Rep. Dan Newhouse

Maddy summaryThis bill ends judicial deference to federal agency interpretations of laws (known as "Chevron deference"). It requires agencies to review past interpretations they relied on under Chevron, publish revised positions, and only issue rules when explicitly authorized by Congress. The bill also mandates that courts interpret statutes themselves rather than favoring agency views, requires criminal penalties to include proof of intent ("mens rea"), and ensures agency decisions are based only on publicly accessible materials. These changes directly affect federal agencies, courts, and individuals or businesses subject to agency regulations or penalties.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1318) is a symbolic congressional recognition designating the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington, as the "National Museum of Pop Culture." It does not create new laws, allocate funding, or alter the museum's operations - it solely affirms the institution's role in preserving pop culture history through its collections and scholarship. The resolution cites the museum's work in documenting pop culture's impact on society, including its holdings on hip-hop, science fiction, Jimi Hendrix, and Star Trek. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct effect on individuals, policies, or government programs.

Maddy summaryHR 8800 designates the bald eagle as the national bird of the United States, amending Title 36 of the U.S. Code to formally state this. The bill directly affects official federal designations but does not change existing policies or government actions. It includes findings about the bald eagle's historical, cultural, and symbolic significance, including its role in Indigenous traditions and government imagery. The bill explicitly states that this designation cannot be used to alter any current government plans or regulations.

Maddy summaryHR 8781 prohibits the U.S. Department of the Interior from finalizing, implementing, administering, or enforcing a specific Resource Management Plan Amendment and Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for federal coal managed by the Buffalo, Wyoming Field Office of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). This bill directly affects the BLM's operations in the Buffalo field office regarding federal coal management. The key provision blocks any action on the plan and environmental review document referenced in the May 17, 2024, Federal Register notice (89 Fed. Reg. 43431). The bill does not alter coal management policy but prevents the implementation of this particular proposed plan.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Northern Border Security Review Act to establish a new annual deadline for threat analysis (September 2, 2025, and each year after) and requires the Department of Homeland Security to update its northern border strategy within 90 days of each analysis. It mandates that the Secretary provide a classified briefing to congressional committees within 30 days of each threat analysis and develop performance measures for U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Air and Marine Operations to secure the northern border in air and maritime areas within six months of enactment. The bill directly affects the Department of Homeland Security and congressional committees by imposing specific reporting deadlines and review requirements. These changes focus on improving the frequency and structure of security assessments without altering existing border security operations.

Maddy summaryHR 5012 (SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023) authorizes federal funding to improve stillbirth research and data collection. It provides $5 million annually for states to collect standardized stillbirth data (including risk factors) while protecting privacy, $1 million annually for developing public educational materials and data collection guidelines, and $3 million annually for medical fellowships training pathologists in perinatal autopsy and stillbirth research. The bill directly affects state health departments, medical professionals (like obstetricians and pathologists), and families who experience stillbirth by improving data quality for future research. It requires federal reports on guidelines and program effectiveness within five years but does not provide direct medical care or financial assistance to families.

Maddy summaryHR 537 authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor 60 diplomats who saved Jewish lives during the Holocaust by issuing visas and passports against their governments' orders, risking expulsion and personal danger. The medal will be presented to the next of kin of these diplomats, alongside representatives from their home countries, and permanently displayed at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The bill also permits the sale of bronze duplicates to cover production costs, with proceeds going to the U.S. Mint. This legislation recognizes the diplomats' humanitarian actions without creating new government programs or altering existing laws.

Maddy summaryHRES 965 is a non-binding resolution calling for the immediate release of Ryan Corbett, a U.S. citizen wrongfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan since August 2022. It directly affects Corbett (held in poor conditions without charges) and other Americans detained by the Taliban. The resolution demands the Taliban release Corbett unconditionally, urges respect for his human rights, commends Qatar’s role as U.S. protecting power, and condemns the Taliban’s practice of detaining U.S. citizens. It does not create new law but formally expresses congressional support for Corbett and other wrongfully detained Americans.

Maddy summaryHR 8693, the "No American Land for Communist China Act," prohibits U.S. citizens or entities from purchasing real estate adjacent to specific federal lands if owned by the Chinese government or businesses with 25%+ Chinese government ownership. It directly affects Chinese government entities and Chinese-owned businesses operating in the U.S., restricting their ability to buy land near protected federal areas. The bill requires the President to take necessary actions to block such purchases, covering lands managed by Interior, Defense, Agriculture (Forest Service), or designated Indian country. This is a policy restriction, not a funding measure, targeting land transactions near sensitive federal properties.

Maddy summaryH.J. Res. 162 seeks to disapprove a rule by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that would have listed the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The rule, published on May 20, 2024, would have required federal protections and land use restrictions in New Mexico and Texas to conserve the lizard's habitat. If enacted, this resolution would prevent the rule from taking effect, avoiding new regulatory requirements for landowners and developers in the dunes sagebrush ecosystem. The bill directly affects activities in the lizard's habitat by removing potential federal conservation mandates.