Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar

Maddy summaryHR 6540, the "Anti-Communism Week Act," designates an annual observance to commemorate historical impacts of communist regimes. The bill requests the President to annually designate a week as "Anti-Communism Week" and issue a proclamation encouraging public ceremonies. It does not create new policies or affect specific groups; it only adds a procedural requirement to the U.S. Code for an annual presidential designation. The bill focuses on commemoration, not policy change, and references historical findings about communism in its preamble.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the American Battle Monuments Commission to correct historical errors by identifying Jewish World War I and II veterans buried overseas under incorrect Christian markers (Latin crosses) and replacing them with appropriate markers. It establishes a 10-year program to contact families of affected veterans, with the Commission funding the effort at $500,000 annually through nonprofit contracts. The program specifically targets veterans buried in foreign U.S. military cemeteries with markers indicating non-Jewish faith, addressing a documented mistake affecting approximately 900 Jewish servicemembers. This directly affects Jewish veterans' families by honoring their heritage and correcting past burial inaccuracies.

Maddy summaryHRES 931 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for designating December 4, 2025, as "National Scam Prevention Day." It does not create new laws or policies but formally acknowledges the significant financial and psychological harm caused by scams, citing reported losses of $16.6 billion in 2024 and estimated total losses of $158.3 billion when accounting for underreporting. The resolution highlights concerns about international scam operations and their links to criminal organizations, urging a coordinated government and industry approach to scam awareness. It directly affects no specific group but aims to raise public awareness about scam prevention.

Maddy summaryThe FIREWALL Act creates a refundable tax credit allowing homeowners to claim 50% of eligible expenses for disaster mitigation improvements made to their primary residence, up to $25,000 annually. Eligible improvements include fire-resistant roofing, flood barriers, storm shelters, and vegetation management, but only for homes located in areas affected by federal disaster declarations within the last decade. The credit phases out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income over $200,000 and excludes costs reimbursed by insurance or government programs. This policy applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, aiming to encourage property resilience against natural disasters like wildfires and floods.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 6469) requires the U.S. State Department, in coordination with the FCC and Treasury, to submit a report within 120 days of enactment assessing internet access options in Iran. The report must evaluate the feasibility of using direct-to-cell wireless technology to expand internet access there, including technical, security, and regulatory considerations. It also analyzes how drone-based systems and signal jamming could affect such technology, surveys Iranian telecom providers (including state ownership and foreign investment), and examines broader implications for communications freedom. The bill does not enact new policy but mandates a government review of potential technological solutions.

Maddy summaryHR 6423, the HELP Copays Act, requires health insurance plans and coverage to count financial assistance from non-profits or drug manufacturers toward patient cost-sharing limits like deductibles and copayments. This directly affects patients enrolled in health insurance who receive such assistance for prescription drugs, ensuring the help they get reduces their out-of-pocket costs faster. The bill amends key health laws to mandate that these payments are included when calculating whether a patient has met their deductible or copayment threshold. The change applies to all prescription drugs, including specialty drugs and those subject to prior authorization, but does not alter how insurers manage drug access through tools like step therapy. It takes effect for plan years starting in 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act to expand substance abuse and suicide prevention services for children, adolescents, and young adults (up to age 25). It requires eligible providers - like pediatric specialists, emergency departments, and children’s hospitals - to offer parents or guardians counseling on preventing overdose/suicide and provide supplies to reduce access to lethal means (e.g., safe storage containers). The bill allocates at least $2 million annually in grants to fund these prevention programs through eligible entities, with funding authorized for fiscal years 2026-2030. It directly affects young people at risk of substance misuse or self-harm and their caregivers.

Maddy summaryHR 5021, the American Decade of Sports Act, requires the U.S. Department of State to create a formal 5-year strategy (updated every 5 years) for using major international sporting events hosted in the U.S. between 2024 and 2034 - including the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics - to strengthen diplomatic ties and promote U.S. soft power. It mandates renaming the State Department’s sports diplomacy division as the Office of Sports Diplomacy, adding at least 3 dedicated staff members, and coordinating with host cities, sports leagues, and visa agencies to streamline international visitor access. The strategy must detail diplomatic goals, partnerships with local communities and the sports industry, and plans for cultural exchange, while requiring annual progress reports to Congress until 2034. This bill directly affects the State Department, host cities, international athletes, and diplomatic engagement efforts.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires U.S. agencies maintaining federal sanctions lists to notify each other within 30 days when an individual or entity is added to one list, then review whether they should be added to other lists within 90 days. It applies to six specific sanctions lists, including Treasury’s blocked persons list, Commerce’s Entity List, and Defense’s military end-user list. Agencies must report to Congress within one year on how they implemented the coordination process and whether it led to additional sanctions. The goal is to prevent gaps where sanctioned parties could evade restrictions by operating outside a single list’s scope.

Maddy summaryHJRES 133 is a joint resolution requesting the Secretary of the Interior to authorize temporary displays on the National Mall and Washington Monument during December 31, 2025, to January 5, 2026. It specifically asks for five nights of public displays featuring semiquincentennial materials, artifacts, and projected content onto the Washington Monument. The resolution aims to commemorate the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, building on past celebrations like the 1976 bicentennial and 2019 Apollo 11 commemoration. This request affects the Secretary of the Interior (who would grant authorization) and the public (who would attend the displays).