This week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate: Apr. 11 – 15, 2016
Both chambers are in session this week, kicking off three busy weeks of legislative activity before the next scheduled recess, the week of May 2. On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives is not in session. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the House is in session and will consider several bills under Suspension of the Rules, including: S. 2512: a bill to add the Zika Virus to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act. This bill expands the program to provide companies that develop vaccines or treatments for the Zika virus with vouchers for expedited FDA product reviews that can be used for other products. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 4676: the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act. This bill establishes fines and prison sentences for individuals who engage in schemes to defraud veterans seeking to obtain veterans benefits. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 4482: the Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act. This bill requires the Homeland Security Department to conduct a border threat analysis of the nation’s southwest border with Mexico and to identify improvements needed to enhance border security and reduce those threats. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. A full list of bills that will be considered under suspension may be found here. Also on the House floor this week: H.R. 3791: a bill that would allow more banks to operate under the Fed’s Small Bank Holding Company Policy. The bill requires the Federal Reserve Board to modify its Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement to allow bank and thrift companies with assets of up to $5 billion to operate under the policy, up from the current limit of $1 billion. This would allow more small bank holding companies to hold higher levels of debt while also exempting them from certain Dodd-Frank Act minimum leverage and risk-based capital requirements. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 3340: the Financial Stability Oversight Council Reform Act. The bill modifies the funding of the Financial Stability Oversight Council and the Office of Financial Research (OFR) by making said funding subject to the annual appropriations process. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 2666: the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act. The bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from regulating the rates that Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Verizon or U-verse may charge for broadband Internet service. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. Highlights of what is happening in House Committees this week: Budget season: The House Appropriations committee continues its FY17 hearing slate, a full list of those hearings can be found here. Energy and the rural economy: On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing titled “Energy and the Rural Economy: The Impacts of Oil and Gas Production.” More information here. Puerto Rico: On Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on the “Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act.” More information here. Government duplication: On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “Waste and Inefficiency in the Federal Government: GAO’s 2016 Duplication Report.” More information here. Small business tax reform: On Wednesday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a two part hearing titled “Keep It Simple: Small Business Tax Simplification and Reform, the Commissioner Responds.” More information here and here. Judiciary markup: On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a markup of S.125, the “Bulletproof Vest Partnership Grant Program Reauthorization Act of 2015” and H.R.699, the “Email Privacy Act,” to update the privacy protections for electronic communications information that is stored by third-party service providers in order to protect consumer privacy interests while meeting law enforcement needs. More information here. Small business regulations: On Thursday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “Regulation: The Hidden Small Business Tax.” More information here. Tax treatment of health care: On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold hearing on “Tax Treatment of Health Care.” More information here. This week the U.S. Senate is expected to spend the bulk of its time on FAA reauthorization. Highlights of what is happening in Senate Committees this week: ISIS: On Tuesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will discuss the spread of ISIS. More information here. Visa program: On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee continues its review of the Investor Visa, or EB-5 Visa Program, and current abuses. More information here. Appropriations: On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee will mark up the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. More information here.
Spring Recess: What your Member of Congress has been up to
It’s the week after Easter, and that means the Alabama Delegation has been back home in the Yellowhammer state for Spring Recess, and will resume business in Washington, D.C., next week. But don’t let the name fool you, the “recess” is designed to give members of Congress an opportunity to reconnect with the constituents they represent. Here’s a quick peek at what the Alabama Delegation has been up to during Spring Recess: U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01): Wednesday, April 6: Chatting with Sean Sullivan on FM Talk 1065 about the Obama administration’s failure to put forward a strategy to defeat ISIS as well as the ongoing fight for a longer Red Snapper season. Thursday, April 7: Captain Hal Pierce for stopping Byrne’s my Mobile office to update him on some issues important to the Navy League of the United States and local veterans. Click “2” below to see what Rep. Martha Roby has been up this week.
