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News from the Lawmakers
Reed Lauds Independent Effort by Federal Housing Finance Agency Director to Preserve Needed Funding Program for Affordable Rental Housing
Senator Jack Reed (D - RI)
February 14, 2018
I thank the Federal Housing Finance Agency for exercising its independent authority pursuant to the 2008 Housing and Economic Recovery Act to continue funding the Housing Trust Fund and Capital Magnet Fund.
Rubio Statement on Broward County School Shooting
Senator Marco Rubio (R - FL)
February 14, 2018
“A mass shooting at one of Florida’s schools is a day you pray will never come. Jeanette and I are devastated and saddened by today’s inexplicable tragedy at Broward County’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. We join millions of Americans in praying for the victims, their families and all the students and teachers impacted by today’s events. We are grateful to the emergency responders, law enforcement officials, nurses and doctors who assisted the victims of today’s tragedy. Over the next few hours and days we will learn more about why and how this killer carried out this carnage. My office and I remain ready to assist state and local officials and anyone impacted by this horrible tragedy.”
RASKIN, NADLER LEAD JUDICIARY DEMOCRATS IN DEMANDING REAL HEARINGS ON OPIOID CRISIS
Jamie Raskin (D-MD, 8th)
February 14, 2018
Ahead of House Judiciary Republicans’ politically divisive Immigration and Border Security Subcommittee hearing entitled “The Effect of Sanctuary City Policies on the Ability to Combat the Opioid Epidemic,” House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Vice Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and eight other House Judiciary Democrats sent a letter to Chairman Bob Goodlatte, urging him to hold a real hearing to appropriately examine the ongoing opioid epidemic in America.
REP. RASKIN URGES TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RECONSIDER UNLAWFUL MEDICAID WORK REQUIREMENTS
Jamie Raskin (D-MD, 8th)
February 14, 2018
Congressman Jamie Raskin (MD-08) sent a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar today expressing his opposition to the Trump Administration’s actions that will allow, for the first time in the history of the Medicaid program, a work requirement as a condition of coverage. Rep. Raskin is deeply concerned that linking health coverage to a work requirement will undermine access to health care, and contradict the plain text and purpose of the law. Raskin joined 172 members on the letter to Azar.
Roe, Norcross Introduce Bipartisan GROW Act to Give Retirement Options to Workers
Phil Roe (R-TN, 1st)
February 14, 2018
The bipartisan GROW Act will safeguard the multiemployer pension plan system by authorizing the creation of a new type of retirement option that combines the key features of defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
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Report from Washington: Bigger Paychecks and Bonuses Across East Alabama
Mike Rogers (R-AL, 3rd)
February 14, 2018
After over 30 years of working under an outdated tax code, local businesses and folks across East Alabama and the entire country, are feeling the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Rokita Introduces CRUMBS Act, Maximizing Tax Reform Bonuses
Todd Rokita (R-IN, 4th)
February 14, 2018
Congressman Todd Rokita introduced the "Creating Real and Useful Middle-Class Benefits and Savings" (CRUMBS) Act to make bonuses received in 2018 tax-free up to $2,500 to help lower and middle-class families. The legislation follows the passage of President Trump's tax reform, which has led to millions of Americans receiving bonuses, pay raises, and increased benefits.
RUPPERSBERGER QUESTIONS DNI ON WHITE HOUSE SECURITY CLEARANCES
Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD, 2nd)
February 14, 2018
Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today questioned why advisers to President Trump without full security clearances have been given access to highly classified documents. The former Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee and Member of the Gang of Eight sent a letter to Director Of National Intelligence Dan Coats to get answers.
Reed: Trump Broke Protections for Dreamers, Time for U.S. Senate to Fix It
Senator Jack Reed (D - RI)
February 13, 2018
U.S. Senator Jack Reed is urging his Senate colleagues to come together and pass the bipartisan DREAM Act, which would allow young immigrants who have worked, studied, and served in the Armed Forces to earn lawful permanent residence and provide them with a path to American citizenship. These young people, known as Dreamers, were brought here through no fault of their own, have lived in America since they were children, built their lives here, and are American in every way except for their immigration status.
Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act Introduced in the Senate
Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD)
February 13, 2018
U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, along with seven of his Senate colleagues introduced the Fair Agricultural Reporting Method (FARM) Act. The bipartisan bill would protect farmers, ranchers and livestock markets from burdensome Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reporting requirements for animal waste emissions. These requirements were not intended to affect animal agriculture and instead were meant to address dangerous industrial pollution, chemical plant explosions and the release of hazardous materials into the environment.
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VIDEO: Rubio Raises Concerns About the Growing Threat Posed by China
Senator Marco Rubio (R - FL)
February 13, 2018
At a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing today, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) highlighted the threat posed by China’s growing influence, including their long-term multi-faceted strategy to supplant the United States internationally, and raised these concerns with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Dan Coats and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Michael Wray.
House Passes Reichert Bill to Bring Tariff Relief to American Businesses
David G. Reichert (R-WA, 8th)
February 13, 2018
Representative Dave Reichert (R-WA) led debate on the House floor on H.R. 4979, a bill to extend the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and to make technical changes to the competitive need limitations provisions of the program. The bill passed the House by a vote of 400-2.
Reichert Statement on President's FY 2019 Budget
David G. Reichert (R-WA, 8th)
February 13, 2018
“I am pleased that the President’s budget request highlights the need to strengthen our military, meet our nation’s infrastructure needs, address our national parks’ maintenance backlog, conduct life-saving medical research at the National Institutes of Health, and fight the opioid crisis," said Rep. Reichert.
ROSEN’S BIPARTISAN STEM BILLS PASS THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Jacky Rosen (D-NV, 3rd)
February 13, 2018
Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (NV-03) announced that two bipartisan bills she introduced this Congress to improve STEM education unanimously passed the House of Representatives as one combined bill. The Building Blocks of STEM Act, H.R. 3397, directs the National Science Foundation to more equitably allocate funding for research in the Discovery Research PreK-12 (DRK-12) program to studies with a focus on early childhood. The Code Like a Girl Act, H.R. 3316, creates two National Science Foundation grants to research and fund computer science programs that encourage early childhood education in STEM for girls under the age of 11. The combined bill is now awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.
RUPPERSBERGER, HULTGREN INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION
Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD, 2nd)
February 13, 2018
U.S. Representatives Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger and Randy Hultgren introduced legislation to help state and local governments take advantage of low interest rates to build essential infrastructure projects. The bill restores the tax exemption for advance refunding bonds that was repealed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed by Congress in December.
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Reed Warns President Trump’s Budget Would Be a Major Disaster for American People & U.S. Economy
Senator Jack Reed (D - RI)
February 12, 2018
This budget blueprint is a disaster. The Trump Administration is using the same phony accounting it did when it claimed that a $1.5 trillion tax bill would pay for itself or that Mexico would pay to build a border wall.
Senators Urge VA to Reimburse Veterans for Their Emergency Treatment Claims Before Recent Court Decision
Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD)
February 12, 2018
U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, along with 11 of his Senate colleagues, today sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin to request that the VA reimburse veterans who were billed for emergency treatment at private hospitals.
Rubio Statement on Trump Administration's Budget, Infrastructure Proposals
Senator Marco Rubio (R - FL)
February 12, 2018
"While it is Congress that funds the nation’s policy priorities, I am encouraged to see the President’s budget also support efforts to strengthen border security, combat the opioid epidemic, rebuild our military and improve health services for veterans.
QUIGLEY STATEMENT ON PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FISCAL YEAR 2019 BUDGET
Mike Quigley (D-IL, 5th)
February 12, 2018
President Trump’s Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal is as ludicrous as it is disturbing. After drastically increasing our unsustainable debt by adding $1.5 trillion in unpaid tax cuts for the wealthy, the president is doubling down on failed, far-right policies that slash Medicare, Medicaid, and a number of anti-poverty programs for the most vulnerable amongst us. With at least a half trillion in proposed cuts to Medicare and $250 billion stolen from Medicaid, President Trump has yet again turned his back on hardworking Americans and his dishonest pledge to preserve entitlement programs.
