Sen. Jeff Merkley

This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain, and the Architect of the Capitol to permanently install in the U.S. Capitol or on the U.S. Capitol Grounds, statues honoring Associate Justices of the Supreme Court Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Maddy summarySRES 593 is a Senate resolution honoring former U.S. Senator Kaneaster Hodges, Jr. of Arkansas, who served from 1977 to 1978. The resolution expresses the Senate’s "profound sorrow" at his death and directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit an enrolled copy to his family. It also calls for the Senate to adjourn as a mark of respect. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy provisions or direct impact on legislation or constituents.

This resolution recognizes that Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health.

This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the case of Peng Shuai is directly related to broader international concerns around the freedom of speech and safety in China. The resolution expresses that the failure of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to clearly and forcefully challenge the claims of China concerning Peng's safety raises questions about the ability and willingness of the IOC to stand up for the human rights of athletes participating in the Olympic and Paralympic games in Beijing, as well as in future games. The resolution also expresses that China should (1) allow Peng to provide independent and verifiable proof of her own whereabouts and safety without retribution, (2) allow Peng to engage directly with the Women's Tennis Association and the United Nations to independently verify her safety and explain her absence from public life since making her allegation, (3) open an independent and transparent investigation into Peng's allegations against former senior Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli, (4) publicly commit to holding sexual violence abusers accountable, (5) cease all censorship of reporting and discussions of Peng's case, and (6) allow Peng to leave China if she so desires and prevent any retaliation against her family members remaining there. Finally, the resolution expresses that, by failing to clearly and forcefully challenge the Chinese Communist Party's narrative, the IOC has failed to uphold its own stated commitments with regard to respect for international conventions on protecting human rights.

Oversight to Lower Oil Prices Act This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission to investigate for evidence of market manipulation or reporting of false information in the oil, gas, petroleum, and petroleum product industries.

This bill requires the Department of Defense to transfer available equipment and relevant defense articles to certain NATO member countries to replace equipment that such countries provided to Ukraine to defend against Russia's aggression and malign influence. The bill requires the transfers to NATO member countries with a gross domestic product per capita that is less than $30,000, as of April 1, 2022.

Empowering States' Rights To Protect Consumers Act of 2022 This bill limits the annual percentage rate applicable to any consumer credit transaction (other than a residential mortgage transaction), including any associated fees, to the maximum rate permitted by the laws of the state in which the consumer resides.

Food and Fuel Family Savings Act This bill allows an individual taxpayer an inflation rebate for the first taxable year beginning in 2022. The amount of such rebate is $600 ($1,200 for joint returns), plus $600 for each of the taxpayer's dependents. The amount of the rebate is reduced for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds certain levels. The bill imposes a 5% surcharge on individuals whose modified adjusted gross income exceeds $10 million and a 3% surcharge for incomes exceeding $25 million. It also imposes surcharges on certain high income estates and trusts. The bill increases the maximum corporate income tax rate to 26.5% for corporate taxable income exceeding $5 million.

No Child Left Inside Act of 2022 This bill provides support for environmental literacy and environmental education programs in elementary and secondary schools, including by directing the Department of Education to award grants for (1) implementing state environmental literacy plans, and (2) establishing or expanding outdoor school education programs.

This joint resolution requires either the advice and consent of the Senate or an act of Congress before the President may suspend, denounce, or withdraw the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty. No funds may be used to support any efforts to suspend, denounce, or withdraw the United States from the treaty unless (1) both the House and the Senate pass a joint resolution approving withdrawal by a two-thirds vote, or (2) the funds are used pursuant to an act of Congress. The President shall notify Congress in writing of any effort to suspend, denounce, or withdraw from the treaty at least 180 days before taking such action. The President must also consult with Congress before providing such written notification. This joint resolution also authorizes the Senate Legal Counsel and the General Counsel of the House of Representatives to represent Congress in judicial proceedings related to actions that are inconsistent with this resolution.