Sen. Ted Budd

Maddy summarySJRES 47 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a Department of Justice rule about home confinement for federal prisoners under the CARES Act. The rule, published in April 2023, would have established guidelines allowing the Justice Department to use home confinement as an alternative to prison for certain inmates during the pandemic. If passed, this resolution would cancel the rule, preventing it from taking effect. It follows the standard process under Chapter 8 of Title 5, U.S. Code, for Congress to reject agency regulations.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution designates October 2023 as "National Learning Disabilities Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or change existing policies. Instead, it formally recognizes the importance of raising awareness about learning disabilities and calls on state and local education agencies to continue providing appropriate support to students with specific learning disabilities. The resolution references existing data on educational challenges faced by these students but focuses solely on awareness, not policy changes.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. to hold Chinese officials accountable for religious persecution through existing sanctions mechanisms, specifically targeting senior officials under the Global Magnitsky Act for violations like arbitrary imprisonment or forced labor against religious minorities. It requires the State Department to support programs protecting religious minorities in China and maintain China’s designation as a "Country of Particular Concern" for religious freedom under the International Religious Freedom Act. The bill also mandates diplomatic efforts to secure the release of religious prisoners and ensure humane treatment, including access to family, medical care, and religious practice while detained. Key provisions focus on U.S. policy implementation rather than direct changes to Chinese law, emphasizing existing tools to address religious freedom violations.

This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to families and businesses and would severely harm the economic and national security of the country.

Maddy summarySJRES 42 is a resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) rule that updated how discrimination complaints are processed in federal food assistance programs (like SNAP). The rule applied the Supreme Court's Bostock v. Clayton County decision - which prohibits workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity - to the handling of program discrimination complaints. If passed, this resolution would block the FNS rule from taking effect, preventing it from changing existing complaint procedures. The measure uses the Congressional Review Act process to overturn the rule without altering program benefits or eligibility.

Maddy summarySRES 435 is a Senate resolution designating October 30 through November 4, 2023, as "National Veterans Small Business Week." It formally recognizes the contributions of veterans who own small businesses, highlighting their role in the economy (over 1.7 million veteran-owned businesses employing 2.9 million people). The resolution expresses support for veterans' entrepreneurship, encourages policies reducing regulatory burdens for small businesses, and thanks veterans for their service through business ownership. This is a symbolic recognition with no new legal requirements or funding.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 418) is a symbolic Senate statement condemning Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel and expressing disapproval of specific student group rhetoric on U.S. campuses. It directly addresses student organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) chapters at universities including Harvard, NYU, and UNC, which the resolution claims expressed support for Hamas' violence and antisemitic statements. The resolution formally condemns Hamas' attacks, denounces pro-Hamas student rhetoric as antisemitic, affirms Israel's right to exist, and urges U.S. government support for Israel. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but represents the Senate's official stance on these campus activities.

This resolution recognizes October 2023 as National Women's Small Business Month, honoring the role of women small business owners and entrepreneurs and encouraging the support and creation of women-owned small businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (with input from the Justice Department and intelligence agencies) to submit detailed monthly reports to Congress for one year (then biannually) on individuals encountered at U.S. borders or ports of entry who are in the federal terrorist watchlist. The reports must include specifics like how many were encountered, their national origin, ties to terrorist groups, travel methods, detention status, and whether they were falsely flagged. It directly affects border enforcement agencies (CBP, ICE, USCIS) and individuals on the watchlist by mandating transparency about their encounters. The bill does not change watchlist procedures but requires regular, detailed public reporting on these encounters for congressional oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Drug Price Negotiation Program to better support orphan drugs (medications for rare diseases). It changes how time is calculated for orphan drugs by excluding periods when a drug was designated as an orphan from the timeline used to determine when price negotiations begin. The bill also updates definitions to allow a single drug to cover multiple rare diseases, rather than being limited to just one disease. This directly affects pharmaceutical companies developing treatments for rare conditions, giving them more time before their drugs enter the price negotiation process. The changes aim to encourage continued development of therapies for small patient populations.