This resolution censures Representative Paul Gosar for certain statements he made regarding the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This resolution censures Representative Andrew Clyde for certain statements he made regarding the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.
This resolution recognizes that the national debt is a threat to national security and that deficits are unsustainable, irresponsible, and dangerous. It also commits to (1) restoring regular order to the appropriations process, and (2) addressing the fiscal crisis faced by the United States.
Financial Factors in Selecting Retirement Plan Investments Act This bill permits fiduciaries of employer-sponsored retirement plans to consider environmental, social, governance, or similar factors when making investment decisions. It also nullifies the rule published by the Employee Benefits Security Administration on November 13, 2020, that requires fiduciaries to select investments and investment courses of action based solely on financial considerations.
Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment Act of 2021 or the SWIFT Act This bill modifies eligibility requirements and increases Social Security survivor benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses of a deceased worker. Specifically, the bill makes widow and widower's benefits available to disabled individuals at any age, whereas currently the benefits are limited to such individuals between ages 50 to 60. In addition, provisions reducing benefits in various instances, such as when a beneficiary is entitled to multiple types of benefits, shall not apply to widow and widower's benefits for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the bill raises the upper age limit for determining whether a beneficiary has a child in his or her care from 16 to 18 years (or 19, if the child is a full-time elementary or secondary school student). An individual with a child in care may receive increased benefits in specified instances. The bill also increases various limits on widow and widower's benefits in certain instances and modifies the calculation for increased benefits for individuals who choose to delay receiving such benefits. For current beneficiaries, increases in Social Security benefits under this bill shall not affect the beneficiary's eligibility or benefit amount for any federal assistance program.
Financial Factors in Selecting Retirement Plan Investments Act This bill permits fiduciaries of employer-sponsored retirement plans to consider environmental, social, governance, or similar factors when making investment decisions. It also nullifies the rule published by the Employee Benefits Security Administration on November 13, 2020, that requires fiduciaries to select investments and investment courses of action based solely on financial considerations.
Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.
Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress on various issues relating to North Korea. Specifically, the State Department must report to Congress a review of the restrictions on travel by U.S. nationals to North Korea, including whether such restrictions should be adjusted to allow travel to North Korea to attend a commemoration of a relative. The State Department must also report to Congress a clear roadmap for achieving permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth Act or the Diversify Act This bill revises the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program. The TEACH program awards grants to undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching in a high-need field and in an elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. First, the bill raises the maximum amount for TEACH grants. Second, the bill allows TEACH grants to cover the full cost of attendance. Currently, these grants may be used only for tuition, fees, and on-campus housing. The bill allows teaching in a high-need early childhood education program to count toward service requirements for the program. Next, the bill eliminates the process for converting a TEACH grant to a loan if a recipient does not complete the requirements of the program. Further, the bill prohibits the Department of Education (ED) from instituting or creating a monetary penalty for failure or refusal to complete the service requirement. In addition, the bill requires ED to send an electronic certificate to grant recipients who have completed their service requirement. The bill also exempts the TEACH program from sequestration, which is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.
Promoting Programming, Research, Education and Preservation in Civics and Government Act or the PREP Civics and Government Act This bill amends the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act of 1965 to include the study and interpretation of civics and government under the definition of humanities.
Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn-While-You-Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act This bill makes changes to the national apprenticeship system aimed at promoting diversity. Specifically, the bill establishes the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator in the Office Apprenticeship within the Office of Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, requires every apprenticeship program that registers or renews an apprenticeship with the Office of Apprenticeship to submit a plan to increase participation by individuals who are African American, and requires the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator to award grants to create or expand diversity in registered apprenticeship programs.
Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act This bill increases the monthly income limit that is used to determine whether certain Purple Heart recipients are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Specifically, when making such determinations with respect to Purple Heart recipients who are entitled to SSDI benefits based on combat-related injuries, the Social Security Administration must use the limit that applies to individuals who are blind rather than the lower limit that applies to other SSDI recipients. In addition, the bill phases out SSDI benefits for these Purple Heart recipients, with benefits reduced by $1 for every $4 of earnings in excess of the limit.
