Video & Transcript Research : 'foreign aid'

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CA

California 2025-2026 Regular Session

Assembly Banking and Finance Committee Apr 28th, 2025

Banking and Finance

Transcript Highlights:
  • Lacking oversight and transparency, commercial lawsuit financing has increasingly become a vehicle for foreign
  • This industry includes hedge funds, private equity firms, and foreign sovereign wealth funds, some controlled
  • requirements means that California policymakers and regulators have no means to identify or gauge which foreign
  • Ponzi schemes, frivolous patent litigation abuses, and attempts to avoid state-sponsored sanctions by foreign
Keywords: 988, house, all
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • that Senator Kolkhorst presented to us about sister city agreements between government entities and foreign
  • This is one of the many bills in this session dealing with our hostile foreign adversaries, the substitute
  • We want to make sure that that's not being given to our hostile foreign adversaries.
Keywords: 1185, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th Regular

State Affairs (Part III) Apr 24th, 2025

State Affairs

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this means the current landscape in which two foreign proxy advisory firms have an outsized influence
  • Both of these proxy advisors are foreign-controlled and claim that there are Both of these proxy advisors
  • are foreign-controlled and claim that they are making recommendations to their clients based on shareholder
  • Both of these proxy advisors are foreign-controlled and claim that there are Both of these proxy advisors
  • Now, the House Committee on the Judiciary has alleged that ISS and Glass Lewis are a foreign-owned duopoly
Summary: The committee heard Senate Bill 945, 946, 2044, 2819, 2403, 2337, and 312, with all bills left pending after testimony. SB 945 would restrict insurance companies from denying or limiting coverage based on oil and gas activity or ESG-related goals, and supporters argued it would protect Texas energy producers from politically motivated shareholder activism and insurance discrimination. SB 946 would bar creditors from using social credit, ESG, DEI, or religious/political affiliation as a basis for denying or limiting credit; witnesses said it would prevent viewpoint-based financial discrimination and protect access to capital for Texas businesses. SB 2337 would require proxy advisory firms to disclose when recommendations are based on non-financial factors or when they give conflicting advice to different clients; supporters said the measure would increase transparency and curb ESG-driven influence over shareholder voting. SB 312 would direct public retirement systems to focus on financial returns rather than social or political objectives, with the author saying the bill responds to activist pressure on pensions and would reinforce fiduciary duty. The committee also took up election and ethics measures. SB 2044 would strengthen electioneering restrictions for publicly funded education institutions and personnel, prohibiting use of official resources to promote political agendas; testimony focused on alleged school district electioneering in bond and tax elections. SB 2819 would prohibit county elections administrators from holding certain officer positions appointed by elected officials, addressing potential conflicts of interest. SB 2403, the Texas Ethics Commission sunset bill, would restructure complaint handling with a three-tier violation system, risk-based complaint prioritization, longer response times, bipartisan preliminary review panels, and expanded hearing options; members discussed amendments aimed at dismissing minor complaints, clarifying categories, and adjusting lobbying and penalty provisions, but the amendments were withdrawn during committee consideration. Across the ESG and finance bills, invited witnesses from the American Energy Institute, Heartland Impact, Consumers Research, ADF Action, Texas Civil Justice League, and related groups generally supported the measures, arguing that banks, insurers, proxy advisors, and asset managers have used ESG or reputational-risk standards to discriminate against energy, agriculture, firearms, and religious organizations. No opposition testimony was presented in the excerpt, and the committee closed public testimony on each bill and left them pending.
HI

