United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Student Nondiscrimination Act of 2010 - Prohibits public school students from being excluded from participating in, or subject to discrimination under, any federally-assisted educational program on the basis of their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or that of their associates. Considers harassment to be a form of discrimination. Prohibits retaliation against anyone for opposing conduct they reasonably believe to be unlawful under this Act. Authorizes federal departments and agencies to enforce these prohibitions by cutting off the educational assistance of recipients found to be violating them. Allows an aggrieved individual to assert a violation of this Act in a judicial proceeding and recover reasonable attorney's fees should they prevail. Deems a state's receipt of federal educational assistance for a program to constitute a waiver of sovereign immunity for conduct prohibited under this Act regarding such program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2010
Recognizes the proud history of the 24th Infantry Division (the 24th) and its soldiers who made countless sacrifices to protect the nation's freedom. Remembers with profound gratitude, sorrow, and respect the 14 soldiers of the 24th who received the Medal of Honor. Encourages the provision of an appropriate site in Arlington National Cemetery for a memorial marker to honor the memory of those 14 soldiers, as long as the Secretary of the Army has exclusive authority to approve the design and site of the marker.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Treats cash contributions made after January 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, for the relief of earthquake victims in Haiti as having been made on December 31, 2009, for purposes of the tax deduction for charitable contributions. Deems a contribution as meeting the recordkeeping requirements of the Internal Revenue Code if the taxpayer produces a telephone bill showing the name of the donee organization and the date and amount of the contribution.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2010
Restoring the Social Security COLA Act - Authorizes an increase of $250 in Social Security, certain veterans, Civil Service Retirement (CSRS), and Federal Employees Retirement (FERS) benefits for one month in 2010 to compensate for the lack of a cost-of-living adjustment for that year. Rescinds the unobligated balance of the discretionary appropriations made available by division A of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 in an amount determined by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to be required to offset the increase in spending resulting from such increase.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Compassionate Care for Servicewomen Act - Requires emergency contraception in drug form to be included on the basic core formulary of the uniform formulary of pharmaceutical agents for the pharmacy benefits program of the Department of Defense. Allows emergency contraception in other-than-drug form to also be so included. States that prior authorization shall not be required for such contraception.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize continued use of 2009 Medicare practice expense relative value units for certain cardiology services. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to contract with an independent entity to study and report to Congress on the practice expense methodology used to determine relative value units under this Act to determine whether the cost finding, indirect cost allocation, scaling, and budget neutrality methodologies used: (1) are consistent with generally accepted accounting principles; (2) distribute the burden of any necessary budget neutrality adjustments proportionally among all physicians' services; and (3) result in allowances that accurately reflect the relative direct and indirect resources involved in the provision of various physicians' services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Calls for the United States to adopt national policies and pursue international agreements to prevent ocean acidification, to study the impacts of ocean acidification, and to address the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and coastal economies.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Expresses support for a national and international celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States of America's birth, to be hosted by the Greater Philadelphia Region in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009
Transparency and Integrity in Corporate Monitoring Act of 2009 - Prohibits United States attorneys or assistant United States attorneys who participate in the investigation or prosecution of an organization for a criminal offense for which a deferred prosecution or nonprosecution agreement is made from acting as or working for, for a specified period of time after their service, corporate monitors selected to oversee the implementation of such agreements. Authorizes the Attorney General to seek a civil penalty or injunctive relief to address violations of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the rate of the excise tax on beer produced within or imported into the United States for brewers who produce not more than 6 million barrels of beer a year.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009
Stop the Automatic Pay Raise for Members of Congress in Fiscal Year 2011 Act - Declares that no automatic pay adjustment shall be considered to have taken effect in FY2011 in the rates of basic pay for Members of Congress under the General Schedule (thus eliminating the pay adjustment for Members for such fiscal year).
