Behind the news about all the division in the nation, Congress and the administration are quietly working across party lines to address the nation's needs. 

 

​​Take it Down Act

 

President Donald Trump on Monday signed the Take It Down Act, bipartisan legislation that enacts stricter penalties for the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery, sometimes called “revenge porn,” as well as deepfakes created by artificial intelligence.

 

The measure, which goes into effect immediately, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, and later gained the support of First Lady Melania Trump.

 

The Tax Relief for Victims of Crimes, Scams, and Disasters Act relieves scam victims of a tax burden on income they no longer have and helps families rebuild their homes and lives after a disaster.

Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Greg Steube (R-FL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Mike Ezell (R-MS), Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL).

 

Senators Fetterman (D-PA) and Lummis (R-WY) Reintroduce Bipartisan “Whole-Home Repair Act

 

The bipartisan bill would create a national five-year pilot program based on Pennsylvania’s Whole-Home Repairs Program, which has helped thousands of families maintain their homes through grants and forgivable loans. NLIHC has endorsed the bill. 

 

The Whole-Home Repair Act seeks to address critical housing issues such as unsafe living conditions, housing deterioration, and limited access to affordable home repairs, which disproportionately affect low-income communities and communities of color exacerbating existing inequalities in health, safety, and financial stability.

 

Bipartisan push to ban lawmakers from trading stocks gets a boost from Trump

 

President Trump and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) don't agree on much. But their public support of legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks could revive prospects for a bipartisan effort that's stalled on Capitol Hill for years. Senate champions of such legislation include Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), with other Senators form both parties being in support.  

 

Strange bedfellows in the House include Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI), the lead sponsor on a bipartisan House proposal, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), as well as Rep. Jeffries (D-NY).

 

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, which Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) leads with Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who pass away or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers.

 

Retired Law Enforcement Officers Continuing Service Act, with lead sponsors Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) would support law enforcement agencies in hiring retired law enforcement officers to perform civilian law enforcement tasks.

 

Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act, with lead sponsors Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), would support state and local emergency services with additional training and containment tools to guard against accidental exposure to lethal narcotics like fentanyl also passed.

 

Building Civic Bridges Act

 

This bipartisan bill is expected to be introduced in Congress in July 2025, to establish a non-partisan pilot program, led by an Office of Civic Bridgebuilding, within AmeriCorps focused on four core pillars:

 

• Administering a competitive grant program to support civic bridgebuilding programs across the

nation. Funding will primarily focus on supporting organizations and spaces striving to heal toxic

polarization in the United States through civic bridgebuilding efforts;

• Supporting the training of AmeriCorps members in civic bridgebuilding skills and techniques;

• Supporting academic research on civic bridgebuilding, civic engagement, and social cohesion; and

• Activating a public conversation about the importance of civic bridgebuilding by serving a key role as both a convening and coordinating partner to the national civic bridgebuilding movement.

 

This bill will promote the ability of local communities to tackle sources of division while empowering participants and organizations with a foundation on which they can address contentious issues and ultimately, bridge divides

 

Bipartisan Bill Reintroduced to Enhance U.S. Shipbuilding, Maritime Sector, National Security

 

The (SHIPS) for America Act was reintroduced on April 30, 2025, with bipartisan support from legislators. It aims to expand the U.S.-flag international fleet by 250 ships in 10 years, enhance U.S. competitiveness and make historic investments in the maritime workforce.

 

The Act aims to make U.S.-flagged vessels commercially competitive in international commerce and rebuild the U.S. shipyard industrial base, as well as expanding and strengthening mariner and shipyard worker recruitment, training and retention.