By Rachna Choudhry, 2/8/15
It’s a warm (60s) day in Washington, DC – a good break from the cold winter – as Members of Congress prepare for a busy week of votes.
From our Hill Sources: The Senate will continue to work on a bill to fund the Dept. of Homeland Security. If lawmakers don’t pass a bill by Feb. 27th, the agency will shut down. The House Majority’s theme for the week is “Planting the Seeds of Growth in our Local Economies,” and they plan to vote on two tax bills. In addition, the House will consider the Senate’s version of the Keystone XL approval bill.
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“Planting the Seeds of Growth in our Local Economies”
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s memo to House Republicans outlined their February agenda. This week’s theme is “Planting the Seeds of Growth in our Local Economies.” The House will vote on a bill to "update and make permanent provisions of the tax code related to charitable giving” and another to “make permanent the increased expensing benefits for small businesses.” (Read the McCarthy memo.)
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Fighting Hunger Incentive Act (HR 644)
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend and expand the charitable deduction for contributions of food inventory. According to the bill sponsor: “I have heard from food bank volunteers, farmers, small business employees, and restaurateurs about the positive impact this bill will have on their ability to donate food to the food banks and help their neighbors in need. Instead of wasting perfectly good food, the goal is to have it donated by providing a tax deduction over the cost of goods sold if the food is donated to a charitable organization.” (Bill text)
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America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act (HR 636)
—Bipartisan— According to the bill sponsors: “From 2010-2013, the expensing rules outlined in Section 179 of the tax code allowed small business owners, farmers, and ranchers to immediately deduct up to $500,000 in investments in property, equipment, and computer software rather than depreciating such costs over time. Late last year, Congress passed and the president signed into law a measure to retroactively extend these levels for 2014. However, over the years, the deduction limit has varied; this year it dropped to $25,000 of qualifying property. The Tiberi-Kind bill would make permanent the levels effective during the 2010-2014 tax years allowing taxpayers to expense up to $500,000 in investments in property, equipment, and computer software with the deduction phased out after investments exceed $2 million. These amounts would be adjusted for inflation.” (Bill text)
Transportation Safety
The House may also vote on several bills related to the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) and airport security:
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TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act (HR 719)
—Bipartisan— “Ensures that funding is used wisely by TSA,” according to the bill sponsor. “It would require that TSA Criminal Investigators spend at least 50 percent of their time investigating, apprehending, or detaining individuals suspected of committing a crime. Currently, TSA does not necessitate that its Criminal Investigators meet this requirement, despite being considered law enforcement officers and receiving premium pay.” (Bill text)
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Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act (HR 720)
—Bipartisan— “Directs the Department of Homeland Security to undertake a variety of activities to enhance security and communication at domestic airports, specifically requiring TSA to verify that all airports have appropriate security response plans. The bill is named after the TSA agent who tragically lost his life in the line of duty in a Nov. 2013 shooting at Los Angeles International Airport,” according to the bill sponsor. (Bill text)
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Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act (HR 710)
—Bipartisan— To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive security assessment of the transportation security card program. (Bill text)
Also in the House…
The House may also vote on:
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act (HR 810)
To authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. “Intended to reaffirm Congress’s commitment to NASA as a multi mission agency with programs in science, aeronautics, exploration, and human spaceflight, and make clear that Mars should be NASA’s primary goal,” according to the House Science Committee. (Bill summary; Bill text)
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Congressional Gold Medal (HR 431)
—Bipartisan— To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March of 1965, which served as a catalyst for the Voting Rights Act of 1965. (Bill text)
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Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act (S 1)
— Bipartisan — "Authorizes TransCanada to construct and operate the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to the US Gulf Coast, transporting an additional 830,000 barrels of oil per day to US refineries, which includes 100,000 barrels a day from the Bakken region of North Dakota and Montana. Upon passage, a presidential permit would no longer be needed to approve the project," according to the bill sponsors. (Read bill text.)
In the Senate…
Last week, the Senate failed to pass the House Department of Homeland Security funding bill, which included language to defund President Obama’s immigration executive actions:
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Dept. of Homeland Security Appropriations, 2015 – House-passed version (HR 240)
Makes appropriations for the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2015. “In total, the bill provides $39.7 billion in discretionary funding for DHS, an increase of $400 million compared to the fiscal year 2014 enacted level. The bill prioritizes frontline security – including all operational, counterterrorism, and threat-targeting activities, and essential tactical equipment – and saves taxpayer dollars by reducing overhead costs and cutting funds for lower-priority programs. The bill also includes several approved amendments to limit the President’s recent actions on immigration and to require DHS to enforce current immigration laws,” according to the House Appropriations Committee.
