Congressional Dish

A summary of January, the first month of the 114th Congress. In this episode, a favor for Wall Street is signed into law, the Senate did almost nothing, and the House passed bills that benefit Wall Street, fossil fuel companies, and companies that don't want to give you health insurance. There were a few good bills mixed in there too. Please Support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! January Laws HR 26: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program ReAuthorization Act of 2015 The bill reauthorizes and changes the terms of the program that provides Federal insurance to businesses damaged in a terrorist attack. The program was dead for 12 days after expiring on December 31, 2014. Extends the program until December 31, 2020 Decreases the Federal share of compensation from 85% to 80% over the course of the next five years. There's a $100 billion cap on Federal losses. The program trigger, which is the point at which insurance companies get Federal money, gradually increases from $100 million now to $200 million. The Secretary of Treasury alone will certify the act of terrorism; the Secretary of State will no longer be involved. A rollback of the Dodd Frank financial reform bill was attached. The attachment prevents the SEC from telling swaps traders how much cash they need to put up front to make a swaps trade. The attachment is the text of the Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act, which was written by Rep. Michael Grimm. He tried to get it passed in the 112th and 113th Congresses, before he resigned on the first day of the 114th Congress after pleading guilty to tax fraud. The Securities and Investment industry was his #2 contributor, giving him over $400,000. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, who fought to keep this provision in the bill, has taken at least $2.8 million from the financial industry. January Bills H.R. 22 and S. 12: Hire More Heroes Act Veterans with government health care will not count towards the 50 employee Affordable Care Act threshold which triggers a company's obligation to give employees health insurance. The bill is sponsored by Rep. Rodney Davis in the House, who has taken over $180,000 from health professionals and over $160,000 from the insurance industry. The bill is sponsored by Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, who has taken almost $1.3 million from health professionals and almost a million from the insurance industry. H.R. 23: National Windstorm Impact Reduction Act Reauthorization of 2015 Reauthorizes and updates the National Windstorm Impact Reduction Program The program designed to improve weather modeling, coordinate post-storm investigations, improve understanding of wind's impact on buildings and vital infrastructure, and promote adoption of storm preparation measures. Appropriates about $21 million per year for the next three years Written by Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas H.R. 34: Tsunami Warning, Education, and Research Act of 2015 Consolidates tsunami warning systems for the Pacific and Arctic Oceans and for the Atlantic Ocean into a single warning system, which will cooperate with other countries' warning systems. Appropriates $27 million per year through 2017 to get this done. Passed unanimously. Written by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon H.R. 203: Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act Requires annual independent evaluations of Veteran's Administration mental health programs Requires the Veteran's Administration to create a website for information about their mental health services that needs to be updated at least every 90 days. Creates a three year pilot program to repay psychiatrists' loans ($30,000 a year) if they work for at least two years at the Veteran's Health Administration. Prohibits any additional money to get this done. Written by Democrat Rep. Timothy Walz of Minnesota H.R. 351: LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act Forces the Department of Energy to decide on applications to construct, expand, or operate liquified natural gas export facilities within 30 days of the completed NEPA review. Requires the applicant to publicly disclose the specific destination of the liquified natural gas exports. Written by Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio, whose top three contributing industries are #1 Leadership PACs, who have given him over $387,000, #2 Mining, who has given him over $250,000, and #3 Oil and Gas, who has given him over $244,000. H.R. 3: and S. 1 Keystone XL Pipeline Act Explicitly approves the Keystone XL pipeline. Forces any lawsuits against the pipeline to be filed in Washington D.C. or in the Supreme Court Written by Rep. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, whose #1 contributing industry is Oil & Gas, who have given him over $322,000. The House version would be vetoed by the President H.R. 30: Save American Workers Act of 2015 Makes people work for 40+ hours to be eligible for employer provided health insurance. Effective as of January 1, 2014 The effects of this on the budget will not be counted Written by Rep. Todd Young of Indiana Passed 252-172 Would be vetoed by the President H.R. 185: Regulatory Accountability Act of 2015 Adds extra work to creating regulations Makes it easier for the courts to shut down regulations Written by Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, who has accepted over $10 million from various industries Passed the House 250-175 Would be vetoed by the President H.R. 37: Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act A package of 11 Wall Street deregulation bills from the 113th Congress (the GOP House leadership tried to get this passed as an uncontroversial suspension bill on the second day of the 114th Congress). Includes the Business Risk Mitigation and Price Stabilization Act, which is the bill that has already been signed into law as an attachment to the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program reauthorization. Would delay the Volcker rule until 2019 (the Federal Reserve already delayed it until 2017), which prohibits commercial banks from trading collateralized loan obligations. Would allow companies to exclude historical data from their financial reports at their discretion. Companies with under $250 million in revenue wouldn't have to submit their financial statements in computer readable form (this would include roughly 60% of publicly traded stocks). Exempts some private equity firms from having to register as brokers with the SEC, which will exempt them from more frequent examinations. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who is retiring from Congress at the end of this term. His #1 contributing industry is leadership PACs but his #4 is the finance industry. He's taken almost $500,000 Would be vetoed by the President YouTube: GOP Financial Services video about HR 37, starring Michael Fitzpatrick H.R. 161: Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act This bill was discussed during the 113th Congress in episode CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels Permits for natural gas pipelines must be decided in under 1 year If the agency does not decide within 90 days of the completed environmental review, the permit will be automatically approved on the 120th day Written by Rep. Mike Pompeo of Kansas (who is the Koch brothers' Congressman) who has taken almost $300,000 from Koch Industries alone. In total, he has taken $928,000 from the Oil and Gas industry. Would be vetoed by the President H.R. 7: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2015 Would prohibit Federal funding for any abortion (Currently, federal funds cannot be used for abortion services, except in cases involving rape, incest, or life endangermen). Prohibits small businesses from claiming their health insurance tax credit if the plan they offer includes abortion Written by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey Would be vetoed by the President H.R. 240: Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act, 2015 Already dead. H.R. 514: Human Trafficking Prioritization Act Sense of Congress that the State Department can combat trafficking just fine without more money and orders a report. Written by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey H.R. 515: International Megan's Law to Prevent Demand for Child Sex Trafficking Creates a new Angel Watch Center in the Department of Homeland Security which will track and store travel information about sex-offenders and notify other countries of the sex-offender's travel plans. Written by Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey H.R. 357: Human Trafficking Prevention Act Expands required information in training programs for Federal employees dealing with human trafficking. Written by Rep. Sean Maloney of New York H.R. 468: Enhancing Services for Runaway and Homeless Victims of Youth Trafficking Act of 2015 Adds "severe forms of trafficking in person" to the list of things that grant money for runaway and homeless kids can be used for Written by Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada H.R. 350: Human Trafficking Prevention, Intervention, and Recovery Act of 2015 Orders a few reports Written by Kristi Noem of South Dakota H.R. 159: Stop Exploitation Through