United States · United States Congress · 17 October 2023
This resolution condemns Hamas in the harshest terms for its attacks on Israel. It also decries Hamas's abductions and threats against hostages and calls on the United States to lead a global campaign to demand the release of those hostages.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2023
This bill reinstates any statutory sanctions against Iran that had been waived, reduced, or otherwise relieved pursuant to any agreement between the United States and Iran.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2023
Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicides Act of 2023 or the PUNISH Act of 2023 This bill extends sanctions and national emergencies related to Iran established by specified executive orders and limits the authority of the President to waive sanctions related to Iran. The bill requires the Department of State to periodically report whether Iran or any foreign person has supported specified activities, including murder or politically motivated detention in Iran of a U.S. citizen.
United States · United States Congress · 4 October 2023
This resolution supports the designation of October 1 through October 7, 2023, as National 4–H Week and recognizes the important role of 4–H in youth development and education.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2023
Schools Not Shelters Act This bill denies federal funds to schools providing emergency shelter or housing to certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law), subject to exceptions. Under the bill, primary schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher education are ineligible for federal funds if they provide emergency shelter or housing exclusively to non-U.S. nationals under the order of state, local, or federal government. The bill excepts short-term (72 hours or less) emergency shelter made necessary by qualifying disasters. Federal funds denied by the bill include grants, loans, loan guarantees, and property, but not certain reimbursements for services rendered.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2023
TAP Promotion Act This bill requires that pre-separation counseling under the Transition Assistance Program include a presentation that promotes the benefits available to veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill also requires the VA to annually report on the presentation to (1) identify veterans service organizations that participate, (2) provide the number of members of the Armed Forces who attend, and (3) provide any recommendations for changes to the presentation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2023
Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to Dustoff crews (helicopter air ambulance crews) of the Vietnam War in recognition of their heroic military service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2023
Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations; prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry; limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry; authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal; expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border; prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors; authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application; imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2023
Good Samaritan Remediation of Abandoned Hardrock Mines Act of 2023 This bill promotes the remediation of abandoned hardrock mine sites by Good Samaritans. A Good Samaritan means a person that is (1) not a past or current owner or operator of the abandoned site; (2) had no role in the creation of the historic mine residue; and (3) is not potentially liable under any law for the remediation, treatment, or control of the historic mine residue. The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Good Samaritan pilot program. Under the program, the EPA may issue permits to allow Good Samaritans to remediate historic mine residue at abandoned hardrock mine sites without being subject to enforcement or liability under specified environmental laws for past, present, or future releases, threats of releases, or discharges of hazardous substances or other contaminants at or from the abandoned mine site. In addition, the bill establishes a Good Samaritan Mine Remediation Fund for land management agencies that authorize Good Samaritans to conduct remediation projects on federal land.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2023
Higher Wages for American Workers Act of 2023 This bill increases the federal minimum wage, permanently establishes the E-Verify system and requires its use, and contains other related provisions. Specifically, the bill increases the minimum wage to $11 per hour, phased in over five years (six years for businesses with fewer than 20 employees), from the current rate of $7.25 per hour. The bill also phases in over three years an increase of the minimum wage for new employees younger than 20 years old from $4.25 to $6 per hour, and increases the length of time an employee may be paid this lower minimum wage. Both minimum wages shall be adjusted according to the rate of inflation every two years thereafter. The bill also requires employers to use E-Verify to electronically verify the employment eligibility of new employees, with phased-in deadlines that generally require all employers to comply within 18 months of this bill's enactment. This bill provides for various requirements related to E-Verify, including requiring employers to examine and verify certain identifying documents belonging to the employee. The bill increases civil penalties for various violations related to hiring, recruiting, and referring ineligible individuals. Repeated violators may be debarred from receiving federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The bill also increases criminal fines for violators that engage in a pattern or practice of violations.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2023
Allowing for Recreational Resources for Outdoor Wellness Act or the ARROW Act This bill authorizes the use of federal elementary and secondary education funds to purchase or use dangerous weapons for sports clubs, teams, training, or related activities provided for students. Current law prohibits the use of these funds to provide any person with a dangerous weapon or training in the use of a dangerous weapon. The bill specifies that this prohibition shall not apply to the use of these funds for sports clubs, teams, training, or related activities provided for students.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2023
This resolution designates August 2023 as National Catfish Month. It also recognizes (1) the contributions of all workers, past and present, that produce, process, and provide catfish for the people of the United States; and (2) that purchasing U.S. farm-raised catfish supports farmers, jobs, and the U.S. economy.
