United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
National September 11 Memorial & Museum Commemorative Medal Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and make available for sale not more than 2 million silver national medals, containing one ounce of silver each, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States and the establishment of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center. Declares that all sales of medals under this Act shall include a surcharge of $10 per medal, which shall be paid to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center to support its operations and maintenance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2010
Expresses support for the mission and goals of the 2010 National Crime Victims' Rights Week to increase public awareness of the impact on victims and survivors of crime and the constitutional and statutory rights and needs of such victims and survivors. Recognizes that fairness, dignity, and respect comprise the very foundation of how victims and survivors of crime should be treated.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Iran Human Rights Sanctions Act - Directs the President to impose visa entry and financial sanctions on a person determined to be complicit in human rights abuses committed against Iranian citizens or their family members on or after June 12, 2009, regardless of whether such abuses occurred in Iran. Requires that: (1) the list of such persons required by this Act be made available to the public and posted on the Department of the Treasury and the Department of State websites; and (2) the President consider data obtained by other countries and nongovernmental organizations that monitor Iran's human rights abuses in preparing such list. Terminates sanctions upon presidential certification to Congress that: (1) the sanctioned persons have ceased complicity in human rights abuses; and (2) the government of Iran has released all political prisoners, ceased its killing and abuse of Iranian citizens engaging in peaceful political activity and prosecuted those responsible, committed itself to free elections and respect for human rights, and ceased broadcast interference.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Keep Terrorists at Bay Act of 2010 - Prohibits any court from ordering the release into the United States of an alien: (1) who is an unprivileged enemy belligerent (i.e., an alien who has engaged in or supported hostilities against the United States or was a part of Al Qaeda) or who has been determined by a Combatant Status Review Tribunal, at any time, to be an enemy combatant; and (2) who is or was in U.S. custody at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Prohibits the Secretary of State from issuing a visa to any such alien or the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) from admitting into the United States, or granting any type of immigration status to, any such alien. Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to prohibit the Secretary of Homeland Security from paroling (i.e., admitting for a temporary period) any such alien into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2010
Accurate Accounting of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Act - Requires the receipts and disbursements of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) to be counted as new budget authority, outlays, receipts, or deficit or surplus for purposes of: (1) the federal budget submitted by the President; (2) the congressional budget; or (3) the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act). Requires the costs of purchases of mortgages, and mortgage-backed securities issued, by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be calculated by adjusting a specified discount rate for market risks under the Credit Reform Act of 1990. Subjects to the statutory public debt limit the face amount of obligations issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and outstanding at one time.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2010
Commends Brittany and Robbie Bergquist (founders of Cell Phones for Soldiers), their family, and the thousands of volunteers who help members of the Armed Forces (members) keep in touch with their families through the use of recycled cell phones. Pledges continued support for members to maintain contact with their families and loved ones while serving in harm's way. Expresses appreciation for Cell Phones for Soldiers and other nonprofit entities that work selflessly to provide an affordable means for members to maintain such contact while serving overseas.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Holocaust Insurance Accountability Act of 2010 - Declares that no executive agreement between the United States and any foreign country shall invalidate or preempt any state law creating a cause of action against an insurer or related company based upon a claim arising out of or related to a covered insurance policy that: (1) was in effect at any time after January 30, 1933, and before December 31, 1945; and (2) was issued to a policyholder domiciled in any area occupied or controlled by Nazi Germany. Deems any state law enacted as of March 1, 1998, which requires an insurer doing business in that state to disclose information regarding such a covered policy to be effective upon its enactment. Authorizes the President to waive application of this Act upon: (1) a determination that the executive agreement is vital to U.S. national security interests; and (2) presentation of a report by the President to certain congressional committees explaining the reasons for such determination. Prohibits a court from dismissing a claim that is brought under a state law within 10 years after enactment of this Act on the ground that the claim is barred under any statute of limitations. Declares this Act applicable to any claim brought under state law before, on, or after enactment of this Act including: (1) any claim dismissed on the ground of executive preemption before the date of the enactment of this Act; and (2) any claim that is deemed released as a result of the settlement of a class action entered into before enactment of this Act if the claimant did not receive any payment pursuant to the settlement.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Commends the personnel of the Agri-business Development Teams of the National Guard, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for their efforts to modernize agriculture practices and increase food production in war-torn countries.
