Rep. Addison P. McDowell

Maddy summaryHR 2951, the "Easter Monday Act of 2025," would add Easter Monday as a legal public holiday for federal employees under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. This procedural bill directly affects federal government offices and workers by designating Easter Monday as a paid holiday, following Washington's Birthday in the annual holiday schedule. It does not change funding, create new programs, or impact state or private sector holidays. The change would only apply to federal operations, not private businesses or state governments.

Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act or the SAVE Act This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill specifies what documents are considered acceptable proof of U.S. citizenship, such as identification that complies with the REAL ID Act of 2005 that indicates U.S. citizenship. Further, the bill (1) prohibits states from registering an individual to vote in a federal election unless, at the time the individual applies to register to vote, the individual provides documentary proof of U.S. citizenship; and (2) requires states to establish an alternative process under which an applicant may submit other evidence to demonstrate U.S. citizenship. Each state must take affirmative steps on an ongoing basis to ensure that only U.S. citizens are registered to vote, which shall include establishing a program to identify individuals who are not U.S. citizens using information supplied by certain sources. Additionally, states must remove noncitizens from their official lists of eligible voters. The bill allows for a private right of action against an election official who registers an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill establishes criminal penalties for certain offenses, including registering an applicant to vote in a federal election who fails to present documentary proof of U.S. citizenship.

Nuclear Family Priority Act This bill imposes limits on various types of family-sponsored immigration visas. The non-U.S. national ( alien  under federal law) parents of U.S. citizens shall not qualify for visas for immediate relatives, which are not subject to any direct numerical limits. Currently, the spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of citizens are considered immediate relatives. The bill also creates a nonimmigrant visa for such parents of citizens. Such non-U.S. nationals shall not be eligible for employment or any public benefits. The bill also reduces the baseline annual cap for family-sponsored visas from 480,000 to 88,000, and revises the methods for calculating the cap. Currently, the 480,000 cap may be adjusted depending on various factors but shall not be less than 226,000. The bill eliminates preference allocations (visa categories subject to various annual caps) for various family-sponsored visas, including those for the siblings and married children of citizens. The bill provides for a preference allocation for the unmarried children under 21 and spouses of permanent residents, subject to the 88,000 annual cap.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends immigration law to expand mandatory detention for non-citizen immigrants convicted of specific property crimes. It adds trespassing, vandalism, and arson to the list of offenses that trigger detention under Section 236(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, alongside burglary and serious bodily injury. Non-citizen immigrants convicted of these crimes would now face automatic detention without bond, rather than potentially being released pending removal proceedings. The key change modifies existing detention criteria to include these three property crimes as grounds for mandatory immigration detention.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 2102 (Major Richard Star Act), allows veterans with combat-related disabilities to receive both full military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation simultaneously, without the previous offset that reduced retired pay. It directly affects veterans already eligible for both benefits due to combat-related injuries, removing the requirement that their retired pay be reduced by the disability compensation amount. The key provision amends Title 10 and Title 38 to eliminate the offset rule (sections 5304 and 5305 of Title 38) for these veterans. The change applies to payments starting after the bill’s enactment date, effective for all qualifying veterans. This is a policy change to increase financial support for affected veterans, not a new benefit.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled "Secure Family Futures Act of 2025" but actually focused on tax code changes, primarily affects a specific subset of insurance companies. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude certain debts (like bonds or notes) held by these companies from being counted as capital assets (Section 2), and extends their capital loss carryover period to 10 years for losses from foreign expropriation or losses incurred by these companies (Section 3). The changes apply to debts acquired and losses arising after December 31, 2025. The bill's title is misleading, as it does not relate to family policy but is a technical tax amendment targeting defined insurance industry entities.

Maddy summaryThe SHORT Act (HR 2395) redefines federal firearm definitions to exclude antique and collector firearms from being classified as firearms, and removes distinctions between short-barreled rifles and shotguns in federal regulations. It prevents state laws from imposing taxes or registration requirements on short-barreled rifles and shotguns, requiring state rules to align with federal compliance instead. The bill also mandates the federal government to destroy specific records related to these firearms within one year of enactment.

Maddy summaryThe Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act of 2025 would prohibit states and local governments from imposing taxes on the sale of firearms, ammunition, or firearm parts during interstate or foreign commerce. This bill directly affects state tax policies and manufacturers or dealers selling these items across state lines. It explicitly states that the bill does not change the existing federal tax on firearms and ammunition that funds wildlife conservation programs. The key provision bans state-level taxes for these sales in interstate transactions while preserving current federal funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHR 2457, the Mining Schools Act of 2025, establishes a competitive grant program to fund education and training programs for the U.S. mining industry. It directs the Secretary of Energy to award up to 10 annual grants to eligible "mining schools" - defined as accredited engineering programs (including Tribal Colleges) or specific geology/engineering departments at public universities in states with significant mining GDP - to recruit students and enhance curriculum. Grants must support education in critical areas like critical mineral extraction, environmental reclamation, rare earth element processing, and reducing reliance on foreign mineral supplies. The program requires geographic diversity in grant selection and mandates an advisory board (with industry and academic members) to review applications and ensure funds are used for specified educational purposes, with no new federal funds authorized.

Maddy summaryThe Providing Veterans Essential Medications Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse State homes or provide medications directly for certain high-cost drugs used by veterans in State-run nursing homes. A medication is defined as high-cost if its price (including a 3% fee) exceeds 8.5% of the VA's monthly payment for the veteran's care at that home. This applies specifically to State homes that provide such medications to veterans under VA contracts. The bill ensures veterans receive essential medications without financial burden on the State homes, using clear cost thresholds to determine eligibility.