GOP Congress’ incomplete: Stalled bills, no court nominee
Congress increasingly is being defined by what it’s not doing this election year. The Senate returns this week with a strong majority of Republicans saying no to any consideration of President Barack Obama‘s nominee to the Supreme Court. No hearings, no vote and, for some lawmakers, not even a meeting with federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland. Republicans, led by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, insist that the decision on filling the court vacancy rests with the next president after voters have their say in November’s election. A bipartisan bill to aid Flint, Michigan, where the city’s 100,000 residents are struggling with lead-contaminated water, is being blocked by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah. He says he wants to ensure that the money is paid for without adding to the deficit. The dispute over Flint has snagged a far-reaching measure on energy. In the House, where lawmakers return from their break April 12, conservative opposition probably will make it impossible to pass a budget, in what would be a major embarrassment for Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis. A GOP proposal to aid debt-stricken Puerto Rico has drawn criticism from House Democrats and conservatives, raising doubts about Congress’ ability to resolve the issue. Neither the House nor Senate has done anything with Obama’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to combat the Zika virus. Republican leaders on the House Appropriations Committee have been going back and forth with the White House budget office and agency officials over whether to reallocate money left over from the 2014 fight against Ebola. The latest Gallup Poll shows public approval of Congress at an abysmal 13 percent. Yet, through a half-dozen state primaries, no incumbent lawmaker has lost. A look at the issues in limbo in Congress: THE FIGHT OVER GARLAND Garland plans to meet with 11 senators in the week ahead, including two Republicans. Democrats are maintaining election-year pressure on the GOP for blocking the usual Senate committee hearings and vote on a high-court nominee. Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and John Boozman, R-Ark., are set to sit down with Garland on Tuesday. Collins is one of just two Republicans out of 54 who are open to hearings and a vote on Garland; Boozman is up for re-election this year. Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, also up for re-election this year, said Monday that she will meet with Garland next week. Eager to keep the fight in the news, Democrats say there might be 50 more Garland meetings with senators in the coming weeks, and they plan repeated Senate floor speeches on the issue. Over the Senate’s two-week recess, both sides pushed their messages back home, but Democrats were particularly aggressive as senators held news conferences and wrote newspaper columns. Swing-state Republicans facing re-election were top targets, including Sens. Ayotte, Rob Portman of Ohio and Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, responsible for holding hearings on judicial nominees. Garland has met with just one Republican: Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk. He is embroiled in a difficult re-election fight and has said the Senate should provide “rational, adult, open-minded consideration” of Garland, an Illinois native. At least 15 GOP senators have said they are willing to meet Garland, though most oppose letting the confirmation process progress. — SPENDING It’s been years since Congress approved each of the annual appropriations bills – the 12 measures that fund the budgets of agencies and departments. The new normal is an all-encompassing bill at the end of the year. Republicans leaders such as McConnell want to get the process back on track, and the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to start with this work during the week of April 11. It’ll be a test for the Senate, and pitfalls await, including potential fights over immigration, environmental regulations, gun rights and display of the Confederate flag. In the House, GOP leaders are still trying to win approval of a broader budget plan that’s usually a precursor to action on the spending bills. Chances are iffy at best. The way forward on the appropriations bills is unclear. — PUERTO RICO House Republicans unveiled a plan to help financially-strapped Puerto Rico with its $70 billion debt, but a draft bill by the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, GOP Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, was rejected by Democrats, GOP conservatives and Puerto Rican officials. The proposal would create a five-person board designed to audit the territory’s government and create fiscal plans and budget measures – steps Republicans say are necessary for Puerto Rico to get its economy back on track. The board would have the authority to enact the plan if the territory’s governor and legislature failed to do so. The draft would not give Puerto Rico the broad bankruptcy authority it has asked for, but would allow the oversight board to facilitate court-supervised debt restructuring in some cases. The House Republican Study Committee, a group of around 170 conservatives, expressed concerns about those debt restructuring provisions, as did the conservative advocacy group Heritage Action for America. Democrats said the oversight board would be too controlling. Puerto Rico’s government has defaulted on $37 million in interest on bonds issued by Puerto Rico’s Infrastructure Financing Authority, as well as nearly $60 million in Public Finance Corporation bonds. Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has warned there is no money for future payments. Bishop said he will continue to work on the bill to gain consensus. —- CRIMINAL JUSTICE Advocates for a criminal justice overhaul are hoping Congress will move legislation in both chambers before the summer, though the effort has run into roadblocks in the Senate. The GOP caucus is split over a bipartisan bill that would give judges the discretion to impose lesser sentences than federal mandatory minimums and eliminate mandatory life sentences for three-time, nonviolent drug offenders. Some conservatives, including Arkansas’ Tom Cotton and GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz of Texas, say the bill could release violent offenders from prison. It’s a charge that their GOP colleagues backing
