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Latest Action: 06/13/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 780 under authority of the order of the Senate of 06/12/2008.

Bill Text
To provide for a program of emergency unemployment compensation. 6/12/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes a state to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Labor under which the state agency will make emergency unemployment compensation payments to individuals who: (1) have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under state or federal law with respect to a benefit year ending on or after May 1, 2007; (2) have no rights to regular compensation or extended compensation with respect to a week under such law or any other state or federal unemployment compensation law; and (3) are not receiving compensation for such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada. Authorizes a state's governor in an extended benefit period, if state law permits, to provide for the payment of emergency unemployment compensation before extended compensation [...]

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Latest Action: 03/20/2007 - Committee Hearings Held.

Bill Text
Disagreeing with the plan announced by the President on January 10, 2007, to increase by more than 20,000 the number of United States combat troops in Iraq, and urging the President instead to consider options and alternatives for achieving success in Iraq. 2/14/2007--Introduced. States that Congress disagrees with the plan announced by the President on January 10, 2007, to increase by more than 20,000 the number of U.S. combat troops in Iraq and urges the President to consider the options set forth in this resolution. States that Congress believes that: (1) the military rules of engagement must allow maximum opportunity for U.S. and coalition forces to pursue the enemy in Iraq; (2) U.S. Armed Forces fighting insurgents and al Qaida terrorists in Al Anbar Province need to be reinforced as determined by military commanders; (3) the Iraq reconstruction effort must focus on projects with a small security footprint; (4) one person in Iraq must have absolute authority and [...]

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Latest Action: 03/01/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.

Bill Text
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States respecting the right to full employment and balanced growth.

2/13/2007--Introduced.

Constitutional Amendment - Provides that every person has the right to: (1) work; (2) free choice of employment; (3) just and favorable conditions of work; (4) protection against unemployment; and (5) equal pay for equal work, without any discrimination.

Provides that all persons who work have the right to: (1) just and favorable remuneration ensuring for themselves and their family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection; and (2) form and join trade unions for the protection of their interests.

Latest Action: 01/05/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.

Bill Text
To amend title 49, United States Code, to exempt airports in economically depressed communities from matching grant obligations under the airport improvement program.

1/4/2007--Introduced.

Amends the airport improvement program to provide that the federal share of costs for airport improvement projects at airports that are receiving subsidized small community air service and that are located in economically depressed communities shall be 100% (effectively exempting such airports from matching grant requirements under the program).

Latest Action: 01/10/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

Bill Text
To amend the Small Business Act to revise the definition of a HUBZone with respect to counties that are highly rural but adjacent to urban areas.

1/10/2007--Introduced.

HUBZone Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends the Small Business Act redefine a Hubzone Qualified Area to count as a qualified nonmetropolitan county any county located within a metropolitan statistical area if: (1) its total population is 80,000 or less; (2) the population residing within the county's urbanized areas is 10% or less of the county's total population; and (3) the county meets either a specified median household income or a specified unemployment rate requirement.

Latest Action: 01/25/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance, and for other purposes.

1/25/2007--Introduced.

Tax Equity and Affordability Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for health insurance costs paid for the benefit of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, and dependents; (2) require business taxpayers who receive payments for certain employee health insurance coverage to file informational returns; (3) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make advance payments of health insurance tax credit amounts to health insurance providers; and (4) limit the tax exclusion for employer-provided health care coverage.

Latest Action: 02/07/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Bill Text
A bill to provide emergency agricultural disaster assistance for agricultural producers, manufacturers, and workers in the State of California. 2/7/2007--Introduced. Emergency Farm Assistance Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary) to provide assistance: (1) to producers of specialty crops in disaster counties that suffered losses in 2005 or 2006; (2) to citrus producers in disaster counties that suffered losses in 2007; (3) to producers of other specialty crops in disaster counties that suffered losses in 2007; (4) to dairy producers in disaster counties that suffered losses in 2006; and (5) for livestock indemnity payments to producers in disaster counties that incurred losses in 2006 or 2007, or both. Directs the Secretary to make grants to California for an expedited disaster assistance program to qualified small businesses that suffered losses during the 2005, 2006, or 2007 crop year as a result of weather-related agricultural losses to the [...]

