Latest Action: 09/23/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Bill Text
A bill to address the impending humanitarian crisis and potential security breakdown as a result of the mass influx of Iraqi refugees into neighboring countries, and the growing internally displaced population in Iraq, by increasing directed accountable assistance to these populations and their host countries, facilitating the resettlement of Iraqis at risk, and for other purposes. 9/23/2008--Introduced. Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 2008 - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.Directs the Secretary of State, with respect to vulnerable populations in Iraq and with respect to countries containing a significant population of Iraqi refugees (including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran), to provide such countries or appropriate international organizations and nongovernmental organizations with specified humanitarian assistance.Directs [...]

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Latest Action: 09/24/2008 - Committee on Foreign Relations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Dodd. With written report No. 110-496.

Bill Text
An original bill to authorize appropriations under the Arms Export Control Act and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for security assistance for fiscal years 2009 and 2010, and for other purposes.
Latest Action: 09/12/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text of measure as introduced: CR S8482-8498)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to expand and improve opportunities for service, and for other purposes. 9/12/2008--Introduced. Serve America Act - Amends the National and Community Service Act of 1990 to create two new service-learning programs: (1) a Youth Engagement Zones to Strengthen Communities program, providing competitive grants to partnerships between local educational agencies that serve high-need, low-income communities and certain community-based or state entities to engage students and out-of-school youth in service-learning addressing specific challenges faced by their communities; and (2) a Campus of Service program, which annually grants up to 30 institutions of higher education (IHEs) with exemplary service-learning programs the funds to assist their students' pursuit of public service careers, and the right to nominate additional individuals for ServeAmerica Fellowships. Directs the Corporation for National and Community [...]

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Latest Action: 07/18/2008 - Committee on Appropriations. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Leahy under authority of the order of the Senate of 01/04/2007. With written report No. 110-425.

Bill Text
An original bill making appropriations for the Department of State, foreign operations, and related programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 7/18/2008--Reported to Senate without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Department of State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2009 - Makes FY2009 appropriations for the Department of State (Department) for: (1) administration of foreign affairs and diplomatic and consular programs; (2) the civilian stabilization initiative; (3) the Capital Investment Fund; (4) the Office of Inspector General; (5) educational and cultural exchange programs; (6) representation allowances; (7) protection of foreign missions and officials; (8) U.S. embassy security, construction, and maintenance; (9) emergencies in the diplomatic and consular service;[...]

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Latest Action: 07/16/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1485)

Bill Text
To address the impending humanitarian crisis and potential security breakdown as a result of the mass influx of Iraqi refugees into neighboring countries, and the growing internally displaced population in Iraq, by increasing directed accountable assistance to these populations and their host countries, facilitating the resettlement of Iraqis at risk, and for other purposes. 7/15/2008--Introduced. Iraqi Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Humanitarian Assistance, Resettlement, and Security Act of 2008 - Expresses the sense of Congress concerning Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.Directs the Secretary of State, with respect to vulnerable populations in Iraq (including internally displaced persons) and with respect to countries containing a significant population of Iraqi refugees (including Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran), to provide such countries or appropriate international organizations and nongovernmental organizations with specified [...]

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Latest Action: 07/09/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Trade.

Bill Text
To provide duty-free treatment for certain goods from designated Reconstruction Opportunity Zones in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and for other purposes. 6/26/2008--Introduced. Afghanistan-Pakistan Security and Prosperity Enhancement Act - Authorizes the President to designate Reconstruction Opportunity Zones within Afghanistan or Pakistan, provided certain eligibility criteria are met, including that: (1) such countries establish, or make progress toward establishing, a market-based economy, instituting rule of law, protecting core labor standards, and eliminating barriers to trade and investment; (2) such countries can be designated as a beneficiary developing country; and (3) the designation of a Reconstruction Opportunity Zone is appropriate taking into account certain qualifying factors. Provides for the duty-free treatment of certain textile and apparel products, as well as nontextile and nonapparel products, from a Reconstruction Opportunity Zone through September [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Bill Text
To provide for professional exchanges with Haiti, and for other purposes.

6/12/2008--Introduced.

Next Steps for Haiti Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Director of Foreign Assistance, in consultation with the government of Haiti and Haitian civil society organizations, to establish the Haiti Professional Exchange Program whose purpose shall be to assign qualified Haitian Americans and others to provide technical assistance to help Haiti improve in areas vital to its growth and development, including education, energy, environment, health care, infrastructure, security, transportation, and disaster preparedness.