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule submitted by the Department of Education titled Improving Income Driven Repayment for the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and published on July 10, 2023. The rule creates a new income-driven repayment plan called the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the policy update issued by the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) on May 5, 2022, related to discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) deemed the policy update a rule on June 5, 2023, and therefore subject to the Congressional Review Act (CRA) requirement that a rule must be submitted to Congress and the GAO before it can take effect. The CRA also permits Congress to review and disapprove rules using specified procedures. In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that, under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the prohibition on sex discrimination in employment includes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The FNS determined that the Bostock analysis also applies to certain FNS-enforced requirements under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 because the requirements are sufficiently similar to those in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The FNS rule concludes that the prohibitions against sex discrimination in the FNS-enforced statutes prohibit discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. The rule also directs state agencies and program operators to handle complaints alleging discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation as complaints of prohibited sex discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Fentanyl Safe Testing and Overdose Prevention Act This bill exempts the possession, sale, purchase, import, export, or transport of equipment that tests for the presence of fentanyl or xylazine from criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2023
Access to Credit for our Rural Economy Act of 2023 or the ACRE Act of 2023 This bill excludes from the gross income of certain financial lending institutions, for income tax purposes, interest received on loans secured by rural or agricultural real estate.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2023
This resolution affirms that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state. The resolution also (1) rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia, and (2) affirms that the United States will always be a staunch partner of Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
Ensuring American Security and Protecting Afghan Allies Act This bill provides conditional permanent resident status to certain individuals who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan and addresses related issues. (A conditional permanent resident becomes a lawful permanent resident, also known as a green card holder, if the conditions are removed.) Generally, to be eligible for a conditional green card under this bill, an Afghan national must be (1) lawfully admitted into the United States on or before this bill's enactment, or (2) paroled into the United States between July 30, 2021, and this bill's enactment. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must remove the conditions if, by a certain date, DHS determines that the individual (1) is not inadmissible under any statutory grounds, and (2) does not pose a national security concern. DHS may waive certain grounds of inadmissibility for humanitarian purposes or family unity. The bill also designates certain Afghan nationals who supported the U.S. mission in Afghanistan as priority refugees of special humanitarian concern, including an individual who (1) served in certain branches of the Afghan armed forces, or (2) was a female member of certain entities in the Afghanistan National Defense and Security Forces. The Department of Defense must establish a process to review requests for such a designation. The bill also authorizes a special immigrant visa for an Afghan national who is the parent or sibling of a member or veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. (Special immigrant visa holders qualify for a green card after meeting certain criteria.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
Middle Class Borrower Protection Act of 2023 This bill rolls back changes made by the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to the fees charged by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for a conventional single-family mortgage (i.e., loan-level pricing adjustments) and restricts future fee adjustments. These changes, effective May 1, 2023, revised the fee charts that provide percentage adjustments based on a mortgagor's credit score and down payment. The bill reinstates the fee structure that was in place prior to May 1, 2023. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must report on the changes made by the FHFA. Further adjustments to the fee structure by FHFA are prohibited until 90 days after the publication of the GAO report. After this period, FHFA must follow Administrative Procedure Act requirements when proposing adjustments to the fee structure. The bill also requires that, to the greatest extent feasible, revisions to the fee schedule must be based on risk. Further, FHFA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac are prohibited from imposing any loan-level pricing adjustment fee that is based on the ratio of the debt of the mortgagor to the income of the mortgagor.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
Protecting Investors' Personally Identifiable Information Act This bill prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring a national securities exchange, association, or a member of either to provide a market participant's personally identifiable information to satisfy the reporting requirements of the Consolidated Audit Trail (i.e., data used to track market activity). However, this information must be provided to the SEC upon request if the information is related to a securities investigation. The SEC must destroy the information not later than one day after the conclusion of the matter for which this information was required.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act of 2023 This bill expands the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) producer indemnity and compensation program to include compensation for all poultry growers and layers located in an APHIS-determined control area. Currently, APHIS provides indemnity and compensation to producers to remove animals classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). An APHIS-determined control area consists of both an infected zone and a buffer zone. Under the bill, APHIS must compensate all owners of poultry growing or laying facilities within a control area, which may include facilities that are located in the buffer zones and have non-infected poultry. Further, the bill establishes a new compensation payment formula that requires payments to be based on the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
