Rep. Tim Walberg

Maddy summaryHR 5561, the Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2023, prevents federal agencies from using emergency declarations to implement gun control measures. It specifically prohibits the President from declaring a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act or the Robert T. Stafford Act for gun control purposes, and stops the Health and Human Services Secretary from declaring a public health emergency under the Public Health Service Act for the same reason. The bill also amends the Stafford Act to explicitly prohibit any emergency-related restrictions on possessing, manufacturing, selling, or transferring firearms, ammunition, ammunition feeding devices, or firearm accessories. This directly affects how federal agencies can respond during emergencies without violating the Second Amendment. The law aims to limit executive actions during emergencies that could restrict gun rights.

Maddy summaryHRES 684 is a symbolic congressional resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on September 14, 2023, condemning New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's emergency order that temporarily suspended open and concealed carry firearm rights for 30 days. The resolution asserts the order violated the Second Amendment, citing Supreme Court precedents (Heller, McDonald, Bruen) and noting a federal judge had already blocked the order's firearm restrictions. It does not change any laws or impose legal consequences - it is solely a formal expression of disapproval from Congress. The resolution directly addresses the Governor's actions but has no effect on New Mexico's laws or citizens' rights.

Maddy summaryHR 4739, the Protecting America’s Orchardists and Nursery Tree Growers Act, amends the Agricultural Act of 2014 to improve assistance for orchardists and nursery tree growers experiencing tree loss. It lowers the mortality threshold from 15% to "normal mortality," requires replacement activities within 12 months (or as needed for tree survival), and allows growers to use assistance for alternative replanting options like different tree varieties, stand densities, or locations - without exceeding the original assistance amount. The bill also excludes growers with 75%+ farming income from gross income limits and mandates the Secretary to notify applicants within 120 days of application status. This directly affects growers facing tree loss due to pests, disease, or other causes, streamlining program access and flexibility.

Maddy summaryHR 1435, the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, amends the Clean Air Act to restrict states from implementing vehicle emissions rules that limit the sale or use of new gasoline-powered cars. It directly affects states with stricter emissions standards (like California) by adding a new definition that blocks state rules "directly or indirectly" limiting internal combustion engine vehicles as defined in federal regulations as of January 1, 2023. The bill requires the EPA to revoke existing state emissions waivers granted between January 2022 and the bill’s enactment if they don’t comply with this new definition. This creates a concrete federal standard preventing states from advancing policies that could reduce demand for conventional vehicles.

Maddy summaryHR 5465, the Congressional Access to Bureaucratic Offices Act (CABO Act), requires federal agency heads to allow Members of Congress and their staff access to agency headquarters buildings during regular business hours. It mandates that access be granted upon presentation of valid congressional identification (for Members) or a staff badge while accompanied by the employing Member (for staff), with exceptions for areas requiring secret-level security clearance. The bill also ensures this access applies during declared emergencies (like national emergencies under the National Emergencies Act or public health emergencies), without imposing additional costs by using existing agency funds. This directly affects how federal agencies manage physical access for congressional personnel.

Maddy summaryHR 3152, the "Fight CRIME Act," aims to maintain international restrictions on Iran's missile-related activities by requiring diplomatic efforts to extend these restrictions before they expire in October 2023. The bill mandates annual reports detailing U.S. diplomatic strategies, potential impacts of expiration, and measures to deter missile technology transfers to Iran. It establishes sanctions against foreign individuals or entities that knowingly support Iran's missile or drone programs, including asset freezes and visa restrictions. These sanctions apply regardless of whether UN restrictions remain in effect after their expiration, directly affecting foreign entities involved in these activities.

Maddy summaryHR 5419, the Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act, amends the Fair Labor Standards Act to exclude direct sellers (like door-to-door sales representatives) and qualified real estate agents from the federal definition of "employee." This change means these workers would no longer be automatically covered by federal minimum wage and overtime protections under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The bill directly affects individuals working in these specific roles by altering their legal classification under labor law. The key provision is a new definition inserted into existing law, aligning labor classification with existing tax code definitions for these professions.

Safeguarding Endangered Children, Unaccompanied and at Risk of Exploitation Act of 2023 or SECURE Act of 2023 This bill requires regular reports to Congress detailing the status of unaccompanied non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) children. The bill also rescinds certain funding for the agencies responsible for the report for each day that a report is late. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation must jointly report to Congress every 60 days on such children that have been in the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) since January 1, 2021, and have been released to a parent, family member, or sponsor within the United States. This report must provide each child’s age, sex, location, and detail the child’s health and well-being. Additionally, the report must provide specified information about adults living in the child’s home, such as whether adults in the home have been subject to a fingerprint-based check of national crime information databases. The report must also specify the number of children that ORR has tried to contact without success on at least three separate attempts. The report must be provided for up to three years or until all of the specified children have been accounted for.  The bill also rescinds certain funding from HHS, DHS, and the FBI for each day that a report is late. Up to $10 million may be rescinded from each agency for each fiscal year.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to require the federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program to comply with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). It allows the public to request government records about how broadband funding is allocated and spent, increasing transparency. This directly affects agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) managing the program and enables citizens to access information on federal broadband spending decisions. The change removes prior exemptions from FOIA requirements for this specific program.

Maddy summaryHR 5092, the Energy Accountability Act, amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to disqualify borrowers from receiving federal loan guarantees for energy projects if they or related entities previously defaulted on a similar guaranteed obligation. The bill directly affects energy project developers seeking federal loan guarantees by barring those with prior defaults on projects covered under the same program. Its key mechanism requires the Secretary of Energy to deny guarantees for new projects where the borrower has a history of defaulting on prior guaranteed obligations. This change applies to all borrowers and related entities as determined by the Secretary, focusing solely on eligibility criteria for federal loan guarantees.