Rep. Daniel Webster

Maddy summaryHR 1200, the National Right-to-Work Act, prohibits requiring workers to join a union or pay dues as a condition of employment in both private-sector workplaces (covered by the National Labor Relations Act) and railroad industries (covered by the Railway Labor Act). The bill amends key sections of these laws to eliminate provisions that allowed union security agreements, meaning workers in unionized settings would no longer be forced to pay dues to retain their jobs. This directly affects employees in unionized workplaces across the U.S., particularly those in industries with existing union contracts that included mandatory dues. The law changes the legal framework to ensure union membership and dues payment remain voluntary for all workers.

Maddy summaryThe Stop the Cartels Act (HR 597) aims to disrupt drug trafficking organizations and related criminal activities by requiring enhanced intelligence gathering on cartels in Mexico and Central American countries, mandating improved U.S.-Mexico law enforcement cooperation, and cutting federal funding from jurisdictions that restrict immigration enforcement. The bill creates a "Special Transnational Criminal Organization" designation for major cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel, requires monthly reports on migrant encounters at the border, and establishes refugee processing centers in Mexico and Central America. It also increases staffing for immigration courts by 500 judges, prohibits asylum applications from nationals of countries with refugee processing centers, and reauthorizes substance abuse prevention funding at higher levels while repealing several existing drug programs. These provisions directly affect U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies, Mexican and Central American governments, local jurisdictions receiving federal funds, and migrants seeking asylum or refugee status.

Maddy summaryHR 1194, the "Fighting Presidential Budget Waste Act," requires the President and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to consider findings from the most recent GAO report on reducing government waste when preparing the annual federal budget. The bill specifically directs them to review the GAO report titled "Additional Opportunities to Reduce Fragmentation, Overlap, and Duplication and Achieve Billions of Dollars in Financial Benefits" (or a successor report). This mandate applies to all budget submissions under Section 1105 of Title 5, U.S. Code. The law does not create new spending or programs but changes the budget preparation process by requiring federal officials to factor in GAO recommendations for cost savings.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits federal funding from being provided to healthcare facilities that refuse treatment to patients based on their COVID-19 vaccination status. It specifically blocks funds under Medicare (Title XVIII), Medicaid (Title XIX), and CHIP (Title XXI) from going to such facilities. The law directly affects hospitals, clinics, and other providers receiving federal healthcare funding by requiring them to offer treatment regardless of vaccination status. The key mechanism is withholding all federal funds authorized by law from any facility engaging in this practice.

Manatee Protection Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to include the West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ) in the endangered species list and give the species protections provided to endangered species.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes a single Congressional Gold Medal to honor all U.S. Army Dustoff crews who served during the Vietnam War (1962-1973). It recognizes their critical role in evacuating nearly 900,000 wounded personnel, including U.S., South Vietnamese, and allied forces, under extreme combat conditions. The medal, designed with input from the Secretary of Defense, will be presented to the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum for permanent display. Duplicate bronze medals may be sold to cover costs, but the primary action is the commemorative recognition of these crews' service.

Maddy summaryHR 800, the "DO NOT Call Act of 2023," amends the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 to increase penalties for intentional telemarketing violations. It adds criminal penalties of up to one year in prison or fines for willfully and knowingly making unwanted calls, with harsher penalties (up to three years) for severe offenses like sending over 100,000 calls in 24 hours, causing $5,000+ in damages, or committing calls to further a felony. The bill also raises civil penalties for providing false caller identification information from $10,000 to $20,000 per violation. This directly affects telemarketers, debt collectors, and businesses making unsolicited calls, increasing legal consequences for repeated or large-scale violations.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires states receiving Medicaid funds for family planning services to submit standardized abortion data to the CDC annually. Specifically, states must report 10 mandatory data points (including maternal age, gestational age, race, ethnicity, procedure type, and survival status) by December 31 of the prior year, starting two years after enactment. Failure to submit accurate data or submitting false information could result in loss of Medicaid funding for family planning services in the following fiscal year. The law aims to create uniform national abortion data collection, addressing current gaps where some states report no data at all. The CDC will maintain a standardized surveillance system and publish annual reports by the third year following the data year.

Finish the Wall Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities related to the construction of a barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border and addresses other border-related issues. DHS must resume all such construction activities that were planned or underway prior to January 20, 2021. DHS must also expend all funds appropriated or explicitly obligated since October 1, 2016, for construction of this barrier system. DHS may not cancel contracts for activities related to such construction entered into on or before January 20, 2021. Furthermore, within 14 days of this bill's enactment, DHS must certify to Congress that U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities that process adults taken into custody at the border are fully compliant with certain laws related to the collection of DNA. (Among other things, these laws allow for the collection of DNA samples from non-U.S. persons detained under U.S. authority.)

Maddy summaryHCONRES 9 is a symbolic resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that formally denounces socialism as incompatible with American values, citing historical examples of socialist regimes causing widespread suffering and authoritarian rule. It states Congress opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. This resolution has no legal effect, does not change any laws, and serves solely as a non-binding statement of congressional opinion. It directly affects no individuals or policies, as it is purely a declarative position.