Trafficking Act of 2015 Prioritizes how grants to local police forces are given based on the State's laws' treatment of victims of sex trafficking Makes sex trafficking victims eligible for the Jobs Corps even if they aren't low income Written by Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota H.R. 285: SAVE Act of 2015 Makes advertising the services of prostitutes who are under 18 or are forced into prostitution punishable by ten years in prison. Written by by Rep. Ann Wagner of Missouri H.R. 181: Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 Prioritizes how grants to local police forces are given based on the State's laws' treatment of victims of sex trafficking Adds the production of child pornography to the definition of "child abuse' Allows the FBI to wire tap suspected child abusers Eliminates the prosecutorial requirement that that the government prove that the defendant recklessly disregarded the victims age puts the burden of proof on the defendant Written by Rep. Ted Poe of Texas H.R. 460: Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2015 Trains TSA, Customs, and Border Patrol agents on how to detect and disrupt human trafficking within one year Written by Rep. Bradley Walker of North Carolina H.R. 398 and S. 205: Trafficking Awareness Training for Health Care Act of 2015 Gives a grant to one hospital to develop best practices for recognizing and treating human trafficking victims Written by Rep. Renee Ellmers of North Carolina in the House and Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana in the Senate. H.R. 469: Strengthening Child Welfare Response to Trafficking Act of 2015 Prioritizes how grants to local police forces are given based on the State's laws' treatment of victims of sex trafficking Written by Rep. Karen Bass of California H.R. 246: To improve the response to victims of child sex trafficking. Adds child sex trafficking to the list of things that should be reported on the "cyber tipline" Written by Rep. Joyce Beatty of Ohio Additional Information Article: Obama Moves to Block Horse Slaughter by Stephanie Strom. New York Times. April 2013. Article: Fox News to earn $1.50 per subscriber by Brian Stelter. CNN Money. January 2015. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) CEO by Kito Peters (found on Music Alley by mevio) Warden Pale's Big Profit Prison by William Brooks Be Heard Have something to say? 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In this episode, we look at the riders added to the must-sign 2015 budget, including favors for Wall Street, unions, agribusiness, the oil and gas industry, electric utilities, the vending machine industry, telecoms, the trucking industry, the insurance industry, and the politicians themselves. Please Support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! CRomnibus Article: CRomnibus Disaster Signals a Sad New Normal in D.C. by David Dayen. The Fiscal Times. December 2014. Article: Wall Street's Omnibus Triumph, and Others by Russ Choma, OpenSecrets Blog, December 2014. Division A Agriculture & FDA Section 741: Defunds an advisory board made up of scientists that evaluates the effectiveness of food safety inspection processes. Section 750: Prohibits funding from being used to inspect livestock slaughterhouses to make sure diseased animals are separated from animals who will be eaten and to make sure the animals are being slaughtered humanely. Section 751: States can exempt schools from the requirement to provide whole grains to students in school lunches. Section 752: No money can be used to implement a law that would require a sodium reduction in school lunches. Division B Commerce, Justice, & Science Section 202: The Department of Justice can't pay for an abortion unless the mother's life is in danger or unless she was raped. The bill acknowledges that this might be unconstitutional and if so, this provision will be "null and void". Section 501: Money can't be used for propaganda that is not authorized by Congress. Section 509: No money can be used to seek the removal of another country's tobacco marketing restrictions, "except for restrictions which are not applied equally to all tobacco or tobacco products of the same type". Article: US floats cutting tobacco from part of Pacific trade pact, Krista Hughes, Reuters, October 21, 2014. Section 516: "None of the funds made available in this Act shall be used in any whatsoever to support or justify the use of torture by any official or contract employee of the United States Government." Section 517: Fully automatic weapons may be exported to Canada without an export license if they are to be used by the US Federal Government or the government of Canada. Section 519: Prohibits new trade agreements from including language that forces countries to police the unauthorized distribution of patented pharmaceuticals, language that prevents generic versions of drugs before the patent has expired, and language that allows patent owners to prevent importation of products even if their product is available in other countries. Section 528: No money can be used to transfer Khalid Sheikh Mohammaed or any other detainee from Guantanamo Bay prison to another location in the United States. Section 530: The government should purchase Energy Star light bulbs to the extent practicable. Section 533: Prohibits government employees from denying or ignoring a permit to import shotguns. Section 538: Prevents the Department of Justice from using it's money to prevent States from implementing their medical marijuana laws. TITLE VI- Travel Promotion Enhancement and Modernization Act Passed the House in July 2014 and was discussed on CD081: The July Bills. Changes the board of directors of Brand USA – a non-profit organization that advertises U.S. tourism – from being made up of travel industry specialists to one made up of entirely of executives, with five seats reserved for people with ties to multinational corporations. It eliminates the seat for the specialist in intercity passenger rail. Extends the authorization for the government to spend $100 million per year on Brand USA through 2020. Extends the Travel Promotion Fee – a $10 fee charged to people who get a visa to travel into the United States – until 2020. Division C Defense Coming Soon Division D Energy & Water Section 107: Federal funding can't be used to enforce the mitigation regulations known as the "Modified Charleston Method." The Modified Charleston Method was implemented in May 2011 and is a formula for calculating how much wetlands need to be protected for each acre of private development. This method protects more wetlands than are protected when it is not used, generally requiring 3 acres of wetland conservation for every acre destroyed. InfoPacket: The University of New Orleans 2013 Economic Outlook & Real Estate Forecast Seminar for the Northshore One of the projects impacted is a Kinder Morgan natural gas pipeline. Kinder Morgan has given almost $80,000 to the Boehner for Speaker Committee. Article: Wetlands Mitigation Rules Get Tougher, and St. Tammany Officials Get Worried by Christine Harvey. The Times-Picayune. March 2012. Amendment added by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana Press Release: Scalise Applauds Delay of the Modified Charleston Method in 2015 Appropriations Bill, December 2014. The vast majority of Rep. Steve Scalise's campaign funds come from PACs - 71% - but his #1 listed contributing industry is Oil and Gas; he's taken over $600,000. Section 109: Prohibits changes to the regulatory definition of "fill material" or "discharge of fill material". In 2002, the Bush administration changed the definition of "fill material" which can be dumped into waterways with a permit, to include "waste" from coal mining. This was attached by Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho to the 2014 budget. He has taken over $445,000 from electric utilities and $137,000 from mining. Section 111: Prohibits the government from requiring a permit for dumping farming and ranching "fill material" into waterways. Section 112: Deletes an EPA/ Army rule that limits the farming and ranching "fill material" that can be dumped without a permit. Section 312: The Department of Energy is not allowed to construct centrifuges for enriched uranium in 2015 and needs to do a cost-benefit analysis of options for suppling enriched uranium for war purposes and an "estimate to build a national security train". Section 313: Prohibits enforcement of energy efficient light bulb standards. According to the Department of Energy, these standards will save $17.7 billion in energy costs over the next 30 years, as well as avoid 106 million metric tons of co2 emissions. This amendment was added by Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas, whose #5 contributing industry is Electric Utilities - he's taken almost $200,000 -, although he get 69% of his money from PACs. He has added it to must-sign legislation every year since 2010. Division E Financial Services Section 114: The Treasury Department may not redesign the $1 bill. Article: One is the Loneliest Dollar Bill by Sarah Mimms. National Journal. January 2015. Article: Bush Administration Fights Currency Redesign. Associated Press. December 2006. Article: The Blind Welcome a Ruling That May Help Them Count Their Cash by Tina Kelley. New York Times. May 