STOISITS DC UPDATE: June 24, 2012

June 24, 2012

Summary of how Cornyn, and Hutchison voted last week:

Senate

Clean-Air Regulations: Defeated, 46-53, a Republican measure (Senate Joint Resolution 37) to nullify the Environmental Protection Agency’s first national regulations for curbing air pollution from coal- and oil-fired power plants. Twenty years in the making, the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are set to take effect this year, with plants allowed at least three years to comply with them. More than half of U.S. power plants already have installed the scrubbers or other cleansing technology needed for compliance. The rules will limit discharges of particulate matter, gases such as hydrogen chloride and cyanide and metals such as mercury and arsenic. Critics argue the rules will cost tens or hundreds of thousands of jobs and drive up the cost of electricity. The EPA says they will greatly reduce the incidence of asthma attacks, mercury poisoning, heart disease, cancer and other ailments while generating tens of thousands of short-term construction jobs. A yes vote was to nullify the air-pollution rule. Cornyn Yes, Hutchison Yes

 

Five-Year Farm Bill: Passed, 54-35, a bill (S 3240) to renew federal agriculture and nutrition programs for five years at a projected cost of nearly $1 trillion over 10 years, down $23 billion from current spending levels. About $800 billion of the outlay is for food stamps and other food and nutrition programs, with the remainder allocated to programs to protect farm incomes, boost exports, expand domestic markets, promote land conservation and fund rural development. The bill ends the decades-old system of direct payments that has been sending $5 billion annually to farmers regardless of whether they grow crops, relying instead on taxpayer-subsidized crop insurance to help growers and farm investors turn a profit in the face of weather risks and price drops beyond their control. A yes vote was to pass the bill. Cornyn No, Hutchison Yes

 

Crop-Insurance Subsidies: Voted, 66-33, to reduce taxpayer subsidies of crop insurance for farmers earning over $750,000 annually. The amendment to S 3240 (above) would trim premium subsidies by 15 percent for these individuals, who comprise about 1 percent of the 1.5 million farmers expected to purchase crop insurance over the next five years to protect their incomes. The bill anticipates taxpayers covering about 60 percent of the cost of crop insurance. A yes vote backed the amendment. Cornyn No, Hutchison No

 

Food Stamps Eligibility: Refused, 43-56, to require states to apply stricter asset tests for determining food-stamp eligibility. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program (SNAP), or food stamps, is federally funded but state-run. This amendment to S 3240 (above) sought to end a policy known as “broad-based categorical eligibility” used by 40 states to automatically qualify low-income households for food stamps. The policy allows households to possess a certain value of assets and still receive food stamps if they are poor enough to receive some other federal poverty benefit. More than 46 million persons in over 22 million households now receive food stamps. A yes vote was to tighten food-stamp eligibility standards. Cornyn Yes, Hutchison Yes

 

 

House

 

Energy v. Environment: Passed, 248-163, a bill (HR 4480) to expand oil and gas drilling offshore and on federally owned land in the West, block new environmental regulation of oil refineries, give energy production priority over other uses of public lands and require drawdowns from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to be accompanied by increased oil production. The bill also would change the legal rationale of the Clean Air Act by requiring air-pollution rules to be justified mainly by their economic impact rather than by their benefits for public health, which has been the standard since 1970. The bill awaits Senate action. A yes vote was to pass the bill. Poe Yes

 

Oil-Industry Tax Breaks: Rejected, 166-243, a Democratic motion to bar the five largest oil companies from receiving new drilling leases under HR 4480 (above) unless they first relinquish their federal tax breaks. Those taxpayer subsidies exceed $2 billion annually for BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil and Shell. A yes vote backed the Democratic motion. Poe No

 

                                                            Active Legislation

112th Congress (2011-2012)
Updated June 22^th, 2012

Reference: The Library of Congress Thomas

Details of bills can be found at:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/b_three_sections_with_teasers/active_leg_page.htm

Categories
Appropriations	Agency Authorizations	Public Laws, 112th Congress   (selected)
Popular Documents	Program Authorizations

 

Currently Active Bills   that may receive floor action this week.
Senate chamber
Farm bill	S.3240
National Flood Insurance   program, through FY 2016	S.1940	H.R.1309
House chamber
FDA user fee program, through   FY2017	S.2516, S.3187	H.R.5651
Surface transportation programs,   through September 30, 2012		H.R.4348

