Political Awareness

National Policy Roundup is a section to explain what legislation is currently being considered in Congress, the cases held by the Supreme Court, and actions taken by the Executive branch each week.

The goal of this column is to break down this important legislation to help our readers better understand how current happenings in the federal government can and will affect their lives, as well as what they can do to help influence their representatives’ actions. 

Bills of Note Coming to the Floor in Congress~

H.R. 900: Sinkhole Mapping Act of 2025

The House Majority Leader indicated on June 30, 2025, that this bill may be considered in the week ahead.

Summary of bill: 

A bipartisan piece of legislation, the bill directs the U.S. Geological Survey to conduct studies on the short- and long-term mechanisms that potentially contribute to the triggering of sinkholes. 

This includes extreme storm events and prolonged droughts, leading to shifts in water management practices. In addition, the bill addresses ongoing aquifer depletion and other major changes in water use.

The Sinkhole Mapping Act will also direct the director of the USGS to open a public website that displays maps depicting zones at greater risk of sinkhole formation, giving community planners and first responders access to critical information.

Sponsor: 

Darren Soto: Sponsor. Representative for Florida’s 9th congressional district. Democrat.

H.R. 1766: NTIA Policy and Cybersecurity Coordination Act

The House Majority Leader indicated on June 30, 2025, that this bill may be considered in the week ahead.

Summary of bill: 

To amend the National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act to establish the Office of Policy Development and Cybersecurity, and for other purposes.

This bill places further requirements on the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, directing efforts to examine and report on the cybersecurity of mobile service networks and their vulnerabilities. 

The report must include, among other items: 

(1) an assessment of the degree to which mobile service providers have addressed certain cybersecurity vulnerabilities; 

(2) a discussion of the degree to which these providers have implemented cybersecurity best practices and risk assessment frameworks; and 

(3) an estimate of the prevalence and efficacy of encryption and authentication algorithms and techniques.

Sponsor:

Greg Landsman: Sponsor. Representative for Ohio’s 1st congressional district. Democrat.

Bills Passed by Either House~

Update: 

H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Passed Congress July 3rd, 2025

On Tuesday, the Senate narrowly passed a version of H.R. 1: One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It passed 51-50, requiring Vice President J.D. Vance to break the tie. 

On Thursday, following an 8-hour speech from house minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, the House passed the Senate version with one Republican vote in protest.

Summary of bill: 

This One Big Beautiful Bill lives up to its name—it is, indeed, one big and sweeping piece of legislation. The final version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act spans over 1,000 pages, outlining $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and an estimated $3.3 trillion increase in the federal deficit over the next decade. While the bill includes a wide range of policy changes, it remains fundamentally a massive tax cut package, reflecting former President Trump’s campaign promise to make his 2017 tax cuts permanent.

The Senate ultimately removed parts of the bill from the House version, which would have forced the sale of public lands and paused state regulations on AI. 

The very long and largely encompassing bill includes: 

• New work requirements for some able-bodied adults and more frequent eligibility checks.
• Steeper cuts to Medicaid funding, in part by incrementally lowering provider taxes (a tax that states levy on certain healthcare providers, such as hospitals and nursing homes, to help fund their portion of the Medicaid program) from 6% to 3.5% by 2032.
• Citing fears for rural hospital survival after tax cuts, the Senate introduced a rural hospital stabilization fund, allocating another $50 billion for rural hospitals over the same period that the provider taxes would be lowered. Effectively, this helps make up for the problem created in the same bill. 
• Increases to homeland security and immigration

The bill allocates: 

• $46.5 billion for border wall construction and related expenses.
• $45 billion to expand detention capacity for immigrants in custody.
• $30 billion in funding for hiring, training, and other resources for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
• A $100 fee for those seeking asylum. 

Restrictions on food stamps: 

• Starting in 2028, the federal government will fully fund benefits for states with error rates below 6%, while states with higher rates must cover 5% to 15% of costs, with some flexibility in how their share is calculated.
• The package matches the House bill in raising the SNAP work requirement age for able-bodied adults from 54 to 64, with some exemptions for parents. 
• Alaska and Hawaii may receive waivers, but only if they demonstrate a “good faith effort” to comply.

Addressing the debt limit

• The legislation would raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, going beyond the $4 trillion outlined in the House-passed bill. Congress faces a deadline to address the debt limit later this summer.

Child tax credit

• The current $2,000 child tax credit is set to return to the pre-2017 level of $1,000 in 2026. 
• The tax credit would permanently increase to $2,200 under the Senate bill, $300 less than the House-passed hike. The House version reverts the increase to $2,000 after 2028.

