The world's political record
Person
![Official portrait of Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/fd3cb364b8bf93c25834cff750637802_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
6,152 records where Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
New England Coastal Protection Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas off the coast of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or Connecticut.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2019 This bill requires the Department of State, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide assistance to people in Vietnam in relation to Agent Orange exposure. Specifically, the State Department must provide assistance (1) to address the health care needs of certain residents of Vietnam affected by Agent Orange exposure, (2) to institutions in Vietnam that provide health care to such individuals, (3) to improve housing and reduce poverty for specified individuals and their families, and (4) to remediate areas of Vietnam that contain high levels of Agent Orange. HHS must (1) make grants to public health organizations and Vietnamese-American organizations to conduct a broad health assessment of Vietnamese-Americans who may have been exposed to Agent Orange and their descendants; and (2) establish centers in U.S. locations where large populations of Vietnamese-Americans reside to provide assessment, counseling, and treatment for conditions related to Agent Orange exposure. Under the bill, certain benefits will be made available to the children of male veterans who served in Vietnam who are affected by certain birth defects. Currently, these benefits are only available to the children of women Vietnam veterans. The VA shall require any health care provider with whom the VA enters into a contract for the provision of health care to such children to provide the VA access to their medical records for research into the intergenerational effects of Agent Orange exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Retired Pay Restoration Act This bill allows the receipt of both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability. Under current law, only individuals with service-connected disabilities rated at 50% or more receive both without offset. Individuals who were retired or separated after at least 20 years of military service due to a service-connected disability shall be eligible for the full concurrent receipt of both veterans' disability compensation and either military retired pay or combat-related special pay.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Pay Our Coast Guard Act of 2019 This bill provides FY2019 continuing appropriations to the U.S. Coast Guard for any period during which interim or full-year appropriations for the Coast Guard are not in effect. The appropriations are provided to the Coast Guard for pay and allowances for members of the Coast Guard, civilian employees, and contractors; and the payment of a death gratuity, funeral travel, and the temporary continuation of the basic allowance for housing for dependents of members of the Coast Guard dying on active duty. The appropriations are provided until the earlier of September 30, 2019, or the enactment of specified Coast Guard appropriations legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Election Day Holiday Act of 2019 This bill requires a federal election day to be treated as a holiday for federal employees.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Presidential Tax Transparency Act of 2019 This bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for President and Vice President to disclose federal income tax returns for the ten most recent taxable years. The returns must be disclosed to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), which must make the returns publicly available after redacting information that is necessary for protecting against identity theft, such as Social Security numbers. If the tax returns are not disclosed to the FEC as required by this bill, the Internal Revenue Service must provide the returns to the FEC upon receiving a written request from the FEC.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2019
Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019 This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should continue door delivery for all customers.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Ban Toxic Pesticides Act of 2019 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to cancel the registration of the pesticide chlorpyrifos under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act. The bill prohibits the sale and use of existing stock of chlorpyrifos. The bill requires the EPA to ban chlorpyrifos residue on food under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Medicaid Patient Abuse Prevention Act This bill allows state Medicaid fraud control units to investigate complaints of patient abuse or neglect in additional settings. Specifically, the bill allows a unit to review complaints regarding Medicaid patients who are in noninstitutional or other settings. Currently, such units may review complaints regarding patients who are in Medicaid-funded health care facilities or certain board-and-care facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Hold Congress Accountable Act This bill provides for withholding or eliminating the pay of Members of Congress during a government shutdown. Through the day of the general election in November 2020, the bill requires the salaries of Members to be held in escrow during a government shutdown and to be released on the last day of the 116th Congress. After the general election in November 2020, the bill eliminates the pay of Members for the period of a government shutdown.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. The state shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the state. The bill applies current District of Columbia laws to the state and continues pending judicial proceedings. The state (1) shall consist of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. The bill maintains (1) the District as the seat of the federal government, and (2) the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the 23rd Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and Vice President.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
This bill expands eligibility for veterans for dental care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill makes all veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system eligible for VA-provided dental services. Currently, only veterans who have a service-connected dental issue or meet other narrow criteria are eligible for certain dental services. The bill phases in eligibility over four years based upon existing eligibility, degree of service-connected disability or other disability, prisoner of war status, award of a Purple Heart, financial need, or VA health care eligibility.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Emmett Till Antilynching Act This bill specifies that an offense involving lynching is a hate crime act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Homeless Veteran Families Act This bill updates the Department of Veterans Affairs per diem payment calculation for entities furnishing services to homeless veterans to include funding for a minor dependent. The rate for per diem payments is the daily cost of care as estimated by the grant recipient or eligible entity. This bill would expand the per diem payment amount for a homeless veteran who has care of a minor dependent to the daily cost of care plus, for each minor dependent, an amount that equals 50% of such daily cost of care.