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House Kicks Off Second Session of 114th Congress
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to kick off the second session of the 114th Congress. The Senate does not return to Washington until next week. The House will take up several pieces of legislation, including a budget reconciliation bill that was amended and approved by the Senate last month. The reconciliation process, which was included in the FY2016 Congressional budget resolution, allows the Senate to pass a budget-related measure with a simple 51 vote majority. This is a much lower threshold than the normal 60 vote requirement for passage under the Senate rules, and therefore allowed Republicans in the Senate to include controversial provisions repealing
the Affordable Care Act and defunding Planned Parenthood. While the amended budget reconciliation bill will likely pass the House this week, it is all but certain that President Obama will veto the bill and send it back to Congress where Republicans lack the necessary votes to override a presidential veto.
On Wednesday, the House will take up
H.R. 1155
, the SCRUB Act, which creates a commission to review regulations and recommend the elimination of certain federal rules.
On Thursday and Friday, the House will take up
H.R. 712
and
H.R. 1927
. H.R. 712, the Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2015, seeks to address alleged "sue-and-settle" tactics by environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and certain regulatory agencies, and was introduced in response to a 2013 report released by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accusing ENGOs and federal agencies of participating in litigious activities to lock out the business community from certain federal rulemaking processes. H.R. 1927, the Fairness in Class Action Litigation Act of 2015, reforms how federal courts certify class action law suits.
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna
, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program,
or Colleen Cain, Senior Policy Analyst,
at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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Save the Date: Reception for the Northeast-Midwest Region, February 3
Mark your calendar for NEMWI's Annual Reception for the Northeast-Midwest Region on Wednesday, February 3, 2015 from 5:00 PM-7:30 PM in the Capitol Visitor Center Atrium.
The reception is an opportunity for a variety of regional stakeholders, Members of Congress, and Congressional staff to meet and discuss regional priorities. This year marks the 6th year of the event.
For more information, contact
Michael Goff, President & CEO of the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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President Signs Microbead-Free Waters Act
The President signed
H.R. 1321
(the Microbead-Free
Waters Act of 2015) on December 28, 2015.
The House of Representatives passed the bill
by voice vote on December 7, 2015 and the Senate followed, passing the bill by unanimous consent on December 18, 2015.
The bill requires the manufacturing of plastic microbeads to stop by July 1, 2017, and the delivery of new cosmetic products containing microbeads to end by July 1, 2018. Microbeads have been found in rivers and lakes in developed areas around the world, raising environmental degradation concerns among scientists and environmental organizations.
For more information, contact
Matthew McKenna, Director of the Great Lakes Washington Program at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI Seeks MS River Basin Policy Analyst
NEMWI
is seeking a Senior Policy Analyst to coordinate its Mississippi River Basin Program. Launched in 1995, the Institute's Mississippi River Basin Program (MRBP) seeks to strengthen the policy foundation upon which effective water resource protection and restoration can occur by engaging key stakeholders in addressing Mississippi River Basin water resource issues. Current MRBP priorities include advancing water quality, protecting and restoring wetlands, and improving cross-boundary and inter-agency coordination. The MRBP works by interacting with federal and state agencies, members of the Congressional Mississippi River Task Forces and Caucuses and other members of Congress, and regional and local stakeholders and interest groups to identify and analyze issues, coordinate discussions, and develop policy options and initiatives. The MRBP has become a trusted source for information, policy research, and analysis in Washington, D.C. and within the region. The position reports to the President and CEO of the Institute. Learn more about hte position and how to apply here.
For more information, contact
Michael Goff, President & CEO of the Northeast-Midwest Institute.
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NEMWI: Strengthening the Region that Sustains the Nation
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