This week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate: Apr. 4 – 8, 2016
The U.S. House of Representatives continues its spring recess this week and is not in session. The House is scheduled to return on Tuesday, April 12. Meanwhile the U.S. Senate will convene on Monday, April 4, at 3:00pm after its two-week recess. This week, the Senate will consider: S.1890: Defend Trade Secrets Act. This bill will give companies greater legal protections for their commercial secrets and allow them for the first time to sue in federal court if they are stolen. Alabama co-sponsor(s): Sen. Jeff Sessions Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet to give an indication of what business the Senate will focus on for the remainder of the week. Highlights of what is happening in Senate Committees this week: European terrorism: On Tuesday, the Senate Homeland Security Committee will hear from outside experts on the threat of terrorism faced by Americans living in and traveling to Europe, in light of the recent attacks in Belgium. More information here. Transportation security: On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will meet to discuss the attacks on the Brussels airport and metro system. TSA Administrator Peter Neffenger, who was in Brussels at the time of the March 22 terror attacks, will testify about TSA efforts to prevent attacks on passenger and freight targets that could lead to similar mass casualties. More information here. Consumer finance: On Tuesday, the Senate Banking Committee will hold a hearing to assess the effects of consumer finance regulation. More details here. Consumer protection: On Thursday, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray will appear before the Senate Banking Committee to give the Bureau’s semi-annual report. More details here.
Yeas and Nays – How Alabama delegation voted this week: 3/25/16
This week the U.S. Senate was out of session. Here’s a look at how the Alabama delegation voted on major issues in the U.S. House of Representatives this week: H.R. 2745: the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules (SMARTER) Act. The bill seeks to harmonize the standards that the FTC and the Justice Department must meet before seeking a preliminary injunction against a proposed transaction. It also requires the FTC to resolve such cases through the federal courts rather than through administrative action. Passed the House 235-171. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) H.Res. 658: a resolution regarding the terrorist attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Specifically, the resolution condemns the terrorist attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016, which murdered more than 30 innocent people and severely wounded many more; expresses sympathy and condolences for those killed and injured in the attacks and for their families and friends; pledges support for the government of Belgium in its efforts to bring to justice those involved with the planning and execution of the attacks; declares that the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) poses a fundamental threat to the universal value of freedom in all countries; states the concern of the House of Representatives about the flow of foreign fighters to and from the Middle East and West and North Africa and the threat they pose; and expresses readiness to assist the government and people of Belgium to respond to the threat posed by ISIS and its terrorist affiliates. Passed the House 409-0. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06); Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07)
This week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate: Mar. 21 – Mar. 25, 2016
On Monday and Tuesday, the U.S. House of Representatives is in session and will consider several bills under Suspension of the Rules. A full list of bills can be found here. Also up for consideration this week: H.R. 2745: the Standard Merger and Acquisition Reviews Through Equal Rules (SMARTER) Act. This bill seeks to harmonize the standards that the FTC and the Justice Department must meet before seeking a preliminary injunction against a proposed transaction. It also requires the FTC to resolve such cases through the federal courts rather than through administrative action. Alabama cosponsor(s): None Background: The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), share responsibility for government enforcement of federal antitrust laws. The Clayton Act prohibits mergers and acquisitions that would “substantially lessen competition” or “tend to create a monopoly.” Each of the antitrust enforcement agencies is notified in advance of a proposed transaction, such as a merger and acquisition, and given a period of time to review the effects of the transaction. Only one agency takes responsibility for the review of a proposed transaction, which is determined by historical precedent. However, both agencies apply different standards when invoking injunctions and the processes used to block a proposed transaction. On Thursday and Friday, the House is not in session. Highlights of what is happening in House Committees this week: Budget Season: Budget season continues with the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and House Armed Services Committee holding related hearings. The House Appropriations committee also continues its FY17 hearing slate, a full list of those hearings can be found here. International Finance: On Tuesday, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing titled “The State of the International Financial System” featuring testimony from Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. More information here. Heroin/Opioid Abuse: On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “America’s Heroin and Opioid Abuse Epidemic.” More information here. Judiciary Markup: On Tuesday, the House Judiciary Committee will hold a markup of H.R.4771, the Help Efficient, Accessible, Low-cost, Timely Healthcare (HEALTH) Act of 2016 and H.R.4676, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2016. More information here. Women Fighting for Peace: On Tuesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on “Women Fighting for Peace: Lessons for Today’s Conflicts.” More information here. Homeland Security Markup: On Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will hold a markup of H.R.4482, the Southwest Border