 

Popular   Titles and Subjects
# —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
3%   withholding rule, repeal	H.R.674	P.L.112-56
1099,   repeal expansion of reporting requirements	H.R.4	P.L.112-9
A —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Abortion, prohibit taxpayer funding of	S.877, S.906, S.1484, S.1488	H.R.3, H.R.217, H.R.358
B —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Balanced budget amendment	S.J.Res.3, S.J.Res.5, S.J.Res.10, S.J.Res.23, S.J.Res.24	H.J.Res.1, H.J.Res.2, H.J.Res.4, H.J.Res.10, H.J.Res.11, H.J.Res.14, H.J.Res.18, H.J.Res.23, H.J.Res.41, H.J.Res.52, H.J.Res.54, H.J.Res.56, H.J.Res.81, H.J.Res.87, H.J.Res.89, H.J.Res.102
Buffett Rule	S.2230
Burma   sanctions resolution	H.R.2017	Sec. 140, P.L.112-33
C —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
China currency manipulation	S.1619
Congressional pay raise, eliminate automatic adjustment	S.133, S.148	H.R.246, H.R.343, H.R.431
Contraception, revise coverage   requirements in order to protect “rights of conscience”	S.1467, S.2043, S.Amdt.1520 to S.1813	H.R.1179, H.R.3897
Credit unions, raise small business lending caps	S.2231	H.R.1418
Cut, Cap, and Balance	S.1340	H.R.2560
Cybersecurity	S.2105, S.2151	H.R.2096, H.R.3523, H.R.3674, H.R.3834, H.R.4257, H.R.4263
D —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Debit card fees	S.575, S.Amdt.392 to S.782	H.R.1081
Debt   limit	S.365	P.L.112-25
Debt limit, disapproval of increase of 500 billion dollars   submitted on August 2, 2011	S.J.Res.25	H.J.Res.77
Debt limit, disapproval of increase of 1.2 trillion dollars   submitted on January 12, 2012	S.J.Res.34	H.J.Res.98
Debt limit, prioritize all obligations if reached	S.1420	H.R.2651
Defense of Marriage Act, repeal	S.598	H.R.1116
Defense sequestration,   prevent by reducing number of Federal employees (SEE ALSO: Sequestration)	S.2065	H.R.3662
DREAM Act	S.952	H.R.1842
Drug shortages	S.296	H.R.2245
Dual eligibles, require drug manufacturers to provide drug   rebates	S.1206	H.R.2190
E —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
EPA, restrict or delay Federal regulation of greenhouse gases   and air pollution	S.J.Res.27, S.482, S.Amdt.183 to S.493 S.Amdt.215 to S.493	Sec. 4015, H.R.1, H.R.153, H.R.910, H.R.2250, H.R.2401, H.R.2584
Equal pay	S.3220	H.R.1519
F —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Farm bill	S.3240
Federal workforce, reduce number of Federal employees (SEE ALSO: Defense sequestration)	S.1476, S.1611, S.1936	H.R.2114, H.R.3029, H.R.3487, H.R.3494
H —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Health care overhaul, prohibit use of Federal funds to implement   provisions		H.R.1, H.R.1217, H.R.1213, H.R.1214, H.R.2434, H.Con.Res.35
Health care overhaul, repeal and replace	S.192, S.Amdt.13 to S.223	H.R.2, H.Res.9, H.R.105, H.R.299, H.R.397, H.R.3000, H.R.3682
House spending, reduce authorization amounts for 2011-12		H.Res.22
I —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Insider trading, restrictions on nonpublic   information provided to Congressional and Federal employees	S.2038	P.L.112-105
IPO bill	SEE: Small business jobs
Iran sanctions	S.1048, S.2101	H.R.1905*, H.R.2105
J —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Jobs bill	S.1549, S.1660, S.1720
Jobs bill, infrastructure spending	S.1769, S.1786
Jobs bill, teachers and first responders	S.1723
Jobs   bill, veterans	H.R.674	P.L.112-56
K —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Keystone XL Pipeline, require permit issuance		Title II, H.R.4348
Keystone   XL Pipeline, require Presidential action	H.R.3765	Title V, P.L.112-78
L —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Libyan conflict, involvement of U.S. Armed Forces	S.Res.194, S.J.Res.18, S.J.Res.20	H.Res.292, H.J.Res.68, H.R.2278
Line-item veto and rescission authority	S.102	H.R.1043, H.R.3521
M —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Medicare “doc fix”, eliminate and develop new system		H.R.5707
