Rep. Eric A. "Rick" Crawford

Maddy summaryThis bill renames the U.S. Food for Peace program after Peter O'Brien and makes key changes to how agricultural aid is delivered. It prohibits using cash, food vouchers, or foreign-sourced food for aid (section 2d), requires that at least 50% of annual funds be used for procuring U.S. agricultural commodities (section 2b(5)), and mandates annual reports to Congress on fund usage (section 2b(6)). These changes directly affect U.S. farmers supplying aid and international recipients of food assistance. The bill focuses on strengthening domestic agricultural exports within the Food for Peace program while adding transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHJRES 45 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a specific Department of Education rule about federal student loans. It seeks to block the rule implementing "One-Time Federal Student Loan Debt Relief" (including modifications to Perkins, FFEL, and Direct Loan programs) by invoking the Congressional Review Act. If passed, this resolution would nullify the rule, preventing the Department of Education from using it to modify or waive student loan obligations. The bill directly affects borrowers who might have qualified for debt relief under the targeted rule.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases criminal penalties for non-citizens who reenter the U.S. after being deported or excluded. It specifically targets individuals with prior convictions for drug offenses, violent crimes, or multiple prior removals, imposing stricter fines and longer prison terms. For example, those convicted of an aggravated felony or two prior illegal reentries face mandatory minimum sentences of 5 years in prison, up to 20 years. The law also expands penalties for those who reenter without Homeland Security's permission after being removed under certain provisions.

Maddy summaryHR 277 would require Congress to approve major federal regulations before they take effect. Major rules are defined as those with significant economic impact ($100 million+ annually), major cost increases for consumers or industries, or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, or innovation. Agencies must submit detailed information about these rules to Congress, including cost-benefit analyses, before they can take effect. Congress would have 70 session days to approve the rule with a joint resolution; if they don't act within that timeframe, the rule would not take effect. This would increase congressional oversight of federal regulations and require more detailed information about proposed rules before they become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all U.S. flags displayed on federal property or purchased by federal agencies to be 100% made in the United States, meaning all materials and manufacturing must occur domestically. It directly affects federal agencies (including military departments, legislative/judicial branches, and U.S.-owned corporations) and their procurement of flags for display on government property. Key provisions include a 90-day implementation for new flag purchases and a 2-year phase-in for display requirements, with a separate mandate for the FTC to study and report on country-of-origin labeling enforcement for flags within one year. The bill does not apply to private entities or flags displayed off federal property.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would give Congress the authority to ban physical acts that desecrate the U.S. flag, such as burning or trampling. If ratified by 38 states (three-fourths of all states), it would allow federal laws prohibiting such acts. The amendment does not currently prohibit flag desecration but seeks to change the Constitution to permit it. It would directly affect individuals engaging in physical flag desecration. The bill is pending in the House Judiciary Committee and requires state ratification to become part of the Constitution.

Maddy summaryHR 3980 establishes the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as an independent agency within the executive branch, headed by an Administrator appointed by the President with Senate confirmation. The bill defines NOAA's core functions, including conducting scientific research across atmospheric, oceanic, climate, and space weather domains, maintaining the National Weather Service, and managing oceanic and coastal resources. It requires the Administrator to develop a reorganization plan within 18 months to improve efficiency and coordination across NOAA's operations, and mandates a study on consolidating Endangered Species Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act management functions. The bill also creates a Science Advisory Board to provide scientific advice to NOAA and Congress, while ensuring existing NOAA functions and authorities continue without disruption.

Farmers Undertake Environmental Land Stewardship Act or the FUELS Act This bill increases thresholds for requiring a farm to have a plan to address oil spills. Currently, regulations require a farm to have an oil spill control and prevention plan that is certified by a professional engineer if the farm's aboveground oil storage capacity is above a certain threshold or if the farm has a reportable oil discharge history. A farm with lower aboveground storage capacity and no reportable history is either allowed to self-certify its plan or not required to have a plan at all, depending on the farm's storage capacity.     Under the bill, the Environmental Protection Agency must require a farm to have a professionally certified plan if the farm has an aggregate aboveground oil storage capacity of 40,000 gallons or more, whereas the current threshold is 20,000 gallons. The bill also raises the aggregate capacity thresholds at which a farm with no reportable oil discharge history may self-certify its plan or is not required to have a plan. The bill also limits when a farm's aboveground oil storage containers on separate parcels shall count toward the farm's oil storage capacity for the purposes of these thresholds.

Maddy summaryHR 3408, the DRIVE Safe Integrity Act of 2023, establishes reporting requirements for a pilot program allowing 18- to 20-year-old drivers to gain experience in interstate trucking. The bill requires the Transportation Secretary to provide quarterly reports to Congress on program participation, including numbers of applicants, approved participants, and reasons for removals or withdrawals. It outlines specific apprenticeship requirements including 120-hour and 280-hour probationary periods with performance benchmarks for driving skills, and mandates that apprentices drive vehicles equipped with specific safety technologies while accompanied by experienced drivers. The bill ensures employers cannot allow drivers under 21 to operate commercial vehicles in interstate commerce without participating in the approved apprenticeship program. This legislation aims to address the truck driver shortage by creating a structured pathway for younger drivers while maintaining safety standards.

Maddy summaryHR 3492, the Gun Owner Registration Information Protection Act, prohibits federal agencies from funding or supporting state databases that track lawfully owned firearms or their owners. This directly affects states maintaining such databases, requiring them to cover costs themselves if they choose to keep these systems operational. The bill allows federal funding for databases tracking lost or stolen firearms, as specified in the exception. The key policy change is blocking federal financial support for databases compiling information on legal gun ownership, without banning the databases outright.