United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 7320 Reseda Boulevard in Reseda, California, as the "Coach John Wooden Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2005
Assisting Doctors to Obtain Proficient and Transmissible Health Information Technology (ADOPT HIT) Act of 2005 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow medical care providers: (1) to expense up to $250,000 of the cost of health care information technology for the exchange of medical information; and (2) a business tax credit for 50% of their telecommunication charges (defined as expenses of installing or maintaining a communications network that supports interoperability of electronic medical records systems), up to $10,000.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2005
Gulf Deregulation Act - Establishes the Gulf Deregulation Commission to: (1) identify federal, state, and local regulations that have the effect of impeding recovery and relief efforts in Hurrican Katrina or Hurricane Rita disaster areas; and (2) recommend the temporary suspension of a federal regulation, or part of one, for a maximum 18-month period if it impedes the reconstruction and recovery of any hurricane disaster area and imposes a restriction or mandate on public-sector, private-sector, or nonprofit activity. Requires the President to suspend any federal regulation, as recommended by the Commission, unless Congress disapproves of such suspension. Sets forth congressional procedures for consideration of a joint resolution disapproving the Commission's recommendations. Allows reinstatement of a suspended regulation by its administering department or agency pursuant to a determination that the benefits of the reinstatement outweigh the costs. Subjects such determination to direction from or reversal by the President.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2005
Health Care Freedom of Choice Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow the tax deduction for medical expenses without the gross income percentage limitation.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Stop Loans Offered to Illegal Aliens Now (Stop LOAN) Act - Prohibits loans by federal agencies to illegal aliens. Requires a federal agency to use the employment verification system established under the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (or any successor program) to verify an individual's name, date of birth, social security number, and lawful presence before extending a loan.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Code Talkers Recognition Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the presentation of a congressional gold medal: (1) to persons, including specified individuals, who served as Sioux or Comanche Code Talkers during World War II; (2) honoring the Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I; and (3) to any other Native American member of the armed forces, identified by the Secretary of Defense, who served as a Code Talker in any foreign conflict in which the United States was involved during the 20th Century. Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to strike and sell duplicates in bronze of the gold medals struck under this Act and to deposit the proceeds in the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund to pay for the costs of the medals awarded under this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Reaffirms, recognizes, and honors the Filipino World War II veterans for their defense of American democracy and important contribution to the victorious outcome of World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 16 December 2005
Condemns: (1) the arbitrary detention of Dr. Pham Hong Son and others by the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and calls for their immediate release; and (2) the violations of freedom of speech, religion, movement, association, and the lack of due process afforded to individuals in Vietnam. Urges the government of Vietnam to: (1) consider the implications of its actions for the broader U.S.-Vietnam relationship, including trade relations; and (2) allow access to the Central Highlands and to the Northwest Highlands by foreign diplomats, the international press, and nongovernmental organizations. Applauds the European Parliament for its December 2005 resolution regarding human rights in Vietnam. Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should: (1) make the immediate release of Dr. Pham Hong Son and others a top concern; (2) continue to urge the government of Vietnam to comply with internationally recognized standards for basic freedoms and human rights; (3) make clear to the government of Vietnam that it must adhere to the rule of law and respect the freedom of the press in order for it to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO); and (4) make clear to the government of Vietnam that the detention of Dr. Pham and others is not in the interest of Vietnam because such detentions create obstacles to improved U.S. relations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2005
The Fourteenth Dalai Lama Congressional Gold Medal Act - Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro Tempore of the Senate to make appropriate arrangements for the presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal of appropriate design to Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, in recognition of his many contributions to peace and religious understanding.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2005
