June 6, 2016

June 7, 2016

The House unanimously passed H Con Res 129 - Expressing support for the goal of ensuring that all Holocaust victims live with dignity, comfort, and security in their remaining years, and urging the Federal Republic of Germany to continue to reaffirm its commitment to this goal through a financial commitment to comprehensively address the unique health and welfare needs of vulnerable Holocaust victims, including home care and other medically prescribed needs.

The House unanimously passed HR 4906 - To amend title 5, United States Code, to clarify the eligibility of employees of a land management agency in a time-limited appointment to compete for a permanent appointment at any Federal agency, and for other purposes.

Key vote: The Senate passed HR 2576 - the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act by voice vote. The bill is also known as the TSCA Modernization Act of 2015, which updated the 1976 Toxic Substance Control Act. [1] The bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to use a new, risk-based standard to analyze thousands of new and existing chemicals to determine if those chemicals should be regulated. These chemicals are present in tens of thousands of items, including clothing, furniture, and cleaning products. Other provisions in the bill require special considerations for how chemicals could harm children and pregnant women and make it more difficult for industries to claim that their chemical information should be kept secret for proprietary reasons. This bill, which has been debated on and off for three years, is the first update to the original 1976 act.

The House passed HR 4775 - the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2016 by a vote of 234-177. The bill proposes amending the Clean Air Act by revising the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) program. The legislation would delay for at least eight years the implementation of more restrictive federal ozone standards, which were published by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2015. The legislation would also change the EPA’s process for reviewing federal standards for a variety of air pollutants. President Barack Obama threatened to veto the bill.

Key vote: The House passed HR 5278 - the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act or PROMESA by a vote of 297-127. The legislation proposes a plan to help Puerto Rico address its debt crisis “by establishing an oversight board, a process for restructuring debt, and expedited procedures for approving critical infrastructure projects.” White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest asked the Senate to act quickly on the bill, saying, “We urge leaders in both parties to build on today's bipartisan momentum and help Puerto Rico move toward lasting economic prosperity.”

Key vote: The House passed HR 5325 - the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2017 by a vote of 233-175. The "bill provides FY2017 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives and Joint Items such as: the Joint Economic Committee, the Joint Committee on Taxation, and the Office of the Attending Physician."