Sen. Bill Hagerty

Maddy summaryThe PERA Act (S 4097) authorizes $500 million annually from 2024 through 2029 for U.S. defense assistance to modernize the Philippines' military capabilities. It directly supports the Armed Forces of the Philippines by funding equipment, training, and infrastructure to strengthen territorial defense, maritime security, and counterterrorism cooperation with the U.S. Key provisions require annual reports detailing specific defense needs (like coastal defense and cybersecurity) and submitting spending plans to Congress. The bill includes a sunset provision ending assistance after September 2030.

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 summaryThe FEND Off Fentanyl Act authorizes sanctions against foreign individuals and entities involved in trafficking fentanyl and its precursors into the United States, with specific focus on transnational criminal organizations like Mexican cartels and the flow of precursor chemicals from China. It requires the President to submit annual reports to Congress on actions taken under the law and designates fentanyl-related transactions as a primary money laundering concern for financial institutions. The bill also repeals a prohibition on imposing sanctions related to importation of goods under previous fentanyl sanctions law. It aims to increase financial costs for traffickers by blocking assets and prohibiting transactions involving sanctioned persons.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution seeks congressional disapproval of a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) rule that would have limited credit card penalty fees under Regulation Z. If approved, the resolution would block the rule from taking effect, meaning credit card companies would not be required to comply with the proposed fee restrictions. The measure uses a standard congressional review process under federal law to invalidate the rule, which was submitted to Congress in March 2024. This directly affects credit card issuers by allowing them to maintain current penalty fee practices without new federal limits.

Maddy summarySRES 626 is a Senate resolution expressing the U.S. Senate's support for the U.S.-Japan alliance and welcoming Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's April 2024 visit to the United States. It reaffirms the alliance's role in promoting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific, highlights Japan's defense modernization efforts (including a goal to reach 2% GDP defense spending by 2027), and supports trilateral security cooperation with South Korea and other partners. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new policy or directly affect individuals but formally underscores shared commitments to security, economic ties, and democratic values.

Maddy summarySRES 622 establishes the procedural framework for the Senate impeachment trial of Alejandro Mayorkas, the Secretary of Homeland Security. It requires Mayorkas to file a written response to the impeachment articles within 7 days, appoints a 12-member Senate committee to gather evidence and testimony within 90 days, and mandates specific deadlines for filing responses and reports. The resolution also sets procedures for the trial's timing, including convening as a "Court of Impeachment" 90 days after committee appointment. This resolution solely governs the Senate's internal trial procedures, not the substance of the impeachment charges.

Maddy summarySRES 623 is a procedural resolution establishing the timeline and rules for the Senate impeachment trial of Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security. It sets specific deadlines: Mayorkas has 7 session days to file his answer after impeachment articles are transmitted, and the House has 7 session days after the summons to file its replication. The resolution outlines the trial structure, including up to 16 hours for each side's presentation (House first, then Mayorkas), 4 hours for senator questioning, and procedures for admitting evidence without live witness testimony. This resolution solely governs the trial process and does not address the merits of the impeachment articles.

Maddy summarySRES 624 is a procedural resolution setting the timeline and rules for the Senate impeachment trial of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. It establishes deadlines for Mayorkas to file his answer (within 7 session days), requires the House to submit its trial record by a specified date, and outlines the sequence for presentations, questioning, and voting. The resolution details that the House has up to 24 hours over three days to present its case, Mayorkas gets an equal time for his defense, and the Senate must vote on each article of impeachment after deliberation. This resolution does not address the merits of the impeachment but governs the trial's procedural flow.

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.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution states that the U.S. Senate believes Israel has the inherent right to defend itself and take necessary steps to eradicate the terrorist threat posed by Hamas. It also declares that any U.S. government official calling for elections in Israel would constitute electoral interference. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws but expresses congressional support for Israel’s security actions and sets a position on U.S. involvement in Israeli electoral matters. The resolution was introduced in March 2024 by multiple senators.