Saturday, March 4, 2017

House News: Regulations, Jeff Sessions, gun loopholes, Classified Information, Digital Currencies, Congressional Address, Anti-Semitism, tax returns, invasive species

The United States House of Representatives' passed H.R. 998, Searching for and Cutting Regulations that are Unnecessarily Burdensome (SCRUB) Act of 2017. It now heads to the Senate.

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Democrats are calling for the resignation of Jeff Sessions, in spite of the press conference he has attended. They are simply out for blood with no thought to what is best for America. Sessions, on the other hand, has stated explicitly that the question asked in the investigation was did he meet with Russians concerning the Trump Campaign, and his answer was, truthfully, NO. He did meet with the Russians about other matters but that is not the question that was asked. Therefore he did not lie under oath and does not need to resign.

However, there is at least one reasonable Democrat in the House:

“It is imperative that we hold a full and fair investigation into Russian election interference and ties between Russian officials and the Trump campaign. Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ decision to recuse himself from the investigation is a big step towards that goal,” said Congresswoman Terri A. Sewell (D-AL, 7th).

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Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) announced the introduction of legislation to close the “ghost guns” loophole which allows purchasers to avoid federal background checks by buying unassembled firearms online.

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Congressman Peter Welch (VT-AL) introduced the Department of Defense Overhead Cost Savings and Transparency Act which would declassify the entirety of a report from the Pentagon which revealed $125 billion in administrative waste. The Pentagon commissioned the report in 2015 and subsequently covered up its findings. The report lays out suggested ways to cut through bureaucracy and obsolete technologies at the department, ultimately saving $125 billion over five years in administrative waste. Isn't this just like a Democrat? Wanting to declassify sensitive documents for any reason? Just because we might not have needed to spend money on it doesn't make it less sensitive.

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Congressman Schweikert sent a letter to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) regarding digital currencies and their underlying technologies. The Congressman has been an avid supporter of blockchain technology, the technology behind many cryptocurrencies and distributed ledgers, as sees this as the future of financial services. In the letter, the Congressman asks for clarification from the OCC on how it plans to regulate the future of this space. Interesting.

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“I had hoped that in his first address to a joint session of Congress the President would have provided more concrete details about his vision for our country. Instead we heard more empty rhetoric with very little specifics.” Robert C. Scott (D-VA, 3rd)

I didn't hear empty rhetoric, did you?

“In tonight’s Joint Address, President Trump outlined a straightforward and optimistic vision for the future of this nation. He spoke to the concerns of every American and extended an olive branch across the aisle, highlighting the need to work cooperatively to find serious, lasting solutions to the fundamental issues that weaken our economy, hurt hardworking American families, and threaten our country’s future.” James F. Sensenbrenner (R-WI, 5th)

Sensenbrenner obviously didn't, either.

“Finally, now more than ever, our country needs to put politics aside and find common ground for the greater good. I am willing, many of my colleagues are willing, and the American public needs to be willing as well to seek and pursue what unites us in order to move our country forward.” Mike Simpson (R-ID, 2nd)

Simpson is preaching to the choir.

“The President’s address tonight was a home run. How could anyone disagree with putting Americans first?" Lamar Smith (R-TX, 21st)

AMEN!

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“This week the House worked to put this agenda in motion by passing three critical measures that responsibly reform our regulatory system while enforcing measures of accountability, transparency, and integrity. Regulations have run rampant these last eight years but enough is enough. Republicans have made a concerted and focused effort to eliminate unnecessary rules and regulations to give the American people the relief that they need.” Pete Sessions (R-TX, 32nd)

For more information on H.R. 1009, OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act, click here
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For more information on H.R. 1994, Regulatory Integrity Act of 2017, click here.

For more information on H.R. 998, SCRUB Act, click here.

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House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) engaged in a colloquy on the House Floor today with Majority Leader McCarthy, where he asked to see the House GOP’s draft Affordable Care Act repeal bill and whether committees will mark that bill up next week.

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The Members of Congress joined in sending a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to share a deep concern with increasing number of alarming bomb threats targeting Jewish Community Centers in over thirty states, sowing fear and anxiety in our communities. The letter requests that in the wake of these threats, as well as the desecration of Jewish cemeteries, the DOJ and FBI must tirelessly investigate these matters, and prosecute all offenders to the fullest extent possible.

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U.S. Representative Darren Soto (D-FL, 9th) introduced the “Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act” or SMASH Act. This bill supports and expands programs for mosquito-borne and vector-borne disease, surveillance and control.

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Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14) on Thursday introduced the Strengthening Investigations into Foreign Entanglements Act, bipartisan legislation that would give congressional intelligence committees the authority needed to acquire tax returns – including those of the President and future presidential candidates.

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Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Invasive Species Caucus, re-introduced two pieces of legislation to help combat and raise awareness about the threat invasive species pose to our ecosystems.

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