Sen. Bernard Sanders

Maddy summaryThe Measuring the Cost of Disasters Act of 2025 requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create and maintain a public database and webpage tracking U.S. billion-dollar disasters. The database will include each disaster’s estimated total cost, type (e.g., hurricane, wildfire), location, dates, and visual maps showing trends over time - similar to a previously available NOAA tool. NOAA must update this resource twice yearly as new data becomes available, using existing federal and non-federal partnerships. This policy change makes historical disaster cost data publicly accessible for research and transparency, without altering disaster response or funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis bill would make several administrative changes to the Social Security Administration, including exempting it from the jurisdiction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and certain executive orders, restricting political appointees from accessing beneficiary data systems, and preventing closure of field offices while requiring maintenance of staff levels. It also creates new offices within the SSA for civil rights, transformation, and analytics, and provides additional funding for administrative costs and customer experience improvements. These provisions would directly affect how the SSA manages its operations, protects beneficiary data, and delivers services to beneficiaries. The bill's title is misleading as it does not address billionaires or their relationship with Social Security.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds striking workers to the eligibility pool for unemployment insurance. It amends federal tax law (Internal Revenue Code §3304(a)) to allow workers unable to work due to labor disputes - like strikes or lockouts - to receive benefits starting 14 days after the dispute begins, or at specific triggers such as when an employer hires permanent replacements. It also removes work availability requirements for these workers under the Social Security Act. The policy directly affects workers participating in labor disputes who lose income due to strikes or lockouts.

Maddy summarySRES 374 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lacks the confidence of the Senate and American people to serve in his role. The resolution cites specific actions including the termination of $11 billion in public health funding, mass firings of scientists (notably eliminating 8 Offices of Minority Health), replacing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) with critics of vaccines, and dismantling programs supporting maternal health, disability services, and chronic disease research. It alleges these actions violated federal law, undermined scientific integrity, and endangered public health during a measles outbreak. The resolution calls for the Secretary’s removal but has no legal effect, as it is a symbolic statement of disapproval.

Maddy summaryThe Nationwide Right To Unionize Act (S 2729) would repeal a federal law provision allowing states to enact "right-to-work" laws, which typically prevent unions from requiring workers to pay dues as a condition of employment. By removing this state-level exception, the bill would make it illegal for any state to have right-to-work laws, meaning workers in unionized workplaces across all 50 states could be required to pay union dues if their union and employer agree. This directly affects workers, unions, and employers in every state, particularly in the 27 states currently with right-to-work laws. The bill does not change existing union security agreements but eliminates state-level alternatives that restrict union dues collection.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds a new tax deduction for student loan payments to the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008. It allows households to deduct monthly student loan payments made by any household member, covering both federal loans under the Higher Education Act and qualifying private loans. The deduction applies at household certification or recertification points for programs like SNAP, but only for payments not covered by third parties. It directly affects households with student loan debt seeking to reduce their taxable income through this specific tax provision. The change takes effect 180 days after the bill's enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 75) terminates the President's emergency declaration from August 11, 2025, which had allowed federal use of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., under an "emergency" related to crime. It directly affects the District of Columbia's local governance by ending a federal emergency status that had been in place since 2025. The resolution cites declining violent crime (at a 30-year low) and the federal government's prevention of D.C. from spending $1 billion in locally raised funds for public safety and emergency services. It formally ends the emergency under Section 740(b) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, without creating new policies or altering funding mechanisms.

Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a provision allowing the President to assume emergency control of the District of Columbia's police force. It directly affects the District of Columbia government and its police department by removing the federal override power during emergencies. The key mechanism is eliminating Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, which previously permitted the President to take temporary control of DC police operations. The change shifts full emergency management authority over police to local DC leadership. This is a procedural adjustment to the existing Home Rule framework.

Maddy summaryS 2688, the District of Columbia National Guard Home Rule Act, transfers authority over the District of Columbia National Guard from federal officials to the Mayor of Washington D.C. It updates federal and local laws by replacing all references to "President of the United States" or "Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard" with "Mayor of the District of Columbia" in provisions governing command, appointments, and operations. This procedural bill directly affects the District's National Guard structure and the Mayor's role in its management. The changes align DC's National Guard governance with its home rule status under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.

Maddy summaryThe Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2025 establishes a National Integrated Heat Health Information System and an interagency committee to coordinate federal efforts addressing extreme heat health risks. The bill authorizes $20 million annually for the system and $10-$30 million annually for community resilience programs, with at least 40% of funds directed to communities with environmental justice concerns or low-income communities. It requires a strategic plan for improving heat-health data collection and coordination across federal agencies, and mandates a study to identify gaps in heat information and response capabilities. The legislation aims to improve planning, preparedness, and response to extreme heat events, particularly for vulnerable populations who face disproportionate heat risks, including elderly individuals, outdoor workers, and communities of color.