Iran Sanctions Relief Review Act This bill restricts the President's authority to unilaterally undertake certain actions with respect to Iran and increases congressional oversight of those actions. Specifically, the President must report to Congress before terminating or waiving sanctions related to Iran or taking a licensing action that significantly alters U.S. foreign policy with respect to Iran. Each report must (1) describe the proposed action and its rationale, and (2) indicate whether or not the action is intended to significantly alter foreign policy concerning Iran. If the intention is to alter that policy, the report must provide additional information about the policy objectives and anticipated effects of the action. After the President submits a report, the bill provides Congress with a 30-day period to review it; this period is extended to 60 days for reports submitted between July 10 and September 7. During this period, Congress may enact a joint resolution approving or disapproving the action. During the review period, the President may not take the action unless Congress passes a joint resolution of approval; if Congress enacts a joint resolution of disapproval, the bill prohibits the President from taking the action. The bill also outlines procedures for the introduction and consideration of these types of joint resolutions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
This joint resolution disapproves a rule submitted by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs of the Department of Labor relating to Rescission of Implementing Legal Requirements Regarding the Equal Opportunity Clause's Religious Exemption Rule. Such rule shall have no force or effect.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2023
Stop Illegal Reentry Act or Kate's Law This bill increases criminal penalties for certain non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who illegally reenter the United States after removal or exclusion. Generally, an individual who had been denied entry into or removed from the United States and who later enters or attempts to enter the United States without prior approval from the Department of Homeland Security shall be fined, imprisoned for up to five years, or both. Current law requires a fine, imprisonment for up to two years, or both, for such an individual. An individual who had been denied entry or removed three or more times and who later enters or attempts to enter the United States shall be fined, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both. An individual who was convicted of an aggravated felony or convicted at least two times before removal or departure and who subsequently enters or tries to enter the United States shall be imprisoned at least five years and for up to twenty years, and may also be fined. Currently, there is no minimum term of imprisonment for an individual who reenters after a conviction for an aggravated felony, and there are no criminal penalties for a reentering individual who had been convicted at least two times (other than the penalties for illegal reentry generally).
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2023
Banning Overspending On Non-Defense Objectives at Gratuitous Gatherings and Learning Events Act or the BOONDOGGLE Act This bill limits the authorization of travel or transportation allowances for members of the uniformed services in connection with professional development training. Specifically, the bill provides that such allowances may only be provided if the training (1) relates to the military occupational specialty of the member; and (2) does not include activities or events related to the sexual orientation of the member or that promote the sex, race, or religion of the member as superior or inferior to another sex, race, or religion.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2023
Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2023 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2023 This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Among other provisions, the bill permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services; permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); and allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency. Additionally, the CMS must post certain information about the effects of Medicare telehealth services on its website, including information about utilization, costs, and the outcome of services. The CMS must also (1) provide resources to health care professionals about the requirements for furnishing telehealth services under Medicare, including with respect to payment, patient privacy, and support for underserved populations; and (2) ensure certain quality measures are applied to telehealth services.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2023
Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression Act This bill restricts state and local governments from imposing certain standards or conditions on the preharvest production of agricultural products sold or offered for sale in interstate commerce. Specifically, it prohibits the imposition of such standards or conditions if (1) the production occurs in another state, and (2) the standard or condition adds to requirements applicable under federal law and the laws of the state and locality where the product is produced. The bill also allows for a private right of action to challenge state or local regulations relating to agricultural goods sold in interstate commerce. A person may bring an action in (1) the U.S. district court for the judicial district in which the person is affected by a regulation or the person resides, operates, or does business; or (2) any other appropriate court with jurisdiction.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau titled Small Business Lending under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B) and published on May 31, 2023. The rule requires financial institutions to collect and report to the bureau credit application data for small businesses. On July 31, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas ordered the bureau not to implement or enforce the rule until a related pending case is resolved.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2023
Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2023 This bill modifies criminal penalties for an offense involving the theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, or from their business premises. Specifically, the bill does the following: increases from 10 to 20 years the maximum prison term, and creates a 3- or 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an offense that occurs during the commission of a burglary or robbery. An attempt to commit an offense is subject to the same penalties as a substantive offense.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency rule relating to Federal "Good Neighbor Plan" for the 2015 Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standards (88 Fed. Reg. 36654) and published on June 5, 2023. The rule ensures that 23 states meet "Good Neighbor" standards required by the Clean Air Act by reducing pollution that significantly contributes to problems attaining and maintaining health-based air quality standards for ground-level ozone in downwind states.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2023
