Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Maddy summarySRES 629 is a ceremonial Senate resolution honoring Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., recognizing his lifelong leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and advocacy for justice, equality, and human rights. It specifically commemorates his work founding organizations like Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition, his presidential campaigns, and his role as a civil rights leader from the 1960s until his death on February 17, 2026. The resolution expresses the Senate's tribute to his legacy, commends his contributions to American society, and extends condolences to his family. As a non-binding resolution, it contains no policy changes or direct effects on legislation or constituents.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Fair Wages for Home Care Workers Act, would change federal labor rules to require overtime pay and minimum wage protections for certain babysitters who currently do not receive these benefits. It specifically targets casual babysitting jobs that are irregular or intermittent and not performed by individuals whose primary occupation is babysitting. The law would also clarify that trained medical professionals like nurses and home health aides remain exempt from these new requirements, ensuring the changes apply only to casual domestic caregivers. By amending the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, the bill aims to extend wage protections to a specific group of home care workers while maintaining existing exemptions for professional medical staff.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Secretary of State to investigate and report to Congress about the January 29, 2024, attack in Gaza City that killed 5-year-old Hind Rajab and two paramedics, specifically examining whether the incident involved war crimes and the use of U.S.-origin weapons. It mandates that if credible evidence suggests the attack constituted war crimes involving U.S. weapons, personnel, or training, the Secretary must refer the matter to the Attorney General for potential prosecution under U.S. law. The legislation also directs the State Department to compile a detailed report within 45 days covering the identities of involved Israeli units, their motivations, any U.S. actions taken, and whether the incident meets the legal threshold for a gross human rights violation that could affect U.S. military aid. Additionally, the bill expresses congressional support for compensation to the victims' families from the Israeli government and the U.S. government if U.S. weapons were involved.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act, proposes two main tax changes: it creates an alternative maximum tax rate of 25.5% for low- and middle-income individuals earning less than 175% of a cost-of-living exemption, and it imposes a progressive surcharge on high-income individuals earning over $1 million. The low-income provision calculates taxes based on income above a living expense threshold that adjusts annually with inflation, while the high-income surcharge applies rates of 5%, 10%, and 12% to income brackets above $1 million, $2 million, and $5 million respectively. Both provisions use modified adjusted gross income as the base for calculations and apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025. The bill would directly affect individual taxpayers by altering how their income is taxed under the Internal Revenue Code.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act, would create a new tax credit for eligible individuals in 2026, providing $600 per adult and $600 per qualifying child. The credit is limited to taxpayers with adjusted gross income below $180,000 for joint filers, $120,000 for heads of household, and $90,000 for other filers. The legislation states that the revenue for these rebates would come from tariffs described as unlawful, including those imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Payments would be issued rapidly after enactment, with no interest allowed on the refunds, and the bill includes provisions for coordinating payments with U.S. territories.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Failed Bank Executives Clawback Act, would give the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and federal regulators the authority to recover compensation from executives and other high-level personnel at banks that have failed. It directly affects directors, officers, controlling stockholders, and other individuals found primarily responsible for a bank's failure at institutions with over $10 billion in assets. The law would require these individuals to return bonuses, stock awards, and other compensation received in the three years before the bank's insolvency or resolution, with recovered funds going into the Deposit Insurance Fund. Additionally, the bill clarifies the Corporation's authority to take over certain financial companies regardless of how the takeover process was initiated.

Reclaim Trade Powers Act This bill repeals the statute that directs the President to take certain actions, such as imposing a tariff of up to 15% for up to 150 days on articles imported into the United States, when necessary to address large and serious U.S. balance-of-payments deficits or certain other situations that present fundamental international payments problems.

Maddy summaryThis bill would require the U.S. Treasury to produce and sell three types of commemorative coins honoring firefighters and the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial. The legislation authorizes the minting of up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins, all featuring designs that recognize firefighter service and sacrifice. All coins would be legal tender, but they would be sold at a price that covers production costs plus a surcharge, with the surcharge funds going to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. The coins would only be available for purchase during a one-year window starting in 2029, and the Treasury must ensure the program does not result in a net cost to the federal government.

Living Donor Protection Act of 2025 This bill prohibits life insurance, disability insurance, and long-term insurance carriers from denying or otherwise restricting coverage for living organ donors. Specifically, carriers may not deny, cancel, vary premiums, or otherwise impose conditions on policies based on an individual's status as a living organ donor. The bill also expressly specifies that recovery from organ-donation surgery constitutes a serious health condition that entitles eligible employees to job-protected medical leave. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must update educational materials on living organ donation to include information about the benefits and risks of living organ donation and the impact of donation on insurance access, particularly with respect to the bill's changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill, titled the Small Business Liberation 2.0 Act, exempts small businesses from import duties imposed under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 and requires refunds of any such duties already paid by small businesses. It also prohibits companies from raising prices on affected goods by more than the cost of the duties themselves during a five-year period following duty implementation. The Federal Trade Commission would enforce these rules, with state attorneys general allowed to bring civil actions against violators, while small businesses remain exempt from the price gouging restrictions.