Rep. Chris Pappas

Stop Communist Construction of Public Infrastructure Act of 2022 or the Stop CCP Infrastructure Act of 2022 This bill prohibits certain entities related to China or the Chinese government from receiving federal funds for public works projects in the United States. Specifically, this prohibition applies to entities that are (1) headquartered in China; or (2) owned, financed, influenced by, or affiliated with the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the Chinese military. Further, state and local governments must verify that a recipient for federal funds for a public works project is free from any obligations, influences, or connections to any of these entities.

VA Workforce Investment and Expansion Act of 2022 This bill addresses workforce and employment matters of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Among other elements, the bill requires the VA to develop and implement a national rural recruitment and hiring plan for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); authorizes the VA to buy out non-VA service contracts of certain health care professionals in exchange for employment at rural or highly rural VA facilities; requires the VA to establish qualifications for each of its human resources positions and establish standardized performance metrics for such positions; increases the pay cap for certain employees of the VHA; expands employment opportunities for housekeeping aides by removing the requirement that competition for VA housekeeping aide positions is restricted to preference eligibles; modifies the authority of the VA related to hours, conditions and employment, and pay for certain employees of the VHA; authorizes the VA to establish an awards program for certain appointed personnel; authorizes the VA to waive any annual premium or aggregate limitation on pay for an employee of the VHA during the calendar year in which the official duty station of the employee is closed or the office, facility, activity, or organization of the employee is realigned; provides additional authority for the VA to provide recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention bonuses, merit awards, incentives for critical skills, and student loan repayments; and authorizes specified health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine.

Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ Elder Americans Act of 2022 This bill addresses matters related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in certain federal programs serving older Americans, particularly by including an individual's LGBTQ status within the scope of the greatest social needs served by such programs.

This resolution condemns in the strongest terms the great replacement theory, which it describes as a white supremacist conspiracy theory that has been used to falsely justify racially motivated, violent acts of terrorism domestically and internationally.

Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses Act of 2022 or the DEFEND Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Defense to seek to cooperate with Middle East allies and partners (i.e., countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries in the region as appropriate) to identify and develop an approach for such allies and partners to implement an integrated air and missile defense capability to protect against attacks from Iran and groups linked to Iran.

This bill extends authorization through FY2027 and expands veteran eligibility for certain Department of Veterans Affairs programs for homeless or seriously mentally ill veterans, including (1) outreach services; (2) care, treatment, and rehabilitative services; and (3) therapeutic transitional housing assistance. The bill also extends through FY2027 a program to provide additional services for homeless veterans at certain centers.

Preventing Homelessness for Veteran Families Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 the Supportive Services for Veterans Families program, which provides financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing or transitioning from homelessness.

Military Spouse Entrepreneur Reimbursement Act This bill authorizes the military department concerned to reimburse certain business costs (e.g., equipment removal or relocation) incurred by the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces when the member is reassigned or moved to a new duty station.

Keep Infant Formula Safe and On the Shelves Act of 2022 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to periodically inspect infant formula manufacturing facilities and addresses related issues. The FDA must periodically conduct inspections, including unannounced inspections, of infant formula manufacturer facilities. If the FDA makes a notable regulatory finding at such a facility, the manufacturer must undergo a comprehensive food safety audit that includes a root cause analysis, enhanced testing, and comprehensive environmental samples. A manufacturer of infant formula or essential medical food must notify the FDA no later than five business days after becoming aware of circumstances that could lead to a shortage of the relevant product in the United States. Further, the FDA must create and annually update a list of U.S. manufacturing facilities that could be converted to manufacture infant formula during a shortage. In the event of a shortage, the FDA may require infant formula manufacturers to provide certain information, such as the quantity of formula in a manufacturer's inventory. The bill also establishes under statute that food, including infant formula, is a critical material essential to the national defense and therefore subject to authorities under the Defense Production Act of 1950. (Such authorities authorize the President to take various actions, such as requiring businesses to prioritize certain government contracts and incentivizing the domestic industrial base to expand the production of critical materials.) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration must issue a fact sheet and provide technical assistance to infant formula manufacturers to promote compliance with occupational health and safety standards.

This joint resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen within 30 days of the enactment of this joint resolution unless Congress authorizes a later withdrawal date, issues a declaration of war, or specifically authorizes the use of the Armed Forces. Prohibited activities include sharing intelligence or providing logistical support to enable offensive strikes by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia. This joint resolution shall not affect any military operations directed at Al Qaeda or associated forces.