BILL TO PROTECT WATER CUSTOMERS FROM TRIAL LAWYERS

Washington, D.C. - January 30, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Duncan Hunter today introduced legislation to reform the federal Clean Water Act, limiting the amount of fees and penalties trial lawyers can seek in cases brought about through the citizen suit provision. While current law allows for citizen suits to compel compliance with the law, trial lawyers have exploited the provision for their own gain, trying to charge excessive legal fees for minor violations and even in instances where the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has already taken corrective action to resolve water issues.

“Citizen lawsuits were included in the Clean Water Act to empower individuals with the opportunity to help bring about accountability,” said Congressman Hunter. “Unfortunately, trial lawyers have turned this provision into a process for their own benefit and use the “sue and settle” practice to shakedown local water districts and us as their ratepayers. When simple problems arise and easy resolution solutions are available, or in cases where the EPA has already corrected a problem, trial lawyers still jump on with unnecessary legal action forcing water agencies to pass off millions of dollars in needless legal fees to their customers. We here in California are already dealing with increased water rates because of extreme environmental regulation and poor management by the State California. Forcing water customers to pay for unnecessary legal fees is simply too much.”

Congressman Hunter’s bill protects ratepayers by making a couple of simple technical changes to the Clean Water Act by limiting the amount of litigation charges that can be incurred, prohibiting legal action where the EPA has already taken action to rectify a problem and making regulations consistent with other areas of federal law. This measure is the fifth bill Congressman Hunter has introduced in the new 116th Congress and is part of his “First 100-Day Initiative,” a proactive legislative plan to bring about common sense reforms.

Rep. Hill Fighting for Release of American Held in Syria

Washington, D.C. - January 30, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman French Hill (AR-02) submitted a letter to the president requesting his support in bringing Majd Kamalmaz safely home from Syria. Mr. Kamalmaz is an American being unjustly held by the government of Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad.

After submitting the letter, Rep. Hill delivered the following remarks on the House floor:

"I rise today to bring attention to Majd Kamalmaz, an American being held by Syria’s dictator, Bashar al-Assad. In February 2017, Majd was detained by Syrian police while visiting the country for the funeral of his father-in-law. When I spoke to Majd’s children last week they told me they had tried to convince him not to go to Syria, but their father has always put others before himself.

"Majd’s personal motto is 'be in peace,' and that motto has been on display throughout his life with his work to help disaster victims in places like Kosovo, Indonesia, Lebanon, and the Southern U.S. after Hurricane Katrina. Majd’s children have not seen or heard from their father for nearly two years. I echo their call and plea with President Trump to do what he can to ensure their father is safely returned home."


Background:

The full text of the letter submitted to the president can be found HERE.

HIGGINS JOINS BROWNLEY IN INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO EXPAND CHILD CARE PROGRAM TO IMPROVE VETERANS’ ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE

Washington, D.C. - January 30, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) joined Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) in introducing the Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act, legislation which would make permanent the VA’s Child Care Pilot Program and expand it so that veterans across the nation who are primary caretakers have a convenient, cost-free option for child care when they have VA medical appointments.

“Treating our veterans right means removing barriers to quality care,” said Congressman Higgins. “This bill gives parents and grandparents, who have severed this nation, access to child care during their health and mental health appointments. We’ve seen the success of this model in Western New York since 2011 and I am proud to work with Congresswoman Brownley to extend this service on a permanent basis to all of our veterans.”

“The lack of affordable and convenient child care should never be a barrier for veterans trying to access the VA healthcare they’ve earned and deserve,” said Congresswoman Brownley. “This is especially important for the growing population of women veterans, who are more often taking care of young children. I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Higgins and all of our colleagues to see this important program finally become permanent and nationwide.”

In 2011, Congress created a pilot program to provide free child care for qualified veterans using VA healthcare services at a limited number of participating sites around the country. Since then, over 10,000 children have used the program, which has been very popular with the veteran community. Women veterans used the service at a rate four times their population among the veteran community at large, indicating the program is working for the growing population of women veterans and their families. According to a VA Satisfaction Survey of veterans who have used the pilot program, a majority responded that, without the available child care, they would have brought their children to their appointment or cancelled their appointment altogether.

Congress has reauthorized this popular and successful program four times, and unless Congress acts again, it will expire on October 1, 2019. The Veterans’ Access to Child Care Act would make the pilot program permanent and expand it to include every VA facility in the nation.

