Legislative Activity

The New England Coastal Protection Act permanently prohibits new oil and gas leasing for exploration or production on the Outer Continental Shelf off the coasts of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. This legislation ensures that the Secretary of the Interior cannot issue any future leases for drilling in these specific New England offshore waters.

The Clean Cloud Act of 2025 addresses the rapidly increasing energy consumption and carbon emissions from large data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. This bill mandates annual public reporting on the energy sources used by these facilities and establishes escalating emissions intensity baselines by region. Facilities exceeding these regional baselines will be subject to annual fees, with collected funds dedicated to program administration, residential energy cost relief, and grants for reliable, zero-carbon energy infrastructure.

The Paying a Fair Share Act of 2025 introduces a new "Fair Share Tax" targeting high-income taxpayers with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) exceeding $1,000,000. This tax is calculated as 30% of AGI (minus a modified charitable deduction) but only applies to income that exceeds existing regular income tax, the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), and payroll taxes. The Senate views this bill as an immediate step to ensure the wealthiest pay their fair share and reduce the national deficit while encouraging broader tax reform.

The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act seeks to permanently protect vast tracts of federal land across Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Wyoming by designating new wilderness areas, establishing critical biological connecting corridors, and safeguarding key river segments. The bill also mandates the restoration of over a million acres to a roadless character and imposes immediate development restrictions on unstudied roadless lands. Furthermore, it secures necessary water rights for new wilderness areas and reinforces tribal rights and access across the protected regions.

The "First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act" authorizes the creation of a Congressional Gold Medal to collectively honor the First Rhode Island Regiment for their heroic service during the Revolutionary War. This regiment, one of the first racially integrated units in American history, was composed of African American, Indigenous, and mixed-race soldiers. The gold medal will be presented to the Rhode Island State Library for public display and research, with the hope that it will also be exhibited at other locations associated with the Regiment. The Act also allows for the creation and sale of bronze duplicates of the medal to support the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

The "No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act" aims to discourage companies from shifting profits and operations overseas to avoid U.S. taxes. It achieves this by amending the tax code to calculate foreign income on a country-by-country basis, limiting interest deductions for domestic corporations in international financial reporting groups, modifying rules related to inverted corporations, and treating certain foreign corporations managed and controlled in the U.S. as domestic corporations for tax purposes. The bill also repeals the reduced tax rate on net CFC tested income and foreign-derived intangible income, increases the deemed paid credit for taxes related to tested income, and eliminates the carryback of foreign tax credits. These changes are intended to level the playing field and ensure that multinational corporations pay their fair share of taxes on income earned abroad.

This resolution designates January 2025 as "National Mentoring Month" to recognize the positive impact of mentoring on youth development. It highlights mentoring's role in improving academic achievement, fostering leadership skills, and supporting at-risk youth. The resolution encourages expanding mentoring opportunities to address the significant need for mentors among young people nationwide. It also acknowledges the invaluable contributions of mentoring program staff and volunteers.