Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2025

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Bill ID: 119/hr/1605
Last Updated: September 14, 2025

Sponsored by

Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

ID: F000471

Follow the money

The bill

Separation of Powers Restoration Act of 2025

HR. 1605, 119th Congress β€” read as touching Private Equity & Hedge Funds.

The sponsor

Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$122,400 raised

20 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 15 - 12.

May 20, 2025

Introduced

πŸ“ Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

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Committee Review

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Floor Action

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Passed House

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Senate Review

πŸŽ‰

Passed Congress

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Presidential Action

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Became Law

πŸ“š How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, brought to you by the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this farce and expose the underlying disease.

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The Separation of Powers Restoration Act (SOPRA) claims to "clarify" judicial review of agency interpretations. How quaint. In reality, it's a thinly veiled attempt to restrict the power of regulatory agencies and give Congress more control over the executive branch. It's a classic case of "I'm not trying to strangle you, I just want to hold your breath for a little while."

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** The bill amends Section 706 of Title 5, United States Code, by inserting language that allows courts to review agency interpretations de novo. This means judges can now second-guess agencies' decisions without deference, essentially giving Congress more influence over regulatory policy. It's a clever move, but don't be fooled – it's just a power grab disguised as "separation of powers."

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The usual suspects are involved: politicians seeking to expand their authority, lobbyists pushing for deregulation, and voters who will inevitably be misled by the bill's title. Regulatory agencies, on the other hand, will have their hands tied behind their backs. It's a classic case of " regulatory capture," where special interests hijack the system to serve their own agendas.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** This bill is a recipe for disaster. By giving Congress more control over agency interpretations, it will lead to:

* Increased politicization of regulatory policy * Weakened environmental and consumer protections * More opportunities for corporate lobbyists to influence decision-making * A further erosion of the separation of powers (irony alert!)

In short, SOPRA is a wolf in sheep's clothing. It's a cynical attempt to consolidate power, undermine regulatory agencies, and serve special interests. Don't be surprised when it leads to more corruption, cronyism, and chaos.

Diagnosis: Legislative myopia with symptoms of power lust, corruption, and stupidity. Treatment: A healthy dose of skepticism, a strong critical thinking regimen, and a willingness to call out the obvious lies and manipulation. Prognosis: Grim, unless voters wake up and demand better from their elected officials.

Related Topics

Judiciary & Legal ReformExecutive Branch OversightCongressional Rules & Procedures
Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

πŸ’° Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

Congress 119 β€’ 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$122,400
19 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$0
Committees
$0
Individuals
$122,400

No PAC contributions found

No organization contributions found

No committee contributions found

1
SHAFFER, JOHN E
2 transactions
$10,000
2
HENDRICKS, DIANE M
1 transaction
$6,600
3
ROWAN, CAROLYN
1 transaction
$6,600
4
ROWAN, MARC J.
1 transaction
$6,600
5
SCHWARZMAN, STEPHEN
1 transaction
$6,600
6
SCHMIDT, TIM
1 transaction
$6,600
7
SCHWARZMAN, CHRISTINE
1 transaction
$6,600
8
LEVY, EDWARD
1 transaction
$6,600
9
FOREST COUNTY POTAWATOMI COMMU, .
1 transaction
$6,600
10
FISHER, SHERRILYN
1 transaction
$6,600
11
FISHER, KENNETH
1 transaction
$6,600
12
FRYE, NATALIE
1 transaction
$6,600
13
UIHLEIN, ELIZABETH A
1 transaction
$6,600
14
UIHLEIN, RICHARD
1 transaction
$6,600
15
TRUNZO, ANNE
1 transaction
$5,800
16
HOLLFELDER, BEA M
1 transaction
$5,800
17
SCHWERTFEGER, RUTH
1 transaction
$5,000
18
SCHWERTFEGER, FREDERICK F
1 transaction
$5,000
19
WALL, TERRENCE R
1 transaction
$5,000

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 3 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Cline, Ben [R-VA-6]

ID: C001118

Top Contributors

10

1
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$1,000
Oct 31, 2023
2
JOHNSON, CAMERON MR.
MAGIC CITY FORD β€’ CAR DEALER
IndividualROANOKE, VA
$3,300
Nov 21, 2024
3
ROSENBERG, DIANE MS.
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualROANOKE, VA
$3,300
Nov 4, 2024
4
STOLTZFUS, MELISSA
HOMEMAKER β€’ HOMEMAKER
IndividualBRIDGEWATER, VA
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
5
STOLTZFUS, MICHAEL
DYNAMIC AVIATION β€’ PRESIDENT & CEO
IndividualBRIDGEWATER, VA
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
6
STOLTZFUS, MICHAEL
DYNAMIC AVIATION β€’ PRESIDENT & CEO
IndividualBRIDGEWATER, VA
$3,300
Nov 13, 2024
7
CLINE, JULIA S MRS.
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualLEXINGTON, VA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
8
CLINE, JULIA S MRS.
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualLEXINGTON, VA
$3,300
Dec 31, 2023
9
CARTLEDGE, GEORGE B MR. III
GRAND HOME FURNISHINGS β€’ PRESIDENT
IndividualROANOKE, VA
$3,300
Mar 30, 2023
10
CARTLEDGE, GEORGE B MR. III
GRAND HOME FURNISHINGS β€’ PRESIDENT
IndividualROANOKE, VA
$3,300
Mar 30, 2023

