Maddy summaryThe Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2023 requires colleges and universities receiving federal financial aid to use a standardized financial aid offer form for all students applying for aid. The form must clearly separate costs (including tuition, housing, books, and other expenses), grants/scholarships (non-repayable aid), and loans (repayable debt), with a calculated net price showing what students actually pay after grants. It mandates plain-language explanations of loan terms, repayment options, interest rates, and distinctions between Federal and private loans, while requiring institutions to disclose key metrics like cohort default rates and median student debt. This replaces inconsistent, confusing financial aid documents with a uniform format designed to help students make informed college financing decisions.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the federal budget to be balanced each year. It would mandate that annual government spending (outlays) not exceed total revenue (receipts) and also limit spending to 18% of the previous year's gross domestic product (GDP). Exceptions allowing spending above these limits would require a two-thirds vote in both House and Senate, and new taxes or debt ceiling increases would similarly need a two-thirds vote. The amendment would only take effect if ratified by 38 states (three-fourths of all states), as it is a constitutional proposal, not an enacted law.
Maddy summarySRES 72 is a non-binding Senate resolution passed on February 16, 2023, declaring that Russia’s actions in Ukraine meet the legal definition of genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention. It cites specific atrocities, including mass killings of civilians, deliberate destruction of infrastructure (like hospitals and farmland), forced displacement of Ukrainians, and systematic sexual violence, as evidence of intent to destroy the Ukrainian people. The resolution calls on the U.S. government to support Ukraine, back international accountability efforts, and urges the President to impose sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Act on those responsible. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws but formally recognizes the Senate’s position on Russia’s conduct.
Maddy summarySRES 66 is a Senate resolution condemning China's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over U.S. territory as a violation of U.S. sovereignty. It specifically denounces China's false claims that the balloon was a weather device that drifted off course. The resolution requires the President to provide Congress with detailed briefings on the incident, including the balloon's timeline, intelligence gathered, and plans to prevent future violations of U.S. airspace. It calls for decisive U.S. action to deter foreign surveillance activities and holds the Chinese government accountable for such actions.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires student loan lenders to disclose the total interest cost over a standard 10-year repayment plan to borrowers. It amends the Higher Education Act by adding a new requirement (paragraph (18)) for lenders to clearly state this total interest amount. The policy directly affects borrowers of federal student loans by providing upfront transparency about the full cost of repayment. The change is a disclosure requirement only, not altering loan terms or interest rates.
Maddy summaryThis bill restricts the executive branch's authority to pause or cancel federal student loan payments during national emergencies. It prohibits the President or Secretary of Education from suspending payments or canceling balances for borrowers with household incomes above 400% of the poverty line during emergencies, and bans executive actions to cancel loans related to the COVID-19 pandemic or other emergencies. Any such pause or cancellation would be treated as a "major rule" requiring congressional review under the Congressional Review Act. The bill primarily affects higher-income borrowers during emergencies by limiting executive relief options, while maintaining existing loan programs for lower-income borrowers. It does not change standard loan repayment terms but restricts emergency executive actions.
Maddy summaryThis bill amends U.S. immigration law to create specific, limited pathways for temporary parole into the United States. It directly affects military families (spouses/children of active-duty service members), Cuban nationals with approved petitions meeting strict criteria, and individuals facing urgent medical needs, family emergencies, or law enforcement-related public benefits. Key provisions require case-by-case decisions (not class-based eligibility), limit parole to 1 year (with possible 1-year extensions), and mandate annual congressional reporting on parole usage. Parole does not count as admission, so recipients cannot adjust to permanent residency through this status.
Maddy summaryS 522, the SMART Cocaine Sentencing Act, reduces the weight thresholds triggering mandatory minimum sentences for cocaine offenses. It lowers the amount required to trigger penalties from 5 kilograms to 4 kilograms for powder cocaine (and from 280 grams to 1,600 grams for crack cocaine) under federal law. The bill also requires the Attorney General to certify whether defendants sentenced before enactment should have their sentences reduced under the new thresholds, considering factors like rehabilitation. Additionally, it mandates federal agencies to submit research reports within one year on cocaine dosage, lethality, addiction, and sentencing trends. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of federal cocaine offenses, particularly those facing sentencing under current weight-based minimums.
Maddy summaryThis bill establishes new health and documentation requirements for importing live dogs into the U.S. It requires all imported dogs to be vaccinated, parasite-free, properly identified, and accompanied by a certificate from an accredited veterinarian. Importers must submit electronic documentation before arrival, and dogs imported for transfer (like adoption or sale) must be at least 6 months old. Exceptions exist for research, veterinary treatment, or Hawaii-specific cases where dogs stay within the state. Violations could trigger fines, quarantine, or removal of dogs.
Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 70) is a symbolic gesture by the U.S. Senate to support designating February 1, 2023, as "George Washington Carver Day." It recognizes George Washington Carver’s life and work, highlighting his origins as an enslaved person born around 1864, his pioneering role as Iowa State University’s first Black student and faculty member, and his decades of agricultural research and outreach at Tuskegee University. The resolution commemorates his contributions to developing hundreds of agricultural products and improving the lives of farmers, particularly those in poverty. It does not create new laws or policies, but formally honors his legacy.