Independent and Objective Oversight of Ukrainian Assistance Act The bill establishes the Office of the Special Inspector General for Ukrainian Military, Economic, and Humanitarian Aid. The office's duties shall include conducting and coordinating audits and investigations of the handing of funds made available for aid to Ukraine.
Defund the Ministry of Truth Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the expenditure of federal funds for the establishment or operation of the Disinformation Governance Board in the Department of Homeland Security.
This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to prohibit, with certain exceptions, individuals from entering the United States through a coastal or land port of entry or a Border Patrol station near a U.S. land border. This prohibition shall not apply to a (1) U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident, (2) member of the U.S. Armed Forces or the spouse and children of a member, or (3) person from a foreign country with valid travel documents arriving at a designated port of entry. This prohibition shall be in place until February 1, 2025.
Ban Russian Energy Imports Act This bill declares that a national emergency exists with respect to the aggression of Russia against Ukraine. During this emergency, the President must prohibit the importation of crude oil, petroleum, petroleum products, liquefied natural gas, and coal in which Russia or a Russian national has any interest. The bill exempts products that are already loaded or in transit at the time of this bill's enactment.
Ukraine Emergency Appropriations Act of 2022 This bill provides emergency supplemental appropriations for assistance to Ukraine and for other related purposes. Specifically, the bill provides appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) to (1) provide specified weapons and equipment to the government of Ukraine, (2) provide NATO member countries with certain weapons and defense articles to bolster deterrence efforts against Russia and to replace items such countries have donated to Ukraine, (3) enhance DOD capabilities to defend against a cyberattack originating from Russia or Belarus and targeting U.S. critical infrastructure or the ability of the United States to retaliate against a nuclear attack, and (4) deliver humanitarian assistance to Ukraine. The bill also provides appropriations to the Department of State to (1) address humanitarian needs in Ukraine caused by Russia's invasion, (2) assist refugees from Ukraine, (3) rebuild infrastructure in Ukraine damaged by Russia's invasion, and (4) support the revitalization of Ukraine's economy after Russia's invasion.
Keep Kids in Schools Act This bill prohibits a local educational agency (LEA) from obligating federal COVID-19 relief funds during any period when one or more elementary or secondary schools served by the LEA do not provide full-time, in-person instruction. This prohibition does not apply with respect to a school that does not provide full-time, in-person instruction due to following quarantine or isolation guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Coronavirus Origin Validation, Investigation, and Determination Act of 2022 or the COVID Act of 2022 This bill requires the President to impose sanctions and take other actions related to COVID-19 if certain conditions are not met. Specifically, if the President is unable to certify within 90 days of this bill's enactment that China's government has allowed a transparent international forensic investigation into the origins of COVID-19 and certain laboratories in the city of Wuhan, the President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions against (1) individuals with leadership positions in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS); and (2) officials of the Chinese Communist Party, China's military, or China's State Council who were involved in concealing or restricting information about the initial COVID-19 outbreak in China. If the certification cannot be made, the President must also (1) prohibit federal funding for collaborative projects between U.S.-based researchers and CAS researchers in any academic field, and (2) prohibit U.S.-based researchers and institutions that receive federal funding from engaging in certain research on viruses with individuals or institutions based in China.
UNRWA Accountability and Transparency Act This bill makes changes to U.S. foreign policy in matters concerning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). For purposes of this policy, the bill defines Palestinian refugee as a person who (1) resided from June 1946 to May 1948 in Mandatory Palestine (a region controlled by Britain until 1948), (2) was personally displaced as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, and (3) has not accepted citizenship or other permanent adjustment in status in another country. Furthermore, under U.S. policy, derivative refugee status may only extend to the spouse or minor child of such a Palestinian refugee. The bill withholds U.S. funding for the UNRWA unless the Department of State makes certifications concerning the UNRWA's staff, partners, and funding. Specifically, the State Department must certify that neither UNRWA staff and partners nor its funding and facilities are affiliated with terrorism or engaged in the dissemination of certain rhetoric, such as calling for the destruction of Israel or describing Israelis as occupiers or settlers . Additionally, the State Department must certify that the UNRWA is subject to comprehensive independent financial audits and is unaffiliated with any financial institutions that the United States considers to be complicit in money laundering or terror financing. The State Department must also implement a plan to encourage other countries to align their activities and efforts regarding the UNRWA with U.S. policy objectives, including the phaseout of the UNRWA by resettling Palestinian refugees outside of Israel.
Thin Blue Line Act This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
Full Faith and Credit Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to prioritize certain obligations if the federal debt limit is reached and provides for a limited increase in the debt limit to fund these priorities. If the federal government reaches the debt limit, the following obligations must be given equal priority over all other federal obligations: the principal and interest on the debt held by the public; Social Security benefits; pay and allowances for members of the Armed Forces on active duty and members of the U.S. Coast Guard; compensation, pensions, and payments for medical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Medicare programs. If the debt limit has been reached and incoming revenue will be insufficient to pay the priority obligations over an upcoming two-week period, the bill requires (1) Treasury to notify Congress of the expected revenue shortfall for the two-week period, and (2) the debt limit to be increased by the amount of the expected shortfall. If the incoming revenue exceeds the expected shortfall, the excess revenue must be held in reserve and applied to the following two-week period.
NFIP Extension Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program through December 3, 2021.
No Budget, No Pay Act This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve the budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year. Retroactive pay is prohibited for such a period.
