Sen. Tom Cotton

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint and sell commemorative coins honoring the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. It specifies three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 100,000), $1 silver coins (max 500,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), all with designs reflecting soccer and the World Cup. A surcharge is added to each coin sale ($35 for $5 coins, $10 for $1 coins, $5 for half-dollars), with all surcharge revenue going directly to FWC2026 US, Inc. to fund U.S. soccer programs, particularly youth initiatives and underserved communities. The coins may only be sold during 2026 and must cover all costs to avoid government expense.

Maddy summarySRES 645 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating April 20-28, 2024, as "National Park Week." It does not create new laws or affect any group directly; instead, it formally recognizes this week to highlight the National Park System. The resolution encourages the public to responsibly visit, experience, and support national parks, referencing the system’s history, visitor statistics (325 million visits in 2023), and economic impact ($50.3 billion in 2022). As a non-binding resolution, it has no legal effect but serves to promote awareness of national parks.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically applies to cases involving discrimination based on actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics in schools and federally funded programs. The bill clarifies that this guidance does not expand the Department's authority, alter existing discrimination standards, or affect First Amendment rights. It aims to ensure consistent enforcement against antisemitism under existing civil rights law, as previously adopted by the Department of Education.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Section 994(a) of title 28, U.S. Code, to change the requirement for voting on sentencing policies at the U.S. Sentencing Commission from a four-member majority to a five-member consensus. It directly affects the commission's internal decision-making process for setting federal sentencing guidelines. The key provision replaces the phrase "four" with "five" in the statute governing how commission votes are counted. This procedural change requires all five voting members to agree on sentencing policy decisions, rather than allowing a majority of four.

Maddy summarySJRES 61 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a Federal Highway Administration rule that established performance measures for the National Highway System, including a requirement to track greenhouse gas emissions from highway activities. The rule, published in December 2023, would have mandated that states and federal agencies assess highway performance using this emissions metric. If enacted, the resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the implementation of the emissions tracking measure. This action is pursued under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to reject federal regulations with a simple majority vote.

Maddy summaryThe ACES Act (S 4111) directs the Department of Veterans Affairs to contract the National Academies to study cancer rates among military aircrew members who served on active duty in fixed-wing aircraft (e.g., pilots, navigators). The study will identify potential exposure risks (like chemicals) and examine links to specific cancers - including brain, lung, prostate, and melanoma skin cancers - using VA, Defense, and national health data. It requires the National Academies to report findings to Congress, focusing on prevalence and mortality patterns among covered veterans. This bill creates a data-gathering process but does not alter benefits or create new obligations.

Maddy summaryThe SHOP Act (S 4095) primarily reforms bankruptcy case venue to prevent "forum shopping," requiring companies filing Chapter 11 bankruptcy to do so in the district where their principal place of business or assets were located for most of the 180 days before filing. It limits nationwide injunctions by restricting courts to issuing orders only for specific case parties or similar individuals in the same judicial district. The bill also targets "judge shopping" by barring attorneys who manipulate case assignments to practice in federal courts, and restricts patent infringement lawsuits to districts where defendants have physical operations or relevant research. These changes aim to ensure bankruptcy cases occur where stakeholders are most affected and reduce venue manipulation across federal courts.

Maddy summaryS 4090, the "Enforcing the Rule of Law on Campus Act," would deny federal funding to colleges and universities that employ individuals working in the U.S. without legal authorization. Specifically, it makes institutions ineligible for all federal funding if they have a policy allowing undocumented workers on campus, violating U.S. immigration law (8 U.S.C. 1324a). This directly affects higher education institutions that hire undocumented staff, cutting off access to federal grants, loans, and other programs. The policy change targets employment practices, not campus activities or student enrollment.

Maddy summaryThe Revoke Iranian Funding Act of 2023 revokes existing licenses and exemptions that permitted U.S. funds to be released to Iran for humanitarian purposes, including the $6 billion South Korea transfer in September 2023, and blocks the Treasury from issuing new such licenses for one year. It also rescinds a specific waiver issued by the State Department in September 2023 that allowed humanitarian funding. The bill requires the Treasury to report within 30 days on Iranian assets held in the U.S. and current licenses related to Iran sanctions, directly affecting Iran's government and entities linked to its military, nuclear program, or terrorist groups like Hamas. This targets financial transactions involving Iran's accounts in Qatar and aims to prevent funds from being diverted to support terrorism.

Maddy summaryS 4075, the Protecting Privacy in Purchases Act, prohibits payment card networks (like Visa or Mastercard) and covered entities (such as banks or processors) from using or requiring special merchant category codes that distinguish firearms retailers from general stores. This directly affects firearms retailers (businesses selling guns or ammunition) and payment networks by preventing them from assigning codes that could flag gun purchases for tracking. The bill requires the Attorney General to investigate complaints about violations and enforce the ban, with potential court action if violations aren't fixed within 30 days. It also preempts state or local laws on this issue and mandates annual reports on enforcement efforts.