Rep. Don Bacon

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Director of National Intelligence to conduct a comprehensive assessment of how the Chinese Communist Party has used foreign malign influence activities outside the United States since January 1, 2023. The assessment must examine impacts on U.S. alliances, regional perceptions, financial systems, and overall national security interests in key areas including the Indo-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, and Europe. The intelligence community must submit an initial report within 90 days and a final report within 180 days to designated congressional committees, with reports provided in unclassified form that may include a classified annex.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts H-1B visa holders working in healthcare from a presidential restriction that requires a $100,000 payment for entry into the United States. It directly affects foreign medical professionals and healthcare workers who hold H-1B nonimmigrant visas. The legislation removes the additional fee requirement for these workers while limiting any fees that may be charged to the standard amount already established under immigration law. The bill defines healthcare workers using the existing definition from the Affordable Care Act and was introduced in the 119th Congress in March 2026.

Enhanced Iran Sanctions Act of 2025 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign persons (individuals and entities) that are involved in Iran's petroleum sector as well as certain associated persons. The bill also requires or authorizes actions to facilitate the enforcement of sanctions on Iran. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person that, after the bill's enactment, knowingly engages in any transaction related to the processing, export, or sale of oil, condensates, gas, liquefied natural gas, or other petrochemical products in whole or in part from Iran. The President must also impose sanctions on certain foreign persons associated with a sanctioned individual or entity. For example, the President must sanction the subsidiaries and corporate officers of a sanctioned business. The bill provides certain exceptions to these sanctions, including specifying that sanctions do not apply to the importation of goods or to conducting or facilitating transactions for humanitarian assistance. The Department of State must establish an interagency working group that shall seek to establish a multilateral contact group to coordinate international efforts to enforce sanctions on Iran. The bill expands the State Department rewards program to authorize a reward payment to any individual who furnishes information leading to the identification of a person (1) subject to sanctions under this bill, or (2) that has attempted or is attempting to evade sanctions under this bill.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 77 is a ceremonial resolution authorizing the use of the U.S. Capitol rotunda for a military honor called "lying in state" for the remains of seven fallen soldiers: Army Major Jeffrey R. O'Brien, Captain Cody A. Khork, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert M. Marzan, and four Sergeant First Classes (Noah L. Tietjens, Nicole M. Amor, Declan Coady, and Benjamin Pennington). The bill permits their remains to lie in state in the Capitol rotunda, a tradition reserved for military and civilian leaders who served with distinction, specifically citing their service in Operation Epic Fury. The resolution directs the President pro tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the Architect of the Capitol to coordinate the arrangements for this honor. This is a procedural measure with no new policy or funding impact, solely recognizing the service of these seven soldiers.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Diabetes Foot Health Access and Modernization Act of 2026, makes two main changes to federal healthcare programs. First, it allows Medicaid to cover foot and ankle care services provided by podiatric physicians, ensuring patients have access to this specialized care. Second, it updates Medicare rules to clarify documentation requirements for diabetic shoes, specifying conditions under which patients can receive extra-depth or custom-molded footwear. The changes take effect on January 1, 2026, for Medicaid services and January 1, 2028, for Medicare shoe coverage.

Maddy summaryThis bill makes AmeriCorps educational awards tax-free for recipients. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude these awards - provided under the National and Community Service Act of 1990 - from taxable income, meaning AmeriCorps members won’t pay federal income tax on the education benefits they earn. The key change adds these awards to the list of tax-exempt educational benefits under IRS Code sections 117(c)(2) and 108(f). The policy directly affects AmeriCorps members who receive educational awards for their service, removing a tax burden on their earned benefits. The tax exclusion applies to awards received after the bill’s enactment date.

Debt-to-GDP Transparency and Stabilization Act This bill requires the President's annual budget and congressional budget resolutions to include (1) the ratio of the public debt to the estimated gross domestic product (GDP), and (2) the ratio of the surplus or deficit to the estimated GDP.

America's National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark Act This bill designates the America’s National Churchill Museum, including the Winston Churchill Memorial, located at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, as the America’s National Churchill Museum National Historic Landmark. (Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a speech titled The Sinews of Peace , also widely known as the Iron Curtain Speech, at the college in 1946.) The bill permits the Department of the Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with public and private entities for the purposes of protecting historic resources at the landmark and providing educational and interpretive facilities for the public. Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to partner entities.  The bill also directs Interior to conduct a special resource study to evaluate the national significance of the landmark and to determine the suitability and feasibility of designating it as a unit of the National Park System. The study must consider alternatives to that designation for the preservation, protection, and interpretation of the landmark, and must include cost estimates associated with identified alternatives.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1098) formally expresses the U.S. House of Representatives' support for designating March 3, 2026, as "National Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day." It aims to raise public awareness about triple-negative breast cancer - a more aggressive subtype affecting disproportionately young women, Black and Hispanic women, and those with BRCA mutations - which accounts for 10-15% of breast cancer diagnoses and 25% of related deaths in the U.S. The resolution is symbolic, focusing solely on increasing awareness and advocacy efforts, not on creating new programs or funding.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to create a program focused on researching how environmental factors, such as air pollution, chemicals, and heavy metals, may contribute to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The legislation would establish collaborative research centers at universities and medical institutions to study these environmental links, train scientists, and share findings with the public and healthcare professionals. The program includes provisions for creating a national data system and information clearinghouse to track disease patterns and environmental exposures across different communities. Funding of up to $50 million annually through 2031 is authorized to support these research efforts, with biennial reports required to Congress on progress and outcomes.