114th Congress: Major Wins For The American People
SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): ‘I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for our country’ “This Congress, the Senate has passed nearly 300 bills and nearly 200 of those are now law. But what really matters isn’t the number of bills passed, it’s what we can achieve on behalf of the American people. And by that standard, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish for our country.” "(Sen McConnell, Congressional Record, S.6992, 12/9/16)
- McCONNELL: “Let me just say in wrapping up the Congress... I think by any objective standard, the 114th Congress looks pretty good compared to the previous one. Everything from the Cures bill, two NDAA bills, the first long-term highway bill in 20 years, FAA, WRDA, the water resources bill, permanent tax relief. We addressed the opioid and prescription drug epidemic in a major way; a complete rewrite of No Child Left Behind, the K through 12 education issue; V.A. accountability; a permanent doc fix; human trafficking; trade promotion authority, and many others.” "(Sen McConnell, Congressional Record, S.6992, 12/9/16)
- See Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) praise the ‘important’ work accomplished this Congress here, here, here, here, here, and here.
FUNDING CRITICAL PRIORITIES: ‘Provides Our Armed Forces With Additional Funding… And Commits New Funding To Help States Recover From Disasters’
SEN. THAD COCHRAN (R-MS): “I am pleased the Senate is sending the President a continuing resolution that provides our Armed Forces with additional funding to continue counterterrorism operations and commits new funding to help states recover from disasters.” (Sen. Cochran, Press Release, 12/09/2016)
“[The continuing resolution] includes a $8 billion boost for the Pentagon’s overseas contingency fund that is used to finance the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).” (“The Interesting Things In Short-Term Government Spending Bill,” CBS News, 12/07/2016)
- “The bill provides $170 million to help clean up Flint's lead-contaminated drinking water system and provide health care programs, including preventive care for mothers and children.” (“Congress Poised To Pass Bill To Fund Government, Boost Defense Spending,” USA Today, 12/07/2016)
- “In response to flooding in places like Louisiana, the legislation also contains $4.1 billion in disaster relief funding to address damage caused by Hurricane Matthew as well as recent floods, droughts and other severe weather events.” (“The Interesting Things In Short-Term Government Spending Bill,” CBS News, 12/07/2016)
- “The legislation also includes the first installment of funding for the newly passed 21st Century Cures Act, which funds medical research, speeds government approval of potentially life-saving drugs and medical devices, and helps states fight opioid abuse. The spending bill provides $500 million for states to combat opioid addiction and $372 million for two federal programs that fund research into medical innovations.” (“Congress Poised To Pass Bill To Fund Government, Boost Defense Spending,” USA Today, 12/07/2016)
- “The bill also provides $45 million for continued health care benefits for retired miners to prevent them from losing their coverage on Dec. 31.” (“Congress Poised To Pass Bill To Fund Government, Boost Defense Spending,” USA Today, 12/07/2016)
SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-TN): “This bipartisan legislation ... will help us take advantage of the breathtaking advances in biomedical research and bring those innovations to doctors’ offices and patients’ medicine cabinets around the country.” (Sen. Alexander, Press Release, 11/30/2016)
“With … smiles all around, huge bipartisan majorities in Congress have just passed legislation to speed the discovery of cures for killer diseases. … In recent years, few major bills have commanded as much support as the 21st Century Cures Act, which sailed to passage by votes of 392 to 26 in the House on Nov. 30, and 94 to 5 in the Senate a week later.” (“Cures Act Gains Bipartisan Support That Eluded Obama Health Law,” The New York Times, 12/8/16)
“Congress passed sweeping legislation Wednesday that boosts funding for medical research, eases the development and approval of experimental treatments and reforms federal policy on mental health care.” (“Congress passes 21st Century Cures Act…” The Washington Post, 12/7/16)
- “[T]he bill’s extensive scale — from cancer to Alzheimer’s to mental illness and drug addiction — addresses problems that touch nearly every American life.” (“$6.3 Billion Measure Aims to Cure Ailing Health Care Policies,” The New York Times, 11/28/2016)
- “The bill authorizes the NIH to finance high-risk, high-reward research using special procurement procedures, rather than through conventional grants and contracts... The agency also will establish ‘Eureka prize’ competitions to advance medical research. The nation’s prescription drug abuse crisis also is addressed in the legislation. … Other provisions strengthen privacy protections for genetic research participants; promote more pediatric research; improve the usability of electronic health records; and strengthen the FDA’s ability to hire, train and retain experienced staff scientists. Many medical associations and advocacy groups have praised the action by Congress…” (“Congress Passes 21st Century Cures Act With Billions For New Research, Treatments,” CBS News, 12/8/16)
