Maddy summaryThe RESTRICT Act (S 686) gives the Secretary of Commerce authority to identify and address information and communications technology (ICTS) products or services that pose undue national security risks, particularly those involving foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, and others. It targets transactions or holdings by entities from designated foreign adversary countries or their controlled entities, with special focus on technology used by over 1 million U.S. users, including telecommunications, data services, and critical infrastructure systems. The Secretary can refer "covered holdings" to the President, who may then compel divestment or other mitigation measures to protect U.S. critical infrastructure, election security, and sensitive data. The bill establishes specific review procedures while limiting judicial review of these national security decisions.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySRES 93 is a procedural Senate resolution appointing specific U.S. Senators to serve on two joint committees: the Joint Committee on Printing and the Joint Committee of Congress on the Library. It names Senators Klobuchar, Merkley, Padilla, Fischer, and Hagerty for the Printing Committee, and Klobuchar, Warner, Ossoff, Fischer, and Hyde-Smith for the Library Committee. This resolution does not change laws or policies but formally sets membership for these committees, which oversee congressional printing operations and library services, respectively.
Maddy summarySRES 57 is a Senate resolution honoring David Ferdinand Durenberger, a former U.S. Senator from Minnesota (served 1978-1989). It commemorates his life and career, highlighting his role as the lead Republican sponsor of the Americans with Disabilities Act and his work protecting Minnesota's natural resources like the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The resolution directs the Senate to formally recognize his passing and transmit a copy to his family. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy changes or direct impact on constituents.
Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to honor Navy pilot Everett Alvarez, Jr., for his service as a Vietnam War POW and subsequent public service. It directs the Speaker of the House and Senate President pro tempore to arrange for the medal's presentation, specifying it must bear his name and image. Bronze duplicates may be sold to cover production costs, with proceeds deposited into the U.S. Mint fund. The bill is purely ceremonial, recognizing Alvarez's 8+ years as a prisoner of war and his post-military career. It does not create new policies or affect any government programs.
Maddy summaryThe Safe Step Act requires health insurance plans and employer-sponsored health coverage to create a transparent process for patients or their doctors to request exceptions to medication step therapy protocols. These protocols typically mandate trying a lower-cost drug first before covering a more expensive alternative. Exceptions must be approved if previous treatments failed, delaying coverage would cause severe harm, the required drug is unsafe, or the patient is stable on the requested drug. Health plans must respond to requests within 72 hours (or 24 hours in emergencies) and make the process details available online.
Maddy summaryThe Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act would bar federal funding under the Title X program (which supports family planning services like contraception and STD testing) from going to any health care provider that performs or funds abortions, except in cases of rape, incest, or when a physician certifies an abortion is necessary to prevent death or serious health harm. It requires clinics receiving Title X funds to certify they do not perform or fund abortions (with these exceptions), while hospitals are exempt from this certification if they do not fund non-hospital abortion providers. The bill also mandates annual reports to Congress detailing funded clinics, the number of abortions performed under exceptions, and any funds transferred to other entities. This policy would directly affect Title X-funded clinics that provide abortion services or fund such services, potentially limiting their access to federal funding.
Maddy summaryThis bill repeals two provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for certain public-sector retirees. It eliminates the government pension offset (GPO), which currently cuts Social Security checks for people with government pensions, and removes the windfall elimination provision (WEP), which reduces benefits for those with pensions from jobs not covered by Social Security. The changes directly affect public employees (like teachers, firefighters, and state/local government workers) who have pensions from jobs that didn't pay into Social Security. The bill takes effect for Social Security benefits paid after December 2023, restoring full benefits for eligible retirees.
Maddy summaryThis bill changes how often federal credit unions must hold board meetings based on their performance ratings. For all federal credit unions, boards must meet at least monthly for the first 5 years after their charter is approved. After that, credit unions rated 1 or 2 (highest performance) must meet at least 6 times yearly (with one per quarter), while those rated 3-5 must meet monthly. The bill directly affects all federal credit unions by adjusting their board meeting requirements according to their Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System score. These changes aim to align meeting frequency with credit union performance and oversight needs.
Maddy summaryThis bill aims to reduce European reliance on Russian energy by promoting U.S. natural gas exports to NATO allies and partners. It requires the State Department to develop a transatlantic energy strategy within 180 days and expedites LNG export approvals for qualifying countries, including NATO members and Japan. The bill also mandates sanctions on companies investing over $1 million in Russian energy pipelines, targeting projects like Nord Stream 2. These provisions directly affect NATO members, U.S. energy exporters, and entities involved in Russian pipeline development.
Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the Supreme Court to no more than 9 justices. It would directly affect the composition of the Supreme Court by preventing future expansions beyond the current 9-justice structure. The key provision requires a constitutional amendment, which would need ratification by 38 state legislatures (three-fourths of states) within seven years of congressional submission. Congress would also gain authority to pass laws enforcing this limit. The amendment does not change the current court size but aims to restrict future changes to the Court's membership.