lcalvobartolome/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

This bill prescribes requirements and deadlines for Senate consideration and votes on nominations submitted by the President, including referrals of such nominations to a single Senate committee and jointly to more than one committee.

If each committee to which the nomination has been referred reports it favorably to the Senate or discharges it without recommendation, the Senate shall hold a vote on the nomination within 60 days after the last such committee reports or discharges it.

 If the President submits to the Senate the nomination of an individual for appointment to an office and it is not referred to any Senate committee, the Senate shall hold a vote on the nomination within 150 days.

 In the case of the nomination of an individual for appointment to the Supreme Court of the United States, a vote in the Senate on a motion to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to consideration of the nomination shall be treated as a vote on the nomination for purposes of this bill.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Right to Petition Congress Act

This bill requires the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Secretary of the Senate to establish a process under which they shall:

 develop a national discharge petition for a bill or joint resolution introduced in either the House or the Senate or referred to either chamber after passage by the other chamber during a Congress, make each petition available for signature by individuals registered to vote in elections for federal office held in their domiciles, and compile such signatures. The Clerk or the Secretary may: (1) develop a petition only at the request of the sponsor of the bill or joint resolution; and (2) carry out this bill using such methods as the Clerk and Secretary consider appropriate, including providing for the availability of such petitions and the acceptance of signatures on them exclusively through electronic means.

If a discharge petition is certified by the Clerk or the Secretary as having valid signatures of 25% or more of qualified voters, the leadership of the House and Senate shall ensure that a vote on the final passage of the measure takes place within a specified time period.

As part of the national discharge petition process, the Clerk and the Secretary shall provide on their public websites a hyperlink through which individuals may obtain information on how to register to vote in federal elections in their domiciles.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2016-09-07 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on September 20, 2016. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act

(Sec. 2) This bill amends the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to permit the use of public transportation security assistance grant funds for backfill associated with security training.

(Sec. 3) Funds provided pursuant to such a grant for a specified authorized use shall, with two exceptions, remain available for use by a grant recipient for at least 36 months.

 Any such funds used for security improvements for public transportation systems or security improvements for stations and other public transportation infrastructure, including those owned by state or local governments, shall remain available for at least 55 months.

(Sec. 4) The Government Accountability Office shall review the public transportation security assistance grant program.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Transportation and public works
Date: 2016-09-09 00:00:00

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The expanded summary of the House reported version is repeated here.)

(Sec. 1) This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to give Congress three full business days' prior notice of any announcement of competitive DOT projects receiving a discretionary grant award, letter of intent, loan, loan guarantee, or line of credit of $750,000 or more.

DOT shall also give Congress notice of emergency program fund allocations for the repair of highways and roads damaged as a result of a disaster:

 three full business days before issuance of the allocation; or concurrently with the allocation, if it is made using DOT's quick release (or any successor) process.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2016-09-12 00:00:00

Congressional Accountability Now Act or the CAN Act

This bill prohibits the use of funds: (1) for the official travel expenses of a Member of Congress or legislative branch employee for airline accomodations that are not coach-class, (2) for the long-term leasing of a vehicle by a Member of Congress, and (3) for a Member's official mail other than a document transmitted under official letterhead.

The bill amends the Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 to reduce the annual rate of pay for Members of Congress by 10%.

This bill excludes Members of Congress from further coverage under the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). This exclusion does not apply to the Vice President.

Nothing in this bill shall: (1) be considered to nullify, modify, or otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under CSRS or FERS for any Member covering any period before its enactment; or (2) affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan.

Members currently covered by CSRS or FERS may elect to retain such coverage by giving written notice within 90 days after enactment of this bill.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2016-09-27 00:00:00

Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2016

This bill prohibits the President from using the Armed Forces to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless such strike is conducted pursuant to a congressional declaration of war expressly authorizing such strike.

"First-use nuclear strike" means a nuclear weapons attack against an enemy that is conducted without the President determining that the enemy has first launched a nuclear strike against the United States or a U.S. ally.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-11-16 00:00:00

No Lobbyists on Presidential Transition Teams Act

This bill amends the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 to prohibit any payment authorized by the General Services Administration for a President-elect or Vice President-elect under such Act from being made for services or facilities provided by a registered lobbyist.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2016-11-17 00:00:00

Presidential Accountability Act

This bill amends the federal criminal code to make it a crime for the President or Vice President to personally and substantially participate in official matters that affect their financial interests, unless the financial interests are held in a blind trust or the President or Vice President discloses the financial interests and receives an exemption.

It imposes criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both—on a President or Vice President who commits the offense. It also authorizes civil penalties and injunctions.

Additionally, a violation constitutes a high crime and misdemeanor (i.e., grounds for impeachment) under Article II, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution.

Finally, the bill prohibits the President or Vice President from entering into contracts with the U.S. government.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-11-17 00:00:00

None of the Above Act

Any individual casting a ballot in a general election for federal office shall be given the opportunity to cast a vote for "None of the Above" on a separate line after the names of all other candidates in the election.

