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Congress at Work: Approaching the End of the 113th Congress

November 2014 - Posted in Congress at Work

Each congressional term lasts two years. At any point when Congress is in session, a sitting member of Congress may introduce legislation. Once a bill has been introduced, it is alive and may be considered at any time during the session. However, at the end of the two-year cycle, all bills that have been introduced in either the House or the Senate that have not made it through the entire legislative process and signed into law are dead. This includes bills that may have passed both the House and the Senate but were never finalized and sent to the President for signature. The 113th Congress will officially end on Jan. 3, 2015.

Equal Employment for All Act (S. 1837) – This bill modifies the Fair Credit Reporting Act to prohibit employers from using consumer credit reports to make job hiring decisions. This version was introduced in the Senate under the premise that jobseekers should be able to compete on their merits, not on whether they already have enough money to pay all of their bills.

Equal Employment for All Act (H.R. 645) – This is the House version of the credit report limitation bill, which includes further exceptions for jobs with financial responsibilities.

Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 5212) – This billseeks to strengthen personal property rights with regard to asset forfeiture laws. Under current law, agencies like the IRS and the Department of Justice may take property suspected to be in connection with a crime without charging the property owner of a crime.The bill raises the burden of proof for a legitimate forfeiture from a preponderance of the evidence to clear and convincing evidence, requiring the government to have more concrete proof of the property’s connection to a crime. The bill also shifts the burden of proof from the owner of the property to the government.

Preventing Sex Trafficking and Strengthening Families Act (H.R. 4980) –This bill, which was enacted on Sept. 29, is designed to prevent and address sex trafficking of children in foster care, to extend and improve adoption incentives, and to improve international child support recovery. The bill also authorizes a state, at its option, to identify and document any individual under age 26 without regard to whether the individual is or was in foster care under state responsibility

Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2014 (S. 2259) – Enacted on Sept. 26, this bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the rates of veterans’ disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, the clothing allowance for certain disabled veterans, and dependency and indemnity compensation for surviving spouses and children. Each increase will be the same percentage as the increase in benefits provided under Social Security. It becomes effective on Dec. 1.

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Congress at Work: Protecting Production of Domestic Energy and Increasing Awareness of the Value of Small Businesses

October 2014 - Posted in Congress at Work

Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2015 (H.R. Res. 124) – In September, just before legislators returned home to campaign ahead of November’s midterm elections, Congress passed a three-month provision to keep the government open. The bill appropriates funds to federal agencies for continuing projects and activities provided in the applicable divisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014. As part of this legislation, Congress also passed a provision to provide support and funding to train and equip Syrian rebels to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL). The Act’s provisions for both causes expire on Dec. 11.

American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act (H.R. 2) – Introduced by Lee Terry (R-Neb.), this bill is designed to remove government obstacles to the production of more domestic energy, ensure reliable transport of that energy to businesses and consumers, and lower the cost of energy to consumers. This bill is also designed to enable manufacturers and other businesses to access domestically produced energy affordably and reliably in order to create and sustain more secure and well-paying American jobs. This bill passed in the House on Sept. 18 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

A resolution designating Nov. 29, 2014, as “Small Business Saturday” and supporting efforts to increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses. (S. Res. 548) – Passed by the Senate, this simple resolution designates a Small Business Saturday in order to encourage consumers to shop locally, increase awareness of the value of locally owned small businesses, and the impact of such businesses on the U.S. economy. This bill was sponsored by Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.).

Designer Anabolic Steroid Control Act of 2014 (H.R. 4771) – Sponsored by Joseph Pitts (R-Penn.), this bill prohibits importing, exporting, manufacturing, distributing, dispensing or possessing with intent to manufacture, distribute or dispense a product containing an anabolic steroid without a label clearly identifying the anabolic steroid. An anabolic steroid is a synthetic hormone that mimics how testosterone promotes the growth of muscle. This bill passed in the House on Sept. 15 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

Cutting Costly Codes Act of 2013 (H.R. 1701) – The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a health care classification system (the International Classification of Diseases, or ICD) that helps track, diagnose and treat health problems around the world. This bill would prevent the Department of Health and Human Services from replacing the current version 9 with the newer version 10, citing the growing cost and administrative duties it would place on physicians. The bill also calls for the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to study methods to lessen the disruption on health care providers resulting from a replacement of ICD–9. It is sponsored by Ted Poe (R-Texas) and is currently assigned to a congressional committee.

