Rep. Jesús G. "Chuy" García

Maddy summaryThe No WAR Act prohibits Congress from using budget reconciliation procedures to fund military hostilities against Iran unless such actions are explicitly authorized by a formal declaration of war or a specific authorization for the use of military force. This legislation directly affects the legislative process by establishing a point of order that blocks any reconciliation bill attempting to provide budget authority for offensive military operations, strikes, or covert actions targeting Iranian military forces, territory, or government institutions. The bill also defines proxy forces as any foreign military or irregular groups operating with U.S. direction or material support, ensuring these entities are included in the restrictions on unauthorized funding. By amending the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act, the measure aims to prevent the use of budgetary shortcuts to bypass the constitutional requirement for congressional approval before engaging in armed conflict with Iran.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution directs the President to end the use of U.S. military forces in active hostilities against Iran unless Congress explicitly authorizes a declaration of war or specific military action. The measure allows the United States to continue defending itself, its allies, and maintaining defensive troop presence in the region, while also preserving intelligence collection and sharing activities. It clarifies that ending hostilities does not authorize new military force and does not require removing troops who are not engaged in combat.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Protecting Human Rights and Public Health in Foreign Assistance Act, aims to cancel specific regulations issued by the Department of State. It directly affects the federal government by prohibiting any department or agency from enforcing, implementing, or proposing rules related to protecting life, combating discriminatory equity ideology, and combating gender ideology in foreign aid programs. The legislation treats these cancelled rules as if they never existed, effectively nullifying their impact on future foreign assistance policies.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Lowering Utility Bills Act, aims to reduce electricity and natural gas costs by regulating how utility companies calculate their profits and what expenses they can pass on to customers. It requires transmission providers and investor-owned utilities to determine a reasonable profit range based on historical stock market returns from academics, large financial institutions, and major global banks, then generally limits their authorized profit to the lowest point in that range. Additionally, the legislation bans utilities from recovering specific costs in customer rates, including lobbying fees, political contributions, executive travel, and entertainment expenses. The bill also mandates that utilities prioritize lower-cost grid technologies in their planning and requires them to publicly justify any decision to use a higher profit rate than the standard minimum.

Maddy summaryThe Living Wage For All Act raises the federal minimum wage in a tiered schedule, requiring large corporations to reach $25 per hour by 2031 while giving smaller businesses a longer timeline to catch up. Once the standard is met, the law automatically indexes the minimum wage to two-thirds of the national median hourly wage to ensure it keeps pace with economic changes. The bill also eliminates the lower minimum wage for tipped employees and youth workers, phasing them out until they match the general standard, and extends similar protections to incarcerated workers. Additionally, the legislation restricts the issuance of special minimum wage certificates for workers with disabilities and mandates that employers provide technical assistance during the transition period.

Maddy summaryThe Long-Term Care Workforce Support Act aims to address the severe shortage and low wages of direct care professionals who support older adults and people with disabilities by increasing Medicaid funding, expanding training grants, and establishing new federal labor protections. To improve compensation and retention, the bill allows states to receive additional Medicaid funds if they implement specific workforce improvements, such as raising wages, providing paid leave, and ensuring stable scheduling, while also creating a national strategy to calculate fair labor costs. The legislation introduces comprehensive worker rights, including a requirement for written employment agreements, fair scheduling with advance notice, paid sick time, and a federal standard to prevent workplace violence. Furthermore, the bill establishes multiple grant programs to fund training, career advancement, and diversity initiatives, alongside a new commission to develop national training standards and a technical assistance center to address inequities within the workforce.

Maddy summaryThe HCBS Access Act requires Medicaid to cover a broad range of home and community-based services for people with disabilities and older adults, aiming to eliminate waiting lists and ensure these individuals can live in their communities rather than institutions. To achieve this, the bill mandates that states create detailed implementation plans, establishes a new advisory panel to recommend additional services, and sets a 100 percent federal funding match for these services to encourage state participation. The legislation also strengthens protections for family caregivers, requires states to remove financial liens on the estates of deceased beneficiaries, and creates a national technical assistance center to support the recruitment and training of direct care workers. Additionally, the bill directs the government to establish a separate occupational category for direct support professionals to better track workforce shortages and improve data collection on this critical labor force.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using federal funds to create or expand new immigration detention facilities, including warehouses, tents, and modular structures. It directly affects immigration enforcement agencies by banning the construction, renovation, or operation of non-traditional detention centers and preventing the transfer of funds to such projects. The legislation requires any money previously allocated for these facilities to be redirected toward affordable healthcare and housing services instead. Effective immediately upon enactment, the ban applies to all existing federal funds and prevents the use of current budgets for establishing or operating alternative detention models.

Maddy summaryThe SERVE Act extends various Veterans Affairs benefits to former military members who were discharged specifically due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. This legislation amends existing laws to include these individuals in access to hospital care, mental health counseling, burial in national cemeteries, post-9/11 education assistance, and VA housing loans. The bill also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to notify affected service members about available benefits and mandates a report within 15 months detailing how many individuals have received these services.

Maddy summaryThe Safe Tracks Act requires the Secretary of Transportation to update federal regulations within 30 days of enactment to apply specific safety standards to centralized computer-aided train-dispatching systems and centralized traffic control boards. This change directly affects existing and future deployments of these automated train control technologies used by railroads. The bill mandates that these systems comply with the safety requirements outlined in subpart H of part 236 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which covers critical safety protocols for train operations. By updating the regulatory framework, the legislation aims to ensure consistent safety oversight across all centralized train dispatching infrastructure.