This joint resolution terminates the national emergency declared by President Donald J. Trump on April 2, 2025, which imposed a 10% tariff on most imports to the United States and additional duties on specified trading partners.
Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 81) terminates a national emergency declared by the President on July 30, 2025, which authorized additional duties on goods imported from Brazil. It directly affects importers of Brazilian products by ending the emergency authority that allowed these extra tariffs to be imposed. The resolution formally ends the emergency status under the National Emergencies Act, removing the legal basis for the duties. The bill does not change existing tariff rates but stops the emergency designation that enabled them.
Maddy summaryThis joint resolution terminates a national emergency declared by the President on February 1, 2025, which authorized the imposition of import duties on goods from Canada. It directly affects Canadian importers and businesses exporting goods to the U.S. that were subject to these duties under the emergency authority. The bill formally ends the emergency declaration under the National Emergencies Act, removing the legal basis for the duties but not automatically eliminating the duties themselves. This is a procedural action to revoke the emergency status, not a change to trade policy.
Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 69 (SJRES 69) seeks to disapprove a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service rule titled "Record of Decision for the Barred Owl Management Strategy" in Washington, Oregon, and California. The rule, issued in September 2024, outlines a plan to manage barred owl populations to protect endangered spotted owls by controlling their numbers in the region. Under the Congressional Review Act, this resolution would block the rule from taking effect, voiding its implementation. This directly affects the federal agency's ability to carry out the barred owl management strategy in the three states.
Maddy summaryThis bill, S 3072 (No Coffee Tax Act), prevents new tariffs on coffee imports from countries with normal trade relations with the U.S. It freezes the existing tariff rate for coffee products at the level effective as of January 19, 2025, prohibiting any increase. The bill directly affects U.S. coffee importers, roasters, and businesses that rely on imported coffee beans or products. Key provisions require that no additional duty or tariff may be imposed above this frozen rate, regardless of emergency circumstances or other tariff authorities.
Maddy summaryThis joint resolution requires the removal of U.S. military forces from ongoing operations against foreign terrorist organizations designated after February 20, 2025, states where those groups operate, and non-state entities involved in drug trafficking, unless Congress has explicitly authorized such actions through a declaration of war or specific statute. It cites two recent military strikes (September 2 and 15, 2025) as examples of hostilities lacking congressional authorization, noting Congress has not received sufficient information about these operations. The resolution allows military action for self-defense against an armed attack or in authorized counternarcotics operations, but clarifies that drug trafficking alone does not constitute an armed attack justifying force. The bill aims to enforce Congress's constitutional authority to authorize military force, as required by the War Powers Resolution.
Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 438) condemns Hamas for the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people - including 40 U.S. citizens - and took 251 hostages. It supports an outcome ensuring Israel’s "forever survival," destroying Hamas’s ability to regroup, and securing the release of all remaining hostages, including two U.S. citizens held in Gaza. The resolution also condemns antisemitic protests in the U.S. that damaged property and threatened Jewish Americans’ safety. As a non-binding Senate resolution, it expresses symbolic support for U.S. policy toward Israel but does not create new laws or allocate funds. It directly affects U.S. diplomatic positioning on the Israel-Hamas conflict and hostage negotiations.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 403) expresses support for designating October 14, 2025, as a "National Day of Remembrance for Charlie Kirk." It recognizes Charlie Kirk as the founder of Turning Point USA and a advocate for free speech, civic education, and constitutional principles, noting his death on September 10, 2025. The resolution encourages educational institutions and civic organizations to observe this day with activities promoting the values Kirk championed, such as liberty and democracy. As a symbolic gesture, the resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding.
Maddy summaryThe America’s CHILDREN Act of 2025 would create a pathway to permanent residency for young adults who entered the U.S. as children and were dependents of nonimmigrant workers (with specific work visas, excluding certain categories) for at least 8 years. To qualify, applicants must have graduated from a U.S. college or university, been lawfully present in the U.S. for 10 years total, and meet other eligibility criteria like not being inadmissible. The bill includes key protections: it prevents "aging out" by using the date a parent’s visa petition was filed to determine child status (instead of current age), allows reconsideration of past denials under the new rules, and retains priority dates for family-based immigration applications. This directly affects young adults who grew up under these visa statuses and completed higher education in the U.S.
Maddy summaryThe Risky Research Review Act establishes a new Life Sciences Research Security Board to review proposed federal funding for high-risk life sciences research before it can be approved. The Board, composed of 9 members including scientists, national security experts, and biosafety specialists, must determine if research involving high-consequence pathogens (like Ebola, Marburg virus, or other specified agents) or "gain of function" studies poses unacceptable risks to public health or national security. Entities seeking federal funding must first attest whether their research qualifies as high-risk, and agencies must refer such proposals to the Board for review within 120 days. The Board's determination is binding on agencies and must consider factors including public health risks, national security concerns, and whether the benefits of the research outweigh the risks. This creates a new oversight process for research that could potentially be misapplied to cause harm.
