Legislation to Enhance Tribal Road Safety Introduced

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by: Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ)

Washington, D.C. - April 12, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator John Hoeven (R-ND), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, introduced, S. 1211, the Addressing Underdeveloped and Tribally Operated Streets (AUTOS) Act. The legislation, which is co-sponsored by Senators Martha McSally (R-AZ) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), would enhance the safety of roads on Indian lands by streamlining existing federal procedures and funding mechanisms used to repair roads and bridges in Indian country.

“With a backlog of at least $280 million of deferred maintenance, many tribal roads are in dire condition and need to be improved in a timely manner,” said Hoeven. “That’s why we’ve introduced this legislation, which would help accelerate repairs for the many communities that use these roads and bridges on a daily basis. As Congress considers legislation to reauthorize America’s surface transportation programs, we will work to ensure this priority is addressed.”

“Native Americans’ tribal infrastructure has been stifled under the red tape of the bureaucracy for too long,” said McSally. “I am proud to join the effort to streamline the process for tribal road repairs, increase safety, and provide additional funding for backlogged projects.”

“Enhancing infrastructure is an important part of improving life on tribal lands,” said Cramer. “This legislation streamlines the approval process for improving tribal roads and authorizes funding for these much needed improvements. Better infrastructure means more economic opportunity.”

The AUTOS Act does the following:

Permits certain traffic safety projects that are identified by the Secretary of the Interior to be eligible for categorical exclusion. The Department of Transportation already allows these categorical exclusions for safety projects.

Authorizes $46 million for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Road Maintenance Program, with increases of $2 million per year.

Reinstates the Tribal Transportation Bridge Program as a standalone program instead of a 2 percent carve out in the Tribal Transportation Program.

Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Transportation to work with Indian Tribes in developing a standard and uniform crash report form.

Directs BIA law enforcement to use one standard crash report form.

Increases funding available for the Tribal Safety Transportation Program Safety Fund from 2 percent to 4 percent.

The bill, S. 1211, text can be found here.

The BIA, the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) coordinate programs to address transportation issues in Indian country. The largest share of federal funding for highways on Indian lands is provided through the Tribal Transportation Program (TTP), which is jointly administered by the FHWA and the BIA. Resources for these tribal transportation programs is mostly derived from the Highway Trust Fund.

Interior Department Veteran David Bernhardt to be Confirmed as Secretary

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by: Senator Mitch McConnell (R - KY)

Washington, D.C. - April 12, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following remarks on the Senate floor regarding the need to confirm more of the president’s well-qualified nominees including his nominee for Secretary of the Department of Interior, David Bernhardt:

“Today, the Senate will vote to confirm the president’s choice to serve as Secretary of the Interior. As I’ve discussed this week, David Bernhardt is no stranger to the Department. He’s served twice before. In fact, this body has confirmed him twice before. Each time, his professionalism and dedication proved us right. As Solicitor and as Deputy Secretary, Mr. Bernhardt has offered capable leadership and a firm grasp on the complex policy environment surrounding our nation’s public lands. And his expertise has not gone unnoticed.

“Praise for Mr. Bernhardt’s nomination to head the Department has poured in from a growing list of more than forty stakeholder organizations; from agriculture, trade, conservation, and Native American organizations. They describe him as a leader whose ‘experience is sorely needed.’ They laud his commitment to ‘make the lands [the Department] manages accessible to the recreating public.’

“So we have before us an opportunity to confirm a well-qualified steward of our nation’s public lands and resources. Yesterday, a bipartisan majority of our colleagues voted to end debate on his nomination. And I hope each will join me in voting ‘yes’ once more later today. Of course, confirming Mr. Bernhardt will be just the latest in a series of many executive calendar accomplishments.

“Following on the heels of last week’s turn back toward the Senate’s historic tradition concerning nominations, we’ve been able to approve a number of the President’s nominees at a much more reasonable pace in the last several days. I’ve noted with particular interest that, for all the breathless warnings my Democratic colleagues issued about the kinds of people we’d be confirming, these unobjectionable nominees have actually mostly coasted through on a bipartisan basis.

“We saw support from both sides of the aisle for Roy Altman to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, and for Daniel Domenico to the District of Colorado. We saw an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in favor of confirming General John Abizaid to serve as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a voice voted confirmation for Jeffrey Kessler to serve as Assistant Secretary of Commerce. These are not lightning-rod people whom my Democratic colleagues would have eagerly debated and investigated for an extra 30 hours. They are the kind of thoroughly qualified public servants who used to sail briskly through previous Senates without opposition.

