Sen. John Barrasso

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates July 25, 2026, as "National Day of the American Cowboy" to honor the historical and cultural contributions of cowboys to the United States. It encourages citizens to observe the day with ceremonies and activities that recognize the cowboy's role in establishing the American West and its enduring presence in literature, media, and the economy. The measure highlights values associated with the cowboy archetype, such as integrity, hard work, and environmental stewardship, while noting that the role transcends gender, ethnicity, and political affiliation.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends a technical definition in grazing regulations to replace "lands within National Forests" with "National Forest System land" as defined in another law. It does not change existing grazing rules or directly affect any specific groups, as it only updates terminology for administrative consistency. The amendment explicitly states it won't alter other provisions governing national grasslands grazing under existing laws like the Federal Land Policy and Management Act or the Public Rangelands Improvement Act. This is a procedural clarification with no new policy changes or impacts on livestock operators or land management practices.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends an 1890 federal law governing Wyoming's public land trust for education. It updates specific language in sections 5, 7, and 8 by replacing "interest" and "income" with "earnings" when referring to funds generated from the trust lands. The change is purely linguistic, modifying how the trust's financial returns are described in the law. It directly affects Wyoming's system for managing educational trust funds derived from public land sales. The bill does not alter the underlying funding mechanism or distribution of these funds.

Maddy summaryThe Making National Parks Safer Act (S 290) requires the National Park Service to assess emergency communications centers in national parks regarding their use of Next Generation 9-1-1 systems. Specifically, it mandates an evaluation of current system implementation, estimated costs for installation and maintenance, and challenges like jurisdictional or technological barriers. Within one year of enactment, the National Park Service must submit a report to Congress detailing these findings. Based on this report, the agency must then develop a plan to install these systems at relevant park emergency centers, consulting with state/local emergency officials and federal agencies like the FCC. This bill directly affects national park emergency operations and the National Park Service's communication infrastructure.

Maddy summaryThe Digital Age Assurance Act of 2026 establishes a system where operating system providers must collect a user's date of birth and share only their age range with apps and websites using secure, privacy-preserving methods. This bill directly affects technology companies, internet service providers, and users by mandating that platforms verify a user's age bracket before allowing access to age-restricted content. Key provisions prohibit the sale of children's data, ban targeted advertising toward minors, and prevent companies from using age information for profiling or marketing purposes. Additionally, the law includes anti-competitive rules to ensure that third-party apps face the same age-related restrictions as those owned by the platform itself. Enforcement is handled by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general, who can impose fines for violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Accelerating Broadband Permits Act of 2026, aims to speed up the permitting process for broadband internet projects by requiring federal agencies to create better tracking tools and reporting systems. It mandates the creation of a public dashboard to monitor how grant funds are spent and where broadband service has been established, as well as a tool to help local groups identify and track federal permit requirements. The legislation also requires federal agencies to analyze and report on factors causing delays in processing communications applications and to alert staff when projects are at risk of missing deadlines. Additionally, it clarifies that large-scale broadband construction projects involving over $5 million must undergo environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Maddy summaryThis resolution honors the life and legacy of the late Senator Lindsey Olin Graham from South Carolina. It formally acknowledges his extensive career in the military, state government, and Congress, noting his service as a Senator and his roles as Chairman of the Judiciary and Budget committees. The Senate expresses its sorrow over his death and requests that this tribute be shared with the House of Representatives and Graham's family.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a comprehensive sanctions framework targeting the Russian government and its affiliated entities in response to ongoing military actions. It authorizes the President to block assets, revoke visas, and prohibit financial transactions for Russian officials, military leaders, and foreign persons supporting Russia's defense industry or undermining Ukraine. The legislation also bans U.S. investments in Russian energy sectors, prohibits the purchase of Russian sovereign debt, and imposes high tariffs on Russian imports while restricting crude oil purchases by specific foreign nations. Additionally, the bill prevents Russian companies from listing on U.S. stock exchanges and includes mechanisms for terminating sanctions only if Russia signs a peace agreement accepted by Ukraine and ceases hostilities.

Maddy summaryThe CLOSE THE GAP Act aims to streamline the permitting process for installing and modifying communications facilities, such as cell towers, on Federal land managed by agencies like the National Park Service and the Forest Service. It requires these agencies to create standardized, technology-neutral rules that allow applications to be processed simultaneously rather than sequentially and mandates that fees charged to applicants be based solely on the actual administrative costs incurred. To improve transparency and speed, the bill establishes online portals for submitting applications, requires agencies to track and report processing times, and creates a new working group to coordinate reviews across different Federal land management agencies. Additionally, the legislation simplifies environmental reviews for projects on previously analyzed land and allows for faster approval of public safety improvements at existing sites without requiring new environmental impact statements.

Maddy summaryThe Protecting American Taxpayers Act is a comprehensive bill designed to combat government fraud, recover misused funds, and strengthen oversight across various federal programs. It directly affects federal agencies, state governments administering public assistance, small businesses, veterans, and contractors by imposing new reporting requirements, extending statutes of limitations for fraud cases, and restricting financial assistance to entities linked to foreign agents or the Taliban. Key mechanisms include requiring child care payments to be based on recorded attendance rather than enrollment, mandating investigations into sudden spikes in health care spending, prohibiting small businesses with convicted fraudsters from receiving loans, and creating a new officer within the Department of Veterans Affairs dedicated to scam prevention. Additionally, the legislation rescinds unspent pandemic-era funds for deficit reduction, expands whistleblower protections for defense and non-defense contractors, and establishes stricter rules against transferring public assistance money abroad via remittance transfers.