To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 216 Cumberland Street in Rochester, New York, as the "Minister Franklin Florence Memorial Post Office".

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Bill ID: 119/hr/397
Last Updated: July 17, 2026

Sponsored by

Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

ID: M001206

Follow the money

The bill

To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 216 Cumberland Street in Rochester, New York, as the "Minister Franklin Florence Memorial Post Office".

HR. 397, 119th Congress.

The sponsor

Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

Every bill has someone who introduced it. That name is where the paper trail starts.

The money

$67,500 raised

22 itemised contributions to this sponsor, pulled from FEC filings.

The alignment

40% match to Project 2025

This bill's text tracks the "Department of Homeland Security" section, p. 168-170 of the Mandate for Leadership.

Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law

Track this bill's progress through the legislative process

Latest Action

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 15.

April 29, 2025

Introduced

📍 Current Status

Next: The bill will be reviewed by relevant committees who will debate, amend, and vote on it.

🏛️

Committee Review

🗳️

Floor Action

✅

Passed House

🏛️

Senate Review

🎉

Passed Congress

🖊️

Presidential Action

⚖️

Became Law

📚 How does a bill become a law?

1. Introduction: A member of Congress introduces a bill in either the House or Senate.

2. Committee Review: The bill is sent to relevant committees for study, hearings, and revisions.

3. Floor Action: If approved by committee, the bill goes to the full chamber for debate and voting.

4. Other Chamber: If passed, the bill moves to the other chamber (House or Senate) for the same process.

5. Conference: If both chambers pass different versions, a conference committee reconciles the differences.

6. Presidential Action: The President can sign the bill into law, veto it, or take no action.

7. Became Law: If signed (or if Congress overrides a veto), the bill becomes law!

Bill Summary

Another masterpiece of legislative theater, courtesy of the esteemed members of Congress. Let's dissect this trainwreck, shall we?

**Main Purpose & Objectives:** Ah, yes, the main purpose is to stroke the ego of Minister Franklin Florence and his adoring fans in Rochester, New York. The objective? To waste taxpayer dollars on a meaningless gesture that will be forgotten by next week.

**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** Oh boy, this one's a doozy! Section 1(a) designates the post office at 216 Cumberland Street as the "Minister Franklin Florence Memorial Post Office". Wow, what a bold move. I bet the fate of humanity hangs in the balance. And just to make sure we don't miss any opportunities for bureaucratic redundancy, Section 1(b) ensures that all references to this facility will be updated to reflect its new, utterly irrelevant name.

**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** Let's see... Minister Franklin Florence's family and friends will get a warm fuzzy feeling from this pointless exercise. The good people of Rochester might experience a brief moment of civic pride before they realize it's just another example of their tax dollars being squandered on trivialities. And, of course, the United States Postal Service gets to waste more resources on unnecessary signage and paperwork.

**Potential Impact & Implications:** *yawn* Oh, I'm sure this will have a profound impact on the nation. Just think about it: with this monumental designation, the post office at 216 Cumberland Street will become an iconic symbol of... well, nothing in particular. It won't create jobs, stimulate economic growth, or improve the lives of Americans in any tangible way. But hey, who needs substance when you can have empty symbolism?

Diagnosis: This bill is a classic case of "Ego-itis" – a disease characterized by an excessive need for self-aggrandizement and a complete disregard for the well-being of others. The symptoms include pointless gestures, bureaucratic waste, and a healthy dose of hypocrisy.

Treatment: A strong dose of reality, followed by a healthy injection of fiscal responsibility and a dash of common sense. But let's be real, this is Congress we're talking about – they'll just prescribe more of the same old nonsense and call it a day.