2008. Section 502: Prevents the Federal Communications Commission from implementing a recommendation from 2004 that would change a government subsidy for telecoms to allow payment for broadband lines per household instead of per line, which would effectively reduce the subsidy for the companies. FAQ: Universal Service Administrative Company. Section 630: The text of HR 992, which was the bill written by Citigroup that will allow banks to gamble with credit default swaps on the stock market with customers deposits in FDIC insured banks. Article: Derivatives Markets Growing Again, With Few New Protections by Mayra Rodriguez Valldares. New York Times. May 2014. Article: Three Bankers Bolster Blankfein as Goldman Trading Sinks by Michael Moore. Bloomberg. May 2014. This provision was added by Rep. Kevin Yoder of Kansas, who took over $114,000 from Securities and Investment bankers for the last election alone. Over the course of his four year career, he's taken almost $700,000 from bankers... that we know of. Section 725: "Prohibits Federal agencies from monitoring individuals' internet use." Section 735 Prohibits funding for requirements that would make companies submitting offers for Federal contracts to disclose their political contributions. Section 809: Prohibits Washington DC from using its money to from legalize or reduce the penalties for a schedule I substance, which includes marijuana, for recreational use. Division F Land Management & Environment The Department of the Interior USGS: For the United States Geological Survey to surveys and research topography, geology, hydrology, biology, and the mineral and water resources of the United States... approx $1 billion, available until 9/30/2016. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, offshore safety: $125 million minus fees collected, estimated real appropriation of $66 million for enforcing regulations for leases for oil and gas, other minerals, and energy on the Outer Continental Shelf + $65 million - minus fees collected- over half of which needs to go towards expediting drilling permits on the Outer Continental Shelf. Collection and disbursement of royalties, fees, and other mineral revenue will get $265 million. Wildland fire management: $805 million. Hazardous fuels management and resilient landscapes activities can be privatized. This money can be used by the Secretary of State outside the United States. This money can be used to pay off debts incurred for fires in previous years. This money can be used as emergency funds to deal with earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, storms, oil spills, and to control cricket outbreaks. Section 122: Prohibits the Secretary of the Interior from protecting the Sage-Grouse under the Endangered Species Act. Oil backers, conservationists battle over fate of greater sage grouse by Sandra Fish, AlJazeera America, December 2013. Environmental Protection Agency Over $2.3 billion for fire suppression. Federal Firefighting Costs for suppression alone averaged $1.46 billion a year since 2000, a time period that has included 9 out of the 10 hottest years since records began in 1880. Section 411: Allows Alaska red and yellow cedar to be exported to foreign countries. Press Release: Petition Seeks to Protect Tongass' Ancient Yellow Cedars as Endangered Species by the Center for Biological Diversity, June 2014. Article: Forest Service criticized over Tongass management by Maria La Ganga, Los Angeles Times, November 2014. Article: Viking Lumber wins Big Thorne contract, again by Katie Mortiz, Juneau Empire, October 2014. Article: In Alaska, a Battle to Keep Trees, or an Industry, Standing by Michael Wines, New York Times, September 2014. Article: The Forest Service bets on second-growth logging in Alaska by Krista Langlois, High Country News, January 2015. Article: Budget bill boosts logging by Section 419: No money can be used to regulate carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, water vapor or methane emitted from livestock production. Section 420: No money can be used to require mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions from manure management systems. Amendments identical to Sections 419 and 420 were attached to the 2014 budget by Rep. Ken Calvert of Southern California. He has taken over $650,000 from Agribusiness. Section 425: No money can be used to regulate the lead content of ammunition or fishing tackle. Division G Labor, Health, & Education Health and Human Services Section 217: Prohibits funding of gun control promotions. Section 220: The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) can privatize research into "security countermeasure" drugs for 10 years. Op-Ed: Ebola and the most important agency America has never heard of by former Rep. Mike Rogers, The Hill, October 2014. Department of Education Section 301: No money can be used for transporting children to other school districts to "carry out a plan of racial desegregation of any school or school system." Section 303: No money can be used to prevent voluntary prayer in public schools. Department of Labor Section 406: The National Labor Relations Board can't use their money to provide employees with electronic voting for electing representatives for their collective bargaining. All Departments Section 506: The Departments of Health & Humans Services, Labor, and Education can't use their money to pay for health benefits coverage that includes abortion coverage. Section 507: Abortions can be paid for with Federal funds if the pregnancy was a result of rape or incest or if the mother's life is in danger. States will be allowed to cover abortion and abortion coverage can be offered separately. Section 508: No money can be used for research that harms a human embryo. Section 521: No money can be used for programs that distribute sterile needles to drug addicts. Section 529: No money can go towards ACORN, "or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, allied organizations, or successors." Article: Congress's Undying (and Less Than Effective) ACORN Funding Ban, by David Weigel, Bloomberg, December 2014. Ebola Response & Preparedness Ebola money is available for use until September 30, 2019. Over $1.7 billion for the Centers for Disease Control to "respond to Ebola domestically and internationally." $10 million for hospital worker and emergency first responder training. $597 million for global health security The money can be used to purchase and insure vehicles in foreign countries. Section 601: The CDC can use this money to "acquire, lease, construct, alter, renovate, equip, furnish, or manage facilities outside the United States." $238 billion in "emergency" funding will go towards the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases" to "respond to Ebola domestically and internationally." $733 million for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to "respond to Ebola domestically and internationally" to develop and purchase vaccines, "necessary medical supplies, and administrative activities." Money can be used for the "renovation and alteration of privately owned facilities at the State and local level" Division H Congress Section 102: No money can be used to deliver a printed copy of a bill to a Representative unless that Representative asked for it. Section 105: No more than 50 copies total of the US Code can be printed for the entire House of Representatives. Section 1301: The Government Printing Office is renamed to the Government Publishing Office. Division I Military Construction Section 101: Construction contracts with guaranteed profits will be allowed in Alaska and/or if the Defense Secretary says there's a reason for one in writing. Section 109: Military construction money can't be used to pay property taxes in foreign countries. Section 110: The military can't use this money for any new installations without notifying the House and Senate Appropriations Committees first. Section 111: Architect or engineer contracts over $500,000 in Japan, NATO countries, or countries bordering the Arabian Gulf must be awarded to US firms or be partnerships with US firms. Section 117: Money for military construction can be held & used up to four years after it is appropriated. Section 127: $125 million extra is appropriated until September 2018 for projects anywhere excepts in Europe. Section 512: No money can be used to prepare any United States facilities to house detainees from Guantanamo Bay prison. Veterans Veterans benefits will cost $94 billion and medical expenses will cost $59 billion, which is $153 billion total. Section 236 The Veterans Integrated Service Networks are not allowed to change their system for contracting for diabetes monitoring supplies and equipment. Press Release: Sysmex America Sign Two Contracts with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, PR Newswire, November 2013. "Sysmex America now holds Veterans Administration hematology contracts and standardization agreements with 16 of the 21 VISNs." "The VA Schedules are indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity type contracts awarded to pre-approved vendors." OpenSecrets: Hal Rogers, chairman of the Appropriations Committee is a shareholder of Roche Holdings, which signed a 10 year distribution agreement with Sysmex America in 2012 which allows Roche to distribute Sysmex hemotology