Medals, Bourbon, and Vegas Bio-Labs

During the session on February 2, 2026, the House of Representatives made significant legislative strides in honoring public servants and supporting veterans, passing several bipartisan measures including H.R. 3497, the Medal of Sacrifice Act, and H.R. 3123, the Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act, which ensures pre-approved pensions are paid to the families of veterans who die before receiving their first payment. The chamber also welcomed the swearing-in of Christian D. Menefee to represent Texas’s 18th District, filling a seat that had been vacant for nearly a year. Meanwhile, the Senate was defined by sharp partisan divides over immigration and executive transparency; Democratic leadership condemned the SAVE Act as a tool for voter suppression and demanded reforms to rein in the "thuggery" of ICE roving patrols, while Senator Murphy presented detailed allegations of corruption involving a secret $500 million investment from a UAE-linked firm into the President’s cryptocurrency venture just days before the inauguration. The day concluded with a poignant commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Black History Month, as members of the Congressional Black Caucus highlighted the essential role of African American history as American history and vowed to resist efforts to erase it from the national narrative.

Congressional Record Analysis of the following dates:

February 2, 2026

https://www.congress.gov/congressional-record/browse-by-date

Bills

Bills Debated and Passed in the House

H.R. 3497 (Medal of Sacrifice Act of 2025)

H.R. 988 (Amending the charter of the National Woman’s Relief Corps)

H.R. 980 (Veterans Readiness and Employment Improvement Act of 2025)

H.R. 3123 (Ernest Peltz Accrued Veterans Benefits Act)

H.R. 658 (Establishing qualifications for marriage and family therapists in the VHA)

H.R. 1458 (Veterans Education and Technical Skills Opportunity Act of 2025 or VETS Opportunity Act of 2025).

Appropriations and Legislative Actions

S. 3705

H.R. 7148

H.R. 7147

H.R. 913

H.R. 1793

Bills Introduced or Reported

H.R. 6536

H.R. 6547

H.R. 6556

H.R. 4242

H.R. 2072

S. 3755

S. 3756

S. 3757

S. 3758

S. 3759

S. 3760

H.R. 7305 through H.R. 7322

Senate and House Committee Business

S. 90, S. 91, S. 290, S. 291, S. 365, S. 446, S. 700, H.R. 837, S. 730, S. 790, S. 791, S. 815, S. 1319, S. 1321, S. 1341, S. 1353, S. 1413, S. 1476, S. 1516, S. 1518, H.R. 1550, S. 1777, S. 1870, S. 2102, S. 2881,

S. 2098, S. 1055, S. 699,

S. 2544, S. 1809, S. 3023, H.R. 6719, S. 3398, S. 3397, S. 3394,

S. 71, S. 1898, S. 2585, S. 3199, S. 3266, S. 3468, S. 3639, S. 3700,

H.R. 1028, H.R. 4090

H.R. 1004, H.R. 1685, H.R. 2164, H.R. 6698, H.R. 6943, H.R. 4469, H.R. 5723, H.R. 5339.

Resolutions and Voter Legislation

H.J. Res. 147, H.J. Res. 148, H. Con. Res. 72, H.J. Res. 142, H.J. Res. 139, S.J. Res. 102, S.J. Res. 103,

S. 3752