National Emergencies Reform Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill would change how national emergencies work by requiring Congress to vote on them to keep them active. Currently, a president can declare an emergency and it stays in place unless Congress actively stops it. Under this new rule, any emergency would automatically end after 20 days unless Congress passes a law to approve it.
• Even if Congress approves an emergency, it would have to be renewed every single year. Additionally, no emergency could last longer than five years total. This is designed to prevent "permanent" emergencies that stay on the books for decades, which has happened many times in the past.
• The bill stops the president from using emergency powers to fund projects that Congress has already specifically refused to pay for. It also requires the government to provide detailed reports every three months showing exactly how much money is being spent and what specific actions are being taken to address the crisis.
• For the first time, the president would be required to show Congress secret "emergency action documents." These are pre-written plans for what the government should do during a major catastrophe, like a total government breakdown, ensuring lawmakers are aware of the plans before they are used.
• Most economic sanctions against foreign countries would not be affected by these new 20-day time limits. This allows the government to continue using financial pressure on other nations without needing a new vote from Congress every few weeks.