Rep. George Santos

Maddy summaryHR 4807, the Deep State Accountability Act of 2023, establishes a Special Counsel to investigate specific former intelligence officials who signed a 2020 letter about Hunter Biden's emails. The bill requires the Attorney General to appoint a non-partisan Special Counsel with broad authority to investigate alleged abuses of power or election interference involving the 51 named individuals (including former officials like Jim Clapper and John Brennan). The Special Counsel must report to Congress on investigations and submit annual reports, while the Attorney General must provide case details to congressional committees within 15 days. The bill does not create new laws but mandates a targeted investigation focused solely on the listed individuals' conduct.

This bill rescinds amounts appropriated to the Internal Revenue Service for certain enforcement activities and departmental funding by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. It also appropriates funds to the Department of State passport office, to remain available until September 30, 2025 (a portion of such funds must be reserved for passport offices located in New York). Remaining funds must be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury for reduction of the national debt.

Protection of American Land Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a foreign nation (including a foreign government official or state-sponsored entity) from owning certain property or establishing a law enforcement facility in the United States. The bill prohibits a foreign nation from purchasing or owning a building or land in the United States. Under the bill, foreign nations must transfer such properties to the federal government. The Department of the Treasury must provide market-rate compensation for returned property within two years of the bill's enactment. The bill also prohibits a foreign nation from establishing in the United States a facility that conducts security, espionage, acts of law enforcement, or surveillance on U.S. citizens.

Maddy summaryThis bill, HR 1282 (Major Richard Star Act), expands benefits for certain military retirees by allowing them to receive both veterans' disability compensation and military retirement pay simultaneously. It specifically affects combat-related disabled retirees under Chapter 61 of the military retirement system who have fewer than 20 years of service. The key change removes the automatic reduction of military retirement pay when these retirees also receive disability compensation, as amended in Section 1413a(b)(3) of Title 10. Technical updates to the law’s structure and effective date (starting after enactment) complete the provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits entities controlled by Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States, including both public land managed by federal agencies and private land. It also bars such entities from participating in most U.S. Department of Agriculture programs (with exceptions for food safety, health, and labor safety initiatives). The bill expands reporting requirements to include leases and security interests in foreign land ownership, mandates public online disclosure of foreign ownership data with specific details, and imposes penalties like liens on land for violations. Additionally, it requires annual reports to Congress on risks of foreign ownership, enforcement effectiveness, and foreign investment motives.

Maddy summaryHR 4615, the National Emergency Expenditure Reporting Transparency Act, requires federal agencies to provide detailed public reports on spending during national emergencies declared by the President. It mandates disclosure of specific data - including budget authority, obligations, unobligated balances, and spending by program activity and funding source - beginning six months after the bill's enactment. This applies to all national emergencies under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1621), directly affecting federal agencies managing emergency funds and increasing transparency for the public. The bill updates existing federal spending data standards to include unique identifiers for emergency-related funds, requiring agencies to report this information through the government’s public spending database.

Maddy summaryHJRES 44 is a congressional resolution seeking to block a 2021 rule by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). The rule classified firearms with stabilizing braces as "short-barreled rifles," which would have required additional licensing and regulation. This resolution uses a specific legal process (under Title 5, U.S. Code) to formally disapprove the ATF rule, meaning the rule would no longer be in effect. It directly affects firearm owners, manufacturers, and dealers who would have been subject to the rule’s requirements.

Maddy summaryHCONRES 53 is a procedural resolution calling on the President to sign H.R. 2 (the Secure the Border Act of 2023). It states that Congress believes the southern border situation constitutes a "deadly and humanitarian crisis" caused by the Biden administration's border policies, and urges the President to sign the border security bill after it passes the Senate. This resolution does not create new law but expresses congressional opinion and seeks to influence the President's action on the separate bill (H.R. 2). It directly affects the executive branch's decision on signing the legislation, not specific individuals or communities.

Fund Our Border Not The IRS Act of 2023 This bill requires that unobligated amounts made available to the Internal Revenue Service under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 be transferred to pay expenses of Customs and Border Protection, for constructing and maintaining physical barriers along the southern U.S. border, and for other purposes relating to border security.

Maddy summaryHR 4245, the "Enforce the Caps Act," sets specific annual spending limits for discretionary federal programs from fiscal years 2026 through 2029. It establishes new budget authority caps at $1.622 trillion for 2026, increasing to $1.671 trillion for 2029. The bill directly affects how Congress allocates funds for non-mandatory programs like education, transportation, and defense by legally binding these spending levels. This is a procedural adjustment to existing budget control law, not a new policy affecting specific groups or creating new programs.