Western New York is home to one of the pilot sites, opening the Kids Korner childcare center at the Buffalo VA Hospital in 2011.

This legislation is supported by Disabled American Veterans, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Paralyzed Veterans of America, AMVETS, Easterseals, and the Fleet Reserve Association.

“Shutdown To End All Shutdowns (SEAS) Act”

Washington, D.C. - January 30, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- In a press conference today, Reps. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Dean Phillips (MN-03) and Colin Allred (TX-32) led a group of more than 20 freshman lawmakers in introducing the Shutdown to End All Shutdowns (SEAS) Act, a bill aimed at protecting federal employees from being used as pawns in future political negotiations by transferring the financial hardship of shutdowns to the Executive Branch and Members of Congress.

In addition to shifting the hardship caused by a federal government shutdown to those responsible for it, the SEAS Act would allow government to continue operating under an automatic continuing resolution for as long as Congress and the President fail to agree on an appropriations measure.

“We represent a growing chorus of Americans demanding an end to shutdowns,” said Phillips. “They are the worst negotiation tactic practiced by our government. They’re irresponsible and ineffective, and the human toll is inexcusable. The only people who should suffer financial hardship when elected leaders can’t govern are the elected leaders themselves.”

“If Congress and the President can’t agree on spending, the burden shouldn’t fall on federal workers and their families -- it should fall on leaders in Washington. As a former federal worker for 14 years, I’m proud to be introducing a bill that ensures federal workers aren’t held hostage by stalled negotiations, and puts real skin in the game for Members of Congress and the President if they can’t do their jobs,” said Slotkin.

“Intentionally shutting the government down to negotiate policy differences is irresponsible and failed policy,” said Houlahan. “As we recently saw, millions of American families are adversely affected when our government fails to do its most basic responsibilities. We cannot let this happen again and this bill will appropriately put the pain in situations like these on the Executive and Legislative branches rather than on the people that we serve.”

“Back home in Texas I heard from all kinds of people and the message was the same — enough is enough,” said Allred. “Shutdown politics are nothing more than petty brinkmanship and serve only to take us backward. The Freshman class was sworn in during a shutdown and we want to make sure this never happens again. We were sent here to clean up and reform Washington and this legislation does just that.”

Specifically, the SEAS Act would prohibit the use of federal funds for Member travel and require daily quorum calls for the duration of a federal government shutdown. The legislation would also suspend Member pay and not hold it in escrow, as it is under current law.

The SEAS Act hits the president with equally stiff penalties, prohibiting the use of federal funds for Executive Branch and Cabinet, except by waiver in cases of national security, natural disaster or national emergency. Under the new law, the use of federal funds would also be prohibited for Executive Branch bonuses, receptions, entertainment, exercise facilities and golf courses during a shutdown.

Read more about the SEAS Act here.

Additional freshmen co-sponsors echoed the need to end the practice of using shutdowns as a negotiation tactic:

Rep. Andy Kim (NJ-03): “There are no winners when the government shuts down. Federal workers suffer, the economy slows down, government services grind to a halt and taxpayers are left holding the bag. When I worked in national security, we’d check our politics at the door and lock ourselves in a room until we figured it out. The Shutdown to End All Shutdowns Act would take a similar approach by continuing to fund the government at the previous year’s levels while politicians are forced to stay in DC and work it out - without getting paid. I’m proud to join as a cosponsor of this commonsense legislation.”

Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02): “Today I joined 20 of my fellow freshman to put an end to the practice of using destructive shutdowns as a negotiating tool, making sure that no party can ever put politics over people again. This bill shifts the pressure of a shutdown to where it should be: on the legislative and executive branches, not the millions of Americans who rely on government services and those who receive steady paychecks.”

Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03): “This is my first week in Congress with a fully-open federal government and the effects of the Nation’s longest shutdown in history will be felt for years. As freshmen, we inherited a shutdown that forced federal workers to go on food stamps, take temporary jobs, miss rent payments, and so much more. This was politically motivated and it was wrong. So our Freshmen Class decided to do something about it by introducing The Shutdown to End All Shutdowns (SEAS) Act. This act will force those responsible for creating shutdowns to shoulder the burden.”

Rep. Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26): “The dysfunctionality that we’ve seen in DC needs to stop. We cannot continue to hold people’s paychecks hostage over policy differences. This bill will ensure that all decision makers are forced to come to an agreement so that this never happens again.”

Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-04): “I ran for Congress to get things done for Utah families. Nothing is more basic than keeping government operations running and providing services. A shutdown should never happen. This bill prevents future shutdowns and would hold Congress and the White House accountable for funding the government in a responsible manner.”

Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-39): “I’ve seen the pain and hardship the Trump shut down caused the thousands of federal workers in my district and across the country. I’m proud to join my colleagues in supporting legislation that will ensure that federal workers are protected from being furloughed, that they have a paycheck, and shifts the financial hardship of shut down to the President and Congress. We should not be using federal workers as a negotiating tactic, and with this bill we will protect our public servants and keep our government functioning as intended.”

Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03): “It has become all too common for Washington politicians to use the threat of a government shutdown to advance political or policy agendas. During this past shutdown, our federal workers, our farmers and our communities were suffering while lawmakers went home for the holidays. This is an unacceptable way to govern. Our legislation says if lawmakers can’t agree on a budget, lawmakers don’t get paid. It’s time to stop punishing everyday Iowans for Washington dysfunction.”

Rep. Abby Finkenauer (IA-01): “Today we are here to a send a message to working families, the Congress and all future Congresses. Shutdowns are unacceptable, they are dangerous, and they are irresponsible. This is a new day in Washington. We are here to put chaos and dysfunction aside. We are here to do our jobs and we are here to get back to work.”

Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03): “I have made it very clear that using the threat of a government shutdown and the suffering of thousands of federal workers as leverage in a policy disagreement is unacceptable. We have an obligation to protect hard working men and women and their families from being used as pawns in future policy negotiations. Any hardship created as a result of dysfunction here in Washington should be felt by the people who are responsible, not the federal employees who work hard every day to serve the American people.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11): “The shutdown hurt families in my district, and illustrated the need for new ideas as to how to fix our political institutions. This bill takes an important step in putting responsibility on Members of Congress to come together, resolve policy differences, and pass appropriations bills without using hardworking Americans as leverage.”

Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01): “It is unacceptable that the livelihood of hardworking Americans becomes collateral damage every time the White House and Congress have a disagreement. The American people sent us here with the clear message that this kind of business as usual must be changed. I will continue working with anyone willing to put an end to destructive shutdown politics and ensure our government is working in the best interest of the people.”

Ranching Industry Praises Department of Interior After Agency Reissues Hammond Ranches' Grazing Permit

Washington, D.C. - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Public Lands Council (PLC) President Bob Skinner and National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA) President Kevin Kester today issued the following statement in response to the reissuance of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) grazing permits to Hammond Ranches:

"In light of a full and unconditional presidential pardon, the reissuance of the Hammond Ranches' grazing permits is the final step in righting the egregious injustices the Hammonds faced. This is the culmination of years of effort on behalf of this industry to restore a family's livelihood. We speak on behalf of the livestock producers nationwide in saying thank you to Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt and his team who worked to correct the hardships this family faced."

Additionally, Ethan Lane, Senior Executive Director of PLC and NCBA Federal Lands, issued the following statement on behalf of Hammond Ranches:

"The Hammonds have asked me to convey their appreciation to Acting Secretary Bernhardt and the Bureau of Land Management for reissuing their grazing permits. They are looking forward to digging into the specifics of the reinstatement and, finally, getting back to the business of ranching."

Background:

In 2012, Oregon ranchers Dwight and Steven Hammond were convicted of felony arson and sentenced to five years imprisonment under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. This conviction was the result of two routine, back-burn fires started on their private property spreading to small parcels of adjacent federal land. On July 10, 2018, President Trump signed Executive Grants of Clemency for both men. However, the initial conviction resulted in the loss of Hammond Ranches' BLM grazing permits. Today, the Department of the Interior notified Hammond Ranches that their grazing permits had been reinstated.

NY Law Is Infanticide

Albany, NY - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The so-called “Reproductive Health Act,” recently signed into law by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, authorizes the murder of unborn babies up to the point of birth for any reason and revokes medical care for babies who are born alive after a failed abortion. This new law, which also applies to nonresidents who come to New York for an abortion, denies any legal protection or rights for an unborn child.

When any abortion law uses the word “health” in addition to “life,” and the definition of “health” is not clearly specified, it is likely relying on the broad definition of “health” in the 1973 Doe v. Bolton opinion. The New York law does not define the word “health” but states:

“A health care practitioner licensed, certified, or authorized under title eight of the education law, acting within his or her lawful scope of practice, may perform an abortion when, according to the practitioner’s reasonable and good faith professional judgment based on the facts of the patient’s case: the patient is within twenty-four weeks from the commencement of pregnancy, or there is an absence of fetal viability, or the abortion is necessary to protect the patient’s life or health.” (emphasis added).