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Gold Star Mothers National Monument Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Gold Star Mothers National Monument Foundation to establish a monument in the District of Columbia area, as a unit of the National Park System, to be known as the Gold Star Mothers National Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) the United States remains deeply concerned about the plight of specified vulnerable religious and ethnic minorities of Iraq; (2) the U.S. government and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) should urge the government of Iraq to enhance security at places of worship in Iraq, particularly where religious minorities are known to be at risk; Urges the U.S. government to continue to work with the government of Iraq to: (1) train and deploy into the Iraqi police and security forces members of vulnerable minority communities in Iraq; and (2) ensure that members of such communities suffer no discrimination in recruitment, employment, or advancement in such forces, and be assigned to their locations of origin, rather than transferred to other areas. Urges the government of Iraq, with U.S. government assistance, to: (1) ensure that the upcoming national elections in Iraq are safe, fair, and free of intimidation and violence so that all Iraqis, including religious minorities, can participate in them; and (2) permit and facilitate election monitoring by experts from local and international nongovernmental organizations, the international community, and the United Nations, particularly in minority areas. Encourages the government of Iraq and the Kurdistan regional government to work towards a peaceful and timely resolution of disputes over territories. Encourages the U.S. government and UNAMI to urge the government of Iraq to work with minority communities and their representatives to develop measures to implement article 125 of the Iraq Constitution. Urges the government of Iraq to take affirmative measures to reverse the legal, political, and economic marginalization of religious minorities in Iraq. Urges the U.S. government to: (1) direct assistance to projects that develop the ability of ethnic and religious minorities in Iraq to organize themselves civically and politically to effectively convey their concerns to government; and (2) continue to fund capacity-building programs for the Iraqi Ministry of Human Rights (IMHR), the independent national Human Rights Commission, and a new independent minorities committee whose membership is selected by minority communities of Iraq. Urges the government of Iraq to: (1) direct the IMHR to investigate and report on abuses against and the marginalization of minority communities in Iraq, making recommendations to address such abuses; and (2) help ensure that displaced Iraqis considering return to Iraq have the proper information needed to make informed decisions regarding such return. Urges the U.S. government and international organizations to continue to work with the government of Iraq to develop the legal framework necessary to address property disputes resulting when displaced Iraqis attempt to return to their homes in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
TARP Sunset and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to terminate, on December 31, 2009 (as under current law), the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to implement the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Repeals the Secretary's authority to extend the TARP program through October 3, 2010, upon submission of a written certification to Congress. Requires all funds repaid, and profits paid, to the Secretary by TARP recipients to be used to pay down the national debt. Reduces the statutory limit on the public debt to $700 billion minus the amount of troubled assets purchased by the Secretary under TARP outstanding on December 31, 2009.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Smoke-Free Federal Workplace Act - Prohibits smoking in federal buildings. Defines "federal building" to: (1) include any building, any area within 25 feet of such building, any courtyard, any areas used for children's playgrounds, or any structure owned, leased, or leased for use by a federal agency; and (2) exclude any building or other structure on a military installation, any health care facility under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), or any area of a building that is used primarily as living quarters. Requires the head of each executive agency, the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the House Office Building Commission and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and the Architect of the Capitol to: (1) take such actions as necessary to institute and enforce the prohibition as it applies to all federal buildings; and (2) implement an enforcement process to impose a fine on an individual who fails to comply with the prohibition ($250 fine for a first offense, $500 for a second offense, and $1,000 for any subsequent offense). Permits a state or local government or a federal agency, including a military installation or VA facility, to implement more protective smoke-free or tobacco-free laws.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Requires the Secretary of Transportation to withhold specified graduated percentages of a state's apportionment of certain federal-aid highway program funds for FY2012-FY2015, and thereafter, if the state has not enacted or is not enforcing a law that prohibits, with specified exceptions, a person from using a wireless communications device to compose, read, or send an electronic message while operating a motor vehicle that is in motion or part of traffic.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a 30% energy tax credit for equipment used to fabricate solar energy property. Amends the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009 to allow grants in lieu of energy tax credits for equipment used to fabricate solar energy property.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2009
Veterans' Health and Radiation Safety Act - Requires the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to to report annually to Congress on the low-volume (treating 100 patients or fewer) programs at each medical facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Directs the Secretary to ensure that all employees at a VA hospital where radioactive isotopes are used in the administration of medical services receive appropriate training on what constitutes a medical event and when and to whom a medical event should be reported. Prohibits such isotopes from being used at a VA hospital where such training is not provided. Requires the Secretary to carry out specified evaluations and peer reviews of all medical services provided under contract with a non-government entity.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Veterans Burial Benefits Improvement Act of 2009 - Increases the authorized allowance for burial and funeral expenses for deceased veterans who: (1) at the time of death were in receipt of veterans' disability compensation or veterans' pension benefits; or (2) were veterans of any war or were discharged or released from active military service for a service-connected disability and for whom there is no next of kin or sufficient resources to cover funeral and burial costs. Increases the burial plot allowance for veterans who, at the time of death, were receiving hospital or nursing home care in or through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Authorizes the annual adjustment of such allowances by the same percentage increase as adjustments to benefit amounts payable under title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the Social Security Act.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Makes eligible for a $300 plot allowance for burial in a cemetery other than a national cemetery a veteran who is eligible for burial in a national cemetery and who: (1) was discharged from active service for a disability incurred or aggravated in the line of duty; or (2) is a veteran of any war. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in lieu of furnishing a headstone or marker for an individual so entitled, to reimburse the person entitled to request such headstone or marker for acquiring a non-government headstone or marker for placement in any cemetery other than a national cemetery in connection with the burial or memorialization of the deceased individual.
