Kweisi Mfume

The EBOLA Act requires the United States to rejoin the World Health Organization within 30 days of the bill's enactment and immediately collaborate with the organization to respond to an Ebola outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa. The bill was introduced in response to a 2026 Ebola outbreak that had spread across international borders with over 1,000 cases, potentially threatening to exceed the scale of the 2014-2016 West African outbreak that killed more than 11,000 people. The legislation reverses a presidential withdrawal from the World Health Organization that was completed in January 2026 and aims to restore U.S. participation in international disease surveillance and outbreak coordination. The bill authorizes funding for U.S. assessed contributions to restore WHO membership as well as support for the organization's response efforts to the Ebola epidemic. The measure affects all Americans by attempting to reinstate U.S. engagement in global health infrastructure to protect domestic public health and national security.

The Clarence Mitchell, Jr. Statue Act directs Congress to obtain and place a statue of civil rights leader Clarence Mitchell, Jr. in the United States Capitol within two years of the bill's enactment. Mitchell was a Baltimore lawyer and longtime director of the NAACP's Washington Bureau who played a crucial role in securing passage of major civil rights legislation in 1957, 1964, 1965, and 1968, and testified before Congress at least 180 times between 1946 and 1978. The Joint Committee of Congress on the Library is responsible for arranging the statue's acquisition and placement in a permanent public location within the Capitol building. The bill authorizes whatever funding is necessary to complete the project, with appropriated funds remaining available until spent. This legislation honors Mitchell's decades of advocacy and his bipartisan relationships that helped advance civil rights protections for all Americans.

The African American History Act of 2026 authorizes the National Museum of African American History and Culture to develop and distribute educational resources and programs about African American history to schools and the public. The museum director can use the funding to create digital and print materials, develop teacher training programs, produce traveling exhibitions, conduct research, and maintain an educational website—all designed to improve how African American history is taught in elementary, secondary, and higher education settings. The bill affects educators, students, families, and schools nationwide by providing access to these resources. Congress has authorized $4 million annually for five fiscal years (2027-2031) to support these educational initiatives, with the program requirements and reporting obligations ending in 2030. The legislation also expresses congressional support for similar educational efforts at other Smithsonian museums focused on Native American, Hispanic and Latino, and Asian American history.

H.Res. 1062 is a resolution that denounces President Donald Trump's public statements suggesting he may take direct federal control over elections. The resolution affirms that the U.S. Constitution gives primary authority over federal elections to individual states and Congress, not the President, and that any presidential attempt to "nationalize" elections without explicit constitutional or congressional approval would be illegal and unconstitutional. The resolution expresses concern that such statements undermine federalism and the rule of law, and asserts that attempting to implement such measures could constitute grounds for impeachment. This resolution does not appropriate funding or establish timelines, as it is a non-binding expression of the House's position on presidential authority and election administration rather than legislation that creates new law or programs.

This bill establishes a 12-member National Council on African American History and Culture within the National Endowment for the Humanities to advise on preserving and celebrating African American history and culture. Council members, appointed by the President with Senate confirmation, must be recognized experts or scholars in African American history and culture, with equal representation from both political parties (six Democrats and six Republicans). Members serve five-year terms, receive compensation at 50 percent of senior federal salary levels plus travel expenses, and the council must meet at least twice yearly. The council's primary responsibilities include submitting annual reports to the NEH leadership, monitoring museums and cultural organizations, evaluating NEH programs for their contribution to African American cultural preservation, and recommending national policies to promote understanding of African American history and contributions to American society. The council will automatically terminate ten years after the law's enactment.

The Vote by Mail Tracking Act requires that all mail-in ballots sent through the U.S. Postal Service include a barcode that allows individual ballots to be tracked from the voter to election officials. The bill applies to all state and local government election offices that distribute ballots by mail for federal elections, starting in 2026 and beyond. Under the legislation, the Postal Service will establish barcode standards and ballot envelope design requirements, and must provide election officials with the information and tools needed to comply by June 1st each year. The bill includes an exception for military voters using federal write-in absentee ballots. While the bill does not specify new funding amounts, it directs the Postal Service to work with election officials to implement the tracking system and establish clear standards for how ballots must be marked and processed.

This bill designates the Museum of the Blind People's Movement in Baltimore, Maryland, as the National Museum of the Blind People's Movement, making it the first museum in the United States owned and operated by blind people themselves. The museum, located at the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, will preserve and showcase the history, artifacts, and accomplishments of blind individuals and the broader blind rights movement, particularly the work of the National Federation of the Blind since its founding in 1940. The legislation recognizes that blind people have historically faced systemic discrimination and low societal expectations despite making significant contributions to American society, and the museum will serve as a national platform to document these struggles, celebrate successes, and challenge misconceptions about blindness. The bill does not appear to include specific federal funding allocations or timelines for implementation, focusing instead on formally recognizing the museum's national significance through congressional designation.