Condemns the imprisonment of religious leaders and people of faith in the People's Republic of China and urges their release. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that U.S. policy should be to promote and defend religious freedom and freedom of conscience in China.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2005
Directs the Joint Committee on the Library to accept the donation of a bust depicting Sojourner Truth and display it in a suitable permanent location in the rotunda of the Capitol. Expresses the sense of Congress that the most suitable location for the placement of the bust is one adjacent to the statue known as the Portrait Monument.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Ethiopia Consolidation Act of 2005 - Directs the President: (1) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), to revise the USAID country plan for Ethiopia to provide support for independent human rights monitoring and related training for government officials, and to provide support for training political parties on organization building, message development, and election monitoring; (2) through the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program of the Department of Justice, to provide training for Ethiopian police, security, and prison personnel in maintaining international standards for arrest and interrogation; (3) through USAID, to support programs to increase the independence and competence of the Ethiopian judicial system, and to provide assistance for development of Ethiopia's Nile and Awash River resources, including assistance to help Ethiopia with technology for the construction of dams, irrigation systems, and hydroelectric power that might prevent future famine; (4) provide financing for U.S.-Ethiopian commercial ventures; and (5) suspend joint security activities until a certification is made that Ethiopia is observing international human rights standards and enforcing the principle of the rule of law. Declares that the current stalemate in the border dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea has the potential to lead to conflict and must be addressed. Prohibits assistance to the governments of Ethiopia or Eritrea (with exceptions for assistance for democracy, peacekeeping, child survival and health, education, and agriculture) until the Secretary of State certifies that Ethiopia or Eritrea is taking steps to comply with the Algiers Agreements. Prohibits nonessential U.S. assistance to Ethiopia if the government of Ethiopia obstructs U.S. technical assistance to Ethiopian opposition parties.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2005
Comprehensive Immigration Data And Technology Accountability Act of 2005 - Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to consolidate existing U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services databases into a comprehensive database that allows real-time access to data in order to improve customer service and enhance national security and public safety. Requires the database to facilitate real-time data exchange with all other databases of the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of State, federal law enforcement agencies, and the intelligence community relevant to all aspects of alien screening, including databases used for visa issuance and those used for determinations of admissibility and deportability.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Revises basic educational assistance for veterans' survivors and dependents to: (1) eliminate the present 45 month cap on benefit payments and set an aggregate limit of $80,000; (2) extend from a dependent's 26th to 30th birthday the delimiting age for the use of such assistance; (3) increase the amount of such assistance for survivors and dependents pursuing certain types of education; and (4) authorize the provision of tutorial assistance to such individuals without charge to their educational assistance entitlement.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2005
Declares that Congress believes that: (1) the failure of the People's Republic of China (PRC) to protect intellectual property is inconsistent with its obligations under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, and denies the benefits of this agreement to the United States; and (2) China's failure to adequately fulfill its obligations to enforce intellectual property rights is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce under the Trade Act of 1974. Urges the U.S. Trade Representative to: (1) take action under the Act to combat rampant intellectual property violations in China (including the imposition of bilateral tariffs); and (2) use all additional means available, including filing of a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), to ensure that China complies with such obligations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that any bill or joint resolution that provides for the establishment of a new federal program should contain a provision that eliminates one or more current federal programs of equal or greater cost.