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act of 2019 This bill addresses sexual harassment in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by supporting sexual harassment research and efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or their consortia) to expand research into sexual harassment in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and examine interventions for reducing the incidence and negative consequences of such harassment. The NSF must convene a working group composed of representatives of federal statistical agencies to develop questions on sexual harassment in STEM departments in order to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of such harassment in institutions of higher education. The NSF shall enter into agreements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to (1) update a responsible conduct guide issued by the National Academies, and (2) study the influence of sexual harassment in institutions of higher education on the career advancement of individuals in the STEM workforce. The National Science and Technology Council shall establish an interagency working group to coordinate the federal science agencies' efforts to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment involving grant personnel. The Office of Science and Technology Policy must develop a uniform set of policy guidelines for such agencies to prevent and respond to reports of sexual harassment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans. The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. Among other requirements, the commission shall identify (1) the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and (3) lingering negative effects of slavery on living African-Americans and society.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
For the People Act of 2019 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity, election security, political spending, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration and voting access, makes Election Day a federal holiday, and limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill provides for states to establish independent, nonpartisan redistricting commissions. The bill also sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, protecting the security of the voter rolls, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect the security and integrity of U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. This bill addresses campaign spending, including by expanding the ban on foreign nationals contributing to or spending on elections; expanding disclosure rules pertaining to organizations spending money during elections, campaign advertisements, and online platforms; and revising disclaimer requirements for political advertising. This bill establishes an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The system involves federal matching of small contributions for qualified candidates. This bill sets forth provisions related to ethics in all three branches of government. Specifically, the bill requires a code of ethics for federal judges and justices, prohibits Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, expands enforcement of regulations governing foreign agents, and establishes additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill also requires candidates for President and Vice President to submit 10 years of tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Social Security Fairness Act of 2019 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government job. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security survivors' benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receives government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Special Counsel Independence and Integrity Act This bill sets forth requirements and limitations with respect to the removal from office of a special counsel appointed by the Attorney General, or of another official appointed by the Attorney General who exercises a similar degree of independence from the Department of Justice (DOJ) chain of command. Specifically, a special counsel or other appointed official may only be removed by the Attorney General or the most senior Senate-confirmed DOJ official, in certain circumstances; may only be removed for misconduct, dereliction of duty, incapacity, conflict of interest, or other good cause; must be provided written notice that specifies the reason for removal; and may file an action to challenge the removal not later than 10 days after notice was provided.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to states that do the following: (1) require law enforcement officers to be trained on diversity and sensitivity, and (2) require an independent prosecutor to be appointed to investigate and prosecute an alleged offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2019 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), the Social Security Act (SSAct), and other federal laws to replace (1) references to "wife" or "husband" with references to "spouse"; and (2) references to "husband and wife" or "husband or wife" with references to "married couple" or " married person." For purposes of federal laws or regulations, "marriage" is defined as a legal union between two people as spouses. The bill eliminates a definition of "spouse" that refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Requirements concerning compensation to a surviving wife after the disability or death of a person employed at a military, air, or naval base outside the United States are revised to make surviving spouses eligible for such compensation. Under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, provisions concerning the amount of leave available to a husband and wife employed by the same employer are revised to apply to a married couple employed by the same employer. Requirements under the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 that make disability and death benefits payable to the wife or widow of a miner are revised to make the benefits payable to the spouse or surviving spouse of a miner. IRC provisions that require a divorced wife's gross income to include the income of any trust she is entitled to receive that would otherwise be includible in the gross income of her husband, or vice versa, are revised to apply to the gross income of individuals who are divorced from their spouse. The bill revises title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the SSAct to consolidate separate provisions for a wife's insurance benefits and a husband's insurance benefits into a single standard for a spouse's insurance benefits. Criminal penalties that currently apply to persons who threaten to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon a former President's wife or widow are revised to apply to threats made to a former President's spouse or surviving spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Federal Employee Retroactive Pay Fairness Act This bill requires federal employees and District of Columbia public employees furloughed due to a lapse in appropriations that begins on or about December 22, 2018, to be compensated at their standard rate of compensation for the period of such lapse as soon as practicable after such lapse ends.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
Constitutional Amendment This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 3 January 2019
This resolution authorizes the Speaker, on behalf of the House of Representatives, to intervene in the case of Texas v. United States , any appellate proceedings arising from such case, and any other cases involving the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Office of General Counsel of the House, at the direction of the Speaker, shall represent the House in such litigation. The office may employ outside counsel, including pro bono counsel, and other experts for this purpose. The amount expended by the office on outside counsel and other experts shall be printed quarterly in the Congressional Record.