H.Res. 825 is a congressional inquiry requesting the President to provide documents and communications related to how federal agencies conveyed messages about a government funding lapse to employees and the public in October 2025. The resolution seeks all records—including emails, meeting notes, and phone records—connected to directives from the Office of Management and Budget, as well as specific messages posted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development and Department of Education during the shutdown. The resolution also requests communications between executive offices and the Office of Special Counsel regarding whether these agency messages violated federal laws prohibiting partisan political activity by federal employees or misuse of appropriated funds. The President is requested to provide all requested documents within 14 days of the resolution's adoption. The resolution was introduced by a bipartisan group of House members and referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

This resolution requests that the President submit certain information to Congress regarding a reduction in force or the withholding of pay due to the lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) that began on October 1, 2025.Specifically, the resolution requests that the President submit to Congress any and all documents and communications related toany proposed reduction in force at a federal agency related to the lapse in appropriations,efforts to create a legal determination at the Office of Management and Budget finding or suggesting that the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019 does not create a self-executing requirement that furloughed federal employees must receive pay for the period in which they were furloughed during a lapse in appropriations immediately after the lapse in appropriations ends, andefforts or plans to withhold pay for the period of the lapse of appropriations for excepted or furloughed federal or District of Columbia employees.The resolution also requests that the President submit to Congress any documents or communications between the President's office, the Vice President's office, the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Merit System Protection Board regarding these topics.

This bill caps out-of-pocket costs for inhalers and nebulizers used to treat asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at $15 per 30-day supply across private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid. The legislation applies to all types of inhalation medications and related equipment such as spacers and masks, requiring health insurance plans to waive deductibles for these products and count any cost-sharing toward patients' annual out-of-pocket maximums. The bill also establishes a government payment program for uninsured individuals who need inhalers, ensuring they pay no more than $15 per month's supply if providers register with the program. These provisions take effect January 1, 2026, and affect millions of Americans with respiratory conditions who currently struggle with high medication costs, as well as employers who offer health plans and insurance companies that must adjust their coverage requirements.

This bill requires colleges and high schools that receive federal funding to develop and implement emergency action plans specifically for heat-related illnesses among student athletes. Schools must create these plans within one year, working with local emergency responders, and include procedures for recognizing heat illness symptoms, coordinating emergency care, and using cold water immersion equipment and defibrillators. The plans must be posted in athletic facilities, shared on school websites, distributed to emergency responders, and practiced annually by coaches, athletic trainers, medical staff, and student athletes. Schools will also need to submit yearly compliance reports to the Department of Education. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to inform schools about federal grants available to help fund heat illness prevention training and equipment. The legislation was inspired by the 2018 death of University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair, who collapsed from exertional heatstroke during practice and did not receive adequate treatment quickly enough to prevent a fatal outcome.

H.R. 3498 awards a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Henrietta Lacks, whose cells were taken without her consent in 1951 and became the foundation for countless medical breakthroughs. Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer at age 31, but her cells—known as HeLa cells—proved to be the first immortal human cell line and have since been used in research leading to vaccines and treatments for diseases like polio, cancer, HIV/AIDS, and Parkinson's disease, as well as Nobel Prize-winning discoveries. The bill recognizes both her unintended contribution to global health and her legacy in establishing modern medical ethics and informed consent protections. The Secretary of the Treasury will design and strike the gold medal, which will ultimately be housed at the Smithsonian Institution with the possibility of being displayed at other locations associated with Henrietta Lacks. The costs will be covered through the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund, with revenue from selling duplicate bronze medals offsetting those expenses.

This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Doris Miller in recognition of his acts of valor while a member of the Navy during World War II.

This bill authorizes the President to posthumously award the Medal of Honor to Doris Miller for acts of valor as a member of the Navy during World War II, for which he was previously awarded the Navy Cross.

This House resolution demands that the President provide Congress with detailed information about federal employee dismissals and reassignments that have occurred since January 20, 2025. The resolution specifically seeks documents and communications related to personnel actions taken on the advice of Elon Musk or members of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), including any involvement in firing or relocating federal workers and inspectors general. It also requests records about the Office of Personnel Management's decision to subject Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) employees to reduction-in-force procedures following a January 24, 2025 memorandum. The President would have 14 days to provide all requested documents in complete and unredacted form if the resolution passes. The House Oversight Committee has already reported the resolution adversely, indicating they do not recommend its adoption.

H.R. 1718 establishes the Justice Thurgood Marshall National Historic Site at Public School 103 in Baltimore, Maryland, where the Supreme Court Justice attended elementary school. The site will be designated as an affiliated area of the National Park System and will continue to be owned and operated by the Beloved Community Services Corporation, a nonprofit organization that has already completed historic restoration of the building. The National Park Service previously conducted a special resource study in 2023 and determined the school met criteria for national significance. The Secretary of the Interior may provide technical assistance and financial support for marketing, interpretation, and preservation of the site, but will not acquire the property or assume overall operational responsibility. The bill authorizes necessary appropriations to support these efforts but does not specify a dollar amount or implementation timeline.