“And now, even as my Democratic colleagues continue to require us to file cloture on individuals whom they go on to actually support, we’re able to fill out the President’s team at a more reasonable clip. There are still many more empty seats left to fill. But this week’s progress marks a great new beginning -- not just for an administration that needs its personnel, but for the health of this institution.”

See Also:

MERKLEY SLAMS BERNHARDT CONFIRMATION: “THE WORST OF DC CORRUPTION”

McEachin Leads Letter Urging Senate to Oppose Bernhardt Nomination

Senator Markey Decries Trump Pipeline Power Grab

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by: Senator Edward J.Markey (D-MA)

Washington, D.C. - April 12, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass), member of the Environment and Public Works Committee and Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding the two executive orders issued this week by President Donald Trump. One executive order would allow the President to unilaterally approve or deny permits for construction, connection, operation, and maintenance work on international pipeline projects like the Keystone XL pipeline, bypassing the State Department and circumventing the need for environmental reviews. The other executive order would make it harder for states to protect their water quality and the environment by directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide new guidance on states’ use of Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, which allows states to withhold certifications or impose conditions on federal permits for activities that could result in discharges to bodies of water. The attack on Section 401 authority was opposed by the Western Governors’ Association earlier this year.

“This Trump pipeline power grab will only benefit the American Petroleum Institute and Big Oil’s bottom line,” said Senator Markey, Chair of the Senate Climate Change Task Force. “These executive orders trample states’ rights and completely undermine the role that science and environmental reviews play in making policy and permitting decisions about pipelines projects across the country. It is Congress—not the President—that has the authority to make changes to states’ powers under the Clean Water Act. I will continue to fight this effort to turn states and communities across the country into Big Oil playgrounds.”

No Kid Hungry Selects Six States to Participate in 2019 School Breakfast Leadership Institute

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by: No Kid Hungry

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry has selected six states to participate in its 2019 School Breakfast Leadership Institute. Teams from Georgia, Maryland, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah and Wyoming will attend an in-person convening in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 11-12, and receive a $50,000 grant from No Kid Hungry to implement a comprehensive action plan to expand access to school breakfast in their state. States were selected through a competitive proposal process.

No Kid Hungry’s School Breakfast Leadership Institute brings together national, state and local leaders to develop new and better ways to connect kids with school breakfast. Each state team comprises stakeholders who can influence school breakfast practice and policy including gubernatorial and state education agency staff, school nutrition directors, superintendents, non-profit partners, school board members and education association representatives.

Now in its second year, the Institute has proven a catalyst for expanded access to school breakfast, already helping to move the needle in the six states that participated in 2018: Hawaii, Kansas, Michigan, New York, North Carolina and South Carolina.

“The School Breakfast Leadership Institute and grant have been a great way for us to be able to focus time and effort on improving breakfast in the state of South Carolina,” said Ellen Mason, an Education Associate with the South Carolina Department of Education’s Office of Health and Nutrition. “It has enabled us to talk to not only child nutrition directors, but superintendents, chief financial officers, and principals about the importance of breakfast for students. We are hopeful that the models developed through this opportunity can be expanded throughout the state to ensure that no student in South Carolina starts the school day hungry.”

School breakfast is an energy source for kids across the nation. Research shows that hunger has long-term ramifications on children, including lower test scores, weaker attendance rates, and a higher risk of hospitalizations and chronic diseases. No Kid Hungry and its partners focus on school breakfast as a critical way to end childhood hunger.

Accessing traditional cafeteria breakfast service can be challenging for many kids. Breakfast after the bell provides breakfast in a way that is more convenient and accessible to students, resulting in more kids starting the day ready to learn.

No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.

Counseling Ban Violates Free Speech

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by: Liberty Counsel

Atlanta, GA - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Liberty Counsel filed a brief in the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, in an appeal challenging the constitutionality of ordinances enacted by the City of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County, which prohibit minors from receiving voluntary counseling from licensed professionals to reduce or eliminate unwanted same-sex attractions or behaviors, or gender confusion.

