From our Hill Sources: Congress bounded back from recess with sound and fury — and the (short) week ahead will bring more of the same: heated debate on the Iran Deal and intractable positions on Planned Parenthood funding threatening a government shutdown if it holds up a continuing resolution. Beneath the turbulent surface, however, new data shows that bipartisanship is on a rebound!
Iran Deal will proceed. Opponents will keep fighting.
The Iran Nuclear Deal (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA) will proceed; but challenges to it will continue. Last week, forty-three Democrats blocked a vote in the Senate to “disapprove” the Iran Deal, effectively guaranteeing that no such bill emerge from Congress.
On Sunday, Leader McConnell said that President Obama "won the 'short-term battle' because Congress will not be able to block the Iran nuclear deal. … but believes the issue has a 'long shelf life' and that the debate will continue until Americans 'render judgment' on Election Day 2016." (Source: Fox News)
The Senate will hold an additional vote to disapprove the Iran Deal on Tuesday at 6 PM, though there is no indication the result will be different.
- The legislative vehicle for the Congressional disapproval of the proposed Iran nuclear agreement (HJ Res 61: The Hire More Heroes Act)
The House took several votes last week aimed at Members on the record and pursuig any possible roadblocks for the deal.
- HR 411: a resolution declaring that: " the President has not complied with provisions of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 requiring transmission to Congress of nuclear agreements with Iran and related verification assessments because the communication from the President did not constitute the agreement as defined by the Atomic Energy Act of 1954; and the period for review by Congress of nuclear agreements with Iran under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 has not commenced because the agreement has not yet been transmitted to the appropriate congressional committees and leadership."
- HR 3460: a bill blocking the President’s ability to lift sanctions on Iran until January 21, 2017
- HR 3461: a bill stating that Congress "favors the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action relating to Iran's nuclear program"
From our Hill sources: The statutory Congressional review period of the Iran deal ends on September 17.
Planned Parenthood Funding and the Looming Government Shutdown
Authorization for government spending ends on October 1. The government will shut down if a continuing resolution ("CR") is not passed before then. Thirty-one Republicans have vowed to oppose any CR that does not explicitly de-fund Planned Parenthood. The President has vowed to veto any bill that has such a provision (in the unlikely event that one could get past the 60-vote threshold in the Senate.)
This week House Leadership will attempt to satisfy Planned Parenthood opponents by holding a standalone de-funding vote (separate from the CR.) The bill will be a chance for Members to go on the record, but is not expected to advance in the Senate.
- The Defund Planned Parenthood Act (HR 3134) Sponsor: Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) — prohibits federal funds for any purpose to Planned Parenthood or affiliates for one year unless they certify that no abortions will be performed during that period.
From our Hill sources: Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, has said that he would support a “clean” measure to fund the government and avoid a government shutdown. Ironically, if a clean funding bill requires votes from Democrats to pass, it may allow Democrats to make demands on a longer term spending bill. Regarding Planned Parenthood funding, McConnell told Politico: “What we are going to do is move to the pain-capable [abortion] bill sometime this month and see how people feel about that,” he said.
The Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36) Sponsor: Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) — Prohibits an abortion from being performed if the probable post-fertilization age of the unborn child is 20 weeks or greater
From our Hill sources: The President has said he would veto the 20-week ban, which would set up a vote in the Senate to override (requiring 67 votes.)
This week the House will also vote on:
- The Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (No bill number or summary available yet) Sponsor: Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)
Bipartisanship on the Rise
According to our friends at Quorum Analytics (as reported by Vox), Congress is not as divided as it has been:
while bipartisan bill writing is still well below its historical average levels, it has bounced back — especially in the Senate — from the nadir it reached in the 112th Congress.
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Also in the House this week
The Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act (LARA) (HR 758)
Sponsor: Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)
"LARA restores accountability to our legal system by penalizing lawyers for filing baseless lawsuits. The bill specifically ensures that judges impose monetary sanctions against lawyers who file frivolous lawsuits, including the attorney’s fees and costs incurred by the victim of the frivolous lawsuit; and reverses the 1993 amendments to Rule 11 that allow parties and their attorneys make frivolous claims without penalty by withdrawing them within 21 days." — Source: House Judiciary Committee
The House will also vote on the following legislation this week:
- H.R. 2961: To establish a research, development, and technology demonstration program to improve the efficiency of gas turbines used in combined cycle and simple cycle power generation systems | Sponsor: Rep. Paul Tonko
- Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 23 – National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization | Sponsor: Rep. Randy Neugebauer
- Concur in the Senate Amendment to H.R. 720 – Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act | Sponsor: Rep. John Katko
- H.R. 487 – To allow the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma to lease or transfer certain lands | Sponsor: Rep. Markwayne Mullin
- H.R. 959 – Medgar Evers House Study Act | Sponsor: Rep. Bennie Thompson
- H.R. 1214 – National Forest Small Tracts Amendments Act of 2015 | Sponsor: Rep. Mark Amodei
- H.R. 1289 – John Muir National Historic Site Expansion Act | Sponsor: Rep. Mark DeSaulnier
- H.R. 1554 – Elkhorn Ranch and White River National Forest Conveyance Act | Sponsor: Rep. Scott Tipton
- H.R. 1949 – National Liberty Memorial Clarification Act | Sponsor: Rep. G.K. Butterfield
- H.R. 2223 – Crags, Colorado Land exchange Act | Sponsor: Rep. Doug Lamborn
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H.R. 2791 – Western Oregon Tribal Fairness Act | Sponsor: Rep. Peter DeFazio
- S. 230 – To provide for the conveyance of certain property to the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation located in Bethel, Alaska | Sponsor: Sen. Lisa Murkowski
- S. 501 – New Mexico Navajo Water Settlement Technical Corrections Act | Sponsor: Sen. Tom Udall
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill does not imply POPVOX endorsement in any way. As always, our goal is to offer one more way to help you stay informed about the complex U.S. legislative system.
