Rep. Madison Cawthorn

Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants Act or the BE GONE Act This bill expands, for immigration purposes, the definition of aggravated felony to include sexual abuse, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual violence. (Under current law, a conviction for an aggravated felony is grounds for deportation and may bar an individual from other immigration-related benefits.)

Don't Jab Me Act This bills allows a civil action to be brought against the United States by a federal employee for injuries sustained as a result of a COVID-19 vaccination mandate.

Taliban Rare Earth Minerals Sanctions Act This bill requires the President to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that knowingly engage in a significant transaction that concerns the rare earth mineral sector of Afghanistan. The President must impose property-blocking sanctions on such foreign individuals and entities, as well as visa-blocking sanctions on the individuals.

Freedom From Union Violence Act of 2021 This bill revises the federal criminal statute commonly known as the Hobbs Act, which prohibits the obstruction of interstate commerce by robbery or extortion (or by attempting or conspiring to commit robbery or extortion). Currently, an extortion offense includes obtaining property of another with consent through the wrongful use of force, violence, or fear. Typically, violations are investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office. First, this bill broadens the scope of prohibited conduct by (1) eliminating the requirement that the means used to obtain property (i.e., the use of force, violence, or fear) must be wrongful, and (2) expanding extortion to include obtaining property of another by wrongful use of fear not involving force or violence. Second, the bill explicitly states that the maximum fine is $100,000. Third, the bill exempts from the federal prohibition conduct that (1) is incidental to peaceful picketing during a labor dispute, (2) consists solely of minor bodily injury or damage to property, and (3) is not part of a pattern of violent conduct or of a coordinated violent activity. A violation involving exempted conduct is subject to prosecution only by state and local authorities.

Teleabortion Prevention Act of 2021 This bill restricts the use of telehealth for chemical abortions (also known as medication abortions). Specifically, it requires a provider who dispenses or prescribes medication for a chemical abortion to physically examine the patient, be physically present at the location of the chemical abortion, and schedule a follow-up visit. The bill provides an exception for a chemical abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, injury, or condition. The bill establishes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both—for a provider who does not comply with the requirements. A patient who undergoes a chemical abortion may not be prosecuted.

Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2021 This bill addresses issues relating to immigration enforcement. The bill declares that state and local law enforcement have inherent authority to investigate and arrest individuals to assist federal immigration enforcement. (Currently, state and local law enforcement may take certain immigration enforcement actions upon entering into an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.) The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must reimburse state and local law enforcement for the costs of holding or transporting a detained alien. DHS may detain an alien beyond the removal period (generally the window in which DHS must remove an alien after a final order of removal) upon making certain certifications, such as a certification that the alien's release would threaten community safety. DHS may renew this certification every six months after giving the alien an opportunity to request reconsideration of the certification. An alien challenging such detention may only do so by filing an application for a writ of habeas corpus. Certain aliens subject to mandatory detention may be held without time limitation while removal proceedings are pending. DHS must detain an alien who is present in the United States without lawful status if the alien has been convicted for driving while intoxicated. DHS must establish a process to determine whether an alien not subject to mandatory detention and who has tried to comply with a removal order should be detained or released with conditions. The Department of Justice must include information about immigration law violations in the National Crime Information Center database.

No Fly for Illegals Act This bill limits using federal funds to compensate an airline for transporting an alien who is not lawfully present in the United States. Specifically, federal funds may not be used to compensate an airline for such an individual's entry into the United States or for relocation within the United States unless the transportation is to remove the individual from the United States or to protect the individual from an imminent threat to life or physical safety.

Securing the Homeland from International Entrants with Life-threatening Diseases Act or the SHIELD Act This bill suspends for one year the admission and parole into the United States of certain categories of individuals who are from or were recently in a country that fails to meet certain criteria related to COVID-19. This restriction applies to certain individuals entering the United States from Mexico or Canada through a port of entry or U.S. Border Patrol station and (1) whose country of origin has not been categorized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a low-risk country for COVID-19, or (2) who was in such a country at any time in the 30 days before arriving in the United States. The bill exempts certain individuals from this restriction, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, members of the Armed Forces, and persons from a foreign country who arrive at a designated port of entry with valid travel documents. The Department of Homeland Security shall transport barred individuals to a foreign location, such as an individual's country of origin, to the extent practicable.

No Frivolous Application for Short-Barreled Shotguns Act or the NFA SBS Act This bill removes certain short-barreled shotguns from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also eliminates the prohibition on the sale or transportation of such shotguns in interstate commerce and treats persons who acquire or possess a short-barreled shotgun as meeting the registration or licensing requirements for such shotguns where such requirements are determined by reference to the National Firearms Act. The bill preempts state or local laws that impose a tax or recordkeeping requirements on short-barreled shotguns. The Department of Justice must destroy records relating to the registration of shotguns described by this bill within one year after the enactment of this bill.

China COVID-19 Restitution Act This bill requires the President to impose duties on goods and components manufactured in China and to use the collected funds to provide compensation and reimbursement for losses related to COVID-19. From this bill's enactment until December 31, 2021, the President must impose a 10% ad valorem duty on any good manufactured in China and any component manufactured in China and incorporated in a good imported from any country. This duty shall increase by an additional 10% each calendar year after 2021. The amounts from this duty shall go into a trust fund, which shall also include any amounts provided by China's government to provide compensation and reimbursement related to COVID-19. Using the amounts in the trust fund, the Department of Justice shall establish and administer a program to provide compensation and reimbursement for economic and financial losses related to COVID-19, including for assistance made available by the federal government.