Proposed legislation related to separation of powers: November 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025

S.3191 - Stop Ballroom Bribery Act. To prevent corruption by appropriately limiting donations for any public property, building, or fixture at the White House, the Naval Observatory, or certain other public property, for events on such property, or for monuments to living current or former Presidents, current or former Vice Presidents, or current or former employees or officers appointed by the President.
Introduced November 18, 2025 by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Cosponsored by six Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: If I were ever to win a seat in the Senate (which, by the way, is not one of my goals!), I would shadow Elizabeth Warren my first three months. This woman understands how to write good legislation. If you want a pick-me-up, read this bill! No loopholes.

H.R.6221 - Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Act. To codify certain directives in the Executive Order entitled “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.”
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Zachary Nunn (R-IA). Cosponsored by two Democrats (Greg Landsman-OH and Eugene Vindman-VA) and two Republicans. Referred to Education and Workforce and Ways and Means the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: This is the EO the bill seeks to codify. Interesting to me that Nunn does not seek to codify the entire EO! -- Note too that Nunn had this bill ready to go less than a week after Trump's EO was published (November 13, 2025).

S.3403 - Building Resilience and Stronger Communities Act. To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require the President to provide assistance for predisaster hazard mitigation measures and adjust the Federal cost share for certain building resilient infrastructure and communities projects.
Introduced December 9, 2025 by Jack Reed (D-RI). Cosponsored by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: Reed’s introductory statements before submitting the bill can be read here.

H.R.6512 - To Empower American Families with Direct Control Over Healthcare Dollars, Codify President Trump's Proven Reforms for Flexibility and Choice, Prohibit Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Gender Transition Procedures, Eliminate Waste and Fraud in the Affordable Care Act, and Reject Extensions of Enhanced Subsidies to Insurance Companies. (No short title.)
Introduced December 9, 2025 by Andy Biggs (R-AZ). Cosponsored by Andrew Ogles (R-TN) and Andrew Clyde (R-GA). Referred to Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means and Education and Workforce and the Judiciary the same day. Still in committee.

H.Res.938 - Condemning the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey and committing to advancing reproductive justice and judicial reform.
Introduced December 9, 2025 by Adriano Espaillat (D-NY). No cosponsors. Referred to Judiciary and Energy and Commerce the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: If women’s rights or abortion rights are important to you, please read Espaillat’s resolution. It stands a snowball’s chance in Texas of getting the attention it deserves. His (!) arguments are sound and expressed well. We should keep our eye on this representative. He’s a 71-year-old Dominican-American who won Charlie Rangel’s seat in the 2016 election.

H.R.6731 - Restore Trust in Government Act. To amend chapter 131 of title 5 to prohibit Members of Congress, the President, Vice President, and their spouses and dependents from owning or trading stocks.
Introduced December 16, 2025 by Seth Magaziner (D-RI). Cosponsored by 38 Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to Oversight and Government Reform and House Administration and Ways and Means the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: Republicans talk a good game. They don’t mind resolutions on this topic. Give ‘em a bill and they’re nowhere to be found.

S.3520 - To prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from implementing a Forest Service rule relating to criminal prohibitions. (No short title.)
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Cynthia Lummis (R-WY). Cosponsored by John Barrasso (R-WY), John Curtis (R-UT), and Mike Lee (R-UT). Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: This reverses a Biden-era rule. You would not know that from clicking on the link to S.3520, because as of COB on January 9, 2026, the text of the bill still has not been uploaded to Congress.gov.
However, Lummis features it on her Senate Web site. She and her three Western colleagues take affront at the Biden-era rule that “granted the Forest Service authority to prosecute state law infractions including controlled substance and alcohol possession, providing alcohol to underage individuals, drug paraphernalia violations, and property offenses.”

S.3557 - To prohibit the use of Federal funds to implement the Executive order entitled “Ensuring a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence.” (No short title.)
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Edward Markey (D-MA). Cosponsored by nine Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders-VT). Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: Here is Trump’s Executive Order. This EO doubles down on his revocation of Biden’s attempts to put guardrails in place. Biden directed his agencies to look at cybersecurity, data privacy, and related issues. Already on January 23, 2025, Trump nullified almost four years of work.
The EO that Markey et al wish to defang would finalize the destruction of the last few remaining guardrails. Here is Markey’s statement: Trump’s lawless AI Executive Order is a direct threat to our children, to workers, to our planet, and to marginalized communities. While I am confident that the courts will strike down Trump’s illegal power grab, Congress has a responsibility to assert its legislative authority and block this Executive Order. I will be pushing for a vote on this legislation as part of any appropriations legislation and urge my colleagues to join me in defending the right of states to regulate AI.

H.R.6802 - To prohibit the administration, implementation, or enforcement by the Forest Service of the rule relating to “Law Enforcement; Criminal Prohibitions.” (No short title.)
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Celeste Maloy (R-UT). Cosponsored by six Republicans and no Democrats. Referred to the House Committee on Agriculture the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: Same as S.3520 above. It’s interesting to me that the only representatives and senators interested in this legislation hail from Western states. There are National Parks and National Forests in the other 47-48 states not represented by these sponsors. They have more common sense?

H.R.6831 - Stop Padding Presidential Pockets Act. To require reimbursement for costs associated with Presidential travel. (No short title).
Introduced December 17, 2025 by Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ). Cosponsored by three Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to Oversight and Government Reform and Judiciary and Ways and Means the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: As with all legislation introduced in mid-December, the texts of the bills have not been uploaded to congress.gov as of COB January 9, 2026. Luckily, Ms. Watson Coleman linked to the bill on her Web site. You can read the whole thing here.
And here are the five key points from her press release:

Require anyone who receives Secret Service protection and travels in furtherance of the business interests and financial benefits of the President to reimburse the treasury for costs incurred by the Government pertaining to that travel, including for the provision of Secret Service protection;
Amend the Federal Tort Claims Act so that no sitting president or their immediate family members can file or benefit from a claim while the president is in office;
Amend the Presidential Libraries Act so that the president and their immediate family cannot solicit gifts or donations for their future Presidential library and museum;
Require the President and Vice President to remove themselves from any of their personal business activity and put all their financial holdings into a blind trust; and,
Require the immediate family of the President and Vice President to provide quarterly reports of their financial holdings and refrain from joining boards of for-profit organizations.

Amazing work!

December 18, 2025 – December 31, 2025: No legislation.

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