Maddy summaryThe VALOR Act of 2025 establishes criteria for determining when a democratically elected government is in power in Venezuela, requiring free and fair elections with international observer oversight, respect for human rights, and the release of political prisoners. The bill authorizes U.S. sanctions against the Maduro regime, including blocking transactions involving Venezuelan debt instruments, cryptocurrency, and government property, while prohibiting support for nondemocratic governments. It also creates mechanisms for U.S. assistance to Venezuelans under a democratically elected government, including humanitarian aid and support for democratic institutions, with specific reporting requirements for sanctions and assistance programs. The sanctions remain in place until the President certifies a democratically elected government is in power, at which point the U.S. would work to terminate sanctions and coordinate international support for Venezuela's transition.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe ERASER Act (S 30) requires federal agencies to repeal at least three existing rules before issuing a new rule, with specific cost and relevance requirements for major rules. For major rules (those with significant economic impact), agencies must repeal rules costing at least as much as the new rule's cost, and the Office of Management and Budget must certify this cost comparison. The law applies to rules affecting businesses, state/local governments, or individuals, but excludes internal agency management rules. It also mandates a Government Accountability Office study every five years tracking the number and economic cost of active federal regulations.
Maddy summarySJRES 1 proposes a constitutional amendment limiting congressional terms: it would bar Representatives from serving more than three terms (including time filling vacancies lasting over a year) and Senators from serving more than two terms (including time filling vacancies lasting over three years). The amendment would only apply to future elections, not current members or terms served before ratification. It directly affects candidates seeking election to the House or Senate after the amendment is approved by states. The key provision sets a clear term cap for each chamber, with specific rules for handling vacancies to prevent circumventing the limit.
Maddy summaryThis bill would make daylight saving time permanent across the United States by repealing the current rule that requires switching back to standard time in the fall. It directly affects all states and territories, though it preserves exemptions for areas like Arizona and Hawaii that currently skip daylight saving time. Key provisions include adjusting time zone calculations in historical laws (e.g., changing "4 hours" to "3 hours" in time zone references) and allowing states that already opted out of daylight saving time to maintain their preferred standard time. The bill does not create new policies but changes the legal framework to end seasonal time changes.
Maddy summaryThis bill adds new federal district court judgeships to address growing case backlogs. It authorizes 66 permanent judgeships to be appointed starting in 2025 (with an additional 34 in 2029) across specific districts in Arizona, California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, New York, and others, based on current caseload data. It also creates temporary judgeships for Oklahoma districts (Eastern and Northern) that expire after five years if vacancies occur. The bill aims to reduce the average of 491 cases per judgeship by increasing staffing in overburdened courts, as identified by the Judicial Conference.
Maddy summary# Summary of Veterans' Affairs Legislative Bill This comprehensive bill contains numerous provisions to improve veterans' healthcare, benefits, and educational assistance programs. Key components include: ## Healthcare Provisions - **Dental Care Expansion**: Pilot program to provide dental care to veterans with ischemic heart disease using community care, mobile clinics, and portable dental units - **Suicide Prevention**: Mandates annual National Veteran Suicide Prevention Reports with detailed analysis of suicide rates, engagement with VA healthcare, and benefits usage - **Appointment Scheduling**: Requires a plan to enable same-day scheduling for veterans requesting appointments by phone - **Infrastructure Assessment**: Requires a report on physical infrastructure needed for dental care services at VA medical facilities - **Staffing Models**: Directs development of staffing models and performance metrics for VA healthcare employees focused on timely access to care ## Mental Health & Support Services - **Mental Health Support for Caregivers**: Mandates GAO report on mental health support availability and accessibility for caregivers - **Centralized Website**: Requires development of a centralized website for information on home- and community-based services - **Respite Care Review**: Directs review of respite care services availability, cost, and effectiveness ## Educational Assistance - **Fry Scholarship Expansion**: Temporarily expands eligibility for Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship to children/spouses of veterans who die from service-connected disabilities within 120 days of discharge - **Housing Stipend**: Ensures full monthly housing stipend for veterans in final semester using Post-9/11 educational assistance - **Digital Transcripts**: Requires educational institutions approved for VA benefits to provide digital official transcripts - **Commercial Driver Education**: Modifies rules for approval of commercial driver education programs for veterans' education benefits ## Administrative & Reporting Requirements - **Quarterly Referral Reports**: Requires quarterly reports on referral processing times between VA facilities - **Pay Modifications**: Amends pay limitations for physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists - **Documentation of Preferences**: Directs development of mechanism to document veterans' scheduling preferences - **VA Infrastructure Assessment**: Requires report on physical infrastructure required for dental care services The bill includes numerous deadlines (ranging from 90 days to 3 years) for implementation and reporting, and establishes new requirements for transparency, accountability, and veteran-centered care across multiple VA programs.
Maddy summaryThe Federal Judiciary Stabilization Act of 2024 makes permanent 10 temporary federal district court judgeships in specific judicial districts, including Hawaii, Kansas, and multiple districts across Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas. It achieves this by amending federal law to treat these positions as permanent, so current judges in those roles will now hold their positions under permanent authority rather than temporary appointments. The bill also updates the official U.S. Code table listing authorized judgeships to reflect these new permanent numbers for each district. This directly affects the federal courts in the specified districts by ending the temporary status of these judgeships and providing long-term stability to their staffing.
Maddy summaryThis bill halts pension payments for U.S. Members of Congress convicted of certain criminal offenses. It specifically stops retirement annuity payments based on their service as a Member of Congress if they are later sentenced for those offenses. The law applies only to convictions occurring after the bill's enactment date (December 23, 2024), and payments resume if the conviction is overturned on appeal. The provision affects current or former lawmakers sentenced for qualifying crimes, directly altering their retirement benefits.
Maddy summaryThis bill provides funding to pay military personnel, civilian Defense Department staff, and supporting contractors during gaps in regular budget approval for fiscal year 2025. It appropriates necessary funds for active-duty service members (including reserves), Defense civilians, and contractors supporting military operations if Congress hasn't passed a full budget by the end of FY2025. The funding is temporary, ending on January 1, 2026, or when Congress passes a regular budget for the relevant purpose. It directly affects all active-duty military members, Defense Department civilians, and contractors providing military support during the funding gap.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to reduce their workforce to 90% of the size as of September 30, 2025, by the start of fiscal year 2028. Agencies must report their 2025 workforce numbers by October 31, 2025, and the OMB will set annual hiring limits for each agency based on those reports. To meet the reduction, agencies may hire no more than one new employee for every three who retire or leave during 2026-2027. If an agency exceeds its limit, it cannot hire new staff or approve remote work changes until it returns to compliance.