Acquisition, Russia, Obamacare, Adoption, IMF, Medicaid, Border Wall, Labor Secretary, Cancer Screening, Veterans, Fort Leonard Wood, Water Infrastructure, Military, Marriage, ALS, Right to Work, Self Defense, Religious Liberty

House Passes Higgins' First Bill to Increase Efficiency of DHS Major Acquisition Programs
Clay Higgins (R-LA, 3rd)
March 20, 2017
The bill, the DHS Acquisition Authorities Act of 2017, creates greater accountability for major acquisition programs within the Department of Homeland Security by ensuring proper oversight and implementing cost-saving budget measures.
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Himes: No Obama wiretapping, Trump Russia
Jim Himes (D-CT, 4th)
March 21, 2017
Congressman Jim Himes released the following statement on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence’s hearing on Russian interference in our election, ties between the Trump campaign and Russian figures and President Trump’s claims that he was surveilled:
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HOYER, MEMBERS OF THE MARYLAND DELEGATION CALL ON GOVERNOR HOGAN TO OPPOSE REPUBLICANS' BILL TO REPEAL THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD, 5th)
March 20, 2017
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined Congressmen Elijah Cummings (MD-07), John Sarbanes (MD-03), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08) at a press conference this morning calling on Governor Larry Hogan to oppose House Republicans’ bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery.
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Reps. Huffman, Russell, Bass & Sens. Gillibrand, Lankford Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Adoption Standards Nationwide
Jared Huffman (D-CA, 2nd)
March 21, 2017
Representatives Jared Huffman (D-CA), Steve Russell (R-OK), Karen Bass (D-CA) and Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and James Lankford (R-OK) today introduced the “National Adoption and Foster Care Home Study Act,” legislation that builds on successes in states like California to improve the matching of children and families in foster care and adoptions in the United States,
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Huizenga Introduces Bill to Oppose IMF’s Third Greek Bailout
Bill Huizinga (R-MI, 2nd)
March 17, 2017
Congressman Bill Huizenga (MI-02), a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, introduced the IMF Reform and Integrity Act. This legislation would require the U.S. to oppose the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) co-financing of a third Greek bailout with the European Stability Mechanism. If such co-financing were to go forward, the bill would prohibit the U.S. from supporting an IMF quota increase until funds are repaid in full.
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Hultgren to Speaker Ryan: New Medicaid Formula will Hurt Illinois
Randy Hultgren (R-IL, 14th)
March 22, 2017
U.S. Representative Randy Hultgren (IL-14) sent a letter to Speaker Ryan yesterday urging House leadership to “seriously consider including provisions” to the American Health Care Act as the bill moves through the legislative process “that would put fairness and parity into the [Medicaid] formula that underpins funding to states. Additionally, as we move forward with health care reform, I am urging my colleagues to make broader structural reforms to Medicaid that are fair for recipients a top priority.”
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Reps. McSally and Hurd Call on DHS to Substantiate Funding Request for Border Wall
Will Hurd (R-TX, 23rd)
March 21, 2017
U.S. Representatives Martha McSally (AZ-02) and Will Hurd (TX-23), Chair and Vice Chair of the Committee on Homeland Security’s Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee, sent an oversight letter asking for specific details of the Administration’s request for $999 million to plan, design, and construct the first installment of a border wall between the United States and Mexico.
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Alexander: Goal of Labor Secretary, Congress is to Create Environment for American Workers to Succeed in Rapidly Changing Workplace
Lamar Alexander - (R - TN)
March 22, 2017
The chairman of the Senate labor committee today said that the Labor Secretary and Congress’s goal is to create an environment for American workers to succeed in a rapidly changing workplace and that harmful Obama-era labor regulations have only made it harder for Americans to create, find, or keep good-paying jobs.
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Baldwin, Murray, Gillibrand Introduce Legislation to Increase Availability of Preventive, Life-Saving Cancer Screenings for Women
Tammy Baldwin - (D - WI)
March 22, 2017
U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Invest in Women’s Health Act of 2017, legislation to provide women with more preventive and life-saving cancer screenings at safety net clinics like Planned Parenthood. This bill would help reduce health disparities by placing an emphasis on populations most at risk, including low-income women and women of color.
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Barrasso: We Must Repair Damage Caused by Obamacare
John Barrasso - (R - WY)
March 21, 2017
U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding efforts to repair the damage caused by Obamacare.
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Bennet, Murphy, Tester Introduce Bill to Provide Mental Health Services for Veterans with Other-Than-Honorable Discharges
Michael F. Bennet - (D - CO)
March 22, 2017
U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), Chris Murphy (D-CN), and Jon Tester (D-MT) today introduced The Honor Our Commitment Act, requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental and behavioral health services to veterans who received other-than-honorable discharges.