products to countries around the world. Division J State Department & Foreign Operations $2.1 billion for Worldwide Security protection for the State Department, which has doubled since 2008. Article: Exclusive: Blackwater Wins Piece of $10 Billion Mercenary Deal by Spencer Ackerman, Wired, October 2010. Approximately $3.5 billion will go towards the United Nations, including U.N. "peacekeeping missions". Over $1 billion plus $2.7 billion in "global health programs" funds will go to USAID. $5.6 billion will go towards combatting AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. $2.5 billion will go towards "development assistance", which includes spending on: Agribusiness Setting up financial institutions "Policy and regulatory programs" that "improve the environment" for financial institutions. Marketing Energy and storage facilities Infrastructure Schools spreading "ideas and practices of the United States, including new education material and curricula "To expedite the location, exploration, and development of potential sources of energy in developing countries" Over $2.6 billion for the "Economic Support Fund", which includes funding for: Promoting "economic or political stability" Legal education training Academic training for law enforcement (the military is prohibited from participating) Prison programs "Legal reform" and "revision and modernization of legal codes and procedures" Can be used for loan guarantees for Jordan, Ukraine, and Tunisia and this money won't count towards laws limiting assistance to countries. This money can be used to create "enterprise funds" for Egypt or Tunisia, which are "public-private partnerships for the purpose of investing US Government funds to support the private sector". This money "shall be available for economic programs and may not be used for military or paramilitary purposes." $853 million for the War on Drugs Includes authorization for the "use of herbicides for aerial eradication". Tells the State Department to report on the cost of "establishing an aviation platform in Africa" which would be used for, among other things, counternarcotics. $145 million for "Peacekeeping Operations" to "enhance the capacity of foreign civilian security forces" including military forces in charge of policing civilians (gendarmes). $106 million for "International Military Education and Training." $5 billion for the "Foreign Military Financing Program The money can be used "to procure defense articles and services to enhance the capacity of foreign security forces" Over $3 billion must be grants to Israel $1.3 billion can be put in an interest bearing account at the NY Federal Reserve for Egypt, and the money can be used for weapons as long as Egypt meets a list of demands (including giving detainees access to due process of law). Article: Congress allows Obama to reopen military aid to Egypt by Julian Pecquet. Al Monitor. December 10, 2014. $1 billion will be for Jordan. This money can be used in the Western Sahara. This money can be used for "counterterrorism and counterinsurgency" in Pakistan. Section 7004: The State Department can construction "diplomatic facilities" that include office space or "other accommodations" for the US Marine Corps. The Congressional report on where these facilities are and their costs can be classified. Congress doesn't need to be notified of new diplomatic facilities if there is a "security risk to personnel". Section 7008: Money can't be used to directly assist any government whose elected government is removed by the military. However, we can give that country money again as long as the next government is elected. Section 7034: Prohibits money being used for "tear gas, small arms, light weapons, ammunition, or other items for crowd control purposes for foreign security forces that use excessive force to repress peaceful expression." Section 7041: We will give $150 million to Egypt as long as Egypt is taking steps to "implement market-based economic reforms". Section 7041: The State Department can use its money to create a new government and "promote economic development" in Syria. Section 7042: State Department funds are going towards training and equipping Ethiopian military and police. Section 7042: State Department funds will also towards training militaries in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Cote d"Ivoire, Guinea, and Zimbabwe. Section 7042: State Department money will go towards managing natural resources and supporting security forces in South Sudan. Section 7043: State Department money will be used for naval forces, coast guards and nongovernmental organizations "directly engaged in maritime security issues" in Asia. Section 7043: State Department money will go towards the Philippine army. Section 7043: State Department money will be given to the military of Vietnam and for health/disability activities in areas sprayed with Agent Orange and/or contaminated with dioxin. Section 7044: The State Department can construct and renovated US government facilities to accommodate Federal employees or contractors or expand aviation facilities in Afghanistan if it would "protect such facilities or the security, health, and welfare of United States personnel." Money for Afghanistan can go towards "programs in Central and South Asia relating to a transition in Afghanistan, including expanding Afghanistan linkages within the region." Section 7044: Money can go towards military training in Sri Lanka. Section 7045: State Department funds can be used to "support a unified campaign against narcotics trafficking" in Columbia. 10% of the funds will go towards "aerial drug eradication programs". Section 7045: State Department funds can be given to the Guatemalan army. Section 7045: State Department funds can be given to the Honduran army and police. Section 7045: State Department funds can be given to the Mexican army and police. Section 7074: $100 million for the Special Defense Acquisition Fund, which is under the control of the Defense Department, to buy weapons and defense services for foreign countries. Section 7083: The United States will contribute over $3.8 billion to the International Development Association, a branch of the World Bank that provides loans and grants to "boost economic growth" in poor countries. It's our 17th contribution. Over $1.3 billion will be for State Department security. Over $7.6 billion for the War on Terror. $1.5 billion for Ebola "assistance for countries affected by, or at risk of being affected by, the Ebola virus disease outbreak." Division K Transportation $500 million for national transportation infrastructure, including highway, bridge, rail, port, and public transportations projects. $9.7 billion: For the Federal Aviation Administration. $8.6 billion is from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund so the taxpayer subsidy for air travel is $1.1 billion. $40 billion for the highway trust fund. Section 133: Prohibits enforcement of regulations until September 30, 2015. The regulations delayed say: Commercial drivers must not work for 34 consecutive hours between weeks and that 34 hours must include two periods from 1am to 5am. Commercial drivers must not drive more than 60 hours in 7 consecutive days or 70 hours in 8 consecutive days. Truckers will be able to drive for 82 hours per week. Article: The Department of Transportation wants truckers to sleep more. Congress said no. by Lydia DePillis. Washington Post. December 2014. Article: Survey Shows Hours of Service Top Trucking Concern. Trucking Info. October 2014. OpenSecrets: Senator Susan Collins of Maine inserted the rider on behalf of the trucking industry. She received $21,000 from the trucking industry for the 2014 election. The trucking industry also gave $87,150 to Senator Mitch McConnell, the new Majority Leader in the Senate. $250 million for Amtrak operations. $1.1 billion for Amtrak investments and improvements. Housing Section 235 Forbids funding for a program that reduces mortgage rates for first time home buyers who go through home counseling and financial education. Section 420 "It is the sense of Congress that the Congress should not pass any legislation that authorizes spending cuts that would increase poverty in the United States." Division L Homeland Security Funding for the Department of Homeland Security remains at the same levels as 2014. Funding runs out on February 27, 2015. Article: With Shutdown Avoided, Who Are Winners (And Losers) In 2015 Budget? by Kelly Phillips, Forbes, December 2014. Division M Expatriate Health Coverage This section includes the altered text of HR 4414, the Expatriate Health Coverage Clarification Act of 2014, which was discussed on Congressional Dish episode CD075: The April Bills. Exempts expatriate health plans issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2015 from the minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act. "Expatriate" includes people from foreign countries working in the United States as part of a job transfer. The effects of this on the PAYGO budget will not be counted. The original version of this bill was written by Rep. John Carney of Delaware, who has taken over $312,000 from the insurance industry. Division N Campaign Contributions In May, as discussed on Congressional Dish episode CD071: Our New Laws, the President signed into law