SEN. JIM INHOFE (R-OK): “I am pleased that the [the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act] has crossed the finish line with strong, bipartisan support.” (Sen. Inhofe, Press Release, 12/9/16)
- INHOFE: “This water infrastructure bill is important to our country’s economic vitality while also serving as a lifeline for disadvantaged communities like Flint, Michigan.” (Sen. Inhofe, Press Release, 12/9/16)
SEN. GRASSLEY (R-IA): “I want to thank the authors of CARA for their leadership in crafting the legislation… Real lives will be saved … that's not something that we can say every day around this Senate.” (Sen. Grassley, Floor Remarks, 3/10/16)
“The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill to tackle the nation’s opioid crisis, sending to the president’s desk the most sweeping drug legislation in years in a rare instance of consensus in Congress.” (“Senate Approves Bill to Combat Opioid Addiction Crisis,” The New York Times, 7/13/2016)
- “The bill was the handiwork of Portman, Republican Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Democrats Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island.” (“Senate Approves Portman-Authored Bill To Fight Drug Epidemic,” The Columbus Dispatch, 7/13/2016)
“Public health advocates have lauded the bill as a crucial policy shift, recognizing addiction as a disease rather than a law enforcement problem.” (“Congress Sends First Major Opioids Bill To Obama's Desk,” The Hill, 7/13/2016)
- “Marvin Ventrell, the executive director of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, said the measure was an ‘extraordinary’ step forward ... ‘To say that this bill without the additional funding is meaningless would be a gross overstatement,’ Mr. Ventrell said.” (“Senate Approves Bill to Combat Opioid Addiction Crisis,” The New York Times, 7/13/2016)
SEN. JOHN THUNE (R-SD): “Today, Congress passed the most significant airport security reform bill in a decade… Reforms in our bill will help protect air travelers in South Dakota and around the country, and it will help ensure that attacks like those in Brussels and Istanbul do not happen in American airports. I’m proud of the Commerce Committee’s work in leading this effort, and I look forward to seeing the president sign this bill into law before the end of the week.” (Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Committee, Press Release, 7/13/16)
“The Senate on Wednesday approved a bipartisan bill to extend the mandate of the Federal Aviation Administration… The legislation, which the Senate passed by a vote of 89-4, now must go to President Barack Obama to be signed into law. The compromise short-term extension includes many of the provisions Senate leaders had pushed for.” (“Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/13/16)
- “The bill requires airlines to refund paid baggage fees when items are lost or unreasonably delayed, improve air travel for people with disabilities and ensure that children 13 years of age and younger are seated next to an adult or an older child traveling with them.” (“Senate Passes FAA Reauthorization Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/13/16)
SEN. PAT ROBERTS (R-KS): “Tonight’s vote is the most important vote for agriculture in the last 20 years. We worked hard to ensure the marketplace works for everyone. I mean everyone. Our legislation allows farmers to continue using sound science to produce more food with less resources, gives flexibility to food manufacturers in disclosing information, and gives access to more food information that consumers demand.” (Sen. Roberts, Press Release, 7/8/16)
“A federal bill that would require labeling of foods made with genetically engineered ingredients passed a major hurdle in the Senate… significantly raising the odds that a national standard for labeling will put an end to a fight that has roiled the food industry for years.” (“G.M.O. Labeling Bill Clears First Hurdle in Senate,” The New York Times, 7/6/16)
“The U.S. Senate on Thursday approved legislation that would for the first time require food to carry labels listing genetically-modified ingredients... The Senate voted 63-30 for the bill that would display GMO contents with words, pictures or a bar code that can be scanned with smartphones. The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA) would decide which ingredients would be considered genetically modified. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.” (“U.S. GMO Food Labeling Bill Passes Senate,” Reuters, 7/8/16)
“A bill to create a federal labeling standard for foods with genetically modified ingredients and block states from issuing their own laws sailed through the House on Thursday. The bill, which passed by a 306 to 117 vote…” (“House Passes GMO Labeling Bill,” The Hill, 7/14/16)
“The White House plans to support legislation creating a national labeling standard for foods containing genetically modified organisms … White House spokeswoman Katie Hill said in an e-mail. ‘We look forward to tracking its progress in the House and anticipate the president would sign it in its current form.’” (“Obama Ready To Sign Food-Label Bill Consumer Groups Dislike,” Bloomberg, 7/13/16)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R-FL): ‘With PROMESA, not a single taxpayer dime will be spent on paying Puerto Rico’s debt’ “The Puerto Rico Oversight Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) is an appropriate first step by Congress to deal with this calamity. The bill would create a fiscal oversight board to help fix the mess. …most importantly, with PROMESA, not a single taxpayer dime will be spent on paying Puerto Rico’s debt.” (Sen. Rubio, Op-Ed, “Helping Puerto Rico Without A Bailout,” Florida Today, 6/28/16)