Background: Earlier in January, the House passed its version of the Homeland Security Appropriations bill – the last of the 12 annual funding bills to be considered for the remainder of FY 2015. The other 11 bills were approved in 2014, but Congress “punted” on this one to move the discussion around the President’s immigration executive actions to the 114th Congress. Lawmakers now have until Feb. 27 to pass a Homeland Security Appropriations bill – and avoid an agency shutdown.
The Senate may also consider a hunting and habitat package:
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Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act (S 405)
—Bipartisan— “Includes a broad array of measures to enhance opportunities for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts; reauthorize key conservation programs; improve access to public lands; and help boost the outdoor recreation economy,” according to the bill sponsors. (Bill text)
Among the provisions in the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act are:
– Hunting, Fishing and Recreational Shooting Protection Act: Makes the existing exemption from EPA regulation for lead shot permanent, and adds lead tackle to the exempted products, leaving regulatory authority to the US Fish & Wildlife Service and state game and fish agencies.
– Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act: Extends and increases states’ authority to allocate Pittman-Robertson funding for shooting ranges on public lands, and encourages federal land agencies to cooperate with state and local governments to maintain shooting ranges.
– Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act: Enables the Secretary of the Interior to authorize import permits of 41 Polar Bears legally harvested from approved populations in Canada before the polar bear was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 2008.
– Farmer and Hunter Protection Act: Authorizes state extension offices to determine “normal agricultural practices.” This will remedy recent situations in which the Fish and Wildlife Service has interpreted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to include hunting of migrating birds on rolled rice fields as illegal baiting, resulting in fines up to $10,000 for farmers and hunters.
– Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage Opportunities Act: Requires Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service lands to be open for recreational hunting fishing and shooting unless specifically closed. National Parks and Wildlife Refuges will remain exempt from this provision, and the BLM or Forest Service will retain authority to implement restrictions when needed.
– Permits for Film Crews of Five People or Less: Directs the US Departments of the Interior and Agriculture to issue permits and assess fees on an annual-basis for commercial filming on federal land for crews of five people or fewer. This will allow for greater access for small media groups and individuals. – Carrying guns according to state law on Corps of Engineers water resource projects.
– Equal Access to Justice Act and Judgment Fund Transparency: Requires public reporting of fees, awards, and payments provided under the Equal Access to Justice Act, as well as payments made from the Judgment Fund for claims against the federal government, along with relevant information pertaining to each case. The report would be made accessible online, with protections for private information regarding individual litigants.
– Transporting Bows Across National Park Service Lands: Authorizes the lawful transportation of bows and crossbows on National Park Service lands. The National Park Service is prohibited from restricting the lawful transportation of bows and crossbows that remain in the vehicle while in a National Park unit.
– Making Public Lands Public: Requires the greater of 1.5 percent or $10 million of annual Land and Water Conservation Funds be made available for the improvement of recreational access to existing federal lands with significantly restricted public access.
– HUNT Act: Directs all federal public land management agencies to identify high priority federal lands where hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation are permitted but where access is non-existent or significantly restricted, and develop plans to provide access.
– Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization (FLTFA): Reauthorizes FLTFA, enabling the government to sell public land for ranching, community development, and other projects. The revenue allows federal agencies to acquire high-priority in-holdings from willing sellers.
– North American Wetlands Conservation Act Reauthorization (NAWCA): Reauthorizes NAWCA through 2019, providing matching grants to organizations, state/local governments, and private landowners for the acquisition, restoration, and enhancement of wetlands critical to migratory birds. This program generates three additional dollars for every federal dollar and reduces the annual authorization level from $75 to $50 million.
– National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) Reauthorization: Reauthorizes NFWF through 2019, directing conservation dollars to pressing environmental needs with matching private funds. NFWF supports conservation projects across the country and administers the Gulf Environmental Fund established to remedy harm from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
And Answers to the Super Bowl Trivia
Last week, we shared House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s trivia question to the House Republicans in honor of Super Bowl Sunday. Thanks to those of you with responses! Here’s the answer:
- Which 4 universities sport both a Super Bowl-winning QB and a US President?
The University of Michigan (President Gerald Ford and quarterback Tom Brady); the U.S. Naval Academy (President Jimmy Carter and quarterback Roger Staubach); Stanford University (President Herbert Hoover and quarterbacks Jim Plunkett and John Elway); and Ohio's Miami University (President Benjamin Harrison and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.)
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