Legislative Activity

The Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act extends 12-month continuous enrollment protections under Medicaid and CHIP to all eligible individuals, removing previous age restrictions. This ensures greater stability in health coverage by preventing premature disenrollment. These changes are scheduled to take effect starting in the first fiscal quarter after December 31, 2026.

The OCTOPUS Act of 2025 aims to prohibit the establishment of commercial octopus farming operations within U.S. jurisdiction. It bans the importation and reexport of any octopus raised through commercial aquaculture, requiring importers to certify that their products were not farmed. Exceptions are made for accredited zoos, aquariums, and permitted scientific research.

The Protecting Seniors' Data Act of 2025 mandates a comprehensive security audit of the Social Security Administration's computer systems, specifically focusing on access points used by the DOGE Service and its personnel. The Comptroller General must report any identified security weaknesses or privacy violations to Congress within one year. Following the report, the SSA Commissioner is required to promptly fix all identified vulnerabilities and report on the completion of those fixes.

The Closing the De Minimis Loophole Act eliminates the special, duty-free entry treatment for low-value imports under Section 321 of the Tariff Act of 1930. This change takes effect immediately for goods from China and after 120 days for all other countries. The Treasury Department is tasked with establishing new procedures to ensure proper duty collection and prevent fraud under the revised rules.

The Wildfire Reduction and Carbon Removal Act of 2025 establishes a new tax credit for capturing and storing carbon dioxide derived from forest residue waste. This credit incentivizes the secure storage or long-term utilization of carbon removed from sustainably sourced wood waste resulting from wildfire mitigation efforts. The bill mandates the development of strict sustainability and carbon accounting standards to ensure environmental integrity.

The Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2025 establishes a formal, publicly accessible code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices and creates a judicial investigation panel to handle related ethics complaints. The bill also mandates stricter disclosure requirements for gifts and income received by Justices, and significantly expands the circumstances under which a federal judge must recuse themselves due to financial ties or lobbying influence. Finally, it institutes new disclosure rules for parties and *amici curiae* in cases before the Court, alongside studies to monitor judicial compliance.

The Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act modifies payroll taxes by increasing the Social Security wage cap to $400,000 and introducing a new 1.2% Medicare tax on high earners. It also significantly raises the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) rate for top earners and directs all NIIT revenue to the Social Security Trust Funds starting in 2026. These changes apply to both wage earners and the self-employed.

This resolution strongly condemns recent actions by President Donald J. Trump that targeted and undermined the freedom of the press. It reaffirms the United States' foundational commitment to a free and independent media as essential for a functioning democracy. Furthermore, the resolution calls for the executive branch to respect journalistic rights and urges continued efforts to secure the release of imprisoned U.S. Agency for Global Media journalists abroad.

The Tax-Free Pell Grant Act ensures that all Federal Pell Grants are completely excluded from a recipient's gross income for tax purposes, regardless of how the funds are used. This legislation updates the Internal Revenue Code to simplify tax reporting for Pell Grant recipients. Furthermore, it protects eligibility for other education tax credits like the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning Credits. These changes will take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

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.