Keeping tabs on congress

The issues that Congress and The House addressed in recent weeks was Budget Reconciliation, Surface Transportation Reauthorization, Fiscal 2013 Intelligence Authorization, EPA Existing Power Plant Rule Disapproval, EPA New and Retrofitted Power Plant Rule Disapproval, K-12 Education Reauthorization and Energy Security and Infrastructure Overhaul. Following are the corresponding votes from Senators Bill Nelson, Senator Marco Rubio and House Representative Gwen Graham, of the 2nd Congressional District and Congressman Ted Yoho, of the 3rd Congressional District. Recent Senate Votes: Budget Reconciliation – With a vote of 52-47 and one not voting, the Senate passed. The Senate passed the bill that repeals large portions of the 2010 health care overhaul law and cuts off federal funding to Planned Parenthood for one year. Specifically, it zeroes-out the law’s penalties for noncompliance with the law’s requirements for most individuals to obtain health coverage and employers to offer health insurance. It scraps the law’s Medicaid expansion in 2018, as well as subsidies to help individuals buy coverage through the insurance exchanges. It also eliminates certain taxes included in the law, including the tax on certain high-value employer-sponsored health insurance plans. Nelson voted no. Rubio voted yes. Surface Transportation Reauthorization – with a vote of 83-16 and one not oting the Senate agreed. The Senate cleared the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs for five years, through fiscal 2020, at increased funding levels to begin addressing the nation’s transportation infrastructure needs. It transfers more than $70 billion from Treasury’s general fund and other funds to cover projected shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund over that time and full fund the measure’s estimated $305 billion costs. The measure also reauthorizes Amtrak and restructures it’s funding to reflect its major lines of business, renews the charter for the Export-import Bank and rolls back a reduction in the crop insurance program. Recent House Votes: Fiscal 2013 Intelligence Authorization – with a vote of 364-58 and 11 not voting, the bill was passed. The chamber passed a bill that authorizes classified amounts in fiscal 2016 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities of the U.S. government, including the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA), as well as foreign intelligence activities of the Defense Department, FBI, State Department, Homeland Security and other agencies. Yoho voted yes. Graham voted yes. EPA Existing Power Plant Rule Disapproval – With a vote of 242-180 and 11 Not Voting, the House disapproved the EPA’s submitted rule. The House agreed to a joint resolution expressing disapproval of the rule submitted by the EPA concerning carbon emissions at existing power plants. Yoho voted yes. Graham voted no. EPA New and Retrofitted Power Plant Rule Disapproval – with a vote of 235-188 and 10 not voting, the House disapproved a rule submitted by the EPA. The House agreed to a joint resolution expressing disapproval of the rule submitted the EPA concerning carbon emissions at new and retrofitted power plants. Yoho voted yes. Graham voted no. K-12 Education Reauthorization – with a vote of 359-64 and 10 not voting, an agreement was reached regarding the Bill that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Act. The Chamber agreed to the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 for four years, through fiscal 2020, and modifies programs and policies throughout the law with the overall goal of giving states, school districts, schools, teachers and parents greater control over all aspects of elementary and secondary education. It maintains some federal oversight of state programs through the Education Department’s ability to approve state plans for the use of federal funds, but it places strong restrictions on the department actions and control. Yoho voted no. Graham voted yes. Energy Security and Infrastructure Overhaul – with a vote of 249-174 and 10 not voting, the House passed the legislation. The House passed legislation which promotes the accelerated development and construction of natural gas pipelines and hydropower projects by increasing the authority of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and requiring the agency to set hard deadlines for environmental reviews and permitting, and by requiring the designation of at least 10 corridors across federal lands in the Eastern U.S. where pipelines could be built. It also includes numerous provisions intended to increase the security and reliability of the nation’s electrical power grid; revises national energy efficiency standards and requires the Energy Department to expedite decisions on applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG). Yoho voted yes. Graham voted yes. Surface Transportation Reauthorization – with a vote of 359-65 and nine not voting, the House adopted the report on the bill that reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs. The House adopted the conference report on the bill that reauthorizes federal highway and transit programs for five years through fiscal 2020, at increased funding levels to begin addressing the nation’s transportation infrastructure needs. It transfers more than $70 billion from Treasury’s general fund and other funds to cover projected shortfalls in the Highway Trust Fund over that time and fully fund the measure’s estimated $305 billion cost. The measure also reauthorizes Amtrak and restructures its funding to reflect its major lines of business, renews the charter for Export-import Bank and rolls back a reduction in the crop insurance program. Yoho voted no. Graham voted yes. Upcoming votes are the K-12 Education Reauthorization and Red River Private Property Protection.