Legislative Activity

The Refund Equality Act of 2025 extends the deadline for certain legally married couples to amend past tax returns filed separately before September 16, 2013, based on Revenue Ruling 2013-17. This allows these couples to now file jointly for those years, extending the statute of limitations for filing the joint return and claiming related refunds or credits. These extensions are strictly limited to changes resulting from recognizing their marital status for federal tax purposes.

The Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2025 is a legislative update designed to modernize the Internal Revenue Code by ensuring gender-neutral language is used when referencing married taxpayers and their spouses. This bill systematically replaces outdated gendered terms like "husband and wife" or "his" with inclusive terms such as "married couple" and "spouse." The changes are purely linguistic, ensuring consistency across tax rules without altering any existing tax liabilities or deductions.

The Head Start for Our Future Act amends federal work-study rules to explicitly allow students to use their funds for child development and early learning services, such as supporting Head Start programs. This legislation ensures that institutions placing work-study students in these roles guarantee program compliance with existing Head Start Act requirements. Furthermore, it establishes specific supervision rules for work-study students in Head Start and Early Head Start, mandating that they must always be supervised by paid staff and cannot count toward required staff-to-child ratios.

The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025 officially recognizes the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians as a federally recognized Tribe. This Act restores their eligibility for all federal services and benefits available to recognized Tribes. Furthermore, it mandates the Secretary of the Interior to acquire and hold land in trust for the Tribe within specific Michigan counties. This legislation affirms the Tribe's continuous existence and rights despite past administrative delays.

The Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 establishes a federal right to access abortion services without facing state-imposed restrictions that are not medically necessary for comparable procedures. This Act prohibits states from enacting targeted regulations that create hurdles for abortion access, protects the right to travel out of state for care, and allows individuals and the Attorney General to sue to enforce these protections. Ultimately, the bill aims to ensure equitable access to reproductive healthcare decisions based on a provider's good-faith medical judgment.

The Curbing Officials' Income and Nondisclosure (COIN) Act aims to prevent public officials from financially exploiting their positions through digital assets. The bill prohibits covered individuals and their immediate families from engaging in specific digital asset transactions during and shortly after their service. Furthermore, it imposes new criminal penalties for violations and mandates increased financial disclosure requirements for federal employees regarding their cryptocurrency holdings.

This resolution formally condemns the recent surge in antisemitic attacks across the United States, citing specific tragedies in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colorado. It acknowledges the widespread celebration of this violence online and highlights alarming statistics showing the dramatic increase in religiously motivated hate crimes against Jewish Americans. Ultimately, the Senate reaffirms its commitment to fighting antisemitism as a threat to American democracy.

The Election Worker Protection Act of 2025 establishes federal grants to states for recruiting, training, and securing election workers, while also enhancing the Department of Justice's resources to address threats. The bill creates new federal crimes prohibiting the harassment, doxxing, and intimidation of election workers involved in federal elections. Furthermore, it empowers election officials to remove disruptive poll observers and strengthens protections for election worker personal information.

The REFOCUS DODEA Act mandates the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) to implement a strict policy banning student smartphone use during the school day. This new regulation requires students to secure their devices in lockers or approved pouches for the duration of the school day. Exceptions will be made only for documented medical needs or high-priority emergencies.

The Insurrection Act of 2025 completely rewrites the rules governing the President's authority to deploy the U.S. Armed Forces domestically, establishing military intervention as a strict last resort. It mandates specific, severe conditions—such as overwhelming insurrection or widespread denial of constitutional rights—and requires the President to issue a detailed proclamation and consult with Congress before deployment. Any initial deployment automatically expires after seven days unless Congress passes a resolution of approval.

The Protect IVF Act establishes a federal right to access fertility treatments, such as IVF, based on widely accepted medical standards. It prohibits states from enacting or enforcing rules that create unnecessary roadblocks or conflict with these established medical practices. The law empowers individuals, providers, and insurers to sue to strike down restrictive state laws that interfere with evidence-based fertility care. Ultimately, this Act ensures that decisions regarding fertility treatment remain between patients and their doctors, overriding conflicting state regulations.

The DETERRENCE Act significantly increases federal penalties for several serious crimes, including kidnapping, murder-for-hire, stalking, and assaults against federal officials and their families. These enhanced sentences are specifically triggered when the criminal activity is knowingly directed by, or coordinated with, a foreign government or its agents. The bill aims to provide stronger legal tools to counter threats orchestrated by external state actors.

This resolution formally recognizes the 250th birthday of the United States Army, celebrating its long history of defending the nation since 1775. It honors the valor, dedication, and core values of the soldiers who have served across two and a half centuries. The Senate encourages all Americans to observe this significant anniversary with appropriate ceremonies and programs.

The COUNTER Act of 2025 addresses the People's Republic of China's (PRC) growing global military logistics network, which Congress views as a threat to U.S. interests. The bill mandates that the Executive Branch develop and implement a comprehensive, whole-of-government strategy to counter the PRC's efforts to establish overseas military bases. This includes an intelligence assessment, identifying key risk locations, and establishing an interagency task force to coordinate proactive diplomatic and strategic responses with allies.

The Taiwan Non-Discrimination Act of 2025 declares the sense of Congress that Taiwan, as a major global economy, should have greater participation in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The bill directs the U.S. Governor of the IMF to actively support Taiwan's bid for full membership and related engagement opportunities. This legislation reaffirms long-standing U.S. policy against hindering Taiwan's involvement in international financial bodies. The requirements for U.S. support will terminate upon Taiwan's admission or ten years after the Act's enactment.

This bill officially authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize the exceptional service and sacrifice of the members of the Military Assistance Command Vietnam – Studies and Observation Group (MACVSOG). Congress acknowledges MACVSOG's critical, highly secret missions during the Vietnam War, which set the standard for modern special operations forces. After presentation, the original medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display and research. The Act also permits the creation and sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs.

The Defending International Security by Restricting Unacceptable Partnerships and Tactics (DISRUPT) Act aims to counter the growing security threat posed by the deepening cooperation between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The bill mandates the creation of interagency task forces and detailed intelligence reports to analyze and disrupt this adversarial alignment across military, economic, and technological fronts. Ultimately, the policy seeks to constrain the global reach of these nations and enhance U.S. deterrence capabilities against simultaneous challenges.

The Susan Muffley Act of 2025 mandates that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) recalculate guaranteed pension benefits for participants in specific, named pension plans. This recalculation ensures beneficiaries receive their full vested plan benefit, ignoring standard federal guarantee limits. The PBGC must issue catch-up lump-sum payments with interest to those previously underpaid. Funding for these increased benefits will be provided through a newly established Treasury trust fund.

This resolution serves as a formal tribute honoring the life, achievements, and enduring legacy of former United States Senator Christopher "Kit" Bond of Missouri. It recognizes his decades of public service, including his terms as Missouri Governor and U.S. Senator, where he championed infrastructure, agriculture, and conservative values. The Senate expresses deep sadness over his passing and directs that official copies of this tribute be sent to his family.

This bill, the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, requires Members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent children to place most stock and commodity investments into qualified blind trusts or sell them within 120 days of the law taking effect or taking office. The legislation strictly prohibits acquiring new covered investments while serving in office, with exceptions for inheritance. Failure to comply results in escalating civil penalties equal to a member's monthly salary until the requirements are met.