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

ECD Public Hearing - Fri Mar 21, 2025 @ 10:00 AM HST

Economic Development & Technology

Transcript Highlights:
  • We already reduced petroleum in 2019; we spent about $3.7 billion importing from foreign countries.
  • 2024 is about 7% is imported<00:31:34.000> from<00:31:34.159> the<00:31:34.399> foreign
  • ><00:31:34.799> country<00:31:35.679> and<00:31:36.559> of imported from the foreign
  • country and of imported from the foreign country and of these<00:31:37.399> 7%<00:31:38.399><
  • billion importing from foreign country. billion importing from foreign country.
Keywords: 910, house, all
Summary: The committee heard several resolutions focused on economic development, tourism, technology, and related policy issues. Testimony generally came from state agencies and industry groups, with DBED, HTDC, and others mostly supporting measures that would create working groups, promote advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity, encourage a Michelin Guide for Hawaii restaurants, support Taiwan’s international participation, and explore import substitution. One measure on a tourism and gaming working group drew strong opposition from the prosecutor’s office, which argued it would signal support for gambling and could worsen social harms, while other witnesses supported it as a way to gather data before any policy decisions. The committee also heard support for relocating the Pearl City Post Office to improve traffic and safety, and for a resolution to focus HTDC on advanced manufacturing and cybersecurity. Several items were amended before action. The committee agreed to amend the tourism and gaming working group resolution to narrow and clarify its purpose, and to amend the Taiwan resolution to add the president of the Republic of China as a recipient. The import-substitution resolution was also amended to add a definition, include language about avoiding new import dependencies such as LNG, and direct state and utility purchasing power toward substituting imports. A resolution on HCR 211/HR 203 was rewritten to address lowering fire insurance rates and mitigating fire risk in Puna lava zones, but decision-making on that item was deferred to a later hearing so the new language could be posted publicly. The committee voted to adopt several measures, including HCR 57/HCR 152, HCR 156/HR 151, HCR 19/HR 115, and HCR 33/HR 32, with some passed as amended and others passed as is. HCR 192 was adopted with amendments despite reservations from some members, and HCR 209/HR 2011 was adopted with amendments. The committee also recessed for decision-making during the hearing and later adjourned after completing action on the agenda.
NH

New Hampshire 2026 Regular Session

Senate Executive Departments and Administration (03/18/2026)

Executive Departments and Administration

Transcript Highlights:
  • I think it says repeal to RSA 309-B:7 regarding substantial equivalent foreign... that one. Yeah.
  • I think it says repeal to RSA 309-B:7 regarding substantial equivalent foreign... that one. Yeah.
  • I think it says repeal to RSA 309-B:7 regarding substantial equivalent foreign... that one. Yeah.
  • I think it says repeal to RSA 309-B:7 regarding substantial equivalent foreign... that one. Yeah.
  • I think it says repeal to RSA 309-B:7 regarding substantial equivalent foreign... that one. Yeah.
Keywords: 1191, senate, all
IN

Indiana 2026 Regular Session

Friday, Feb. 27 part 3

Indiana House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • And so the private universities, they would just have to report how many foreign students they had.
  • The private universities would just have to report how many foreign students they had. Correct.
  • we have a duty to be more diligent in this, and every state should be more diligent in the area of foreign
  • There's, it's, it's, it's... ...in the area of foreign policy, because, I mean, it's quite frankly, it's
Keywords: 964, all
NY

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Standing Committee on Energy and Telecommunications - 01/27/2026