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2010
Supports the goals and ideals of RV Centennial Celebration Month to recognize and honor 100 years of enjoyment of recreational vehicles in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2010
Mortgage E-Verify Act of 2010 - Amends the Federal National Mortgage Association Charter Act and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act to require the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation Act (Freddie Mac) to confirm the identity and work eligibility of the mortgagor as a prerequisite to: (1) any refinancing, restructuring, or modification agreement governing a single-family housing mortgage that is held by, or that backs any security issued by, either Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac; or (2) any purchase of, or issuance of any security that is backed by, any single-family housing mortgage made for the refinancing, restructuring, or modification of the mortgagor's previous single-family housing mortgage on the same property. Identifies the required inquiry as one made through the basic pilot E-Verify program under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996. Amends the National Housing Act to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use the E-Verify program to confirm the identity and work eligibility of the mortgagor as a prerequisite to single-family housing mortgage insurance issued under the Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 February 2010
Constitutional Amendment - Prohibits outlays for a fiscal year (including those for debt service and other debt functions) from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year (except those derived from borrowing) unless Congress, by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, authorizes a specific excess of outlays over receipts. Requires a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber to increase the public debt limit. Prohibits outlays for the total budget from exceeding the previous fiscal years' outlays plus population growth and inflation, unless a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber, provides for such increase. Directs the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Prohibits any bill to increase revenue from becoming law unless approved by a two-thirds roll call vote of each chamber. Authorizes waivers of these provisions when a declaration of war is in effect only by a vote of a majority of both chambers. Requires all: (1) outlays above revenues from the previous fiscal year to be accounted for in the outlays and budgets of the following fiscal year; and (2) surplus revenues at the end of a fiscal year to be allocated to a fund to be returned to the taxpayers, determined by legislation before the end of the subsequent fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
TBI Treatment Act - Directs the Secretaries of Defense (DOD) and Veterans Affairs (Secretaries) to carry out a five-year pilot program under which each Secretary establishes a process for providing payments to facilities for treatments of traumatic brain injury (TBI) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received by members of the Armed Forces and veterans in facilities other than military treatment facilities or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities. Subjects such payments to specified conditions, including approved treatment or study protocols. Requires the VA Secretary to notify each veteran with a service-connected injury or disability of the opportunity to receive such treatment or study protocol. Requires the Secretaries to jointly: (1) develop and maintain a database containing data from each patient case involving the use of such treatments; and (2) report annually to Congress on the implementation of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Conservation and Recreation Act - Designates specified lands and inland waters within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan as wilderness and as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System, to be known as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Wilderness. Sets forth requirements for the administration of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Wilderness, including with respect to road maintenance, hunting, fish and wildlife, watercraft, and buffer zones.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Prohibits any funds appropriated or made available to the Department of Justice (DOJ) from being used to commence or continue a prosecution in an Article III court of any individual suspected of involvement in the attacks on the United States and its citizens on September 11, 2001, who is not a citizen of the United States and is subject to the jurisdiction of a military commission.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2010
Amends the Clean Air Act to exclude from the definition of "air pollutant" any of the following solely on the basis of its effect on global climate change: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. Prohibits the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from implementing activities relating to the inclusion of international indirect land use change in the implementation of the renewable fuel program. Excludes indirect emissions from international land use changes from the definition of lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Requires the Administrator and the Secretary of Agriculture (currently, the Administrator) to determine the aggregate quantity of GHG emissions in liefecycyle GHG emissions related to the full fuel lifecycle. Amends the Clean Air Act to redefine "renewable biomass" as: (1) materials, pre-commercial thinnings, or invasive species from certain National Forest System land and public lands that are byproducts of preventive treatments that are removed to reduce hazardous fuels, reduce or contain disease or insect infestation, or restore ecosystem health, that would not otherwise be used for higher-value products, and that are harvested in accordance with specified requirements for old-growth forests and large tree retention; or (2) any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis from nonfederal land or land belonging to an Indian or Indian tribe that is held in trust by the United States or subject to a restriction against alienation imposed by the United States, including specified renewable plant material and waste material.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Elizabeth A. Connelly Act - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Public Health Service Act, the Health Professions Education Partnership Act of 1968, the National Sickle Cell Anemia Act, Cooley's Anemia, Tay-Sachs, and Genetic Diseases Act, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act, the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000, and other federal enactments and regulations to change references to mental retardation to references to an intellectual disability.
