Proposed legislation related to separation of powers: September 2, 2025 – October 31, 2025

Note #1: I am including executive communications here if an agency of the Executive Branch requests legislation. We cannot “see” which legislation they’ve requested. Congress is cagey about details.
But it's a tacit recognition that they don't have the authority to legislate and need representatives or senators to do so.

Note #2: There is overlap between this post and the previous one (August 23, 2025-September 19, 2025) due to timing of alerts.

S.2689 - District of Columbia Police Home Rule Act. To amend the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to repeal the authority of the President to assume emergency control of the police of the District of Columbia.
Introduced September 2, 2025 by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Cosponsored by ten Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders-VT). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
From the bill: Repeal of authority.—The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is amended by striking section 740 (sec. 1–207.40, D.C. Official Code).
Comment: This is not a toothless resolution. It’s an actual bill. It strikes the entire provision that grants the president of the United States of America 48-hour emergency control over the Metropolitan Police Department. I feel quite certain when this provision was written, no one foresaw that any US president would abuse the authority granted and essentially declare unlimited martial law over the capital of the United States of America.
I wish there had been a discharge petition to force a vote on the floor of the Senate.
Snarky comment: Sooo. On January 6, 2021, this provision was in full effect, and yet…

S.J.Res.75 - A joint resolution terminating the emergency determined by the President on August 11, 2025, in the Executive Order titled “Declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia.”
Introduced September 2, 2025 by Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Cosponsored by thirteen Democrats and one Independent (Bernie Sanders-VT). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
Here is the full text of the resolution:
“Whereas the President has failed to identify special conditions of an emergency nature that compel the use of the Metropolitan Police Department for Federal purposes in the District of Columbia;
“Whereas violent crime in the District of Columbia has declined for the past 2 years and currently stands at a 30-year low; and
“Whereas the Federal Government, in 2025, has prevented the District of Columbia from spending $1,000,000,000 of its own locally raised revenues—money that was budgeted for essential public safety purposes, including law enforcement, fire and emergency response services, and schools: Now, therefore, be it
“Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That pursuant to section 740(b) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act (sec. 1–207.40(b), D.C. Official Code), the emergency determined by the President on August 11, 2025, in the Executive order titled ‘Declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia’ is hereby terminated.”
Comment: That executive order is unadulterated BS. You could fertilize all the crops in the USA for ten years using that BS alone.

S.2837 - Protect America’s Workforce Act. To nullify certain Executive orders relating to exclusions from Federal labor-management relations programs.
Introduced September 17, 2025 by Mark Warner (D-VA). Cosponsored by 44 Democrats (including John Fetterman), 2 Republicans (Susan Collins-ME and Lisa Murkowski-AK), and 2 Independents (Bernie Sanders-VT and Angus King-ME). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
From the bill: Any collective bargaining agreement in effect as of March 26, 2025, between any agency in the executive branch of the Federal Government and any labor organization that is an exclusive representative of Federal employees shall have full force and effect through the stated term of the applicable agreement.
Comment: Except for the way the filibuster is abused in our current political climate, this bill would have almost stood a chance of passing.

S.J.Res.80 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to "National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision."
Introduced September 18, 2025 by Dan Sullivan (R-AK). Cosponsored by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).
Comment: This is an odd duck. It started out as H.Res.124 from September 18, 2025 and H.Res.879 from November 18, 2025. S.J.Res.80 (this resolution) passed the Senate on October 30, 2025 and was forwarded to the House on October 31, 2025.
After “holding it at the desk” for over two weeks,” the House smooshed together the two House resolutions plus this Senate resolution plus four House bills. The House “passed” the resolutions and bills all together on November 18, 2025 and sent them to the Senate on December 2, 2025.
The records for the smooshed-up bills and resolutions differ. Some say the Senate passed the whole kit and caboodle. Other action lists show received in Senate, but no vote.
It’s a puzzle. Somehow or another, Donald J. Trump signed the shmoozed-up mess into law (!) on December 5, 2025. And hell yes, I am writing my two Senators to find out what happened!
Here is the action list for S.J.Res.80. Here is the action list for H.R.1949, one of the bills in the mess.

H.Res.748 - Condemning attempts to use Federal regulatory power or litigation to suppress lawful speech, particularly speech critical of a political party or the President of the United States, and warning against the rise of authoritarianism.
Introduced September 19, 2025 by Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ). Cosponsored by 124 Democrats and no Republicans. Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce the same day. Still in committee.
Comment: Please please read this resolution. It is powerful. Yassamin Ansari calls out the FCC, the Department of Justice, and the president of the United States of America. Of course it will never make it out of committee.

S.J.Res.87 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management relating to “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness: Gulf of America.”
Introduced October 1, 2025 by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). No cosponsors. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day. Still in committee.

S.3005 - Non-Essential Workers Transparency Act. To require Executive agencies to submit reports to Congress and to the Office of Personnel Management regarding employees who are furloughed during any period during which there is a lapse in appropriations.
Introduced October 14, 2025 by Joni Ernst (R-IA). Cosponsored by Marsha Blackburn (R-TN). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs the same day. Still in committee.
Congress.gov summary: This bill requires federal agencies to submit reports to Congress and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) regarding employees who were furloughed during a lapse in appropriations (i.e, government shutdown), the total number of employees, and the cost of salaries. … The report must be submitted in an unclassified form, but it may include a classified annex. Each congressional committee that receives a report must publish the report on its website within 30 days. OPM must consolidate all of the reports submitted with respect to a lapse in appropriations and publish the consolidated report on its website.

S.J.Res.91 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management relating to “Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision.”
Introduced October 28, 2025 by Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Cosponsored by Dan Sullivan (R-AK).
On December 2, 2025, placed on Senate legislative calendar. December 3, 2025, Motion to proceed to consideration of measure agreed to in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote, 49 – 47. December 4, 2025, indefinitely postponed by Senate by unanimous consent.
Congress.gov summary: This joint resolution nullifies the rule submitted by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), issued on December 9, 2024, and related to the record of decision (ROD) for the program that leases, develops, produces, and transports oil and gas in and from the Coastal Plain program area within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
The 2024 ROD that is being nullified by this resolution replaced the 2020 ROD that made all of the approximately 1.6 million acres of the program area available for oil and gas leasing. The 2024 ROD adopted Alternative D2 in the 2024 Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement, which made approximately 1.2 million acres unavailable for leasing or exploration in order to protect and conserve resources and certain uses in these areas. However, the 2024 ROD requires the statutory minimum of 400,000 acres to be made available for oil and gas leasing in a specified lease sale, subject to certain stipulations and operating procedures. Under current law, those acres must be located in the areas with the highest potential for the discovery of hydrocarbons.
Comment: This makes my blood boil.

S.J.Res.93 - A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement relating to “Restoration of Names That Honor American Greatness; Gulf of America.”
Introduced October 28, 2025 by Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). No cosponsors. Referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources the same day. Still in committee.

EC2085 – October 28, 2025. From the Acting General Counsel, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, transmitting, pursuant to law, the report of a rule entitled “Removal of Regulations Limiting Authorizations to Proceed with Construction Activities Pending Rehearing,” received in the Office of the President of the Senate on October 27, 2025; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Comment: Is this regarding the White House East Wing? On the list of things to ask my Senators. If so, a nullification bill needs to be introduced.

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