Energy And Telecommunications

Transcript Highlights:
  • physical doorsteps by these solar corporations, which it is worth noting the majority of them are foreign
  • These solar corporations, which it is worth noting the majority of them are foreign.
  • These companies are foreign, right? So, yes, I've looked through the ORES docket.
  • You could use that example to talk about how that's wrong, and the people doing it are foreign corporations
Keywords: 993, senate, all
Summary: The Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, chaired by Senator Kevin Parker, considered several Public Service Law bills and advanced each one to the Rules Committee after brief discussion and recorded no votes or without-recommendation votes on some measures. The bills included proposals to prohibit utilities from using ratepayer funds for certain activities (1012A), establish minimum standards for payment plans for eligible customers (1327), adjust residential fixed charges (1329), require the Public Service Commission to consider economic impacts when setting rates (1847), require utilities to adopt PSC-authorized equity ratios and returns on equity (1896), create the Rate-Hike Notice Act (5553C), suspend certain utility rate changes while allowing retroactive revenue recovery (5593), allow consideration of non-economic losses in penalty determinations (7165A), change the composition of the Public Service Commission (7328A), and let utilities retain revenues above authorized returns on equity (7693). Members asked questions about who would be affected by the bills, including whether fixed-charge reductions would apply to vacant units or vacation homes and whether economic-impact considerations could affect customers differently depending on where they live; the chair and sponsors generally explained the measures as territory-wide or applicable to all residential customers, with no occupancy or income-based circuit breaker in the text. The committee then heard testimony from Alexandra Fasulo, introduced as an entrepreneur and farmer in Schuylerville, about her concerns regarding the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) and utility-scale solar development on farmland and grasslands. She argued that solar developers were pressuring landowners, including older and lower-income property owners, into long-term leases, that ORES approves most projects despite local opposition, and that the process lacks transparency, with redacted documents and limited public access to information. She also criticized the siting of solar projects on productive farmland and said decommissioning rules could leave equipment buried in the soil. Committee members responded that the Legislature has already taken steps to protect high-quality soils, that ORES was created by statute and operates within the Public Service Department, and that DEC and ORES are supposed to work together rather than ORES superseding DEC. Several senators said they were sympathetic to concerns about farmland and community engagement, but also emphasized the need to expand renewable energy and balance that with land preservation. Members suggested that specific complaints about ORES transparency or solar siting could be addressed through future legislation or by inviting ORES and PSC officials back for further discussion.
MN

Minnesota 2025-2026 Regular Session

Minnesota House passes omnibus health policy bill, HF2464 5/15/25

Minnesota House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Removed various corneal foreign bodies.
  • Removed various corial<00:11:09.200> foreign<00:11:09.519> bodies.
  • <00:11:10.320> Administering corial foreign bodies. Administering corial foreign bodies.
Keywords: 1183, house
FL

Florida 2025 Regular Session

Ethics and Elections Mar 31st, 2025

Transcript Highlights:
  • AND REPRESENTATION ON BEHALF OF COUNTRIES OF CONCERN AND A SECOND FUNDING OF POLITICAL ACTIVITY BY FOREIGN
  • COUNTRIES AS CHINA, RUSSIA, IRAN, NORTH KOREA TO BIND VENEZUELA THE STRIKE ALL CHANGES THE TERM FROM A FOREIGN
  • TO GET AT AND WE'RE LOOKING TO ALIGN, WE'RE NOT SHOOTING AT THE DARK, WE'RE LOOKING TO ALIGN WITH FOREIGN
  • NEED TO REGISTER IF YOU'RE GOING TO ENGAGE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AND YOU ARE AN AGENT RELATED TO A FOREIGN
Keywords: 999, senate, all
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Natural Resources Jul 15th, 2025

Natural Resources

Transcript Highlights:
  • And this session, we, we passed about a dozen bills through the legislature regarding foreign adversary
  • So do you have any investors, any foreign investors, anybody that we should be concerned about and make
  • , you know, what can you tell us to make us comfortable that we don't have to worry about those foreign
  • There are no investors with me that have anything to do with foreign adversaries. Okay.
  • So obviously we'd have great interest in making sure that we don't have foreign adversaries involved.
Summary: The committee held a hearing on high-capacity groundwater wells proposed in Anderson, Henderson, and Houston counties, with members framing the issue as one of local water supply, fairness, and the need to modernize groundwater law while protecting private property rights. Opening remarks focused on the scale of the proposed Redtown Ranch and Pine Bliss projects, the potential export of tens of thousands of acre-feet of groundwater annually, and concerns that the applications lacked sufficient technical detail and could harm nearby landowners, cities, agriculture, and manufacturing. Members also noted the broader context of the recent flooding tragedy in central Texas and the Legislature’s intent to address water-related loss of life in the upcoming special session. Witnesses from the Texas Alliance of Groundwater Districts and the Texas Water Development Board explained the current groundwater management framework. They described groundwater conservation districts as the state’s preferred management method, the role of groundwater management areas and desired future conditions, and how the Water Development Board uses those conditions to calculate modeled available groundwater. They emphasized that districts rely on local data, monitoring wells, and planning processes, but that information is often more limited in areas without a district, where the rule of capture applies. Members pressed witnesses on recharge rates, export permits, subsidence, the effect of pumping on nearby wells, the age and real-time availability of model data, and whether the proposed project would exceed modeled available groundwater in some counties. TCEQ explained its limited oversight role over groundwater conservation districts, including inquiries, compliance actions, and, in extreme cases, dissolution authority. Water Development Board staff also outlined funding programs, saying the New Water Supply for Texas Fund is limited to projects such as brackish desalination, reuse, ASR, and other new-supply projects, and does not fund fresh groundwater exports alone. They said the project at issue had not applied for board funding. A water lawyer then testified on the rule of capture, ownership in place, and district regulation, arguing that districts must use permitting and other tools to manage production within modeled available groundwater and that the Legislature could consider additional authority over groundwater exports under current law.
TX
Transcript Highlights:
  • The Texas Communications Network is vulnerable to foreign interference.
  • And today, companies are directly connected to foreign adversary governments, like Huawei.
  • ZTE are some of the largest producers of this equipment, cell towers with equipment produced by our foreign
  • This bill would further strengthen our network and secure it against attacks from foreign adversaries
  • it is time to replace the equipment, it must be replaced with equipment that is not from a hostile foreign
TX

