Congressional oversight

(a) Congressional requests for determinations of specific covered persons (1) In general Not later than 60 days after receiving a request from the chairman and ranking member of one of the appropriate congressional committees with respect to whether a covered person meets the criteria for inclusion in the list required by section 5(a)(1), the President shall— (A) determine if the person meets those criteria; and (B) submit to the chairman and ranking member a report with respect to that determination that includes a statement of whether or not the President imposed or intends to impose sanctions under this Act with respect to the person. (2) Form Each report submitted under paragraph (1)(B) shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified annex if necessary. (b) Submission to congress of proposed action (1) In general Notwithstanding any other provision of law, before taking any action described in paragraph (2), the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership a report that describes the proposed action and the reasons for that action. (2) Actions described An action described in this paragraph is— (A) an action to waive the application of any sanctions pursuant to section 7; or (B) an action to terminate the application of any sanctions pursuant to section 8. (c) Congressional review of requests for proposed action (1) In general During the period of 30 calendar days beginning on the date on which the President submits a report under section 7 or 8, the appropriate congressional committees should, as appropriate, hold hearings and briefings and otherwise obtain information in order to fully review the report. (2) Exception The period for congressional review under paragraph (1) of a report submitted under section 7 or 8 shall be 60 calendar days if the report is submitted on or after July 10 and on or before September 7 in any calendar year. (3) Limitation on actions during initial congressional review period Notwithstanding any other provision of law, during the period for congressional review provided for under paragraph (1) of a report submitted under section 7 or 8, including any additional period for such review as applicable under the exception provided in paragraph (2), the President may not take the requested action unless a joint resolution of approval with respect to that action is enacted in accordance with subsection (d). (4) Limitation on actions during presidential consideration of a joint resolution of disapproval Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a joint resolution of disapproval relating to a report submitted under section 7 or 8 passes both Houses of Congress in accordance with subsection (d), the President may not take that action for a period of 12 calendar days after the date of passage of the joint resolution of disapproval. (5) Limitation on actions during congressional reconsideration of a joint resolution of disapproval Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a joint resolution of disapproval relating to a report submitted under section 7 or 8 passes both Houses of Congress in accordance with subsection (d), and the President vetoes the joint resolution, the President may not take that action for a period of 10 calendar days after the date of the President’s veto. (6) Effect of enactment of a joint resolution of disapproval Notwithstanding any other provision of law, if a joint resolution of disapproval relating to a report submitted under section 7 or 8 is enacted in accordance with subsection (d), the President may not take that action. (d) Joint resolutions of approval or disapproval defined (1) Joint resolution of approval In this subsection, the term joint resolution of approval means only a joint resolution of either House of Congress— (A) the title of which is as follows: A joint resolution approving the President’s proposal to waive or terminate the application of certain sanctions with respect to the obstruction of humanitarian assistance.; and (B) the sole matter after the resolving clause of which is the following: Congress approves of the action relating to the application of sanctions imposed with respect to the obstruction of humanitarian assistance set forth in the report submitted to Congress under _______ of the Accountability for Withholding Aid and Relief Essentials Act of 2026 on _______ relating to _______., with the first blank space being filled with either section 7 or 8, as applicable, the second blank space being filled with the appropriate date, and the third blank space being filled with a short description of the proposed action. (2) Joint resolution of disapproval The term joint resolution of disapproval means only a joint resolution of either House of Congress— (A) the title of which is as follows: A joint resolution disapproving the President's proposal to waive or terminate the application of certain sanctions with respect to the obstruction of humanitarian assistance.; and (B) the sole matter after the resolving clause of which is the following: Congress disapproves of the action relating to the application of sanctions imposed with respect to the obstruction of humanitarian assistance set forth in the report submitted to Congress under _______ of the Accountability for Withholding Aid and Relief Essentials Act of 2026 on _______ relating to _______., with the first blank space being filled with either section 7 or 8, as applicable, the second blank space being filled with the appropriate date, and the third blank space being filled with a short description of the proposed action. (3) Introduction During the period of 30 calendar days provided for under subsection (c), including any additional period as applicable under the exception provided in paragraph (2) of that subsection, a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval may be introduced— (A) in the Senate, by the majority leader (or the majority leader’s designee) or the minority leader (or the minority leader’s designee); and (B) in the House of Representatives, by the majority leader or the minority leader. (4) Floor consideration in house of representatives If a committee of the House of Representatives to which a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval