Rep. Jake LaTurner

This concurrent resolution calls on the President to abandon the One China policy in favor of one that recognizes Taiwan as an independent country that is not a part of China. The resolution also urges the President to bolster diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Taiwan through specified means.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands foreign investment review to cover U.S. agriculture by requiring transactions involving foreign control of agricultural businesses to undergo scrutiny by the Committee on Foreign Investment (CFIUS). It classifies agricultural supply chains as both critical infrastructure and critical technologies, directly affecting foreign entities seeking to acquire or influence U.S. farms, food production, and supply chains. The bill mandates annual reports from the Secretary of Agriculture and the Government Accountability Office on foreign investments in agriculture, including risks to food security and intellectual property. These provisions aim to mitigate potential threats to U.S. food supply chains from foreign adversaries through enhanced oversight.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires healthcare providers to give the same medical care to infants born alive during abortions as they would to any newborn, and to immediately admit such infants to a hospital. It mandates reporting of non-compliance to law enforcement and imposes penalties including up to 5 years in prison for violations. Women who undergo abortions can file civil lawsuits seeking money damages for injuries, three times the abortion cost, and punitive damages if care standards are not met. The bill also clarifies that abortion includes intentionally killing an unborn child or terminating pregnancy without specific exceptions (e.g., after viability to preserve life or removing a dead fetus).

Maddy summaryHR 23, the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, rescinds unobligated funds previously allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Specifically, it cancels unused balances from certain IRS funding provisions (sections 10301(1)(A)(ii), (iii), (B), (2), (3), (4), and (5)) of the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill does not change tax laws or directly affect taxpayers; it only redirects unspent IRS budget authority. The provision applies solely to funds that were not obligated by the IRS as of the bill’s enactment date.

Maddy summaryHR 461, the "Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act," prohibits abortions performed specifically because an unborn child has been diagnosed with Down syndrome. The bill amends Title 18 to make it a federal offense for medical providers to perform or facilitate such abortions, with criminal penalties of up to 5 years in prison or fines. It also establishes civil remedies allowing women, fathers, or maternal grandparents to sue providers for damages, including punitive damages, while protecting women from prosecution for seeking these abortions. The law requires medical professionals to report suspected violations and includes strict privacy protections for women in court proceedings. This bill directly affects abortion providers and medical professionals who perform or facilitate abortions based on Down syndrome diagnosis, without altering broader abortion laws.

Maddy summaryThe Putting Investors First Act of 2023 requires proxy advisory firms (companies that provide voting recommendations to investors) to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission and disclose potential conflicts of interest. It mandates these firms to establish procedures ensuring recommendations are based on accurate information, provide public companies with reasonable time to review data used in recommendations, and maintain an ombudsman for complaint resolution. The bill also requires investment advisors and asset managers with over $100 million in assets to report how they use proxy advice and provide economic analysis for votes not aligned with board recommendations. Additionally, it prohibits "robovoting" (automatically voting based on proxy advice) and mandates ESG funds to disclose performance comparisons with standard index funds. The legislation aims to increase transparency and accountability in the proxy advisory industry to better protect investor interests.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 3 is a non-binding congressional resolution expressing support for pro-life facilities, groups, and churches targeted by vandalism and threats following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. It condemns specific incidents like graffiti, window-smashing, and arson at pregnancy centers and churches (e.g., in Frederick, MD, and Portland, OR), while recognizing the role of these organizations in supporting pregnant women. The resolution calls on the Biden Administration to use law enforcement to protect these facilities but does not create new laws or policies. As a symbolic measure, it has no legal effect on the incidents described.

Life at Conception Act This bill declares that the right to life guaranteed by the Constitution is vested in each human being at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization, cloning, or other moment at which an individual comes into being. Nothing in this bill shall be construed to authorize the prosecution of any woman for the death of her unborn child.

Standardizing Thresholds Of Penalties for Fentanyl Act or the STOP Fentanyl Act This bill reduces the drug quantity thresholds that trigger a mandatory minimum prison term for a defendant who manufactures, distributes, imports, exports, or possesses with intent to distribute fentanyl. The bill also creates enhanced criminal penalties for certain violations involving fentanyl that was imported along the U.S.-Mexico border. Specifically, the bill reduces from 400 to 5 grams the fentanyl quantity and from 100 to 0.05 grams the fentanyl analogue quantity that trigger a mandatory minimum prison term for high-level first-time or repeat offenders. It also reduces from 40 to 0.5 grams the fentanyl quantity and from 10 to 0.005 grams the fentanyl analogue quantity that trigger a mandatory minimum prison term for low-level first-time or repeat offenders. Additionally, the bill creates enhanced mandatory minimum prison terms for importing or exporting fentanyl that was imported along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Maddy summaryHR 128, the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2023, blocks federal funding to Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its affiliates for one year unless they certify they will not perform or fund abortions (except in cases of rape, incest, or life-threatening conditions for the patient). This directly affects Planned Parenthood clinics and their federal funding streams. The bill redirects $235 million to community health centers under the Public Health Service Act to continue providing women’s health services like contraception, cancer screenings, and prenatal care. It requires repayment of funds if Planned Parenthood violates the certification and explicitly states the law won’t reduce overall federal funding for women’s health services.