Opportunities for Non-developed Sites to Have Opportunities to be Rehabilitated for Economic Development Act of 2023 or the ONSHORE Act of 2023 This bill establishes the Critical Supply Chain Site Development grant program within the Department of Commerce to develop or expand industrial sites and promote foreign direct investments in industries of strategic importance, particularly in economically disadvantaged areas. Grants may be used for construction of on-site utility infrastructure, investments in site readiness such as zoning and environmental reviews, and job training and retraining programs.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
Leveling the Playing Field 2.0 Act This bill addresses unfair trade practices by making various changes to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty law. Antidumping provides relief to U.S industries and workers that are materially injured or threatened with injury due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailing duty provides such relief from imports of products subsidized by a foreign government or public entity. Specifically, the bill establishes a process for successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Successive investigations may be concurrent (an ongoing investigation of the same product) or recently completed (not more than two years before the date of the initiation of the successive investigation). Further, the bill establishes a time line for the Department of Commerce to issue determinations in successive investigations. Among other provisions, the bill authorizes Commerce to apply countervailing duty law to subsidies provided by a foreign government or public entity to a company operating in a third country, use another method for calculating the cost of production in specific circumstances, and require importers to provide a certification that the imported merchandise is not subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order. Additionally, the bill statutorily establishes procedures for Commerce to conduct circumvention inquiries, including by specifying the deadlines for preliminary and final determinations. The bill also provides statutory authority for Commerce to investigate currency undervaluation as a countervailable subsidy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
Aluminum Pricing Examination Act or the APEX Act This bill extends the jurisdiction of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to include the markets for aluminum premiums. Specifically, the CFTC has jurisdiction over (1) the process and manner in which reference prices for such premiums are set or reported, and (2) whether the mechanism for setting such reference prices is fair and transparent. Additionally, the CFTC must consult with the Department of Justice regarding relevant information, including allegations of anticompetitive conduct.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
This resolution designates May 2023 as ALS Awareness Month. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Military Merit, Fairness, and Equality Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from directing or otherwise compelling any member of the Armed Forces, military dependent, or civilian DOD employee to personally affirm, adopt, or adhere to the tenet that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior. No organization or institution under DOD authority may provide courses, training, or any other type of instruction that directs, compels, or otherwise suggests that any member of the Armed Forces, military dependent, or civilian DOD employee should affirm, adopt, or adhere to the tenet that any sex, race, ethnicity, religion, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior. Additionally, such organizations or institutions are prohibited from making a distinction or classification of members of the Armed Forces, military dependents, or civilian DOD employees based on race, ethnicity, or national origin. All DOD personnel actions must be based exclusively on individual merit and demonstrated performance.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
Main Street Tax Certainty Act This bill makes permanent the tax deduction for qualified business income. (Under current law, the deduction expires after December 31, 2025.) Qualified business income is defined as the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction and loss with respect to any trade or business, excluding capital gains or losses, dividends, interest income, or income earned outside the U.S.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
No START Treaty Act This bill sets requirements for certain nuclear arms agreements with Russia and bars the expenditure of funds to implement the New START Treaty (a nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia signed April 8, 2010) or similar future agreements unless such requirements are met. The bill prohibits the President from negotiating or entering into a treaty with Russia that would allow Russia to possess an equal or greater number of nuclear warheads or nuclear-capable delivery systems than the United States unless the treaty or agreement restricts the size of China's nuclear arsenal; includes measures to ensure that Russia and China are compliant with the terms of the treaty; includes inspections of Chinese nuclear facilities comparable to those for Russian facilities; includes current and future Russian strategic nuclear arms not currently limited by the New START Treaty (e.g., intercontinental hypersonic glide vehicles); and includes current and future non-strategic nuclear weapons and delivery systems. In the absence of a ratified treaty incorporating such provisions, the President is prohibited from reducing the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal or entering into an agreement with Russia or China to limit or reduce U.S. missile defenses. Beginning one year after the bill's enactment, no funds may be expended to implement the New START Treaty, or any future agreement with Russia that limits the number of U.S. nuclear warheads or nuclear capable delivery systems, unless the above requirements are included or already in effect or a waiver is approved.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
This resolution designates May 2023 as ALS Awareness Month. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2023
Empower Parents to Protect Their Kids Act of 2023 This bill prohibits an elementary or secondary school from receiving federal funds unless the school complies with specified requirements related to parental consent and student gender identity. Among other requirements, school employees may not withhold information from parents about a minor student's gender transition or gender identity. The Department of Justice or a parent or guardian may bring a civil action against a school for violations.
![Official portrait of Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001095_200.jpg)