Sen. Deb Fischer

Maddy summarySRES 78 authorizes the Senate's Sergeant at Arms to host quarterly blood donation drives in the Dirksen Senate Office Building during 2023. The resolution directs the Sergeant at Arms, in consultation with the Rules Committee, to coordinate with blood donation organizations to hold these drives in room G-50. It does not create new laws or affect constituents, but enables Senate staff to participate in regular blood donation events.

Maddy summarySRES 66 is a Senate resolution condemning China's use of a high-altitude surveillance balloon over U.S. territory as a violation of U.S. sovereignty. It specifically denounces China's false claims that the balloon was a weather device that drifted off course. The resolution requires the President to provide Congress with detailed briefings on the incident, including the balloon's timeline, intelligence gathered, and plans to prevent future violations of U.S. airspace. It calls for decisive U.S. action to deter foreign surveillance activities and holds the Chinese government accountable for such actions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires any U.S. agreement with Iran regarding its nuclear program to be treated as a treaty, mandating Senate approval by a two-thirds vote before it can take effect. It directly affects the President, who cannot bypass this requirement to waive or reduce sanctions related to Iran's nuclear activities. The key provision blocks the President from granting sanctions relief or taking related actions under any Iran nuclear deal - including joint plans, side agreements, or future documents - without first securing Senate treaty approval. This applies to all forms of agreements, whether legally binding or not, and covers all related materials like annexes or technical understandings.

Maddy summarySRES 67 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating February 2023 as "Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month" to recognize CTE's role in preparing students for high-demand careers. It does not create new policies or funding but expresses Senate support for CTE programs that connect students with workforce skills in fields like healthcare, technology, and construction. The resolution encourages educators and parents to promote CTE as a valuable educational pathway, referencing the 106th anniversary of the foundational Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct impact on legislation or affected individuals.

Maddy summaryThis symbolic Senate resolution (SRES 69) designates February 18-25, 2023, as "National FFA Week" to celebrate the 95th anniversary of the National FFA Organization. It recognizes FFA’s role in developing future agricultural leaders through its educational programs, which serve over 850,000 students across all 50 states and territories. The resolution has no legal effect - it is a ceremonial expression of support, not a policy change. It directly affects the FFA organization and its members by highlighting their educational mission during a designated week.

Maddy summaryS 428, the FIND Act, requires federal contractors and first-tier subcontractors to certify they do not discriminate against firearm industry businesses (including manufacturers, dealers, and ammunition sellers) in their policies or practices. It mandates that contractors avoid refusing services or imposing restrictions based on bias against the firearm industry rather than objective business criteria like financial risk or legal compliance. Contracts violating this requirement face termination and potential debarment, though the rule excludes sole-source contracts. The law applies to all new federal contracts awarded after its enactment.

Maddy summaryThis bill redefines who qualifies as a "Palestinian refugee" under U.S. policy, requiring individuals to have been displaced during the 1948 conflict and not accepted citizenship elsewhere. It mandates that U.S. funding for the UNRWA agency (which provides aid to Palestinian refugees) can only continue if the State Department certifies UNRWA is free from terrorist ties, anti-Israel rhetoric in its materials, and misuse of facilities for terrorism. The certification must confirm UNRWA uses vetted staff, avoids anti-Semitic or anti-Israel propaganda in education, and undergoes independent financial audits approved by Israel and the Palestinian Authority. U.S. contributions are also capped at levels matching the highest Arab League member country’s annual support and proportional to U.S. funding for other refugee programs. The bill requires annual reports to Congress on efforts to encourage other nations to withhold UNRWA funding until these conditions are met.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides tax relief to new car dealers who sold inventory due to supply chain disruptions between March 2020 and January 2022. It allows dealers using the LIFO tax accounting method to avoid recognizing income from those sales in the year they occurred, instead deferring tax consequences until they replace the sold vehicles. Dealers have until 2026 to repurchase similar vehicles; if they fail to fully replace the inventory within this window, they must pay back the tax plus interest. The relief directly affects new car dealers who held LIFO inventory during the specified period and are subject to IRS tax rules.

Maddy summaryS 444 requires the U.S. Senate to approve any World Health Organization (WHO) pandemic preparedness treaty before it becomes binding on the United States. The bill mandates that agreements resulting from the WHO’s pandemic treaty negotiations (currently led by the International Negotiating Body) must be treated as treaties under the U.S. Constitution, requiring Senate ratification with a two-thirds vote. It directly affects U.S. foreign policy implementation by ensuring congressional oversight of international pandemic agreements. The bill responds to concerns about WHO’s pandemic management and aims to prevent executive agreements from bypassing Senate review.

Maddy summaryS 434, the PAID OFF Act of 2023, amends the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) to require foreign agents representing specific countries to register under FARA, even if they previously qualified for exemptions. It defines "country of concern" to include China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, and Syria, removing exemptions for agents of these nations under FARA's subsections (d)(1) and (h). This change directly affects foreign agents operating in the U.S. on behalf of governments from those six countries. The law expires on October 1, 2026, and does not alter FARA's core registration requirements for other foreign principals.