Sen. Lindsey Graham

Maddy summarySRES 659 is a ceremonial Senate resolution commending the University of South Carolina women's basketball team for winning the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball National Championship. The resolution highlights their undefeated 38-0 season, second championship in three years, and record-breaking TV ratings for the championship game. It formally recognizes the team's achievements, including their 87-75 victory over Iowa, and requests that a copy be sent to the university president, head coach Dawn Staley, and athletics director. As a symbolic gesture with no legal effect, it directly honors the team and university leadership.

Maddy summarySRES 655 is a Senate resolution passed on April 18, 2024, to honor the late Joseph I. Lieberman, a former U.S. Senator from Connecticut (1988-2013), following his death. The resolution recognizes his career, including his role in creating the Department of Homeland Security, establishing the 9/11 Commission, and advocating for civil rights and environmental protections. It directs the Senate to adjourn in his memory and transmit a copy to his family, expressing the Senate's sorrow and respect. This procedural resolution does not create new laws or affect policy, as it solely commemorates his legacy.

Maddy summaryS 4163, the Ammunition Supply Chain Act, requires the Secretary of the Army to submit a report within 180 days of enactment on U.S. supply chain vulnerabilities for nitrocellulose and related components used in ammunition manufacturing. The report must address improving sourcing of smokeless gunpowder materials, reducing single-point failure risks in facilities, mitigating disruptions from global demand, and leveraging private sector capacity. This bill directly affects the Department of Defense and ammunition manufacturers by mandating an assessment of supply chain risks. It does not enact new policy but requires a detailed evaluation to strengthen ammunition production reliability.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJRES 72) seeks congressional disapproval of a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring companies to standardize climate-related financial disclosures for investors. If passed, it would block the SEC’s rule (published March 28, 2024) from taking effect, directly affecting public companies subject to SEC reporting requirements. The resolution uses a specific legal process under Title 5, U.S. Code, to invalidate the rule without altering its content. It does not create new regulations but halts the implementation of the SEC’s existing climate disclosure proposal.

Maddy summaryS 4150, the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment Extension Act, extends a temporary provision in bankruptcy law by adding two more years to its current duration. It modifies Section 2(i)(1) of the Bankruptcy Threshold Adjustment and Technical Corrections Act (Public Law 117-151) to change the timeframe from 2 years to 4 years. This adjustment directly affects the mechanism that temporarily sets bankruptcy filing thresholds, providing continued stability for bankruptcy courts and filers under the existing framework.

Maddy summarySRES 645 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating April 20-28, 2024, as "National Park Week." It does not create new laws or affect any group directly; instead, it formally recognizes this week to highlight the National Park System. The resolution encourages the public to responsibly visit, experience, and support national parks, referencing the system’s history, visitor statistics (325 million visits in 2023), and economic impact ($50.3 billion in 2022). As a non-binding resolution, it has no legal effect but serves to promote awareness of national parks.

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism when investigating potential violations of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It specifically applies to cases involving discrimination based on actual or perceived Jewish ancestry or ethnic characteristics in schools and federally funded programs. The bill clarifies that this guidance does not expand the Department's authority, alter existing discrimination standards, or affect First Amendment rights. It aims to ensure consistent enforcement against antisemitism under existing civil rights law, as previously adopted by the Department of Education.

Maddy summaryThe Neighborhood Homes Investment Act creates a new tax credit to encourage rehabilitation and construction of affordable homes in distressed communities. The credit, calculated as the lesser of the rehabilitation cost difference or 35% of development costs, is designed to address the "value gap" preventing housing revitalization. It requires homes to be sold to qualified homeowners (earning no more than 140% of area median income) in designated census tracts with high poverty rates and low homeownership. Homeowners must keep the homes as their primary residence for five years, after which they may sell but must repay a portion of the credit if sold within that period. The bill aims to generate 500,000 new homes over 10 years while promoting fair housing practices and neighborhood revitalization.

Maddy summaryThis bill permanently extends the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) program, which incentivizes private investment in low-income communities. It modifies the tax code to keep the credit available indefinitely (replacing the previous 2020-2025 timeframe) and adds automatic annual inflation adjustments to the credit amount. The extension specifically benefits community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and investors who make qualified equity investments in designated low-income areas. It also provides relief from the alternative minimum tax for credits tied to investments made after December 2022.

Maddy summarySJRES 61 is a joint resolution seeking congressional disapproval of a Federal Highway Administration rule that established performance measures for the National Highway System, including a requirement to track greenhouse gas emissions from highway activities. The rule, published in December 2023, would have mandated that states and federal agencies assess highway performance using this emissions metric. If enacted, the resolution would block the rule from taking effect, preventing the implementation of the emissions tracking measure. This action is pursued under the Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to reject federal regulations with a simple majority vote.