Rep. Keith Self

Maddy summaryHCONRES 57 is a non-binding concurrent resolution expressing Congress's support for Israel. It states three key points: (1) that Israel is not a racist or apartheid state, (2) that Congress rejects antisemitism and xenophobia, and (3) that the U.S. will remain a steadfast supporter of Israel. This resolution does not create new laws or alter policies - it simply records the expressed sentiment of Congress. It directly affects the U.S. government's public stance on Israel, with no legal effect on citizens or other entities.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires stricter background checks and monitoring for sponsors caring for unaccompanied migrant children. It mandates fingerprint checks, sex offender registry reviews, criminal history checks, and child abuse screenings for all adult household members before a child can be placed with them. The bill also prohibits placing children with undocumented sponsors (except biological parents or legal guardians), requires pre-release home visits, and mandates multiple unannounced post-release visits over two years. Additionally, it requires monthly reports to Congress tracking child placements, vetting status, and missing children cases since January 2021. These changes directly affect unaccompanied migrant children and their sponsors, aiming to prevent trafficking through enhanced safety protocols.

Build the Wall and Fight Fentanyl Act of 2023 This bill establishes accounts to fund the construction of physical barriers along the U.S. southern border and to provide grants to address fentanyl abuse. These accounts shall be funded from the sale of assets belonging to cartels that have been seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The bill defines cartel as (1) an organization with operations in Mexico and the United States designated as a significant transnational criminal organization; (2) certain named organizations, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Juarez Cartel; and (3) other organizations as designated by the President.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the U.S. President to sell up to two nuclear-powered attack submarines (Virginia-class) from the U.S. Navy inventory to Australia over a 15-year period to support the AUKUS security partnership. It requires Australia to cover all costs, including repairs performed at U.S. shipyards, and mandates detailed certifications to Congress on national security impacts, U.S. industrial capacity, and Australia's ability to operate the submarines. The bill also requires annual reports for 15 years on submarine transfers, defense service exports, and production schedules. This directly affects Australia's naval capabilities and U.S.-Australia defense cooperation under the AUKUS framework.

Maddy summaryHR 4461 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to mandate that disability benefit questionnaires collected by non-VA medical professionals be transmitted to the VA in a machine-readable digital format within 180 days of enactment. This affects veterans applying for disability benefits (claimants), non-VA healthcare providers conducting examinations, and the VA itself. The bill mandates the VA to issue technical standards for this format within 90 days and update questionnaires to maintain machine-readability, while also requiring the VA to submit an IT system modification plan to Congress. The VA must publicly post these standards and the IT plan on its website.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.

Maddy summaryHR 592 requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to obtain specific certifications before expanding or continuing its electronic health record system at VA facilities. For existing facilities, the VA must certify the system achieves 99.9% monthly uptime for four consecutive months and completes all pre-enactment system improvements. For new facility implementations, the VA must certify the system build is accurate, staff/infrastructure are ready, and implementation won’t harm patient safety, wait times, or care quality. This bill directly affects VA hospitals and the Veterans Health Administration by setting concrete technical and operational requirements before system changes can proceed.

Maddy summaryHR 4721, the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, makes a permanent the 20% tax deduction for eligible small business owners under Section 199A of the tax code. This provision directly affects pass-through business owners (like S-corps, partnerships, and sole proprietorships) who qualify for the deduction. The bill achieves this by removing the temporary expiration language (subsection (i)) from the existing tax code provision. The key change is ending the need for annual congressional extensions of this deduction, providing long-term tax certainty for small businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Veteran Care Improvement Act of 2023, establishes new standards for when veterans can receive care from private providers instead of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). It requires the VA to allow veterans to seek community care if they cannot get an in-person appointment within 30 days for primary care or 60 days for specialty care at a VA facility within a 30 or 60-minute drive, respectively. The legislation also mandates that the VA notify veterans of their eligibility for community care within two business days, provide information about telehealth options, and explain reasons for denied care requests along with appeal instructions. Additional provisions include requiring the VA to conduct outreach to inform veterans about community care options, mandate the use of value-based reimbursement models for community care, and establish a pilot program to improve care administration through scheduling improvements and provider incentives. The bill also extends the deadline for health care entities to submit claims under the prompt payment standard from 180 days to one year, and requires the VA Inspector General to assess VA medical center performance in implementing community care programs within three years of enactment.

Maddy summaryHR 3952 limits the flags that can be flown over Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities to just six specific flags: the U.S. flag, any state flag, any federally recognized tribal government flag, the VA department flag, any military branch flag, and the POW/MIA flag. This applies directly to all VA buildings and properties nationwide. The bill explicitly restricts all other flags, including political or commemorative flags, from being displayed on these facilities.