Texas 89th 2nd C.S.

Agriculture & Livestock Mar 4th, 2025

Agriculture & Livestock

Transcript Highlights:
  • Uh, numerous vulnerabilities, uh, Potentially allowing for entry of foreign animal diseases.
  • Shrimp, we have a, uh, uh, huge disadvantage of, of foreign-raised shrimp.
  • Right now, USDA inspects all foreign shrimp. They only inspect 2% of the, uh, uh, shipments.
  • To foreign ownership of land. Right to Farm was great.
  • And finally, uh, foreign ownership of agland, uh, is a priority for us this session.
KY

Kentucky 2026 Regular Session

Interim Joint Committee on Economic Development & Workforce Investment. (6-18-26)

Economic Development & Workforce Investment

Transcript Highlights:
  • Office of Homeland Security to review Office of Homeland Security to review any<00:31:19.240> foreign
  • investment from adversary any foreign investment from adversary countries<00:31:22.640> into<
  • Investments in their facilities, but often there is foreign investment and we encourage that as well.
  • doing and there are often uh foreign doing and there are often uh foreign owned<00:55:27.360>
  • facilities, but often there is foreign facilities, but often there is foreign investment<00:56:21.160
LA
Transcript Highlights:
  • Johnson made a statement that foreign governments demand this CCS operation.
  • Foreign governments demand this CCS operation?
  • Johnson made a statement that foreign governments demand this CCS operation.
  • So I also heard it mentioned that we're doing what foreign governments want us to do.
  • It's not foreign governments.
Summary: The committee took up public comment on a package of similar local-option bills related to carbon capture and sequestration, including House Bills 5, 6, 497, 498, 501, and 504. The bills would let parishes, or in some cases specific parishes such as Rapides and Livingston, decide by local vote whether Class VI wells, CO2 sequestration, and related pipeline infrastructure could be permitted. The chair grouped the bills together for testimony, adopted a three-minute public comment rule, and noted that the bills were not yet under consideration for a vote during the public-comment portion. Supporters, including Speaker Pro Tem Mike Johnson, parish officials, local activists, and residents, argued that communities affected by carbon capture projects should have a direct voice through local option elections. They said the bills were about self-determination, local control, and allowing residents to decide whether the risks are worth the benefits. Several speakers said their parishes had passed resolutions opposing carbon capture or asking for local choice, while others emphasized concerns about eminent domain, aquifer protection, lack of public understanding, and the need for more information about project impacts and financial benefits. Some supporters also said a local vote would force industry to engage more directly with communities and could improve transparency. Opponents, including representatives of the Department of Conservation and Energy, the Louisiana Chemistry Association, the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, and the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, warned that the bills would create uncertainty, undermine Louisiana’s primacy over Class VI permitting, and invite litigation under federal preemption and the Supremacy Clause. They said the state already has a strict permitting process with public input and technical review, and that allowing parish-by-parish approval could delay or block billions of dollars in investment, jobs, and export-related projects. The department testified that if the state adopted a local-option referendum system, EPA could determine Louisiana was not implementing the program consistently and could move to remove primacy. No committee vote was taken in the portion provided.
HI

