Rep. Jared F. Golden

Maddy summaryHR 418 requires federal agencies to have rules created under standard rulemaking procedures signed by a Senate-confirmed appointee or initiated by a senior agency official. This affects all agencies developing regulations, mandating that such rules follow specific leadership approval steps unless the agency head certifies public safety or security concerns require an exception. Agencies seeking to bypass this requirement must submit written justification to OIRA (Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs) and publish it in the Federal Register. OIRA will monitor compliance with these procedural requirements, which change the process for rulemaking without altering the substance of regulations.

Maddy summaryThe TRUST in Congress Act requires current and new Members of Congress, along with their spouses and dependent children, to place certain investments - such as stocks, commodities, and derivatives - into a blind trust within 90 to 180 days of taking office. It excludes U.S. Treasury securities and widely held mutual funds from this requirement and exempts investments tied to a spouse’s or dependent child’s primary job. Members must certify the trust’s setup to the House Clerk or Senate Secretary within 15 days, with these records posted publicly online. The act also prohibits dissolving such trusts until 180 days after a member leaves office.

Maddy summaryThis resolution amends House Rule 5 to remove the requirement that committee chairs must approve remote witness testimony. It directly affects committee witnesses and chairs by eliminating the chair's discretion to block remote appearances during committee proceedings. The change ensures witnesses can participate remotely without needing the chair's permission, streamlining committee operations. (Procedural resolution; 2 sentences)

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 summaryThis bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) as outlined in a 2019 policy memo. It requires migrants seeking asylum at the U.S. border to remain in Mexico while their cases are processed, rather than being allowed to stay in the U.S. pending a hearing. The bill does not create new rules but mandates the reinstatement of a policy that was previously in effect from 2019 to 2021. This would directly affect asylum seekers arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. The policy change would apply to all migrants covered by the existing MPP framework.

Maddy summaryHRES 20 establishes a temporary House Select Committee on Electoral Reform to study changes to U.S. election systems. The committee will examine current congressional election methods and alternatives like ranked-choice voting, multi-member districts, and independent redistricting commissions, while assessing federal barriers such as the 1967 Uniform Congressional District Act. It must hold hearings with experts and state officials, then submit a report with recommendations within one year. The committee has no authority to pass legislation but will analyze how reforms might improve congressional responsiveness and functionality. This resolution directly affects House operations and provides a structured process for evaluating electoral system changes.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would limit Members of Congress to serving a maximum of three terms in the House of Representatives or two terms in the Senate. It directly affects current and future members by preventing those who have already served the maximum terms from seeking re-election. Key provisions include counting vacancies filled for more than a year (House) or three years (Senate) as a full term toward the limit, while excluding terms served before ratification from the count. As a constitutional amendment proposal, it requires approval by three-fourths of state legislatures to become law.

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 summaryHJRES 4 proposes a constitutional amendment to require a three-fifths vote (60 Senators) to end debate on most Senate legislation, instead of the current simple majority for cloture. This would directly affect Senate procedure by making it harder to advance bills without broad consensus, applying to all pending legislation except presidential nominations. The key provision changes the threshold for ending debate from a simple majority to 60 votes, as specified in the proposed constitutional text. If passed, this would alter how the Senate manages floor time for bills, though it would require ratification by 38 states to become law.

Maddy summaryThe Let America Vote Act (HR 155) requires states to allow voters not registered with a political party (unaffiliated voters) to vote in primary elections for federal, state, and local offices, but not in more than one party's primary for the same election. It prohibits states from sharing unaffiliated voters' personal information with political parties for fundraising and prevents states from treating such voters as affiliated with a party after they cast a primary ballot. The bill also bans noncitizens from voting in any taxpayer-funded election for public office (including federal, state, and local races) and ties federal election funding to states' certification of compliance. To support implementation, the bill provides transition grants equal to 2% of a state's federal election funds for four years to cover costs related to these changes.