Rep. Onder, Robert [R-MO-3]

ID: O000177

Top Contributors

10

1
O'BRIEN, FRANK
O'BRIEN INDUSTRIAL HOLDINGS β€’ OWNER
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Mar 31, 2024
2
ONDER, JAMES G
ONDERLAW, LLC β€’ ATTORNEY
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$13,200
Mar 26, 2024
3
BURNS, ROBERT
PATRIOT MACHINE β€’ VICE PRESIDENT
IndividualCHESTERFIELD, MO
$13,200
Sep 5, 2024
4
POGUE, RICHARD W.
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualWRIGHT CITY, MO
$13,200
Jun 20, 2024
5
SCHULTE, STEVE
HENGES INTERIORS β€’ OWNER
IndividualWELDON SPRING, MO
$13,200
May 8, 2024
6
MUELLER, DOUGLAS
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualO FALLON, MO
$10,000
Mar 6, 2024
7
OBRIEN, JOHN
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualLAKE ST LOUIS, MO
$10,000
Mar 11, 2024
8
SMITH, MENLO
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualCHESTERFIELD, MO
$7,500
Mar 21, 2024
9
STOFFA, ROBERT
WINDBER HOSPITAL β€’ PHYSICIAN
IndividualLIGONIER, PA
$6,870
Mar 28, 2024
10
KOVAC, AMY
BAIN CO β€’ BUSINESS CONSULTANT
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$6,818
Mar 30, 2024

Rep. Tiffany, Thomas P. [R-WI-7]

ID: T000165

Top Contributors

10

1
SOLBERG, TRYGVE A
SELF β€’ BUSINESS OWNER
IndividualMINOCQUA, WI
$13,200
Sep 30, 2023
2
SHANNON, JEAN L
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualMILWAUKEE, WI
$13,200
Jul 27, 2023
3
NICKLAUS, GREG
INCREDIBLE BANK β€’ VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualARBOR VITAE, WI
$13,200
Mar 31, 2024
4
NICKLAUS, GREG
INCREDIBLE BANK β€’ VICE CHAIRMAN
IndividualARBOR VITAE, WI
$13,200
Mar 31, 2024
5
BUHOLZER, RONALD
KLONDIKE CHEESE β€’ PRESIDENT
IndividualMONROE, WI
$13,200
Jun 30, 2024
6
MAYER, SCOTT A
QPS EMPLOYMENT GROUP β€’ CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
IndividualFRANKLIN, WI
$10,000
Feb 29, 2024
7
HILGEMANN, WILLIAM
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualSTRATFORD, WI
$9,900
Jun 30, 2024
8
ZIETLOW, DONALD P
RETIRED β€’ RETIRED
IndividualLA CROSSE, WI
$6,666
Jun 28, 2023
9
ALBEE, ALAN P
EAGLE WASTE AND RECYCLING INC β€’ PRESIDENT
IndividualMINOCQUA, WI
$6,600
Aug 12, 2024
10
ALDRIDGE, KENNETH
SELF β€’ EXECUTIVE
IndividualLIBERTYVILLE, IL
$6,600
Aug 3, 2023

Donor Network - Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

Loading...

Showing 52 nodes and 29 connections (37 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $209,200

Top Donors - Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5]

Showing top 19 donors by contribution amount

19 Individuals

Industry Impact

Which industries are materially affected by specific provisions in this bill. 9 harmed.

  • Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for private equity and hedge funds, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

  • Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for big tech platforms, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

  • βˆ’Commercial Banksconfidence 0.80

    Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for commercial banks, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

  • Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for insurance companies, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

  • Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for telecommunications companies, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

  • βˆ’Pharmaceuticalsconfidence 0.80

    Section 2 of the bill amends the judicial review process of agency interpretations, which could lead to increased regulatory scrutiny and potential lawsuits for pharmaceutical companies, as it allows for de novo review of all relevant questions of law.

+ 3 more industries not shown.

Who funds the sponsor on these industries

For each industry this bill affects, here's what the sponsor (Rep. Fitzgerald, Scott [R-WI-5])received from donors associated with that industry during the 2022–present cycles. Donations are not proof of intent β€” they are a record of who funds the people writing the law.

Industries this bill HARMS

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