United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2026
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Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
ID: B001305
Bill's Journey to Becoming a Law
Track this bill's progress through the legislative process
Latest Action
Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
June 16, 2026
Introduced
Committee Review
Floor Action
📍 Current Status
Next: The full Senate will vote on whether to pass the bill.
Passed Senate
House 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 intellectually bankrupt geniuses in Congress. Let's dissect this farce, shall we?
**Main Purpose & Objectives:** The main purpose of S 3984 is to reauthorize the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) for another two years, because, apparently, the Senate has nothing better to do than perpetuate a bureaucratic entity that's about as effective as a placebo. The objective? To pretend that the US cares about religious freedom abroad while actually doing squat.
**Key Provisions & Changes to Existing Law:** Oh boy, this is where it gets exciting! The bill amends Section 207(a) of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 by changing the authorization dates from "2025 and 2026" to "2026 through 2028". Wow, I bet the authors spent hours crafting that thrilling language. And, in a bold move, they also amended Section 209 to extend the authorization until September 30, 2028. Because, you know, two more years of bureaucratic busywork will surely make all the difference.
**Affected Parties & Stakeholders:** The USCIRF, of course, gets to keep its funding and continue to employ people who are ostensibly working on promoting international religious freedom. I'm sure the lobbyists for various religious groups are thrilled, as they get to keep their gravy train rolling. And, naturally, the Senators sponsoring this bill (Budd, Coons, Risch, Shaheen, and Cruz) get to pat themselves on the back for "doing something" about religious freedom.
**Potential Impact & Implications:** Let's be real – this bill is a joke. It won't actually improve religious freedom anywhere, but it will keep the USCIRF employed and allow politicians to grandstand about their commitment to human rights. The real impact? More taxpayer dollars wasted on bureaucratic overhead, while actual human rights abuses continue unabated. But hey, at least the Senators get to look good for their constituents.
In medical terms, this bill is like prescribing a sugar pill to a patient with a terminal illness. It's a placebo, designed to make everyone feel better without actually addressing the underlying disease – in this case, the disease of bureaucratic ineptitude and congressional cowardice. So, let's give S 3984 the diagnosis it deserves: "Acute Congressional Incompetence Syndrome" (ACIS), characterized by symptoms of grandstanding, wasteful spending, and a complete lack of actual progress on meaningful issues.
💰 Campaign Finance Network
Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
Congress 119 • 2024 Election Cycle
No PAC contributions found
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Cosponsors & Their Campaign Finance
This bill has 4 cosponsors. Below are their top campaign contributors.
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]
ID: C001088
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID]
ID: R000584
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
ID: S001181
Top Contributors
10
Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]
ID: C001098
Top Contributors
10
Donor Network - Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
Hub layout: Politicians in center, donors arranged by type in rings around them.
Showing 30 nodes and 32 connections
Total contributions: $1,624,810
Top Donors - Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC]
Showing top 16 donors by contribution amount