This resolution extends condolences to the family and friends of former Vice President Walter Mondale. The resolution acknowledges Mondale's lifetime service to the United States, including as a U.S. Senator and as the first presidential candidate from a major party to select a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate.
Sponsored bills
Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act This bill generally prohibits law enforcement and intelligence agencies from obtaining U.S. customer or subscriber records or any illegitimately obtained information from a third party in exchange for anything of value (e.g., purchasing such information). Records or information obtained in violation of this bill are inadmissible as evidence in any trial, hearing, or other legal proceeding.
Iran Nuclear Deal Advice and Consent Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action—commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal—unless the President commits to submit any successor agreement to the Senate for advice and consent as a treaty.
Screening Partnership Reform Act This bill revises the Screening Partnership Program of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Specifically, the bill authorizes the operator of an airport to select a qualified private screening company with which the operator prefers the TSA enter into a contract for screening services at that airport. The TSA must enter into a contract with a private screening company only if the cost of providing screening services at the airport is equal to or less than the cost to the federal government of providing the same screening services, and entering into the contract would not compromise aviation security or the effectiveness of the screening of passengers or property at the airport. A private screening company may use screening supervisors who have been trained and certified at a Federal Law Enforcement Training Center to administer comparable on-site training and certification to private security screeners at an airport that is participating in the screening partnership program. Finally, the bill requires a private screening company that is participating in the program to annually submit recommendations to the TSA on new approaches to screening processes and procedures that would enhance the screening of passengers and property at the airport.
Protect Funding for Women's Health Care Act This bill prohibits federal funding of Planned Parenthood Federation of America or its affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
E Visa Integrity Act of 2021 This bill imposes additional requirements to acquire an E visa (for an investor or trader who is a national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States, or an Australian specialty worker). Specifically, if an alien became the national of a foreign country with a treaty of commerce and navigation with the United States through a financial investment in that foreign country and the alien had not previously received an E visa, the alien must have been domiciled in that foreign country for a continuous period of at least three years at any point before applying for an E visa.
Head Start Improvement Act This bill replaces the existing Head Start program with block grants to states and Indian tribes for prekindergarten (pre-K) education. Instead of providing direct financial assistance to Head Start agencies, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall allot block grant funds for pre-K education among eligible states and tribes in accordance with their relative proportions of children, age three, four, or five, from low-income households. Grant recipients shall use the grant funds to (1) award subgrants to eligible entities that provide pre-K education programs; (2) administer such programs; and (3) provide technical assistance, oversight, monitoring, research, and training. Under current law, HHS is authorized to designate, monitor, and establish standards for Head Start agencies. The bill instead shifts pre-K program oversight and control to states and tribes. In addition, to the extent permitted under state law, grant recipients may use grant funds to establish (1) portable voucher systems that allow costs to be paid for attendance at private pre-K education programs; and (2) an education savings account that allows a parent of a low-income child to use a portion of the grant funds, or other available public or private funds added to the account, for expenses related to pre-K education. Under current law, federal financial assistance for a Head Start program is generally limited to 80% of total program costs. The bill maintains this limitation by requiring grant recipients to provide matching funds equal to 20% of the grant amount.
Aviation Empowerment Act This bill modifies regulations for pilots within the aviation sector, including pilots who wish to share certain expenses or receive compensation for specified flights. Specifically, the bill directs the the Department of Transportation to issue regulations authorizing (1) a pilot who wants to share aircraft operating expenses to communicate with the public regarding an aircraft flight; and (2) a pilot who has a private pilot certificate to receive compensation for flying persons or property, and not be subject to certain common carrier or commercial airliner regulations as long as the private pilot flies an aircraft with eight or fewer seats. It also sets forth definitions for the terms common carrier and personal operato r as they relate to the aviation industry.
Air Traffic Control Safe Operation and Readiness Act This bill revises the hiring process for air traffic control specialists. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to consider for the interview stage of the hiring process candidates who score at or above the passing score on the Air Traffic Skills Assessment (AT-SA) and meet minimum qualifications established by the FAA, and revise the AT-SA to ensure that all questions are supported by a peer reviewed job analysis and that it does not incorporate any biographical questionnaire or other questions of a biographical nature.
Flight Sharing Freedom Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to issue or revise regulations to ensure that a pilot who holds a pilot certificate may communicate with the public, in any manner, to facilitate an aircraft flight for which the pilot and passengers share aircraft operating expenses. Additionally, the bill excludes from common carrier regulations pilots who wish to coordinate flights and share aircraft operating expenses with passengers.