The Senate is expected to vote on the nominations of Jeff Sessions for Attorney General and Betsy DeVos for Education Secretary. Vice President Mike Pence may cast a historic tie-breaking vote on the DeVos nomination, which would be a first in American history.
The House will again vote to invalidate rules passed in the last months of the Obama Administration, this week addressing education rules and federal land use plans. It will also vote on a bill to extend search and seizure protections for electronic files and communications older than six months old.
In the Senate: Presidential Nominations
Nominations continue in the Senate, with Floor votes expected for Betsy DeVos (Education). The Senate may also hold cloture votes for Senator Jeff Sessions (Attorney General), Rep. Tom Price (HHS Secretary), and Steven Mnuchin (Treasury Secretary).
Secretary of Education
On POPVOX: 27% SUPPORT | 73% OPPOSE
Attorney General
On POPVOX: 31% SUPPORT | 69% OPPOSE
Secretary of Health and Human Services
On POPVOX: 36% SUPPORT | 64% OPPOSE
Treasury Secretary
On POPVOX: 33% SUPPORT | 67% OPPOSE
In the House: Invalidating Obama Regulations
The House will again use the Congressional Review Act to vote to invalidate several Obama administration rules. The CRA gives Congress sixty “session days” to overturn a rule issued by the Executive branch. A resolution of disapproval must pass each chamber and is not subject to the 60-vote threshold filibuster in the Senate.
Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
Sponsor: Rep. Liz Cheney
H.J.Res. 58: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues
Sponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie
H.J.Res. 57: Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
Sponsor: Rep. Todd Rokita
Also in the House: Email Privacy
Few know that the government doesn't need a search warrant to search emails or electronic files that are more than six months old. The 1986 Stored Communications Act (SCA) in the Electronics Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was passed long before the widespread use of emails and cloud storage. It allows the government to access electronic files older than 180 days without probable cause.
H.R. 387: Email Privacy Act
Sponsor: Rep. Kevin Yoder [R, KS-3]
The bill requires the government to obtain a warrant from a court before requiring providers to disclose the content of electronic communications regardless of how long the communication has been held in electronic storage by an electronic communication service or whether the information is sought from an electronic communication service or a remote computing service…
Public Lands Bills
H.R. 618: Crags, Colorado Land Exchange Act of 2017
Sponsor: Rep. Doug Lamborn
H.R. 698: Elkhorn Ranch and White River National Forest Conveyance Act of 2017
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Tipton
H.R. 688: Arapaho National Forest Boundary Adjustment Act of 2017
Sponsor: Rep. Jared Polis
H.R. 689: Bolts Ditch Access and Use Act
Sponsor: Rep. Jared Polis
H.R. 337: Black Hills National Cemetery Boundary Expansion Act
Sponsor: Rep. Kristi Noem
H.R. 494: Fort Frederica National Monument Boundary Expansion Act
Sponsor: Rep. Buddy Carter
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.
