Rep. Alma S. Adams

Maddy summaryHR 5667, the Pay Our Military Act, ensures continued pay and allowances for active-duty military members, reservists, Department of Defense civilians, and qualifying contractors during any government funding gap in fiscal year 2024. It appropriates funds from the Treasury to cover these payments if regular appropriations bills aren't passed before the end of the fiscal year. The funding automatically terminates once regular appropriations are enacted or by January 1, 2025, whichever comes first.

Maddy summaryThe Feed Our Families Act of 2023 ensures SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits continue for 90 days during the first government shutdown in any fiscal year after 2023. It appropriates emergency funds from the Treasury to cover SNAP operations without requiring new congressional approval during this period. The funds are held in reserve and used solely for SNAP program needs, such as food assistance payments. This directly affects low-income households relying on SNAP for food security during funding gaps.

Maddy summaryThis non-binding resolution (HRES 737) expresses the House's recognition of the link between firearm violence and intimate partner violence, highlighting that firearms are used in nearly 66% of intimate partner homicides and disproportionately impact Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic women. It commends domestic violence advocates and pledges to fund research on this intersection, while calling for specific policy actions like strengthening background checks (NICS), restricting firearm access for those under domestic violence restraining orders, and supporting survivor programs. The resolution also urges Congress to prioritize pending bills such as H.R. 905 and H.R. 715 to address this issue.

Maddy summaryThis bill replaces "Columbus Day" with "Indigenous Peoples’ Day" as the official federal holiday observed on the second Monday in October. It directly affects federal government operations and all federal documents, rules, or laws that previously referenced "Columbus Day" by automatically updating those references to "Indigenous Peoples’ Day" upon enactment. The key mechanism is a simple amendment to federal law (5 U.S.C. § 6103(a)) to change the holiday name and a provision ensuring all existing federal references to Columbus Day are legally treated as referring to Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead. This is a procedural change to federal holidays and references, not a new policy or program.

Maddy summaryThe Eviction Protection Act of 2023 establishes a new Office of Eviction Prevention within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This office, led by a career-appointed Director, will administer a new Eviction Protection Grant Program, coordinate eviction prevention strategies across federal agencies, and develop a national eviction database while protecting tenant privacy. The bill directly affects renters (including those in federally subsidized housing), housing providers receiving HUD assistance, and local governments through its focus on preventing both court-ordered evictions and illegal "self-help" evictions like lockouts or utility shutoffs. It authorizes $100 million annually for fiscal years 2024-2028 to fund the grant program and the office's operations, including technical assistance for grantees and tenant education initiatives.

Maddy summaryHR 5784 would provide federal grants to public schools (including Bureau of Indian Education schools) to make them more environmentally sustainable and equitable. It prioritizes schools in the most vulnerable communities (based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index) for full funding to become "healthy zero-carbon schools" through energy-efficient retrofits and new construction, while offering reduced funding for less vulnerable schools. The grants require community engagement in planning, mandate hiring from local communities with specific diversity goals, fund social services and mental health support, and include strict energy efficiency standards for all projects. The bill also includes funding for educational equity planning and climate resiliency programs to help schools serve as community centers during disasters.

Maddy summaryThe WIC for Kids Act expands eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) by adding new qualifying pathways. It allows children to qualify if they live in households where someone receives Head Start, Indian reservation food assistance, or Puerto Rico/Northern Mariana Islands nutrition block grants, and streamlines documentation by permitting states to use existing records. The bill extends certification periods for children from one to two years and automatically enrolls infants born to current WIC participants. This directly affects low-income families with children who qualify for related assistance programs but previously faced barriers to WIC access.

This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 133 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.

Maddy summaryThe Fair Credit for Farmers Act of 2023 provides temporary financial relief to eligible farmers and ranchers facing economic hardship. It allows eligible borrowers to defer principal and interest payments on direct farm loans for two years, with repayment extended by at least two additional years, and sets interest rates to zero percent during this period. The bill also waives fees on guaranteed farm loans for historically underserved farmers and ranchers (including limited resource, socially disadvantaged, beginning, and veteran farmers) for two years. Additionally, it includes reforms to improve transparency in loan decisions and provides equitable relief for applicants denied loans due to errors by the Farm Service Agency.

Maddy summaryThis bill extends the funding period for the Distance Learning and Telemedicine Program from 2023 to 2028. It directly affects rural communities by ensuring continued access to telehealth services and educational programs through this existing federal initiative. The key provision is a simple amendment to the program's authorization date in existing law, without creating new requirements or altering the program's scope. The change ensures uninterrupted support for rural healthcare and education providers relying on this funding.