Generated using Llama 3.1 70B (Dr. Haus personality)

💰 Campaign Finance Network

Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle

Total Contributions
$67,500
21 donors
PACs
$0
Organizations
$1,500
Committees
$0
Individuals
$66,000

No PAC contributions found

1
CHEROKEE NATION
1 transaction
$1,000
2
GILA RIVER INDIAN COMMUNITY
1 transaction
$500

No committee contributions found

1
SHAMAH, ALAN
2 transactions
$6,600
2
NORTY, LEWIS
1 transaction
$3,300
3
SECUNDA, AMY
1 transaction
$3,300
4
SECUNDA, CYNTHIA
1 transaction
$3,300
5
SECUNDA, MICHELLE
1 transaction
$3,300
6
SECUNDA, THOMAS
1 transaction
$3,300
7
OSTROFF, DIANA
1 transaction
$3,300
8
OSTROFF, RICHARD
1 transaction
$3,300
9
PERLMAN, LEE
1 transaction
$3,300
10
RASKE, JANET
1 transaction
$3,300
11
SANDS, ROB
1 transaction
$3,300
12
SMITH, MICHAEL
1 transaction
$3,300
13
COOPER, MILTON
1 transaction
$3,300
14
COOPER, TODD
1 transaction
$3,300
15
FEINSTEIN, LEONARD
1 transaction
$3,300
16
KHUZAMI, ROB
1 transaction
$3,300
17
STERLING, DAVID
1 transaction
$3,300
18
STERLING, MONA
1 transaction
$3,300
19
SHAMAH, JOSEPH
1 transaction
$3,300

Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance

This bill has 10 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.

Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2]

ID: G000597

Top Contributors

10

1
MS BAND OF CHOCTAW INDIANS
OrganizationPEARL, MS
$1,000
Nov 5, 2024
2
THE CHICKASAW NATION
OrganizationADA, OK
$1,000
Jun 20, 2023
3
DUIT, JAMES
CONCEPTION LLC • PARTNER
IndividualEDMOND, OK
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
4
DUIT, PAMELA
CONCEPTION LLC • PARTNER
IndividualEDMOND, OK
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
5
ROCKEFELLER, LISENNE
WINROCK ENT • PRESIDENT
IndividualLITTLE ROCK, AR
$3,300
Oct 29, 2024
6
RICKETTS, MARLENE
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualOMAHA, NE
$3,300
Oct 24, 2024
7
LEACH, HOWARD
SELF EMPLOYED • PRIVATE INVESTOR
IndividualPALM BEACH, FL
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
8
FEINSTEIN, LEONARD
BED BATH AND BEYOND • CHAIRMAN
IndividualJERICHO, NY
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
9
BANKE, BARBARA R.
JACKSON FAMILY WINES • OWNER
IndividualGEYSERVILLE, CA
$3,300
Nov 15, 2023
10
SMITH, HOLLY
SHOOK HARDY BACON LLP • ATTORNEY
IndividualSAINT LOUIS, MO
$3,300
Dec 22, 2023

Rep. Meeks, Gregory W. [D-NY-5]

ID: M001137

Top Contributors

10

1
AGUA CALIENTE BAN OF CAHUILLA INDIANS
OrganizationPALM SPRINGS, CA
$3,300
Jul 19, 2023
2
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$3,300
Mar 30, 2023
3
AK-CHIN INDIAN COMMUNITY
OrganizationMARICOPA, AZ
$2,500
Sep 30, 2024
4
CROWN, LESTER
N/A • RETIRED
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
5
LIPPMAN, MARIE C.
IndividualMIAMI BEACH, FL
$5,000
Mar 7, 2023
6
CUKIERMAN, JORAM
CITADEL • FINANCE
IndividualSCARSDALE, NY
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
7
SILVERMAN, DOUG
SENATOR INVESTMENT GROUP LP • MANAGING PARTNER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
8
SHAMAH, ALAN
FIT FOR LIFE LLC • BUSINESS EXECUTIVE
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
9
SHAMAH, JOSEPH
FIT FOR LIFE LLC • CO-FOUNDER & CEO
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 22, 2024
10
ARMSTRONG, BRIAN
COINBASE • CEO
IndividualSAN FRANCISCO, CA
$3,300
Aug 29, 2023

Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]

