Maddy summaryThe STRATEGIC Act of 2024 establishes a comprehensive framework to counter the People's Republic of China's influence through expanded regulations, sanctions, and oversight measures. The bill directly affects U.S. institutions by prohibiting gifts and contracts from certain Chinese entities, requiring think tanks to disclose foreign funding, and restricting visa issuance for senior Chinese officials. Key mechanisms include amendments to the Foreign Agents Registration Act to strengthen enforcement, creation of new funds to counter Chinese influence, and requirements for reporting on climate cooperation and military installations. The legislation also establishes new oversight for science and technology agreements with China, creates a special envoy office for critical technologies, and implements sanctions against entities involved in South China Sea activities and intellectual property theft.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryThe Transparency in Student Lending Act (S 4686) requires colleges and student loan contractors to clearly explain the true cost of loans to borrowers before funds are disbursed. Specifically, it mandates written disclosure of the loan's Annual Percentage Rate (APR), which must factor in the loan amount, interest rate, standard term, fees, and how interest is capitalized. This disclosure must be provided in a format the borrower can keep, making loan terms more transparent. The bill directly affects all institutions participating in federal student loan programs under the Higher Education Act. It aims to help students understand total borrowing costs before taking out a loan.
Maddy summaryThe VALOR Act of 2024 establishes specific criteria for determining when a democratically elected government exists in Venezuela, requiring the President to submit such determinations to Congress. The bill imposes sanctions on the Maduro regime and blocks transactions involving Venezuelan government debt instruments, cryptocurrency, and property, while requiring regular reports on sanctions implementation and foreign entities doing business with the Maduro regime. It outlines a plan for U.S. assistance to Venezuela once a democratically elected government is recognized, including humanitarian aid and support for democratic institutions, with the President required to submit determinations to Congress when such a government is in place. The act affects U.S. engagement with international financial institutions regarding Venezuela and sets conditions for lifting sanctions as democratic progress is made.
Maddy summaryThe Protecting American Agriculture from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024 requires the Secretary of Agriculture to join the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) when reviewing transactions involving U.S. agricultural land, biotechnology, or agricultural industry sectors (including transportation, storage, and processing) with foreign entities from China, North Korea, Russia, or Iran. It mandates that the Secretary of Agriculture notify CFIUS about transactions where a foreign person from one of these "covered countries" is acquiring agricultural land, and CFIUS must then determine whether to initiate a review. This applies only to transactions already reportable under the 1978 Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act and expires for any covered country once it is removed from the official list of foreign adversaries. The law directly affects foreign investors from specified countries seeking to purchase U.S. agricultural assets and the federal review process for such transactions.
Maddy summarySRES 795 is a Senate resolution expressing strong disapproval of the Department of Education's delayed implementation of the FAFSA Simplification Act for the 2024-2025 academic year. The resolution cites specific issues, including the FAFSA application launching on December 31 (instead of the usual October 1), delayed data transmission to colleges until March, and resulting financial aid delays past National College Decision Day on May 1. This directly affected students - particularly those in foster care or experiencing homelessness - by reducing their time to compare college financial options. The resolution calls on the Department to address rollout problems for future cycles and testify to Congress, but it does not create new policy or funding changes.
Maddy summarySRES 800 is a symbolic Senate resolution introduced on August 1, 2024, by a bipartisan group of senators. It condemns the July 13, 2024, attempted assassination of Donald J. Trump at a Butler, Pennsylvania, rally and honors three individuals affected: Corey D. Comperatore (who died shielding his family), David Dutch (critically injured), and James Copenhaver (critically injured). The resolution calls for national unity and civility following the violent incident. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or policies but expresses the Senate's stance on the event.
Maddy summaryThis bill temporarily halts U.S. funding for the World Health Organization (WHO) until the Senate approves any new international pandemic treaty. It prohibits the U.S. from joining or funding any WHO pandemic agreement unless it first receives Senate ratification as a treaty. The funding freeze begins when such an agreement is signed and ends only after the Senate approves the treaty. This directly affects WHO funding and the process for international pandemic cooperation.
Maddy summaryS 4958 requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to withdraw a specific federal energy efficiency standard for new housing financed by these agencies (89 Fed. Reg. 33112). The bill mandates that these agencies revert to the previous energy efficiency standards and prohibits them from using federal funds to implement or enforce this withdrawn standard or any substantially similar rule. It also extends this prohibition to the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), preventing them from finalizing or enforcing similar energy efficiency standards for housing. This bill directly affects federal housing programs and agencies that set energy efficiency requirements for new construction.
Maddy summaryS 4959, the REG Act, prohibits federal agencies from considering "environmental justice" when creating rules or administering laws unless specifically required by law. It directly affects agencies like the EPA by removing environmental justice considerations from their regulatory processes. The bill repeals three executive orders: 12898 (addressing environmental justice in minority/low-income communities), 14096 (renewing environmental justice commitments), and 14008 (climate action). These changes would eliminate mandatory federal guidance on environmental justice impacts in rulemaking.
Maddy summaryThe Lawful Purpose and Historical Firearms Act makes several changes to firearm import and transfer regulations. It modifies the Arms Export Control Act to limit when firearms can be denied importation and creates exemptions for museums importing firearms for display, preservation, or research without paying National Firearms Act taxes. The bill changes definitions from "sporting purposes" to "lawful purposes" to prevent certain firearms from being classified as destructive devices. It also removes restrictions on interstate transfers of firearms for lawful purposes rather than just "sporting" ones, and eliminates some prohibitions on firearm transfers and importations.