the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act, which eliminated public financing of political party conventions. Section 101: Creates three separate funds for political parties, at least triples the amount of money an individual can contribute to each of these new funds, and eliminates limits on how the parties can spend the money. We don't know exactly how much individuals will be able to contribute to political parties now that this provision is law. NPR has a different number than the Washington Post, which has a different number than The New York Times. Congressional Dish calculations indicate that the changes will allow an individual to contribute at least $257,400 per year and that amount increases every two years based on the Consumer Price Index. Division O Pensions Under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), pensions for retiree's who have already started to collect benefits can't be cut unless a company goes into bankruptcy. This section changes the law to allow benefit cuts to multi-employer pension plans under other scenarios. Section 102: Allows a multi-employer pension plan to be labeled in "critical status" five years before it's projected to actually meet critical status criteria, if the plan sponsor chooses to label it that way. Department of Labor list of Multi-Employer Plans listed as "critical status" Section 106: After certifying that a plan is in critical status, a "funding improvement plan" must be crafted, and benefits cannot be cut nor new people excluded during this time. Section 121: Allows the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to merge two or more multi-employer pension plans and allows the PBGC to give cash to the plans. Section 122: Multi-employer plans can be broken up if they've cut all the benefits allowed and need to do so to remain solvent. Section 131: Increases the premium rate for multi-employer plans from $12 to $26 in 2015 and then some complicated amount tied to the national average wage index after that. Section 201: Allows benefits to be cut when a plan is in "critical and declining status", which means the plan is in critical status and projected to become insolvent within the next 15 years. For plans with over 10,000 participants, one participant - selected by the plan sponsor - will advocate on behalf of all the retired participants. The following conditions need to be met in order to suspend benefits: The plan needs to certify that it will avoid insolvency. The plan needs to certify that it will become insolvent if it doesn't cut benefits. Limits on benefit suspensions Monthly benefits can't be reduced below 110% of what would be guaranteed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which is approximately $1,180 for participants in multi-employer plans. People over 75 are exempted from the benefit cuts. Disability benefits can't be cut. Eleven different factors will determine how much each participant's benefits would be cut. Benefits will be cut first for employees that worked for companies that withdrew from the plan and failed to pay. Benefits can't be cut until the plan sponsor submits can application to the Secretary of the Treasury and notifies plan participants, employers, and employee organizations. The notice can be in electronic form. Process for cutting benefits: The plan sponsor must submit an application to the Secretary of the Treasury for approval to suspend benefits. Within 30 days of receiving the application, the Secretary of the Treasury will solicit comments from employers, employee organizations, and participants on the website of the Secretary of the Treasury. If the Secretary of the Treasury does not approve or deny the application within 225 days, the application will be deemed approved. Within 30 days of the application's approval, participants and beneficiaries must vote on whether or not to cut benefits. Majority rules. If the participants vote not to cut benefits, the Secretary of Treasury can label the plan a "systemically important plan" and allow benefits to be cut even though the participants voted no. Access to the courts is limited: A court reviewing a lawsuit challenging a benefit cut can only grant a temporary injunction if the plaintiffs will probably win. A participant in a pension plan can not challenge a benefit cut in court. OpenSecrets: Rep. John Kline has taken over $14 million in campaign contributions from all kinds of industries. OpenSecrets: Former Rep. George Miller took over $2.4 million from unions, that we know of. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Blame the Bankers by The Sharp Things (found on Music Alley by mevio) Growing Marijuana Song by Ben Scales Be Heard Have something to say? Leave a message on the Congressional Dish voicemail line and it might be featured on the show! Call (339) 707-0307 Help Congressional Dish Rate Congressional Dish with 5 stars on iTunes and leave a rave review. Download and share the FREE Congressional Dish app for iPhones & iPads and all Android devices. Submit your favorite episodes to Reddit. Musicians: Share your music with Congressional Dish (and the world) - email the mp3 to Jen at Congressioanldish dot com. Share your favorite episodes with other podcasters, share with your Facebook friends, share with your Tweeps, share, share, share! Thank you for supporting Congressional Dish

In this bonus episode, a quick overview of Congressional basics. We also examine the priorities of the 114th Congress by reviewing the bills that were passed during its first week. Please Support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! 114th Rules of the House The 114th Congress passed the new rules, which amended the rules passed by the 113th Congress. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will have to estimate the budgetary effects of major bills on businesses by requiring estimates of "economic output, employment, and capital stock" that would result if the bill became law. Allows the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform to continue the lawsuit against Attorney General Eric Holder and the investigations into the "Fast and Furious""scandal". Continues a lawsuit that aims to stop the Obama Administration from paying for subsidies to health insurance companies to offset the cost of low-income health insurance plans. Prohibits a bill that would shift funds out of the Social Security trust fund. Continues the Benghazi investigation. Bills Passed in the First Week House of Representatives HR 26: Terrorism Risk Insurance Program ReAuthorization Act of 2015 The bill reauthorizes and changes the terms of the program that provides Federal insurance to businesses damaged in a terrorist attack. A rollback of the Dodd Frank financial reform bill was attached. The bill passed both chambers of Congress and is expected to be signed into law by President Obama. HR 22: The Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 The Affordable Care Act requires employees with over 50 workers to provide their workers with health insurance benefits. If this bill becomes laws, workers who are military veterans will not count towards the 50 employee threshold. The bill passed the House unanimously. HR 30: Save American Workers Act of 2015 The Affordable Care Act requires that an employee that works over 30 hours per week is considered full time and, if the employer is required to provide health insurance to full time staff, is eligible for employer-paid health insurance benefits. This bill would change the threshold for health insurance eligibility to 40 hours per week. HR 3: Keystone XL Pipeline Act Allows TransCanada to "construct, connect, operate, and maintain" the Keystone XL pipeline. Only the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals for Washington DC can hear civil cases against the pipeline. The bill passed with the entire Republican Party and 28 Democrats voting Yes. Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Cramer, North Dakota's only Representative. His top contributing industry is Oil & Gas; he's taken over $400,000. Defeated... For Now HR 37: Promoting Job Creation and Reducing Small Business Burdens Act A package of 11 bills from the 113th Congress that would have rolled back Dodd Frank financial reform even further. Was defeated as an uncontroversial suspension bill, which required 2/3 of the House for passage. Expect to see this bill come up for a vote under regular order in the near future. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, who is retiring from Congress at the end of this term. His #1 contributing industry is leadership PACs but his #4 is the finance industry. He's taken almost half a million dollars. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Be Heard Have something to say? Leave a message on the Congressional Dish voicemail line and it might be featured on the show! Call (339) 707-0307 Help Congressional Dish Rate Congressional Dish with 5 stars on iTunes and leave a rave review. Download and share the FREE Congressional Dish app for iPhones & iPads and all Android devices. Submit your favorite episodes to Reddit. Musicians: Share your music with Congressional Dish (and the world) - email the mp3 to Jen at Congressioanldish dot com. Share your favorite episodes with other podcasters, share with your Facebook friends, share with your Tweeps, share, share, share! Thank you for supporting Congressional Dish