United States · United States Congress · 27 January 2010
Commemorates the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. Honors the victims of Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration and extermination camps, and all those who perished at the hands of the Nazis. Expresses gratitude to the Allied soldiers, underground fighters, and all those whose efforts helped defeat the Nazi regime and liberate Auschwitz and other concentration and extermination camps during World War II. Reaffirms the commitment of the House of Representatives to enhance Holocaust education at home and abroad and to ensure that what happened in Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration and extermination camps is never allowed to happen again. Urges all countries to enhance their efforts to combat bigotry, racism, intolerance, and anti-Semitism.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2010
Extends through 2013 eligibility for the concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for veterans who were retired or separated due to physical disability, regardless of their disability rating or years of service.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Freedom from Rationed Health Care Act - Repeals provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 making appropriations for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and for the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and rescinds any unobligated balances of funds made available under such provisions. Repeals specified provisions of such Act: (1) establishing a Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research; and (2) concerning heath information technology, including provisions establishing the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the HIT Policy Committee. Requires that amounts rescinded under this Act be deposited in the Treasury to pay down the national debt.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2010
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the use of a basic pilot program (E-verify program) by employers of workers within the United States should be mandatory and that enforcement policies should hold both employers and employees responsible for violations; (2) sustaining the necessary border infrastructure and manpower to secure U.S. borders to prevent the unauthorized passage of persons or contraband is a critical responsibility of the federal government; and (3) immigration reform should not legalize, grant amnesty for, or confer any other legal status condoning the unlawful U.S. entry or presence of any individual.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Close All Routes and Prevent Asian Carp Today Act of 2010 - Requires the Secretary of the Army to take actions to ensure: (1) the immediate closure and ceasing of operation of the locks at the O'Brien Lock and Dam and the Chicago Controlling Works until a strategy relating to controlled lock operations is developed; (2) the installation of structures in the North Shore Channel and the Grand Calumet and Little Calumet Rivers to prevent the migration of bighead and silver carps into Lake Michigan; (3) the installation of interim barriers in the Chicago waterway system between the Des Plaines River and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to prevent bighead and silver carps from entering the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal during a flood event; (4) the operation of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System at optimal operating power and the expedited completion of proposed barrier IIB of such system; (5) the comprehensive monitoring of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and all connected waterways for the presence and location of bighead and silver carps; (6) the eradication of any bighead or silver carps discovered in the Chicago waterway system; (7) the upgrading and making permanent of barrier I of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System in a location and with the features and operations determined to be the most effective; (8) the implementation of measures recommended in the efficacy study authorized under the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 or provided in related interim reports; (9) the implementation of emergency measures to prevent bighead and silver carps from dispersing into the Great Lakes; and (10) the acquisition of real estate necessary for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Electrical Disbursal Barrier System. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on strategies for addressing any effects with respect to commerce and flood control resulting from such actions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 January 2010
Recognizes the fifth anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the government of the Republic of the Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army. Urges: (1) all parties in Sudan to cease hostile activities and to commit to establishing peace; and (2) the President of the United States and the Secretary of State to intervene at the highest levels within the international community to reinvigorate support for the establishment of peace in Sudan.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2010
Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide for the protection of child custody arrangements for parents who are members deployed in support of a contingency operation. States that if a motion for change of custody of a child of such a member is filed while the member is so deployed, no court may enter an order modifying or amending a previous child custody judgment, except if the court finds that it is in the best interest of the child. Prohibits any court from considering a member's absence due to deployment, or possible deployment, in support of a contingency operation in determining the best interest of the child.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2010
INTERPOL Immunities Oversight Act of 2010 - Directs the The President to revoke Executive Order 13524 and amend Executive Order 12425 so as to restore the words removed by Executive Order 13524. (Restores certain limitations on property search, customs duty, and taxation immunities in the United States for the International Criminal Police Organization's [INTERPOL].)