United States · United States Congress · 15 November 2005
Outer Continental Shelf Natural Gas Relief Act - States that all provisions of federal law that prohibit the expenditure of appropriated funds to conduct natural gas leasing and preleasing activities for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf are without any force or effect. Revokes all withdrawals from leasing of federal submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf, including withdrawals by the President under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. States such withdrawals are no longer in effect with respect to the leasing of areas for natural gas exploration, development, and production. Prohibits granting a gas lease for any area of the Outer Continental Shelf located within 20 miles of a state's coastline unless the Governor grants state approval. Directs the Secretary of Energy, in each five-year oil and gas leasing program, to include lease sales that when viewed as a whole propose to offer for gas leasing at least 75% of the available unleased acreage within each Outer Continental Shelf planning area. Sets forth a scheme for bonus bids and royalties that affects: (1) new and existing gas leases; and (2) leased tracts lying partially within the seaward boundaries of a state. Permits leases that authorize development and production solely of natural gas and associated condensate, including leases for program years 2002-2007, and for program years 2007-2012.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Innocent Supplier Fairness Act - Amends federal bankruptcy law to detail the elements of a special relationship that the trustee in bankruptcy must prove in order to rebut the presumption that the creditor or party in interest against whom recovery or avoidance is sought has carried the burden of proving the nonavoidability of a transfer. Specifies such elements as: (1) the insider character of the creditor or the party in interest; (2) common ownership of the debtor and such creditor or such party; (3) common management of the debtor and creditor or party consisting of overlapping senior management or directors; (4) explicit notice from the debtor to such creditor or party that a petition filling is contemplated or imminent before the date of the transfer; or (5) the use by such creditor or party of judicial process, during the 90 days before the petition filing, against the debtor to collect a debt with respect to which a transfer may have been made. Amends the federal judicial code to require the trustee in bankruptcy to commence a proceeding to avoid preferences only in the district court for the district in which the defendant resides.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the law enforcement and judicial authorities of Uzbekistan should ensure that Sanjar Umarov is accorded his full rights under the Uzbekistan Constitution to defend himself against charges that may be brought against him; (2) the government of Uzbekistan should observe its various treaty obligations, especially those under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which obligate governments to provide for due process in criminal cases; and (3) the government of Uzbekistan should clarify the charges against Sanjar Umarov, his current condition, and his whereabouts.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Declares the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the fundamental right of parents to direct the education of their children is firmly grounded in the Nation's Constitution and traditions; (2) the Ninth Circuit's ruling in Fields v. Palmdale School District undermines the fundamental right of parents to direct the upbringing of their children; and (3) the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit should agree to rehear the case en banc in order to reverse this constitutionally infirm ruling.
United States · United States Congress · 10 November 2005
Honors National Review magazine on its 50th anniversary and recognizes its contributions to the national political discourse and intellectual fabric of America.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Steve McWilliams Truth in Trials Act - Amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish as an affirmative defense for any person facing prosecution or a proceeding for any marijuana-related offense that the marijuana-related activities in question were in compliance with state law regarding the medical use of marijuana. Allows a finder of fact to find a defendant guilty of a lesser offense if the defendant's marijuana-related activity was found to be primarily, but not exclusively, for medical purposes. Provides for the return of any property with respect to which an individual successfully makes a defense under this Act. Amends provisions concerning the seizure and custody of marijuana to limit seizure authority of marijuana authorized for medical use and provide for the retention of seized plants pending resolution of a case involving an affirmative defense for the medical use of marijuana.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Health Freedom Protection Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to provide that a food or dietary supplement is not a drug solely because the label or labeling contains a claim to cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent disease. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services from: (1) restricting the reprinting and distribution or sale of any U.S. government publication or any accurate quotations of such a publication, including content concerning nutrients and disease treatment or prevention; or (2) construing the distribution or sale of, or accurate quotation from, such a publication in connection with the sale of a food or dietary supplement as evidence of an intent to sell that food or dietary supplement as a drug. Requires the Secretary to allow claims on food or nutrient labeling that characterize the relationship of a nutrient to the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of a disease (with no more than a three-sentence disclaimer) unless the Secretary proves by clear and convincing evidence that: (1) there is no scientific evidence that supports the claim; and (2) the claim is inherently misleading and incapable of being rendered nonmisleading through the addition of a disclaimer. Authorizes the use of specified health claims on the label of all foods and dietary supplements, including claims related to saw palmetto, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine, and calcium. Allows a statement for a dietary supplement to include words that are recognized as signs or symptoms of disease so long as the statement does not include the name of a specific disease. Amends the Federal Trade Commission Act to exempt from being regulated as advertising: (1) government publications exempted from reprinting or distribution restrictions under FFDCA; or (2) accurate summaries of scientific publications. Places the burden of proof that an advertisement for a dietary supplement or ingredient is false and misleading on the Federal Trade Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2005