Under this law, the mother can obtain an abortion for any reason using the broad application of the word “health.” Under Doe v. Bolton, the companion case to Roe v. Wade, the word “health” includes emotional, psychological, familial, situational, and financial considerations.

While many states have laws which require appropriate medical care and treatment for babies who are born alive after a failed abortion, the state of New York repealed that section of the public health law. Now the same medical personnel who would work to save a preemie, need not do anything for a baby the same age who survived an abortion.

This new law also seeks to deny any recognition or protection for human beings before birth under any circumstances. Until now, New York had been one of 38 states whose homicide statute could apply before birth. The law defined homicide as including “conduct which causes the death of...an unborn child” after 24 weeks “under circumstances constituting” existing categories of homicide. The so-called “Reproductive Health Act” repealed that language so that deliberately causing the death of a child whose mother never even considered abortion is no crime at all.

“A child can be tortured and killed seconds before it is born in New York simply because it is seen as an ‘inconvenience’ to some and a money-maker for others,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “If the child happens to be born alive, it can now be left to suffer and die. New York has dehumanized the child in the womb, including those born alive after a failed abortion. This is infanticide. This is nothing to celebrate. This is a crime against humanity, and New York wants to become the world sanctuary for abortions by allowing even nonresidents to come and kill their babies,” said Staver.

Liberty Counsel is an international nonprofit, litigation, education, and policy organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and the family since 1989, by providing pro bono assistance and representation on these and related topics. Liberty Counsel provides broadcast quality TV interviews via Hi-Def Skype and LTN at no cost.

Bill to Withhold Pay from Congress, POTUS During Shutdowns

Washington, D.C. - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Congressmen Jared Golden (ME-02), joined by Reps. Dan Crenshaw (TX-02) and Max Rose (NY-11), introduced a bipartisan bill today to withhold pay from members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President during a government shutdown. The bipartisan group is introducing their legislation, the Solidarity in Salary Act of 2019, to prevent and limit the duration of future shutdowns and ensure that lawmakers feel the harm they cause federal employees when they fail to fund the government.

“Federal workers don’t get paid during a government shutdown. Neither should politicians,” said Golden. “That’s just common sense. Our bill, the Solidarity in Salary Act withholds paychecks from the members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President during a shutdown. This legislation will help prevent the American people from being political pawns for party leaders and help return sanity to the task of funding the government. I thank Representatives Crenshaw and Rose for joining me to offer this important legislation.”

“Federal employees should never have to carry the burden caused by a dysfunctional government; that’s why I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation,” said Crenshaw. “When a Congressional impasse causes federal employees to go unpaid, Members of Congress should have to withhold their pay. We should have to feel the very real effects of a shutdown, just as our fellow federal employees are forced to do.”

“Only in a town as broken as Washington do you still get paid when you don’t do your job,” said Rose. “That’s wrong, and it’s past time to make it right.”

The Solidarity in Salary Act of 2019 places the daily pay of the president, vice president, and members of Congress in escrow for each day a government shutdown was in effect. Once the government is reopened, the withheld pay is released.

View text of the bill here.

Bill to Curb Government Corruption

Washington, D.C. - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Ruben Gallego, Congressman Ted W. Lieu, Congressman David Cicilline, Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, and Congresswoman Anna Eshoo announced they are introducing the Restoring the Public Trust Act of 2019. The bill package incorporates a number of pieces of legislation aimed at strengthening ethical standards in the federal government to prevent government corruption and ensure accountability for the American public.

Upon introduction, the Members said:

“Trump and his administration have made a mockery of government ethics, demonstrating the weak spots in our current laws. He has normalized unethical behavior in a way that was once unthinkable, proving that we need stronger ethics laws. The damage that Trump has done to the public’s confidence in its government won’t be easy to fix but this bill ensures that those gaping holes in our anticorruption and ethics laws are addressed. In doing so, we will course correct our government to ensure it is working for the people, which is a key Democratic priority this Congress. The Restoring the Public Trust Act helps us do the critical work of rebuilding the public’s faith in government.”

The Restoring the Public Trust Act is endorsed By: American Oversight; Campaign for Accountability, Common Cause and Public Citizen.

The bill will include the following provisions:

TITLE I: Draining the Swamp

The SWAMP Act: The President must reimburse the Treasury Department for taxpayer dollars spent at properties in which he has a financial stake, like Mar-a-Lago.

