		IV
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. RES. 646
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			May 7, 2012
			Mr. Turner of New
			 York submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
			 Committee on the
			 Judiciary

		RESOLUTION
		Expressing the sense of the House that
		  Village Voice Media Holdings, LLC should eliminate the adult
		  entertainment section of the classified advertising website
		  Backpage.com.

		Whereas according to the Department of Justice, there was
			 a 59 percent increase in identified victims of human trafficking worldwide
			 between 2009 and 2010;
		Whereas according to the Department of Health and Human
			 Services, human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the
			 world;
		Whereas experts estimate that up to 300,000 children are
			 at risk of sexual exploitation each year in the United States;
		Whereas experts estimate that the average female victim of
			 sex trafficking is forced into prostitution for the first time between the ages
			 of 12 and 14, and the average male victim of sex trafficking is forced into
			 prostitution for the first time between the ages of 11 and 13;
		Whereas the Bureau of Justice Statistics found that 40
			 percent of incidents investigated by federally funded task forces on human
			 trafficking between 2008 and 2010 involved prostitution of a child or the
			 sexual exploitation of a child;
		Whereas according to the classified advertising consultant
			 Advanced Interactive Media Group (referred to in this preamble as AIM
			 Group), Backpage.com is the leading United States website for
			 prostitution advertising;
		Whereas Backpage.com is owned by Village Voice Media
			 Holdings, LLC (referred to in this preamble as Village Voice
			 Media);
		Whereas the National Association of Attorneys General
			 tracked more than 50 cases in which charges were filed against persons who were
			 trafficking or attempting to traffic minors on Backpage.com;
		Whereas Myrelle and Tyrelle Locket—
			(1)in February 2011 were each sentenced to 4
			 years in prison on charges of trafficking of persons for forced labor or
			 services for operating an Illinois sex trafficking ring that included minors;
			 and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Arthur James Chappell—
			(1)in March 2011 was
			 sentenced to 28 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor for
			 running a prostitution ring with at least 1 juvenile victim in Minnesota;
			 and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Brandon Quincy Thompson—
			(1)in April 2011 was
			 sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of sex trafficking a child by force
			 for running a South Dakota prostitution ring that involved multiple underage
			 girls; and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Clint Eugene Wilson—
			(1)in May 2011 was
			 sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor by
			 force, fraud, or coercion for forcing a 16-year-old Dallas girl into
			 prostitution, threatening to assault her, and forcing her to get a tattoo that
			 branded her as his property; and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Demetrius Darnell Homer—
			(1)in August 2011 was
			 sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor for
			 violently forcing a 14-year-old Atlanta girl into prostitution, controlling her
			 through beatings, threatening her with a knife, shocking her with a taser in
			 front of another underage girl whom he had placed in prostitution, and forcing
			 her to engage in prostitution while she was pregnant with his child; and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Leighton Martin Curtis—
			(1)in February 2012
			 was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking of a minor
			 and production of child pornography for pimping a 15-year-old girl throughout
			 Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina to approximately 20 to 35 customers each
			 week for more than a year; and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas Ronnie Leon Tramble—
			(1)in March 2012 was
			 sentenced to 15 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking through force,
			 fraud, and coercion for forcing more than 5 young women and minors into
			 prostitution over a period of at least 5 years throughout the State of
			 Washington, during which time period he constantly subjected the victims to
			 brutal physical and emotional abuse; and
			(2)used Backpage.com
			 to facilitate the prostitution;
			Whereas according to AIM Group, 80 percent of online
			 prostitution advertising revenue for the month of February 2012 was attributed
			 to Backpage.com;
		Whereas according to AIM Group, the number of Backpage.com