Taxes on tips: 

• The “no tax on tips” provision in the spending bill would create a new deduction for tipped workers, eliminating what they owe in federal income tax. Tipped workers would still have to pay state and local income tax and payroll taxes

Education & Student Debt

• The bill halts implementation of President Biden’s broad student loan forgiveness plan, which aimed to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for eligible borrowers.
• The bill eliminates or modifies the Biden administration’s SAVE plan, which significantly lowered monthly payments and shortened forgiveness timelines for low-income borrowers.
• Graduate School Borrowing Caps: To address concerns about unlimited borrowing for graduate programs (which can drive up tuition), the bill imposes strict new borrowing caps:

• Standard graduate programs:

$20,500 per year, with a maximum cap of $100,000 total in federal loans.

• Professional programs (e.g., law, medicine, dentistry):

$50,000 per year, up to a lifetime cap of $200,000.

• Universal cap:

No individual may borrow more than $257,500 in federal student loans total, regardless of degree type.

Pell Grant Policy Changes 

• 1. No Increase in Maximum Pell Grant
• The bill freezes the maximum Pell Grant award at current levels (~$7,395/year for 2024–25), blocking any automatic inflation adjustments or scheduled increases supported by the Biden administration.
• This effectively halts recent momentum to expand the grant’s value to better match rising tuition and cost of living.
• 2. Pell for Short-Term Programs 
• The Senate version dropped provisions from earlier drafts that would have expanded Pell eligibility to short-term job training programs (less than 15 weeks), a bipartisan idea supported by both parties in previous sessions.
• The exclusion signals a focus on cost containment rather than expansion.

It would also instate “Trump savings accounts”. These savings accounts would 

• Would allow parents to open them for their newborn children 
• The contribution limit would be $5000 per year 
• The government would contribute $1000 for each child 

Supporters Say:

The bill revitalizes Trump-era economic policies.

• Extending the 2017 tax cuts for individuals and small businesses encourages growth, job creation, and investment.
• Restoring full business deductions (e.g., R&D and bonus depreciation) is viewed as pro-innovation and pro-worker.

It reins in government spending.

• Supporters say the bill curbs the long-term growth of entitlement programs like Medicaid, SNAP, and student loan forgiveness to avoid “unsustainable” deficits.
• Tying benefits to work requirements is framed as promoting self-reliance and reducing dependency.

The legislation strengthens national security and border control.

• The bill includes $150 billion for defense enhancements and mass deportation operations, which proponents argue is necessary to address immigration surges and foreign threats.

Trump’s policy empowers parents and builds generational wealth.

• The new “Trump Accounts” (child savings accounts) are touted as a way for working families to build financial security for their children through investment.

It eliminates “wasteful” green subsidies.

• By repealing many clean energy tax credits, supporters argue the bill prioritizes energy independence and removes favoritism toward “unproven” renewable sectors.

The bill aligns with conservative values.

• Bans on funding gender-affirming care, defunding Planned Parenthood, and education reforms reflect what supporters call a “return to traditional American priorities.”

Opponents Say:

It gives massive tax breaks to the wealthy.

• Critics say 80%+ of the benefits from tax extensions go to the top 10% of earners, worsening inequality and ballooning the national debt.
• It adds an estimated $3.3 trillion to the deficit over 10 years, per independent budget analysts.

The policy guts the social safety net.

• The bill cuts over $900 billion from Medicaid, scales back food aid (SNAP), and ends Biden’s student debt relief plan.
• According to critics, this will hurt low-income families, students, and seniors, especially in rural and underserved communities.

It attacks clean energy.

• Rolling back electric vehicle incentives and solar/wind tax credits is seen as a major setback to climate goals, while doubling down on fossil fuels.

It’s ideologically extreme.

• Wary of imposed far-right ideology, critics oppose the bill’s restrictions on gender-affirming care and Planned Parenthood funding.

It risks education access.

• Capping graduate loans and pausing forgiveness is seen as making higher education less accessible, especially for lower-income students seeking advanced degrees.

The “Trump Accounts” mostly benefit the wealthy.

• Critics say that while $1,000 is symbolic, real long-term gains require families to contribute thousands more, which only middle- and upper-income households can afford.

In Summary:

Supporters frame the bill as a bold conservative overhaul of taxes, spending, and government priorities. Opponents see it as a regressive, partisan wish list that cuts deeply into public services while enriching the wealthy and corporations.

