Legislative Activity

This resolution expresses unwavering support for the United States-Japan alliance in the face of escalating political, economic, and military pressure from the People's Republic of China. It condemns China's coercive actions against Japan following statements regarding Taiwan's security. The resolution reaffirms the U.S. commitment to Japan's defense, including the Senkaku Islands under Article V of the mutual security treaty. Finally, it commends Japan for its efforts to maintain regional peace and stability while increasing its defense capabilities.

The PORCUPINE Act amends the Arms Export Control Act to include Taiwan in specific certification and reporting requirements. It also mandates a feasibility assessment for expediting the licensing process for allies transferring military equipment to Taiwan. The legislation is intended to enhance security cooperation while affirming existing U.S. policy as established by the Taiwan Relations Act.

The Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act of 2025 mandates that federal agencies report annually on major projects significantly delayed or over budget. This information will be compiled by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) into a public report submitted to Congress each year. The goal is to increase transparency regarding costly and protracted government endeavors.

The Scam Compound Accountability and Mobilization Act addresses the growing threat of transnational cyber-enabled fraud originating from criminal operations, often involving human trafficking victims in Southeast Asia. This bill mandates the creation of a comprehensive U.S. strategy to counter these scam compounds and hold the responsible criminal organizations accountable. Furthermore, it establishes new authorities for imposing sanctions on facilitators and requires a review of legal tools to ensure victims can receive financial redress from seized assets.

The Back the Blue Act of 2025 establishes new federal crimes and harsher penalties for killing or assaulting law enforcement officers and other public safety officials. The bill also creates specific aggravating factors for the federal death penalty in such cases and places new restrictions on federal habeas corpus relief for related state convictions. Finally, it expands federal protections allowing active and retired law enforcement officers to carry firearms in various federal locations.

The National Strategy for Combating Scams Act of 2025 addresses the rising threat of scams, which cost consumers billions annually and increasingly involve advanced technologies like AI. This bill mandates the FBI to establish a federal working group to develop a comprehensive National Strategy for Combating Scams. The strategy must coordinate efforts across numerous federal agencies, define "scam," and outline plans for improved reporting, prevention, and cross-border cooperation.

This bill establishes a $2,000 tax credit for individuals providing substantial care to qualifying older relatives in their home. It also creates a HUD grant program to fund the construction or renovation of housing specifically designed to support multigenerational living arrangements. The grants aim to facilitate the creation of accessory dwelling units and accessible renovations.

The Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act of 2025 enhances the FDA's authority to require pediatric investigations for new molecularly targeted cancer drugs. It also extends the priority review voucher program designed to incentivize the development of treatments for rare pediatric diseases until September 2030. Furthermore, the bill mandates studies to assess the effectiveness of these new drug investigation requirements and the existing voucher program.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to balance its budget, excluding debt payments, within ten years of ratification. Congress can authorize temporary emergency spending above this limit with a two-thirds vote in both chambers. The amendment becomes valid upon ratification by three-fourths of the states within seven years.

The Alzheimer's Screening and Prevention Act (ASAP Act) amends Medicare to cover early detection screening tests for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias beginning in 2028. This coverage applies to FDA-cleared tests designed to detect pre-symptomatic or early-stage conditions. The legislation specifically outlines the types of genomic and imaging tests that will qualify for Medicare payment.

The RECAPTURE Act amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to change how unspent federal broadband (BEAD) grant funds are handled when states or entities miss deadlines. Under this bill, any unallocated remaining grant funds that were not designated for a specific purpose will be deposited into the U.S. Treasury for deficit reduction. The remaining funds designated for specific purposes may still be made available to the eligible entity.

This Act amends immigration law to explicitly designate officials and members of Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, Al-Qaeda, and ISIS as inadmissible due to terrorist activity. It also bars individuals who endorse or espouse terrorist activities conducted by these specified groups.

This Act, the Conscience Protections for Medical Residents Act, amends Medicare rules to prohibit residency programs from requiring participation in abortion training. Programs that mandate abortion training or discriminate against residents who opt out or refuse to participate will no longer qualify as "approved" under Medicare. This ensures medical residents are not forced to perform, assist, or refer for abortions as a condition of their training.

The VISIT USA Act transfers \$160 million from the Travel Promotion Fund to Brand USA to support international tourism promotion. This funding is specifically allocated from existing unobligated balances collected through certain travel-related fees. The transfer is made within 30 days of the law's enactment.

The Halo Act establishes new federal criminal penalties for individuals who obstruct immigration enforcement activities. Specifically, it prohibits knowingly approaching or remaining near a federal immigration enforcement officer after being warned, threatening the officer with physical harm, or harassing the officer while they are performing a lawful duty. Violators of this new offense could face fines or imprisonment for up to five years.

The Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that federal employees, active-duty military, and supporting contractors who worked or were employed during a lapse in appropriations receive their full compensation retroactively and going forward. It appropriates necessary funds to agencies to cover "standard employee compensation" for all "covered employees" and "covered contract employees" for the entire duration of any funding lapse. This aims to guarantee that affected personnel are paid promptly, regardless of furlough status or scheduled pay dates during the shutdown period.

The Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that essential government employees, military personnel, and supporting contractors who must work during a lapse in appropriations receive their guaranteed pay. This bill automatically sets aside necessary funds from the Treasury to cover the salaries and benefits of these "excepted employees" for the duration of the shutdown. These special appropriations remain available until a full-year budget is enacted, at which point the payments are reconciled against the new funding law.

This resolution condemns the Chinese Communist Party's severe persecution of religious minority groups, including Christians, Muslims, and Buddhists. It specifically denounces the detention of Pastor "Ezra" Jin Mingri and Zion Church leaders amid a broader campaign to "sinicize" religion. The measure reaffirms the United States' global commitment to promoting religious freedom and calls for the immediate release of all wrongfully detained religious practitioners in China.

The Returning Unspent COVID Funds Act rescinds unobligated balances from several previous COVID-19 relief laws upon enactment. These returned funds are directed to the Treasury's general fund exclusively for reducing the national deficit. The President retains the authority to waive this rescission for specific accounts with prior notification to Congress.

The Better FDA Act of 2025 overhauls the regulation of substances Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by requiring mandatory FDA listing and review for all such food ingredients. This legislation establishes strict deadlines for submitting GRAS notices and subjects substances not listed or under review to adulteration penalties. Furthermore, the Act grants the FDA authority to reevaluate the safety of existing food additives and GRAS substances based on new concerns, ensuring all final safety determinations involve review by career FDA scientific experts.