Calls on the international community to condemn the Laogai, the system of forced labor prison camps in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Calls on the U.S. government to: (1) fully implement U.S. laws prohibiting the importation of forced labor products made in the Laogai; and (2) review implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding on Prison Labor in 1992 and the Statement of Cooperation in 1994 with respect to the Laogai. Calls on the government of the PRC to release information about the Laogai, including information about the number of executions at the camps, and the extent of the harvesting and transplantation of organs of executed prisoners. Urges the government of the PRC to allow unrestricted visits by international human rights inspectors to Laogai camps. Urges the Congressional-Executive Commission on China to investigate the Laogai system and to make U.S. policy recommendations to help protect human rights for Chinese citizens.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2005
Supports the goals and ideals of Cambodian-American Freedom Day. Honors the 30th anniversary of the arrival of the first Cambodian immigrants to the United States, and recognizes the contributions Cambodian-Americans have made to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to develop research protocols for collecting and analyzing scientific information about the effectiveness and ecological impacts of catastrophic event recovery projects and emergency stabilization treatments undertaken as part of a burned area emergency response to increase the long-term benefits of management activities and to decrease short-term impacts. Requires such Secretaries to enter into cooperative agreements with land-grant colleges and universities to form forest health partnerships to utilize their education, research, and outreach capacity to address the recovery of forested land after a catastrophic event. Requires such Secretaries to conduct catastrophic event recovery evaluations of damaged federal lands. Directs such Secretaries to prepare a list of pre-approved management practices that may be immediately implemented as part of catastrophic event recovery projects or catastrophic event research projects. Requires determinations of whether or not to: (1) use any pre-approved management practices that can be immediately implemented; and (2) develop and carry out a recovery or research project or part of such a project using the alternative arrangements authorized by this Act. Directs such Secretaries to clarify agency-wide guidance regarding reforestation in response to catastrophic events. Provides for assistance to restore landscapes and communities affected by catastrophic events. Provides for the availability and use of pre-approved management practices and alternative arrangements on National Forest experimental forests.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2005
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) the Republic of Croatia has made significant progress in strengthening its democratic institutions and respect for human rights and the rule of law; (2) Croatia should be commended for its progress in meeting the political, economic, military, and other requirements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Membership Action Plan, its contribution to the global war on terrorism, and for its constructive participation in the United States-Adriatic Charter; (3) the government of Croatia should be commended for the significant improvement in its cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY); and (4) with complete satisfaction of NATO guidelines and criteria for membership, Croatia should be invited to be a full NATO member.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2005
Condemns in the strongest terms Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's despicable threats, and demands that he repudiate them. Calls on the U.N. Security Council and all civilized nations to: (1) condemn these statements and to censure Iran for its statements and policies aimed at destroying Israel; and (2) consider measures to deny Iran the means to carry out its threats and to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Reaffirms the unwavering alliance between the United States and Israel and reasserts the U.S. commitment to defend Israel's right to exist as a free and democratic state.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) to prohibit any state or political subdivision from establishing or continuing in effect for any food in interstate commerce: (1) any requirement that is not identical to specified FFDCA provisions (that would result in materially different requirements), including those related to adulterated foods, unsafe food additives, and new animal drugs; or (2) any notification requirement that provides for a warning concerning the food's safety that is not identical to FFDCA provisions. Allows a state to petition for an exemption or to establish a national standard regarding any requirement under FFDCA or the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act relating to food regulation. Allows the Secretary of Health and Human Service to provide such an exemption if the requirement: (1) protects an important public interest that would otherwise be unprotected; (2) would not cause any food to be in violation of any federal law; and (3) would not unduly burden interstate commerce. Allows a state to establish a requirement that would otherwise violate FFDCA provisions relating to national uniform nutrition labeling or this Act if the requirement is needed to address an imminent hazard to health that is likely to result in serious adverse health consequences and if other requirements are met. Declares that this Act does not preempt certain state and local laws relating to labeling or a consumer advisory relating to food sanitation imposed on a food establishment or recommended by the Secretary.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2005
Commemorates the achievements of Gjergj Castrioti Scanderbeg and the 600th anniversary of his birth. Commends Albanians everywhere for honoring their valiant leader, Gjergj Castrioti. Urges the U.S. government to work with its European partners to accelerate the integration of Albania and a free Kosova into the European Union (EU), in recognition of the great contribution and sacrifice made by Gjergj Castrioti and the Albanian people in saving Western Europe from Ottoman domination.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2005
Homeland Security Volunteerism Enhancement Act of 2005 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish: (1) a Citizens Corps, as a component of the USA Freedom Corps, to coordinate homeland security volunteer activities; and (2) a Border Corps as a volunteer organization to assist the U.S. Border Patrol in carrying out its mission.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2005
Border Security Improvement Act - Amends the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 to: (1) make the Secretary of Homeland Security rather than the Attorney General responsible for border barrier improvements; and (2) direct the Secretary to provide for construction of a fence along the entire U.S. southern border.
