Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Welfare, Sick Leave, Healthcare, Immigration, Manufacturing, Agro-Terrorism, Social Security, Death, Economy, Digital Privacy, Tax Reform, and more...

Davidson Introduces Legislation to Consolidate Redundant Welfare Programs
Warren Davidson (R-OH, 8th)
March 9, 2017

Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) has introduced the Welfare Benefit Reform and Alignment Commission (BRAC) Act which will create a bipartisan, eight-member commission tasked with formulating concrete solutions to reform more than 90 federal welfare programs which cost taxpayers almost $1 trillion a year.
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DeLauro, Murray Reintroduce Healthy Families Act to Allow Workers to Earn Paid Sick Days
Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT, 3rd)
March 15, 2017

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Ranking Member on the Appropriations subcommittee responsible for funding the Department of Labor, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today reintroduced the Healthy Families Act, legislation that would allow workers to earn paid sick leave to use when they are sick, to care for a loved one, to obtain preventative care, or to address the impacts of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault.
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CBO RATING CONFIRMS WORKING FLORIDIANS WILL PAY MORE FOR LESS COVERAGE UNDER GOP HEALTHCARE PLAN
Val Demings (D-FL, 10th)
March 15, 2017

The Congressional Budget Office released its Cost Estimate on the GOP’s Healthcare plan Monday, which shows 14 million more people would be uninsured in 2018, and 24 million more would be uninsured by 2026. Rep. Val Demings, Florida’s 10th Congressional district, released this statement:
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Rep. Denham’s ENLIST Act Surpasses 100 Co-Sponsors
Jeff Denham (R-CA, 10th)
March 14, 2017

U.S. Representative Jeff Denham today announced that his commonsense immigration reform bill – H.R. 60, the Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act (ENLIST Act) – has gained over 100 co-sponsors in the 115th Congress.
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DeSantis Commends Trump Administration For Charges Against Jordanian Terrorist
Ron DeSantis (R-FL, 6th)
March 14, 2017

The Trump administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) announced today that Ahlam Aref Ahmad Al-Tamimi has been charged in connection with a 2001 terrorist attack in Jerusalem that killed two Americans, Malki Roth and Judith Greenbaum. Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL-06), Chairman of the National Security Committee, highlighted this attack and called for the DOJ to charge the mastermind behind the attack, Ahlam Al-Tamimi, during a February 2016 hearing examining the role of the Office of Justice for Victims of Overseas Terrorism.
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Portman, Stabenow, Brown Introduce Bill to Support U.S. Manufacturers, Promote More American Jobs
Rob Portman- (R - OH)
March 15, 2017

Senators Rob Portman (R-OH), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) today introduced legislation – the Promoting More American Manufacturing Jobs Act – to clarify the domestic manufacturing tax deduction for U.S. manufacturers. The legislation clarifies the intent of Congress in enacting the domestic manufacturing deduction, section 199 of the tax code, to ensure that in contract manufacturing situations, any party to the arrangement that makes a substantial contribution to the manufacture of qualifying goods through its U.S. employees is entitled to claim the deduction.
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Senate Homeland Security Committee Passes Roberts’ Legislation to Address Agro-Terrorism Threats to Nation’s Food Supply
Pat Roberts- (R - KS)
March 15, 2017

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) today announced his legislation to address the threat of agro-terrorism and ensure the safety of the U.S. food supply was approved by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs (HSGAC). Roberts, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced the bipartisan legislation with Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
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Rubio, Cotton, Lee Introduce Legislation to Save Social Security Disability Insurance from Bankruptcy
Marco Rubio - (R - FL)
March 15, 2017

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL), Tom Cotton (R-AR), and Mike Lee (R-UT) today introduced the Return to Work Act of 2017, legislation that would save Social Security Disability Insurance from bankruptcy. This bill would help Social Security Disability Insurance beneficiaries who can recover return to work, while also preserving the program's long-term sustainability for the permanently disabled. U.S. Representative French Hill (R-AR) introduced the companion bill in the House.
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Statement from Consumer Healthcare Products Association on HSA/FSA Provision of the American Healthcare Act
Consumer Healthcare Products Association
March 7, 2017

