Lame Duck: Week 2.5
It's week 2.5 of the Lame Duck session! Congress is on recess for Thanksgiving this week but Washington is still buzzing over last week's events! On Thursday, President Obama announced his plans for immigration reform. Already, Members of Congress are responding to his Executive Order, and we expect more proposals next week.
In addition, the Senate considered the Keystone XL pipeline — and rejected the proposal by one vote. The Hoeven-Landrieu Keystone pipeline bill (S 2280) failed to advance by a 59 – 41 vote. The Senate also did not move the USA Freedom Act (S 1599) for a vote, which according to the bill's sponsor, would end "the government’s dragnet collection of phone records and by requiring greater oversight, transparency and accountability for domestic surveillance authorities."
Here's a look at some other issues Congress is considering. See how many will come up at your dinner table on Thursday! Happy Thanksgiving!
Immigration Reform
On Thursday, Nov. 20, President Obama addressed the nation about his executive order concerning immigration:
Additionally, the President called upon Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform. In response to the executive order, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) stated: “The president has taken actions that he himself has said are those of a ‘king’ or an ‘emperor’ – not an American president. And he’s doing this at a time when Americans want nothing more than both parties to focus on solving the biggest problems in our country, starting with our still-struggling economy.”
The Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) also responded, stating: “If President Obama acts in defiance of the people and imposes his will on the country, Congress will act. We’re considering a variety of options. But make no mistake. When the newly elected representatives of the people take their seats, they will act.”
Bills Introduced Related to the President's Executive Order
Share your voice with Congress.
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Separation of Powers Act (HR 5768)
“Would prohibit the use of funds for granting deferred action or other immigration relief to aliens not lawfully present in the United States,” according to bill sponsors.
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Executive Amnesty Prevention Act (HR 5759)
“Clarifies that the Executive Branch does not have the authority to exempt categories of persons unlawfully present in the U.S. from removal,” according to the bill sponsor.
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Defense of Legal Workers Act (HR 5761)
“Protects people who are legally authorized to work in the United States by clarifying that illegal immigrants granted amnesty by executive action cannot be issued work permits,” according to bill sponsor.
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HRes 757
Providing for authority to initiate litigation for actions by the President or other executive branch officials inconsistent with their duties under the Constitution of the United States with respect to the implementation of the immigration laws. According to the resolution’s sponsor: "The federal courts are best suited to determine if Obama is exceeding his authority, and, if so, how to reverse it. Under America’s Constitution, we elect presidents, not dictators or tyrants. Under our system of government, legal disputes of this nature are for the courts to decide. My resolution empowers the U.S. House of Representatives to do that.”
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HRes 741
Disapproving of the President's expression of intent to expand amnesty to undocumented immigrants through Executive order after the 2014 congressional midterm elections.
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HRes 742
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that it is unconstitutional for the US President to continue to provide deferred action for childhood arrivals in enforcement of the immigration laws.
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Two comprehensive immigration reform bills have been previously introduced in Congress. The Senate passed its bipartisan immigration bill in 2013, but it has not been considered by the House:
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Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act (S 744):
— Bipartisan — To provide for comprehensive immigration reform. "Provides for border security measures that will achieve and maintain effective control in high risk areas of the Southern border; provides a path to citizenship for the 11.5 undocumented immigrants in the United States; creates a “Track One” merit based visa which will initially allocate 120,000 visas annually based on a points system; mandates E-Verify, provides additional worker protections, reforms the immigration court system and provides additional measures related to interior enforcement," according to bill sponsors. — Passed by the Senate on June 27, 2013; the House version of this bill is HR 15. —
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CIR ASAP Act (HR 3163):
"Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to develop and submit to Congress a National Strategy for Border Security consistent with the progress already made by the Department of Homeland Security and aligned with a vision of effective and accountable enforcement for the 21st century; Requires DHS to meet certain requirements to ensure humane treatment of detainees, ensures adequate medical treatment, requires access to telephones, and increases protections from sexual and other abuse; Creates an employment verification system for employers to verify the work authorization of new hires; creates a legalization program for qualified undocumented immigrants (and their spouses and children)," according to bill sponsors.
House Republican Leadership File Obamacare Lawsuit
On July 30, 2014, the House passed a resolution (HRes 676) authorizing a lawsuit to challenge President Obama’s decision to change various provisions of the health care law, or "Obamacare." Their lawsuit was finally filed on Friday, Nov. 21, against the Health & Human Services (HHS) and Treasury Secretaries. It will address two Executive Branch actions, according to the Speaker of the House, John Boehner (R-OH):
- Unlawfully Waiving the Employer Mandate. "The House is challenging the President’s unilateral decision to twice waive the health care law’s employer mandate and the penalties for failing to comply with it without going through Congress. The president’s actions delaying the employer mandate directly contradict the clear and plain language of the health care law. "
- Illegally Transferring Funds to Insurance Companies. "The House is also challenging the Administration’s unlawful giveaway of approximately $175 billion to insurance companies under Obamacare. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the Administration will pay approximately $3 billion to insurance companies in FY 2014, and is scheduled to make payments of some $175 billion over the next 10 years to insurance companies under an HHS-based, ObamaCare cost-sharing program even though Congress has never appropriated funds for the program. The Administration is instead unlawfully and unconstitutionally using funds from a separate Treasury Department account – authorized for other purposes – to pay insurance companies and thereby unilaterally altering the structure of the health care law." (Learn more or read the lawsuit.)
The Lawyer Representing the House
The suit was filed for the House by George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, a Constitutional law expert. It is assigned to Judge Rosemary Collyer, who was appointed to the bench by President George W. Bush. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office posted Turley’s contract online. Turley is receiving $500 an hour to represent the House, for up to $350,000.
In response, House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD) stated:
More Obamacare Legislation
Meanwhile, another bill to alter Obamacare was introduced in Congress:
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Patient Freedom Act (HR 5725)
"Would repeal Obamacare’s individual health insurance mandate," according to the bill sponsor.
Robocalls and Phone Scams
As we enter the holiday season, two bills were introduced related to the phone calls we may be receiving:
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Do Not Disturb Act (S 2957):
"Expands the National Do Not Call Registry to include Super PACs and so-called “social welfare” political organizations and also prohibits push polls and robo-calls to Americans who have listed their telephone numbers on the registry," according to the bill sponsor.
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Anti-Spoofing Act (S 2956):
— Bipartisan — To prevent caller ID spoofing. Would also extend the ban on caller ID spoofing to include calls from abroad and text messaging services.
Giving Tuesday
Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Congressman Aaron Schock (R-IL) introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing Giving Tuesday, the first Tuesday following Thanksgiving, which kicks off the holiday giving season with a global day dedicated to charitable giving and volunteerism, to follow the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
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Giving Tuesday Resolution (HRes 761):
— Bipartisan — The #GivingTuesday resolution, recognizes that philanthropy and charitable giving knows no party divide, as giving has the ability to transcend any differences of political ideologies and has the power to unite people across boundaries, according to the bill sponsors.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill doesn't imply a POPVOX endorsement in any way. Rather, we're simply trying to offer one more way to stay informed of an overwhelmingly complex legislative system.
