Monica De La Cruz

This bill directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct a comprehensive study on the nation's preparedness and response capabilities for combating pasture mealybug, an invasive insect that damages grazing lands and crops like sugarcane. The Secretary of Agriculture must complete the initial study within 90 days and submit a full report to Congress within 6 months, with the report to include threat assessments, current containment capabilities, surveillance systems, emergency response plans, research needs, and international cooperation strategies. The legislation affects livestock producers, crop farmers, state and local agricultural agencies, and wildlife management organizations, as the infestation threatens productive grazing land and economically significant crops, particularly in southeastern states. The study requires the Secretary to consult with agricultural producers, industry groups, scientific experts, and state officials to develop recommendations for both legislative and administrative improvements to combat the pest. No specific funding amount is allocated in the bill itself, though the cost of conducting the study and implementing recommendations would come from existing Department of Agriculture appropriations.

This bill reauthorizes the National Diabetes Prevention Program, a federal initiative that helps people at risk of developing type 2 diabetes through lifestyle interventions and prevention efforts. The legislation provides specific funding levels for the program over a five-year period, starting at $39.3 million in fiscal year 2027 and increasing annually to $59.3 million by fiscal year 2031. The bill affects millions of Americans at risk for diabetes, particularly those in underserved communities where the program operates. By extending and increasing funding for this prevention program, the legislation aims to reduce the burden of diabetes across the country through early intervention and lifestyle modification rather than waiting to treat the disease after it develops.

The Freedom to Build Act requires the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to create a "Freedom to Build" designation for localities that voluntarily adopt housing-friendly policies. Localities can qualify by adopting at least three reforms from each of three categories: unleashing construction innovation through modern building techniques, fast-tracking the approval process with streamlined permitting, and defending property rights by eliminating government mandates that restrict what can be built or how property owners use their land. Alternatively, localities can qualify by demonstrating sustained housing supply growth that meets affordability-adjusted targets set by HUD. The designation lasts five years and can be renewed, with HUD required to maintain and publish a public list of qualifying localities. Once designated, these communities receive priority consideration for federal competitive grants related to housing development, community development, and construction projects, and the bill encourages other federal agencies to consider the designation favorably when awarding infrastructure and transportation grants. HUD must establish the specific reforms and targets through a rulemaking process within 18 months and review them every five years.

The WATER for Farmers Act addresses water delivery disputes under the 1944 treaty between the United States and Mexico governing the Rio Grande River. The bill requires Mexico to deliver a minimum of 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States, and establishes a mechanism to determine when Mexico falls short of this obligation. When delivery shortfalls are identified, the U.S. Trade Representative can impose tariffs on Mexican imports, with increased tariffs for consecutive years of non-compliance. Revenue from these tariffs funds a South Texas Agricultural Compensation Trust Fund, which provides direct payments to farmers and agricultural producers in the Rio Grande Valley who suffer economic losses from water delivery shortfalls. The Secretary of Agriculture must calculate compensation within 90 days of a shortfall determination based on the volume of missing water, the economic value per acre-foot, and an impact multiplier that accounts for indirect economic effects like job losses and business closures. The bill also requires monthly public reporting of water delivery data and shortfall calculations by the International Boundary and Water Commission.

This bill authorizes Congress to award a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Lance Corporal Dustin Sekula, a Marine from Edinburg, Texas, who was killed in combat in Iraq on April 1, 2004, at age 18. Sekula was the first Edinburg native to die during Operation Iraqi Freedom and is remembered for turning down an agriculture scholarship to enlist in the Marines at age 17. The medal will be presented to his family by the Speaker of the House and President pro tempore of the Senate, with the design and striking of the medal to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury. The bill also allows the Treasury Department to produce and sell duplicate bronze medals to cover the costs of creating the gold medal, with any proceeds going back into the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund. No specific funding amount or timeline is specified in the legislation.

