From our Hill Sources: This week, the House will consider bills related to transparency in the Dept. of Homeland Security, EPA regulations on power plants and the cotton market. The Senate will continue working on fast-track legislation, which was passed by the House last week. And take a look at bills related to fathers for Father's Day!
Five Bills in Congress about Fathers
As we celebrate fathers on Father's Day, here’s a look at five bills Congress has introduced regarding fathers:
1. Father's Day Resolution (HRes 332)
Sponsor: Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA) —Bipartisan— Recognizing the immeasurable contributions of fathers in the healthy development of children, supporting responsible fatherhood, and encouraging greater involvement of fathers in the lives of their children, especially on Father's Day. (Read resolution text)
2. Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act (HR 1439 and S 786 in the Senate)
Sponsor: Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) "Would establish a national paid family and medical leave insurance program, ensuring that American workers would no longer have to choose between a paycheck and caring for themselves or a family member," according to the bill sponsors.
"Current Family and Medical Leave law provides unpaid, job-protected leave for serious health related events, but only about half of the workforce qualifies for this unpaid leave, and many more simply cannot afford to take it because it is unpaid. The FAMILY Act would create an independent trust fund within the Social Security Administration to collect fees and provide benefits. This trust would be funded by employee and employer contributions of 0.2 percent of wages each, creating a self-sufficient program that would not add to the federal budget. The expected cost to the average worker would be similar to the expense of one tall latte a week. Benefit levels, based on existing successful state programs in New Jersey and California, would equal 66 percent of an individual’s typical monthly wages up to a capped monthly amount that would be indexed for inflation. The proposal makes leave available to every individual regardless of the size of their current employer and regardless of whether such individual is currently employed by an employer, self-employed or currently unemployed, as long as the person has sufficient earnings and work history." (Read bill text)
3. Gold Star Fathers Act (HR 1222 and S 136 in the Senate)
Sponsor: Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D-CT) —Bipartisan— “Parents whose children are killed in action are referred to as “Gold Star parents” because they traditionally display a Gold Star flag as a symbol for their loss and sacrifice. The federal government has long recognized the sacrifice of Gold Star families by granting unmarried and separated Gold Star mothers – and unmarried and separated mothers of totally and permanently disabled veterans – a 10-point hiring preference when they apply for federal jobs. The Gold Star Fathers Act would make this preference gender neutral, extending it to unmarried or separated fathers of servicemembers killed in action or totally and permanently disabled,” according to the bill sponsors. (Read bill text)
4. Protecting Adoption Act (HR 2818 and S 1637 in the Senate)
Sponsor: Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO) —Bipartisan— “Creates a National Responsible Father Registry and encourages states with existing registries to link to the national system. Empowering men and women to take responsibility for their rights as parents helps ensure adoptions are not jeopardized in the future. Birthfathers wishing to assert their rights to parent would be given timely notice of adoption proceedings, and adoptive parents would be apprised of potential claims, adding stability to the process from the beginning,” according to the bill sponsor. (Read bill text)
5. Honoring the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Sons and Daughters in Touch (HRes 320)
Sponsor: Rep. Janice Hahn (D-CA) —Bipartisan— "To honor the 25th anniversary of Sons and Daughters in Touch, an organization dedicated to supporting and connecting children whose parents were killed in Vietnam. Since its founding, SDIT has been dedicated to locating, uniting, and providing support to children as well as other family members whose relatives have died or remain missing as a result of the Vietnam War. Prior to the founding of SDIT in 1990, there was no organization to support those who lost their parents during the war. The organization now represents an estimated 20,000 sons and daughters in the United States. This Father’s Day, Sons and Daughters in Touch will be celebrating its anniversary and holding a remembrance at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.," according to the resolution's sponsor. (Read resolution text)
EPA Regulations on Power Plants
This month's agenda according to the House Majority Leader including legislation “which will protect consumers from burdensome and costly EPA regulations, keep the decision power in the hands of the states, and help modernize outdated laws.” This week, the House will vote on:
Ratepayer Protection Act (HR 2042)
Sponsor: Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) —Bipartisan— “Addresses EPA’s pending carbon dioxide (CO2) regulations for existing power plants. It would allow for judicial review of any final rule before states would be required to comply and would empower states to protect families and businesses from electricity rate increases, reduced electric reliability, and other harmful effects,” according to the House Majority Leader. (Read bill text)
Internet Regulations
The House will consider legislation ensuring that “Congress continues its oversight role over the Administration’s work to transition its Domain Name System authority from the United States to the global Internet community,” according to the House Energy & Commerce Committee.
