Ralph Norman

The Capital Loss Inflation Fairness Act would increase the annual limit on capital losses that individual taxpayers can deduct against other income from the current $3,000 to $14,250, or $7,125 for married couples filing separately. The bill also automatically adjusts this limit each year to account for inflation, starting in 2026, using the same cost-of-living adjustment formula applied to other parts of the tax code. This change would affect any individual investor or taxpayer who sells stocks, real estate, or other assets at a loss and wants to use those losses to reduce their taxable income. The legislation has no direct federal spending associated with it, though it would reduce tax revenue by allowing larger deductions for investment losses. The changes would take effect for losses incurred in tax years beginning after December 31, 2025.

The Worst of the Worst Act would require the Department of Homeland Security to create and maintain a publicly accessible online database containing information about immigrants convicted of crimes who are released from custody. The database would include each person's photograph, name, physical description, the location where they were released, the release date, and the category of crime involved. The database must be searchable by the released person's name and location, allowing the public to look up this information. The Department of Homeland Security would have 180 days from the bill's enactment to establish the database. This legislation would primarily affect immigration enforcement agencies and the general public, who would have access to information about released criminal immigrants.

The Merit Restoration Act would prohibit federal research agencies and organizations receiving federal research grants from using what the bill calls "prohibited diversity, equity, or inclusion practices" when awarding, evaluating, or administering research funding. The bill defines these prohibited practices as discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, biological sex, or national origin, as well as requiring employees or grant participants to undergo training or sign statements asserting that particular groups are inherently superior, inferior, oppressive, or privileged based on these characteristics. The bill would apply to all new federal research grant agreements made after its enactment and would require federal agencies to freeze funding and demand repayment of grants if they discover recipients violating these restrictions. The legislation affects federal research agencies, universities, research institutions, and other organizations that receive federal research funding across the country. No specific funding amount or timeline is specified in the bill beyond the requirement that provisions apply to agreements entered into after the bill becomes law.

The Election Infrastructure Integrity Act requires the Election Assistance Commission to create and maintain a public database listing all private vendors involved in election administration for federal elections. States and local election officials must submit information about these vendors within 30 days after each federal election, including the vendor's identity, contract terms (except security-sensitive information), and ownership details including any foreign ownership or control. The bill defines election systems broadly to include voting machines, voter registration databases, electronic pollbooks, and other systems critical to managing federal elections. As an enforcement mechanism, the legislation prohibits states from receiving federal election administration funds if they fail to comply with the reporting requirements. The law takes effect for federal elections held in 2026 and beyond.

The ISLET Act (Increase Support for Life-saving Endocrine Transplantation Act) changes how human cadaveric islets—insulin-producing cells from deceased donors used to treat diabetes—are regulated. Currently, these islets are classified as drugs or biological products, which creates regulatory barriers; this bill reclassifies them as organs instead, similar to how pancreases are already treated. The change affects people with type 1 diabetes and severe type 2 diabetes who could benefit from islet transplantation, as well as researchers and transplant centers working in this field. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to update its regulations within one year to implement this new classification and report progress to Congress within six months. The goal is to streamline the regulatory process and increase access to this potentially life-saving transplant procedure.

H.R. 7628 would eliminate the automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that Members of Congress currently receive each year. Currently, congressional salaries increase automatically to keep pace with inflation through a mechanism established in the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946; this bill would repeal that provision, meaning Congress would need to pass new legislation to approve any future pay raises. The change would affect all Members of the House and Senate going forward. The bill has no specific funding implications since it reduces rather than appropriates funds, and it would take effect when the 120th Congress convenes. The measure was introduced by Representative Norman and referred to the House Administration Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee for consideration.

The Earmark Elimination Act of 2026 would prohibit the House of Representatives from considering any bill, amendment, or other legislation that contains congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits. Earmarks are provisions inserted by individual members of Congress to direct federal spending to specific projects, companies, or districts outside of competitive or formula-based processes; limited tax benefits are tax breaks benefiting 10 or fewer entities with non-uniform eligibility rules; and limited tariff benefits are tariff modifications favoring 10 or fewer entities. If a member raises a point of order challenging such provisions, those provisions would be struck from the legislation and rejected, with the measure proceeding without them. The bill creates enforcement mechanisms allowing the House to vote on disputed provisions and special procedures for handling conference reports with multiple earmarks, ensuring that all federal spending and tax provisions go through standard competitive or formula-driven processes rather than through special deals for individual districts or companies.