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Latest Action: 02/15/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S2047-2048)

Bill Text
A bill to establish a demonstration project to train unemployed workers for employment as health care professionals, and for other purposes.

2/15/2007--Introduced.

Community-Based Health Care Retraining Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to require the Secretary of Labor to establish and carry out a health professions training demonstration project that awards grants to eligible entities to train certain unemployed workers from the manufacturing or service sector for employment as health care professionals in communities with manufacturing and service sector job loss and health care professional shortages.

Latest Action: 07/12/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H7710)

Bill Text
To enhance congressional oversight of Operation Iraqi Freedom by requiring the President to transmit periodically to Congress a consolidated, comprehensive report to detail the terms of completion for Operation Iraqi Freedom and by requiring the President to seek to enter into a multilateral agreement to help provide for the completion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

1/31/2007--Introduced.

Iraq Policy Revitalization and Congressional Oversight Enhancement Act - Directs the President to: (1) transmit periodically to Congress a consolidated, comprehensive report respecting the National Strategy for Victory in Iraq and the New Way Forward in Iraq plan; and (2) seek to enter into a multilateral agreement with Coalition countries, the Republic of Iraq, appropriate states in the Middle East region, and appropriate multilateral organizations to help provide for the completion of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Latest Action: 02/08/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a refundable credit against income tax for the purchase of private health insurance, and for other purposes.

2/8/2007--Introduced.

Tax Equity and Affordability Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow individual taxpayers a refundable tax credit for health insurance costs paid for the benefit of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, and dependents; (2) require business taxpayers who receive payments for certain employee health insurance coverage to file informational returns; (3) direct the Secretary of the Treasury to make advance payments of health insurance tax credit amounts to health insurance providers; and (4) limit the tax exclusion for employer-provided health care coverage.

Latest Legislation - View All

Latest Action: 06/13/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 780 under authority of the order of the Senate of 06/12/2008.

Bill Text
To provide for a program of emergency unemployment compensation. 6/12/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Authorizes a state to enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Labor under which the state agency will make emergency unemployment compensation payments to individuals who: (1) have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under state or federal law with respect to a benefit year ending on or after May 1, 2007; (2) have no rights to regular compensation or extended compensation with respect to a week under such law or any other state or federal unemployment compensation law; and (3) are not receiving compensation for such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada. Authorizes a state's governor in an extended benefit period, if state law permits, to provide for the payment of emergency unemployment compensation before extended compensation [...]

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Latest Action: 04/03/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To provide for a program of targeted extended unemployment compensation, and for other purposes. 4/3/2008--Introduced. Targeted Assistance to Restore Growth in Employment Throughout 2008 Act, or the TARGET Act - Provides for federal-state agreements under which a state will make targeted extended unemployment compensation payments, for any week of unemployment beginning in the individual's eligibility period, to individuals who: (1) have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under such state law; (2) have no rights to compensation (including both regular and extended compensation) with respect to a week under such law or any other state or federal unemployment compensation law (and are not paid or entitled to be paid such additional compensation); and (3) are not receiving compensation for such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada. Declares that such period of eligibility shall consist of any week which begins between April 1, 2008, and March [...]

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Latest Action: 02/14/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Bill Text
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance and improve insurance, housing, labor and education, and other benefits for veterans, and for other purposes. 2/14/2008--Introduced. Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2008 - Revises veterans' insurance benefits matters to: (1) direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) to grant level-premium term life insurance to certain service-disabled veterans; (2) increase the maximum amount of supplemental service disabled veterans' insurance for totally disabled veterans; (3) provide retroactive traumatic injury coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) program for certain members of the Armed Forces who incurred a traumatic injury in the line of duty; (4) provide for the designation of a recipient of funds for traumatic injury coverage when the member is mentally incapacitated or experiencing an extended loss of consciousness; and (5) increase the maximum loan guarantee amount under the veterans' [...]

