Stop Wasteful Advertising by the Government Act or the SWAG ActThis bill prohibits any federal agency or entity from using federal funds to purchase, acquire, or distribute swag (i.e., products distributed at no cost with the sole purpose of advertising or promoting an agency, organization, or program) or to manufacture or use a mascot for promotional purposes. Exceptions to these prohibitions include (1) express authorization in law, (2) recruitment related to armed forces enlistment, and (3) military academy athletic team mascots.
Freedom from Mandates ActThis bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19.Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees).Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated.HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation ActThis bill directs the Department of State to designate four specified drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. (Among other things, such a designation allows the Department of the Treasury to require U.S. financial institutions to block transactions involving the organization.)The four specified cartels in the bill are the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion.The bill also requires the State Department to submit a detailed report on those four cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.The bill specifies that it may not be construed to expand eligibility for asylum.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless (1) Congress authorizes the excess by a three-fifths vote of each chamber, and (2) total outlays do not exceed a specified percentage of the estimated gross domestic product of the United States. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment requires a three-fifths vote of each chamber of Congress to increase revenue or increase the limit on the debt of the United States. The amendment also requires the President to submit an annual budget in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts. The President's budget must also include justifications and specified details regarding funding proposed for departments and agencies. Congress may waive the requirements due to a declaration of war, a military conflict, an event that causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security, or a natural disaster.