Thursday, February 2, 2017

Travel Ban, Obamacare, Federal Hiring Freeze, Immigration, Fishery, Free Speech, 2nd Amendment, Rules

Will Hurd (R-TX, 23rd) said, concerning Trump's travel ban, that a target has been placed on our military men's and women's backs by increasing tensions in an already volatile region. These men and women are fighting alongside citizens of those countries in order to keep Islamic Extremists on the run and off our shores.

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U.S. Congressman Gregg Harper (R-MS, 3rd) introduced H.R. 633, the Patient Fairness and Relief Act of 2017, which allows individuals to maintain the health insurance policies they had before passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

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Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-Mo.), Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, on Tuesday sent a letter to President Trump urging prompt clarification of his memorandum implementing a federal hiring freeze as it pertains to Department of Defense (DOD) civilian personnel and support for complete staffing of DOD contracting personnel.

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Upon returning to the nation’s capital, Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) added his support to three bills that prevent President Trump’s harmful executive order from being administered by the United States government.

If passed, the Statue of Liberty Values Act (SOLVe Act) would prevent the executive order from having any force of law and prohibit any federal funds or fees from being used to carry it out. The Freedom of Religion Act states that the United States could not bar foreigners from coming to the United States on the basis of their religious beliefs. The No Religious Registration Act would stop the government from creating or using a database of religious affiliation for the purpose of surveillance or of classifying U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, and visa seekers.

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“President Trump made clear that keeping America safe is a top priority for his Administration, and it is refreshing to see that he is willing to take swift and decisive action to achieve that goal. And, while the rollout of his executive action could have gone more smoothly, I believe most Americans, and particularly the East Texans I represent, would agree that it’s just common sense to take a closer look at people trying to enter the U.S. from nations with broad terrorist networks." Jeb Hensarling (R-TX, 5th)

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The U.S. House of Representatives passed Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler’s bipartisan bill to permanently extend a decades old fishery management agreement that has been vital to Washington state’s Dungeness crab fishery. The bill passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 388-0.

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Congressmen Jody Hice (GA-10) and Steve Scalise (LA-01) introduced H.R. 781, the Free Speech Fairness Act, which would amend the U.S. tax code to restore free speech for 501(c)(3) organizations including churches, nonprofits, and educational institutions, so long as they are (1) made in the ordinary course of the organization’s regular and customary activities in carrying out its tax-exempt purpose, and (2) any expenditure related to this are de minimis. A companion bill, S.264, was introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) in the Senate.

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The House passed H.J.Res. 40, a resolution to disapprove of the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) rule to share information with the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) on individuals who receive Disability Insurance benefits. Following passage of the resolution, Congressman French Hill (R-AR, 2nd) released the following statement:

“Having a disability and seeking help through the federal government should not be a factor in considering whether or not someone is mentally capable of owning or purchasing a firearm. This rule from SSA serves no real purpose other than to limit the Second Amendment rights of the American people, and I am confident the administration and Congress will be able to reverse this ill-conceived rule. I will always fight to uphold Arkansans right to bear arms.”

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U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), author of bipartisan legislation that passed the House with a veto-proof majority and aimed to strengthen vetting of Syrian and Iraqi refugees, released the following statement on President Trump's exceutive order on refugees:

"At a time of grave security threats, President Trump is right to pause the flow of refugees from countries where terrorism is rampant until we can properly vet them and implement additional screening for individuals traveling to and from these countries. The facts are President Obama's own intel official told us ISIS is trying to infiltrate the refugee program and his Homeland Security Secretary and FBI Director told us we can't properly vet all of these refugees. I do have concerns that the executive order has caused confusion for those with green cards and will work with my colleagues and the administration to clarify it."

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Water, Power, and Oceans Subcommittee Ranking Member Jared Huffman (D-CA) and House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) sent a letter to President Trump today urging him to rescind the “one in, two out” executive order on federal rules issued earlier this week and an earlier memorandum instituting a regulatory freeze. These two actions have the combined effect of preventing the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) from opening or closing commercial and recreational fishing seasons in federal waters; making in-season adjustments to conservation and management measures; or implementing new or revised fishery management plans without first seeking a waiver from the Trump administration.

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Capital Markets Chairman Bill Huizenga (MI-02) released the following statement after the House passed House Joint Resolution 41, Rep Huizenga's legislation to reform a burdensome provision of Dodd-Frank and require the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to rethink their approach to rulemaking:

"Last night's vote helps reset the regulatory process," said Capital Markets Subcommittee Chairman Bill Huizenga. "For too long, regulators have saddled U.S. companies with burdensome regulations putting them at a competitive disadvantage on the global stage. By sending the SEC back to the drawing board, Congress is demonstrating that it is serious about strengthening the economy, boosting private sector job creation, and helping American workers."

During the debate on H.J. Res. 41, Congressman Huizenga explained the core mission of the SEC and refuted false claims made about his legislation. To watch Rep Huizenga's speech, click play on the video below.

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Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) sent a bipartisan letter to President Trump in support of the request by Secretary of Defense James Mattis to exempt Iraqis who served alongside our military. The letter expands on the need for a special review process for those who directly supported American personnel overseas.

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