The SWAMP FLYERS Act: Prohibits the use of federal funds for the official travel of a senior political appointee on a non-commercial, private, or chartered flight unless they certify – under penalty of perjury – that no alternative flight was available.

The E. Scott Pruitt Accountability for Government Officials Act: Creates a federal criminal penalty for use of public office for private gain, endorsement of products, or aiding family and friends for corrupt purposes.

CORRUPT Act: The head of each agency must submit to the Office of Government Ethics a report on the amount expended by that agency to any property owned by the President or his family.

RIGGED Act: Makes the federal nepotism laws applicable to the Executive Office of the President.

DRAIN the Swamp Act: The head of each agency must submit to the Comptroller General an assessment of any regulatory conflict of interest pertaining to the President and various senior advisors that might arise from an agency’s rule.

TITLE II: Rooting Out Conflicts of Interest

CLEARANCES Act (COMMONSENSE LEGISLATION ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY BY REPORTING ACCESS OF NON-CLEARED EMPLOYEES TO SECRETS): The White House must report to Congress when it grants a security clearance in contravention of an unfavorable clearance recommendation, in part to prevent dangerous and heavily indebted individuals from entering the most sensitive positions in government.

Blind Trusts: Requires members of the President’s Cabinet and certain senior White House advisors to place stocks, bonds, commodities futures, other forms of securities in a blind trust during their tenure.

Preventing domestic emoluments: Prohibits any business interest owned in whole or in part by the President or Vice President, his/her spouse, or immediate family member from doing business with the federal government.

Presidential Tax Transparency Act: Requires all candidates for President to release their tax returns for the past three years.

No more shadow White House meetings: Require the White House to maintain a publicly accessible website that includes data on visitor logs.

TITLE III: Strengthening Our Inspectors General

Protecting our inspectors general: Requires notification to Congress of a president’s decision to place an agency inspector general – whose job is to root out waste, fraud, and corruption – on leave or to change their status in any way.

Filling empty inspector general positions: Requires the President report to Congress if he or she fails to nominate an Inspector General for a given agency, including a target date for making a formal recommendation.

Gallagher Introduces the Serve the People, Not the Swamp Act

Washington, D.C. - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI, 8th) introduced H.R. 765, the “Serve the People, Not the Swamp Act”, a collection of common-sense Congressional reforms he has supported since his first term in office. The bill would prevent Congress from going into recess without first adopting a balanced federal budget; establish a 5-year ban on lobbying for Members of Congress and high-ranking executive branch officials; and terminate taxpayer-funded pensions for Members of Congress. Click here to read the bill.

Gallagher released the following statement after introducing the bill:

“We need our representatives to get back to viewing their time in Congress as a deployment, not as a path to a cushy lobbying job with a special pension. Members of Congress shouldn’t be getting retirement deals funded by taxpayers, and we shouldn’t be leaving town for weeks at a time when we haven’t even completed Congress’s most basic task of passing a budget each year. These ideas haven’t made me popular in D.C., but I didn’t run for Congress to be popular. I ran to fix problems and that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard: We’re One State Away From the Equal Rights Amendment

Washington, D.C. - January 29, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02) spoke on the House floor, urging passage of the Equal Rights Amendment to guarantee legal gender equality for women and men under the U.S. Constitution.



Rep. Tulsi Gabbard said:

“It's been nearly 100 years since women fought for and won the right to vote. Yet, we still do not have equal rights and protection under the United States Constitution. There are too many examples in our everyday lives where women still do not get equal pay for equal work and where we still face discrimination simply for being a woman.

“In 1923, the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced in Congress to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, and was reintroduced every session until it finally passed in 1972. However, because of an arbitrary deadline in 1982, by that time, only 35 states out of the required 38 had ratified the amendment. In the past two years, we've inched forward with successful votes in Nevada and Illinois, and now we're just one state away from finally passing the Equal Rights Amendment. This is not about politics. It's about equality. It's about humanity. It's long overdue that we pass the Equal Rights Amendment and include equality between men and women in the United States Constitution.”

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard has fought for equal treatment and opportunity for all Americans throughout her time in Congress. She has cosponsored a joint resolution that will remove the arbitrary deadline for state ratification and allow for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She has also cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and guarantee that women can challenge pay discrimination and hold employers accountable.

Related News:

Hastings’ Statement on the Introduction of the Paycheck Fairness Act