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Congressional legislation, September 5, 2016 – September 9, 2016
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Lawmakers returned to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, after a long recess. The Senate failed to move forward with bills to fight the Zika virus and fund the Department of Defense. The House passed S 2040—the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act—setting up a fight with the White House. The legislation proposed allowing the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for sponsoring terrorism. President Barack Obama threatened to veto the legislation.
Monday, September 5
- The Senate and House were not in session due to the observance of Labor Day.
Tuesday, September 6
Senate
- Key vote: For the third time, the Senate rejected legislation that proposed providing $1.1 billion to fight Zika, a mosquito-borne virus that can cause paralysis and severe birth defects, by a vote of 52-48. Sixty votes were needed to move forward with the legislation. Democrats opposed the legislation because it would have denied new funding to Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico for birth control, and it would have eased the requirements on spraying pesticides to kill mosquitoes. The House passed the legislation on June 23, 2016.
- Key vote: The Senate rejected HR 5293—the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017—for a third time by a vote of 55-43; sixty votes were needed to move forward. The $576 billion defense spending bill “[p]rovides FY2017 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities.”
House
- The House unanimously passed HR 5578—the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016. According to a press release from Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Calif.), the sponsor of the bill, “This bipartisan legislation will ensure that sexual assault survivors in federal criminal cases have a right to: a sexual assault evidence collection kit; be notified in writing before the kit is destroyed; request preservation of the kit; and be informed of important results from a forensic examination. The Survivors’ Bill of Rights Act will also require the Attorney General and the United States Department of Health and Human Services to convene a joint working group on best practices regarding the care and treatment of sexual assault survivors and the preservation of forensic evidence.”
- The House passed HR 5577—the Innovation in Offshore Leasing Act—by voice vote. The legislation proposed authorizing the Secretary of the Interior to conduct internet-based oil and natural gas lease sales for the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. Specifically, the legislation proposed replacing the paper-based, in-person auctions process with an internet-based process.
- The House passed HR 3881—Cooperative Management of Mineral Rights Act of 2016—by a vote of 395-3. According to a press release from Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-Pa.), the sponsor of the bill, “H.R. 3881, will codify federal court rulings related to the regulation of privately held mineral rights in the ANF. Since 2009, federal courts have determined that the U.S. Forest Service lacks legal authority to restrict access to private mineral rights in the ANF and therefore is prohibited from creating new rules.”
Wednesday, September 7
House
- The House passed HR 5063—the Stop Settlement Slush Funds Act of 2016—by a vote of 241-174. According to a press release from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), the sponsor of the bill, “This bill bars the Department of Justice (DOJ), and all other government agencies, from requiring defendants to donate money to outside groups as part of their settlement agreements with the federal government. Need for this legislation became apparent after a 20-month House Judiciary Committee investigation found that DOJ had engaged in a ‘pattern or practice’ of systematically subverting Congress’s spending power by using settlements from financial institutions to funnel money to left-wing activist groups. This bill would end this practice and restore accountability to the appropriations process.”
Thursday, September 8
House
- The House passed HR 2357—the Accelerating Access to Capital Act of 2015—by a vote of 236-178. According to a press release from Rep. Ann Wagner (R-Mo.), the sponsor of the bill, "The Accelerating Access to Capital Act amends the Securities Exchange Commission’s registration process for additional capital, reducing this regulatory burden on small companies and allowing them to allocate more resources toward growth and job creation."
Friday, September 9
House
- Key vote: The House passed S 2040—the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act—by voice vote. The legislation proposed allowing victims of terror attacks that occur in the United States to sue countries that support terrorism. Family members would also be allowed to bring lawsuits against state sponsors of terror. The legislation would specifically allow the victims of the 9/11 terror attacks to sue Saudi Arabia for sponsoring terrorism. President Barack Obama threatened to veto the legislation. The Senate passed the legislation by voice vote on May 17, 2016.
- The House passed HR 5424—the Investment Advisers Modernization Act of 2016—by a vote of 2016 261-145. According to a press release from Rep. Robert Hurt (R-Va.), the sponsor of the bill, "[T]his bill would update outdated portions of the Investment Advisers Act (IAA), a 76 year-old law, by removing duplicative and burdensome regulations that impose an unnecessary burden on small business’ access to capital."
