Formally apologizing for the nuclear legacy of the United States in the Republic of the Marshall Islands and affirming the importance of free association between the Government of the United States and the Government of the Marshall Islands

That Congressâ€” recognizes thatâ€” the United States nuclear testing program and radioactive waste disposal in the Marshall Islands caused irreparable material and intangible harm to the people of the Marshall Islands; and although the United States governed the Marshall Islands during such nuclear testing program and had complete responsibility for the welfare of the people of the Marshall Islands, the United Statesâ€” failed to evacuate those people from areas contaminated by nuclear radiation; prematurely resettled such people in unsafe conditions; and conducted medical research without the consent of such people; apologizes on behalf of the United States to the individuals and families of the Marshall Islands for the hardships they have endured as a result of the United States nuclear testing program and radioactive waste disposal; commits to providing assistance to the Marshall Islands and the other Freely Associated States to adapt to the worst effects of the climate crisis; urges the Secretary of Energy to complete as soon as possible a radiochemical analysis of the groundwater surrounding Cactus Crater in accordance with section 103(f)(1) of the Compact of Free Association Amendments Act of 2003 ( (48 U.S.C. 1921b(f)(1)) ); calls upon the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Energy to fully support the study required under section 1685 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 ( (Public Law 117â€“81) ; 135 Stat. 2125), which directs the Public Interest Declassification Board to explore the feasibility of the declassification of documents related to United States nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands; commits to securing healthcare coverage for veterans of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel who participated in the clean up of radiological waste of former United States nuclear test sites in the Marshall Islands; affirms that the Compact of Free Association between the United States and the Republic of the Marshall Islands, done at Majuro June 25, 1983 (referred to in this resolution as the "Compact of Free Association" ), is the cornerstone of the strong relationship between the Marshall Islands and the United States, which also includesâ€” vital contributions of the people of the Marshall Islands in the United States; high rates of service in the Armed Forces by citizens of the Marshall Islands; and a shared desire for a free, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region; recognizes that it is incumbent on the United States to open dialogue regarding the nuclear legacy of the United States in Marshall Islands during any negotiation of the Compact of Free Association or its subsidiary agreements; welcomes the commitment of the Government of the United States, outlined in the Indo-Pacific Strategy of the United States, published by the White House in February 2022, to "prioritize negotiations on our Compacts of Free Association with the Freely Associated States as the bedrock of the U.S. role in the Pacific" , and urges the President to appoint a special envoy to guide the interagency process of negotiating an extension of the Compact of Free Association; and acknowledges that nothing in this resolutionâ€” authorizes any claim against the United States; supersedes any provision of the Compact of Free Association or its subsidiary agreements; and serves as a settlement of any claim against the United States.

Summary: This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that limits the permissible sources of funding for elections to public office and state ballot measures. Specifically, funding to support or oppose a campaign for election to public office may only be provided through (1) contributions by individual citizens to the principal campaign committee controlled by the candidate, or (2) a public election financing or voter education system. Funding to support or oppose a state ballot measure may only be provided through (1) contributions by individuals eligible to vote on the measure, or (2) through a public election financing or voter education system.  Congress, the states, and local jurisdictions must establish contribution limits.