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: “[T]he Republican Congress is using conservative principles to solve an urgent problem caused by progressive government... [T]he overall bill steers the commonwealth in the direction of free-market reforms and fiscal discipline after years of welfare-state politics.” (Editorial, “Puerto Rico Breakthrough,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/23/2016)
- “[T]his bill deserves bipartisan support, and voters should see it as an example of conservative reform in action.” (Editorial, “Puerto Rico Breakthrough,” The Wall Street Journal, 5/23/2016)
SEN. ORRIN HATCH (R-UT): “This legislation helps American manufacturers level the playing field through tariff relief which lowers production costs on parts that simply can’t be found here at home. While long-overdue, this legislation represents a true bipartisan, bicameral commitment to helping our economy with more jobs, bigger paychecks, and a stronger American manufacturing base.” (Senate Finance Committee, Press Release, 5/10/2016)
“President Obama on Friday signed a long-delayed tariff relief bill aimed at helping U.S. manufacturers save billions in costs. . . The bill will overhaul the process for reducing or eliminating tariffs on imported inputs and products not available or in short supply domestically. . . Without a measure in place, manufacturers said that companies have faced an annual $748 million tax hike on manufacturing in the United States, representing a $1.85 billion loss to the U.S. economy.” (“Obama Signs Tariff-Relief Bill,” The Hill, 5/20/2016)
“Business groups have been urging Congress to renew the legislation since the last measure expired at the end of 2012.” (“Obama Signs Tariff-Relief Bill,” The Hill, 5/20/2016)
- “National Association of Manufacturers President and CEO Jay Timmons called passage of the bill ‘a major victory and proof that Senate and House leaders have listened to manufacturers’ calls for action.’” (“Senate Clears Tariff Relief Bill For Obama's Signature,” The Hill, 5/10/2016)
- “Bruce Josten, executive vice president for government affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, said ‘we applaud Congress’s efforts to move bipartisan legislation that would preserve American jobs and help U.S. manufacturers and other businesses maintain their competitive edge.’” (“Senate Clears Tariff Relief Bill For Obama's Signature,” The Hill, 5/10/2016)
SEN. JIM INHOFE (R-OK): “This historic piece of environmental regulatory reform is a great example of the Republican-led Congress working for the American people by enacting meaningful and commonsense legislation... This soon-to-be law will protect and support millions of domestic jobs and spur economic growth for decades to come
by providing regulatory certainty to encourage new manufacturing investment here at home, on American soil. It will safeguard interstate commerce while also protecting public health; it will strengthen transparency and oversight – holding EPA accountable to Congress and the American people – while also protecting small business from bureaucratic hurdles and burdensome mandates. The Lautenberg Act is long overdue, as it is the first major environmental reform to be enacted in over a quarter century.” (U.S. Senate Committee On Environment & Public Works, Press Release, 6/07/2016)
“The Senate on Tuesday gave final approval to an overhaul of the nation’s 40-year-old law governing the use of toxic chemicals in homes and businesses, sending the bill to President Obama for his expected signature. The Senate passed the measure on a voice vote; the House approved it last month, 403 to 12.” (“Senate Approves Update of Toxic-Chemical Regulations,” The New York Times, 6/7/16)
“The bipartisan accord represents the most sweeping environmental measure to pass Congress in a quarter-century. The bill, which drew support from the chemical industry, trial lawyers and many public health and environmental groups, updates a 40-year-old law long criticized as ineffective.” (“Sweeping Overhaul Of Nation’s Chemical-Safety Laws Clears Final Legislative Hurdle,” The Washington Post, 6/7/16)
“The measure—H.R. 2576… the most far-reaching and influential environmental statute passed by Congress since the body updated the Clean Air Act in 1990.” (“United States Poised To Approve Major Chemical Safety Overhaul,” Science Magazine, 5/25/16)
“The Senate on Monday passed legislation to authorize companies to go directly to federal court to fight trade-secret theft, an avenue that has been unavailable when defending the processes, blueprints, and recipes that underpin hundreds of billions of annual revenues and millions of jobs.” (“Senate Passes Trade-Secrets Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/4/16)
- “The U.S. Senate on Monday approved legislation to give companies greater legal protections for their commercial secrets and allow them for the first time to sue in federal court if they are stolen. The Defend Trade Secrets Act passed 87-0, amid strong White House backing.” (“Senate Unanimously Approves Trade Secrets Bill,” Reuters, 4/4/16)
