Sen. John Cornyn

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Edward J. Dwight, Jr. Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2025, authorizes Congress to award a gold medal to Edward J. Dwight, Jr., the first African American astronaut candidate in U.S. history, recognizing his service, his example of excellence amid racial discrimination during the Civil Rights Era, and his later contributions as a renowned sculptor. The Secretary of the Treasury will design and strike the medal, with duplicate bronze versions available for sale to cover production costs. The medal will be presented to Dwight or, if he is unavailable, to his heir, Curtis Christopher Dwight. This is a ceremonial honor with no direct policy impact beyond commemoration.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 91) commemorates the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine (launched February 24, 2022) and expresses U.S. Senate support for Ukraine. It symbolically affirms U.S. solidarity with Ukraine, rejects Russia's territorial seizures, reaffirms U.S. support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity within its 1991 borders, and encourages continued international efforts to counter Russian aggression. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or directly affect any individuals or groups but serves as a formal statement of congressional support for Ukraine.

Maddy summaryThe Small Business Investment Act of 2025 modifies tax rules to make gains from selling qualified small business stock (QSBS) more favorable for investors. It shortens the required holding period from five years to three years, with a phased exclusion: 50% of gains excluded after three years, 75% after four, and 100% after five years or more. The bill also allows investors to count the time they held convertible debt instruments toward the holding period for the stock they convert into, and removes the prior requirement that businesses must be C corporations, expanding the exclusion to include S corporations. These changes directly affect small business investors by altering the tax benefits available when selling qualifying stock.

Maddy summaryS 679 amends federal law to clarify that active and retired law enforcement officers meeting specific criteria can carry concealed firearms in more locations, including national parks and certain federal facilities like public areas of federal buildings. The bill requires retired officers to have completed recent firearms training (within 12-36 months) and provide certification from their former agency, state, or a certified instructor. It also specifies that these provisions do not apply to property used by common carriers (such as airports) or public property. These changes update the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 to expand officers' ability to carry concealed weapons under federal law.

Maddy summaryS 677, the Border Airport Fairness Act of 2025, would require the President to designate qualifying airports within 30 miles of the U.S. northern or southern border as official ports of entry. These airports must be primary airports (as defined by federal law) and formally connected to a border crossing or seaport within 30 miles, meeting U.S. Customs and Border Protection's established criteria. The bill's key provision removes user fees currently applied to these airports under the 1984 Trade and Tariff Act. This change directly affects eligible border-area airports by eliminating a specific fee obligation, streamlining their status as ports of entry.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits U.S. federal funds from supporting two international environmental agreements until specific reclassifications of China occur. It blocks funding for the Montreal Protocol (regarding ozone-depleting substances) until China is removed from the "developing country" category in that agreement, and blocks funding for the UN Climate Change Convention until China is added to Annex I (which lists developed nations). The restrictions remain in place until the President certifies to congressional committees that these reclassifications have been made by the relevant international bodies. The bill directly affects U.S. government funding for these global environmental programs.

Maddy summaryS 615, the Chemical Tax Repeal Act, repeals excise taxes on specific chemicals and substances currently levied under the Internal Revenue Code. It removes Subchapters B and C of Chapter 38 (which governed these taxes) from the tax code, directly affecting chemical manufacturers and distributors who paid these taxes. The repeal takes effect January 1, 2025, eliminating these specific tax obligations for affected businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows parents or guardians to place free credit freezes on their minor children's credit reports. It requires credit bureaus to act within 3 business days when receiving verified requests from a child's representative, including proof of identity and authority. The law mandates that bureaus notify other credit bureaus about the freeze request to ensure full coverage. The provisions take effect 18 months after the bill becomes law. This directly affects minors and their representatives seeking to prevent identity theft or fraudulent credit accounts in a child's name.

The resolution urges the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) to invoke the snapback of United Nations (UN) sanctions against Iran under UN Security Council Resolution 2231 before the option expires on October 18, 2025.  This resolution also (1) recognizes that Iran's possession of a nuclear weapon would threaten U.S. and global security, (2) condemns Iran's repeated violations of certain international commitments related to nuclear weapons, and (3) reaffirms that the United States maintains the right to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Maddy summaryThe Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2025 requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture to compensate poultry growers and egg-laying facility owners when their operations are in a USDA-designated "control area" (a zone established due to animal health threats like disease outbreaks). Compensation equals the average income from the owner's five most recent flocks multiplied by the number of flocks they were prohibited from raising during the control period, but cannot exceed the difference between this amount and any other compensation received. Payments must be made within 60 days of the owner's request. This bill directly assists poultry producers facing income loss due to USDA-mandated restrictions during disease control efforts.