Domain Openness Through Continued Oversight Matters (DOTCOM) Act (HR 805)
Sponsor: Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) “Require the Administration to submit to Congress a report certifying that the transition plans meet the United States’ objective of global Internet openness; Require NTIA to certify that changes to ICANN’s bylaws that the multistakeholder process has required as conditions of the transition have been implemented; Provide safeguards designed to make ICANN more accountable to the Internet community; and Give Congress 30 legislative days to review NTIA’s report before NTIA is permitted to relinquish its role in IANA,” according to the House Communications and Technology Subcommittee. (Read bill text)
Homeland Security Transparency
The House will also vote on a series of bills to increase transparency in the Department of Homeland Security:
DHS Paid Administrative Leave Accountability Act (HR 1633)
Sponsor: Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) “To provide for certain improvements relating to the tracking and reporting of employees of the Department of Homeland Security placed on administrative leave, or any other type of paid non-duty status without charge to leave, for personnel matters,” according to the House Committee on Homeland Security. (Read bill text)
DHS FOIA Efficiency Act (HR 1615)
Sponsor: Rep. Earl Carter (R-GA) “Directs DHS’s Chief FOIA Officer to make certain improvements in the implementation the Freedom of Information Act,” according to the House Homeland Security Committee. (Read bill text)
Department of Homeland Security Headquarters Consolidation Accountability Act (HR 1640)
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) “Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to Congress a report on DHS’s headquarters consolidation project at St. Elizabeth’s,” according to the House Homeland Security Committee. (Read bill text)
DHS IT Duplication Reduction Act (HR 1626)
Sponsor: Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX) “Seeks to reduce duplication of information technology at the department.”
According to the bill sponsor: “Call me crazy, but it just doesn’t make sense to have one agency using multiple IT systems that do the same thing. That’s a ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars. We have to change the ‘it’s not my money, so let’s spend it’ culture in government that leads to this kind of waste. Taxpayers should be able to trust that every tax dollar is being used carefully and thoughtfully on effective, efficient government that works for the people.” (Read bill text)
Homeland Security University-based Centers Review Act (HR 2390)
Sponsor: Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) To require a review of university-based centers for homeland security. (Read bill text)
Federally Funded Research and Development Sunshine Act (HR 1637)
Sponsor: Rep. John Ratcliffe (R-TX) To require annual reports on the activities and accomplishments of federally funded research and development centers within the Department of Homeland Security. (Read bill text)
CBRN Intelligence and Information Sharing Act (HR 2200)
Sponsor: Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ) —Bipartisan— To establish chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear intelligence and information sharing functions of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security and to require dissemination of information analyzed by the Department to entities with responsibilities relating to homeland security. (Read bill text)
Homeland Security Drone Assessment and Analysis Act (HR 1646)
Sponsor: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to research how small and medium sized unmanned aerial systems could be used in an attack, how to prevent or mitigate the effects of such an attack. (Read bill text)
Modernizing the Cotton Market
The House will also vote on a bill, which, according to the Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commodities, Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, is a “step forward towards needed modernization of cotton hedging ability for market participants.” “This is a market-oriented initiative reflecting the modern realities of the global cotton market,” said Congressman Austin Scott.