Rural Depositories Revitalization Study ActThis bill requires federal banking agencies to study and report on approaches to support rural depository institutions.Specifically, the Federal Reserve Board, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation must jointly (1) study and report on methods to improve the growth, capital adequacy, and profitability of rural depository institutions; and (2) identify statutes and regulations that limit such methods or prevent the establishment of new rural depository institutions.

CBO Oversight ActThis bill requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide testimony annually at hearings held by the House and Senate Budget Committees.Specifically, at the request of the chair of either committee, the Director must provide testimony at two hearings held by the committee by the end of the calendar year. The hearings may address any issue that the committee deems appropriate, including reviewing the accuracy of the baseline projections and estimates prepared by CBO during the most recently completed fiscal year.

H.Res. 888 is a resolution that would censure Delegate Stacey Plaskett of the U.S. Virgin Islands and remove her from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. The resolution alleges that Plaskett inappropriately coordinated with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a February 2019 congressional hearing, receiving real-time text message instructions on her lines of questioning while testifying about Michael Cohen. According to the resolution, Plaskett—a former Department of Justice official—maintained political and professional connections with Epstein even after his 2008 conviction for sex crimes involving minors and continued contact through his 2019 arrest. The resolution directs the House Ethics Committee to conduct a full investigation into Plaskett's relationship with Epstein and any related misconduct. The measure was introduced by a bipartisan group of House members and has been referred to the Committee on Ethics but does not require funding or establish any timeline for implementation.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that prohibits Members of Congress from receiving compensation for any period during which a government shutdown is in effect. Under the amendment, a government shutdown is considered to be in effect if there is a lapse in appropriations for any federal agency or department as a result of a failure to enact a regular appropriations bill or a continuing resolution.

This bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a comprehensive study of the Camden Battlefield area in South Carolina to determine whether it should become a unit of the National Park System called "Camden National Battlefield Park." The study will assess the historical significance of the Battle of Camden (fought August 16, 1780) and related Revolutionary War sites, evaluate whether the area meets standards for national park designation, and explore different protection and management options. The Secretary must consult with federal, state, and local agencies as well as private organizations during the study process and must submit findings and recommendations to Congress within three years of receiving funding. The bill does not authorize any funding amounts or establish the park itself—it only requires the study that would inform a future decision about park designation.

The Save our Allies Congressional Gold Medal Act authorizes the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to seven individuals—Chad Robichaux, Sarah Verardo, Tim Kennedy, Kevin Rourke, Sean Gabler, Dave Johnson, and Dennis Price—for their exceptional efforts during the 2021 Afghanistan evacuation. These Special Operations veterans and one civilian coordinated a privately-led humanitarian mission that resulted in the evacuation of over 17,000 Afghan civilians and allies from Taliban-controlled territory, conducting operations at Kabul's airport for 10 days and continuing rescue efforts remotely for two months afterward. The legislation also authorizes the Treasury Department to design and strike the medals, with the primary gold medal to be housed at the Smithsonian Institution for public display and research, ideally at locations connected to the team's service. The government may also produce and sell duplicate bronze medals to cover production costs, with proceeds returned to the U.S. Mint. There is no specific funding amount or timeline specified in the bill, as costs will be covered by existing U.S. Mint funds.

H.Res. 589 directs the Attorney General to publicly release documents, records, and communications held by the Department of Justice related to the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell within 30 days of the resolution's enactment. The release must include materials from the FBI and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, court proceedings, and investigations into Epstein's detention and death, all in searchable and downloadable format. The resolution restricts withholding information solely for embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity, though it allows narrow redactions to protect victims' identities, prevent harm to active investigations, safeguard grand jury procedures, and maintain national security. Any redactions must be accompanied by written justifications published in the Federal Register, and the Attorney General must attempt to declassify information to the maximum extent possible, providing unclassified summaries when necessary. Within 15 days of completing the release, the Attorney General must report to Congress on all released and withheld materials, including names of government officials mentioned in the documents.

