All Congressional hearings Legislation - Federal Government

Establishing within the House of Representatives an Office of Congressional Ethics, and for other purposes. 3/11/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) (Sec. 1) Establishes an independent Office of Congressional Ethics in the House of Representatives. Establishes a board to govern the Office, consisting of six individuals, three of them nominated by the Speaker of the House, subject to the Minority Leader's concurrence, and three by the Minority Leader, subject to the Speaker's concurrence. Requires the Speaker and the Minority Leader each to nominate an alternate board member, subject to their respective concurrence. Sets forth: (1) procedures for filling vacancies on the board; and (2) eligibility qualifications of board members. Requires the Speaker to designate one member of the board as chairman, and the Minority Leader to designate one as cochairman. Declares that selection and appointment of [...]

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A bill to prohibit the payment of individuals to reserve a place in line for a seat for a lobbyist at a congressional committee hearing or business meeting. 10/17/2007--Introduced. Get in Line Act - Amends the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 to prohibit any lobbyist or lobbyist-employing organization, either registered or required to register, or any employee listed or required to be listed as a lobbyist by a registrant, from making a payment to an individual to reserve a place in line for a seat for such lobbyist, employee, or organization at a congressional committee hearing or business meeting. Requires the lobbyist, employee, or organization to certify in their semiannual reports on certain contributions that they have read and are familiar with this Act and have not violated it. Requires a Senate committee that is unable to accommodate all persons wishing to sit in the hearing room for a committee hearing or business meeting to: (1) make all reasonable accommodations [...]

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Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the withholding of information relating to corruption in Iraq. 10/16/2007--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.) Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that: (1) as Congress considers the President's request for over $150 billion more for the war in Iraq it is essential that Congress and the people of the United States know the extent of corruption in the Iraqi government and whether corruption is fueling the insurgency; (2) it was wrong to retroactively classify portions of the report titled "Stabilizing and Rebuilding Iraq: U.S. Ministry Capacity Development Efforts Need an Overall Integrated Strategy to Guide Efforts and Manage Risk" which was released October 4, 2007, and other statements that do not [...]

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A bill to amend the False Claims Act. 9/12/2007--Introduced. False Claims Act Correction Act of 2007 - Amends the False Claims Act to make any person who knowingly presents a false or fraudulent claim for government money or property for payment or approval liable for a civil penalty. (Repeals the requirement that false claims be presented to a government employee.)Allows the government, under specified circumstances, to move to dismiss from such an action by a private person a qui tam relator who is a federal employee.Declares that: (1) no claim for a violation may be waived or released by any action of any person, except insofar as such action is part of a court approved settlement of a false claim civil action; and (2) nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit the ability of the United States to decline to pursue any claim.Authorizes a court, upon the motion of the Attorney General, to dismiss an action or claim if the allegations relating to [...]

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A bill to provide for identification of misaligned currency, require action to correct the misalignment, and for other purposes. 7/31/2007--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Currency Exchange Rate Oversight Reform Act of 2007 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) report biannually to Congress on international monetary policy and currency exchange rates; and (2) appear, if requested, before certain congressional committees to testify regarding such reports.Prescribes report contents, including: (1) an analysis of currency market developments and the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the currencies of major economies and trading partners of the United States; (2) a review of the economic and monetary policies of major economies and trading partners of the United States and an evaluation of how such policies impact currency exchange rates; and (3) a list of currencies designated as fundamentally misaligned [...]

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An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. 6/5/2007--Reported to Senate 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.) National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - Division A: Department of Defense Authorizations - Title I: Procurement - Subtitle A: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force for aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement. (Sec. 104) Authorizes appropriations [...]

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An original bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2008 for military activities of the Department of Defense, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. 6/29/2007--Reported to Senate amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Department of Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - Title I: Procurement - Subtitle A: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, and Air Force for aircraft, missiles, weapons and tracked combat vehicles, ammunition, shipbuilding and conversion, and other procurement. (Sec. 104) Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for: (1) defense-wide procurement; and (2) the Rapid Acquisition Fund. Subtitle B: Army Programs - (Sec. 111) Authorizes the Secretary of the Army, beginning with the FY2008 program year, to enter into a multiyear contract for procurement of: (1) M1A2 Abrams [...]

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To provide a biennial budget for the United States Government. 5/23/2007--Introduced. Biennial Budgeting Act of 2008 - Amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to require: (1) biennial (instead of annual) budget resolutions; (2) biennial appropriations Acts; and (3) biennial government strategic and performance plans. Makes conforming amendments to the Rules of the House of Representatives. Defines the budget biennium as the two consecutive fiscal years beginning on October 1 of any odd-numbered year. Requires: (1) a federal agency, upon request by a congressional committee, to provide appropriate information regarding its appropriations requests and program administration; (2) the Comptroller General to furnish to such committee summaries of any audits or reviews of such program which the Comptroller General has completed during the preceding six years; and (3) the Comptroller General, Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and the Director [...]

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To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit contributions and expenditures by multicandidate political committees controlled by foreign-owned corporations, and for other purposes. 5/16/2007--Introduced. Ethics in Foreign Lobbying Act of 2007 - Amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to prohibit contributions and expenditures in federal elections by multicandidate political committees or separate segregated funds sponsored by foreign-controlled corporations and associations (at least 50% owned by a non-U.S. citizen or foreign national). Sets forth ownership and operating fund reporting requirements. Prohibits a foreign national from participating in the decision-making process of any person's election-related activities (such as those of a corporation, labor organization, or political committee). Establishes within the Federal Election Commission a clearinghouse of existing public information regarding the political activities of foreign principals [...]

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To authorize appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2008, and for other purposes. 5/9/2007--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 - Title I: Authorization of Appropriations - (Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for FY2008.Title II: Policy and Management Improvements - (Sec. 201) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) to replace provisions establishing within DHS a Directorate of Border and Transportation Security with provisions establishing a Directorate for Policy, headed by an Under Secretary for Policy, which shall include: (1) the Office of the Private Sector; (2) the Victim Assistance Officer; (3) the Tribal Security Officer; and (4) the Border Community Liaison Officer.Makes the Under Secretary for Policy the principal policy advisor to the Secretary [...]

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To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend and expand certain rules with respect to housing in the GO Zones. 3/27/2007--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Katrina Housing Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) qualify certain buildings in the Gulf Opportunity Zone, the Rita Go Zone, and the Wilma GO Zone (GO Zones) placed in service before 2011 for the housing tax credit without regard to certain otherwise applicable restrictions if such buildings receive (or received) a state or local housing credit allocation in 2006, 2007, or 2008; (2) extend through 2010 the treatment of such Go Zones as difficult development areas for purposes of the increased housing tax credit; (3) exclude certain assistance provided under the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974 (e.g., community development block grants), the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2006, or the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations [...]

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A bill to strengthen United States trade laws and for other purposes. 1/23/2007--Introduced. Strengthening America's Trade Laws Act - Allows, under specified conditions, certain U.S. persons supportive of the government's position before a dispute settlement panel or Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to participate in consultations and panel or Appellate Body proceedings. Establishes the Congressional Advisory Commission on WTO Dispute Settlement to provide advice to Congress on the operation of the WTO dispute settlement system. Amends the Uruguay Round Agreements Act to require congressional approval before any modification of an agency regulation or practice that has been adversely affected by a WTO decision. Directs the United States to negotiate with the WTO to determine clarification of its obligations under the Uruguay Round Agreement due to an adverse WTO decision if the United States, Congress, or Commission finds that such [...]

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