Legislation of Note from the Supreme Court~

Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission (No. 24‑154), 

Decided June 5, 2025:

Case Overview:

• Parties: Catholic Charities Bureau, Inc. (and sub-entities) v. Wisconsin Labor & Industry Review Commission and state officials.
• Legal Question: Does the First Amendment require Wisconsin to grant unemployment-tax exemptions to religiously motivated charities, even if their work is secular and non-proselytizing?
• Decision: Unanimous (9–0). The Supreme Court held that Wisconsin violated the Free Exercise and Establishment Clauses by denying the exemption based on theological standards, reversing the state’s high court

Holding & Significance

• Holding: Wisconsin must apply its religious exemption without discriminating against mission-driven charities based on theology.

Legal Impact:

• Clarifies that religious motivations, even in secular service, satisfy free exercise protections.
• As a prerequisite for exemption, the case prevents states from imposing religious-content tests.
• Sets a precedent for faith-based agencies and nonprofits nationwide to claim neutral treatment in tax and regulatory contexts.

Executive Actions of Note~

Revoked Syria Sanctions

• President Trump signed an executive order on June 30, 2025, officially revoking broad economic sanctions against Syria. However, targeted sanctions against the Assad regime, Iranian-backed militias, ISIS affiliates, and human rights violations remain in place. The order directs the State Department to review the partial or full suspension of sanctions under the Caesar Act. This marks a strategic shift aimed at reconfiguring U.S. policy in the region while maintaining pressure on key hostile actors.

Pipeline Permits Approved

• On the same day, the White House authorized several presidential permits for critical pipeline infrastructure projects. These include the Junction Pipeline crossing from Montana into Canada, the South Bow and Steel Reef Pipelines in North Dakota, and an expansion of the Eagle Pass – Camino Real bridge crossing in Texas. These permits reflect an ongoing push to bolster domestic energy independence and cross-border trade.

National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-5) Issued

• The Administration issued NSPM-5 on June 30, 2025. While details remain classified, the memorandum is believed to set forth directives related to national cybersecurity, intelligence-sharing protocols, or foreign intelligence operations, underscoring heightened executive focus on national security in the digital era.

Tariff Expansion Pending

• Officials have announced plans to impose new tariffs next week targeting nations deemed not to be negotiating “in good faith” with the United States on trade agreements. Key allies such as Japan and the European Union are currently granted temporary exemptions, allowing for continued dialogue. This move signals a more aggressive trade posture, with officials advocating for additional protection for American industries.

5. Suspension of Munitions Shipments to Ukraine

• The Pentagon, backed by White House policy, suspended shipments of advanced missiles and precision-guided munitions to Ukraine due to concerns about depleting U.S. stockpiles. This pause reflects balancing support for Ukraine with maintaining sufficient U.S. military readiness.

6. USAID Restructuring Announced

• This week, the Administration announced a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). This pivot reduces spending on development projects and humanitarian aid overseas, emphasizing market-based solutions.

7. Legal Action Threats Against Media

• The White House has threatened legal proceedings against CNN following reports on an immigration surveillance application allegedly used by ICE. This move is part of a broader confrontational stance toward media outlets covering immigration enforcement policies.

8. “Alligator Alcatraz” Detention Center Opens

• Beginning late June and moving into early July, the federal government opened a new immigration detention center dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” in the Everglades of Florida. The facility, located in the remote Big Cypress National Preserve, is designed to house up to 3,000 detainees initially, with expansion plans for 5,000 beds. While praised by the administration as a cost-effective deterrent and vital for mass deportations, the center has drawn widespread criticism from environmentalists, Native American tribes, and human rights groups due to ecological risks, potential inhumane conditions, and cultural site impacts.

What You Can Do

Your Voice Matters in Our Federal Government!

Crucially, democracy works best when you participate. Whether you’re passionate about climate action, education, healthcare, or civil rights, your voice has power—and it starts with getting involved.

✅ Contact Your Representatives
Call, email, or write to your senators and House representative. Share your opinions on legislation, ask questions, and urge them to act on issues that matter to you.

✅ Stay Informed
Follow Political Awareness’s newsletter, current legislation, committee hearings, and policy debates. To take it a step further, websites like Congress.gov or GovTrack make it easy to track bills and see how your representatives vote.

✅ Vote in Every Election
Federal, state, and local elections all shape the laws and policies that affect your life. To participate, register to vote, learn about the candidates, and show up on Election Day, or vote early or by mail.

✅ Join Civic Organizations
For example, whether it’s advocacy groups, nonprofits, or political organizations, joining a cause you care about can amplify your impact and connect you with others working for change.

✅ Spread the Word

By speaking up on social media, in conversations, or at community events, others will be motivated to get involved.

Take Action Today

Find your representatives at house.gov and senate.gov, and let them hear from you. Remember, democracy doesn’t end at the ballot box—it begins with you raising your voice.