The appeal is from an order signed by U.S. District Court Judge Robin Rosenberg denying a preliminary injunction blocking the ordinances which was sought by Liberty Counsel on behalf of Dr. Robert Otto, LMFT, Dr. Julie Hamilton, LMFT, and their minor clients. These licensed therapists provide life-saving counseling to minors who desperately desire to conform their attractions, behaviors, and gender identities to their sincerely held religious beliefs.



In denying the preliminary injunction, Judge Rosenberg disregarded binding precedent and avoided ruling on the central constitutional claim in the case. In National Institute for Family & Life Advocates v. Becerra (NIFLA), involving crisis pregnancy centers, the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that the government must satisfy the highest constitutional scrutiny when it enacts laws infringing on the speech of licensed professionals. Although Judge Rosenberg acknowledged that the city and county failed to show that their ordinances satisfy this high scrutiny, she still denied the preliminary injunction.

“These ordinances are unconstitutional speech restrictions that violate the First Amendment,” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel. “We have a number of similar challenges pending in other federal courts. It is just a matter of time before one of them gets to the Supreme Court and may put an end to these draconian speech restrictions,” 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.

Email Print Court Ruling Blocks Trump In Move Against Refugees

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by: League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), said a federal court decision Tuesday prevents President Trump from expelling refugees seeking asylum from the United States while their case is being decided. The ruling highlights the wide gap between the Administration and the nation’s historic handling of arriving immigrants fleeing violence in their own countries.

“We thank Judge Richard Seeborg of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California for his courage and fairness,” said Domingo Garcia, National President. “His own words remind us all of America’s true values and speak loudly against xenophobia and scapegoating immigrants, many of them Latinos,” he added.

Judge Seeborg wrote in his decision that the Administration expulsion actions did not include “sufficient safeguards” and that migrants would be returned to places where their “life or freedom would be threatened.” The government argued that refugees asylum applicants were simply being returned to Mexican border cities, under a policy known as Migrant Protection Protocols, or MPP. However, the judge ruled that refugees should be allowed to enter the United States even if it meant they might be detained until their case is approved or denied.

“This important federal court injunction comes during the same week that LULAC is convening an historic Dreamer Summit in Dallas, Texas where our goal is to come up with a proposal that can win bipartisan Congressional support for a comprehensive solution to immigration,” said Garcia. “This case clearly demonstrates how serious the situation has become when President Trump thinks he has the right to throw desperate asylum seeking men, women and children out of the country even if it means they will be harmed or killed. No American should stand for that kind of inhumane treatment just to fulfill a campaign promise. And LULAC will never allow it,” he added.

Bill To Strengthen Federal Procedure For Pipeline And Compressor Approval Introduced

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by: Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA, 8th)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- ongressman Stephen F. Lynch introduced H.R. 2152, the Pipeline and Compressor Safety Verification Act of 2019, to strengthen public health and safety protections during the process by which the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) decides whether to grant approval to natural gas systems, such as the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station and West Roxbury Lateral Pipeline. FERC certificates are needed to authorize the approval and operation of pipelines and compressor stations, and H.R. 2152 would add the requirement that the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security of Massachusetts, the State Fire Marshal for Massachusetts and the Director of the Massachusetts Pipeline Safety Division sign off on the certificate, stating the project would not pose a danger to surrounding residential communities in order to allow FERC to grant a license to proceed.

“The certification process of pipeline approval and maintenance is outdated and does not reflect the robust safety measures we must consider for high-pressure pipelines placed in densely populated areas,” said Lynch. “I believe it is critical to include the Commonwealth’s top public safety officials in the review process in order to protect residents in the affected areas from poor oversight decisions at the federal level. It is imperative we take precautions to put the health and safety of our public above all else, and in this case it means adding another important step to the process. We have already seen too many tragedies to maintain the same requirements in their authorization procedure.”

There are notable gaps in FERC’s permit process for pipeline approval and maintenance oversight, and H.R. 2152 will help remedy those loopholes. Additionally, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) has agreed to host a listening session in Weymouth to examine the serious public safety issues relating to the construction and operation of the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station, which is anticipated to be scheduled momentarily. PHMSA will arrange for regional staff members to attend the hearing to ensure those in attendance are equally qualified and familiar with the impacted area. This has been agreed upon in response to overwhelming and validated concerns of health experts, citizens groups, and residents of the community and surrounding areas. Last year the Merrimack Valley in Massachusetts witnessed a series of explosions and fires as a result of high pressured release of natural gas funneled into Columbia Gas’ low-pressure distribution system, which is one out of the total 633 pipeline incidents that occurred across the United States last year, resulting in 8 fatalities, 92 injuries and $1 billion in property damage.