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2010
Belarus Arms Transfers Accountability Act of 2009 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Secretary of State should consider reports of arms sales by Belarus to state sponsors of terrorism and states that do not cooperate with the United States in its anti-terrorism efforts, as well as any information gathered for a certain congressional report concerning Belarus' proliferation of conventional and nuclear weapons to such countries, including Venezuela, in determining whether to impose terrorism and nonproliferation sanctions to deter such arms sales by Belarus; and (2) any use by Iran of nuclear cooperation agreements with other countries as a means to proliferate weapons technology and expertise to countries such as Venezuela, either directly or by arrangements with Belarus or other countries, would not be in the interest of the United States. Directs the Secretary to report annually to the appropriate congressional committees on exports of weapons and related services by the government of Belarus and Belarusian enterprises, especially to state sponsors of terrorism or countries not fully cooperating with U.S. antiterrorism efforts, including Venezuela.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2010
Expresses support for the goals of Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the vital contributions of the thousands of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in this country.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2010
Terrorist Detention and Prosecution Act of 2010 - Replaces the term "unprivileged enemy combatant" in federal military law with the term "unlawful enemy combatant." Includes in the definition, and therefore makes subject to trial by military commissions, an individual who: (1) is closely associated with or has provided material support to al Qaeda or any other organization dedicated to committing acts of terrorism against the United States; (2) has taken up or conspired to take up arms on behalf of al Qaeda; and (3) has committed or conspired to commit acts of terrorism against the United States or American citizens or targets, regardless of the location of the individual's capture. Allows the President to authorize the detention of any unlawful enemy combatant until determining that the individual is no longer a threat to the United States or its allies.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2009
Requires that a vacancy in the position of Comptroller General be filled only by an individual who: (1) is licensed or certified as a certified public accountant in a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory; (2) has significant management experience, including experience in government service; (3) has significant government auditing and accounting experience; (4) has a post-graduate degree; (5) has a professional accreditation issued by a professional association; and (6) has such other qualifications as the commission established to recommend individuals to the President for appointment to vacancies in the office of Comptroller General or Deputy Comptroller General may establish.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Designates the Department of Veterans Affairs blind rehabilitation center in Long Beach, California, as the "Major Charles R. Soltes, Jr., O.D. Department of Veterans Affairs Blind Rehabilitation Center."
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Taxpayers' Assets Recoupment Act of 2009 - Amends the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA) to: (1) terminate the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury with respect to the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) upon enactment of this Act; (2) require that TARP repayments and profits be deposited into a certain account in the Treasury to pay down the national debt; and (3) require each financial institution receiving TARP funds to report biannually on how it is using them.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Honors Navy SEALs Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew McCabe, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jonathan Keefe, and Petty Officer 1st Class Julio Huertas for their heroic actions in the capture of Ahmed Hashim Abed, one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Recognizes the exemplary service, devotion to country, and selfless sacrifice of Special Warfare Operators 2nd Class Matthew McCabe and Jonathan Keefe and Special Warfare Operator 1st Class Julio Huertas in the capture of Ahmed Hashim Abed, the alleged planner of an ambush in Fallujah, Iraq, that resulted in the killing of four security contractors. Pledges continued support to members of U.S. Armed Forces serving in harm's way.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Reaffirms the strong relationship between the United States and Ukraine and encourages continued efforts to implement the United States-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership. Expresses support for the Ukrainian people's efforts to consolidate democratic institutions and economic reforms. Supports international financial institution measures to assist Ukraine. Urges the government of Ukraine and all political parties to ensure that the 2010 election is conducted freely.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Condemns the gross abuses of the rights of Iranian citizens by the government of Islamic Republic of Iran and calls on the government to immediately honor its obligations under its own constitution and International Human Rights Laws. Supports the rights of Iranian citizens to peacefully protest. Urges the government of Iran to release all those peaceful protectors and opposition supporters it has detained, stop the harassment and violent acts against these Iranian citizens committed by security forces and the Basij militias, and bring to justice the government authorities responsible for such unlawful acts of violence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2009
Expresses the sense of Congress that the President and the Secretaries of State and Defense (DOD) should urge France and the other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) members not to sell major weapons systems or offensive military equipment to the Russian Federation until that country has: (1) withdrawn its troops from Georgia and revoked its recognition as sovereign states of the separatist regions within Georgia; (2) fulfilled its commitments to withdraw its military forces from the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova; (3) ceased actions that violate or threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of neighboring states; (4) halted weapons and related technology sales to state sponsors of terrorism; and (5) taken steps to enforce the rule of law and human rights within the Russian Federation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2009
Mechanical Insulation Installation Incentive Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax deduction for a specified percentage of the cost, including labor costs, of installing and maintaining mechanical insulation property. Defines "mechanical insulation property" as insulation materials, facings, and accessory products placed in service in connection with a mechanical system which is utilized for thermal, acoustical, and personnel safety requirements for mechanical piping and equipment, hot and cold applications, and heating, venting and air conditioning applications which can be used in a variety of facilities.
