Monday, December 22nd, 2025
Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans: The House passed H.R.6703 (216-211), which expands the ability of small businesses to establish association health plans and bars states from preventing small businesses from obtaining stop-loss insurance for self-funded health insurance plans; it codifies and expands rules governing employer-funded health reimbursement arrangements and allows employees in such arrangements to pay Affordable Care Act (ACA) premiums through salary reductions; it provides funding for ACA policy cost sharing reduction payments that reduce deductibles and copayments, except for ACA silver plans that cover abortion; and it seeks to reduce drug prices by requiring pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide transparency regarding prescription drug costs and the drug rebates they receive.
Protect Children’s Innocence: The House passed H.R.3492 (216-211), which would criminalize providing "gender-affirming care" to minors under the age of 18. The legislation would subject healthcare providers to felony charges and potential imprisonment for offering treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and certain surgeries to minors. The bill would also define sex as either female or male, determined by their specific reproduction functionalities at birth.
Do No Harm in Medicaid: The House passed H.R.498 (215-201), which prohibits federal Medicaid payment for specified gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18. The bill defines these procedures to mean those that are intended to change the body of an individual to no longer correspond to the individual's biological sex (male or female), including specified surgeries, implants, and medications (e.g., hormones).
Unaccompanied Migrant Children: The House passed H.R.4371 (225-201), which would require the Health and Human Services Department to screen unaccompanied migrant youth arriving in the US for criminal history and gang tattoos before they can be placed in foster care, with a relative, or released to a sponsor. The bill would require the department’s Office of Refugee Resettlement to place any minors older than 12 in a secure facility for the duration of their immigration proceedings if they’re determined to pose a risk to themselves or others. The bill was named after Kayla Hamilton who was killed by an illegal unaccompanied minor who was released into the country.
Hostilities Against Venezuela: The House failed to pass H.Con.Res.64 (211-213), which would direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.
Ending Boat Strikes: The House failed to pass H.Con.Res.61 (210-216), which aimed to end Venezuelan boat strikes by directing the President to stop “hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” unless authorized by Congress.
Power Plant Reliability: The House passed H.R.3632 (222-202), which aims to boost grid stability by giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) power to delay plant retirements, requiring 5-year notice for closures, and easing some environmental rules to keep essential power plants (like coal/gas) online, ensuring reliable affordable energy.
Reliable Power: The House passed H.R.3616 (225-203), which aims to prevent blackouts by giving the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authority to review federal regulations impacting the power grid, ensuring new rules don't jeopardize reliability, especially with growing energy demands from AI and data centers, and potentially slowing the premature closure of baseload power plants.
Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development: The House passed H.R.4776 (221-196), limits the scope of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and modifies the environmental review of major federal actions under NEPA to generally limit the number of federal actions that trigger NEPA review and to expedite the review process.
Mining Regulatory Clarity: The House passed H.R.1366 (219-198), which allows mining operators to use federal lands for activities ancillary to mining, such as waste disposal, regardless of whether those lands contain mineral deposits valuable enough to be mined (mineral validity).
Pet and Livestock Protection: The House passed H.R.845 (211-204), which directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020.
Congressional Award Program Reauthorization: The House passed S.284, which extends Congress's official youth recognition program, the Congressional Award, through Fiscal Year 2028, ensuring its continuity for young Americans (ages 14-23) achieving goals in service, personal development, fitness, and exploration.