- “The measure was put together by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R., Utah) and Chris Coons (D., Del.), two Judiciary Committee members with a longtime interest in intellectual-property policy who steered the legislation through choppy waters… (“Senate Passes Trade-Secrets Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/4/16)
- “The last time Congress put a major piece of intellectual-property legislation into law was 2011…” (“Senate Passes Trade-Secrets Bill,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/4/16)
- “Since 1998, in the Internet's early days, Congress has passed a series of bills temporarily prohibiting state and local governments from imposing the types of monthly levies for online access that are common for telephone service. … For years, the drive in Congress to permanently bar taxes on Internet service has languished…” (“Congress Likely To Give Final Ok To Local Internet Tax Ban,” AP, 2/11/16)
- “The 10-year customs bill includes an overhaul of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, streamlines trade rules that aim to keep importers from skirting U.S. antidumping and countervailing duties, adds new protections for intellectual property rights and provides more tools to identify and crack down on currency manipulation.” (“Customs Bill Expected To Clear Senate On Thursday,” The Hill, 2/09/2016)
(“Beneath The Battles, A Congress That Worked,” National Journal, 12/18/15)
“…Senate Republicans racked up a series of legislative accomplishments last year, including a transportation infrastructure bill, a major education bill and the two-year budget deal…” (“For Reid, Supreme Court Vacancy Offers A Final Fight Before Retirement,” The New York Times, 3/14/16) “You Can’t Call It A Do Nothing Congress… Congress has struck deals on major highway and education bills. ... Don’t look now, but Congress is actually about to get a lot done.” (“You Can’t Call It A Do Nothing Congress Anymore,” Fortune, 12/2/15)
- “…Senate Republicans Look to Rack Up More Wins: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s Senate is on a roll — and he wants to make sure it stays that way. After reviving Trade Promotion Authority, the Kentucky Republican opted to move next to a bipartisan rewrite of the No Child Left Behind education law in a bid to maintain the chamber’s legislative momentum.” (“After Trade Triumph, Senate Republicans Look To Rack Up More Wins,” Roll Call, 7/7/15)
- “…Republicans did secure modest entitlement reforms. … Most important, Social Security will get its first upgrade since the 1980s to fix disability insurance.” (“The Best Worst Budget Deal,” Wall Street Journal, 10/27/15)
- “President Obama on Thursday signed a $200 billion Medicare reform package, hailing it as a ‘significant bipartisan achievement.’” (“Obama Signs $200 Billion 'Doc Fix' Bill,” The Hill, 4/16/15)
- SEN. HATCH (R-UT): “The bill also represents a step forward in the effort to reform our nation's entitlement programs. The bill contains bipartisan reforms to the Medicare program - and it's not limited to fixing the broken SGR system. To go along with the permanent SGR fix, the bill includes a meaningful down payment on Medicare reform, without any accompanying tax hikes. These reforms include a limitation on so-called Medigap first-dollar coverage, more robust means testing for Medicare Parts B and D, and program integrity provisions that will strengthen Medicare's ability to fight fraud. …any Senators who, like me, have been clamoring for entitlement reform should welcome these changes.” (Sen. Hatch, Press Release, 4/13/15)
- “Could this city actually be working? The past week has witnessed several developments… [Congress] ended the annual congressional can-kicking known as the ‘doc fix,’ the result of overambitious cost-cutting targets for payments to physicians.” (Ruth Marcus, Op-Ed, “A Break In Congress's Gridlock?” The Washington Post, 4/19/15)
- “No more ‘doc fix.’ Gone is an arcane Medicare fee system that has been widely criticized almost since its creation in 1997.” (“Senate Overhauls Doctors' Medicare Payments In Groundbreaking Vote,'” LA Times, 4/16/15)
- “Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee, said the tax package provides $560 billion through breaks that will no longer expire — and $650 billion in total tax relief — over 10 years.” (“Ryan Unveils Sweeping $1.6T Deal On Government Funding, Taxes,” The Hill, 12/15/15)
- “The tax measure, poised to pass the House and Senate later this week, would break Congress’ habit of extending lapsed tax breaks retroactively and then setting the next expiration date just weeks or months ahead.” (“Congressional Leaders Reach Sweeping Deal On Tax And Spending Legislation,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/16/15)
- An expanded Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income earners;
- The Child Tax Credit for low and moderate income workers;
- The American Opportunity Tax Credit to help students under age 40 pay college tuition and expenses
- Low income housing credits;
- An expanded research and experimentation credit;
- Section 179 business expensing, which allows businesses to fully deduct the price of equipment and software investments;
- State and local sales tax deduction;
- Tax deductions for food inventory donated to food banks;
- A deduction for land donated for conservation; and
- A tax break for individuals to donate to charity from qualified retirement accounts.”