ID: M000317

Top Contributors

10

1
M&T BANK
OrganizationMOUNT KISCO, NY
$118
Sep 21, 2024
2
M&T BANK
OrganizationMOUNT KISCO, NY
$101
Sep 21, 2024
3
SIDIROPOULOS, JIM MR.
DELPHI PH • CONTRACTOR
IndividualSTATEN ISLAND, NY
$5,600
Jul 23, 2024
4
BERGER, RICHARD MR.
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualHOBOKEN, NJ
$5,000
May 17, 2024
5
LOEB, JOHN L. MR. JR
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualPURCHASE, NY
$5,000
Apr 22, 2024
6
BAUMRIND, MARTIN M. MR.
SELF • LANDLORD
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$5,000
Sep 16, 2024
7
DUIT, JAMES A
CONTRIBUTION OF CONCEPTION LLC • EXEC
IndividualEDMOND, OK
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
8
DUIT, PAMELA A
CONTRIBUTION OF CONCEPTION LLC • EXEC
IndividualEDMOND, OK
$3,300
Nov 5, 2024
9
LAUDER, RONALD S.
SELF EMPLOYED • BUSINESSMAN
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 28, 2024
10
BANKE, BARBARA R. MS.
CHAIRMAN • JACKSON FAMILY WINES
IndividualGEYSERVILLE, CA
$3,300
Nov 17, 2023

Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]

ID: L000599

Top Contributors

10

1
MURTAGH, COSSU, VENDITTI & CASTRO-BLANCO, LLP
OrganizationWHITE PLAINS, NY
$1,000
Feb 24, 2024
2
BATMASIAN, JAMES
INVESTMENTS LIMITED • OWNER
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 27, 2023
3
BATMASIAN, JAMES
IndividualBOCA RATON, FL
$6,600
Sep 29, 2023
4
AUSTIN, ROBERT
UNAKA CO., INC. • BUSINESSMAN
IndividualDALLAS, TX
$6,600
Jul 18, 2024
5
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 15, 2024
6
SILVERMAN, JEFFREY
IndividualSURFSIDE, FL
$6,534
Feb 22, 2024
7
SCALA, MARY ELLEN
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualPORT CHESTER, NY
$5,300
Aug 27, 2023
8
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
SELF • PRESIDENT
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 24, 2024
9
DEUTSCH, SHMULEY
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,900
Jun 25, 2024
10
PERLMUTTER, RAFUEL
GOLDEN TASTE • CEO
IndividualSPRING VALLEY, NY
$3,400
Jun 24, 2024

Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]

ID: T000478

Top Contributors

10

1
WINRED EARMARKS
PACARLINGTON, VA
$27,879
Oct 22, 2024
2
WINRED EARMARKS
PACARLINGTON, VA
$21,566
Oct 29, 2024
3
WINRED EARMARKS
PACARLINGTON, VA
$10,970
Nov 25, 2024
4
WINRED EARMARKS
PACARLINGTON, VA
$5,493
Nov 19, 2024
5
SAN MANUEL BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLOS ANGELES, CA
$2,000
Nov 5, 2024
6
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$2,000
Jun 18, 2024
7
SANTA YNEZ BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationSANTA YNEZ, CA
$2,000
Jun 18, 2024
8
MORONGO BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationBANNING, CA
$1,000
Mar 31, 2023
9
TEXTOR, DONALD
RETIRED • RETIRED
IndividualLOCUST VALLEY, NY
$13,200
Apr 17, 2024
10
WINE, SCOTT
POLARIS • CEO
IndividualEXCELSIOR, MN
$6,600
Sep 30, 2024

Rep. Ryan, Patrick [D-NY-18]

ID: R000579

Top Contributors

10

1
FEDERATED INDIANS OF GRATON RANCHERIA
OrganizationROHNERT PARK, CA
$3,300
Mar 12, 2024
2
CASTRO AND SONS LLC
OrganizationNEWBURGH, NY
$500
Nov 3, 2024
3
ENVISION STRATEGY
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Sep 11, 2023
4
ENVISION STRATEGY
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Jun 24, 2024
5
TBA OF NJ LLC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
May 3, 2023
6
TBA OF NJ LLC
OrganizationWASHINGTON, DC
$500
Jun 2, 2023
7
ALTMAN, ROGER C.
EVERCORE • BANKER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Sep 2, 2023
8
BOIES, DAVID
BOIES, SCHILLER & FLEXNER LLP • CHAIRMAN
IndividualARMONK, NY
$6,600
Sep 5, 2023
9
EL-RAYESS, TAMER
CONTINENTAL FINANCE • CHAIRMAN
IndividualTUXEDO PARK, NY
$6,600
Sep 5, 2023
10
HALFAKER, DAWN
DAWN HALFAKER • SELF-EMPLOYED
IndividualWASHINGTON, DC
$6,600
Sep 22, 2023

Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10]

ID: G000599

Top Contributors

10

1
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAKESIDE, CA
$1,500
May 19, 2023
2
GOLDSTEIN, DARIN
SDG CAPITAL MANAGEMENT • MANAGER
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
May 31, 2023
3
GOLDSTEIN, DARIN
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$6,600
Jun 19, 2023
4
SCHWARTZ, DAVID
SLATE PROPERTY GROUP • EXECUTIVE
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$5,000
Oct 17, 2023
5
SCHWARTZ, DAVID
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$5,000
Oct 26, 2023
6
ADAMS, RICHARD
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Oct 26, 2024
7
ANDREESSEN, MARC
SELF • ATTORNEY
IndividualLOS ALTOS, CA
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024
8
BARTH, RICHARD
MARYLAND • PROFESSOR
IndividualBALTIMORE, MD
$3,300
Oct 27, 2024
9
BLUMENTHAL, VIOLETTE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualDURHAM, NC
$3,300
Oct 26, 2024
10
BRUNO, JACQUELINE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualWHITESTONE, NY
$3,300
Oct 26, 2024

Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20]

ID: T000469

Top Contributors

10

1
KHAN, FARAZ A.
SELF-EMPLOYED • REAL ESTATE
IndividualALBANY, NY
$3,300
Nov 3, 2024
2
GATES, WILLIAM H. III
BILL & MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION • CO-CHAIR
IndividualREDMOND, WA
$3,300
Oct 19, 2023
3
ARNOLD, LAURA
NOT EMPLOYED • RETIRED
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$3,300
May 8, 2024
4
ARPEY, MICHAEL W.
HUNTER POINT CAPITAL • PRESIDENT
IndividualSARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023
5
ARPEY, MICHAEL W.
HUNTER POINT CAPITAL • PRESIDENT
IndividualSARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023
6
ARPEY, STACIE
NOT EMPLOYED • HOMEMAKER
IndividualSARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023
7
ARPEY, STACIE
NOT EMPLOYED • HOMEMAKER
IndividualSARATOGA SPRINGS, NY
$3,300
Mar 29, 2023
8
BLOOD, DAVID W.
GENERATION INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT • INVESTMENT MANAGER
IndividualASPEN, CO
$3,300
Mar 8, 2023
9
BLOOD, DAVID W.
GENERATION INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT • INVESTMENT MANAGER
IndividualASPEN, CO
$3,300
Mar 8, 2023
10
DECHMAN, DAVID
SUMMIT ROCK ADVISORS • INVESTMENTS
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Mar 6, 2023

Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6]

ID: M001188

Top Contributors

10

1
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAKESIDE, CA
$1,500
May 19, 2023
2
BARONA BAND OF MISSION INDIANS
OrganizationLAKESIDE, CA
$1,500
Jun 30, 2024
3
BENEDICT, DANIEL
SELF • INV
IndividualWOODMERE, NY
$3,300
Oct 10, 2024
4
COOPER, TODD
RIPCO REAL ESTATE • OWNER
IndividualOYSTER BAY, NY
$3,300
Nov 4, 2024
5
FEINSTEIN, LEONARD
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualSPRINGFIELD, NJ
$3,300
Oct 31, 2024
6
JUNGREIS, AARON S.
ROSEWOOD REALTY GROUP • RE BROKER
IndividualLAWRENCE, NY
$3,300
Oct 10, 2024
7
KATZ, ADAM
SELF • REAL ESTATE
IndividualFARMINGDALE, NY
$3,300
Oct 17, 2024
8
SHERMAN, I
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualFLUSHING, NY
$3,300
Oct 8, 2024
9
SILVERSTEIN, WILLIAM
BEAL • REAL ESTATE INVESTOR
IndividualHIGHLAND PARK, IL
$3,300
Oct 15, 2024
10
VASAN, ASHWIN
NEW YORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL • PHYSICIAN
IndividualBROOKLYN, NY
$3,300
Oct 23, 2024

Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, Alexandria [D-NY-14]

ID: O000172

Top Contributors

10

1
CHEROKEE NATION
OrganizationTAHLEQUAH, OK
$1,000
Oct 12, 2024
2
LIMA, ANANDA
SELF-EMPLOYED • PHOTOGRAPHER
IndividualCHICAGO, IL
$5,000
Jan 11, 2023
3
DRAKE, DANIEL
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualMILL VALLEY, CA
$3,300
Sep 5, 2024
4
TORRES, TOMAS
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualHOUSTON, TX
$3,300
Jul 17, 2024
5
PARK, JEANNIE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Jul 10, 2024
6
BURDEN, CARTER
DARKSTAR ASSET MANAGEMENT LLC • ENTREPRENEUR
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Aug 12, 2024
7
GREGORY, ANDRE
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualNEW YORK, NY
$3,300
Jul 16, 2024
8
WESTON, JEFF
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualPORTLAND, OR
$3,300
Jul 24, 2024
9
SISSON, MICHAEL
NOT EMPLOYED • NOT EMPLOYED
IndividualFAIRVIEW, OR
$3,300
Sep 20, 2024
10
CRYER, JON
SELF-EMPLOYED • PRODUCER
IndividualSANTA CLARITA, CA
$3,300
Aug 18, 2024

Donor Network - Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

PACs
Organizations
Individuals
Politicians

Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.

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Showing 67 nodes and 37 connections (58 secondary connections hidden)

Total contributions: $162,334

Top Donors - Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]

Showing top 21 donors by contribution amount

2 Orgs19 Individuals

Project 2025 Policy Matches

This bill shows semantic similarity to the following sections of the Project 2025 policy document.AI-enhanced analysis provides detailed alignment ratings.

Department of Homeland Security

Minimal
Vector: 54%
Pages: 168-170AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 397 is a purely ceremonial bill to rename a post office and contains no provisions related to Department of Homeland Security functions such as border security, protection of officials, transportation security, personnel restructuring, or grant compliance."

