This resolution recognizes that the national debt is a threat to national security and that deficits are unsustainable, irresponsible, and dangerous. It also commits to (1) restoring regular order to the appropriations process, and (2) addressing the fiscal crisis faced by the United States.
Agricultural Security Risk Review Act This bill expands the membership of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States to include the Secretary of Agriculture. (The committee reviews the national security implications of certain foreign investments in U.S. businesses or real estate, including critical infrastructure or technologies.)
Reaching America's Rural Minority Businesses Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Minority Business Development Agency to establish rural business centers at historically Black colleges and universities to assist rural minority businesses with issues such as broadband adoption, advanced manufacturing, and entrepreneurship.
No Stolen Trademarks Honored in America Act This bill modifies the bar against U.S. courts enforcing or validating trademarks that were confiscated by the Cuban government. The bill prohibits U.S. courts from enforcing or validating such confiscated trademarks if the mark had been used in connection with a confiscated business or asset. Currently, the prohibition applies only if the confiscated trademark is being asserted in the United States by a Cuban national. Under the bill, the prohibition shall not apply if the original trademark owner, or a successor, has expressly consented to the enforcement action. The prohibition shall apply only if the entity asserting the trademark rights knew or should have known, when it acquired the rights, that the mark was the same or substantially similar to one connected to a confiscated business or asset.
Protecting Our Well-being by Expanding Russian Sanctions Act or the POWERS Act This bill expands existing sanctions against foreign persons engaged in certain activities related to the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream pipelines, two Russian pipelines that were constructed to supply natural gas to Europe. Currently, these sanctions apply to foreign persons that (1) provided pipe-laying vessels for the construction of either pipeline, (2) facilitated certain transactions for such vessels, (3) provided certain underwriting services or insurance for such vessels, or (4) provided certain services for such vessels or Nord Stream 2. Under this bill, these sanctions must also apply to any foreign person that engaged in any transaction with such sanctioned persons. The bill also reinstates any sanctions that were previously waived with respect to Nord Stream 2 AG (the company established to construct and operate the pipeline) or any of its corporate officers. Such reinstated sanctions may not be waived except by an act of Congress.
High Risk Rural Roads Safety Act of 2021 This bill establishes a high-risk rural roads safety program to support safety improvements for roads in rural and tribal communities. Specifically, the bill directs Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide grants to Indian tribes to improve safety on high risk rural roads. It also requires DOT to set aside specified funds for Indian tribes and states. Funds apportioned to a state must be obligated in areas of the state in which the population is not more than 50,000. The federal share of the cost of a project carried out under the bill may be up to 100%.
Don't Weaponize the IRS Act This bill codifies regulations promulgated by the Trump Administration exempting certain tax-exempt organizations from specified reporting requirements. Specifically the bill increases from $5,000 to $50,000 the gross receipts threshold used to determine the eligibility of tax-exempt organizations for the exemption from certain disclosure and reporting requirements; expands the definition of organization to include tax-exempt charitable organizations and organizations with no significant activities relating to lobbying, political activity, and the operation of a trade or business; exempts from disclosure the names and addresses of contributors to an organization in its annual informational return; and extends exemptions from reporting requirements to political action committees (i.e., 527 organizations).
Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.
See the Crisis Act This bill limits international travel by the Vice President until after certain activities are undertaken regarding the southwest border. Specifically, the bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of federal funds for the Vice President's travel expenses to travel outside of the United States until the Vice President (1) personally travels to at least one of several specified counties along the border to review the activities of federal agencies responsible for enforcing and implementing immigration laws, and (2) submits a report relating to the situation at the border.
Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn-While-You-Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act This bill makes changes to the national apprenticeship system aimed at promoting diversity. Specifically, the bill establishes the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator in the Office Apprenticeship within the Office of Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, requires every apprenticeship program that registers or renews an apprenticeship with the Office of Apprenticeship to submit a plan to increase participation by individuals who are African American, and requires the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator to award grants to create or expand diversity in registered apprenticeship programs.
Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act This bill increases the monthly income limit that is used to determine whether certain Purple Heart recipients are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Specifically, when making such determinations with respect to Purple Heart recipients who are entitled to SSDI benefits based on combat-related injuries, the Social Security Administration must use the limit that applies to individuals who are blind rather than the lower limit that applies to other SSDI recipients. In addition, the bill phases out SSDI benefits for these Purple Heart recipients, with benefits reduced by $1 for every $4 of earnings in excess of the limit.
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2021 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2021 This bill establishes grants within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for establishing or expanding midwifery programs at institutions of higher education and nursing schools. HRSA may prioritize funding for institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and that promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