You can read H.R. 2152, the Pipeline and Compressor Safety Verification Act of 2019, here

FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO PROHIBIT SCHOOL 'LUNCH SHAMING' INTRODUCED

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by: Ben R. Lujan (D-NM, 3rd)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), the U.S. House Assistant Speaker, signed onto legislation from Rep. Deb Haaland, and other New Mexico delegation members including, Rep. Xochitl Torres Small, along with U.S. Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich, to prohibit school “lunch shaming” – the practice of discriminating against or stigmatizing children who have outstanding credit or don't have enough money to pay for meals at school. The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act would ban schools from singling out children — such as by requiring them to wear hand stamps or do extra chores — because their parents or guardians have not paid their school meal bills.

“It’s simple – you can’t learn if you’re hungry. As legislators – as responsible human beings - we cannot stand by and let antiquated policies bully and stigmatize kids whose parents cannot afford to pay for their lunches. It is far past time that we end lunch shaming for the betterment of all our kids,” said Assistant Speaker Luján.

“No child should have to worry about being hungry at school, but there are still places in this country with outdated policies that force children to bear the burden of poverty,” said Haaland, a member of the Task Force on Poverty and Opportunity. “In 2017, New Mexico took the lead on ending these harmful policies and now we’re working to ensure children across the country have full stomachs when they’re in school so they can reach their full learning potential.”

“We all know children learn best when they have access to healthy and nutritious meals. For some students, their school lunch might be their only healthy meal of the day. Yet, in school cafeterias across the nation, schools are publicly shaming children whose families cannot afford for pay for their school meals. Rather than allow this to continue, this bill would require schools to treat all students the same and communicate directly with parents and guardians to address outstanding lunch payments. New Mexico led this initiative to outlaw lunch shaming and I’m proud to stand with the delegation outlaw lunch shaming nationwide,” said Torres Small.

"Lunch shaming is a practice so cruel and backwards that most Americans would be shocked to know it happens. And yet school districts across the country are allowed to use these appalling tactics. Instead of stigmatizing kids who come from struggling households, withholding hot meals from students, and depriving some children of their only healthy meal of the day, we should be working to find solutions to end childhood hunger and to support families in need,” said Udall. “We know that hunger can be an insurmountable barrier to success in the classroom. I was proud when New Mexico became the first state in the country to outlaw the practice of lunch shaming, and I will continue to do everything I can in the Senate to pass this legislation on a federal level so no child will have to spend their time at school feeling ashamed of a debt they have no power to pay.”

“Stigmatizing or shaming students for not being able to afford lunch is unacceptable. Child hunger is a serious problem facing New Mexico. We know that when children are hungry it impacts their ability to focus and learn in the classroom. Nothing is more important than improving the well-being of our children and I will continue working to find solutions that ensure our students can grow and thrive,” said Heinrich.

In March of 2017, New Mexico passed the first law in the United States to prohibit lunch shaming. The legislation spurred a number of other states to pass legislation or take action to combat lunch shaming including Virginia, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Texas, Iowa, Washington, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania. A number of other state legislatures are currently considering measures to address this shameful practice and the federal Anti-Lunch Shaming Act aims to provide similar protections to students throughout the country.

The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act prohibits schools participating in U.S. Department of Agriculture school lunch or breakfast programs from using humiliation or throwing a child's meal away because their parent or guardian hasn't paid their school meal bill and other shaming tactics. Instead, it requires schools to direct communications regarding meal debt to the parent or guardian, not the child.

The bill also aims to make the process for applying for free and reduced-price lunch applications easier by encouraging the Department of Agriculture to distribute the maximum number of applications for free or reduce price lunches in an understandable, uniform format and encourage schools to offer assistance to complete the applications; coordinate with State agencies, school food authorities, and local education agency liaisons to ensure that homeless children and youth, and children and youth in foster care are eligible to receive a free or reduced-price lunch; and explore innovative ways to use technology to improve communications between parents or guardians and school food authorities.

The Anti-Lunch Shaming Act has been endorsed by New Mexico Appleseed — the nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization that created New Mexico's Hunger Free Students’ Bill of Rights —whose Executive Director Jennifer Ramo championed the New Mexico law.