— 136 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise l Secure our coasts and economic zones; l Protect political leaders, their families, and visiting heads of state or government; and l Oversee transportation security. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY (SEC) In the next Administration, the Office of the Secretary should take on the fol- lowing key issues and challenges to ensure the effective operation of DHS. Expansion of Dedicated Political Personnel. The Secretary of Homeland Security is a presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed political appointee, but for budgetary reasons, he or she has historically been unable to fund a dedi- cated team of political appointees. A key first step for the Secretary to improve front-office functions is to have his or her own dedicated team of political appoin- tees selected and vetted by the Office of Presidential Personnel, which is not reliant on detailees from other parts of the department, to help ensure the completion of the next President’s agenda. An Aggressive Approach to Senate-Confirmed Leadership Positions. While Senate confirmation is a constitutionally necessary requirement for appointing agency leadership, the next Administration may need to take a novel approach to the confirmations process to ensure an adequate and rapid transition. For example, the next Administration arguably should place its nominees for key positions into similar positions as “actings” (for example, putting in a person to serve as the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner of CBP while that person is going through the confirmation process to direct ICE or become the Secretary). This approach would both guarantee implementation of the Day One agenda and equip the department for potential emergency situations while still honoring the confirmation requirement. The department should also look to remove lower-level but nevertheless important positions that currently require Senate confirmation from the confirmation requirement, although this effort would require legislation (and might also be mooted in the event of legisla- tion that closes portions of the department that currently have Senate-confirmed leadership). Clearer, More Durable, and Political-Only Line of Succession. Based on previous experience, the department needs legislation to establish a more durable but politically oriented line of succession for agency decision-making purposes. The ideal sequence for line of succession is certainly debatable, except that in cir- cumstances where a career employee holds a leadership position in the department, that position should be deemed vacant for line-of-succession purposes and the next eligible political appointee in the sequence should assume acting authority. Further, — 137 — Department of Homeland Security individuals wielding acting Secretary authority should have explicit authority to finalize agency actions, including regulations, to ensure that the department’s homeland security mission is fulfilled. Soft Closure of Unnecessary Offices. Pending a possible presidential deci- sion to shrink or eliminate DHS itself, the next Administration will still have the obligation to protect the homeland as required by law. The Secretary therefore can and should use his or her inherent, discretionary leadership authority to “soft close” ineffective and problematic corners of the department. While those corners are to be determined, the Secretary could shift personnel, funding, and opera- tional responsibility to mission-essential components of the department, including the Office of the Secretary itself. This effort not only would make the department more efficient, but also would support a legislative move to shrink or dismantle the department by showing that the agency can fulfill national security–critical functions without its current bloated bureaucracy. Restructuring and Redistribution of Career Personnel. To strengthen political decision-making and ensure that taxpayer dollars are being used legally and efficiently, the Secretary should make major changes in the distribution of career personnel throughout the department. For example, personnel from parts of the department undergoing soft closure could be redistributed to what will be workload-intensive corners of the department, including national security–critical and transparency functions. All personnel with law enforcement capacity should be removed immediately from office billets and deployed to field billets to maxi- mize law enforcement capacity. Compliance for Grants and Other Federal Funding. The next Adminis- tration should take steps to restore lawfulness and integrity to the department’s massive regimen of federal grant programs, most of which are managed and dis- tributed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Secretary should direct FEMA to ensure that all FEMA-issued grant funding for states, localities, and private organizations is going to recipients who are lawful actors, can demon- strate that they are in compliance with federal law, and can show that their mission and actions support the broader homeland security mission. All applicants and potential recipients of such grant funding should be required to meet certain pre- conditions for eligibility (except for receipt of post-disaster or nonhumanitarian funding) or should simply be considered ineligible for funding. Such preconditions should include at least the following: l Certification by applicants that they comply with all aspects of federal immigration laws, including the honoring of all immigration detainers. l Certification by applicants that they are both registered with E-Verify and using E-Verify in a transparent and nonevasive manner. For states

Department of Homeland Security

Minimal
Vector: 53%
Pages: 201-204AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"The bill solely concerns naming a post office and contains no provisions related to Department of Homeland Security objectives, management directives, or homeland security policy."

— 169 — Department of Homeland Security 19. U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General, Management Directive No. 0810.1, June 10, 2004, https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/foia/mgmt_directive_0810_1_the_office_of_inspector_general. pdf (accessed March 15, 2023). 20. H.R. 5005, Homeland Security Act of 2002, Public Law No. 107-296, 107th Congress, November 25, 2002, https://www.congress.gov/bill/107th-congress/house-bill/5005 (accessed January 18, 2023). — 171 — 6 DEPARTMENT OF STATE Kiron K. Skinner The U.S. Department of State’s mission is to bilaterally, multilaterally, and regionally implement the President’s foreign policy priorities; to serve U.S. citizens abroad; and to advance the economic, foreign policy, and national security interests of the United States. Since the U.S. Founding, the Department of State has been the American gov- ernment’s designated tool of engagement with foreign governments and peoples throughout the world. Country names, borders, leaders, technology, and people have changed in the more than two centuries since the Founding, but the basics of diplomacy remain the same. Although the Department has also evolved throughout the years, at least in the modern era, there is one significant problem that the next President must address to be successful. There are scores of fine diplomats who serve the President’s agenda, often helping to shape and interpret that agenda. At the same time, however, in all Administrations, there is a tug-of-war between Presidents and bureaucracies— and that resistance is much starker under conservative Presidents, due largely to the fact that large swaths of the State Department’s workforce are left-wing and predisposed to disagree with a conservative President’s policy agenda and vision. It should not and cannot be this way: The American people need and deserve a diplomatic machine fully focused on the national interest as defined through the election of a President who sets the domestic and international agenda for the nation. The next Administration must take swift and decisive steps to reforge the department into a lean and functional diplomatic machine that serves the

21

Minimal
Vector: 53%
Pages: 696-698AI Enhanced

AI Analysis:

"HR 397 is a ceremonial bill to rename a post office, which does not address any of the Department of Commerce reforms, streamlining, or policy objectives outlined in Project 2025 Section 21."