has been referred has not reported the joint resolution within 10 calendar days after the date of referral, that committee shall be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution. (5) Consideration in the senate (A) Committee referral A joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval introduced in the Senate shall be referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. (B) Reporting and discharge If the Committee on Foreign Relations has not reported the joint resolution within 10 calendar days after the date of referral of the joint resolution, that committee shall be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution and the joint resolution shall be placed on the appropriate calendar. (C) Proceeding to consideration Notwithstanding Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, it is in order at any time after the Committee on Foreign Relations reports a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval to the Senate or has been discharged from consideration of such a joint resolution (even though a previous motion to the same effect has been disagreed to) to move to proceed to the consideration of the joint resolution, and all points of order against the joint resolution (and against consideration of the joint resolution) are waived. The motion to proceed is not debatable. The motion is not subject to a motion to postpone. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is agreed to or disagreed to shall not be in order. (D) Rulings of the chair on procedure Appeals from the decisions of the Chair relating to the application of the rules of the Senate to the procedure relating to a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval shall be decided without debate. (E) Consideration of veto messages Debate in the Senate of any veto message with respect to a joint resolution of approval or joint resolution of disapproval, including all debatable motions and appeals in connection with the joint resolution, shall be limited to 10 hours, to be equally divided between, and controlled by, the majority leader and the minority leader or their designees. (6) Rules relating to senate and house of representatives (A) Treatment of senate joint resolution in house of representatives In the House of Representatives, the following procedures shall apply to a joint resolution of approval or a joint resolution of disapproval received from the Senate (unless the House of Representatives has already adopted a joint resolution relating to the same proposed action): (i) The joint resolution shall be referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives. (ii) If the Committee on Foreign Affairs has not reported the joint resolution within 2 calendar days after the date of referral, that committee shall be discharged from further consideration of the joint resolution. (iii) Beginning on the third legislative day after the Committee on Foreign Affairs reports the joint resolution to the House of Representatives or has been discharged from further consideration thereof, it shall be in order to move to proceed to consider the joint resolution in the House of Representatives. All points of order against the motion are waived. Such a motion shall not be in order after the House of Representatives has disposed of a motion to proceed on the joint resolution. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the motion to its adoption without intervening motion. The motion shall not be debatable. A motion to reconsider the vote by which the motion is disposed of shall not be in order. (iv) The joint resolution shall be considered as read. All points of order against the joint resolution and against its consideration are waived. The previous question shall be considered as ordered on the joint resolution to final adoption without intervening motion except 2 hours of debate equally divided and controlled by the sponsor of the joint resolution (or a designee) and an opponent. A motion to reconsider the vote on adoption of the joint resolution shall not be in order. (B) Treatment of house of representatives joint resolution in senate (i) Receipt of house resolution before adoption of senate resolution If, before the adoption by the Senate of a joint resolution of approval or a joint resolution of disapproval, the Senate receives an identical joint resolution from the House of Representatives, the following procedures shall apply: (I) That joint resolution shall not be referred to a committee. (II) With respect to that joint resolution— (aa) the procedure in the Senate shall be the same as if no joint resolution had been received from the House of Representatives; but (bb) the vote on adoption shall be on the joint resolution from the House of Representatives. (ii) Receipt of house resolution after adoption of senate resolution If, following adoption of a joint resolution of approval or a joint resolution of disapproval in the Senate, the Senate receives an identical joint resolution from the House of Representatives, that joint resolution shall be placed on the appropriate Senate calendar. (iii) No senate companion If a joint resolution of approval or a joint resolution of disapproval is received from the House of Representatives, and no companion joint resolution has been introduced in the Senate, the Senate procedures under this subsection shall apply to the joint resolution from the House. (C) Application to revenue measures The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply in the House of Representatives to a joint resolution of approval or a joint resolution of disapproval that is a revenue measure. (7) Rules of senate and house of representatives This subsection is enacted by Congress— (A) as an exercise of the rulemaking power of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively, and as such is deemed a part of the rules of each House of Congress, respectively, and supersedes other rules only to the extent that it is inconsistent with such rules; and (B) with full recognition of the constitutional right of either House to change the rules (so far as relating to the procedure of that House) at any time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as in the case of any other rule of that House.