The House returns from recess on Tuesday to consider reauthorizing the District of Columbia’s school voucher program, and bills related to reforming homeland security programs, the federal budget and data privacy. Meanwhile, the Senate will continue to work on a bill that would withhold certain federal funds from “sanctuary cities.”
In the House: DC School Choice
Reauthorization of the highly debated school voucher program in Washington, DC will get a vote in the House this week. The DC Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) provides scholarships to attend private schools—commonly called “vouchers”—for grades K-12 for low-income children in the District of Columbia. The bill is a priority for its sponsor, outgoing Speaker John Boehner.
SOAR Reauthorization Act (H.R. 10):
Sponsor: Rep. John Boehner [R, OH]
BILL TEXT
“There is only one program in America where the federal government allows parents to choose the best schools for their kids, it is right here in Washington, DC… This program gets the kind of results parents dream of for their kids. It is a model for how we can break the status quo that deprives too many students of a great education.” – John Boehner
From our Hill sources: Opponents of the program say that the program diverts $20 million per year from public to private schools. Additionally, a recent US Department of Education report on the DC program found that the majority of participating private schools have tuition costs that exceed the scholarship amount.
Eight DC Council members sent a letter to the Chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Jason Chaffetz [R-UT], stating concerns about diverting money from public schools:
“We have serious concerns about using government funds to send our students to private schools that do not have to adhere to the same standards and accountability as do public and public charter schools. For example, private religious schools, which 80 percent of students with vouchers attend, operate outside the non-discrimination provisions of the D.C. Human Rights Act. Moreover, the voucher proposal is inequitable: if fully funded, the authorization would provide many more dollars per student for vouchers than is allocated per student in public schools and public charter schools.”
In the Senate: “Sanctuary Cities”
The Senate will continue work on a bill to restrict “sanctuary cities.”
The issue became a flashpoint after the death of Kathryn Steinle, who was fatally shot on July 1 in San Francisco by a Mexican national with a criminal record who had been deported several times. Earlier this year, the House passed the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act (H.R. 3009).
Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act (S. 2146)
Sponsor: Sen. David Vitter [R, LA]
BILL TEXT
The Senate bill “would withhold certain federal funding from sanctuary states or cities that fail to comply with Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued detainer requests for illegal aliens. The bill would redirect these funds to states and localities that follow the law,” according to sponsor, Senator David Vitter.
What is a Sanctuary City?
The term sanctuary city is given to cities that have policies designed to shelter immigrants who are in the United States illegally. These practices can be by law (de jure) or they can be by practice (de facto) Generally, these cities do not allow municipal funds or resources to be used to enforce federal immigration laws, usually by not allowing police or municipal employees to inquire about an individual’s immigration status.
As the White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest explained:
… one of the characteristic elements of our broken immigration system is the significant challenges that the federal government and federal law enforcement officials have had in enforcing the law by working closely with local law enforcement officials. And this is something that the United States Congress had the opportunity to fix in the context of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. But this fix was blocked by Republicans in the House of Representatives.
When comprehensive immigration reform efforts failed in Congress last year, President Obama “acted on his own; and in acting on his own, the President actually scrapped the Secure Communities Program” in November 2014. This was the program that previously codified the relationship between the federal government and local law enforcement that actually caused a number of cities to declare themselves sanctuary cities.
The Secure Communities Program was then replaced by the Priority Enforcement Program, which focuses on convicted criminals and others who pose a danger to public safety. The Program enables the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to work with state and local law enforcement to take custody of individuals who pose a danger before those individuals are released into our communities.
Awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the “Monuments Men”
photo: The Monuments Men Foundation
On Thursday, October 22, House and Senate leaders will present a Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of the Monuments Men, a group of men and women who protected and recovered historical sites and cultural artifacts during World War II.
In the 113th Congress, more than 800 POPVOX users weighed in, urging Congress to recognize the Monuments Men with the highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. The ceremony will take place October 22nd, 2015 at 3 pm in Emancipation Hall and will be live streamed at speaker.gov/live.
Budget Reconciliation Bill: Repealing Obamacare and Defunding Planned Parenthood
The budget resolution that passed earlier this year instructed three committees — Ways and Means, as well as the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Committee on Education and the Workforce — to produce at least $1 billion in savings. Earlier this month, the House Budget Committee combined the proposals from each committee to create a single “reconciliation” bill for a full House vote.
Restoring Americans’ Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act (H.R. 3762)
Sponsor: Rep. Tom Price [R, GA]
BILL TEXT
Reconciliation is an expedited process that offers some procedural advantages: it needs the support of a simple majority in the Senate, and cannot be filibustered.
This reconciliation bill includes language to repeal key parts of Obamacare: the individual mandate, the employer mandate, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), the medical device tax and the ‘Cadillac tax.’ In addition, it would defund Planned Parenthood for one year.
From our Hill sources: A budget reconciliation bill must be signed by the President in order to become law, and a bill repealing significant provisions of the ACA is expected to be vetoed by President Obama. However, many Republicans are eager to get members of Congress on the record on Obamacare—as the 2016 elections heat up. The House is expected to pass the bill before the end of the month, but it is unclear when the Senate will consider the reconciliation bill.