			 advertisements for escorts and body rubs, a thinly
			 veiled code for prostitution, increased by nearly 5 percent between February
			 2011 and February 2012;
		Whereas according to AIM Group, Backpage.com earned an
			 estimated $26,000,000 from prostitution advertisements between February 2011
			 and February 2012;
		Whereas Backpage.com vice president Carl Ferrer
			 acknowledged to the National Association of Attorneys General that the company
			 identifies more than 400 adult entertainment posts that may
			 involve minors each month;
		Whereas the actual number of adult
			 entertainment posts on Backpage.com each month that involve minors may
			 be far greater than 400;
		Whereas according to the National Association of Attorneys
			 General, Missouri investigators found that the review procedures of
			 Backpage.com are ineffective in policing illegal activity;
		Whereas in September 2010, Craigslist.com removed the
			 adult services section of its website following calls for removal
			 from law enforcement and advocacy organizations;
		Whereas by September 16, 2011, 51 attorneys general of
			 States and territories of the United States had called on Backpage.com to shut
			 down the adult entertainment section of its website;
		Whereas, on September 16, 2011, the Tri-City Herald of the
			 State of Washington published an editorial entitled Attorneys general
			 target sexual exploitation of kids, writing, … we’d also
			 encourage the owners of Backpage.com to give the attorneys general what they
			 are asking for;
		Whereas, on October 25, 2011, 36 clergy members from
			 across the United States published an open letter to Village Voice Media in the
			 New York Times, calling on the company to shut down the adult
			 entertainment section of Backpage.com;
		Whereas, on December 2, 2011, 55 anti-trafficking
			 organizations called on Village Voice Media to shut down the adult
			 entertainment section of Backpage.com;
		Whereas, on December 29, 2011, the Seattle Times published
			 an editorial entitled Murders strengthen case against
			 Backpage.com, writing, Backpage.com cannot continue to dismiss
			 the women and children exploited through the website, nor the 3 women in
			 Detroit who are dead possibly because they were trafficked on the site. Revenue
			 from the exploitation and physical harm of women and minors is despicable.
			 Village Voice Media, which owns Backpage.com, must shut this site down. Until
			 then, all the pressure that can be brought to bear must
			 continue.;
		Whereas, on March 18, 2012, Nicholas Kristof of the New
			 York Times wrote in an opinion piece entitled Where Pimps Peddle Their
			 Goods that [t]here are no simple solutions to end sex
			 trafficking, but it would help to have public pressure on Village Voice Media
			 to stop carrying prostitution advertising.;
		Whereas, on March 29, 2012, Change.org delivered a
			 petition signed by more than 240,000 individuals to Village Voice Media,
			 calling on the company to shut down the adult entertainment
			 section of Backpage.com;
		Whereas, on January 12, 2012, John Buffalo Mailer, son of
			 Village Voice co-founder Norman Mailer, joined the Change.org petition to shut
			 down the adult entertainment section of Backpage.com, stating,
			 For the sake of the Village Voice brand and for the sake of the legacy
			 of a great publication, take down the adult section of Backpage.com, before the
			 Village Voice must answer for yet another child who is abused and exploited
			 because you did not do enough to prevent it.;
		Whereas, on March 30, 2012, a private equity firm owned by
			 Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. completed a deal to sell its 16 percent ownership
			 stake in Village Voice Media back to management;
		Whereas in M.A. ex rel. P.K. v. Village Voice Media
			 Holdings, LLC (809 F. Supp. 2d 1041 (E.D. Mo. 2011)), the United States
			 District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri held that section 230 of
			 the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 230) (as added by section 509 of the
			 Communications Decency Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–104; 110 Stat. 137))
			 protects Backpage.com from civil liability for the horrific
			 victimization the teenage plaintiff suffered at the hands of the
			 criminal who posted on the website to perpetrate her vicious crimes; and
		Whereas the Communications Decency Act of 1996 (Public Law
			 104–104; 110 Stat. 56) and the amendments made by that Act do not preclude a
			 service provider from voluntarily removing a portion of a website known to
			 facilitate the sexual exploitation of minors in order to protect children in
			 the United States: Now, therefore, be it