This resolution recognizes and thanks the courageous men and women who participated in the Afghanistan evacuation in 2021, rescuing over 17,000 citizens and Afghan allies.

This bill revises tribal membership requirements for the Catawba Indian Nation (a tribe in South Carolina).The Catawba Indian Tribe of South Carolina Land Claims Settlement Act of 1993 explicitly restricted the tribe’s future membership to lineal descendants of people on the final base membership roll who maintained continuous political relations with the tribe. This bill removes these membership criteria and allows the tribe to determine its membership. (The tribe uses three base membership rolls and anyone who wants to be enrolled must prove lineal descent from someone listed on one of these base membership rolls.)

This bill would prohibit so-called "sanctuary jurisdictions" from receiving Community Development Block Grants, federal funding that helps states and cities pay for housing, infrastructure, and other community development projects. The bill defines a sanctuary jurisdiction as any state or local government that has laws or policies preventing officials from sharing immigration status information with federal immigration authorities or complying with immigration detainer requests from the Department of Homeland Security, though it exempts jurisdictions that only protect crime victims and witnesses from immigration reporting. To receive the federal grants, which support important community programs, jurisdictions would need to certify they are not sanctuary cities and will not become one while receiving the money. The bill would affect hundreds of communities across the country that currently have sanctuary policies in place, potentially redirecting millions of dollars in federal funding away from these areas.

This act authorizes the President to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers, Jr. for his acts of valor as a member of the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War from March 31 through April 3, 1967, for which he was previously awarded the Silver Star.

This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled Prohibition on Creditors and Consumer Reporting Agencies Concerning Medical Information (Regulation V) and published on January 14, 2025. This rule prohibits the inclusion of medical debt on credit reports and prohibits creditors from considering medical debt when making credit eligibility determinations.

The Cost Openness and Spending Transparency Act requires federal agencies and any organizations receiving federal funds—including state and local governments, research institutions, and contractors—to clearly disclose funding details whenever they describe a publicly funded program, project, or activity. Specifically, they must state the percentage and dollar amount of federal funding, as well as the percentage and dollar amount of non-federal funding, in statements, press releases, proposals, and similar documents (excluding brief social media posts). The bill requires recipients to certify their compliance as part of progress reports and establishes an annual review by the Office of Management and Budget to audit a random sample of communications for compliance, with results made public. Within one year of enactment, the OMB must also create an anonymous reporting mechanism allowing the public to flag non-compliant communications. The legislation aims to increase transparency about how federal taxpayer dollars are spent across government programs and federally funded projects.

Fair-Value Accounting and Budget ActThis bill requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide certain fair-value estimates of federal loan and loan guarantee programs. Under the bill, the fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair-value estimates generally use private-market interest rates to estimate the cost of a loan program rather than rates based on Treasury securities.The bill requires CBO to include fair-value estimates in (1) any estimate prepared for a measure that establishes or modifies a loan or loan guarantee program, and (2) its publication titled The Budget and Economic Outlook. If CBO provides a fair-value estimate pursuant to this bill, the chairs of the congressional budget committees must use the estimate to determine compliance with budget enforcement requirements. The bill also requires the Office of Management and Budget to submit an annual report to Congress on fair-value estimates of the costs of federal credit programs.

Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2025This bill requires states, as a condition of federal payment under Medicaid for family planning services, to report certain abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Currently, reporting is voluntary.) The CDC must develop standardized questions for states with respect to specified variables (e.g., maternal demographics and methods of abortion).

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution establishing term limits for individuals serving in the Senate and the House of Representatives.The proposed amendment makes an individual who has served two terms in the Senate ineligible for appointment or election to the Senate and an individual who has served three terms as a Member of the House of Representatives ineligible for election to the House of Representatives.The joint resolution provides that the amendment shall be valid when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification.Under Article V of the Constitution, both chambers of Congress may propose an amendment by a vote of two-thirds of all Members present for such vote. A proposed amendment must be ratified by the states as prescribed in Article V and as specified by Congress.