Rep. Lauren Underwood

Maddy summaryThe Proxy Voting for New Parents Resolution (HRES 23) would allow U.S. House Members who have given birth or whose spouse has given birth to appoint another Member as a proxy to cast their vote or record their presence in the House and committees for up to 12 weeks after childbirth. To use this, the new parent must submit a signed letter to the Clerk detailing the birth or medical condition and naming the proxy; the proxy must vote exactly as instructed and announce the vote as "by proxy." The proxy vote does not count toward quorum, and the new parent can revoke the proxy at any time by submitting a new letter or casting their own vote. This resolution applies to all House Members, including Delegates and the Resident Commissioner, though they cannot cast votes for the House itself.

Maddy summaryThe SALT Fairness for Working Families Act raises the federal income tax deduction limit for state and local taxes (SALT) from $10,000 to $15,000 for single filers and married individuals filing separately, and to $30,000 for married couples filing jointly. This change applies to tax returns filed for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024. The bill directly affects individual taxpayers in high-tax states who itemize deductions, allowing them to deduct more of their state and local property, income, or sales taxes.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases healthcare affordability for low- and middle-income people by expanding eligibility for premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. It removes the previous 400% of poverty level cap for subsidy eligibility and replaces it with a new sliding scale based on income tiers, ranging from 0% to 8.5% of household income for coverage costs. The scale adjusts linearly across income levels, with households earning 300-400% of poverty paying 6.0%-8.5% of income (up from the prior fixed 400% cap), while lower-income households pay progressively less. These changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025, directly affecting individuals purchasing health insurance through marketplace plans.

Maddy summaryHR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain government workers. It eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which cuts spousal or survivor benefits for people with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal or state government roles), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which lowers retirement benefits for those with similar pensions. The law takes effect for benefits paid after December 2023, requiring the Social Security Administration to adjust benefit calculations to remove these reductions. This change directly affects public-sector employees who previously had their Social Security benefits reduced due to their government pensions.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 8976) renames a U.S. Postal Service facility at 20 West White Street in Millstadt, Illinois, as the "Corporal Matthew A. Wyatt Post Office." It directly affects the postal service location by changing its official name to honor Corporal Matthew A. Wyatt. The bill requires all federal references in laws, documents, and records to use the new name. As a naming resolution, it has no policy impact beyond this official designation.

Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for the establishment of the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, and its admission into the United States. The state is composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia (DC), excluding a specified area that encompasses the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court building, federal monuments, and federal office buildings adjacent to the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. The excluded territory shall be known as the Capital and serve as the seat of the government of the United States, as provided for in Article I of the Constitution. The state may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. The bill provides for the DC Mayor to issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the state. The bill eliminates the office of Delegate to the House of Representatives. The bill applies current DC laws to the state. DC judicial proceedings and contractual obligations shall continue under the state’s authority. The bill also provides for specified federal obligations to transfer to the state upon its certification that it has funds and laws in place to assume the obligations. These include maintaining a retirement fund for judges and operating public defender services.  The bill establishes a commission that is generally comprised of members who are appointed by DC and federal government officials to advise on an orderly transition to statehood.

Maddy summaryThe Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023 expands Medicare coverage for obesity treatment by allowing a wider range of healthcare providers - including nurse practitioners, dietitians, psychologists, and community-based counseling programs - to deliver intensive behavioral therapy for obesity, provided they coordinate with primary care providers. It also adds Medicare Part D coverage for medications used to treat obesity or for weight loss management in overweight individuals with related health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure. These changes directly affect Medicare beneficiaries, particularly older adults (65+), who face higher obesity rates and associated costs, including $50 billion annually in Medicare spending for obesity-related care. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on implementation to improve coordination of obesity care across federal health programs.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies cost-sharing subsidies under the Affordable Care Act to increase coverage for certain income groups starting in 2026. It shifts the benchmark from "silver" to "gold" level plans for determining subsidies, raising insurer coverage from 70-85% to 85% for households earning 200-400% of the poverty line (with adjusted income thresholds). Specifically, for 2026 and later, people earning 150-300% of poverty will receive higher subsidies than current 2025 rules (which cover 150-200% at 87% coverage). The changes directly affect ACA marketplace enrollees with household incomes in these ranges, reducing their out-of-pocket costs through expanded insurer coverage.

Maddy summaryHR 9774, the Health Care Affordability Act of 2024, would expand premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act for households earning between 150% and 400% of the federal poverty level. It modifies the sliding scale calculation to reduce the percentage of monthly insurance premiums these households must pay, with the lowest out-of-pocket costs for those near 400% of poverty. This directly affects individuals and families purchasing health insurance through marketplace plans who qualify for these tax credits. The changes apply to tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

Maddy summaryHR 9778, the PAVE Act, requires Medicare to include penicillin allergy verification during routine preventive exams and annual wellness visits for seniors aged 65 and older. The bill mandates identifying patients with self-reported penicillin allergies, assessing whether their history indicates a true allergy, explaining the health risks of a false label, and referring to specialists when needed. This applies to Medicare-covered visits starting January 1, 2025, directly affecting seniors with penicillin allergy labels in their medical records. The goal is to correct false allergies - supported by evidence showing over 90% of such labels are inaccurate - improving treatment options and reducing unnecessary healthcare costs.