Rep. Eric A. "Rick" Crawford

Agricultural Guest Worker Reform Initiative Act of 2021 or the AGRI Act of 2021 This bill revises provisions related to H-2A (temporary agricultural worker) visas, including to eliminate certain requirements to hire U.S. workers, expand the program to include dairy and ranch workers, and shift administrative responsibilities from the Department of Labor to the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The bill establishes a trust fund to be used to (1) administer and enforce the program, (2) collect a portion of guest worker wages to be paid upon a worker's return to the worker's country of origin, and (3) provide emergency medical services for guest workers. The bill eliminates a requirement that, during the first half of the time period of a guest worker contract, certain employers must hire any qualified U.S. employee who applies to perform the job the guest worker was hired to perform. Furthermore, an employer shall not be required to pay a guest worker a wage higher than the highest of federal, state, or local minimum wage rates. The bill places limitations on when guest workers may receive civil legal assistance for low-income individuals. Employer-provided housing shall be governed generally by USDA regulations, where currently such housing must meet applicable federal, state, or local standards. Employers shall not have to provide housing to workers who can reasonably return to their permanent residence within the same day. An employer may file a civil action to recover transportation costs from a guest worker who absconds from a contract.

Stopping Illicit Trafficking Act of 2021 or the SIFT Act of 2021 This bill adds five fentanyl analogues and the entire category of fentanyl-related substances to schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. The bill also creates a process to remove from schedule I certain fentanyl-related substances that do not have a high potential for abuse.

Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on October 1, 2021.

Accountability in Foreign Animal Research Act This bill prohibits the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting research that involves testing on vertebrate animals in China, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or other countries determined to be a foreign adversary.

Foreign Adversary Risk Management Act or the FARM Act This bill places the Secretary of Agriculture on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and it requires the committee to review any investment that could result in foreign control of any U.S. agricultural business. Further, it includes agricultural systems and supply chains in the definitions of critical infrastructure and critical technologies for the purposes of reviewing such investments. The Department of Agriculture and the Government Accountability Office must each analyze and report on foreign influence in the U.S. agricultural industry.

Blocking Joseph Robinette Biden's Overreaching Vaccine Mandates Act This bill restricts implementation and enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services may not require, as a condition of participation in the programs, that providers mandate COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, or otherwise penalize participating providers that do not mandate such vaccination. The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

This resolution urges Major League Baseball to reverse the planned closure of the Miken Sports production facility in Caledonia, Minnesota, and to buy products that are made in America.

Cancel the Coin Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from minting or issuing any coin, including platinum bullion coins and proof platinum coins, having a nominal or face value exceeding $200.

Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.

This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the men and women who undertook efforts in Afghanistan over the years have provided heroic service to the country and the peace experienced by our country is a direct result of the actions of our service members, diplomats, and humanitarians. The concurrent resolution also expresses that veterans who feel stress, anger, or disappointment over the end of operations in Afghanistan should seek resources and reach out to friends, mentors, and caregivers.