In this episode, an interview with Chris Clemmons, a member of the Congressional Dish family who ran for the House of Representatives in Kansas' 2nd district. In this episode, we discuss the experience of running for Federal office, the election results, and begin to brainstorm how to win without corporate cash in 2016. Please Support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Presented in This Episode Chris Clemmons is running for Congress in Kansas' 3rd district in 2016: Campaign website Follow Chris on Twitter Campaign Facebook page Chris ran against and was defeated by Rep. Lynn Jenkins: Lynn Jenkins took over $2.5 million in campaign contributions. Kansas' 2nd district election results. Chris will be running against Rep. Kevin Yoder in 2016. Kevin Yoder proudly inserted the bill written by Citigroup, which allows banks to gamble with our deposits on risk using "swaps", into the 2015 "CRomnibus" budget, which was signed into law. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Have You Had Enough? by rotflmao (found on Music Alley by mevio) Step Up by Dona Oxford (found on Music Alley by mevio) Be Heard Have something to say? Leave a message on the Congressional Dish voicemail line and it might be featured on the show! Call (339) 707-0307 Help Congressional Dish Rate Congressional Dish with 5 stars on iTunes and leave a rave review. Download and share the FREE Congressional Dish app for iPhones & iPads and all Android devices. Submit your favorite episodes to Reddit. Musicians: Share your music with Congressional Dish (and the world) - email the mp3 to Jen at Congressioanldish dot com. Share your favorite episodes with other podcasters, share with your Facebook friends, share with your Tweeps, share, share, share! Thank you for supporting Congressional Dish

In this special episode, Matt Acalin joins Jen to watch the only hearing that will ever take place regarding the 1,603 page "CRomnibus", which funds most of the government for 2015. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! The "CRomnibus" Hearing Text of the "CRomnibus" Information Presented in this Episode Green Party Candidates Arrested, Shackled to Chairs For 8 Hours After Trying to Enter Hofstra Debate, Democracy Now, October 17, 2012. Sporcle: Trivia, Quizzes, and Brain Games Salmon is a color in the Crayola box New IAM Ad Targets Congress' Attack on U.S. Pensions, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, December 9, 2014. Music Presented in This Episode Intro: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Where'd That Money Go? by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

After the election, the House of Representatives passed five bills that would help the fossil fuel industry. Included in this episode are a bill to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, a bill to sell off oil-rich public land to a private corporation, and three bills that make life harder at the EPA. Finally, we end with a sound clip straight out of 1984. Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 CD085: November Bills H.R. 5682: Approves the Keystone XL Pipeline Approves the construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline, specifically approving any route through the State of Nebraska. Forces anyone who want to challenge the Keystone XL pipeline in court to go to Washington D.C. to do it. Written by Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisana, who has taken over $377,000 from the oil and gas industry for the 2014 election alone. In total, he has taken over $646,000 from the oil and gas industry over the course of his career. H.R. 5167: Sell Property in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to a Corporation Forces the sale of 1,518 acres of Federal land in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska to the Olgoonik Corporation. Allows the Olgoonik Corporation to begin construction before the sale is complete. The land sale will be exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Written by Rep. Don Young of Alaska, who has taken over $1.2 million from the Oil and Gas Industry. Related Articles US: Little Big Companies. How did corporations like Halliburton get millions in government contracts designated for small minority businesses? Michael Scherer, Mother Jones, January/February 2005. H.R. 4795: "Promoting New Manufacturing Act" The EPA would have to issue implementation regulations at the same time they publish or revise air quality rules. Written by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana's 1st district. H.R. 4012: "Secret Science Reform Act" The EPA must publish all their scientific and technical information online before they can propose, distribute, or finalize assessments or regulations. Written by Rep. David Schweikert of Arizona's 6th district. H.R. 1422: EPA Science Advisory Board Reform Act Changes the make-up of the Scientific Advisory Board to allow some people with conflicts of interest to serve. Makes all information used by the board available to the public. The EPA and the board will have to respond in writing to all public comments. The board will be discouraged from making policy recommendations. Written by Rep. Chris Stewart of Utah's 2nd district, who has taken over $111,000 in the last four years from Oil & Gas - his top contributing industry. Clips November 17, 2014 Rules Committee Hearing Rep. Susan Bonamici of Oregon: HR 1422 would add an extra comment period during which the government would have to give commenters written responses. Rep. Susan Bonamici of Oregon: HR 1422 would loosen rules on recusing oneself when there are financial conflicts of interest. Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts: I thought we'd be debating war in Iraq during the lame duck session. Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas and Rep. Chris Steward of Utah: Rep. Pete Sessions wears a fighter jet lapel pin because it fits one of his favorite sayings: "Peace through Superior Fire Power" Additional Information Loretta Lynch's Wall Street friends: What you should know about AG nominee's finance past by David Dayen. Salon. November 2014. Music in this Episode Intro: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Oil by Spicehouse (found on Music Alley by mevio) Who Would Jesus Bomb? by Nashville Session Players (found on Music Alley by mevio) Exit: I Sure Hope Not by Sam Levin

In this episode, the Republicans won control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. A press conference by soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gives us an idea of what they intend to do with their new power. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Presented in this Episode Video: Mitch McConnell's press conference on November 5, 2014, the day after the midterm election. Article: United States Election Project estimate of voter turnout in the 2014 midterm election. Article: Jim Crow Returns: Millions of Minority Voters Threatened by Electoral Purge, Al Jazeera, October 2014. Article: Where Are the Millennials? Midterm Voters Skew Old, NBC News, November 2014. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="520"] 88% of young people didn't vote in 2014.[/caption] Information Presented in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

This episode is the summary of everything that happened in the House of Representatives during the 113th Congress. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Presented in This Episode The One Bill by Which All Representatives Should be Judged Find out how your Representative voted on H.R. 992, the "bill written by CitiGroup that would allow banks to use our deposits to gamble with the same financial scam products that crashed the economy in 2008 and would give these banks - foreign and domestic - taxpayer funded bailouts when it inevitably blows up in their faces again." Travel Expenses [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="998"] An example of how much money the Representatives in the House have spent on travel, possibly because they were allowed to use our money on private jets.[/caption] The Fiscal Cliff Law Article: Senate report: Apple claims subsidiaries to avoid paying billions in taxes each year, InfoWorld, May 2013. Ebola FactSheet: Malaria kills about 500,000 Africans per year. Article: New discoveries raise West Africa oil hopes, Reuters, February 2012. Report: The West African Oil & Gas Market 2013-2023, MarketWatch, September 2013. Article: U.S. Ebola fighters head to Africa, but will the military and civilian effort be enough?, Washington Post, October 2014. Ebola FearMongering from Russell Howard's Good News Article: Millions of Doses of Ebola Vaccine to Be Ready by End of 2015, Scientific American, October 2014. Article: Ebola outbreak: Johnson & Johnson get OK to fast-track vaccine trials, CBC News, September 2014. Op-Ed: Ebola and the most important agency America has never heard of by Rep. Mike Rogers, The Hill, October 2014. Ukraine Article: Ukraine Crisis Death Toll Nears 4K: United Nations, International Business Times, October 2014. Syria Article: The death toll in U.S. airstrikes in Syria, broken down, The Washington Post, October 2014. We Always Give Them Their Jobs Back Article: Voters Throw Bums In While Holding Congress in Disdain, Bloomberg, December 2012.

