Legislative Notices
S. 2943 – FY17 Defense Authorization Report
Noteworthy Background: The Senate Armed Services Committee reported out its version of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, S. 2943, on May 12, 2016, by a vote of 23-3 (Cruz, Fischer, Lee opposing). The Senate approved its final version of the bill on June 14, 2016, by a vote of 85-13. The House approved its version of the bill, H.R. 4909, on May 18, 2016, by a vote of 277-147. On July 14, the Senate invoked cloture on the compound motions required to go to conference by a vote of... Continue Reading
November 29, 2016
First Steps in Obamacare Repeal and Replace
Congress will keep its promise to the American people to repeal and replace Obamacare. The first steps are getting rid of the law’s most harmful provisions by using budget reconciliation and building a transition to more sensible health care solutions. Last year, Congress passed a reconciliation bill that demonstrates how we can repeal the core parts of Obamacare with a transition to replace. Efforts to replace Obamacare will begin very soon once the next Congress convenes and the new... Continue Reading
November 16, 2016
S. 3110, American Energy and Conservation Act
Noteworthy Background: Senator Cassidy introduced S. 3110, the American Energy and Conservation Act of 2016, on June 29. Floor Situation: On November 17, the Senate is expected to vote on cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 3110. Senator McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 3110 on November 15. Executive Summary: S. 3110 incentivizes American energy production through revenue sharing with the states, permitting reforms for renewable energy projects on federal lands, and... Continue Reading
September 7, 2016
S. 2848, Water Resources Development Act
Noteworthy Background: Senators Inhofe and Boxer filed substitute amendment 4979 to S. 2848, the Water Resources Development Act of 2016. The amendment builds on S. 2848, which the Environment and Public Works Committee reported on June 20, 2016. The committee passed S. 2848, as amended, by a vote of 19 to 1 on April 28, 2016. Senators Inhofe and Boxer introduced S. 2848 on April 25, 2016. Floor Situation: This afternoon, the Senate adopted the motion to proceed to S. 2848 by voice... Continue Reading
June 28, 2016
H.R. 5278 Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act
Noteworthy Background: The House Natural Resources Committee reported the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act, H.R. 5278, on June 3, 2016. The full House passed PROMESA on June 9, 2016, by a vote of 297-127 (R: 139-103; D: 158-24). On Monday, June 27, cloture was filed on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 2328, the vehicle for PROMESA. Floor Situation: A cloture vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 2328 is expected Wednesday. The... Continue Reading
June 13, 2016
S. 2837 – Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
NOTEWORTHY Background: The fiscal year 2017 Commerce, Justice, Science, and related agencies appropriations bill was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 21 on a 30-0 vote. The vehicle for floor debate is H.R. 2578, the Commerce, Justice, Science appropriations bill for fiscal year 2016. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to debate the bill during the week of June 13. Executive Summary: The bill would fund the departments of Commerce and Justice, as well as NASA,... Continue Reading
May 24, 2016
S. 2943 - FY17 Defense Authorization Bill
Noteworthy Background: The Senate Armed Services Committee reported out its version of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, S. 2943, on May 12, 2015, by a vote of 23-3 (Cruz, Fischer, Lee opposing). The House approved its version of the bill, H.R. 4909, on May 18, 2016, by a vote of 277-147. According to the House Armed Services Committee, that bill provided an overall level of $602.2 billion in budget authority, which is the amount of the president’s request within the... Continue Reading
May 11, 2016
S. 2844 - Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
Noteworthy Background: The fiscal year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 21 on a 30-0 vote. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to debate the bill after consideration of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Executive Summary: The bill would fund the departments of Transportation and HUD, as well as related agencies, at $56.5 billion in regular discretionary budget... Continue Reading
May 11, 2016
S. 2806 - Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
Noteworthy Background: The fiscal year 2017 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 14 on a 30-0 vote. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to debate the bill after consideration of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill. Executive Summary: The bill totals $83 billion in regular discretionary funding, which would fund the Department of Veterans Affairs, construction projects across all... Continue Reading
April 18, 2016
S. 2804 – Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017
Noteworthy Background: The fiscal year 2017 energy and water appropriations bill was reported out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 14 on a 30-0 vote. The vehicle for floor debate is H.R. 2028, the House’s fiscal year 2016 energy and water appropriations bill. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to debate the bill during the week of April 18. Executive Summary: The bill would fund the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, and other... Continue Reading
March 16, 2016
S.Res.377 Backpage Civil Contempt Resolution
