Rep. H. Morgan Griffith

Maddy summaryH.J.Res. 88 disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule that would have allowed California to enforce its "Advanced Clean Cars II" vehicle emission standards. This rule, submitted by the EPA on January 6, 2025, sought to grant California a waiver to override federal preemption for its stricter vehicle pollution controls. The resolution, passed by Congress and signed into law on June 12, 2025, formally nullifies the EPA rule, preventing California from implementing its Advanced Clean Cars II program under this specific waiver. The bill directly affects California's ability to set its own vehicle emission standards for passenger cars and light trucks.

Maddy summaryThe Washington, D.C. Residents Voting Act (HR 3877) proposes retroceding the District of Columbia to Maryland while establishing a "Federal District" to serve as the permanent seat of the U.S. government. This bill would allow residents of the Federal District to vote in federal elections in the state where they last resided (their "most recent domicile"), repeal the District's delegate position in Congress, and end the District's participation in presidential elections. Key mechanisms include transferring jurisdiction over the Federal District to Maryland while maintaining Congress's exclusive legislative authority over the Federal District area, which would include the White House, Capitol Building, and federal courts. The bill also includes provisions to ensure continuity of benefits for District employees and to rename federal courts and legal references to "Federal District" instead of "District of Columbia." This legislation would fundamentally change the governance structure of Washington, D.C., while preserving the federal government's presence in the city.

Maddy summaryHR 3843, the Baseload Reliability Protection Act, prohibits the retirement or fuel-source conversion of certain large, reliable power plants (over 25 megawatts, not relying on intermittent renewables like solar/wind without storage) in areas designated as high or elevated risk for electricity shortages. It directly affects power plant operators in these high-risk regions, requiring them to maintain existing facilities unless they qualify for an exemption. Exemptions can be granted if operators demonstrate financial hardship, safety risks, or prove they’ll replace the plant with a comparable reliable unit, with potential federal grants or loans from the Department of Energy to cover operational costs. The bill explicitly blocks consideration of greenhouse gas emissions in exemption decisions and mandates standardized risk assessment criteria for identifying high-risk areas.

Maddy summaryHJRES 61 is a congressional resolution that formally disapproves an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rule setting new air pollution standards for rubber tire manufacturing. It directly affects tire manufacturers by blocking the EPA’s proposed rule (published November 29, 2024), which would have required them to meet specific limits on hazardous air pollutants. The resolution’s key mechanism is a formal congressional vote to nullify the rule, making it legally ineffective under Title 5, U.S. Code. This action stops the EPA rule from taking effect without creating new regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires federal agencies to incorporate bird-safe features in public buildings during construction, acquisition, or major facade renovations (over 50% alteration). It mandates the General Services Administration (GSA) to develop and regularly update a design guide with practical strategies - like specific glass treatments, lighting modifications, and maintenance practices - to reduce bird collisions. The guide must be shared with all federal agencies and included in annual compliance reports to Congress, which also require annual assessments of bird fatalities at federal buildings. Exemptions apply to historic sites like the White House, Supreme Court, and Capitol complex.

More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed Act or the MOMS Act This bill establishes requirements to enable the collection of certain child support during pregnancy, establishes grants for supportive services for women that promote alternatives to abortions, and requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a website with pregnancy resources other than those about abortions. Specifically, the bill requires states to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy under the Child Support Enforcement program. (The program enables states to receive federal matching funds for expenses related to child support enforcement activities and related services.) Such child support applies at the request of the mother and may be applied retroactively. Also, HHS must award grants to nonprofits to provide pregnant and postpartum women, and women parenting young children, with services or information on topics including health care (excluding abortions), child care, and employment assistance. It also requires HHS to provide grants to health care providers in rural or medically underserved areas, as well as tribal areas, to purchase equipment enabling telehealth visits for prenatal and postnatal care (e.g., monitoring devices). Additionally, the bill requires HHS to establish a public website to inform pregnant and postpartum women, and women parenting young children, of nearby services and resources on topics including health care, material or legal support, and alternatives to abortion. States must, as a condition of receiving certain federal funds, provide lists of nonprofit child placement agencies for potential inclusion on the site.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Visit America Act to require the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism to specifically identify and promote music tourism destinations both domestically and internationally. It directs the agency to highlight music-related attractions (like venues, studios, and museums) and events (such as festivals and concerts) in travel promotion efforts, including for international visitors. The bill also mandates annual reports to Congress on progress toward these tourism goals. It formally defines "music tourism" as travel to music-related sites or events, aligning with the bill's focus.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act to change how the Bureau of Land Management manages horse and burro populations. It requires using fertility control vaccines as the first priority method for population management, replacing previous steps. Crucially, it directs the Secretary to prioritize recruiting and training military veterans for these fertility control tasks, including through the PZP applicator certification program, with veterans receiving appropriate compensation. This directly affects wild horse and burro populations through new management methods and military veterans through new training and contracting opportunities under the program.

Nuclear Family Priority Act This bill imposes limits on various types of family-sponsored immigration visas. The non-U.S. national ( alien  under federal law) parents of U.S. citizens shall not qualify for visas for immediate relatives, which are not subject to any direct numerical limits. Currently, the spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of citizens are considered immediate relatives. The bill also creates a nonimmigrant visa for such parents of citizens. Such non-U.S. nationals shall not be eligible for employment or any public benefits. The bill also reduces the baseline annual cap for family-sponsored visas from 480,000 to 88,000, and revises the methods for calculating the cap. Currently, the 480,000 cap may be adjusted depending on various factors but shall not be less than 226,000. The bill eliminates preference allocations (visa categories subject to various annual caps) for various family-sponsored visas, including those for the siblings and married children of citizens. The bill provides for a preference allocation for the unmarried children under 21 and spouses of permanent residents, subject to the 88,000 annual cap.

Maddy summaryHRES 282 is a procedural resolution that sets rules for debating and voting on four specific legislative items in the House. It enables consideration of two resolutions disapproving Consumer Financial Protection Bureau rules (one on overdraft lending by large banks, another on digital payment apps), a bill limiting court injunctions (H.R. 1526), and a bill requiring U.S. citizenship proof for federal voting registration (H.R. 22). The resolution waives objections to these items and allocates one hour of debate for each, equally divided between committee chairs and ranking members. This resolution itself does not change policy but streamlines the process for the House to vote on the underlying bills and disapproval resolutions.