United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2005
Recognizes the people of the Republic of Albania on the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II for saving the lives of the majority of Jews, both native and refugee, living in Albania during the Holocaust. Encourages other countries to recognize those Albanians who took action to protect Jews during World War II. Reiterates support for close ties between the United States and Albania.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 545 North Rimsdale Avenue in Covina, California, as the "Lillian Kinkella Keil Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the Secretary of Homeland Security's discretionary authority to order expedited removal, except that if the Secretary determines after consulting with appropriate federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies that the alien will be detained under the authority of such an agency, the Secretary may not remove the alien until such detention terminates. Amends the Truth in Lending Act to prohibit residential mortgages for aliens residing unlawfully in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2005
Early Pest Detection and Surveillance Improvement Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a cooperative agreement with any state department of agriculture for assisting early pest (plant pest) detection and surveillance efforts by such department through an array of methods, including survey, pest trapping, sampling or surveillance of domestic shipments, specimen collection, and modeling and mapping of pest populations. Requires the Secretary, in determining whether to enter into such an agreement, to consider specified factors, including: (1) the potential economic risk to the state's people, plants, livestock, property, economy, and environment due to the introduction of a pest; and (2) the likelihood that the early pest detection and surveillance activity will prevent the introduction or facilitate the eradication of a pest.
United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2005
Directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to make arrangements for the posthumous presentation, on behalf of Congress, of a gold medal to the next of kin or personal representative of each passenger or crew member on board United Airlines Flight 93 who is identified by the Attorney General as having aided in the effort to resist the hijackers on board the plane, in recognition of heroic service to the Nation. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to strike a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions. Authorizes the Secretary to strike and sell bronze duplicates of such gold medal. Declares such medals to be national medals. Requires that proceeds from the sale of duplicate bronze medals be deposited into the United States Mint Public Enterprise Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2005
Dana Point Desalination Project Authorization Act - Amends the Water Desalination Act of 1996 to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to assist in research and development, environmental and feasibility studies, and preliminary engineering for the Municipal Water District of Orange County, California, Dana Point Desalination Project. Limits the federal share to 25% of the total cost of the project.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2005
Condemns: (1) the Aleman-Ortega Pact as detrimental to democracy in the Republic of Nicaragua and to regional stability; and (2) the Pact-controlled National Assembly's anti-democratic actions, including efforts to remove democratically-elected President Enrique Bolanos on dubious legal grounds. Supports the efforts of Nicaraguan democratic civil society to create conditions for free and fair elections. Empresses the sense of Congress that: (1) it should be U.S. policy to support democratic political forces in Nicaragua for a full restoration of democracy; and (2) the President of the United States, through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), should provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations in support of President Bolanos' call for the international community to assist in and monitor the 2006 election.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2005
Freedom and Flexibility to Rebuild Act of 2005 - Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users to revise the allocation of specified surface transportation projects for the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama to allow such states to designate other eligible transportation projects for such projects.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2005