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2018
No Nuclear Weapons for Saudi Arabia Act of 2018 This bill requires a joint resolution from Congress before the United States may enter into any civilian nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia. Before such an agreement, the President shall report on various topics including Saudi Arabia's investigation into the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the extent to which the country has renounced uranium enrichment and reprocessing, and the country's progress in improving human rights protections.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2018
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of the Treasury rule (Rev. Proc. 2018-38) that modifies the requirements for information returns filed by certain tax-exempt organizations. The Treasury rule exempts certain tax-exempt organizations that are not 501(c)(3) organizations from the requirement to report the names and addresses of their contributors on returns filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The organizations must continue to collect and keep the information to make it available to the IRS upon request.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2018
PFAS Detection Act of 2018 This bill requires the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to establish a performance standard for the detection of perfluorinated compounds. Using such standard, the USGS must carry out a nationwide sampling to determine the concentration of perfluorinated compounds in estuaries, lakes, streams, springs, wells, wetlands, rivers, aquifers, air, and soil. A perfluorinated compound is a perfluoroalkyl substance or a polyfluoroalkyl substance that is manmade with at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2018
Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of State to include in its annual reports on human rights in countries receiving U.S. development and security assistance a discussion of the status of reproductive rights in each country, including whether a country has adopted policies to: (1) promote access to contraception, (2) provide services to ensure safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth, (3) expand or restrict access to safe abortion services, (4) prevent maternal deaths, and (5) prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2018
Right Rebate Act of 2018 This bill requires drug manufacturers with Medicaid rebate agreements for covered outpatient drugs to disclose drug product information. Manufacturers are subject to civil penalties for knowingly misclassifying drugs. Manufacturers are also required to compensate for rebates that were initially underpaid as a result of misclassification (whether or not such misclassification was committed knowingly).
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2018
RTP Full Funding Act of 2018 This bill requires the Department of Transportation to carry out an assessment of the best available estimate of the total amount of nonhighway recreational fuel taxes received by the Department of the Treasury and transferred to the Highway Trust Fund for the period covered by the assessment. The Federal Highway Administration shall establish financial management information system codes for certain motorized and nonmotorized use projects.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2018
Directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen, except those authorized in 2001 in response to the September 11 attacks.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2018
Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to make permanent, and expand to at least 15 states, the program to provide more flexibility for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program to purchase domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables. The bill also provides additional mandatory funding for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2018
Captive Insurers Clarification Act This bill specifies that captive insurance companies are not nonadmitted insurers under the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010, which provides that nonadmitted insurers are regulated by the insured's home state.
United States · United States Congress · 14 November 2018
Strengthening America's Public Schools Through Promoting Foreign Investment Act This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to permit a nonimmigrant foreign exchange student to attend a U.S. public elementary, secondary, or a publicly funded adult education program for more than one year if such student pays the full unsubsidized tuition. (Under current law such students are limited to one year's attendance. Such restriction does not apply to private school students.)