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Blunt Applauds Expansion of Basic Combat Training Mission at Fort Leonard Wood
Roy Blunt - (R - MO)
March 20, 2017
“Fort Leonard Wood is the first stop for thousands of soldiers who answer the call to serve each year,” Blunt said. “The 10 incredibly challenging weeks they face in Basic Combat Training provide them with the knowledge, skills, and discipline to take on the threats we face. I’m proud that even more men and women will become soldiers in our state over the next year, and I'll continue backing efforts to ensure our military branches have the end strength they need to fulfill their missions.”
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Boozman Promotes Increased Flexibility for Managing Wastewater and Storm Water Projects
Boozman, John - (R - AR)
March 22, 2017
U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) joined efforts to provide communities with increased flexibility when complying with Clean Water Act requirements for updates to water infrastructure projects by helping introduce the Water Infrastructure Flexibility Act. The bill would also give communities more autonomy as they prioritize and plan for wastewater and storm water investments.
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Brown Introduces Legislation to Extend Higher Education Opportunities for Troops
Sherrod Brown- (D - OH)
March 21, 2017
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a member of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, introduced the Educational Development (ED) for Troops and Veterans Act, legislation to improve higher education opportunities for troops and military families.
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#FreeSpeechBus – It's Biology Not Bigotry
National Organization for Marriage
March 22, 2017
Marriage Supporter — I have an important announcement: NOM has joined with the International Organization for the Family (IOF) and CitizenGO, a community of active citizens who promote life, family and liberty, to sponsor a #FreeSpeechBus tour promoting the truth of gender. Starting today, our bus will make appearances at the United Nations, Trump Tower, Yale University and other locations with the message that gender is determined by biology rather than by emotions and feelings, and to call on all Americans to respect the free speech rights of citizens to debate these issues without fear of being demeaned, harassed, or threatened with retaliation.
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Scientists discover urinary biomarker that may help track ALS
National Institutes of Health
March 22, 2017
A study in Neurology suggests that analyzing levels of the protein p75ECD in urine samples from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may help monitor disease progression as well as determine the effectiveness of therapies. The study was supported by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), both part of the National Institutes of Health.
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Worker Advocate Files Brief with Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in Defense of Wisconsin Right to Work Law
National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation
March 21, 2017
National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys have filed a legal brief for six Wisconsin workers with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in defense of Wisconsin’s Right to Work law. The brief was filed after union lawyers appealed a district court judge’s decision to dismiss a challenge by union officials to Wisconsin’s Right to Work law.
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Minnesota: Your Urgent Action Needed to Ensure Self-Defense Bills Advance in the Legislature
NRA-ILA
March 22, 2017
Earlier this month, both House File 188, the constitutional/permitless carry bill, and House File 238, the stand your ground bill, were both held over by the House Committee on Public Safety & Security Policy and Finance with the intention of being included in the committee’s omnibus bill, House File 896. It is imperative that you contact Speaker Kurt Daudt, Majority Leader Joyce Peppin, and Committee Chairman Tony Cornish to voice support for the inclusion of both HF 188 and HF 238 in HF 896! Tell these legislators that law-abiding gun owners across Minnesota are eager to see these important self-defense bills move forward in the House of Representatives.
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First Liberty Institute Condemns Lawsuit Against Judge's Courtroom Invocations
First Liberty Institute
March 22, 2017
Yesterday evening, an activist group filed a lawsuit against Judge Wayne Mack over his practice of allowing volunteer chaplains to open his court sessions in prayer.
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Government Claims First Amendment Protects Only The "Right To Choose A Religion"
First Liberty Institute
March 21, 2017
Two police officers came to the home of Mary Anne Sause late at night and demanded to be let in to her apartment, without giving a specific reason for why they were there. The officers proceeded to harass Sause, telling her to prepare to go to jail, ordering her to stop praying in her own home, and saying the Constitution was “just a piece of paper.” Sause viewed the demand to stop praying as a direct violation of her religious freedom established in the First Amendment. First Liberty Institute is representing Sause before the Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, arguing that no government official should tell someone to stop praying in his or her own home.
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Planned Parenthood, Foster Children, Law Enforcement, Copyright Office, Department of Education, Central America, Pre-Existing Conditions, OIRA, Postal Employees, regulations, Obamacare, ALS, EPA, and Medicare