Security Threat Assessment Act of 2016, H.R.4509, the State and High-Risk Urban Area Working Group Act, H.R.4549, the Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act of 2016, H.R.4698, the Securing Aviation from Foreign Entry Points and Guarding Airports Through Enhanced Security Act of 2016, H.R.4780, the Department of Homeland Security Strategy for International Programs Act, the “DHS Stop Asset and Vehicle Excess Act”, and the “Combating Terrorist Recruitment Act of 2016.” More information here. GITMO: On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled “The Administration’s Plan to Close the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility: At What Foreign Policy and National Security Cost?” More information here. Small Business Markup: On Wednesday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a markup of H.R.4783, the Commercializing on Small Business Innovation Act of 2016, and H.R.207, the Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2015. More information here. Senate Schedule The Senate is in recess and will reconvene on Monday April 4.
Yeas and Nays – How the Alabama delegation voted this week: 3/18/16
Here’s a look at how the Alabama delegation voted on major issues in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate this week: House votes H. Con. Res. 121, which condemns the Syrian government for war crimes against its civilian population. Pass House 392-3. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06); Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) H. Con. Res. 75, which expresses the sense of Congress that Islamic State atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Passed House 393-0-40. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06); Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) H.R. 3797: the Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act (SENSE) Act. The bill establishes separate standards under which electricity-generating power plants that primarily use waste coal as a fuel source could comply with EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule, by blocking reductions in emissions allowances for sulfur dioxide for purposes of the cross-state rule and by setting an alternative standard for sulfur dioxide under the MATS rule. Passed House 231-183. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) H.R. 4596: the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act. The bipartisan bill exempts, for five years after enactment, small-business broadband Internet service providers that have 250,000 or fewer subscribers from the enhanced disclosure requirements of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 net neutrality rule. Passed House 411-0-22. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06); Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) A resolution authorizing Amicus Curiae in United States v. Texas. The measure authorizes the House of Representatives to file a friend of the court brief (an amicus curiae) against the administration’s position in United States, et al. v. Texas, et al., the Supreme Court case involving the president’s executive actions on immigration. Passed House 234-186. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) Senate votes On the Nomination: Confirmation John B. King to be Secretary of Education. Passed the Senate 49-40-11. Nay: Sen. Richard Shelby Not Voting: Sen. Jeff Sessions
Tea Party conservatives block Congressional budget; Paul Ryan cites anxiety among voters
Tea party conservatives have blocked a budget plan backed by GOP leaders, a blow to House Speaker Paul Ryan and a reflection of the anti-Washington mood pushed by GOP front-runner Donald Trump. The move by the House Freedom Caucus, the same band of conservatives that toppled his predecessor, would mean that the House would fail to pass a budget for the first time since Republicans reclaimed control of the chamber in 2011. Ryan cited “all of the anxiety that’s coming to a crescendo in this country” for the reluctance of conservatives to endorse the leadership-backed budget plan. “We’re the body of government that’s closest to the people. We’re up for election every other year,” said Ryan, R-Wis. “And there’s just a lot of anxiety that’s out there.” The Freedom Caucus announced Monday night that it won’t support the budget measure, which was released Tuesday by Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price. The move by the bloc of 40 or so conservatives leaves the GOP budget well short of the votes required to pass it and reflects enduring opposition from tea party lawmakers over higher spending levels permitted by last year’s bipartisan budget and debt deal. Price is nonetheless pressing ahead with a panel vote Wednesday on the 10-year measure, which relies on huge spending cuts – $6.5 trillion over the coming decade – to demonstrate that the budget can be balanced. “Surrendering to the status quo or failing to act boldly will mean Americans today and in the future will have less opportunity and less security,” Price said in a statement. “It is a plan to balance the budget through commonsense reforms and greater economic growth; to create a healthier economy, more secure nation, and a more accountable Washington.” But as in past years, GOP leaders have no plans to implement the severe cuts recommended by nonbinding blueprint. Instead, the main goal of the budget moves is to set in motion the annual appropriations process, in which the 12 spending bills that set agency operating budgets are produced. That’s the $1.1 trillion “discretionary” portion of the $4 trillion-plus federal budget that is passed by Congress each year. Conservatives are sharply opposed to last year’s budget deal, which provided an additional $46 billion or so for higher budgets this year for the Pentagon and domestic agencies, easing cuts opposed by both GOP defense hawks and Democrats, who demanded more money for domestic programs. GOP-led committees are moving ahead with a more modest series of spending cuts. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
This week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate: Mar. 14 – Mar. 18, 2016
