Legislative Activity

The Consequences for Social Security Fraud Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to make non-citizens inadmissible to and deportable from the United States if they are convicted of or admit to committing fraud related to Social Security, identification documents, or COVID-19 relief programs. This legislation aims to strengthen immigration enforcement by establishing clear grounds for removal for those who engage in these specific fraudulent activities.

This bill amends the Endangered Species Act to ensure that artificially propagated animals are treated identically to those born in the wild for all regulatory purposes. It also mandates that the Secretary authorize captive breeding as a form of mitigation when required to offset harm to a protected species. These changes apply to all listed species, regardless of when they were originally designated as endangered or threatened.

This proposed constitutional amendment requires a supermajority vote (three-fourths) in both the House and Senate to pass any law that increases the national debt. Any such law must also specify the exact reason for increasing the debt. The amendment would take effect ten years after ratification.

The Yosemite National Park Equal Access and Fairness Act increases the annual rental fee paid by the City of San Francisco for the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Lake Eleanor Basin to $2 million, adjusted for inflation. The bill mandates that these areas be managed for expanded public recreation, including swimming, camping, and non-motorized boating. Additionally, it requires the Secretary of the Interior to report on strategies for ensuring equitable public access and sustainable funding for infrastructure and wildfire mitigation.

The Default Prevention Act prioritizes U.S. government obligations by creating a tiered system to ensure that the most critical payments, such as debt interest, Social Security, and Medicare, are paid first if the debt limit is reached. The Act mandates the Secretary of the Treasury to pay these Tier I obligations before any others and requires weekly reports to Congress detailing the obligation payments. This ensures that essential services and financial commitments are met, while outlining a structured approach to managing payments when the debt limit is a constraint.

This proposed constitutional amendment would grant the President the authority to selectively reduce spending within bills passed by Congress. The President must notify Congress of any spending reductions within 10 days. Congress can override the President's reductions and restore the original spending level with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.