The Saving Lives on Campuses Act of 2026 requires all public colleges and universities that receive federal funding to provide opioid overdose rescue kits throughout their campuses within one year of the law's enactment. The kits must be placed in classrooms, libraries, dormitories, laboratories, and other campus facilities, ideally near existing defibrillators, and also carried by emergency medical services personnel on campus. Institutions must register all kit locations, replace expired or used kits, maintain a publicly available list of where kits are located, and train all students during orientation on how to use the kits and where to find them. The bill applies to any public institution of higher education that receives funds under the Higher Education Act of 1965, affecting thousands of colleges and universities across the country as they work to address opioid overdose emergencies on campus.

This bill directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study of the 1-800-MEDICARE hotline and submit findings to Congress within one year of the bill's enactment. The study will examine customer wait times and satisfaction levels, staffing competency and staffing levels, contractor performance, and any improvements or declines in service quality compared to previous reports. The bill also requires the Comptroller General to provide recommendations for improving the hotline and document what actions have already been taken in response to previous recommendations. This legislation affects Medicare beneficiaries who use the 1-800-MEDICARE helpline to get information and assistance with their coverage. No specific funding amounts are allocated in the bill, but the study is required to be completed within one year of passage.

The Strengthen Taxpayer Rights Act of 2026 limits the involvement of IRS staff in appeal conferences handled by the Independent Office of Appeals, which is the agency responsible for resolving disputes between taxpayers and the IRS. Under this bill, IRS employees (other than those who work specifically for the Independent Office of Appeals) cannot participate in these appeal conferences unless the taxpayer who requested the appeal agrees to their presence. The goal is to give taxpayers more control over who represents the IRS side during these dispute-resolution meetings, potentially creating a more neutral and taxpayer-friendly appeal process. The changes take effect immediately after the bill becomes law and apply to all conferences held after that date. This legislation affects any taxpayer involved in an IRS appeal and potentially changes how the IRS conducts its internal appeal process.

The Texas Dreamer Work Authorization Act of 2025 would give the Department of Homeland Security explicit legal authority to issue work permits to immigrants granted protection under the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program. The bill is designed to override court decisions that have blocked work authorization for DACA applicants in certain states, particularly Texas, ensuring that all eligible DACA recipients—including first-time applicants—can obtain work permits uniformly across the country. The legislation applies to hundreds of thousands of people brought to the U.S. as children who currently live and work in America, and Congress states the policy helps these individuals support their families, pay taxes, and contribute economically. The bill would take effect 90 days after it becomes law and directly supersedes any judicial ruling or court order that restricts work authorization for DACA recipients.

The Fair Wages for Farmworkers Act directs the Department of Labor to use specific wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to set minimum pay rates for H-2A visa workers—foreign nationals brought to the U.S. temporarily for agricultural work. Currently, the government uses a different method to calculate these "adverse effect wage rates," and this bill would change that to use state-by-state occupational wage estimates, potentially increasing what farmers must pay these workers. The legislation also streamlines the visa application process by allowing the Department of Homeland Security to begin processing H-2A worker petitions while the Labor Department simultaneously reviews wage certification requirements, rather than waiting for Labor's approval first. This bill affects agricultural employers who rely on H-2A workers and the farmworkers themselves, who could see higher wages under the new calculation method. No specific funding amount is mentioned in the text, though implementation would require Labor and Homeland Security resources to administer the revised wage and petition processes.

This bill gives the Federal Reserve Board member with community banking experience specific new responsibilities for overseeing smaller banks. The bill requires the Federal Reserve Chairman to designate this community bank expert to develop policy recommendations and oversee supervision of banks with less than $17 billion in assets, up from the current $10 billion threshold. The designated member would be required to testify before Congress twice a year about the Federal Reserve's supervision of community banks, similar to how the Vice Chairman for Supervision currently testifies about larger banks. The bill also includes an automatic adjustment mechanism that would increase the $17 billion asset threshold each year based on economic growth as measured by nominal GDP. This legislation aims to ensure community banks have dedicated representation and oversight within the Federal Reserve system as they face regulatory challenges distinct from those of larger financial institutions.

