Sen. Cory A. Booker

Maddy summaryThis bill enhances the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help more families afford childcare. It increases the credit percentage to 50% for lower-income families (up from 35%), raises the income threshold for full credit ($125,000 to $400,000 phaseout), and doubles the maximum credit amounts ($3,000/$6,000 to $8,000/$16,000 for one/two or more children). The credit becomes refundable for qualifying families, meaning those who owe little or no income tax can receive the full credit as a refund. It also includes annual inflation adjustments to maintain the credit's value over time.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits new oil and gas exploration, development, and production on the federal outer continental shelf off California, Oregon, and Washington. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to block the Secretary from issuing any new leases or authorizations in four specific planning areas: Washington/Oregon, Northern California, Central California, and Southern California. These areas are defined by the 2023 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing program. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to operate in these coastal zones, preventing new federal leasing activities.

Maddy summaryThe FIGHT Act of 2025 amends the Animal Welfare Act to ban gambling on animal fighting events (including broadcasts), prohibit transporting roosters (defined as male chickens over 6 months old) for fighting, and make it illegal to sponsor, exhibit, or allow minors under 16 to attend such events. It allows citizens to file civil lawsuits to stop violations after 60 days' notice to authorities, with fines up to $5,000 per violation. The law also permits seizure of property used to facilitate violations, such as land or buildings. It does not override state or local laws on animal fighting unless there is a direct conflict.

Climate Change Financial Risk Act of 2025 This bill addresses climate change risk and its potential impact on the financial system. The Federal Reserve Board must develop financial risk analyses relating to climate change for certain large nonbank financial companies and bank holding companies. Specifically, these entities must be evaluated every two years on whether they have the capital necessary to absorb financial losses that would arise under several different climate change risk scenarios. In response to the results of the evaluation, entities must develop and submit for approval a climate risk resolution plan. The plan must include a capital policy with respect to climate risk planning and targets to remedy identified vulnerabilities. If the plan is not approved, the entity’s ability to make capital distributions is restricted.  The bill also establishes the Climate Risk Scenario Technical Development Group to provide recommendations to the board regarding climate change risk scenarios, and determine the financial and economic risks of these scenarios. The board must develop a survey to assess (1) the ability of other large financial institutions to withstand each scenario, (2) which surveyed entities have activities in geographical areas or industries that are significantly exposed to the impacts of climate change, and (3) how these surveyed entities plan to adapt to risks presented in each scenario.

Maddy summaryThe Housing for All Act of 2025 is a comprehensive federal housing bill that allocates significant funding to address housing shortages and homelessness. It provides $45 billion for the Housing Trust Fund, $40 billion for the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and expands housing choice vouchers by 500,000 in 2025 with annual increases to 1 million by 2028, prioritizing individuals at risk of homelessness. The bill establishes a Racial Equity Commission to examine structural racism in housing and creates new programs including safe parking initiatives, eviction protection grants, and mobile crisis intervention teams. It directly affects vulnerable populations including people with disabilities, racial minorities, elderly individuals, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness or housing instability. The legislation also requires a GAO report on eviction data and promotes inclusive transit-oriented development to enhance climate resilience.

Maddy summaryThe COAST Anti-Drilling Act of 2025 prohibits new oil and gas leasing in four specific coastal planning areas of the outer Continental Shelf: the North Atlantic, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Straits of Florida. It amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require the Secretary not to issue any leases or authorizations for exploration or production in these areas. The bill directly affects oil and gas companies seeking to develop resources in these coastal regions by blocking new federal leasing activities. This policy change prevents future drilling permits in these designated zones, as defined in the 2023 Bureau of Ocean Energy Management leasing program.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits "reverse payment" agreements where brand-name drug companies pay generic or biosimilar manufacturers to delay entering the market, which harms competition. It creates a presumption that such agreements are anticompetitive if a generic or biosimilar company receives value in exchange for delaying market entry, with exceptions for standard settlements involving early market entry rights or reasonable litigation expenses. The bill amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to enforce this new prohibition and requires certification of such agreements, aiming to enhance competition and lower drug costs for consumers. This would directly affect brand-name drug companies, generic manufacturers, and biosimilar biological product manufacturers.

Maddy summaryThe Stop STALLING Act empowers the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to take action against pharmaceutical companies that submit "sham" petitions under drug approval processes. Specifically, it targets petitions that are objectively baseless and used to delay generic drug approvals, directly affecting drug manufacturers filing such petitions. The bill establishes civil penalties of up to $50,000 per day or the revenue earned from the delayed drug during the petition's review period. It creates a presumption of "sham" status if the Health Secretary determines a petition was filed primarily to delay approval, with companies able to rebut this presumption. The law does not alter FDA drug approval rules but adds FTC enforcement for unfair competition tactics.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 168) expresses the U.S. Senate's support for the "Rise Up for LGBTQI+ Youth in Schools Initiative," which calls on communities to demand equal educational opportunities, civil rights protections, and inclusion for LGBTQI+ students in K-12 schools. It specifically highlights the need to address anti-LGBTQI+ policies in states - including restrictions on sports participation, bathroom access, and classroom curricula - and cites research showing these policies harm students' mental health, academic performance, and sense of safety. The resolution urges states and localities to adopt inclusive policies like anti-bullying protections and gender-neutral dress codes to create affirming school environments. It does not create new laws but serves as a symbolic endorsement of efforts to combat discrimination against LGBTQI+ youth, particularly transgender, nonbinary, and students of color.

Maddy summaryThe GOSAFE Act prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of gas-operated semi-automatic firearms and large capacity ammunition feeding devices (those holding more than 10 rounds). It defines gas-operated firearms as those using gas pressure to cycle the action and requires the Attorney General to publish a list of prohibited firearms within 180 days. The bill includes exemptions for single-shot weapons, muzzle-loaders, firearms with permanently fixed magazines under 10 rounds, and certain other specific types. Manufacturers must now seek approval for new semi-automatic firearms through a process requiring detailed documentation, and the bill establishes a Firearm Safety Trust Fund to cover administrative costs. Violations of these provisions can result in fines up to $5,000 or up to 12 months in prison.