Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Maddy summaryHR 4398, the Veteran Burial Timeliness and Death Certificate Accountability Act, requires Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians or nurse practitioners to certify the death of a veteran who dies of natural causes within 48 hours of learning of the death. This directly affects veterans' families, who previously faced delays of up to eight weeks in burial and access to survivor benefits due to slow death certifications. The bill mandates annual reports to Congress on VA compliance with the 48-hour rule, including statistics on delays and their causes. The key change is establishing a strict timeline for death certification to prevent unnecessary delays in honoring veterans' final arrangements.

Maddy summaryThe Transparency in Medicare Advantage Steering Act requires Medicare Advantage organizations to report specific details about agents and brokers who help enroll individuals in their plans starting in 2028. These reports must include whether an agent was involved, the amount and form of compensation paid to that agent, and the total compensation paid to all such representatives for the year. Beginning in 2030, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will make this compensation data publicly available online and add an indicator to identify agent-enrolled individuals in its data warehouse. The bill directly affects Medicare Advantage organizations, their sales representatives, and the public seeking information about how these plans are marketed.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Artificial Intelligence Data Center Moratorium Act, halts the construction and upgrading of large-scale artificial intelligence data centers until specific federal laws are passed. It defines these facilities as sites with high power capacity or advanced cooling systems used for developing AI models. The moratorium remains in effect until new legislation ensures federal safety reviews for AI products, mandates that economic benefits reach workers rather than just wealthy owners, prevents increases in utility bills, avoids environmental harm, requires community approval, bans government subsidies, and guarantees union jobs with strong labor standards. Additionally, the bill restricts the export of computing hardware, such as semiconductors and networking equipment, to countries that do not adopt these same protective laws for AI development.

Maddy summaryHR 5408, the Faster Labor Contracts Act, requires employers to begin negotiating a first contract with a newly certified union within 10 days of written request. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties must seek mediation, and if unresolved after 30 days of mediation, the dispute moves to binding arbitration by a three-member panel. The arbitration decision, based on factors like employer finances, industry standards, and cost of living, becomes binding for two years. This bill directly affects newly certified unions and their employers during initial contract negotiations, aiming to reduce delays that currently average 465 days.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act, amends the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to improve special education services for children who are deaf, hard of hearing, deafdisabled, blind, visually impaired, or deafblind. It requires states to identify these students regardless of how they are currently classified, ensuring they receive specialized instruction in their primary language and access to qualified professionals. Key provisions mandate that state plans include specific strategies for language development, Braille instruction, and the use of assistive technologies, while also establishing a new national center to support research and training for educators of students with visual disabilities. Additionally, the legislation clarifies definitions for deafblindness and interveners, updates data reporting requirements to track these populations more accurately, and ensures early intervention services are delivered in natural environments to support language and communication milestones.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution directs the President to withdraw all United States Armed Forces from Lebanon within seven days of the bill's adoption. It operates under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, which allows Congress to mandate the removal of troops from foreign locations. The measure directly affects the executive branch by requiring immediate compliance with the specified timeline for troop withdrawal.

Maddy summaryThis resolution expresses the House of Representatives' formal opposition to corruption in all its forms, directly addressing the public's concern about threats to the government's integrity. The text highlights specific issues such as the influence of wealthy donors, the revolving door between government and private sectors, and the use of pardons to reward political contributions. By citing low public trust and the dangers of special interests, the bill serves as a statement of principle rather than establishing new laws or regulations. Ultimately, it declares that the House opposes policies that allow politicians to prioritize personal gain or special interests over the American people.

Maddy summaryThe American High-Speed Rail Act expands federal funding and streamlines regulations to support the development of high-speed and higher-speed rail projects across the United States. It authorizes billions of dollars in grants for corridor planning, technology improvements, and construction, while allowing the federal government to cover up to 100% of project costs under specific conditions. The bill also introduces new provisions to facilitate land acquisition, prioritize border projects, and extend labor protections to workers involved in federally funded rail infrastructure. Additionally, the legislation defines higher-speed rail as trains traveling between 110 and 186 miles per hour and includes tax incentives for rail carriers that sell or lease property to support these projects.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. Mint to produce commemorative $5 gold and $1 silver coins marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The coins must feature designs honoring victims and first responders (including the inscription "Never Forget") and will be sold only during 2027-2028. All surcharges ($35 per gold coin, $10 per silver coin) collected from sales will fund the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center, with no net cost to the federal government. The coins are legal tender but primarily intended for collectors, not circulation.

This bill designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5951 Riverdale Avenue in Bronx, New York, as the "Eliot L. Engel Post Office".