This bill pressures Mexico to meet its water delivery obligations under a 1944 treaty governing the Colorado River, Tijuana River, and Rio Grande. The Secretary of State must report annually on whether Mexico has delivered at least 350,000 acre-feet of water to the United States as required, and assess Mexico's ability to meet its full obligations. If Mexico fails to deliver the minimum amount, the President must deny all special water delivery requests from Mexico and can restrict broader diplomatic and economic engagement with Mexican sectors that benefit from U.S. water or rely on Rio Grande tributaries—though exceptions exist for humanitarian emergencies and efforts against drug trafficking. The bill allows the Secretary of State to approve specific water requests even if Mexico misses its obligations, but only if they certify the water addresses a genuine emergency and serves vital U.S. interests. The first report is due within 180 days of the bill's enactment.

The Housing Affordability Act significantly increases the loan limits that the Federal Housing Administration can insure for multifamily residential properties (apartment buildings and similar housing). The bill raises these caps by roughly 4 to 4.4 times across various property types and geographic areas, with specific dollar limits now ranging from approximately $166,000 to $385,000 per unit depending on location and housing type. The changes take effect January 1, 2026, and establish a new annual adjustment mechanism using the Census Bureau's Price Deflator Index for multifamily construction costs rather than the previous adjustment formula that started in 2004. This legislation primarily affects developers, property owners, and lenders who use FHA-insured mortgages to finance or refinance apartment complexes and other multifamily housing projects. The bill was introduced by Representatives De La Cruz and Torres of New York and carries no new federal appropriations, as it modifies existing loan guarantee programs.

Sgt. Alfredo "Freddy" Gonzalez Memorial Veterans’ Hospital ActThis bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to construct a hospital under its jurisdiction in the Rio Grande Valley sector of Texas. Such hospital must be designated as the Sgt. Alfredo “Freddy” Gonzalez Memorial Veterans’ Hospital.

The HUD-USDA-VA Interagency Coordination Act requires the Secretaries of Housing and Urban Development, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs to work together to improve how their housing programs operate. Specifically, these three agencies must establish a formal agreement to share housing-related research and data to support better policy decisions, and they must submit a joint report to Congress within 180 days detailing opportunities for increased collaboration and program efficiency. Before submitting the report to Congress, the agencies must publish it in the Federal Register for 30 days of public comment. The bill affects federal housing programs across all three departments and the veterans, rural, and urban communities they serve. No new funding is specified in the legislation; it primarily focuses on coordination and information-sharing among existing federal agencies.

Pay Our Border Patrol and Customs Agents ActThis bill provides FY2026 appropriations for the salaries and expenses of certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) employees who are required to work during a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown) in FY2026.Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to CBP for the salaries and expenses of agents of the U.S. Border Patrol and officers of the Office of Field Operations who are excepted from furlough (i.e., required to work) during a lapse in discretionary appropriations in FY2026.

Whistleblower Protection Act of 2025This bill expands existing whistleblower protections for employees of federal contractors or grant recipients to apply to all contracts and grants funded by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regardless of the date of execution.Current law protects employees of federal contractors or grant recipients from a reprisal (i.e., discharge, demotion, or discrimination) for disclosing evidence to Congress or another appropriate official of certain misconduct involving federal contracts, grants, or funds. This provision currently applies only to contracts and grants signed or modified after the law took effect in 2013. The bill expands these protections to apply to HUD contracts and grants signed before the law was enacted.

H.Res. 583 is a congressional resolution that denounces a violent attack on a U.S. Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas, on July 7, 2025, in which an individual opened fire and injured Border Patrol agents and local police. The resolution expresses sympathy for the injured victims and calls for their swift recovery, while reaffirming Congress's support for Border Patrol personnel who work to secure the nation's borders. The resolution also stands in solidarity with the McAllen community and condemns all acts of violence against law enforcement and federal facilities. This is a symbolic measure with no funding or programmatic changes—it represents the House of Representatives' official stance opposing the attack and supporting law enforcement. The resolution was referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

This bill reforms the H-2A temporary agricultural worker program by streamlining employer processes and expanding worker flexibility. It requires the Department of Homeland Security to create an online portal within 18 months for employers to file petitions and post jobs, and establishes a six-year pilot program allowing returning H-2A workers to switch employers within their state without employer sponsorship. The bill increases the H-2A wage requirement to the state minimum wage plus $2 per hour, extends authorized admission periods to one year, and expands eligibility to include greenhouse and indoor farm workers. The pilot program will be capped at 10,000 "portable H-2A" workers at any time, with employers designated as "registered agricultural employers" required to maintain workers' compensation coverage. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to submit reports within one and two years assessing program integrity, employer reliance on H-2A workers, wage impacts, and worker protections, with ongoing biennial reports on worker safety and rights education mechanisms.