United States · United States Congress · 6 November 2009
Small Business and Military Family Assistance Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2011 the tax credit for differential wages paid to employees while on active duty in the uniformed services for a period of more than 30 days.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2009
Veterans' Small Business Assistance and Servicemembers Protection Act of 2009 - Veterans Small Business Verification Act - Prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from including a small business in a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-maintained database of small businesses owned and controlled by veterans until the Secretary has verified that: (1) the small business is owned and controlled by veterans; and (2) if the small business owner claims to be a service-disabled veteran, that such person is a veteran with a service-connected disability. Requires (under current law, authorizes) a VA contracting officer to award a contract to a small business owned and controlled by veterans using procedures other than competitive procedures, as long as certain standards are met. Extends through 2015 the Veterans' Advisory Committee on Education. Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to allow a servicemember to terminate a contract for the following services, without the imposition of early termination fees, if the servicemember is deployed in support of a contingency operation for not less than 90 days or must change permanent stations to a location that does not support such contract: (1) cellular and home telephone; (2) multichannel video programming; (3) Internet; or (4) residential utilities involving the provision of water, electricity, home heating oil, or natural gas. Requires the return of any advance payments made. Prohibits lessors from charging early termination fees with respect to rental or motor vehicle leases entered into by servicemembers who subsequently enter military service or receive orders for a permanent change of station or for deployment in support of a contingency operation. Provides for enforcement by the Attorney General, or a private right of action, with respect to rights provided under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain procedures for ensuring coordination of outreach activities between and among specified VA offices and departments. Provides for VA cooperative activities with states with respect to such outreach. Establishes a VA visual impairment and orientation and mobility professionals education assistance program to increase the supply of qualified blind rehabilitation specialists. Corey Shea Act - Provides VA burial benefits to parents of individuals who died in combat or from a combat-related training injury and are interred in a national cemetery.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2009
Considers the "Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict" (Goldstone Report) to be biased and unworthy of further consideration or legitimacy. Supports the Administration's efforts to combat anti-Israel bias at the United Nations (U.N.). Calls on the President and the Secretary of State to oppose endorsement of, and measures stemming from, the Report. Reaffirms support for Israel's right to defend its citizens from violent militant groups and their state sponsors.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2009
Supports the goals and ideals of National Military Family Month. Recognizes the sacrifices and dedication of military families and their contributions to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2009
Calls on people of Madagascar to restore constitutional governance, culminating in free and peaceful elections. Condemns the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources and its impact on biodiversity and livelihoods of rural communities. Calls upon importing countries to intensify their monitoring processes to ensure that they do not contribute to the demand for illegally sourced precious woods from Madagascar.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2009
Deems as active duty service, for purposes of benefits provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), service of a person entitled to retired pay for nonregular (reserve) service or, but for age, would be so entitled.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2009
Amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act with respect to the duties of users of consumer reports who take adverse actions on the basis of information contained in such reports. Excludes any health care practice, accounting practice, or legal practice with 20 or fewer employees from the meaning of creditor subject to Red Flag Guidelines regarding identity theft promulgated by the proper federal financial regulatory agency. Excludes any other business which the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) determines: (1) knows all its customers or clients individually; (2) only performs services in or around the residences of its customers; or (3) has not experienced incidents of identity theft, and identity theft is rare for businesses of that type. States that such exclusion shall no longer apply to any business that can no longer meet such eligibility criteria.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2009
Recognizes the significant contributions of the Military Working Dog (MWD) Program to the U.S. Armed Forces. Honors retired Air Force MWD Ben C020 for his lifetime of service. Supports the adoption and care of these quality animals after such service.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2009
Recognizes the historical and religious significance of Diwali. Celebrates the rich cultural and religious diversity of the people of the United States and the freedom of religion guaranteed to all Americans. Conveys best wishes to its fellow Americans and to people around the world celebrating Diwali.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2009
Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize appropriations for FY2012-FY2016 for: (1) type I diabetes research; and (2) diabetes prevention and treatment through Indian health facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2009
Bereaved Consumer's Bill of Rights Act of 2009 - Requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prescribe rules prohibiting unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the provision of funeral goods or services. Includes among such rules requirements pertaining to: (1) costs and fees; (2) contract language and disclosures; (3) rules, regulations, and conditions of purchases; and (4) cemetery records. Makes the rules applicable to tax-exempt organizations, religious organizations, and states and political subdivisions. Allows a state, as parens patriae, to bring a civil action on behalf of its residents in U.S. district court to enjoin an act or practice that violates an FTC rule issued under this Act, enforce compliance with the rule, or obtain other relief. Requires a state to provide notice to the FTC of any such action and gives the agency the right to intervene. Prohibits a state, during the pendency of an action instituted by or on behalf of the FTC, from instituting a civil action for violation of a rule against a defendant named in the agency's complaint.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2009
Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2009 - Amends the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act of 1998 to direct the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, through the Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia (Task Force) established by such Act, to: (1) establish and maintain a National Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Program to develop a national strategy to address marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; (2) promote activities and an action strategy to implement such Program; (3) oversee the development and implementation of regional research and action plans for addressing marine and freshwater harmful algal bloom and hypoxia events; and (4) identify the appropriate regions and subregions to be addressed by such plans. Directs the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, to report on progress toward the attainment of the coastal goal of the 2008 Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan released by the EPA on June 16, 2008. Directs the Task Force to complete and submit to Congress and the President an integrated assessment of hypoxia in the coastal and estuarine waters of the Pacific Northwest.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2009
Recognizes the celebration of Filipino American History Month as a study of the advancement of Filipino Americans and as a time to renew efforts toward the examination of history and culture in order to provide an opportunity for all people in the United States to learn more about Filipino Americans and their historic contributions to the Nation.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should: (1) ensure that promotion of inter-religious dialogue and protection of religious freedom and human rights are key components of the U.S. engagement strategy with the Islamic Republic of Pakistan; and (2) support efforts by the government of Pakistan to protect the religious freedom of all Pakistanis and prioritize the prevention of religiously motivated and sectarian violence; and (3) urge the government of Pakistan to review legislation that restricts the right to practice and propagate religion or that constitutes discrimination on the basis of religion or belief in order to bring Pakistani law into conformity with international human rights standards.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2009
National Oilheat Research Alliance Reauthorization Act of 2009 - Amends the National Oilheat Research Alliance Act of 2000 to extend the national oilheat research alliance program until February 6, 2011.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2009
Supports the designation of Read for the Record Day. Commends Jumpstart's Read for the Record, which is now in its fourth year. (Jumpstart is a national nonprofit early childhood education organization.) Encourages adults to come together with children of all ages to create the world's largest shared reading experience to show their support for early literacy and Jumpstart's year-long program working with preschool children in low-income communities.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2009
National Guard Education Equality Act - Includes as qualifying service for veterans educational assistance purposes (Post-9/11 Educational Assistance): (1) certain active duty service in the reserve components (including service such as part of an airport security mission or counterdrug activity); and (2) discharge from active duty service in the reserve components because of a service connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2009
Condemns the release of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi, who was convicted for participating in the bombing of Pan Am 103 causing the deaths of 270 innocent people, including 189 U.S. citizens. Extends deepest sympathies to the family members of the victims of Pan Am Flight 103. Recognizes that this type of action sends a negative message to terrorists and undermines the judicial system in terrorist convictions. Expresses concern for the celebration of Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi's return to Libya and urges the government of Libya to immediately place Abdel Basset Mohamed al-Megrahi under house arrest.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2009