		That the House of
			 Representatives—
			(1)supports the
			 efforts of law enforcement agencies to provide training to law enforcement
			 agents on how to identify victims of sex trafficking, investigate cases of sex
			 trafficking, prosecute sex trafficking offenses, and rescue victims of sex
			 trafficking;
			(2)supports services
			 for trafficking victims provided by the Federal Government, State and local
			 governments, and nonprofit and faith-based organizations, including medical,
			 legal, mental health, housing, and other social services; and
			(3)calls on Village
			 Voice Media Holdings, LLC to act as a responsible global citizen and
			 immediately eliminate the adult entertainment section of the
			 classified advertising website Backpage.com to terminate the website’s rampant
			 facilitation of online sex trafficking.


116 HR 5305 IH: Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area Study Act
U.S. House of Representatives
2019-12-05
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

I116th CONGRESS1st SessionH. R. 5305IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESDecember 5, 2019Mr. Rogers of Kentucky introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural ResourcesA BILLTo authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to assess the suitability and
			 feasibility of designating certain land as the Kentucky Wildlands National
			 Heritage Area, and for other purposes.

 1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area Study Act. 2.DefinitionsIn this Act:
 (1)Heritage areaThe term Heritage Area means the Kentucky Wildlands National Heritage Area. (2)SecretaryThe term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
 (3)StateThe term State means the State of Kentucky. (4)Study areaThe term study area means—
 (A)the counties in the State of Adair, Bath, Bell, Boyd, Breathitt, Carter, Casey, Clay, Clinton, Cumberland, Elliott, Floyd, Green, Harlan, Jackson, Johnson, Knott, Knox, Laurel, Lawrence, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Lincoln, Magoffin, Martin, McCreary, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Morgan, Owsley, Perry, Pike, Pulaski, Rockcastle, Rowan, Russell, Wayne, Whitley, and Wolfe Counties; and
 (B)any other areas in the State that— (i)have heritage aspects that are similar to the areas described in paragraph (1); and
 (ii)are adjacent to, or in the vicinity of, those areas. 3.Study (a)In generalThe Secretary, in consultation with State and local historic preservation officers, State and local historical societies, State and local tourism offices, and other appropriate organizations and governmental agencies, shall conduct a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating the study area as a National Heritage Area, to be known as the Kentucky National Heritage Area.
 (b)RequirementsThe study shall include analysis, documentation, and determinations on whether the study area— (1)has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural resources that—
 (A)represent distinctive aspects of the heritage of the United States; (B)are worthy of recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing use; and
 (C)would be best managed— (i)through partnerships among public and private entities; and
 (ii)by linking diverse and sometimes noncontiguous resources and active communities; (2)reflects traditions, customs, beliefs, and folklife that are a valuable part of the story of the United States;
 (3)provides outstanding opportunities— (A)to conserve natural, historic, cultural, or scenic features; and
 (B)for recreation and education; (4)contains resources that—
 (A)are important to any identified themes of the study area; and (B)retain a degree of integrity capable of supporting interpretation;
 (5)includes residents, business interests, nonprofit organizations, and State and local governments that—
 (A)are involved in the planning of the Heritage Area; (B)have developed a conceptual financial plan that outlines the roles of all participants in the Heritage Area, including the Federal Government; and
 (C)have demonstrated support for the designation of the Heritage Area; (6)has a potential management entity to work in partnership with the individuals and entities described in paragraph (5) to develop the Heritage Area while encouraging State and local economic activity;
 (7)could impact the rights of private property owners with respect to their private property; and (8)has a conceptual boundary map that is supported by the public.
 4.ReportNot later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a report that describes—
 (1)the findings of the study under section 3; and (2)any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary.


114 SRES 443 IS: Designating April 2016 as “National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month”.
U.S. Senate
2016-04-27
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		III
		114th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		S. RES. 443
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			April 27, 2016
			Mr. Schumer submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

		RESOLUTION
		Designating April 2016 as National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.