- “…legislative feat that lawmakers and President Barack Obama have struggled throughout his administration to achieve. The bill, unveiled Tuesday, would also put an end to the cycle of temporary extensions and threatened shutdowns of transportation programs that have bedeviled Congress for the past seven years, making it difficult for states to plan long-term projects.” (“Congress Reaches Deal On 5-Year Transportation Bill,” AP, 12/1/15)
- “Congress has not passed a transportation funding bill that last longer than two years since 2005, much to the chagrin of infrastructure advocates in Washington.” (“House Passes Short-Term Highway Patch,” The Hill, 11/16/15)
- “Broadly, the bill marks a rollback of federal power.” (“5 Things To Know About The Revised No Child Left Behind,” National Journal, 12/3/2015)
- “The No Child Left Behind Act, passed ... in 2002, has been due for renewal since 2007. But previous attempts to reauthorize the law have gotten caught in a broader debate over the federal role in public education.” (“No Child Left Behind Revision Easily Passes House, Heads To Senate,” AP, 12/3/2015)
TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY: “The Republican-controlled Congress delivered… passing a six-year renewal of trade promotion authority intended to advance one of the largest trade pacts in history later this year. ‘This is a critical day for our country. In fact, I'd call it an historic day,’ said Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who co-authored the
bill the Senate approved on Wednesday, 60 to 38. ‘This is perhaps the most important bill we'll pass in the Senate this year.’” (“‘Fast Track’ Trade Bill Renews,” USA Today, 6/25/15)
- “Congress granted the President Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) to negotiate agreements, including free trade agreements (FTA) in 2002. ... TPA lapsed in July 2007…” (“An Analysis of Free Trade Agreements…” GAO, 12/7/07)
‘The Senate Put Our Veterans First’
HOLDING THE VA ACCOUNTABLE “A sweeping independent review of the Department of Veterans Affairs health-care system made public Friday shows the multibillion-dollar agency has significant flaws, including a bloated bureaucracy, problems with leadership and a potentially unsustainable capital budget. … The assessments, weighing in at more than 4,000 pages total, were mandated by the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, commonly known as the Veterans Choice Act, a more than $16 billion emergency funding measure passed last summer in the wake of a systemwide scandal at the VA.” (“A Needs ‘Systemwide Reworking,’ Independent Report Finds,” The Wall Street Journal, 9/18/15) CLAY HUNT SUICIDE PREVENTION FOR AMERICAN VETERANS ACT:< “The bill requires independent reviews of VA and Department of Defense programs aimed at preventing suicide, creates peer support and community outreach pilot programs, and forms a program to repay loan debt for psychiatry students to incentivize them to work in the VA health system. It also creates a website to provide veterans with information about mental health services and allows the VA to collaborate with nonprofit mental health organizations on suicide prevention.” (“Obama Signs Suicide Prevention Bill To Aid Veterans,” U.S. News, 2/12/15)- “Approval of the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act was lauded by veterans and suicide prevention groups as a victory that will save lives. The legislation is named after a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and later took his own life in 2011.” (“Clay Hunt Veterans Suicide Prevention Act Passes In Senate, Will Head To White House,” The Washington Post, 2/3/15)
- “It contains hundreds of provisions to assist the military in its various operations. This year's bill includes a pay raise for the troops and a long-awaited 401(k) program for service members who serve fewer than 20 years—that is, most of them.” (“Democrats Set To Block Defense Bill Amid GOP Attacks,” National Journal, 6/14/15)
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