Sen. Tom Cotton

Maddy summaryThis bill would end the special trade status that allows Chinese goods to enter the United States at lower tariff rates. It would require U.S. customs to apply higher tariff rates (minimum 35% for most goods, 100% for certain specified items) to Chinese imports, with these rates phased in over five years. The legislation also creates a trust fund to compensate U.S. producers who lose sales due to retaliatory measures by China. The bill is based on findings that China has not complied with trade agreements and has engaged in practices harming U.S. businesses and workers. The legislation aims to address what Congress views as an ongoing trade imbalance and economic harm caused by China's trade practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a Congressional Gold Medal to honor the "Hello Girls" - 223 women who served as Army Signal Corps telephone operators in WWI. They connected 26 million calls in France, worked 12-hour shifts under combat conditions, and were denied veteran benefits for 60 years despite wearing uniforms and facing combat hazards. The medal recognizes their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and the decades-long struggle for recognition as soldiers. It directs the Treasury to strike the medal and place it in the Smithsonian for public display at institutions like the National WWI Museum.

Maddy summarySRES 838 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating November 17, 2024, as "National Warrior Call Day." It aims to raise awareness about veteran and military member mental health by emphasizing the importance of peer-to-peer connections during transition from service. The resolution cites statistics showing high veteran suicide rates (33.9 per 100,000 in 2021) and encourages all Americans to reach out to veterans or active-duty personnel for support. It does not create new laws or funding but urges public engagement through "making a warrior call" to prevent isolation. This resolution directly affects public awareness and voluntary actions, not specific individuals or programs.

Maddy summaryS 3187, the Southern Border Transparency Act of 2023, requires U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to publish detailed immigration data monthly and quarterly. It mandates CBP to post on its website the number of people granted parole at ports of entry, broken down by nationality, age group (like minors or families), and location. DHS must submit quarterly reports to Congress and post them online, detailing apprehensions, processing outcomes (such as parole, removal, or asylum screenings), and demographic breakdowns along the southern border. The bill also updates annual reporting requirements to track parolees' status, including employment authorization and whether their parole ended or was extended. These requirements directly affect CBP and DHS operations, aiming to increase public and congressional transparency about border processing.

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 summaryThis bill reauthorizes an existing program that provides support and treatment services for law enforcement officers experiencing mental health crises. It extends the funding period for this program from 2020-2024 to 2025-2029 under the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act. The key mechanism is simply updating the expiration dates in the law to continue current funding without altering the program's scope or eligibility. The bill directly affects law enforcement officers who access these crisis support services through participating agencies.

Maddy summarySRES 797 designates August 16, 2024, as National Airborne Day to honor the history and contributions of U.S. airborne forces, commemorating the first official U.S. Army parachute jump on August 16, 1940. The resolution calls on the American public to observe the day with ceremonies and activities recognizing airborne forces' legacy in military operations from World War II through modern conflicts. This is a symbolic, non-binding designation with no direct legal or financial impact on specific groups.

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 Senate resolution (SRES 802) designates August 2024 as "National Catfish Month" to recognize the U.S. catfish industry. It highlights the industry's economic impact - supporting nearly 10,000 jobs and generating over $1.9 billion in annual output - and emphasizes that U.S. farm-raised catfish is the largest domestic seafood product by weight. The resolution also acknowledges workers in the industry and the sustainability of U.S. catfish production. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no legal effect but serves to honor the industry's contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill ensures that three individuals accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks - Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, Walid Bin ‘Attash, and Mustafa al Hawsawi - remain subject to trial under military law for the 9/11 attacks, regardless of any prior plea agreements. It makes the death penalty available in their trials and mandates they be held in solitary confinement at Guantanamo Bay under strict conditions: no contact with foreigners, limited medical care, and no transfer to the U.S. mainland or other countries. The bill directly affects only these three detainees by overriding previous legal barriers to their trial and imposing specific, restrictive detention requirements.