It’s going to be a busy week on Capitol Hill as the U.S. House of Representatives returns from a week-long district work session, and the U.S. Senate endeavors tackle its workload in order to adjourn for spring recess by week’s end. On Monday, the House is in session and will consider several bills under Suspension of the Rules.A full list of bills can be found here. Most notably, two concurrent resolutions regarding atrocities in the middle east: H. Con. Res. 121, which condemns the Syrian government for war crimes against its civilian population. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H. Con. Res. 75, which expresses the sense of Congress that Islamic State atrocities against religious and ethnic minorities constitute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Alabama co-sponsor(s): Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Additional items on the floor this week: H.R. 3797: the Satisfying Energy Needs and Saving the Environment Act (SENSE) Act. The bill establishes separate standards under which electricity-generating power plants that primarily use waste coal as a fuel source could comply with EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS) Rule, by blocking reductions in emissions allowances for sulfur dioxide for purposes of the cross-state rule and by setting an alternative standard for sulfur dioxide under the MATS rule. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. H.R. 4596: the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act. The bipartisan bill exempts, for five years after enactment, small-business broadband Internet service providers that have 250,000 or fewer subscribers from the enhanced disclosure requirements of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) 2015 net neutrality rule. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None. A resolution authorizing Amicus Curiae in United States v. Texas. The measure authorizes the House of Representatives to file a friend of the court brief (an amicus curiae) against the administration’s position in United States, et al. v. Texas, et al., the Supreme Court case involving the president’s executive actions on immigration. Background: In November 2014, the Obama administration announced executive actions on immigration intended to prevent nearly 5 million illegal immigrants from being deported, including illegal immigrants who have been in the country for more than five years and are parents of children who are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. Texas led nearly two dozen states in suing the Obama administration over that initiative, and the case is expected to be argued before the Supreme Court in April. On Friday, the House is not in session. Highlights of what is happening in House Committees this week: Budget Season: Budget season continues with the House Armed Services Committee, House Homeland Security Committee, House Education and Workforce Committee, and House Foreign Affairs Committee all holding related hearings. The House Appropriations committee also continues its FY17 hearing slate, a full list of those hearings can be found here. Possible Budget Markup: Though not confirmed as of the time of this writing, it is possible the House Budget Committee could hold a markup of the House FY17 Budget Resolution this week. Concussions: On Monday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a panel discussion titled “Broad Review on Concussions: Initial Roundtable” focusing on the causes, effects and treatments of concussions and head trauma. More information here. Flint, MI Water Crisis (two hearings): On Tuesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint, Michigan, Part 2.” (Part one of the hearing took place on February 3.). Tuesday’s hearing will feature the testimony of Susan Hedman, former EPA Region 5 administrator, Darnell Earley, former emergency manager of Flint, Dayne Walling, former mayor of Flint, and Marc Edwards, professor of environmental and water engineering at Virginia Tech. Then, on Thursday, the committee will hold a hearing titled “Examining Federal Administration of the Safe Drinking Water Act in Flint, Michigan, Part 3.” Thursday’s hearing will feature EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. More information about these hearings can be found here and here. E&C Markup: On Monday and Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Committee will hold a markup of H.R.2666, the No Rate Regulation of Broadband Internet Access Act and H.R.4725, the Common Sense Savings Act. More information here. Women and Terrorism: On Tuesday, the House Homeland Security Committee will hold a roundtable discussion titled “Women and Terrorism”. The panel features Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Rep. Kathleen Rice (D-NY). More information here. Resources Markup: On Tuesday, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a markup of more than a dozen bills. More information here. Afghanistan: On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “Rebuilding Afghanistan: Oversight of Defense Department Infrastructure Projects.” More information here. Veterans: On Wednesday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will continue their series of joint hearings on the legislative priorities of veterans service organizations. This hearing will be on the legislative priorities of the Fleet Reserve Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, the National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs, the Military Officers Association of America, the Air Force Sergeants Association, the American Ex-Prisoners of War Organization, the Non-Commissioned Officers Association, Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. More information here. Foreign Affairs Markup: On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will markup H.R. 4678, the United States Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Preservation Act, which would prohibit modification, abrogation, abandonment, or other related actions with respect to United States jurisdiction and control over United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without congressional action. More information here. SBA Oversight: On Wednesday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “Small Business Administration Management and Performance Challenges: The Inspector General’s Perspective.” More information here. USDA: On Thursday and Friday, the House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing titled “Examining USDA organization and program administration.” More information here. Senate Schedule The Senate will resume legislative business on Monday. Up for consideration this week is the nomination of John King to be Education secretary.