Amending the US Cotton Futures Act (HR 2620)
Sponsor: Rep. David Scott (D-GA) —Bipartisan— “Amends the United States Cotton Futures Act to allow for the development of certain new cotton futures contracts. Current law requires that 100% of the cotton tendered under a U.S.-listed cotton futures contract be sampled and graded (classed) by the USDA. This restriction has hampered the development of new cotton futures contracts designed to hedge against market risks for foreign-grown cotton or U.S. cotton merchandised abroad. H.R. 2620 would amend the law to allow U.S.-based futures exchanges flexibility in handling foreign-grown cotton and foreign delivery points,” according to the House Agriculture Committee. (Read bill text)
Appropriations
It’s Appropriations Season in Congress! The Congressional budget resolution allocates the maximum amount of funding for all discretionary federal initiatives in every fiscal year. It’s the appropriators who determine how much actual funding is dedicated for each discretionary initiative, which constitutes about one-third of the federal budget. There are 12 appropriations bills organized by agencies and focus. This week, the House will consider:
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (HR 2822)
Sponsor: Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) Includes funding for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Forest Service, the Indian Health Service, and various independent and related agencies. “In total, the bill includes $30.17 billion in base funding, a decrease of $246 million below the fiscal year 2015 enacted level and a reduction of $3 billion below the President’s request. Included is $452 million to fully fund “Payments in Lieu of Taxes” (PILT) – which provides funds to local communities with federal land to help offset losses in property taxes – and $3.6 billion for the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service to prevent and combat devastating wildfires,” according to the House Appropriations Committee. (Read bill text)
Also in the House…
The House will also vote on the following bills:
Boys Town Centennial Commemorative Coin Act (HR 893)
Sponsor: Rep. David Roe (R-TN) —Bipartisan— Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 gold coins, 350,000 $1 silver coins, and 300,000 half-dollar clad coins to commemorate the centennial of the founding of Father Flanagan's Boys Town. (Read bill text)
Bullion and Collectible Coin Production Efficiency and Cost Savings Act (HR 1698)
Sponsor: Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) —Bipartisan— This bill repeals: (1) the authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to change the design of certain gold bullion coins, and (2) requirements for the protective covering for certain bullion coins. The copper content requirements for quarter dollar coins are repealed, and the silver content is required to be not less than 90%. (Read bill text)
The House will also complete its work on:
Protecting Seniors' Access to Medicare Act (HR 1190)
Sponsor: Rep. David "Phil" Roe (R-TN) —Bipartisan— “Repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), a panel of 15 unelected and unaccountable government bureaucrats tasked with reducing Medicare costs through arbitrary cuts to providers, limiting access to care for seniors,” according to the House Republican Majority Leader. (Read bill text)
Fast-Track Trade Legislation
The Senate will be considering a stand-alone fast-track bill this week, according to the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). The Senate had previously passed a trade bill, which included both fast-track legislation and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). However, last week, the House was able to pass a fast-track bill by a 218 to 208 vote. (To quickly move this stand-alone fast-track bill, the House Rules Committee attached it to a firefighter and police retirement bill, which had been sent over to the House by the Senate.)
House Legislative Vehicle for the Fast-Track Bill (HR 2146)
Sponsors: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) —Bipartisan— “Outlines 21st century congressional negotiating objectives that any administration – Republican or Democratic – must follow when entering into and conducting trade talks with foreign countries while also increasing transparency by requiring that Congress have access to important information surrounding pending trade deals and that the public receive detailed updates and see the full details of trade agreements well before they are signed. When the trade agreement meets the United States’ objectives and Congress is sufficiently consulted, the legislation allows for trade deals to be submitted to Congress for an up-or-down vote, an incentive for negotiating nations to put their best offer forward for any deal. At the same time, the bill creates a new mechanism to withdraw TPA procedures and hold the administration accountable should it fail to meet the requirements of TPA,” according to the bill sponsors. (Read bill text)
From our Hill Sources: The Senate may take up the bill on Tuesday with a procedural vote. The House passed this bill on Thursday, sending it to the Senate. Then, the Senate will have to consider TAA separately
Last week, the House also considered Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA), which offers assistance to workers who have had their jobs displaced by trade. However, House Democrats voted against TAA in an attempt to derail fast-track legislation, despite President Obama’s support of it. The House has given themselves a deadline of passing TAA by July 30th, before the August recess.
Trade Adjustment Assistance Reauthorization Act (S 1268 in the Senate and HR 1892 in the House)
Sponsor: Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Rep. David Reichert (R-WA) “Reauthorizes the TAA for Workers, TAA for Firms, and TAA for Farmers programs through June 30, 2021. Key components of the TAA for Workers program include: Trade Readjustment Assistance, a weekly payment to a worker who has exhausted his or her unemployment insurance benefits and enrolled in an eligible training program; occupational training; Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance, which provides a wage subsidy to eligible workers over the age of 50 to subsidize a portion of the wage difference between new wage and their old wage; and job search assistance and relocation allowances. Previous reauthorizations of TAA have been done with congressional action on international trade,” according to the Senate Republican Policy Committee.
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