This Week In Congress: February 27, 2017
Legislation moving through congress this week.
H.R.610 is the bill that has been drafted to implement vouchers for public the school system and will be presented to the floor of congress within the next few weeks. Vouchers and their far reaching implications for the well being of our country cannot understated. Vouchers invariable shift resources away from middle and low income children and would further stratify our educational system along economic, racial, ethnic, and religious lines. In addition to the implementation of the voucher system this law would repeal the rule that sets many of the nutritional standards for school meals.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H. R. 998 SCRUB Act & H.R. 1009 OIRA Insight, Reform, and Accountability Act
Summary: Both of the laws would give congress the ability to micromanage the regulations of federal agencies. The these bill which are sponsored by Mr. Sessions and Mr. Chaffetz would give congress the ability to repeal vital regulations that govern the health and safety of the american public and have unprecedented access to what regulations those agencies implement. On its face it will give congress the power to review federal regulations before they are enacted but in practice it gives congress the ability to kill a regulation behind closed doors.
H. J. RES. 83
Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to “Clarification of Employer’s Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness”.
Summary: This bill would seek to repeal the rule the that Requires OSHA to keep accurate records for workplace related injuries.
Read the full text of the published rule regarding the protection of the american worker.
SENATE
H.J.Res. 43
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with Title X requirements by project recipients in selecting subrecipients.
Summary: This bill would seek to repeal the rule the that blokes states from putting unreasonable restrictions on family planning service known as Title X which provides women, men, and adolescents the ability to determine freely when they would like to have children.
Read the full text of the published rule regarding the protection of the family planning program Title X.
H.J. Res. 36
Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Bureau of Land Management relating to “Waste Prevention, Production Subject to Royalties, and Resource Conservation.”
Summary: This bill seeks to repeal the rule that places new regulations on natural gas and oil spills during production, which have not been updated since 1979. This rule seeks to reduce the waste of natural gas from venting, flaring, and leaks during oil and natural gas production activities on Federal and Indian lands.
Read the full text of the published rule regarding the protection of water quality.
H.J.Res.27
D.C. Council Death with Dignity law, repeal
Summary: This bill is attempting to repeal the death with dignity law that the District of Columbia has passed for itself. Washington, DC itself is not a state and therefore does not enjoy the full representation that other entities like it enjoy. Congress instead holds full power to repeal any law passed by Washington DC that it sees fit.
Read the full text of DC’s Death with Dignity law.
For a thorough explanation of why DC’s lack of statehood is just plain unfair view John Oliver’s wonderful piece.
All bill information taken from the official schedule for the House and Senate.
