Rep. Valerie P. Foushee

Maddy summaryHR 1990, the American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2025, amends tax rules for businesses to make research and development (R&D) costs more flexible. It allows companies to deduct R&D expenses immediately as business costs (instead of capitalizing them) or to spread these costs over a minimum 60-month period. The bill clarifies which R&D expenses qualify, excludes land improvements and mineral exploration costs, and ensures companies can claim R&D tax credits without conflict with expense treatment. This directly affects businesses that conduct R&D, changing how they account for these costs on tax returns starting for 2022 taxable years.

American Teacher Act This bill establishes grants to increase the minimum salary of public elementary and secondary school teachers. It also authorizes a national campaign regarding the value of the teaching profession. First, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award four-year grants to state educational agencies (SEAs) and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to establish a minimum annual salary of $60,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation) for these teachers. Second, the bill directs ED to award grants to eligible SEAs to provide cost-of-living adjustments to the annual base salary of teachers. Finally, the bill authorizes ED to carry out a national campaign to (1) increase awareness about the importance of teachers and the value of the teaching profession, (2) encourage secondary school and college students to consider teaching as a professional career, and (3) diversify the pool of individuals who enter the teaching profession.

Maddy summaryThis bill mandates that all new $20 U.S. currency printed after December 31, 2028, must prominently feature Harriet Tubman's portrait on the front. It requires the Treasury Secretary to release a preliminary design for this updated $20 bill by December 31, 2026. The bill directly affects the U.S. Treasury Department, codifying a 2016 announcement to feature Tubman on the $20 note (replacing Andrew Jackson) and ending a historical pattern where no woman had appeared on U.S. paper money.

Maddy summaryHR 1939, the U.S. Engagement in Sudanese Peace Act, requires the U.S. government to develop a comprehensive strategy supporting peace in Sudan, including sanctions on individuals responsible for atrocities and restrictions on arms sales to entities supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). The bill mandates reports on international crimes, violations of humanitarian aid access, and U.S. weapons used in Sudan, while directing the U.S. to advocate for unimpeded humanitarian access and support for Sudanese women and youth in peace processes. It establishes a Special Envoy for Sudan with a 5-year term and requires the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons who commit or enable genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity in Sudan. The legislation prohibits the sale of major defense equipment to countries supporting the RSF or SAF, with limited waiver authority, directly affecting U.S. foreign policy implementation and humanitarian efforts in Sudan.

Maddy summaryHR 1918, the Farewell to Foam Act of 2025, prohibits the sale of most foam food containers, packaging peanuts, and foam coolers starting January 1, 2028. It directly affects restaurants, grocery stores, food vendors, manufacturers, and retailers who sell these items, excluding medical coolers used for drugs or medical products. The bill imposes escalating civil penalties for violations: $250 for the second offense, $500 for the third, and $1,000 for fourth or subsequent violations, with reduced penalties for small businesses under specific revenue thresholds. Enforcement is led by the EPA Administrator, with states allowed to enforce under federal guidelines.

Maddy summaryHR 1938 requires the Department of Defense to request modifications to stormwater permits at military facilities, mandating quarterly monitoring of PFAS discharges and implementation of best management practices to reduce them. The bill directly affects all Department of Defense facilities subject to federal stormwater permits under the Clean Water Act. It allocates at least 1% of annual PFAS remediation funds specifically for testing stormwater runoff at these sites. The legislation focuses on preventing PFAS contamination in waterways by strengthening monitoring and reduction measures at military operations.

Maddy summaryHR 1876, the "Keeping Our Field Offices Open Act," prevents the Social Security Administration (SSA) from closing, consolidating, or restricting access to its field offices, hearing offices, or resident stations for 180 days after enactment, with exceptions for emergencies. The bill requires the SSA Commissioner to submit a detailed report to Congress by January 2029, analyzing closure criteria, transportation burdens for elderly/disabled users, cost-benefit impacts, and plans to replace lost services. For future closures, it mandates 120 days of public notice, two public hearings, and a final report to Congress, while ensuring total office numbers don’t fall below 2025 levels. This directly affects SSA field offices, their users (including elderly and disabled individuals), and employees. The bill’s key mechanism is a procedural safeguard to ensure transparency and minimize disruption before any office changes take effect.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by clarifying how to prove voting discrimination and expanding requirements for preclearance of voting changes. It establishes new standards for determining when voting practices dilute minority voting strength or deny/abridge voting rights, requiring plaintiffs to show specific conditions for vote dilution claims and including factors like historical discrimination and racial polarization in court analyses. The bill modifies the criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must seek preclearance for voting changes, and adds new transparency requirements for jurisdictions to publicly disclose changes to voting qualifications, polling locations, and election districts. It directly affects states and local governments that implement voting policies, particularly those with a history of voting rights violations or that make changes to voting qualifications, procedures, or district boundaries. The bill aims to prevent discriminatory voting practices by providing clearer standards for courts and requiring greater transparency in voting rule changes.

Maddy summaryThe Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025 strengthens workers' organizing rights by making it an unfair labor practice for employers to threaten permanent replacement of striking workers, discriminate against workers who support unions, or require employees to attend employer campaigns unrelated to their job duties. It expands the definition of "employee" to make it harder for companies to classify workers as independent contractors and requires employers to post notices about workers' rights in conspicuous locations. The bill establishes a new electronic voting system for union elections, creates a 90-day bargaining period before mediation can be requested, and increases penalties for violations of labor laws. These changes are intended to make it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate better wages and working conditions.

Maddy summaryHRES 188 is a resolution affirming the President's constitutional duty to comply with court orders, as established by landmark cases like *Marbury v. Madison* and *Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer*. It specifically calls on President Trump and his administration to adhere to recent court rulings blocking executive actions, such as those related to citizenship eligibility, federal funding freezes, and access to government payment systems. The resolution serves as a formal statement of the House's position on the separation of powers without creating new legal requirements or altering existing law.