Noteworthy Background: Backpage.com is a website for commercial sex advertising and has been linked to hundreds of child sex trafficking cases. On October 1, 2015, the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations subpoenaed Backpage for information about its practices for reviewing, editing, and approving advertisements posted on the website. Backpage has refused to comply. On February 10, 2016, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee voted unanimously to report S.Res. 377, a... Continue Reading
March 15, 2016
S. 764 – Vehicle for the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act
S. 764 – Vehicle for the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act Noteworthy Background: Senator Roberts filed substitute amendment 3450 to S. 764, the vehicle for the Biotech Labeling Solutions Act, on March 14, 2016. The amendment builds on S. 2609, a bill to establish a national voluntary labeling standard for bioengineered foods, which the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee reported on March 1 by a bipartisan vote of 14 to 6. The House passed a related bill, H.R. 1599, on July 23,... Continue Reading
February 26, 2016
S. 524 – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016
Noteworthy Background: Senators Portman, Ayotte, and Kirk, with Senators Whitehouse, Coons, and Klobuchar, introduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016, S. 524, on February 2, 2015. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill, with amendment, by voice vote on February 22, 2016. It currently has 35 cosponsors. Floor Situation: Leader McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to S. 524 on February 25, 2016. This cloture vote is expected to occur on Monday, February... Continue Reading
February 4, 2016
H.R. 757 – North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act
Noteworthy Background: The House passed its version of this bill by a vote of 418-2 on January 12, 2016. On January 28, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed its version of this bill out of committee by voice vote, without recorded opposition. Floor Situation: Pursuant to a unanimous consent agreement, the Senate will consider this bill on Wednesday, February 10. Upon the use or yielding back of time, the committee-reported substitute amendment, which is covered in this notice, will be... Continue Reading
January 27, 2016
S. 2012 – Energy Policy Modernization Act
Noteworthy Background: The Energy and Natural Resources Committee reported S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act, on September 9, 2015, by a bipartisan vote of 18 to 4. The House passed a related bill, H.R. 8, the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act, on December 3, 2015, by a vote of 249 to 174. Floor Situation: On Tuesday, January 26 at 11:00 a.m., the Senate will begin consideration of S. 2012. A bipartisan amendment in the nature of a substitute that ensures the bill... Continue Reading
January 19, 2016
H.R. 4038 – The American SAFE Act
Noteworthy Background: The House passed the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act, H.R. 4038, on November 19, 2015, by a vote of 289-137. Forty-seven House Democrats voted for the bill. On January 12, 2016, Leader McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 4038. Floor Situation: The cloture vote on the motion to proceed will occur on Wednesday, January 20 at 2:30 pm. If cloture is invoked, the post-cloture time will be counted as having started at 6:00 pm Tuesday,... Continue Reading
December 17, 2015
H.R. 2029 – “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016” and “Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015"
Considerations on the Bill Divisions A thru L, the appropriations omnibus, funds the federal government through the remainder of fiscal year 2016. CBO reports that the appropriations portion of the omnibus (divisions A through L) contains $1.067 trillion in regular discretionary budget authority, which is consistent with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. Total funding in the Defense appropriations bill is $572.8 billion, which contains $514.1 billion in regular discretionary budget authority... Continue Reading
December 7, 2015
S. 1177 – Conference Report on Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015
S. 1177 – Conference Report on Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 Noteworthy Background: On July 16, the Senate passed S. 1177, the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015, by a vote of 81-17. The House passed its bill (H.R. 5) on July 8 by a vote of 218-213. On November 19, the conference committee agreed to file the conference report by a vote of 38-1. The House passed the conference agreement on December 2 by a vote of 359-64. Floor Situation: Cloture was filed on the... Continue Reading
December 3, 2015
H.R. 22 – Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act
Noteworthy Background: On July 30, 2015, the Senate passed the Developing a Reliable and Innovative Vision for the Economy (DRIVE) Act by a vote of 65-34. H.R. 22 (Hire More Heroes Act of 2015) was used as the revenue shell for the highways legislative package. On November 5, 2015, Chairman Schuster of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced a motion to go to conference on H.R. 22, which was adopted by the House. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed a motion to go to... Continue Reading
November 18, 2015
H.R. 2577 – Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations, 2016
Noteworthy Background: The Senate Appropriations Committee approved this bill in May on a 20-10 vote, with all Republicans and four Democrats voting in favor (Senators Mikulski, Feinstein, Schatz, and Baldwin). The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015, signed into law on November 2, raised the discretionary spending caps for fiscal years 2016 and 2017. Due to this, subcommittee spending allocations will be updated and bills that passed the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year will be... Continue Reading