Luther Strange praises U.S. Senate for passage of CARA, bill to combat opioid epidemic
Last week, the U.S. Senate passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), a bill aimed at providing states with the necessary tools to combat the scourge of heroin and opioid abuse that has plagued the nation recently. The legislation passed with only one vote in opposition, and a companion bill is set to go before the U.S. House of Representatives soon. Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange was quick to praise the Senate’s action. “While stronger enforcement is needed to reduce the disastrous impact of illegal drugs upon our society, we must also address the reality of addiction including the availability of effective treatment,” Strange said in a news release. “The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act provides a nationwide plan to tackle drug addiction with the goal of saving lives. We are grateful to the Senate for its passage of this legislation and urge the U.S. House to give CARA swift approval.” Strange and 37 Attorneys General from across the country penned a letter in September 2015 urging lawmakers to pass the legislation. Further, the Attorney General’s 2015 Law Enforcement Summit, which was attended by more than 700 officers from across the state, focused on ways to fight the drug epidemic through education and enforcement techniques. CARA includes provisions to tackle the following: Expand prevention and educational efforts – particularly aimed at teens, parents and other caretakers, and aging populations – to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin, and to promote treatment and recovery; Expand the availability of naloxone to law enforcement agencies and other first responders to help in the reversal of overdoses to save lives; Expand resources to identify and treat incarcerated individuals suffering from addiction disorders promptly by collaborating with criminal justice workers and by providing evidence-based treatment; Expand disposal sites for unwanted prescription medications to keep them out of the hands of children and adolescents; Launch an evidence-based opioids and heroin treatment and intervention program to assist in treatment and recovery throughout the country; and Strengthen prescription drug-monitoring programs to help states monitor and track prescription drug diversion and to help at-risk individuals access services.
This week in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senate: Feb. 22 – Feb. 26, 2016
Both chambers are in session this week after their one-week President’s Day recesses. House Schedule On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives is not in session. On both Tuesday and Wednesday, the House is in session and will consider several bills under Suspension of the Rules. A full list of bills can be found here. On the floor this week: H.R. 3624: the Fraudulent Joinder Prevention Act. The bill establishes national standards under which federal courts, when considering whether to remand back to a state court a lawsuit against an out-of-state entity, must deny that motion and have the case decided in federal court if it determines that an in-state co-defendant should not have been joined to the case. Yeah, I was a little lost on that one too, more background courtesy the House Judiciary Committee can be found here. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None H.R. 2406: the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. The bill includes a number of provisions intended to expand recreational hunting and fishing opportunities on federal lands. The bill requires that public lands be considered open for recreational hunting, fishing, shooting or similar activities unless specifically closed; allows individuals to carry firearms at Corps of Engineers recreational areas; limits the authority of the EPA to regulate bullets, angling , and other hunting equipment for toxic substances; and increases federal funding for states to set up public shooting ranges on public lands. It also permits the importation of certain African elephant hunting trophies as well as polar bear hunting trophies taken prior to when polar bears were listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Alabama co-sponsor(s): Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03) The House is not in session Friday. Highlights of what is happening in House Committees this week: Budget Season: Budget season continues with the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Education & Workforce Committee holding related hearings. The House Appropriations committee has also begun its FY17 hearing slate, a full list of those hearings can be found here. Veterans: On Tuesday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a joint hearing on “The Legislative Presentation of the Disabled American Veterans.” More information here. Zika Virus: On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing on “The Zika Virus: Coordination of a Multi-Agency Response.” More information here. K-12 Education: On Thursday, the House Education and the Workforce Committee will hold a hearing titled “Next Steps for K-12 Education: Upholding the Letter and Intent of the Every Student