Sen. Mike Braun

Maddy summarySRES 839 is a symbolic Senate resolution expressing support for Stomach Cancer Awareness Month in November 2022. It highlights key facts about stomach cancer, including its high mortality rate (11,090 U.S. deaths estimated in 2022), low early-stage survival rates (6% when diagnosed late), and disparities affecting racial and ethnic minorities. The resolution encourages public awareness efforts, better education for patients and healthcare providers, and additional research into early detection and treatment. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but urges states, territories, and local communities to support the awareness month's goals.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 840) is a non-binding Senate expression of support for afterschool programs and the Lights On Afterschool event held on October 20, 2022. It acknowledges the role of high-quality afterschool programs in providing safe, engaging learning opportunities for children, supporting working families, and aiding pandemic recovery efforts. The resolution does not create new policies, allocate funding, or change existing programs - it simply formally recognizes the importance of these programs through the annual Lights On Afterschool celebration. It directly affects the broader community by affirming congressional backing for afterschool initiatives.

This resolution (1) recognizes October 2022 as National Principals Month and supports its goals and ideals; and (2) honors the contributions of principals in elementary, middle, and high schools in the United States.

This bill requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection to conduct recurrent and periodic screening and vetting of all evacuees from Afghanistan who were paroled into the United States under certain operations. The screening and vetting must include consulting all law enforcement and international terrorist screening databases.

Governmentwide Executive Councils Administration and Performance Improvement Act This bill addresses issues involving governmentwide executive councils. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for the Office of Executive Councils (OEC), which resides within the General Services Administration (GSA) and assists governmentwide policymaking entities including the Chief Acquisition Officers Council, the Chief Human Capital Officers Council, and the Performance Improvement Council. The OEC shall terminate six years after enactment. Each council must (1) provide legislative, policy, project funding, or shared services recommendations to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the GSA related to the specific area of expertise of the council; and (2) serve as a primary advisory body to the OMB on the development and execution of the federal government performance plan and federal government priority goals. Each council must publish a strategic plan, which shall be updated and affirmed at least every two years. The Chair of the Chief Data Officer Council shall be the Administrator of the Office of Electronic Government. The GSA shall provide administrative and other support for various councils.

Federal Agency Performance Act of 2022 This bill addresses federal agency performance and accountability. Specifically, the bill revises requirements regarding strategic reviews of federal agencies' performance goals and requires a Deputy Performance Improvement Officer to support the Performance Improvement Officer. With respect to strategic reviews, not less frequently than annually and consistent with guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget, each agency must take specified actions, including for each goal or objective established in the agency's strategic plan, review the progress achieved toward the goal and the likelihood that the agency will achieve the goal; identify any risks or impediments that would decrease the likelihood that the agency will achieve the goal; and for each goal at greatest risk of not being achieved, identify prospects and strategies for performance improvement. Additionally, the bill requires that federal government priority goals (1) be updated and revised not less frequently than during the first year of each presidential term, (2) include plans for the successful achievement of each goal within each single presidential term, and (3) explicitly cite to any specific contents of the budget that support the achievement of each goal.

Members of Congress Pension Opt Out Clarification Act This bill allows future Members of the House of Representatives to opt out of the Federal Employees Retirement System, an option currently available to Members of the House who began serving before September 30, 2003, and all Senators. In addition, it permits Members of Congress who opt out to continue to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Maddy summarySenate Joint Resolution 63 (SJRES 63) proposes to terminate the national emergency declared by President Trump on March 13, 2020, under Proclamation 9994. If enacted, it would end the legal status of this emergency, removing the basis for federal agencies to use emergency powers during the pandemic. This resolution does not change existing laws but formally ends the emergency declaration under the National Emergencies Act. It directly affects federal agencies and programs operating under the emergency authority, such as those waiving regulations or accessing emergency funds.

IRS Funding Accountability Act This bill delays for a 60-day period funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement activities enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act (except for eliminating return processing backlogs and reducing call wait times) until an annual spending plan for such activities is submitted to the congressional tax and appropriation committees. Congress may enact a joint resolution of disapproval of the spending plan before the end of the 60-day period requiring the IRS to submit a new spending plan. The IRS and the Department of the Treasury must make quarterly reports to the committees on expenditures for enforcement activities. The bill requires reductions in appropriations to the IRS for any failure to submit required reports.

Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes criminal penalties and/or fines on individuals for directly or indirectly soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine or imprisonment.