Rep. Bob Good

Maddy summaryHJRES 45 is a congressional disapproval resolution targeting a specific Department of Education rule about federal student loans. It seeks to block the rule implementing "One-Time Federal Student Loan Debt Relief" (including modifications to Perkins, FFEL, and Direct Loan programs) by invoking the Congressional Review Act. If passed, this resolution would nullify the rule, preventing the Department of Education from using it to modify or waive student loan obligations. The bill directly affects borrowers who might have qualified for debt relief under the targeted rule.

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.

Maddy summaryHR 277 would require Congress to approve major federal regulations before they take effect. Major rules are defined as those with significant economic impact ($100 million+ annually), major cost increases for consumers or industries, or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, or innovation. Agencies must submit detailed information about these rules to Congress, including cost-benefit analyses, before they can take effect. Congress would have 70 session days to approve the rule with a joint resolution; if they don't act within that timeframe, the rule would not take effect. This would increase congressional oversight of federal regulations and require more detailed information about proposed rules before they become law.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans displaying any flag other than the U.S. flag on the exterior or in hallways of public buildings, including government offices, military installations, and embassies. Exceptions allow specific flags like POW/MIA memorials, visiting diplomats' national flags, a member of Congress's home state flag, military unit flags, tribal flags, or local jurisdiction flags. It directly affects how public buildings display flags, requiring exclusive use of the U.S. flag in designated areas. The bill applies to all public buildings under federal definition, with limited exceptions for historical, diplomatic, or local displays.

Maddy summaryHR 1640, the Save Our Gas Stoves Act, prevents the Department of Energy from implementing energy efficiency standards for gas stoves that would make them unavailable in the U.S. market. It amends federal law to require that any new standard for gas stoves must not result in the unavailability of gas stove types, directly affecting gas stove manufacturers and consumers who rely on these appliances. The bill specifically blocks the implementation of the 2023 proposed rule (Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products) and any similar rule. This is a policy change focused on maintaining the availability of gas stoves by altering the criteria for energy standard approval.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows small businesses and self-employed individuals to form shared health insurance plans across different industries, rather than being limited to their own industry. To qualify, the group must exist for at least two years, not discriminate based on health status, and have a governing board with 75% employer representation. These plans must offer equal coverage regardless of health conditions and can adjust premiums based on employer risk pools, while still prohibiting pre-existing condition exclusions. It directly affects small business owners and self-employed people seeking affordable group health options outside traditional industry boundaries.

This bill expands the definition of critical mineral under the Energy Act of 2020 to include copper. Thus, this bill requires the Department of Energy and other agencies to conduct a variety of efforts to ensure a secure and reliable supply chain of copper.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires large credit card issuers (with over $100 billion in assets) to allow merchants to choose which payment networks process credit card transactions, ending restrictions that previously forced merchants to use only one network. It prohibits issuers from blocking merchants from routing transactions through competing networks or penalizing them for choosing non-exclusive processing options. The Federal Reserve must create rules within one year to implement these changes, ensuring merchants have more choice in payment processing. The law does not apply to credit cards issued in a "3-party payment system" model.

Maddy summaryHR 2139 limits funding for Independent Agencies and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to $5 million for fiscal year 2024, restricting their available funds for salaries and expenses. This bill directly affects those specific agencies by capping their budget authority for the 2024 fiscal year. The key provision is a hard spending cap, prohibiting any funds above $5 million from being used for these entities' operations. The bill does not alter agency functions or create new policies, only restricting their financial resources.

This resolution requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives to place in the House Chamber a real-time display of the outstanding national debt.