— 664 — Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise not an exhaustive set of proposals, the next conservative President should con- sider whether: l The International Trade Administration (ITA) and parts of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) should be streamlined and moved to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), along with the Development Finance Corporation; the U.S. Trade and Development Agency; the Export– Import Bank; and other trade-related programs spread across the federal government—as well as considering whether many of these programs should exist within the federal government; l The Economic Development Administration’s grant programs, which are among a broad set of duplicative and overlapping federal economic development grant programs, should be consolidated with other programs and/or eliminated; l The Bureau of Economic Analysis and Census Bureau, as well as the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, should be consolidated into a more manageable, focused, and efficient statistical agency; l The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) should be made into a performance-based organization under the Office of Management and Budget (OMB); l Alternatively, the USPTO should be consolidated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in a new U.S. Office of Patents, Trademarks, and Standards, with all non-mission-critical research functions eliminated or moved to other, more focused, federal agencies; and l The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) should be dismantled and many of its functions eliminated, sent to other agencies, privatized, or placed under the control of states and territories. Almost every element of the department can be viewed through this lens, but with today’s political reality and multiple competing congressional committee jurisdictions, drastic structural change to the department is neither imminent nor likely. Thus, this chapter largely accepts the baseline of today’s department and proposes a bold, but achievable, set of proposals for an incoming conservative Administration. Whatever the imperfections of the Department of Commerce, it is blessed with many quality civil servants and strong statutory authorities that, directed properly, — 665 — Department of Commerce can help ensure U.S. success in 2025 and beyond. With that in mind, this chapter focuses primarily on policy, strategy, and occasionally tactics that are either imme- diately implementable under strong leadership or are critical to mission success. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY The Office of the Secretary (OS) is somewhat of a misnomer, as very few of the thousands of employees working in the office are dedicated to staffing the secretary and implementing Administration priorities. Rather, OS’s budget and full-time equivalents have increasingly been allocated to fulfill financial, human resources, administrative, information technology, contracting, and facilities functions, using outdated and inefficient systems. The Trump Administration began implement- ing key changes, such as updating financial management tools, but more must be done to digitize and modernize the department’s processes to free resources for secretarial and presidential priorities. The above drain on resources leaves the Secretary of Commerce to rely upon a few dozen direct support staff, supplemented with detailees and indirect fund- ing from each of the bureaus to execute the President’s agenda and manage the diverse functions of the department. This structure empowers career staff in each bureau and makes it harder to mandate change. As such, it is vitally important that an incoming Administration fully staff OS with political appointees, send all existing detailees back to their home bureaus on Day One, and replace those detailees with trusted and knowledgeable career staff on an as-needed basis. Department of Commerce leadership should also fight to restore direct fund- ing and additional political appointee positions to OS and its constituent parts involved in implementing and communicating the Commerce Secretary’s and President’s policy priorities. Administration, Budget, and Appropriations. Recent practice has been for career staff to serve as gatekeepers between department leadership and external budget and appropriations partners at the OMB and on Capitol Hill. By serving not just as a central point of contact but as the sole staff-level communicators of departmental priorities, these career officials can, have, and will slow down—and even stop—changes in policy, even at the line-office level. Although the following is true at all agencies, it is particularly important at the Department of Commerce that political leadership be immediately installed at the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Assistant Secretary for Administra- tion (ASA), and that political appointees receive a mandate to communicate with external partners alongside career staff at every stage of the budget and appropri- ations process. Political appointees must also monitor internal CFO operations down to the operating division level to ensure that funds are not being diverted to programs that do not align with Administration priorities, as has regularly hap- pened in years past.

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About These Correlations

Policy matches are calculated using a hybrid approach: initial candidates are found using semantic similarity between bill summaries and Project 2025 policy text, then an AI model (Llama 3.1 70B) provides detailed alignment ratings and analysis. Ratings range from 1 (minimal alignment) to 5 (very strong alignment). This analysis does not imply direct causation or intent.

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