In this episode, we discuss the bills that passed in August and September, the last bills to pass before the election. Included are bills that give money to Israel, screw over immigrant kids, audit the Fed, poison the environment, create huge corporate tax cuts, and more. Also, the story of CryptoWall, the computer virus holding our memories hostage. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.J. Res 76: A bill that gives $225 million to Israel's Iron Dome Iron Dome By Israel Defense Forces and Nehemiya Gershoni Gave $225 million to Israel for their Iron Dome missile defense system. Article: Gaza Crisis: Toll of Operations in Gaza, BBC World, September 2014. Article: Raytheon a key in Israeli defense plan, Boston Globe, July 2014. Written by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen of New Jersey's 11th district. It passed the House of Representatives with by a vote of 248-176. All Republicans voted yes. There was no recorded vote in the Senate. H.R. 5272: Ship Off Children of Immigrants Act of 2014 Prevents leniency as ordered in a 2012 Department of Homeland Security directive that discourages deportation proceedings for illegal immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as young children. Prevents all undocumented people from working in the United States. Written by Rep. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee's 7th district. Passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 216-192. Every Representative from the following states voted yes: Alaska Arkansas Idaho Kansas Montana Nebraska North Dakota Oklahoma South Dakota West Virginia Wyoming H.R. 5078: Waters of the United States Regulatory Overreach Protection Act of 2014 Prevents implementation and enforcement of a proposed EPA rule that would clearly protect seasonal and rain-dependent streams and wetlands near streams and prevents any rule like it in the future. Written by Rep. Steve Southerland of Florida's 2nd district. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 262-152. H.R. 3522 A bill that allows health insurance companies to provide less coverage. Allows health insurance companies to continue to offer health plans to employer that don't comply with the minimum standards set by the Affordable Care Act until 2019. Written by Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana's 6th district The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 247-167. All Republicans voted yes. H.R. 24 Federal Reserve Transparency Act of 2013 Requires an audit of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Federal Reserve and the Federal Reserve banks within a year of this bill becoming law. Eliminates a list of things in the Federal Reserve that are not allowed to be audited, including: Transactions for or with foreign central banks, foreign governments, or international financing organizations. Debates and decisions on monetary policy The amount of money in member banks Written by Rep. Paul Broun of Georgia's 10th district. The bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 333-92. H.R. 5462 A bill that increases air travel fees Increases the TSA fee from a maximum $5 each way to $5.60 each way or $11.20 roundtrip. Written by Rep. Richard Hudson of North Carolina's 8th district. Passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 423-0. H.R. 4 Jobs for America Act This bill is a package of bills that have already passed the House of Representatives in the 113th Congress. The entire bill will not be counted in the PAYGO budget. Ways and Means Includes the Save American Workers Act, which requires an employee to work 40 hours per week, instead of 30 hours per week, in order to be considered "full-time" and get employer-provided health insurance. CBO said this bill would increase the deficit by $45.7 billion over the next ten years. This bill was discussed in CD075: The April Bills. Includes the American Reseach and Competitiveness Act of 2014, which expands and permanently extends the tax credits businesses receive for research and development expenses. The CBO said this bill alone would increase the deficit by $156 billion over the next ten years. This bill was discussed in CD077: The May Bills. Includes the America's Small Business Tax Relief Act, which expands and makes permanent an expiring corporate tax cut. CBO said this bill would increase the deficit by $73 billion over the next ten years. This bill was discussed in CD078: The June Bills. Includes the S Corporation Permanent Tax Relief Act, which reduces the number of years that some corporate income is taxable. CBO said this bill would increase the deficit by $1.5 billion over the next ten years. This bill was discussed in CD078: The June Bills. Includes the corporate tax cuts for upgrading the inside of retail stores which CBO said would increase the deficit by $287 billion dollars over the next ten years. This bill was discussed in CD081: The July Bills. Repeals the medical device excise tax, which is a 2.3% tax on corporations who sell expensive medical equipment. Repealing the medical device tax was discussed in episode CD046: Shutdown Assured. Financial Services Includes the Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act, which exempts private equity fund advisers from registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This bill was discussed in episode CD058: Space Travel, TSA, Wall Street, & Patents. Includes the Small Business Mergers, Acquisitions, Sales, and Brokerage Simplification Act, which exempts mergers and acquisition brokers from registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This bill was discussed in episode CD064: Chemicals Shall Spill. Oversight Includes Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act which forces the government to let private companies write the rules that will govern them and says political factors must be considered. Includes the All Economic Regulations are Transparent Act, which makes it slower and harder for the government to enact any regulations. This bill was discussed in episode CD072: The February Bills. Judiciary Includes the Regulations From the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act (RIENS Act), which shuts down all regulations (except those enacted by the Federal Reserve) by requiring Congressional approval for all major rules that cost over $100 million or affect the finances of businesses; rules that don't pass in under 70 days are automatically killed. This bill was discussed in episode CD038: Wasting July. Includes the Permanent Internet Tax Freedom Act, which prohibits State and local taxes on Internet access. Natural Resources Includes the Restoring Healthy Forests for Healthy Communities Act, which forces the government to cut down trees and lets the Secretary of Agriculture waive the Endangered Species Act. Packaged by Rep. Dave Camp of Michigan's 4th district Passed the House of Representatives on September 15, 2014 by a vote of 253-163. H.R. 2 American Energy Solutions for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act Includes the Northern Route Approval Act, which grants or eliminates all the permits needed to build the KeystoneXL pipeline. This bill was discussed in CD029: The Keystone XL Pipeline. Includes the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, which rushes permits for natural gas pipelines and automatically approves applications that take too long. This bill was discussed in CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels. Includes the North American Energy Infrastructure Act, which eliminates the permit needed to modify existing oil and gas pipelines. This bill was discussed in CD079: The June Bills. Includes the Energy Consumers Relief Act of 2014, which prohibits the EPA from enacting expensive rules. This bill was discussed in CD038: Wasting July. Includes the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, which shuts down EPA regulations of emissions from fossil fuel powered utilities. This bill was discussed in CD074: The March Bills. Includes the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, which speeds up the permitting for natural gas export facilities. This bill was discussed in CD079: The June Bills. Includes the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act, which forces the government to lease at least 50% of the area in the ocean with oil to the oil companies, automatically approves drilling permits that take too long, charges citizens a $5,000 protect fee to fight drilling in court, and abolishes the Minerals Management Service - which no longer exists. This bill was discussed in CD079: The June Bills. Includes the Bureau of Reclamation Conduit Hydropower Development