This bill prohibits certain departments and agencies from promulgating any rule to require a a person to provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination in order to engage in interstate commerce. The prohibition applies to The Department of Transportation, Amtrak, The Surface Transportation Board, The Transportation Security Administration, The National Transportation Safety Board, The Federal Maritime Commission, and The Department of Commerce. The bill also limits the authority of the Department of Health and Human Services to mandate vaccination against COVID-19 as a prerequisite for engaging in interstate commerce or travel.
Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 This bill allows states to receive federal Medicaid payment for services provided to foster care children in qualified residential treatment programs (i.e., programs with trauma-informed treatment models that address the needs of children with serious emotional or behavioral disorders or disturbances).
National Security Reforms and Accountability Act This bill limits presidential authorities related to, and increases congressional oversight of, introducing U.S. armed forces into hostilities, arms transactions, and national emergencies. The bill makes various changes to the War Powers Resolution, which provides procedures for Congress and the President to participate in decisions to send U.S. forces into hostilities. These changes include requiring specific statutory authorization for, and revising congressional procedures to approve or disapprove of, the introduction of U.S. forces into hostilities. The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds for any activity of U.S. forces that lacks the required authorization. The President must also seek congressional approval before entering, renewing, or extending an arms sale or related transaction if the transaction exceeds specified dollar thresholds. This does not apply to transactions with NATO and its member countries, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, New Zealand, or Taiwan. The bill also prohibits transfers of defense articles and services to countries that commit genocide or otherwise violate international humanitarian law. The bill restricts presidential authorities related to national emergencies, including by limiting the period of a declared emergency to 30 days unless Congress authorizes an extension. The bill also establishes procedures for approving or disapproving an extension, requires the President to provide more detailed reports to Congress about national emergencies, and sets out specific provisions for terminating an emergency.
Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.
Governing Effectively, with Transparency, Integrity, and Timeliness and Doing Our Necessary Expenditures Act or the GET IT DONE Act This bill withholds the salaries of senior government officials and restricts the use of federal funds for official travel by senior government officials if all of the regular appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted by the first day of the fiscal year. Under the bill, senior government officials include a Member of Congress; the President; the Vice President; the head of any executive department; and any employee of, or detailee to, the Executive Office of the President whose annual rate of basic pay is at least $158,000. If a chamber of Congress has not approved all of the annual appropriations bills for a fiscal year by the first day of the fiscal year, the bill prohibits the chamber from adjourning for a period of more than 12 hours until it has approved the bills. The bill also provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if any appropriations measure for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the fiscal year begins or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. For an initial 30-day period, the bill provides appropriations to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year. The bill reduces the continuing appropriations by 2.5% after the first 30-day period and by an additional 2.5% for each subsequent 30-day period until the applicable appropriations legislation is enacted.
All Seniors Always Paid (ASAP) Too Act This bill provides funding for the Social Security Administration to continue to administer the payment of Social Security benefits without interruption if there is a lapse in appropriations.
Intergenerational Financial Obligations Reform Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Government Accountability Office to provide various reports that include a fiscal gap analysis and a generational accounting analysis. Under the bill, the fiscal gap generally refers to the sum of (1) the total amount of Treasury liabilities outstanding on the last day of the budget year, and (2) the discounted present value of the projected difference between federal spending and revenues during the period of the budget year and at least the next 75 fiscal years (excluding spending for net interest and principal payments on Treasury liabilities). A generational accounting analysis addresses the fiscal impact that projected federal spending and tax burdens will have on various generations of individuals.
This bill provides funding through FY2026 and provides statutory authority for an office and related initiatives within the Department of State to advance U.S. foreign policy concerning the status of women and girls. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for an Office of Global Women's Issues. The office, headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, must advise on foreign policy and international programs relating to equal opportunities for and the advancement of women and girls. Additionally, the bill provides statutory authority for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which promotes women in the workforce and otherwise supports economic advancement for women internationally. The bill prohibits the office, ambassador, or initiative from using funding to lobby other countries to change their abortion laws or policies or include abortion as a programmatic requirement. The State Department must report annually on the program, including compliance with the abortion-related funding restrictions.
This bill provides that a female citizen of the United States (or other female person residing in the country) who is between the ages of 18 and 26 may elect to present herself and submit to registration for the draft.
Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements and procedures for the Department of the Treasury to transfer ownership of certain matured, unredeemed savings bonds and related records to states.
Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability Act of 2021 This bill imposes sanctions involving Afghanistan and addresses related issues. The President must impose, with certain exceptions, visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign individual or entity that (1) provides support to any terrorist group in Afghanistan, (2) is responsible for or complicit in serious human rights abuses in Afghanistan, or (3) plays a significant role in international narcotics trafficking centered in Afghanistan. The President may also impose such sanctions on any foreign individual or entity that provides certain support for (1) the Taliban or any Taliban member, or (2) any agency of the Taliban-controlled government of Afghanistan. Additionally, the Department of State must (1) require U.S. representatives to the United Nations to advocate and vote to maintain sanctions against the Taliban, and (2) encourage allies and partner countries to impose sanctions against the Taliban. The State Department may suspend the sanctions imposed under this bill upon certifying to Congress that the Taliban has taken certain actions, such as breaking all ties with other terrorist groups. The State Department must establish a task force to (1) implement a strategy relating to the evacuation of Afghanistan, and (2) identify individuals in Afghanistan who have sought admission into the United States as a refugee or humanitarian parolee. The bill requires various reports, including on (1) a revised strategy for engagement with South and Central Asian countries after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, (2) a counterterrorism strategy for Afghanistan, and (3) the extent of Taliban human rights abuses.
Armed Services Always Paid Act or the ASAP Act This bill provides funding to continue the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces, including reserve personnel, during a lapse in appropriations.
