Shit Congress Did Today
May 12th, 2025
This is a new series in an attempt to summarize what happens in congress on a daily, without the distracting headlines.
🧾 New Bills Introduced
H.R.9821 – Mental Health Equity for Veterans Act
Introduced by Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL)
Mandates equal access to VA mental health services nationwide, including annual equity audits focused on underserved rural veterans and veterans of color.
S.4413 – Affordable Housing Innovation Act
Introduced by Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA)
Launches a $1.2B grant program to fund innovative affordable housing pilots like modular units, co-ops, and community land trusts.
H.R.9822 – Ban on Predatory AI Political Ads
Introduced by Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA)
Would ban deceptive AI-generated political ads unless labeled. Alone in the chamber—no cosponsors yet.
🗳️ Votes Taken
H.R.8764 – Clean Water Resilience Act (Passed 312–108)
$8.6B for upgrading stormwater systems and flood protection. Republicans were split—some coastal reps broke ranks.
S.4391 – National Data Privacy Act (Failed 49–51)
National baseline for personal data protection. It died when Sen. Manchin (D-WV) sided with Republicans, citing “job impacts.”
🏛️ Committee Highlights
House Judiciary:
Held hearings on regulating deepfakes. Rep. Boebert asked if “grandmas would get fooled,” and someone quietly left the room.
Senate HELP:
Drug pricing monopolies took center stage. Sen. Warren grilled CEOs about record profits while insulin prices spiked.
📌 Top 3 Bills to Know
H.R.9775 – Reproductive Rights Protection Act
Federally codifies abortion rights and overrides state bans. Republicans say “overreach.” Democrats: “Finally.”
S.4409 – AI for Defense Transparency Act
Requires public reporting on military AI use, from drone ops to cybersecurity.
H.R.9780 – Federal Voting Access Guarantee Act
Blocks state laws that limit early voting or same-day registration.
🔭 What to Watch Tomorrow
House: Voting on the Community Policing Investment Act – Expands funding for de-escalation and mental health response units.
Senate: Debating the Universal Pre-K Funding Act – Would offer federal grants for states rolling out free preschool.
Committee: Amazon execs to testify on AI's role in monitoring warehouse workers. (Yes, including break times.)
🗣️ Quote of the Day
“I came here to legislate, not livestream my tantrums. But apparently that’s the minority party’s job description.”
— Rep. Ayanna Pressley
🤯 WTF of the Day
Rep. Andy Biggs played a glitchy deepfake in a hearing—meant to show an opponent “eating bugs.” It turned out to be TikToks with a bad AI voiceover. The tech team immediately requested tequila.
🔥 Best Clapback at Bullshit
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), after a pharma exec claimed insulin price hikes were due to “innovation”:
“You innovate the price, not the product. Insulin’s been around longer than your company—and it didn’t use to bankrupt people.”