Requires that the Director establish an outreach program to encourage Exchange Program participation.

Sets forth Program provisions.

Authorizes appropriations.

Latest Action: 06/11/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Bill Text
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that United States foreign assistance is a critical instrument for achieving our national security goals and that modernizing United States foreign assistance should become a national priority.

6/11/2008--Introduced.

Supports the comprehensive modernization of the U.S. foreign assistance apparatus to meet 21st century global challenges.

Calls for a renewed partnership between Congress and the Administration to define a common vision of the role and management of U.S. foreign assistance.

Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.

Bill Text
To direct the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases, and for other purposes. 6/4/2008--Introduced. Investing in Climate Action and Protection Act - Amends the Clean Air Act to require the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish: (1) a federal greenhouse gas (GHG) registry, for which affected entities must report information regarding fossil fuels and the GHGs produced, consumed, or sequestered; (2) specified quantities of GHG emission allowances, which decline for each of 2012 to 2050; and (3) a GHG emission allowance transfer system for specified covered facilities that emit more than 10,000 carbon dioxide equivalents of GHGs in a year, including facilities within the electric power sector, industrial facilities, facilities that produce or entities that import petroleum- or coal- based liquid or gaseous fuel, local distribution companies that deliver natural gas,[...]

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Latest Action: 06/18/2008 - Vetoed by President. (text of veto message: CR H5535)

Bill Text
To provide for the continuation of agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture through fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes. 6/18/2008--Public Law.    (There is 1 other summary) Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 - (Sec. 3) Deems the Joint Explanatory Statement submitted by the Committee of Conference for the conference report to accompany H.R. 2419 of the 110th Congress (House Report 110-627) to be part of the legislative history of this Act and to have the same effect regarding implementation of this Act as it would have had regarding implementation of H.R. 2419. (Sec. 4) Repeals P.L. 110-234 (H.R. 2419) and the amendments made by that Act, effective on the date of enactment of that Act. States that, except as otherwise provided in this Act, this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall take effect on the earlier of: (1) the date of enactment of this Act; or (2) the date of enactment of P.L. 110-234 [...]

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Latest Action: 05/13/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Bill Text
To authorize appropriations for the Federal Trade Commission for certain international technical assistance activities.

5/13/2008--Introduced.

Authorizes appropriations to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enhance its provision of international technical assistance regarding foreign consumer protection and competition regimes, including for consultations and meetings hosted by the FTC with foreign government agency officials and appropriate representatives and staff and related necessary administrative and logistical expenses.

Latest Action: 06/11/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Bill Text
To authorize law enforcement and security assistance, and assistance to enhance the rule of law and strengthen civilian institutions, for Mexico and the countries of Central America, and for other purposes. 6/10/2008--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Merida Initiative to Combat Illicit Narcotics and Reduce Organized Crime Authorization Act of 2008 - Title I: Assistance for Mexico - Subtitle A: Law Enforcement and Security Assistance - (Sec. 112) Authorizes the President to provide assistance for Mexico for: (1) counternarcotics and countertrafficking; (2) port, airport, and related security to assist in controlling the Mexico-U.S. and Mexico-Central America borders; (3) intelligence gathering operational technology; and (4) public security and law enforcement, including assistance to the National Council Against Addiction (CONADIC). (Sec. 114) Prohibits assistance to any armed forces of Mexico or law enforcement unit [...]

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Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry.

Bill Text
To improve the protections afforded under Federal law to consumers from contaminated seafood by directing the Secretary of Commerce to establish a program, in coordination with other appropriate Federal agencies, to strengthen activities for ensuring that seafood sold or offered for sale to the public in or affecting interstate commerce is fit for human consumption. 5/1/2008--Introduced. Commercial Seafood Consumer Protection Act - Directs the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) to establish a program to strengthen federal activities for ensuring that commercially distributed seafood meets federal food quality and safety requirements. Directs the Secretary and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement to strengthen cooperation on seafood safety, including regarding testing, inspections of foreign facilities, technical assistance of foreign facilities, establishing a distribution chain tracking system, and labeling. Directs the Secretary [...]

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Latest Action: 04/24/2008 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to strengthen sanctions against the Government of Syria, to enhance multilateral commitment to address the Government of Syria's threatening policies, to establish a program to support a transition to a democratically-elected government in Syria, and for other purposes. 4/24/2008--Introduced. Syria Accountability and Liberation Act - States that U.S. sanctions, controls, and regulations relating to Syria shall rema