“There are few more powerful antidotes to the causes and consequences of child poverty than food and dignity. This important bill ensures that children receive the vital nutrition they need to focus in school through the national school lunch program. And, it ensures that they do so with their self-respect intact. We have saved New Mexican children from the devastating effects of being humiliated and missing meals through our state’s Hunger-Free Student Bill of Rights, and now we are excited to see this protection extended nationally to all children in need,” said Jennifer Ramo, Executive Director of New Mexico Appleseed.

The legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine.), Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Penn.), Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and U.S. Representatives Rodney Davis (R-Ill.), Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), and Gwen Moore (D-Wis.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.), Ann McLane Kuster (D-N.H.), Conor Lamb (D-Penn.), Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.), and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.).

Other endorsing organizations include: FRAC, Feeding America, National PTA, Share our Strength, First Focus, Food Corps, New Mexico Appleseed, Hunger Task Force, MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, California Food Policy Advocates, New Mexico Voices for Children, Hunger Free Vermont, End Childhood Hunger – South Carolina, Hunger-Free Pennsylvania, Children’s Hunger Alliance, Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, Cultivating Community, Alabama Food Bank Association, Feed the Children, Hunger Free Oklahoma, Hunger Solutions New York, West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition, Missoula Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, & New Hampshire Food Bank.

The full text of the bill can be found HERE. A summary of the bill can be found HERE.

House Passes Historic Anti-Corruption and Democracy Reform Legislation

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by: Zoe Lofgren (D-CA, 19th)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- After Committee on House Administration Chairperson Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) managed floor debate for three days, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping reform bill to clean up corruption in Washington, make it easier to vote, and give every day Americans more power in our democracy by a 234 – 193 vote.

Lofgren delivered the following remarks in closing floor debate on H.R. 1 today:

“For eight years, this chamber has been silent. A silence that harmed people. We’ve allowed measures to reduce people’s access to the vote. Measures that caused the Fourth Circuit to find that African Americans voters were “targeted with surgical precision,”—measures that excluded voters on Indian reservations and that wrongfully tried to remove 95,000 naturalized Texans should be removed from the rolls.

“Today, that silence ends.

“This bill is not for its own sake.

“A member of the U.S. Senate said that H.R. 1 is a power grab – he’s right. It grabs power away from the special interests, the elites, the one percent – and gives it to the American people. I tell you plainly what it does: automatic voter registration to allow 50 million eligible citizens to vote, prohibits deceptive practices, increases access to the polls for voters with disabilities, helps states replace outdated voting machines and requires disclosure of dark money donors—not limiting their speech but simply asking them to stand by it.

“These reforms are not difficult. But they will require courage to make.

“Mr. Frederick Douglass who saw what our democracy was, and what our democracy could be, and said: “Where all is plain, there is nothing to be argued.”

“For that reason, I do not argue. But I look forward to joining you all in doing the will of the people and supporting this bill.”

Lofgren’s amendments were key in establishing and financing the Freedom from Influence Fund, a voluntary small-donor campaign finance matching system which amplifies the power of small-dollar contributions and limits the influence of big donors.

Her amendments specified all funding for the Freedom from Influence Fund will originate from a 2.75% assessment on federal fines, penalties, and settlements on bad actors like wealthy tax cheats and corporate lawbreakers who have committed financial crimes.

Earlier this morning on the steps of the House of Representatives, Lofgren highlighted the open, transparent, and deliberative manning in which House Democrats brought H.R. 1 to the House floor for a vote.

On Wednesday, Lofgren opened debate on H.R. 1. Click here to view her floor statement.

H.R. 1 makes critical reforms across three key areas:

Voting Rights

Improve Access – H.R. 1 expands access to the ballot box by taking aim at key institutional barriers to voting, such as burdensome registration systems, limited voting hours and many other roadblocks. H.R. 1 creates automatic voter registration across the country, ensures that individuals who have completed felony sentences have their full rights restored, expands voting by mail and early voting and modernizes the U.S. voting system.

Promote Integrity – H.R. 1 fights back against Republicans’ assault on voting rights by committing Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act; prohibiting voter roll purges like those seen in Ohio, Georgia and elsewhere; and ensuring that discriminatory voter ID laws do not prevent Americans citizens from exercising their rights. H.R. 1 also ends partisan gerrymandering to prevent politicians from picking their voters and lets American voters instead choose their elected officials.