 Whereas sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that can affect almost any organ of the body, but most commonly affects the lungs;
 Whereas sarcoidosis causes the immune system to overreact, causing damage to tissue in the form of granulomas, which are microscopic clumps of inflammatory cells, and interference with the functioning of an organ when too many granulomas form in that organ;
 Whereas sarcoidosis is a multisystem disorder, which means that symptoms vary depending on which organ is affected, and 1/3 of individuals diagnosed with sarcoidosis will experience damage to multiple organs;
 Whereas the cause of sarcoidosis is unknown; Whereas sarcoidosis is classified as a rare disease, but there are an estimated 200,000 individuals in the United States who live with sarcoidosis;
 Whereas sarcoidosis affects all demographics, regardless of age, race, or gender, but is most common among adults between the ages of 20 and 40 and more likely to be severe and chronic in African-Americans;
 Whereas sarcoidosis was the first diagnosis for an overwhelming majority of rescue workers responding to the site of the attacks on September 11, 2001;
 Whereas sarcoidosis patients are often left undertreated or misdiagnosed due to the diverse presentation of sarcoidosis, the lack of knowledge of sarcoidosis among some physicians, and the diagnosis of sarcoidosis through exclusions;
 Whereas the average time it takes to diagnose sarcoidosis is 7 years, and many sarcoidosis patients struggle to find knowledgeable physicians and emotional support resources relating to sarcoidosis;
 Whereas treatment options for sarcoidosis are limited due in part to the lack of informative research and funding specific to sarcoidosis;
 Whereas the Sarcoidosis of Long Island and the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research— (1)actively advocate for more research to better understand how environmental or occupational exposures may increase the risk of sarcoidosis; and
 (2)strive to serve individuals afflicted by sarcoidosis by focusing efforts relating to sarcoidosis on public policy, research, funding, patient services, public awareness, education, and finding a cure; and
 Whereas April 2016 is appropriate to designate as National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month, with worldwide events— (1)to increase public awareness of the need to support individuals with sarcoidosis;
 (2)to raise awareness of the environmental and occupational issues associated with sarcoidosis; and (3)to educate medical professionals who care for individuals with sarcoidosis: Now, therefore, be it

 That the Senate— (1)supports the goals and ideals of National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month; and
 (2)designates April 2016 as National Sarcoidosis Awareness Month.


114 S353 IS: Justice Safety Valve Act of 2015
U.S. Senate
2015-02-03
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II114th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 353IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESFebruary 3, 2015Mr. Paul (for himself and Mr. Leahy) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryA BILLTo amend title 18, United States Code, to prevent unjust and irrational criminal punishments.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Justice Safety Valve Act of 2015.2.Authority to
 impose a sentence below a statutory minimumSection 3553 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:(g)Authority To
				impose a sentence below a statutory minimum To prevent an unjust
				sentence(1)General
 ruleNotwithstanding any provision of law other than this subsection, the court may impose a sentence below a statutory minimum if the court finds that it is necessary to do so in order to avoid violating the requirements of subsection (a).(2)Court to give
 parties noticeBefore imposing a sentence under paragraph (1), the court shall give the parties reasonable notice of the court’s intent to do so and an opportunity to respond.(3)Statement in
 writing of factorsThe court shall state, in the written statement of reasons, the factors under subsection (a) that require imposition of a sentence below the statutory minimum.(4)Appeal rights
 not limitedThis subsection does not limit any right to appeal that would otherwise exist in its absence..


117 S242 IS: Layoff Prevention Act of 2021
U.S. Senate
2021-02-04
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

II117th CONGRESS1st SessionS. 242IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESFebruary 4, 2021Mr. Reed introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on FinanceA BILLTo provide for an extension of temporary financing of short-time compensation programs.1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the Layoff Prevention Act of 2021.2.Extension of temporary financing of short-time compensation payments in States with programs in lawSection 2108(b)(2) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9026(b)(2)) is amended by striking March 14, 2021 and inserting the date that is 5 years and 6 months after the date of enactment of the Layoff Prevention Act of 2021.3.Extension of temporary financing of short-time compensation agreementsSection 2109(d)(2) of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9027(d)(2)) is amended by striking March 14, 2021 and inserting the date that is 2 years and 13 weeks after the date of enactment of the Layoff Prevention Act of 2021.4.Extension of grants for short-time compensation programs(a)Extension; additional fundingSection 2110 of the CARES Act (15 U.S.C. 9028) is amended—(1)in subsection (b)(1), by striking $100,000,000 and inserting $200,000,000;(2)in subsection (c)(1), by striking December 31, 2023 and inserting December 31, 2026; and(3)in subsection (g), by striking $100,000,000 and inserting $200,000,000.(b)Effective dateThe amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136).