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 427 Harrison Avenue in Harrison, New Jersey, as the "Patricia D. McGinty-Juhl Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2009
Avoiding Life-Endangering and Reckless Texting by Drivers Act of 2009 or the ALERT Drivers Act - Requires the Secretary of Transportation to withhold 25% of a state's apportionment of certain federal-aid highway program funds for the fiscal year if the state has not enacted or is not enforcing a law that: (1) prohibits, except in an emergency, an operator of a motor vehicle from writing, sending, or reading a text message using a hand-held mobile telephone (excluding a vehicle-integrated, voice-activated device); and (2) requires, upon conviction of a violation of such prohibition, the imposition of certain minimum penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Requires a group health plan, and a health insurance issuer offering group health insurance coverage in the group market or health insurance coverage in the individual market, for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 2010, to provide premium discounts for healthy behavior and improvements toward healthy behavior. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to conclude a rulemaking procedure to determine the appropriate premium discount applicable to each healthy behavior and each improvement toward healthy behavior. Describes "healthy behavior" (and improvements toward such behavior) as indicated by factors related to smoking, blood pressure, body mass index, lipoprotein levels, and hemoglobin A1c levels. Requires any healthy behavior or improvement toward healthy behavior to be supported by medical test result information which is certified by a licensed physician, and the individual to whom it relates, as being complete, accurate, and current. Imposes civil penalties for false certifications.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Mitochondrial Medicine Research and Treatment Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish within the Office of the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) an Office of Mitochondrial Medicine (OMM). Requires the OMM Director to develop, make publicly available, implement, and biennially update a written plan to facilitate research into mitochondrial medicine. Sets forth as plan objectives: (1) improving coordination of research related to mitochondrial medicine among the national research institutes and between NIH and outside researchers; (2) providing training to research scientists and health professionals engaged in research related to mitochondrial medicine; (3) providing training to health care providers regarding the diagnosis of mitochondrial disease and dysfunction; and (4) establishing scientific review groups with expertise in mitochondrial medicine to oversee relevant research projects in NIH. Requires the OMM Director to award at least five grants, annually, for each of the following: (1) integrated, multi-project research programs related to mitochondrial medicine; and (2) planning activities associated with such programs. Authorizes the Director to award grants to institutions or consortiums of institutions to establish Mitochondrial Medicine Centers of Excellence to promote interdisciplinary research and training related to mitochondrial medicine. Requires the Director to establish: (1) a national registry for the maintenance and sharing for research purposes of medical information collected from patients with mitochondrial disease or dysfunction; and (2) a national biorepository for the maintenance and sharing for research purposes of tissues and DNA collected from such patients.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Enable Divestment from Sudan and Iran Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to promote the divestment of investments in Iran or the Sudan by permitting the deferral of tax on gain from the sale of securities in any business that is engaged in certain discouraged activities in Iran or the Sudan if the holder of such securities purchases replacement securities from a business not engaged in such discouraged activities. Includes as discouraged activities in Iran: (1) investment of $20 million or more in the energy sector of Iran (i.e., petroleum, natural gas, or nuclear power) or in a person who provides Iran with oil or liquefied natural gas tankers or pipelines; (2) an extension of credit of $20 million or more to a person who invests in the energy sector of Iran; (3) investment that enhances Iran's ability to develop petroleum resources; (4) the sale of goods, services, technology, information, or support to Iran that allows it to maintain or expand its petroleum industry; or (5) providing Iran with refined petroleum resources. Defines "Sudan discouraged activity" as an investment in any business operation described in the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act of 2007 (e.g., businesses engaged in power production activities, mineral extraction activities, oil-related activities, or the production of military equipment). Includes as an Iran or Sudan discouraged activity business transactions with or charitable donations to any Iranian or Sudanese person designated as a terrorist or to any foreign terrorist organization. Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to publish and update every six months a list of business entities engaging in any Sudan or Iran discouraged activities.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the prohibition against dealers in real property using the installment method for reporting income from an installment sale.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2009
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Estuaries Day. Expresses the intent of the House of Representatives to continue working to protect and restore U.S. estuaries.