Directs: (1) the Secretary of Agriculture to select 15% of the lands included in the National Forest System and to convey the lands selected by public sale; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior to identify 15% of the lands managed by agencies of the Department of the Interior (excluding lands in units of the National Park System and lands held for an Indian tribe) and convey the lands identified by public sale. Instructs such Secretaries to: (1) place an emphasis on identifying lands in those states where the United States owns more than 15% of the total land area; and (2) complete the identification of federal lands under this Act and commence the sale of such lands by October 1, 2006. Requires all proceeds from the sale of federal lands under this Act (other than amounts retained to cover the administrative costs incurred solely to conduct the sales) to be deposited in the Disaster Response and Relief Fund established by this Act. Makes amounts in the Disaster Response and Relief Fund available only for appropriation to cover or defray the costs of responding to a natural disaster or terrorist attack in an area covered by a disaster declaration made by the President. Provides that, until such Secretaries comply with the duties imposed on them under this Act, an interest in land may not be acquired by the Forest Service or an agency of the Department of the Interior unless the acquisition of that land is specifically authorized by an Act of Congress enacted after enactment of this Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2005
Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 - Amends the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to revise various provisions of that Act relating to the determination of endangered and threatened species, procedures for making such determinations, and the role of states and private property owners in the determination process. Defines "best available scientific data" and requires the use of such standard in making endangered species and other determinations under the Act. Revises provisions for designating endangered or threatened species and the process for reviewing lists of such species. Repeals the authority of the Secretary of the Interior (or the Secretary of Commerce) to designate a critical habitat for an endangered or threatened species. Directs the Secretary of the Interior to develop and implement recovery plans for endangered or threatened species and to establish recovery teams to assist in the development of such plans, giving priority to species that will most likely benefit from such plans. Authorizes the Secretary to: (1) enter into species recovery agreements and species conservation contract agreements with persons, other than federal or state governments, for conservation activities to protect endangered or threatened species; and (2) make grants to promote the voluntary conservation of endangered and threatened species by private property owners. Eliminates the Endangered Species Committee and the process for granting exemptions from endangered or threatened species determinations. Requires the Secretary to make certain information available to the public on the Internet, including lists of threatened or endangered species, final and proposed regulations under the Act, results of five-year reviews conducted under the Act, all draft and final recovery plans, and certain required reports and data. Requires the Secretary to report to Congress annually on expenditures made primarily for the conservation of species. Authorizes appropriations for FY2006-FY2010.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2005
Expresses the sense of Congress that the U.S. Supreme Court should speedily find the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools to be consistent with the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2005
Commends the entire National Aeronautics and Space Administration team and community, who provided invaluable technical support and leadership for the historic mission of Space Shuttle Discovery STS flight 114. Commends in particular Commander Eileen Collins, pilot Col. Jim Kelly, and mission specialists Charlie Camarda, Wendy Lawrence, Soichi Noguchi of Japan, Steve Robinson, and Andy Thomas.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2005
Honors the victims of the 1975-1979 genocide in Cambodia. Welcomes the establishment of an international criminal tribunal to bring to justice the perpetrators of the Cambodian genocide.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2005
Welcome President Chen Shui-bian of Taiwan upon his September 2005 visit to the United States. Recognizes: (1) President Chen Shui-bian's visit as a significant step toward broadening U.S-Taiwan friendship and cooperation; and (2) President Chen Shui-bian's commitment to maintain peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Congratulates President Chen Shui-bian on his receiving the Human Rights Award from the Congressional Human Rights Caucus. Thanks President Chen Shui-bian and the government and people of Taiwan for their contribution to Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2005
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 200 South Barrington Street in Los Angeles, California, as the "Karl Malden Station."