Succeeds Act.” More information here. Small Business: On Wednesday, the House Small Business Committee will hold a hearing titled “Small Business Administration Management and Performance Challenges: The Inspector General’s Perspective.” International Tax Reform: On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing titled “Global Tax Environment in 2016 and Implications for International Tax Reform.” More information here. Agriculture: On Wednesday, the House Agriculture Committee will hold a hearing on “The State of the Rural Economy” featuring Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack. More information here. OPM Data Breach: On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “OPM Data Breach: Part III.” More information here. Asia-Pacific Security: On Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled “The Challenge of Conventional and Hybrid Warfare in the Asia-Pacific Region: The Changing the Nature of the Security Environment and its Effect on Military Planning.” More information here. European Security: On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee will hold a hearing titled “Full Spectrum Security Challenges in Europe and their Effects on Deterrence and Defense.” More information here. Puerto Rico: On Thursday, the House Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing titled “The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Analysis of the Situation in Puerto Rico.” More information here. Obamacare: On Thursday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “Review of Obamacare Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans (Co-Ops).” More information here. Security Clearances: On Thursday, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee will hold a hearing titled “Security Clearance Reform: The Performance Accountability Council’s Path Forward.” More information here. NASA: On Thursday, the House Science, Space and Technology Committee will hold a hearing titled “Space Leadership Preservation Act and the Need for Stability at NASA.” More information here. Senate Schedule On Monday, George Washington’s 1796 farewell address will be delivered from the Senate floor. The Senate has commemorated Washington’s birthday by reading it every year for over a century. The Senate is expected to consider certain nominations the remainder of the week, including that of Dr. Robert Califf for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has also stated that the chamber may consider S.524: the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015, later in the week. This legislation authorizes funding to fight opioid abuse. Alabama co-sponsor(s): None
Yeas and Nays – How the Alabama delegation voted this week: 1/15/16
Here’s a look at how the Alabama delegation voted on major issues in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate this week: House votes H.R. 1644: the Supporting Transparent Regulatory and Environmental Actions in Mining (STREAM) Act. The bill prevents the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM) from issuing any final rules related to coal-mining activities near streams, including updating a stream buffer zones (SBZ) rule, until after the National Academy of Sciences submits a study on the effectiveness of existing rules in effect — effectively delaying any new or revised SBZ rules for at least three years. Passed House 235-188: Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06) Nay: Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) H.R. 3662: the Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act. The bill restricts the president’s ability to lift sanctions on Iranian and other financial institutions as called for by the Iran Nuclear agreement, by allowing sanctions to be lifted only if the president certifies that the institutions have not knowingly helped fund Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards, foreign terrorist organizations, and other entities sanctioned in connection with Iran’s weapons of mass destruction or ballistic missile programs. Pulled by unanimous consent. S.J. Res. 22: a joint resolution to disapprove a EPA/Corps of Engineers rule governing Waters of the United States (WOTUS). The resolution disapproves of the rule issued by EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers on June 29, 2015, commonly known as the “waters of the United States” rule that seeks to clarify the federal government’s authority to regulate certain intrastate waters under the Clean Water Act, providing that the rule will have no force or effect. The Senate passed the resolution in November, acting under the Congressional Review Act. Passed House 253-166. Yea: Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01); Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02); Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03); Rep. Robert Aderholt (AL-04); Rep. Mo Brooks (AL-05); Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06); Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) Senate votes PN11. On the nomination of Luis Felipe Restrepo of Pennsylvania to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 3rd Circuit. Passed the Senate 82-6-12. Yea: None Nay: Sen. Jeff Sessions; Sen. Richard Shelby
