Sen. Ted Budd

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates the week of May 14-20, 2023, as "National Police Week" to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. It recognizes 444 officers killed in 2022 (including specific names listed in the resolution) and acknowledges 32 officers killed in 2023, while expressing support for law enforcement personnel. The resolution encourages the public to observe this week by honoring law enforcement officers and promoting awareness of their essential service. As a ceremonial resolution, it does not create new policy or alter existing laws.

Maddy summaryThe Empowering Law Enforcement Act of 2023 would expand state and local law enforcement authority to enforce federal immigration laws by allowing them to investigate, identify, apprehend, arrest, detain, or transfer individuals without authorization to federal custody. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to add information about certain immigration violators to the National Crime Information Center database and establishes procedures for transferring apprehended individuals to federal custody, with reimbursement for states' detention and transportation costs. It includes new detention provisions for certain individuals and mandates training for law enforcement officers on immigration enforcement procedures. The bill also provides legal immunity for state and local officers who enforce immigration laws within the scope of their official duties.

Maddy summaryThis bill strengthens oversight of foreign manufacturers making gas cylinders for U.S. hazardous material transport. It requires these manufacturers to undergo annual approval reviews (or 5-year reviews if they meet strict compliance criteria), answer new questions about past penalties or sanctions, and submit to mandatory annual inspections. The Department of Transportation must publish a public list of approved manufacturers and their approval durations. This directly affects foreign companies producing cylinders intended for U.S. commerce, increasing transparency and accountability in the safety certification process.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 23) seeks congressional disapproval of a specific rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service. The rule, published in the Federal Register on June 24, 2022, established regulations for listing endangered/threatened species and designating critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act. If passed, this resolution would nullify that rule, preventing it from having legal effect. The bill directly affects how the National Marine Fisheries Service implements species protection under federal law.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits healthcare professionals from performing or referring minors (under 18) for gender transition procedures, including puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, or surgeries like genital or non-genital transition surgeries. It imposes criminal penalties (fines, up to 5 years imprisonment) on providers who violate this prohibition, while protecting minors from prosecution for the procedures. The bill explicitly excludes medical treatments for disorders of sex development or emergencies where surgery is needed to prevent death or serious harm. It defines key terms like "gender transition procedure" and "biological sex" to clarify the scope of the ban. The law does not affect adults or medical care for conditions unrelated to gender transition.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 27) seeks to block a specific rule issued by the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). The rule in question would have removed religious exemptions from the Equal Opportunity Clause in federal contracts, which currently allows certain contractors to cite religious objections to hiring practices. By requesting congressional disapproval under federal law, this resolution aims to prevent the rule from taking effect, thereby preserving the existing religious exemption for federal contractors. The measure directly affects federal contractors who rely on this exemption in their hiring decisions.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution (SJRES 26) formally disapproves of the District of Columbia Council’s approval of the local law known as the "Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022" (D.C. Act 24-781). It directly affects the District of Columbia by preventing the implementation of that specific policing reform law, which the Council had enacted on January 19, 2023. The resolution is a procedural action by Congress under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, expressing disapproval of the Council’s action without creating new policy. This disapproval would stop the local law from taking effect, as required by federal law for certain D.C. legislation.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows states to retain 25% of funds recovered from fraudulent unemployment claims (particularly pandemic-era claims) to strengthen fraud prevention systems. States can use these funds for modernizing unemployment systems, hiring fraud investigators, covering administrative costs for fraud detection, and other program integrity activities. The bill requires states to implement specific data-matching systems to prevent fraud, including cross-checking claims against employment records, databases of incarcerated individuals, and deceased individuals. It also extends emergency staffing flexibility for fraud detection through 2030 and establishes a 10-year window for prosecuting unemployment fraud.

Maddy summaryS 1583 requires the Secretary of State to submit to Congress any classified State Department cables expressing dissent about the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan within 30 days of the bill's enactment. It also mandates that the Secretary publicly release unclassified versions of these cables within 60 days, while redacting all personally identifiable information about the cable authors. This bill directly affects the Secretary of State, Congress, and the public by establishing a timeline for transparency regarding internal government disagreements on the Afghanistan withdrawal. The key mechanism is the mandatory submission and public release of dissenting cables, with protections for author privacy.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires retirement plan managers (fiduciaries) to primarily consider financial factors like risk and return when selecting investments for employee benefit plans, such as 401(k)s. It allows using non-financial factors (like environmental or social concerns) only if financial factors are insufficient to choose between options, and then mandates detailed documentation explaining why financial factors weren't decisive and how the non-financial choice still serves participants' retirement interests. The rule applies to investments made 60 days after the bill becomes law. It directly affects plan managers overseeing retirement savings, not individual investors.