Legislative Activity

This Senate resolution urges the Department of Agriculture to immediately use its contingency funds and interchange authority to ensure the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is fully financed. The Senate asserts the administration has a legal obligation to use these existing resources to support millions of vulnerable Americans through November. This measure expresses a position and does not enact new law.

This Act establishes the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act to provide temporary financial assistance to benefit recipients. It authorizes an additional $\$200$ monthly economic recovery payment for eligible Social Security, SSI, Railroad Retirement, and Veterans' benefit recipients between January 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026. These payments are disregarded for federal income tax and benefit eligibility purposes.

The No Nuclear Testing Act of 2025 prohibits the use of federal funds in fiscal year 2026 for any nuclear weapons test explosion that produces a measurable yield. This measure maintains the current ban on explosive testing while allowing for zero-yield stockpile stewardship activities to continue.

The ReConnecting Rural America Act of 2025 aims to expand high-speed broadband access in underserved rural areas through grants and loans. It establishes minimum service standards of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload capacity for funded projects. The bill prioritizes assistance for the most unserved communities and sets funding authorizations through fiscal year 2030.

The Armed Forces Pay Act of 2025 ensures continued funding for the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces and certain civilian intelligence employees through fiscal year 2026, should full appropriations bills not be enacted. This temporary measure provides necessary financial continuity until regular appropriations legislation is passed or until September 30, 2026. The Act also authorizes intelligence-related funds for FY 2026 until the relevant Intelligence Authorization Act is signed into law.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency declared by the President on April 2, 2025, which was used to impose global tariffs. The termination of this emergency will take effect immediately upon the resolution becoming law.

This joint resolution officially terminates the national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025, which was used to impose duties on articles imported from Canada. It exercises the authority granted under the National Emergencies Act to end the emergency status established by Executive Order 14193.

The Keep SNAP and WIC Funded Act of 2025 ensures that essential nutrition programs, including SNAP and WIC, continue to provide benefits without interruption if full appropriations for the Department of Agriculture are not enacted for Fiscal Year 2026. This legislation immediately makes funds available to cover benefits and state operating costs during any funding lapse, retroactive to September 30, 2025. These special appropriations terminate once the standard FY 2026 funding bill is passed or by September 30, 2026.

This resolution commemorates the seventh anniversary of Jamal Khashoggi's murder and addresses ongoing transnational repression by the Government of Saudi Arabia. It calls for accountability for those responsible for Khashoggi's death and urges Saudi Arabia to release all wrongfully detained individuals. Furthermore, the resolution emphasizes that these human rights abuses strain the strategic relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

This joint resolution terminates the national emergency declared by Executive Order 14323 on July 30, 2025. The declaration was originally put in place to impose duties on articles imported from Brazil. This bill officially ends that emergency status using the authority granted by the National Emergencies Act.

The Boosting Benefits and COLAs for Seniors Act seeks to update how Social Security cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated. It mandates using the index that results in a higher adjustment: either the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers or a newly established Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers. This change aims to provide a more accurate reflection of seniors' actual cost of living in benefit calculations starting after September 2026.

The TREATS Act modifies existing law to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. Specifically, it allows a single telehealth evaluation to satisfy the prior in-person evaluation requirement for prescribing certain Schedule III, IV, or V controlled substances approved for addiction treatment. This change aims to improve the delivery of necessary therapy services via remote care.

The True Shutdown Fairness Act ensures that federal employees, contractors, and service members affected by a government funding lapse starting October 1, 2025, receive retroactive back pay for the period they worked without funding. Additionally, the bill prohibits agencies from initiating permanent staffing reductions or furloughs during such a lapse. These provisions are designed to provide financial security and stability to essential government personnel during periods of lapsed appropriations.

The PAID OFF Act of 2025 restricts certain exemptions under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) for agents representing foreign government or corporate entities owned or controlled by designated "countries of concern." It establishes a process requiring Congressional approval via a joint resolution for the Secretary of State to modify this list of concerning countries. These significant changes are set to terminate five years after the date the Act becomes law.

The Military and Federal Employee Protection Act ensures that federal employees, military members, and covered contractors receive their full standard compensation for work performed or time furloughed during a lapse in government appropriations occurring after September 30, 2025. This bill appropriates necessary funds for agencies to make these retroactive payments. Payments must be made promptly, generally within seven days of enactment for furloughed individuals. This legislation guarantees that no covered individual loses pay due to a government shutdown during the specified period.

This bill proposes establishing a new, Senate-confirmed position: the Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State. This Ambassador will report directly to the Secretary of State to lead U.S. foreign policy coordination across key areas in the Arctic. Their responsibilities will focus on national security, environmental protection, scientific research, and strengthening cooperation among Arctic nations.

This resolution commemorates the 74th anniversary of the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, affirming the strong bilateral security alliance between the two nations. It strongly condemns the escalating aggression and unlawful territorial claims by the People's Republic of China in the South China Sea. The bill urges the President to continue actions that support Philippine defense modernization and enhance deterrence against coercion. It reaffirms that an armed attack against Philippine public vessels in the region would invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty.

The Foreign Robocall Elimination Act establishes an interagency taskforce, including private sector experts, to combat illegal robocalls originating from outside the United States. This group is mandated to study the scope of the problem, identify foreign sources, and report recommendations to Congress within 360 days of its formation. Additionally, the bill reduces the frequency of a specific reporting requirement for the FCC under the existing TRACED Act from annually to once every three years.

The Keep SNAP Funded Act of 2025 ensures that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits continue without interruption, even if Congress fails to pass the Department of Agriculture's budget for fiscal year 2026. This legislation authorizes automatic funding from the Treasury to maintain payments and cover any retroactive benefits missed due to the delay. This temporary funding mechanism remains active until the regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations are officially enacted.

This joint resolution directs the President to immediately remove United States Armed Forces from any hostilities within or against Venezuela that lack explicit authorization from Congress. It asserts that only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war or approve such military actions. The bill ensures that U.S. forces can only remain if acting in self-defense against an armed attack.