Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act This bill prohibits expending federal funds for legal settlements to individuals who violated certain laws relating to the proper time and place to enter the United States, if the settlement pertains to claims based on the lawful detention of such an individual as part of a family unit after the individual's entry into the United States at the southern border after January 20, 2017.
UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act This bill makes changes to U.S. foreign policy in matters concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). For purposes of this policy, the bill defines Palestinian refugee as a person who (1) resided from June 1946 to May 1948 in Mandatory Palestine (a region controlled by Britain until 1948), (2) was personally displaced as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, and (3) has not accepted citizenship or other permanent adjustment in status in another country. Furthermore, under U.S. policy, derivative refugee status may only extend to the spouse or minor child of such a Palestinian refugee. The bill withholds U.S. funding for the UNRWA unless the Department of State makes certifications concerning the UNRWA's staff, partners, and funding. Specifically, the State Department must certify that neither UNRWA staff and partners nor its funding and facilities are affiliated with terrorism or engaged in the dissemination of certain rhetoric, such as calling for the destruction of Israel or describing Israelis as occupiers or settlers . Additionally, the State Department must certify that the UNRWA is subject to comprehensive independent financial audits and is unaffiliated with any financial institutions that the United States considers to be complicit in money laundering or terror financing. The State Department must also implement a plan to encourage other countries to align their activities and efforts regarding the UNRWA with U.S. policy objectives, including the phaseout of the UNRWA by resettling Palestinian refugees outside of Israel.
Thin Blue Line Act This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from taking specified actions against a member of the National Guard based on whether the member has received a COVID-19 vaccine. Specifically, DOD may not (1) involuntarily discharge or discipline the member, (2) withhold pay or benefits from the member, or (3) prohibit the member from participating in training or using equipment.
This bill repeals provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with respect to the definition of broker and reporting requirements for digital assets.
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting. Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision. In addition, the bill (1) includes certain protections for election workers, polling places, and election infrastructure; and (2) expands voting access on tribal lands.
Make Rules Matter Act This bill modifies the requirements for raising and waiving several budget points of order that apply to legislation in the Senate. Among other modifications, the bill requires an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senate to waive certain budget points of order. (Under current law, most budget points of order may be waived by a vote of three-fifths of the Senate.)
Let States Cut Taxes Act This bill removes a prohibition on states and territories using COVID-19 relief funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to offset a reduction in revenue resulting from a reduction in taxes or a delay in the imposition of a tax or tax increase.
Maximizing America's Prosperity Act of 2021 This bill establishes annual spending limits that are equal to specified percentages of potential gross domestic product (GDP). Potential GDP generally refers to the GDP that would occur if the economy were at full employment without inflation. The spending limits apply to all budget authority and outlays of the federal government excluding net interest. The bill establishes procedures for enforcing the spending limits, including requirements for sequestration (i.e., automatic spending cuts) and for the President's budget and congressional budget resolutions to comply with the limits. The bill also requires at least 1% of total discretionary spending for each year to be reserved for emergencies.
This bill establishes annual discretionary spending limits for FY2022-FY2031. (Discretionary spending is spending that is controlled through the appropriations process.) For each year, the bill specifies limits for both defense and nondefense discretionary spending.
This bill establishes annual discretionary spending limits for FY2022-FY2024. (Discretionary spending is spending that is controlled through the appropriations process.)
This bill establishes a Federal Rainy Day Fund to fund emergency spending. Under the bill, an emergency is any occasion or instance for which federal assistance is needed to supplement state and local efforts and capabilities to save lives and to protect property, public health, and safety; or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in any part of the United States. The bill authorizes annual appropriations to the fund that are equal to 2% of the amount of the previous year's nonemergency discretionary spending. In addition, the bill modifies or establishes various budget enforcement procedures to address spending from the fund. For example, the bill establishes a point of order to prohibit the fund from being used for nonemergency spending, establishes a point of order against provisions that provide emergency spending from the general fund of the Treasury when unobligated funds are available in the rainy day fund, and repeals a provision that currently requires adjustments to discretionary spending limits to accommodate emergency spending. Finally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the relationship between emergency, disaster, and wildfire spending, including any recommendations to modify the spending that qualifies as emergency spending.