110 HR 6990 IH: Independent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

U.S. House of Representatives
2008-09-22
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

		I
		110th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		H. R. 6990
		IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

			September 22, 2008
			Ms. Kaptur introduced
			 the following bill; which was referred to the
			 Committee on Financial
			 Services

		A BILL
		To establish the Independent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
		  Investigative Commission to investigate the actions of officers and directors
		  at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac responsible for making the decisions that led to
		  the enterprises’ financial instability and the subsequent Federal
		  conservatorship of such enterprises, and any financial gains that accrued to
		  such officers and directors.

		1.Short titleThis Act may be cited as the
			 Independent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
			 Investigative Commission Act.
		2.FindingsCongress finds the following:
			(1)The United States
			 has suffered tremendously from the irresponsible and unchecked growth of the
			 mortgage industry which proliferated under the policies of Fannie Mae and
			 Freddie Mac.
			(2)The Federal
			 conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may cost the American people a
			 minimum of $200,000,000,000, and potentially $2.4 trillion, making it
			 potentially the largest financial bailout in our Nation's history.
			(3)The American
			 people, forced to shoulder the financial burden of the bailout, deserve to know
			 what went wrong and why.
			(4)Any executive
			 officers and members of the boards of directors at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
			 who may have exercised poor judgment or committed wrongdoing should be held
			 accountable for such judgments and actions.
			(5)In June 2003, Freddie Mac disclosed that it
			 had misstated its earnings by roughly $5 billion between the years 2000 and
			 2002 to smooth the appearance of quarterly volatility in earnings and to meet
			 Wall Street expectations.
			(6)In December 2004,
			 the Securities and Exchange Commission found that Fannie Mae had violated
			 accounting rules and needed to restate its earnings by recording a loss of up
			 to $9 billion from 2001 to 2004 based on board policies established prior to
			 that period.
			(7)The shareholders
			 of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the employees and directors of the boards of
			 these enterprises have enjoyed large dividends, bonuses, salaries, and other
			 compensation based on policies and practices that may have been misguided or
			 fraudulent.
			(8)In 2007, former Freddie Mac Chairman and
			 Chief Executive Richard Syron alone received nearly $18,300,000 in
			 compensation, despite the fact that the enterprise’s stock lost half its
			 value.
			(9)Last year, former Fannie Mae President and
			 Chief Executive Daniel Mudd received compensation valued at $11,600,000.
			(10)Previous
			 investigations of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have focused on accounting fraud,
			 but there have not been any investigations on the policies and decisions that
			 contributed to and exacerbated our Nation's housing crisis and financial
			 collapse of these corporations.
			(11)According to the Office of Federal Housing
			 Enterprise Oversight, regulation allowed Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to
			 overleverage and operate with just $83.2 billion of capital at the end of 2007,
			 even though it supported $5.2 trillion of debt and guarantees.
			(12)Although the
			 executive officers of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have come under scrutiny,
			 their boards of directors have been held harmless throughout the Nation's
			 housing crisis, despite having the authority to create, influence, and vote for
			 the policies of such enterprises.
			(13)The involvement
			 of the boards of directors in the policies of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has
			 been shrouded in secrecy, as their policymaking decisions have not been
			 publicly disclosed, despite the public protections and benefits their
			 enterprises receive.
			(14)There is a need to fully understand what
			 went wrong in the management of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the misguided,
			 potentially fraudulent board policies and practices that ultimately led to the
			 Federal conservatorship of such enterprises so that similar mistakes will not
			 be repeated in the future.
			3.EstablishmentThere is established a commission to be
			 known as the Independent Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Investigative
			 Commission (in this Act referred to as the Commission).
			 The Commission shall function upon the legislation being signed by the
			 President of the United States and will conduct its investigations for a period
			 of two years, issuing a final report upon completion with necessary hearings
			 and assembly of related records for the period following the savings and loan
			 crisis of the 1980s to the present.