The effect of "None of the Above" receiving the greatest number of votes in elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate would be to require a special election and in elections for President and Vice President it would be to require a special general election.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

Presidential Tax Disclosure Act of 2016 

This bill requires any individual holding the office of President to submit federal tax returns to the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). The individual must submit: (1) each return filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for any year ending while the individual is President, and (2) each return filed with the IRS for the three years before the individual assumed office.

After receiving the returns, the OGE must: (1) make the returns publicly available on the Internet, and (2) submit the returns to specified congressional committees.

No information may be redacted from the disclosed returns except for: (1) Social Security, tax identification, and account identification numbers; and (2) the names of any dependent of the taxpayer.

The bill establishes civil and criminal penalties to enforce the disclosure requirements. It also amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit the IRS to disclose to the OGE any federal tax return that is required to be disclosed by this bill, but has not been submitted to the OGE within a specified deadline.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

This bill amends: (1) the Freedom of Information Act to require the Department of the Treasury to make available each federal income tax return filed by an individual serving as President upon request, and (2) the Internal Revenue Code to authorize Treasury to disclose such returns.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

One President at a Time Act of 2016

This bill amends the federal criminal code to specify that the President-elect, or a person acting on behalf of the President-elect, is subject to the prohibition against unauthorized correspondence with a foreign government about a dispute or controversy with the United States.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2016-12-27 00:00:00

Nuclear Sanity Act

This bill requires the President to obtain the approval of the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State prior to the use of nuclear weapons, except: (1) in the case of a foreign military attack on U.S. territory, or (2) if it is impossible for the President to communicate with DOD and the State Department for a 24-hour period.

The bill requires: (1) the U.S. military to disregard all orders from the President in violation of this bill, and (2) any violation or attempted violation of this bill to be deemed a high crime or misdemeanor under the Constitution.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-01-06 00:00:00

Executive Needs to Faithfully Observe and Respect Congressional Enactments of the Law Act of 2015 or the ENFORCE the Law Act of 2015

Authorizes either chamber of Congress, upon adoption of a resolution declaring that the President or any officer or employee of the United States has established or implemented a policy, practice, or procedure to refrain from enforcing, applying, following, or administering any federal statute, rule, regulation, program, policy, or other law in violation of the constitutional requirement that the President faithfully execute the laws of the United States, to bring a civil action for a declaratory judgment to that effect.

Grants jurisdiction to a three-judge panel of a U.S. district court to hear such civil action and provides for an expedited direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2015-01-07 00:00:00

Enumerated Powers Act

 Requires each Act of Congress, bill, resolution, conference report, or amendment to contain a concise explanation of the specific constitutional authority relied upon as the basis for enacting each portion of the measure.

Permits a statement of constitutionality, to the extent that a measure limits or abolishes any federal activity, spending, or power overall, to cite the 9th or the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Declares that invoking one or more specified parts of the following clauses in a statement of constitutionality is not sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this Act: (1) the enumerated spending clause; (2) the necessary and proper clause; or (3) the commerce clause for any purpose other than the regulation of the buying and selling of goods or services, or their transportation, across boundaries with foreign nations, across state lines, or with the Indian tribes.

Declares that failure to comply with this requirement shall give rise to a point of order in either chamber.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Date: 2015-01-26 00:00:00

Former Vice President Protection Improvement Act of 2015

Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit knowingly and willfully threatening to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon former Vice Presidents or members of their immediate families.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-01-26 00:00:00

Tax Transparency Act of 2015 

Requires legislation, including conference reports or amendments, that modifies federal tax law to contain a statement describing the general effect of the modification on federal tax law. Provides that failure to provide such a statement shall give rise to a point of order during consideration of such legislation in either chamber of Congress. Sets forth procedures for consideration of such a point of order.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2015-01-29 00:00:00

Earmark Elimination Act of 2015

 Makes it out of order in the Senate to consider a bill or resolution introduced in either chamber or any other measure that includes an earmark.

Permits waiver of a point of order against an earmark only by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senators.

Makes this Act inapplicable to any authorization of appropriations to a federal entity if the authorization is not specifically targeted to a state, locality, or congressional district.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2015-02-12 00:00:00

Balanced Budget Accountability Act

 Requires each house of Congress to adopt a concurrent budget resolution for a fiscal year which provides that, for each fiscal year for which a budget is provided under the resolution (beginning by FY2025), total outlays do not exceed total receipts and are not more than 18% of the gross domestic product for such fiscal year.

Requires the Director of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), upon the adoption by a chamber of a concurrent budget resolution for a fiscal year, to transmit to the Speaker of the House of Representatives or the President pro Tempore of the Senate (as the case may be) a certification as to whether or not that chamber has met the requirements of this Act with respect to the resolution.

Requires the appropriate payroll administrator of each chamber to deposit in an escrow account all mandatory payments for compensation of Members of Congress serving in that chamber if CBO does not certify that it has adopted a concurrent budget resolution for FY2016 before April 16, 2015.