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Congress at Work: Activity Before the ‘District Work Period’ (aka 5-Week Summer Vacation)

August 2014 - Posted in Congress at Work

Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (H.R. 3230) – Sponsored by Hal Rogers, a Republican from Kentucky, this is the bipartisan deal passed to provide an additional $17 billion in funding to address the long waits at veterans’ hospitals. It will create 27 Veterans Affairs facilities and expand the types of non-VA hospitals and clinics where veterans can receive care. It will also give the VA secretary more authority to fire senior executives. This bill was enacted and signed by the President on Aug. 7, 2014.

National Nuclear Security Administration Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2014 (H.J. Res. 76) – Signed by the President on Aug. 4, this is a joint resolution making an emergency supplemental appropriation for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2014, to provide funding to Israel for the Iron Dome defense system to counter short-range rocket threats. The funding provided in this joint resolution is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2014 (H.R. 5021) – Sponsored by Dave Camp, Republican representative of Michigan, this act is designed to provide an extension of federal aid highway, highway safety, motor carrier safety, transit and other programs funded out of the Highway Trust Fund. This bill, which was signed into law on Aug. 8, authorizes an obligation ceiling of $26,800,569,863 during the period from Oct. 1, 2014, through May 31, 2015.

United States International Communications Reform Act of 2014 (H.R. 4490) – Sponsored by Ed Royce, a California Republican, this act is designed to enhance the missions, objectives and effectiveness of United States international communications. It consolidates RFE/RL Incorporated, Radio Free Asia and the Middle East Broadcasting Network into the (non-federal agency) Freedom News Network. This bill sets requirements regarding: duties and authorities; programming and policy objectives; administration and reporting; and coordination. This bill passed in the House on July 28 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

21st Century Endangered Species Transparency Act (H.R. 4315) – The objective of this bill is to amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to require that the basis for determining what species are endangered or threatened be published on the Internet. Currently, the criteria is based solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available. Historically, this data often included unpublished studies or professional opinions rather than actual data, which was frequently not accessible to the public. Requiring ESA-related data to be available to everyone via the Internet should instill accountability and allow for the transparent review of data and science to justify important policy considerations. The bill, which was sponsored by Doc Hastings, a Republican from Washington, along with 28 other Republicans, passed in the House on July 29 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

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Bringing Jobs Home and Cracking Down on Human Trafficking

August 2014 - Posted in Congress at Work

Businessmen standing on world map, waving American and Chinese flags

Bring Jobs Home Act (S 2569) – This bill was passed in the Senate by a vote of 93-7 on July 23 and moves to the House for debate. If the bill were to become law, corporations would lose the ability to deduct the cost of moving overseas. There is renewed interest in the bill because it’s a congressional election year and because, in recent years, corporate offshoring has become more prevalent as American corporations used mergers to transfer their headquarters overseas to lower their tax liability. Specifically, this act would amend the Internal Revenue Code to grant businesses a tax credit (up to 20 percent) for insourcing expenses incurred by eliminating a business located outside the United States and relocating it within the United States, and mandate that companies increase the number of full-time employees in the United States in order to claim the credit. In addition, it also would eliminate the tax deduction for outsourcing expenses related to relocating a U.S. business outside the United States. President Obama first called on Congress to pass such legislation in early 2012 as part of his strategy to restore American manufacturing.

Human Trafficking Prevention Act (H.R. 4449) – Sponsored by Sean Maloney, Democratic Representative for New York’s 18th congressional district, this bill amends the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 to require training for federal government personnel. Provisions of the bill include a distance learning course on trafficking-in-persons issues and the Department of State’s obligations under the Act, specific trafficking-in-persons briefings for all ambassadors and deputy chiefs of mission before they depart for their posts; and at least annual reminders to all such personnel of key problems, threats, methods and warning signs of trafficking and appropriate procedures to report information about possible trafficking cases. The bill passed in the House on July 23 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention and Recovery Act of 2014 (H.R. 5135) – Sponsored by Kristi Noem, Republican Representative for South Dakota at Large, this bill would direct the Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking to identify strategies to prevent children from becoming victims of trafficking, review trafficking prevention efforts, protect and assist in the recovery of trafficking victims, and authorize grants for programs that provide housing assistance for these victims. The bill also would require the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress regarding federal and state law enforcement efforts to combat human trafficking in the United States, and information on each relevant federal grant program. The bill passed in the House on July 23 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act (H.R. 3806) – Introduced by Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), this act would amend the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the ban on state and local taxation of Internet access and on multiple or discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce. The bill passed in the House on July 15 and goes to the Senate next for consideration.

Sunscreen Innovation Act (H.R. 4250) – Reported by committee and recommended for consideration, this bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to provide an alternative process to review the safety and effectiveness of the active ingredients in nonprescription sunscreen.

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