Rep. Rice Statement on President Trump’s Infrastructure Plan
Tom Rice (R-SC, 7th)
February 12, 2018
In 1991, Congress designated I-73 as a high priority project. This morning, President Trump released his infrastructure framework that I believe will finally get this project off the ground. President Trump called on Congress to draft a comprehensive infrastructure bill that will stimulate at least $1.5 trillion in new investment over the next 10 years, shorten the process for approving projects, address unmet rural infrastructure needs, empower State and local authorities, and train the American workforce of the future. There are too many regulatory barriers preventing essential infrastructure projects from moving forward, a prime example being I-73. The permitting process for I-73 began in 2004, and due to the inefficient environmental review process we just received permits over the summer. I stand ready to work on legislation that will cut through this red tape and unleash economic prosperity through critical infrastructure investment. Delivering on the Administration’s legislative framework will help build a stronger America, and I intend to take this opportunity to invest in a stronger South Carolina.
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Rogers: Liberal Media Elite Glamorizing North Korea
Mike Rogers (R-AL, 3rd)
February 12, 2018
“What the liberal media elite like CNN and The New York Times has done is sickening to me. Her brother Kim Jong-un is a murderer and his regime in its brutality forces its people to live a Stone Age existence. He threatens the world with nuclear war, starves the people in his own country and tortured American student Otto Warmbier to the point that he passed away once he was returned to the United States. Kim Yo Jong is not only a part of that cruel family, but is a part of the brutal regime. Nothing should be romanticized about her as she is an enemy,” Rogers said.
Congressman Rogers' Statement on President Trump's Proposed Budget for 2019
Harold Rogers (R-KY, 5th)
February 12, 2018
"President Trump’s proposed budget compliments the diligent work of the Bipartisan Budget Act, calling for much-needed boosts to funding for our nation’s military, border security, infrastructure, rural broadband expansion and efforts to combat the nation’s deadly opioid epidemic.
ROSEN: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S BUDGET PROPOSAL FAILS NEVADA’S WORKING FAMILIES
Jacky Rosen (D-NV, 3rd)
February 12, 2018
“Instead of investing in Nevada’s working families, this irresponsible and harmful budget proposal leaves them behind by slashing Medicaid and making deep cuts to Medicare and Social Security, all while adding trillions to our national deficit,” said Rosen. “This budget would rob hundreds of millions from the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act program, which helps fund our state’s education system, water authority, and projects that protect and maintain our public lands. It eliminates key programs, such as BrandUSA and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, which play a vital role supporting Nevada’s economic growth. This budget would also waste millions in taxpayer dollars to try to revive Yucca Mountain, a dangerous and reckless project that would turn Nevada into a dumping ground for nuclear waste. I will continue to fight against this Administration’s efforts to dump nuclear waste in Nevada and work across the aisle on a spending plan that supports our state’s priorities and lifts up working families.”
Rep. Roybal-Allard Statement on Homeland Security Budget
Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA, 40th)
February 12, 2018
“While I support some elements of the DHS budget request, I have strong objections to this budget’s significant increase in funding for interior immigration enforcement. Democrats will not support the continuation of ICE’s aggressive enforcement actions that have increasingly led to the arrest of individuals who pose no threat to our country or our communities, and who have called the United States home for many years or even decades. We should not be tearing these individuals away from their families and their communities. Furthermore, I believe any discussion of border security funding should be part of a larger discussion that includes protections for Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status recipients.”
Congressman Tim Ryan Statement on President Trump's Budget Proposal
Tim Ryan (D-OH, 13th)
February 12, 2018
“Until just days ago, a Republican Congress and a Republican President spent the first four months of this fiscal year stumbling through five temporary funding bills, utterly failing the most basic duty of Congress – keeping the government open. The idea that the current majority party in the House could follow through on anything even resembling regular order as it relates to setting a budget for the Federal Government is laughable. The only function the President’s budget proposal serves is to remind us how completely out of whack his priorities are for the American people. He would add over $7 trillion dollars to the national deficit over the next decade -- $984 billion in the next year alone, and stick the middle class with the bill. It is a non-starter. I stand ready to get to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on a realistic budget that properly funds our defense and important programs families rely on,” said Congressman Ryan.
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