Ensure Security – H.R. 1 promises that American elections to be decided by American voters without interference from foreign entities. The bill enhances federal support for voting system security, particularly paper ballots, and increases oversight over election vendors.

Campaign Finance

Guarantee Disclosure – H.R. 1 shines a light on dark money in politics by requiring any organization involved in political activity to disclose its large donors, which will break the nesting-doll system that allows big-money contributors and special interests to hide their spending in networks of so called “social welfare” organizations.

Empower Citizens – H.R. 1 levels the political playing field for everyday Americans, empowering individuals with a multiple matching system for small donations and allowing the American people to exercise their due influence in a post-Citizens United world, while reaffirming that Congress should have the authority to regulate money in politics. The new system of citizen-owned elections will break special interests’ stranglehold on politics and enable Congress to advance an agenda that serves the American people.

Strengthen Oversight – H.R. 1 ensures that there are cops on the campaign finance beat that will enforce the laws already on the books. H.R. 1 tightens rules on super PACs and restructures the Federal Election Commission to break the gridlock and enhance its enforcement mechanisms. It also repeals Mitch McConnell’s riders that prevent government agencies from requiring commonsense disclosure of political spending.

Ethics and Accountability

Fortify Ethics Law – H.R. 1 breaks the influence economy in Washington and increases accountability by expanding conflict of interest law and divestment requirements, slowing the revolving door, preventing Members of Congress from serving on corporate boards and requiring presidential candidates to disclose their tax returns.

Impose Greater Ethics Enforcement – H.R. 1 gives teeth to federal ethics oversight by overhauling the Office of Government Ethics, closing registration loopholes for lobbyists and foreign agents, ensuring watchdogs have sufficient resources to enforce the law and creating a code of ethics for the Supreme Court.

Representative Levin Joins Colleagues in Introducing Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Flexibility in Forever GI Bill Benefits

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by: Mike Levin (D-CA, 49th)

Washington, D.C. - April 11, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Representative Mike Levin (D-CA), Chair of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, joined his colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation to ensure that student veterans have access to the Edith Nourse Rogers STEM scholarship program that was enacted as part of the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, also known as the Forever GI Bill. The bill was led by Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) and cosponsored by Rep. Phil Roe, M.D. (R-TN), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Current law prohibits many student veterans from using this scholarship as there are very few undergraduate programs that meet the current requirement that a program require more than 128 credit hours for completion. The legislation would ensure that student veterans enrolled in a STEM degree program are able to fully utilize their educational benefits, regardless of the current 128 credit hour requirement.

“Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math fields are the future of our 21st century economy, and it is critical that veterans have the support they need to pursue a STEM degree," said Levin. "I am proud to help introduce bipartisan legislation that will allow more veterans to pursue STEM degrees, and I will continue to work with my colleagues across the aisle on measures to ensure that veterans can launch careers in high-demand industries.”

“It is incumbent upon us to provide our Veterans with the tools they need to be successful in their transition to civilian life after serving in the Armed Forces,” said Barr. “By removing arbitrary credit hour requirements for student Veterans enrolled in STEM programs and giving them more flexibility to use their Forever GI Bill benefits, Veterans will be able to better take advantage of the education benefits they are owed. I am honored work with Representative Levin and Ranking Member Roe on this important and bipartisan issue.”

"When the Forever GI bill was signed into law last Congress, it created a scholarship program that helped pay for student veterans who were in STEM degree programs," said Roe. "By eliminating the credit hour requirement for a STEM degree program to qualify for this scholarship, we are ensuring that the scholarship functions as intended and that all student veterans interested in a STEM degree are able to qualify for the additional funding. I am thankful that Rep. Barr and Rep. Levin have taken the lead on fixing this error and ensuring all our student veterans receive access to the educational benefits they have earned.”

"We must ensure our nation’s veterans can continue to serve our country out of uniform and fully utilize their GI benefits by earning degrees in STEM fields-- regardless of the length of their education program," said Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. "Broadening these criteria, not only helps modernize our workforce but prepares our country for the economy of the future.”

Background:

H.R 2196 would ensure that the scholarship program Congress provided for student veterans in STEM programs can be used in the way Congress intended and - more importantly - ensure that student veterans in these important degree programs receive the support they need to pursue their dreams. This program helps student veterans who often need to take additional credit hours to brush up on critical math or science skills necessary for success in a STEM program