Medicare   “doc fix”, extend through December 31, 2012	H.R.3630	Title III, P.L.112-96
Medicare   “doc fix”, extend through February 29, 2012	H.R.3765	Title III, P.L.112-78
Military pay, continue to receive during funding gaps	S.724*, S.774, S.855, S.1365	H.R.1297*, H.R.1362, H.R.1442, H.R.1508, H.R.2886
N —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Net neutrality rule, resolution of disapproval	S.J.Res.6	H.J.Res.37
No Child Left Behind, revise   and reauthorize	DRAFT	H.R.1891, H.R.2218, H.R.2445, H.R.3989, H.R.3990
NLRB election rule, resolution of disapproval	S.J.Res.36	H.J.Res.103
Nominations, reduce number of executive branch positions subject   to Senate confirmation	S.679
NPR, prohibit Federal funding of		H.R.1076
O —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Offshore drilling	S.516, S.843, S.861, S.916, S.917, S.953, S.1400	H.R.1229, H.R.1230, H.R.1231
Oil and gas companies, tax code changes	S.258, S.940*	H.R.601, H.R.1813, H.R.1959
Online piracy	S.968, S.2029	H.R.3261, H.R.3782
P —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Patent   law	H.R.1249	P.L.112-29
PATRIOT   Act, 90-day extension of certain provisions	H.R.514	P.L.112-3
PATRIOT   Act, extend certain provisions	S.990	P.L.112-14
Pay freeze for Federal and Congressional employees, extend   through December 31, 2013	S.2079	H.R.3835
Payroll   tax cut, extend through December 31, 2012	H.R.3630	Title I, P.L.112-96
Payroll   tax cut, extend through February 29, 2012	H.R.3765	Title I, P.L.112-78
PIPA	SEE: Online piracy
Planned Parenthood funding		Section 4013, H.R.1, H.Con.Res.36
Postal Service, overhaul USPS	S.353, S.1010, S.1625, S.1789	H.R.2309
R —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Reconciliation bill, FY2013 (SEE ALSO: Sequestration)		H.R.5652
Rescission requests, establish an expedited procedure for the   President	SEE: Line-item veto
Regulations, postpone implementation of certain Federal rules		H.R.2587, H.R.2250, H.R.2681, H.R.2273, H.R.1633
Regulations, require Congressional approval of major Federal   rules	S.299	H.R.10
Regulations, revise requirements for federal agency rulemaking	S.1606	H.R.3010
Rights of conscience	SEE: Contraception
S —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Senate rules, amend rules related to cloture and floor debate	S.Res.8, S.Res.10, S.Res.21
Senate rules, amend rule related to notices of intent to object	S.Res.28
Senate rules, amend rule related to reading of amendments	S.Res.29
Sequestration, repeal most   mandatory spending cuts (SEE ALSO: FY2013 Budget Reconciliation   bill)		Title VII, H.R.5652
Small business jobs bill, ease security regulations   for startups	H.R.3606	P.L.112-106
Small business tax cuts		H.R.9
SOPA	SEE: Online piracy
Spending caps (Also included in some of the Balanced Budget resolutions and the Cut, Cap,   and Balance bills. SEE: Balanced budget amendment,   Cut, Cap, and Balance.)	S.245, S.J.Res.4	H.R.1605, H.R.1848, H.R.2041, H.J.Res.51
STOCK Act	SEE: Insider trading
Student loans, extend current 3.4 percent interest rate	S.2366, S.Amdt.2153 to S.2343	H.R.4628, H.R.4816
Syria, impose sanctions with respect to human rights	S.2034, S.2101	H.R.2106
T —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
TANF,   extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program through February   29, 2012	H.R.3765	Sec. 312, P.L.112-78
TANF,   extend the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program through FY 2012	H.R.3630	Title IV, P.L.112-96
U —     Active Legislation Key Return to top of page
Unemployment   compensation, extend through February 29, 2012	H.R.3765	Title II, P.L.112-78
Unemployment   compensation, extend through December 31, 2012	H.R.3630	Title II, P.L.112-96
Unemployment compensation, funding and eligibility requirements	S.904	H.R.1745

Sources: Library of Congress, Houston Chronicle