Judicial Redress: Data Protections for International Allies
Last week, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that US law does not offer individuals sufficient privacy protections to European nationals. The ECJ decision brought a renewed push for the Judicial Redress Act, which Sponsor Rep. James Sensenbrenner called “an important second step” toward normalizing relations with our allies.”
Judicial Redress Act (H.R. 1428)
Sponsor: Rep. James Sensenbrenner [R, OH]
BILL TEXT
According to Sensenbrenner, the bill: “provides our closest allies with limited remedies relative to data they share with the United States similar to those Americans enjoy under the Privacy Act.” … “More specifically, the bill would give citizens of covered countries the ability to correct flawed information in their records—mistakes that could subject innocent people to criminal charges or unnecessary surveillance—and limited remedies in US courts if the US government fully and intentionally discloses their personal data.”
Reforming the Department of Homeland Security
Last month, the House Homeland Security Committee passed 15 bills that will “reform and improve key elements of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).” Three of these bills, which have bipartisan support, will be considered for a full House vote:
DHS Headquarters Reform and Improvement Act (H.R. 3572)
Sponsor: Rep. Michael McCaul [R, TX]
“to reform, streamline, and make improvements to the Department of Homeland Security and to support their efforts to implement better policy, planning, management, and performance,” – House Homeland Security Committee.
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
Know the CBRN Terrorism Threats to Transportation Act (H.R. 3350)
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Higgins [D, NY]
“to require a terrorism threat assessment on the transportation of chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological materials through United States land borders and within the United States,” – House Homeland Security Committee.
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
Securing the Cities Act (H.R. 3493)
Sponsor: Rep. Daniel Donovan [R, NY]
“To enhance the ability of the United States to detect and prevent terrorist attacks and other high consequence events utilizing nuclear or other radiological materials that pose a high risk to homeland security in high-risk urban areas,” – House Homeland Security Committee.
Markup this week: Highway Funding Bill
The Highway Trust Fund authorization is set to expire on October 29th. Without an agreement on a highway funding bill, the Department of Transportation will begin cutting back on payments to states and local governments for infrastructure projects beginning in November. This summer, Congress passed a three-month highway funding extension – the 34th short-term extension since 2009. The Senate had also passed the DRIVE Act, a longer term six-year funding bill, which the House would not consider.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is planning to mark up a long-term transportation funding bill on October 22nd: for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act (STRR Act) sponsored by Rep. Bill Shuster [R, PA]. The bill would provide $261 billion in highway funding, $55 billion for transit and approximately $9 billion on safety programs over six years. The proposal guarantees funding for the first three years, while the remaining three years would be authorized pending additional funding from Congress. You can view the markup process here.
Supporting Elections in Ukraine
On Oct. 25, Ukrainians will head to the ballot boxes to elect mayors, regional councils and city councils. According to a poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI), 75 percent of Ukrainians are either very likely or somewhat likely to vote. This week, the House will vote on a resolution expressing support of Ukraine’s democratic elections.
Tell Congress what you think:
Resolution Supporting Ukraine (H.Res 348)
Sponsor: Rep. David Cicilline [D, RI]
“supports the right of the people of Ukraine to freely elect their government and determine their future… condemns outside attempts, including by the government of Russia… to interfere in Ukraine’s elections.”
SOURCE | RESOLUTION TEXT
According to House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce: “The US has a strong interest in the establishment of a stable and democratic government that can continue to implement much-needed reforms. Unfortunately, the separatists in eastern Ukraine refuse to recognize the authority of the government or allow international election monitors into the areas they control, making free and fair elections there impossible. The US and our allies must ratchet up the pressure on Russian President Putin, including more aggressively applying sanctions on key members of his inner circle, to end the separatists’ rebellion against the Ukrainian government and work to establish peace and prosperity for all of the Ukrainian people.”
Also up for vote in the House this week:
Budget Transparency Bill (H.R. 1315)
Sponsor: Rep. Luke Messer [R, IN]
Would “require the President’s annual budget submission to include the cost-per-taxpayer of the deficit for each year the budget is projected to be in deficit.”
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
Default Prevention Act (H.R. 692)
Sponsor: Rep. Tom McClintock [R, CA]
“If the debt limit is reached, under H.R. 692, the Treasury Secretary may continue to borrow above the limit for the sole purpose of paying principal and interest due on the debt, thereby guaranteeing the debt of the United States is honored,” according to the bill sponsor.
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
National Strategic and Critical Minerals Production Act (H.R. 1937)
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Amodei [R, NV]
The bill “requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to more efficiently develop domestic sources of strategic and critical minerals and mineral materials, including rare earth elements.”
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
Providing Programs of All Inclusive Care for the Elderly Act (PACE) Innovation Act (S. 1362)
Sponsor: Sen. Tom Carper [D, DE]
Passed by the Senate on August 5th, 2015, the bill now goes to the House for a vote.
The bill “would allow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to include PACE in demonstration programs that test how to improve health outcomes and reduce costs for seniors who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid,” according to the sponsor.
SOURCE | BILL TEXT
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.