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Latest Action: 02/07/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S792-793)

Bill Text
A bill to make bills implementing trade agreements subject to a point of order unless certain conditions are met, and for other purposes. 2/7/2008--Introduced. Trade Agreement Benchmarks and Accountability Act - Subjects bills implementing trade agreements to a point of order unless certain conditions are met.Withdraws congressional approval of a bill implementing a trade agreement only if a report by the International Trade Commission (ITC) indicates that certain benchmarks and predictions made with respect to an agreement are not being met and a joint resolution approving such withdrawal is enacted by Congress. Describes the benchmarks as analyses of the following effects of the agreement: (1) resulting job creation and job losses; (2) resulting improvement in wages for U.S. workers; (3) implementation and enforcement of the labor and environmental standards by each country that is a party to the agreement; and (4) the extent to which the agreement will result in [...]

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Latest Action: 01/23/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the commi

Bill Text
To grant to a State with an unemployment rate that is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national unemployment rate authority to use Federal funds made available to such State for job training programs.

1/23/2008--Introduced.

Maximizing the Use of Federal Funds for Job Training Act - Authorizes states with unemployment rates that equal or exceed 125% of the national unemployment rate to consolidate or transfer, without limitation, any funds made available to them under specified job training programs.

Latest Action: 01/15/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To provide for a program of emergency unemployment compensation, and for other purposes. 1/15/2008--Introduced. Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2008 - Provides for federal-state agreements during a period of rising unemployment under which a state will pay emergency unemployment compensation to individuals who: (1) have exhausted all rights to regular compensation under state or federal law for a benefit year (excluding any benefit year that ended before March 1, 2007); (2) have no rights to regular compensation or extended compensation with respect to a week under such law or any other state unemployment compensation law or to compensation under any other federal law; and (3) are not receiving compensation for such week under the unemployment compensation law of Canada. Requires federal payments to states to cover 100% of such temporary extended unemployment compensation payments. Provides for federal-state agreements for increased regular unemployment [...]

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Latest Action: 12/20/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.

Bill Text
To amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize temporary mortgage and rental payments, and for other purposes. 12/19/2007--Introduced. Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide temporary assistance in the form of mortgage or rental payments to or on behalf of individuals and households who, as a result of financial hardship caused by a major disaster, have received written notice of dispossession or eviction from a residence because of a foreclosure of mortgage or lien, cancellation of sales contract, or lease termination, entered into before such disaster. Defines such a "financial hardship" to include: (1) the loss of employment or significant income because a job, a business, or a business interest was located in a disaster area; or (2) suffering financially because of travel restrictions or [...]

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Latest Action: 02/05/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Bill Text
To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize additional flexibility to a State with an unemployment rate that is equal to or greater than 125 percent of the national unemployment rate to transfer funds among programs made available to such State by various provisions of that Act, and for other purposes.

12/4/2007--Introduced.

Maximizing the Use of Federal Education Funds for Job Creation Act of 2007 - Authorizes states with unemployment rates that equal or exceed 125% of the national unemployment rate to consolidate or transfer, without limitation, any funds made available to them from specified formula grant programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

Latest Action: 11/16/2007 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S14628-14630)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to authorize temporary mortgage and rental payments. 11/16/2007--Introduced. Mortgage and Rental Disaster Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to authorize the President to provide temporary assistance in the form of mortgage or rental payments to or on behalf of individuals and households who, as a result of financial hardship caused by a major disaster, have received written notice of dispossession or eviction from a residence because of a foreclosure of mortgage or lien, cancellation of sales contract, or lease termination, entered into before such disaster. Defines such a "financial hardship" to include: (1) the loss of employment or significant income because a job, a business, or a business interest was located in a disaster area; or (2) suffering financially because of travel restrictions or station or road [...]

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Latest Action: 11/16/2007 - Motion to proceed to measure considered in Senate.

Bill Text
Making emergency supplemental appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. 11/14/2007--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, 2008 - Title I: Policy on Redeployment and Conduct of Operations in Iraq - (Sec. 101) Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the war in Iraq should end as safely and quickly as possible, and our troops should be brought home; (2) the performance of U.S. military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan should be commended, and their service should be appropriately recognized; and (3) the primary purpose of funds from this Act should be to transition the mission of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq and undertake their redeployment, and not [...]

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