Hawaii 2026 Regular Session

Opening Day Floor Session 01-21-2026 10:00am

Hawaii Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • Most know we've been trying to ban foreign ownership of property since we got into office.
  • A bill to ban foreigners passed the Senate. Nobody was talking about its constitutionality.
  • ownership of property since we foreign ownership of property since we got<00:43:29.119> into<
  • A bill<00:43:57.119> to<00:43:57.280> ban<00:43:57.520> foreigners<00:43:58.079>
  • passed<00:43:58.319> the bill to ban foreigners passed the bill to ban foreigners passed
CA
Transcript Highlights:
  • We had in Washington what is called a back channel, and the then foreign minister, Luis Videgaray, he
  • And these engagements have enabled our team to connect with hundreds of foreign visitors across North
  • software, and financial services to offer their expertise to Mexico without having to establish a foreign
  • This is not a foreign relationship. It is a binational community.
  • And my team's priorities are to grow exports out of the San Diego region, to maximize foreign investment
Summary: The joint hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on California-Mexico Bi-National Affairs and the Assembly Economic Development, Growth, and Household Impact Committee focused on the USMCA and how the agreement affects California’s economy, jobs, supply chains, and competitiveness. Opening remarks emphasized California’s heavy trade dependence on Mexico and Canada, the importance of stable trade rules, and concerns that tariffs or uncertainty could harm workers, small businesses, agriculture, logistics, manufacturing, and border communities. Members said the hearing would help inform a future legislative report or resolution on California’s priorities for the agreement’s review. Academic and policy witnesses argued that the USMCA is central to North American economic integration and California’s role in it. Testimony from UC San Diego and CETYS University described California and Mexico as co-producers rather than simple trading partners, highlighting sectors such as medical devices, aerospace, semiconductors, logistics, and advanced manufacturing. Witnesses also warned that the upcoming review could involve not just trade but security and immigration issues, and they urged a stronger, longer-term agreement with more certainty, better border efficiency, and new tools such as specialized technician visas, binational certification standards, innovation zones, and a technology fund. Go-Biz and chamber representatives said USMCA provides predictability, market access, and support for small and medium-sized businesses, while also creating compliance burdens through rules of origin, labor standards, and customs procedures. They pointed to California’s trade missions, export support programs, and state-level cooperation with Mexico and Canada as ways to help firms participate in regional supply chains. Mexican government and business representatives said the agreement is largely functioning well, that Mexico’s public consultation process received nearly 800 submissions and about 2,000 chapter-specific comments, and that many stakeholders favor maintaining or extending USMCA. No formal votes were taken; the committee heard testimony and asked witnesses for follow-up information to inform its report and future recommendations.
FL

Florida 2026 5th Special Session

FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-25 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • impact it would have benefiting out-of-state visitors and tourists, snowbirds, and visitors from foreign
  • Of the $5 billion projected savings in sales tax reduction, these snowbirds and foreign visitors would
  • and others, CS for CS for House Bill 1529, a bill to be entitled an act relating to the home health aide
  • If a child has HIV, if a child has AIDS right now, they can go to the doctor and get treated without
  • Why do we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when teenagers used to work at these
Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for fallen Oviedo Officer Jimmy Serrano-Torres, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Chief Joseph Tuminelli as law enforcement officer of the day. The Rules and Ethics Committee report setting the special order calendar was adopted, and the Speaker announced schedule changes for the following week, including canceling the floor session on Monday and starting Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The main floor action centered on CS/HB 7033, the House tax package. Sponsor Rep. Duggan described broad tax changes, including reducing the state sales tax rate from 6% to 5.25%, exempting certain bullion sales, repealing the aviation fuel tax, delaying the natural gas fuel tax, changing corporate income tax treatment for charitable trusts, reducing the pari-mutuel tax on card rooms, and major changes to tourist development tax (TDT) use. The bill would redirect most TDT revenue toward property tax relief, dissolve tourist development councils, and include related property tax and local tax administration changes. Several amendments were debated: a Driscoll amendment to preserve local TDT flexibility failed; Duggan’s amendment giving local governments 25% discretion over TDT revenues was adopted; Eskamani’s combined-reporting amendment failed; and a Duggan amendment requiring audit certification of compliance with the TDT/property tax relief provisions was adopted. After debate, CS/HB 7033 passed 78-29. The House then took up CS/CS/HB 1221 on local option taxes, which was presented as a companion-style measure to give local governments more flexibility while redirecting TDT revenues toward property tax relief. Supporters argued the bill would provide immediate relief to property owners and restore accountability in local tax use, while opponents warned it would undermine tourism funding, infrastructure, and local services. An amendment allowing local governments to retain 25% of TDT revenues for general purposes was adopted, and the bill passed 62-45 after floor debate. The final item shown was the reading of CS/CS/HJR 1257, a proposed constitutional amendment related to property tax exemptions and assessment limits, but the transcript cuts off before debate or action on that measure.
FL

