Maddy summaryS 1498, the Finish It Act, requires the Department of Defense to transfer existing border wall construction materials to border states within 15 days of enactment for the sole purpose of building physical barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. States receiving materials must certify they will use them exclusively for border barriers and face financial penalties if unused after two years. The bill mandates a report to Congress detailing storage costs, landowner contracts, and any internal investigations into the decision to store materials instead of using them. This directly affects the Department of Defense (which holds the materials), border states (as recipients), and private landowners (who currently store materials). The policy change focuses on redirecting existing resources toward border construction rather than ongoing storage costs.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe SPACE Act (S 1483) requires the National Space Council to report on Chinese and Russian space investment activities, including their military-civil fusion efforts and space technology development. It bans federal funds from purchasing certain telecommunications or aerospace goods/services from entities linked to the Chinese government, Communist Party, military, or specific state-owned corporations like China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. The bill also mandates new SEC disclosures for foreign investors owning over 2% of U.S. space-related companies and requires annual reports on foreign investment in U.S. space activities. These provisions directly affect U.S. government spending, covered entities (U.S. businesses in space/telecom sectors), and foreign investors in the U.S. space industry.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 200) expresses support for designating April 30-May 6, 2023, as "National Small Business Week" to honor small businesses and entrepreneurs across the United States. It recognizes that small businesses (over 33 million nationwide supporting 62 million jobs) are vital to the U.S. economy and highlights their resilience. The resolution specifically calls for celebrating their contributions, acknowledging challenges they face, and supporting efforts to improve access for underserved small businesses. As a symbolic gesture - not a law - it does not create new policies or funding but formally recognizes small business impact.
Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the week of April 23-29, 2023, as "National Water Week" through a symbolic Senate resolution. It does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise awareness about water access challenges facing communities across the U.S., including over 2 million people lacking basic water services and rural systems struggling with infrastructure costs. The resolution highlights issues like aging infrastructure, emerging contaminants, and the need for equitable water solutions without proposing specific policy changes. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect but serves to recognize water-related priorities.
Maddy summaryThis bill adds "September 11 Day of Remembrance" as a legal public holiday on September 11th in the list of federal holidays under Title 5 of the U.S. Code. It directly affects federal employees and government operations, requiring federal offices to close on this date. The key mechanism is a simple amendment to existing law, inserting the new holiday name after Labor Day in the list of designated public holidays. This change establishes a permanent, non-procedural observance for the anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Maddy summaryThe RESTART Act (S 1449) streamlines environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act by setting page limits (150 pages for standard environmental impact statements, 300 for complex projects) and strict timelines (2 years for final environmental impact statements, 1 year for environmental assessments). It limits judicial review by requiring lawsuits to be filed within 60 days of publication and setting 180-day deadlines for courts to resolve cases. The bill also modifies Clean Water Act permitting requirements and includes specific provisions expediting approval for the Mountain Valley Pipeline project. These changes primarily affect federal agencies conducting environmental reviews, project sponsors seeking permits, and states involved in environmental permitting processes.
Lifting Our Communities through Advance Liquidity for Infrastructure Act or the LOCAL Infrastructure Act This bill reinstates tax provisions relating to advance refunding bonds. An advance refunding bond is a tax-exempt bond issued by a state or municipality to refinance or consolidate existing bond obligations.
Maddy summaryThe Rural Jobs Act allocates $500 million annually (for 2023 and 2024) of the New Markets Tax Credit specifically for investments in designated rural areas called "Rural Jobs Zones." These zones must exclude cities/towns over 50,000 population or adjacent urban areas, and require at least 25% of funds to target persistent poverty counties or high migration rural counties. The bill directly affects community development groups focused on job creation in rural regions by providing tax credit funding for equity investments in these areas. It modifies existing tax credit rules to prioritize economic development in underserved rural communities without changing overall tax rates.
Maddy summaryThe Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act of 2023 changes the tax treatment for certain payments received by nurses in the Nurse Corps program. It makes payments and scholarships under the Public Health Service Act's Section 846 tax-exempt, aligning them with similar benefits under other programs. This directly affects nurses participating in the Nurse Corps who receive these specific educational or service payments. The change applies to taxable years beginning after the bill's enactment date.
Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution designates April 2023 as "Financial Literacy Month" to raise public awareness about the importance of personal financial education and the consequences of financial illiteracy. It cites statistics showing widespread challenges, including 4.5% of U.S. households being unbanked, high credit card debt (47% of adults), and limited school-based financial education (only 23 states require personal finance courses). The resolution calls on federal, state, local, schools, nonprofits, and businesses to observe the month with educational programs. It does not create new laws or funding but aims to highlight existing financial literacy gaps affecting all Americans.