Rep. Jamie Raskin

Maddy summaryHR 82, the Social Security Fairness Act of 2023, repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain government workers. It eliminates the Government Pension Offset (GPO), which cuts spousal or survivor benefits for people with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security (like federal or state government roles), and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), which lowers retirement benefits for those with similar pensions. The law takes effect for benefits paid after December 2023, requiring the Social Security Administration to adjust benefit calculations to remove these reductions. This change directly affects public-sector employees who previously had their Social Security benefits reduced due to their government pensions.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 340 South Loudon Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, as the "United States Representative Elijah E. Cummings Post Office Building." It updates all federal references in laws, documents, and records to reflect this new name. The bill honors former U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD), who served from 2007 until his passing in 2019, and became law on January 4, 2025.

Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for the establishment of the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, and its admission into the United States. The state is composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia (DC), excluding a specified area that encompasses the U.S. Capitol, the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court building, federal monuments, and federal office buildings adjacent to the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol. The excluded territory shall be known as the Capital and serve as the seat of the government of the United States, as provided for in Article I of the Constitution. The state may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. The bill provides for the DC Mayor to issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the state. The bill eliminates the office of Delegate to the House of Representatives. The bill applies current DC laws to the state. DC judicial proceedings and contractual obligations shall continue under the state’s authority. The bill also provides for specified federal obligations to transfer to the state upon its certification that it has funds and laws in place to assume the obligations. These include maintaining a retirement fund for judges and operating public defender services.  The bill establishes a commission that is generally comprised of members who are appointed by DC and federal government officials to advise on an orderly transition to statehood.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 6826) renames the visitor and education center at Fort McHenry National Monument in Baltimore, Maryland (located at 2400 E Fort Ave) as the "Paul S. Sarbanes Visitor and Education Center." It directly affects the physical location and all official references to the center in government documents, maps, or regulations. The bill makes no substantive policy changes - its sole purpose is to honor former U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes through this permanent naming designation. The resolution was passed by Congress and signed into law on December 23, 2024.

Maddy summaryHR 1727, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park Commission Extension Act, extends the expiration date of the commission overseeing the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The bill amends Section 6(g) of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Development Act (16 U.S.C. 410y-4(g)) to change the commission's end date from an unspecified year to October 1, 2031. This procedural extension does not alter the park's management policies or create new obligations; it simply prolongs the commission's existing mandate. The bill was enacted on December 23, 2024, after passing both the House and Senate in 2024.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 1097 (Everett Alvarez, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023), authorizes the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr., in recognition of his service as a U.S. Navy pilot and Vietnam War prisoner of war. It directly honors Alvarez, who was the first U.S. pilot shot down in the Vietnam War, spent over 8.5 years in captivity, and later served in the Peace Corps and Veterans Administration. The bill’s key mechanism is directing the U.S. Mint to strike a gold medal bearing his name and image, with bronze duplicates available for sale to cover costs. It does not create new policies or affect any group beyond the honoree.

Maddy summaryThe Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2024 modernizes federal cybersecurity by requiring agencies to implement continuous security risk assessments, adopt zero trust architecture, and conduct regular penetration testing. It establishes new requirements for agencies to report major incidents to Congress within 72 hours and notify affected individuals within 45 days of discovering a breach. The bill creates a new Federal Chief Information Security Officer position to oversee agency cybersecurity efforts and coordinates with the National Cyber Director. It also mandates improved information sharing between agencies and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), along with enhanced vulnerability disclosure processes for contractors and awardees.

Maddy summaryHR 10478, the Protecting Foster Youth Resources Act, prevents states from using Social Security and SSI benefits meant for foster youth to cover foster care costs. The bill requires states to screen foster children for potential eligibility for these benefits and develop individualized plans to manage benefits for unmet needs like education, housing, and employment. States must provide annual accounting to foster youth about how assets were used for their care and manage benefits through representative payees according to these plans. The bill applies to benefits under Social Security (Title II) and Supplemental Security Income (Title XVI) programs, with specific requirements for states to implement by certain deadlines.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits financial markets from listing or trading any contracts tied to election outcomes. It bans agreements, transactions, or swaps involving political elections or contests (including related indexes or data) through registered entities like exchanges. The law directly affects financial platforms and market participants by making election betting or prediction markets illegal. It creates a clear regulatory barrier preventing these financial instruments from being offered or traded. The change applies to all election-related financial products under the Commodity Exchange Act.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes federal governance requirements for artificial intelligence systems used by government agencies. It requires agencies to create detailed AI governance charters for high-risk systems, including information about development, training data, and how the system is used. Agencies must provide plain language notifications to individuals affected by AI-driven decisions and maintain public inventories of AI systems through a Federal AI System Inventory. The bill creates a new oversight role within the Office of Management and Budget and mandates regular evaluations of agency AI governance practices. These requirements apply to all federal agencies and their contractors using AI systems that make decisions affecting individuals.