Equity and Jobs Act, which exempts hydropower projects from environmental reviews. This bill was discussed in CD022: Crippling the Regulators. Includes the Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act, which prohibits the Federal government from regulating fracking. This bill was discussed in CD055: Three Bills for Fossil Fuels. Includes Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America, which brings back a Bush Administration rule - which was recently thrown out by the courts for failing to comply with the Endangered Species Act - which would allow waste from mountaintop removal for coal mining to be dumped into rivers and streams. This bill was discussed in CD074: The March Bills. Includes the Responsibly And Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2014 (RAPID Act), which lets companies conduct their own environmental reviews, automatically approves permits that aren't finished on time, and prohibits judicial review of Federal permits. This bill was discussed in CD074: The March Bills. This bill was packaged by Rep. Lee Terry of Nebraska's 2nd district. The bill passed on September 18 by a vote of 226-191. CryptoWall Article: CryptoWall: What is it and how to protect your systems, TechRepublic, October 2014. Music Presented in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito, I Want Rosa to Stay by Alun Parry, Summer's Over by Jonathon Coulton, Step Up by Dona Oxford

In this episode, we look at the bills that passed the House of Representatives in July but haven't yet become law. Topics include tax cuts, student loans, education, Hezbollah, and pesticides in our water. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 4718 Permanent Bonus Depreciation Tax Cut Brings back a tax cut that expired on December 31, 2013 and makes it permanent. The cut they want to make permanent is for upgrading the inside of retail stores. Expands the tax cuts to include deductions for "trees and vines bearing fruits and nuts". Gives corporations more choices about how they'd like to get taxed. The effects of this bill won't be counted in the PAYGO budget. CBO Score: "Enacting H.R. 4718 would reduce revenues, thus increasing federal budget deficits, by about $287 billion over the 2014-2024 period." Article: New Estimate Puts Rising Big Dig Costs at $24.3 billion. July 2012. The bills passed the House of Representatives on July 11 by a vote of 258-160. Only two Republicans voted against it: Retiring Rep. John Campbell of Orange County, CA Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina The bill was written by Rep. Patrick Tiberi of Ohio's 12th district. H.R. 4195 Federal Register Modernization Act Says that copies of the Federal Registrar don't need to be printed on paper. CBO Score: It would have no effect on the Federal budget. Passed the House of Representatives on July 14 by a vote of 386-0. Written by Rep. Darrell Issa of southern California's 49th district H.R. 4719 America Gives More Act of 2014 Eliminates the tax deduction for donating stuffed actual animals to charity. Increases the charitable deduction limit for food donations from 10% of a person's net income to 15%. Charitable donations that exceed the cap can be carried over for five years. This would be effective for 2014 taxes. Makes permanent a tax cut that expired in 2013 for charitable contributions direct from retirement funds. Makes permanent tax credits for charitable donations towards conservation and tax credits for corporate farmers and ranchers. Allows people to claim charity deductions for a year that is over if the donation happens before tax day. Cuts the excise tax rate for private foundations investment income in half. The effects of this bill the budget will not be counted in the PAYGO budget. CBO Score: "enacting H.R. 4719 would reduce revenues, thus increasing federal budget deficits, by about $1.9 billion over the 2014-2024 period" The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 17 by a vote of 277-130. The bill was written by Rep. Tom Reed of New York's 23rd district H.R. 4450 Travel Promotion, Enhancement, and Modernization Act of 2014 Changes the board of directors of Brand USA - a non-profit organization that advertises U.S. tourism - from being made up of travel industry specialists to one made up of entirely of executives, with five seats reserved for people with ties to multinational corporations. It eliminates the seat for the specialist in intercity passenger rail. Extends the authorization for the government to spend $100 million per year on Brand USA through 2020. Extends the Travel Promotion Fee - a $10 fee charged to people who get a visa to travel into the United States - until 2020. CBO Score: The bill would decrease the deficit by $231 million over the next ten years. Passed the House of Representatives on July 22 by a vote of 347-57 Written by Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida's 12th district H.R. 4411 Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2014 Prohibits United States banks from completing large financial transactions for Hezbollah. The worst penalty for completing a Hezbollah transaction can be for twice the amount of the transaction. This won't apply to "authorized intelligence activities of the United States" The bill is paid for by reducing our yearly financial gift to Pakistan by $3 million. The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 22 by a vote of 404-0. Written by Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina's 11th district H.R. 3136 Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014 Authorizes a maximum of 30 "entities" to launch demonstration projects of "competency-based" education programs, which would replace credit hours as the system of measurement to get a degree. Schools that participate would be exempted all kinds of existing educational regulations. Projects that reduce the amount of time and/or money required to get a degree would be prioritized. The only restriction to make a school eligible is that it has to be in the United States. Each demonstration project would have between 50 and 3,000 students. After the program has been around awhile, that number can be increased to 5,000. The bill passed the House of Representatives on July 23 by a vote of 414-0. Written by Rep. Matt Salmon of Arizona's 5th district Representatives Quoted in This Segment Rep. John Kline of MN Rep. Matt Salmon of AZ Video Shared in This Segment H.R. 4984 Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act Mandates that schools make sure that students know and understand the terms and conditions of their Federal student loans every year by using either in-person counseling sessions or online. Students must be told that Federal loans usually have better terms and conditions than private loans. Students will get another counseling session to explain their loan status and the consequences of failing to re-pay it as they leave college. The bill passed on July 24 by a vote of 405-11. All Democrats voted yes. Written by Rep. Brett Guthrie of Kentucky's 2nd district H.R. 3393 Student and Family Tax Simplification Act Permanently extends a tax credit for college expenses that is scheduled to expire in 2017. The tax credit and eligibility numbers would increase with inflation starting in 2018. Includes the text of H.R. 4935: The Child Tax Credit Improvement Act and prohibits the effects of that bill on the budget from being counted. The effects this would have on the budget would not be counted. CBO Score: The bill would increase the deficit by $96.5 billion over the next ten years. Passed the House of Representatives on July 24 by a vote of 227-187 Written by Rep. Diane Black of Tennessee's 6th district H.R. 4935 Child Tax Credit Improvement Act of 2014 Increases the amount of money a family is allowed to make and still claim the child tax credit. Currently, married people can make $110,000; this bill would increase that to $150,000. Single people can make $55,000, which would increase to $75,000. Increases the tax credit with inflation starting in 2015. CBO Score: The bill would increase the deficit by about $115 billion over the next 10 years. The bill passed on July 25 by a vote of 237-173 Written by Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas' 2nd district H.R. 935 Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act of 2014 Prohibits States from requiring permits to dump pesticides into oceans and rivers as long as the pesticide is legal to sell. The bill passed on July 31 by a vote of 267-161. The bill failed to pass three days prior as an uncontroversial "suspension" bill. All Republicans voted yes. Written by Rep. Bob Gibbs of Ohio's 7th district.