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2018
Recognizes and accepts the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in the special report on the impacts of global warming. Expresses the sense that immediate action by Congress and the Administration is needed to reduce greenhouse gases.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2018
Restoring Justice for Workers Act This bill prohibits predispute arbitration agreements that require arbitration of an employment dispute. It allows a postdispute arbitration agreement if the employee enters into it voluntarily without coercion and is informed in writing of rights and protections under such agreement. An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to enter into an agreement for arbitrating an employment dispute. The bill amends the National Labor Relations Act to make it an unfair labor practice to interfere with the right of an employee to collectively litigate employment disputes.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2018
Expresses support for the designation of BatWeek. Acknowledges the important role bats play as pollinators and pest control for agriculture.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2018
This bill (1) expands eligibility for state Medicaid buy-in programs to include individuals under 65 years of age; (2) removes certain work restrictions relating to children's insurance benefits under the Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) program for individuals with disabilities who have reached retirement age; and (3) authorizes reentitlement to such OASDI benefits under certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2018
This bill prohibits U.S. security assistance and arms sales to Saudi Arabia's government. The Department of Defense shall not provide security assistance, intelligence, training, equipment, or specified technical services to Saudi Arabia or any of its agents or instrumentalities, or engage in any defense cooperation. The bill establishes an exception to this prohibition for activities that protect U.S. diplomatic and consular posts or U.S. citizens. The President may not sell, transfer, deliver, or license for export any defense article to Saudi Arabia or any of its agents or instrumentalities, or provide any defense or construction service. Congress may pass a joint resolution to waive these prohibitions on a case-by-case basis. To request such a waiver, the President shall report to Congress on (1) how the requested activity advances U.S. national security interests, (2) the status of any investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, and (3) the status of human rights protections in Saudi Arabia.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2018
This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from providing any assistance to or engaging in any defense cooperation with the government or any instrumentality or agent of Saudi Arabia. Such prohibition shall not apply to DOD protection of U.S. diplomatic and consular posts or personnel or the evacuation of U.S. citizens. The bill prohibits any defense article, defense service, or design and construction service under the Arms Export Control Act from being sold or otherwise made available to the government or to any instrumentality or agent of Saudi Arabia. Such prohibitions shall continue until the Department of State certifies to Congress that the government or instrumentality or agent of Saudi Arabia did not direct Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's disappearance, imprisonment, or death.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2018
No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2018 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement, administer, enforce, or carry out the proposed rule of the Department of Homeland Security entitled "Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds." The rule makes aliens who are likely at any time to become a public charge and receive public benefits inadmissible.
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2018
Enhancing Veterans' Experience with Telehealth Services Act or the eVETS Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a demonstration program to expand telemedicine services for veterans who are enrolled as patients in the VA, live in rural areas, and have certain mental health disorders. The VA must inform these veterans of the opportunity to participate in such program and provide them with information on how they can participate.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Drug Price Transparency Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to report on the feasibility of basing payment rates for prescription drugs under Medicare and Medicare Advantage on the average price of such drugs in countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (an intergovernmental organization focused on global economic development).
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Intern Opportunity Act This bill permits each Member of the House of Representatives to use the Members' Representational Allowance to employ up to four paid interns without affecting the number of other employees whom the Member may employ under such allowance.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
CHP Support Act This bill amends the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to redesignate the Department of Energy's Clean Energy Application Centers as the CHP Technical Assistance Partnership Program. The program must encourage deployment of combined heat and power technologies and provide project specific support to building and industrial professionals through economic and engineering assessments and advisory activities. This bill reauthorizes the program through FY2022.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2018
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the House should revise its procedures for consideration of legislation and amendments by adopting proposals to: encourage and reward consensus-driven governing, foster the passage of member initiatives that solve constituent priorities, increase accountability and transparency, and elect a Speaker who is representative of the entire body.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Lady Liberty Act of 2018 This bill amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to direct the President to set the number of post-FY2018 refugee admissions at not less than 110,000 persons per fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 26 September 2018
Directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen, except for Armed Forces engaged in operations authorized under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, within 30 days unless and until a declaration of war or specific authorization for such use has been enacted into law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2018
Reaffirms the bipartisan commitment of the United States to promote the safety, health, and well-being of refugees, including through U.S. resettlement for those who cannot return home. Urges President Trump and his administration to affirm the importance of the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program and to make a presidential determination for FY2019 that the admission of at least 110,000 refugees is justified. (Under the program, such determination establishes the overall admissions levels and regional allocations of all refugees for an upcoming fiscal year.)