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 · 10 December 2009
Control America's Purse-strings to Deliver a Better Tomorrow Act or the CAP the DEBT Act - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to make it out of order in the House of Representatives and in the Senate to consider any bill, joint resolution, amendment, or conference report increasing the statutory limit on the public debt if there is any other matter in such measure. Requires a two-thirds recorded vote of Members in the House and a roll call vote of at least two-thirds of the Members of the Senate before legislation increasing the statutory limit on the public debt may be considered as passed or agreed to in either chamber. Permits a successful appeal from the ruling of the Chair in the Senate on such prohibition, but only by an affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds of its Members. Repeals Rule XXVIII (Statutory Limit on Public Debt) of the Rules of the House, and known as the "Gephardt Rule," providing for mandatory adjustment of the statutory limit on the public debt to conform to a budget resolution.
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 · 9 December 2009
Congratulates the Great Lakes Bay Regional Convention and Visitors Bureaus for securing the 2012 Region II United States Youth Soccer Association tournament.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2009
Expresses support for the designation of National Stalking Awareness Month to educate Americans about stalking. Encourages efforts to promote awareness of stalking and the availability of services for stalking victims. Urges national and community organizations, private businesses, and the media to promote, through National Stalking Awareness Month, awareness of the crime of stalking.
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 · 3 December 2009
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the conditions for the United States becoming a signatory to or negotiating any international agreement on greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
United States · United States Congress · 3 December 2009
Calls on the President to: (1) not enter into or extend any arms control agreement with the Russian Federation that may jeopardize the ability of the United States to ensure a credible strategic deterrent with regard to the People's Republic of China (PRC) or other countries that are deemed capable of deploying a strategic nuclear arsenal; (2) report to Congress on any plans or steps taken to enter into any bilateral arms control agreement with the Russian Federation; (3) report to Congress on the PRC's capabilities and intentions regarding the future deployment of a major strategic nuclear arsenal; and (4) refuse to enter into any strategic nuclear arms agreement with the Russian Federation or any other country that would require the United States to limit or suspend its efforts to create missile defense systems for itself and its allies. Urges the President to refrain from negotiating any follow-on agreement to START I until the Nuclear Posture Review is completed and the President, Congress, and all relevant U.S. government departments and agencies have had an opportunity to evaluate the Nuclear Posture Review.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2009
Deposit Restricted Qualified Tuition Programs Act of 2009 - Amends the Federal Deposit Insurance Act to prescribe requirements for deposit restricted qualified tuition programs which are exempt from federal income tax. Defines such a program as one in which: (1) the cash provided to it by a contributor may be invested only in deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); (2) the contributor may become a participant in the program by depositing funds through the program into an account at a depository institution participating in the program; and (3) the program may include multiple depository institutions. Deems a deposit restricted qualified tuition program to be an identified banking product for purposes of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Denies treatment as a security under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or the Investment Company Act of 1940 of: (1) the investment of cash in deposits at an insured depository institution through a deposit restricted qualified tuition program; (2) any certificate of deposit or other instrument evidencing any such deposit; or (3) any participation by a contributor to a deposit restricted qualified tuition program. Declares that in no event shall a deposit restricted qualified tuition program, the state entity designated by statute to oversee such program, or the administrator appointed to operate it on behalf of the state or a participating depository institution, be deemed to be an issuer of a security or an investment company.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Requires trial by military commission when an unprivileged enemy belligerent is being tried for alleged conduct for which a term of incarceration or the death penalty may be sought or obtained.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2009
Calls on the Government of the Republic of Korea to end unfair trade practices as they relate to the U.S. automotive industry. Urges the House of Representatives to take such unfair practices into account when it considers the United States-Korea Free Trade Agreement. Demands that such Agreement include the March 7, 2007, Congressional Auto Caucus proposal to ensure fair access by U.S. auto manufacturers to the Republic of Korea's automobile market.