		4.Duties of the
			 CommissionThe Commission
			 shall investigate, determine, and make recommendations with respect to the
			 following:
			(1)The policies,
			 practices, and board decisions of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from the 1990s
			 through the present that led to the enterprises’ financial instability and the
			 subsequent Federal conservatorship of such enterprises.
			(2)Fannie Mae and
			 Freddie Mac’s involvement, if any, in the creation and proliferation of the
			 securitized mortgage instrument, and how such instrument affected the solvency
			 of such enterprises.
			(3)The role of the
			 boards of directors of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in developing the accounting
			 and financial risk policies of such enterprises, particularly as they relate to
			 subprime mortgages and the international securitization of mortgages.
			(4)The actions of
			 each board member or members, executive officer or officers, or the board
			 member or members and executive officer or officers responsible for making the
			 financial decisions to grow such enterprises’ portfolios of subprime mortgage
			 loans.
			(5)The board member or members, executive
			 officer or officers, or the board member or members and executive officer or
			 officers responsible for making the decisions that may have encouraged the
			 proliferation of the subprime mortgage industry.
			(6)The decisions that
			 contributed to the overvaluation of risky mortgage investments in the stock
			 market and to the growth of the subprime mortgage industry.
			(7)The annual
			 compensation, stock options, and other financial benefits that accrued to each
			 of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac's executive officers and members of their boards
			 of directors from 1990 to 2008.
			(8)The board members,
			 if any, who financially benefitted from their appointment to either board of
			 directors and/or through the decisions of such board.
			(9)The tracking of
			 political contributions to Presidential and congressional elections and
			 campaign funds that served to influence U.S. housing policy by board members,
			 officers, and employees.
			(10)The appropriate
			 role of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the U.S. housing market nationwide and
			 regionally.
			(11)Such other
			 matters that the President or the Congress may place before the
			 Commission.
			(12)The Commission
			 shall possess full subpoena power and authority to hire necessary staff to
			 conduct its affairs.
			5.Membership
			(a)Number and
			 appointmentThe Commission shall be composed of 9 members
			 appointed by the President as follows:
				(1)One member who
			 shall serve as the Chairperson, shall be appointed with the advice of the
			 Senate.
				(2)Eight members, not
			 more than four of whom shall be members of the same political party, to be
			 appointed based on recommendations from the Speaker and the minority leader of
			 the House of Representatives, and the majority leader and minority leader of
			 the Senate, who shall each submit the names of two recommended candidates to
			 the President.
				(b)TermsEach
			 member shall be appointed for the life of the Commission.
			(c)VacanciesA
			 vacancy on the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the original
			 appointment was made for the remainder of that term. If there is a vacancy in
			 the Chair of the Commission, the remaining members of the Commission may choose
			 from among the members an interim Chairperson to serve until a new Chairperson
			 is appointed.
			6.Compensation
			Members of
			 CongressMembers of the
			 Commission who are Members of Congress shall not receive additional pay,
			 allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Commission, but, as
			 permitted by law, may be reimbursed for travel, subsistence, and other
			 necessary expenses incurred when performing duties of the Commission.
			7.Commission
			 Hiring AllowanceSuch sums as
			 are necessary shall be appropriated to conduct the activities of the Commission
			 but shall be no less than $5 million annually. Recovery of any assets
			 fraudulently accruing to members of the boards of directors shall be returned
			 to the general Treasury to offset such expenditures.


		II
		112th CONGRESS
		2d Session
		S. 2801
		IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

			May 7, 2012
			Mr. Kerry introduced the
			 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
			 Committee on
			 Finance

		A BILL
		To suspend temporarily the duty on Pigment Yellow
		  180.

		1.Pigment Yellow 180
			(a)In
			 generalSubchapter II of chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff
			 Schedule of the United States is amended by inserting in numerical sequence the
			 following new heading:

								9902.01.00Pigment Yellow 180 (CAS No. 77804–81–0) (provided for in
						subheading 3204.17.60)FreeNo changeNo changeOn or before 12/31/2015

					.
			(b)Effective
			 dateThe amendment made by subsection (a) applies with respect to
			 goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after the
			 15th day after the date of the enactment of this Act.