Florida 2026 Regular Session

FL House Floor Session - 2025-04-25 (10:00AM Session)

Florida House Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • impact it would have benefiting out-of-state visitors and tourists, snowbirds, and visitors from foreign
  • Of the $5 billion projected savings in sales tax reduction, these snowbirds and foreign visitors would
  • and others, CS for CS for House Bill 1529, a bill to be entitled an act relating to the home health aid
  • If a child has HIV, if a child has AIDS right now, they can go to the doctor and get treated without
  • Why do we need to import foreigners, even import them illegally, when teenagers used to work at these
Summary: The House opened with prayer, a moment of silence for fallen Oviedo Officer Jimmy Serrano-Torres, the Pledge of Allegiance, and recognition of Chief Joseph Tuminelli as law enforcement officer of the day. The chamber approved the journal and adopted the special order report, and the Speaker announced a schedule change canceling the floor on Monday and starting Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The main business was CS for HB 7033, the House tax package, presented by Rep. Duggan. He described a broad set of tax changes, including the previously passed sales tax rate reduction from 6% to 5.25%, exemptions for certain bullion sales, changes to tourist development tax (TDT) use, property tax administration updates, affordable housing-related exemptions, repeal of the aviation fuel tax, delayed natural gas fuel tax implementation, corporate income tax changes, and other provisions. Debate focused heavily on the TDT section and the bill’s property tax relief structure. Amendments to preserve local flexibility or remove the TDT restrictions were offered and debated; one Duggan amendment was adopted to allow local governments to keep 25% of TDT revenues for general use while directing 75% to property tax relief, and another amendment requiring audit certification of compliance was also adopted. A combined reporting amendment offered by Rep. Eskamani to close corporate tax loopholes was debated at length but failed. On final passage, supporters argued the bill provides immediate, permanent tax relief and affordability help, while opponents said it diverts tourism dollars away from local needs and could harm tourism-dependent counties and services. CS for HB 7033 passed the House 78-29. The chamber then took up CS for CS for HB 1221 on local option taxes, which would give local governments more control over certain local taxes and, as presented, redirect TDT revenues toward property tax relief with some local flexibility. After questions and amendments, including a Miller amendment allowing 25% of TDT revenue for general purposes and another accountability amendment, the bill moved to final debate. Members split sharply: supporters framed it as immediate tax relief and local accountability, while opponents warned it would undermine tourism marketing, infrastructure, and county budgets. The transcript ends during closing debate on HB 1221, before final passage is recorded.
AL

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama Senate Feb 6th, 2025

Alabama Senate Floor Meeting

Transcript Highlights:
  • this ain't something down the line so this ain't something down the line so this ain't something foreign
  • and I don't want I don't want foreign and I don't want I don't want foreign and I don't want I don't
  • is putting a it cuz what we're doing now is putting a it cuz what we're doing now is putting a Band-Aid
  • on it I think cuz even when you Band-Aid on it I think cuz even when you Band-Aid on it I think cuz
Bills: SB 2
Keywords: 920, all