The New World Screwworm Preparedness Act of 2025 directs the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study and report on America's readiness to prevent and respond to outbreaks of the New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that damages livestock, wildlife, and in rare cases humans. The bill responds to recent detections of the pest in neighboring Mexico, raising concerns about reintroduction into the United States after its successful eradication in the 1960s. The Agriculture Department must complete a comprehensive study within 90 days and submit a full report to Congress within six months, evaluating current threat levels, sterile insect production capabilities, surveillance systems, emergency response plans, research needs, and international cooperation efforts. The study must include consultation with livestock producers, wildlife agencies, veterinarians, and state and local officials. The report should provide recommendations for legislative and administrative actions to improve the nation's ability to combat potential screwworm outbreaks and protect the agricultural and ecological health of the United States.

This bill authorizes Congress to award a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to Sergeant Alfredo Gonzalez, a Marine who died in February 1968 during the Vietnam War. Gonzalez, a native of Edinburg, Texas, was already awarded the Medal of Honor for his extraordinary heroism during the Battle of Hue City, where he repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to protect his men, destroy enemy bunkers, and rescue a wounded comrade before being mortally wounded on February 4, 1968. The bill directs the Secretary of the Treasury to design and strike the gold medal, which will then be donated to the Museum of South Texas History for display and research. The Treasury Department may also produce and sell bronze duplicate medals to recover production costs, with proceeds returned to the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund. No specific timeline or funding amount is specified in the legislation.

Bringing the Discount Window into the 21st Century ActThis bill requires the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to review and develop a remediation plan for its discount window lending program, which provides loans to depository institutions to support an institution’s security and liquidity.The review must consider topics such as the sufficiency of the technology infrastructure, the effectiveness of the existing operating hours of the discount window, and how the discount window interacts with other liquidity providers during normal operations and in times of financial distress.The remediation plan must address any identified deficiencies, establish timelines and milestones for implementation, and be approved by the board.The bill requires annual reports to Congress regarding the plan.

Healthy Babies Act of 2025This bill requires that the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) include infant food combinations and dinners as part of the program. (The WIC food packages provide supplemental foods designed to address the specific nutritional needs of income-eligible pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum individuals, infants, and children up to five years of age who are at nutritional risk.)Specifically, the Department of Agriculture must update the regulations that prescribe the supplemental foods that must be made available in the program. Currently, infant food combinations (e.g., meat and vegetables) and dinners (e.g., spaghetti and meatballs) are not allowed.

This bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins honoring Selena Quintanilla, the legendary Tejano music artist who died in 1995 at age 23. The Treasury would produce up to 50,000 gold $5 coins, 400,000 silver $1 coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins, all bearing Selena's image and dated 2029, which is when the coins will be available for sale. The bill includes surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 per coin respectively, with all surcharge revenue going to the Friends of the Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History to support museum operations and create a Selena exhibit. The Treasury will price the coins to cover all design and production costs at no expense to the federal government, and bulk and prepaid orders will be available at discounted rates.

H.Res. 273 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' support for diplomatic efforts to ensure Mexico meets its annual water delivery obligations to the United States. Under a 1944 treaty governing shared water resources from the Colorado, Tijuana, and Rio Grande Rivers, Mexico is required to deliver an average of at least 350,000 acre-feet of water annually to the United States over five-year cycles; however, the resolution notes that Mexico frequently delays fulfilling these commitments until the end of each cycle. The resolution particularly acknowledges water shortages affecting farmers in south Texas and calls on Mexico to deliver water annually rather than waiting until the end of the five-year commitment period. This resolution does not require any funding or establish specific timelines, as it is purely an expression of congressional support for diplomatic negotiations with the Mexican government.