Sen. Ted Cruz

This resolution congratulates the students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for (1) making ongoing contributions to public education, (2) making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in U.S. schools, and (3) improving and strengthening the public school system. The resolution supports the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week.

Protecting Communities and Preserving the Second Amendment Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes a grant program, requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take specified actions, creates new criminal offenses, and makes several other changes related to the sale, transfer, and possession of firearms. For example, the bill modifies and reauthorizes grants under the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, requires DOJ to establish the Nationwide Project Exile Expansion Program to prosecute violations of federal firearms laws, establishes a task force within DOJ to investigate and prosecute cases of convicted felons and fugitives from justice who illegally attempt to purchase a firearm, removes certain restrictions on interstate firearms transactions, and creates stand-alone criminal offenses for trafficking in firearms and straw purchasing of firearms.

Emergency Resupply for IRON DOME Act of 2021 This bill requires the President to make all unexpended funding for assistance to Gaza available instead for grants to Israel for its Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system.

Don't Weaponize the IRS Act This bill codifies regulations promulgated by the Trump Administration exempting certain tax-exempt organizations from specified reporting requirements. Specifically the bill increases from $5,000 to $50,000 the gross receipts threshold used to determine the eligibility of tax-exempt organizations for the exemption from certain disclosure and reporting requirements; expands the definition of organization to include tax-exempt charitable organizations and organizations with no significant activities relating to lobbying, political activity, and the operation of a trade or business; exempts from disclosure the names and addresses of contributors to an organization in its annual informational return; and extends exemptions from reporting requirements to political action committees (i.e., 527 organizations).

This resolution affirms U.S. support for Israel's right to peace and security as well as its right to defend itself and its civilians against terror.

Eric's Law This bill modifies procedures with respect to capital sentencing hearings. If a jury at a capital sentencing hearing does not reach a unanimous recommendation on the defendant's sentence and there is a motion by the attorney for the government, the court must order a new special sentencing hearing and impanel a new jury. If the new jury at the special sentencing hearing does not reach a unanimous recommendation on the defendant's sentence, then the court is prohibited from imposing a death sentence.

Protecting America From Spies Act This bill expands the grounds for barring aliens who have engaged in acts relating to espionage or sabotage from entering the United States. Specifically, any alien shall be inadmissible if the alien has engaged in or will engage in an act that (1) violates a U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage; (2) would violate any U.S. law relating to espionage or sabotage if it occurred in the United States; or (3) violates any U.S. law prohibiting the export of goods, technology, or sensitive information. Currently, an alien shall be inadmissible if the alien seeks to enter the United States to engage in such an action. Furthermore, the bill expands these grounds of inadmissibility and other security-related grounds to cover the spouse or child of the barred alien if the act occurred in the last five years. The bill also modifies the authority of the Department of Justice to waive certain security-related grounds of inadmissibility for an alien applying for a nonimmigrant visa.

This resolution designates the week of May 9-May 15, 2021, as National Police Week.

Israel Sovereignty Reassurance Act of 2021 or ISRA This bill prohibits using funds made available to the Department of State for FY2022 to implement, administer, or enforce any policy that rescinds the U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel.

Hizballah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hizballah in Lebanon. Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern. Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hizballah.