Legislation was passed on Thursday (February 16) that eliminates an Obama Administration rule prohibiting the redirecting of Title X funding away from Planned Parenthood to health care centers that don’t provide abortions. The bill, H.J. Res. 43, uses the Congressional Review Act to eliminate the ‘midnight rule’ from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that was finalized just two days before the end of President Obama’s second term. That regulation blocks states from diverting Title X family planning grants away from Planned Parenthood to community health centers, county health departments, or other providers. Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12), member of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and steadfast pro-choice advocate, claimed it would restrict a woman’s access to abortion.

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Congresswoman Lawrence introduced H.R. 1069, “The Timely Mental Health for Foster Youth Act”, with five original cosponsors. This bill would require mental health screenings for all children entering foster care. The legislation calls for an initial mental health assessment to take place within 30 days of a child entering foster care with a comprehensive follow-up assessment if deemed necessary.

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On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Jacksonville City Council voted to amend the city’s human rights ordinances to protect gay and transgender people from discrimination.

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After The Hill reported that the White House Transition Team has proposed a budget blueprint, which would eliminate the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Representative Sean Patrick Maloney joined local civic and law enforcement officials to call on President Donald Trump to keep his campaign promise to support our law enforcement community and refrain from eliminating the federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office. In addition, Rep. Maloney wrote a letter to the President asking him to protect the program. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) COPS program provides investments to allow state and local police departments to hire police officers, test new strategies, and acquire cutting-edge technology.

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The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 387, The Email Privacy Act. This bill requires the federal government to acquire warrants before accessing an individual’s digital content.

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Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) and Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27) reintroduced (H.R. 890) the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act or the CODE Act. The CODE Act makes several improvements to the copyright office that reflect a consensus across various industries and public interest groups.

These improvements include:

Housing the Copyright Office in the Legislative Branch

Requiring ongoing technology studies to ensure the office remains current with technology to be more user friendly which includes improving upon the searchable database

Establishing an advisory board representing a variety of interests and views tasked with providing the office with candid feedback on the current field of copyright to ensure neutrality and objectivity

Technical provisions to ensure a more seamless transition away from the Library of Congress

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Representative Thomas Massie introduced H.R. 899, a bill to abolish the federal Department of Education. The bill, which is one sentence long, states, “The Department of Education shall terminate on December 31, 2018.”

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Reps. Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Norma J. Torres (D-CA) and John R. Moolenaar (R-MI), Eliot L. Engel (D-NY), and Albio Sires (D-NJ), introduced a resolution in the House of Representatives to reaffirm the United States Congress’s commitment to fighting corruption in Central America.

The resolution states that efforts to fight corruption must remain at the center of U.S. policy in Central America, that the Mission to Support the Fight against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras (MACCIH) and the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG) are important contributions to these efforts, and that the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador should cooperate with MACCIH and CICIG and the Attorneys General of the region.

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The Bill, Pre-Existing Conditions Protection Act of 2017, was introduced in the House today.

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Representative Paul Mitchell (MI-10) introduced the OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act (H.R. 1009) to strengthen congressional insight and accountability over the regulatory process by putting the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) into statute.

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Representatives David B. McKinley, P.E. (WV-1) and Gerry Connolly (VA-11) introduced H.R. 942, the Postal Employees Appeal Rights Amendments Act to expand U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals rights to mid-level U.S. Postal Service Management. Under current law, approximately 7,500 USPS employees do not have this protection.

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U.S. Representative Martha McSally introduced legislation to mandate federal agencies report to Congress about regulations that did not comply with the Congressional Review Act (CRA). According to the text of the CRA, regulations that did not comply with mandated reporting requirements may be subject to overrule by Congress with majorities in both chambers.

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Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Rep. Mark Sanford’s (R-SC) created an Obamacare replacement plan—endorsed by the House Freedom Caucus.

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Congressmen Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Peter King (R-NY) re-introduced The ALS Disability Insurance Access Act, bipartisan legislation they spearheaded to ensure that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients are provided vital support and benefits in a more timely manner. The legislation would waive the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) five-month waiting period for people living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

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Congressman Markwayne Mullin (OK-2) introduced H.J.Res. 59, a Congressional Review Act (CRA) joint resolution that blocks the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Accidental Release Prevention Requirements: Risk Management Programs under the Clean Air Act Rule (RMP rule).

The Congressional Review Act, passed in 1996, allows Congress to vote to overturn any regulation during a period of 60 days after the regulation was created. Regulations created at the end of the Obama Administration are subject to be overturned, so long as it is within the 60-day “in-session” period of Congress.

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Congressman Tim Murphy (R-PA) and Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to improve the Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) statute and clarify its application to the Medicare Prescription Drug (Part D) program.

The Secondary Payer Advancement, Rationalization, and Clarification (SPARC) Act, replaces ambiguous and uncertain Part D MSP requirements with a simplified, commonsense approach that provides beneficiaries with improved access to the care. The legislation also allows Part D Prescription Drug Plans to recover prescription drug cost deficits more quickly from primary payers.