Monday, May 12th, 2025
Gulf of America: The House passed H.R.276 (211-206), which would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.
Restrictions on Confucius Institutes and Chinese Entities: The House passed H.R.881 (266-153), which restricts funding to an institution of higher education (IHE) that has a relationship with a Confucius Institute, Thousand Talents Program, or Chinese entity of concern. The bill defines (1) Confucius Institute as a cultural institute funded by the Chinese government; (2) Thousand Talents Program as any technological or educational program funded or administered by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; and (3) Chinese entity of concern as generally any university or college in China that is involved in China's military, police, or intelligence activities.
Stop Forced Organ Harvesting: The House passed H.R.1503, which would require the President to impose sanctions on persons (individuals and entities) involved in forced organ trafficking and authorizes the Department of State to deny or revoke the passports of individuals convicted of certain crimes related to organ trafficking. Specifically, the President must report to Congress a list of persons who facilitate (1) forced organ harvesting, or (2) trafficking in persons for organ harvesting. For each person on the list, the President must impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions.
Georgian Democracy: The House passed H.R.36, which mandates a comprehensive sanctions review of all Georgian Dream officials. Those found to have engaged in corruption or undermining Georgian sovereignty will be sanctioned. Provides for a certification mechanism that mandates a deeper relationship between the United States and Georgia once Georgia’s democracy and sovereignty have been restored.
Aviator Cancers: The House passed H.R.530, which requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and report on the prevalence and mortality of cancers among veterans who served on active duty as aircrew members and regularly flew in fixed-wing aircraft.
Rubber Tire Manufacturing Rule: The Senate passed H.J.Res.61, which would repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s “National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing” rule. Issued on November 29, 2024, the rule sets National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants for the manufacturing of rubber tires, pneumatic casings, inner tubes, and solid and cushion tires for all types of vehicles, airplanes, and farm equipment. It also imposes continuous emission testing and compliance demonstration requirements on the rubber manufacturing industry. It now goes to President Trump, who has said he will sign it.
OCC Bank Merger Rule: The Senate passed S.J.Res.13 (52-47), which would repeal a 2024 final rule that changed how the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency reviews proposed bank mergers. The OCC last year adopted a rule that made several revisions to how it reviews merger proposals, including ending a practice of automatically approving merger applications on the 15th day after the close of the comment period unless the agency takes action to remove the filing for expedited processing.
