracts Act aims to significantly speed up the process for newly unionized employees to secure their first collective bargaining agreement. It establishes mandatory timelines for negotiations, requiring mediation and, if necessary, binding arbitration if a deal is not reached within a set period. This legislation is designed to prevent lengthy delays that often undermine the unionization process.

The Stop Russian Market Manipulation Act bans the importation of specific Russian-origin minerals, including platinum group metals, nickel, and copper, into the United States. This prohibition begins 90 days after enactment and remains in effect until one year after the President certifies that Russia has ceased all fighting against Ukraine. Crucially, the President has no authority to waive this specific ban.

The "Farm and Food Cybersecurity Act of 2025" directs the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct biennial risk assessments of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities within the agriculture and food critical infrastructure sector, in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. It also mandates annual crisis simulation exercises for five years to evaluate and improve the preparedness of government and private sectors in responding to food-related emergencies and cyberattacks. The Act aims to enhance cybersecurity and resilience in the agriculture and food sector, protect food safety, and ensure national security. It authorizes \$1,000,000 to be appropriated for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to carry out these activities.