Requires deposits to begin on such date and to be released to appropriate Members on the earlier of:

 the day on which CBO certifies that the chamber has met the requirements of this Act with respect to FY2016, or the last day of the 114th Congress. Sets forth the same requirements for FY2017 if CBO does not certify that a chamber has adopted a concurrent budget resolution for FY2017 before April 16, 2016.

Requires legislation in the House and Senate that increases revenue to be agreed upon only by an affirmative vote of three-fifths of the Members of that chamber.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2015-06-15 00:00:00

Read the Bills Act

This bill requires any bill or resolution introduced in either chamber of Congress to contain a provision citing the specific powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the proposed measure, including all of its provisions.

Any measure introduced in either chamber, intended to amend or modify the effect of, or which would have such an effect, any current provision of law, including its expiration date, must set forth: (1) the current version of the entire section of the current law that the measure proposes to amend, verbatim; (2) the amendments being proposed by the measure; and (3) the section of law as it would read as modified by such amendments. Measures that would strike the text of an entire section of a law are excluded.

Neither the Clerk of the House of Representatives nor the Secretary of the Senate may accept legislation noncompliant with these requirements.

These requirements shall be applied to any legislation presented for consideration on the floor of either chamber.

Noncompliant measures may not be submitted for a vote on final passage.

These requirements shall not be waived or modified by either chamber or Congress jointly.

A vote on final passage of a measure (except private bills) may not occur in either chamber unless:

 the full text of the measure is published at least seven days before the vote on an official website of each chamber, public notice of the specific calendar week during which the vote is scheduled to take place is posted on the respective website within six days before the Monday of such week, and there is a reading of its full text verbatim by the Clerk or the Secretary to the respective chamber. A Member of Congress, before voting in favor of final passage of any measure (except a private bill), must sign an affidavit, executed under penalty of perjury, that the Member either: (1) was present throughout the entire reading of each such measure, and listened attentively to the reading in its entirety; or (2) before such vote, read attentively each such measure in its entirety.

This requirement shall not be waived or modified by either chamber of Congress.

An Act of Congress noncompliant with this Act shall have no force or effect. No legal, equitable, regulatory, civil, or criminal action may be brought under such Act.

The following aggrieved individuals are granted the right to bring an action against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an injunction against the enforcement of any law whose passage did not conform to this Act:

 persons aggrieved by an action of any executive officer or employee, Members of Congress, and persons individually aggrieved by the failure of their Senator or Member of the House of Representatives to fulfill their obligation under this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Congress
Date: 2015-06-15 00:00:00

One Subject at a Time Act

 Requires: (1) each bill or joint resolution to embrace no more than one subject, and (2) the subject to be clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title.

Prohibits an appropriations bill from containing any general legislation or change of existing law requirement, if its subject is not germane to the subject of such bill.

Declares void: (1) an entire Act or joint resolution if its title addresses two or more unrelated subjects, (2) provisions in legislation not clearly and descriptively expressed in the measure's title, (3) appropriation provisions in legislation outside the relevant subcommittee's jurisdiction, and (4) provisions of appropriation bills not germane to their subject matter.

Grants aggrieved persons and Members of Congress the right to bring an action against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an injunction against the enforcement of any law the passage of which did not conform to this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: Government operations and politics
Date: 2015-06-15 00:00:00

Write the Laws Act

Prohibits an Act of Congress from containing any delegation of legislative powers, whether to: (1) any component within the legislative branch, (2) the President or any other member of the executive branch, (3) the judicial branch, (4) any agency, (5) any quasi-public agency, (6) any state or state instrumentality, or (7) any other organization or individual.

Excludes from the meaning of delegation of legislative powers the issuance of presidential proclamations, the issuance of rules or regulations governing the internal operation of federal agencies, or the making of conditions upon agency grants or contracts.

Prohibits the promulgation or putting into effect of any new presidential directive, adjudicative decision, rule, or regulation, or any change to an existing presidential directive, adjudicative decision, rule, or regulation governing, limiting, imposing a penalty on, or otherwise regulating any activity of any individual or entity, other than a federal officer or employee, unless it is authorized by an Act of Congress that complies with this Act.

Requires the Comptroller General to identify to Congress all statutes enacted within 90 days after enactment of this Act that contain any delegation of legislative powers prohibited by it.

Denies any force or effect to any Act of Congress, presidential directive, adjudicative decision, rule, or regulation that is noncompliant with this Act. Prohibits any legal, equitable, regulatory, civil, or criminal action from being brought under such an Act, adjudicative decision, rule, or regulation.

Grants persons aggrieved by the action of any executive branch officer or employee the right to bring an action against the United States to seek appropriate relief, including an injunction against enforcement of any Act of Congress, presidential directive, adjudicative decision, rule, or regulation that is noncompliant with this Act.
Topic: Government Operations — Branch Relations
Subject: International affairs
Date: 2015-06-16 00:00:00

Authority for the Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Act

This bill authorizes the President to use the U.S. Armed Forces for three years against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), any closely related successor entity, or associated persons or forces.

This bill shall also constitute the sole statutory authority for U.S. military action against ISIL, superseding any prior authorization for the use of military force against ISIL.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 is repealed.