“CHPA strongly supports restoration of the ability for consumers to use their Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) to purchase over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, and urges the Ways & Means Committee to advance this important measure. According to a survey conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of CHPA, the majority of Americans (75%) favor including OTCs in FSAs and HSAs. Since 2011, a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) took away the ability of consumers to use their tax-preferred HSA and FSA dollars to purchase OTC medicines, unless they first received a prescription. At a time when more and more Americans are exercising these vital HSA and FSA benefits, this is a common-sense fix for many families who rely on non-prescription OTC medicines to treat common ailments such as allergies, cough and colds, or pain.”
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Hawai‘i State Senate Passes a Death with Dignity Bill
Death With Dignity
March 9, 2017

The Hawai‘i State Senate thus became the first full legislative chamber this year to pass an assisted dying law. Modeled on the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, SB 1129 would allow terminally ill residents of Hawai‘i to make their own end-of-life decision to die with dignity.
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American National Standards Institute Inc.
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The recent productivity slowdown could be reversed by giving the economy “room to run”
Economic Policy Institute
March 13, 2017

“Simply put, businesses’ incentives to invest in equipment and technology to make workers more productive are blunted when labor is so cheap,” said Bivens. “A tighter labor market and the rising wages that come with it would provide an incentive to boost workers’ productivity and will thus boost investment.”
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Digital Privacy at the U.S Border: A New How-To Guide from EFF
Electronic Frontier Foundation
March 9, 2017

“Digital Privacy at the U.S. Border” helps everyone do a risk assessment, evaluating personal factors like immigration status, travel history, and the sensitivity of the data you are carrying. Depending on which devices come with you on your trip, your gadgets can include information like your client files for work, your political leanings and those of your friends, and even your tax return. Assessing your risk factors helps you choose a path to proactively protect yourself, which might mean leaving some devices at home, moving some information off of your devices and into the cloud, and using encryption. EFF’s guide also explains why some protections, like fingerprint locking of a phone, are less secure than other methods.
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Getting Tax Reform Done—and Done Right
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
March 13, 2017

In the relationship between government and business, no issue is more fundamental, impactful, or important to get right than taxation. It’s one of government’s oldest responsibilities and one of business’ biggest expenses. Taxes are a critical factor in most major decisions a company makes—including whether to expand, hire new workers, or invest in new technologies. Unfortunately, America has one of the most burdensome tax systems in the world. That is why we must seize this once-in-a-generation opportunity to overhaul our tax code in a way that promotes dynamic economic growth.
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Family Research Council Applauds Texas Senate Passage of the Texas Privacy Act
Family Research Council
March 14, 2017

Family Research Council praised the State Senate passage of the Texas Privacy Act by a vote of 21 to 10. Last week, Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, testified before the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee in support of the Texas Privacy Act (SB 6), which would protect the privacy and safety of women and children. The bill prevents public schools and government buildings from adopting policies that would open women’s showers, bathrooms, and changing facilities to men and visa-versa.
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Chairman Conaway praises President Trump's nomination of Chris Giancarlo
House Committee on Agriculture
March 14, 2017

President Trump announced today his intent to nominate Chris Giancarlo to serve as chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). House Agriculture Committee Chairman K. Michael Conaway issued the following statement.
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Diane Black: “I am confident this bill is going to come out of Budget”
House Committee on the Budget
March 15, 2017

House Budget Committee Chairman Diane Black talked to MSNBC’s Hallie Jackson about the American Health Care Act and her confidence that the committee will pass the bill tomorrow to help those suffering under Obamacare.
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Nunes Statement on Surveillance of Political Campaigns
House Intelligence Committee
March 5, 2017

“One of the focus points of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation is the U.S. government's response to actions taken by Russian intelligence agents during the presidential campaign. As such, the Committee will make inquiries into whether the government was conducting surveillance activities on any political party’s campaign officials or surrogates, and we will continue to investigate this issue if the evidence warrants it.”
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