Last Week’s Window On Congress
The Week of Monday, July 24, 2017
Last week, Congress tackle bills that ranged from more proposed action on health care, to bills that purport to better the lives of our veterans. The three bills that Daily Clout chose for you to watch are the Veterans Access to Childcare Act, the Military Residency Choice Act, and a motion to proceed with the debating of a health care bill in the Senate.
While the House tried to address Veterans’ issues, the Senate was brimming with drama and controversy, as the future of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and American health care as a whole, hangs in the balance. Here’s a list of every bill Congress considered:
Bills to Watch
Veterans’ Access to Childcare Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Julia Brownley / Veterans Affairs Committee)
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide child care assistance to eligible veterans. “Covered health care services” refers to regular and intensive mental health care services, while an “eligible veteran” is a veteran who is the primary caretaker of a child. An eligible veteran to be helped by this bill is also one receiving covered health care service from the VA, and who is in need of such services. “Child care assistance” includes a stipend for the payment for the full cost of child care that is offered by a licensed child care center. This part of the bill is modeled after the VA’s Child Care Subsidy Program. The bill also includes a provision of child care at a VA facility, or direct payments to child care agencies, and a collaboration with a facility or program of another Federal department or agency. Supporters say that this is a much-needed benefit for military families and critics worry that an already overstretched system is taking on another major task.
Military Residency Choice Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Elise Stefanik / Veterans Affairs Committee)
This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. If passed, the legislation will allow spouses of servicemembers to keep residences in one state while still traveling from base to base with his or her military spouse. Currently, servicemembers can keep only one state of residence while traveling to and living at various bases, but spouses cannot. Supporters say that this gives military families stability for their kids in schooling and establish state residency for when their kids are in college. It would also helps them protect their equity as they don’t have to sell their homes with each move. Critics say that this would drains state taxes.
The American Healthcare Act – Motion to Proceed
After the Better Care Reconciliation Act failed to reach a vote last week, Senate Leader Mitch McConnell weighed various options. His inability to secure enough votes even from his own party members was widely viewed as a loss for the GOP plan to replace Obamacare.
On Tuesday of last week, in dramatic fashion, he brought a motion to revisit debate on the health care, securing by a hair the last two “yea” votes he needed. Just to reach the 50 votes required to begin debate, McConnell had to ask Senator John McCain to leave his hospital bed in order to vote, and McConnell convinced Senator Ron Johnson (R-TX) in the middle of the Senate floor.
With the motion to revisit the debate on health care now passed, Senators began introducing amendments to shape the Senate’s plan. Here are the amendments introduced so far:
With the motion to revisit debate on Healthcare passed, Senators began introducing amendments to shape the Senate’s healthcare plan. Here are the amendments introduced so far:
Better Care Reconciliation Act with Cruz and Portman Amendments: This amendment includes the Senate’s Better Care Act and adds a provision that would let insurance providers sell a low-cost, low-coverage plan, similar to the bronze plan used in Obamacare. It also allowed for $100 billion more dollars for Medicaid.
Outcome: FAILED
Repeal and Delay Amendment: This amendment would repeal the majority of the Obamacare provisions, and would prevent any government-supported healthcare plan from including abortion coverage.
Outcome: FAILED
Heller Amendment: This amendment, introduced by Senator Dean Heller (R-NV), would have expressed the position that Obamacare needed to be fixed, but that the Medicaid expansion needed to be protected.
Outcome: FAILED
Heller Amendment 2.0: This is the second amendment introduced by Senator Dean Heller (R-NV). This amendment would eliminate taxes on expensive health care plans offered by employers. This tax is also known as the Cadillac tax; it is a 40 per cent excise tax on health insurance plans valued at more than $10,200 for individuals or $27,500 for families.
Outcome: PASSED
Medicare-For-All Amendment: This amendment, also known as the Daines Amendment, would establish a single l-payer health care system in the United States.
Outcome: FAILED
The “Skinny” Obamacare Repeal: This amendment is, as the title says, a repeal of some parts of Obamacare. It leaves major portions of Obamacare in place. The amendment would eliminate the individual and employer mandate, delay multiple health industry taxes, and lift limits off of the amount people are allowed to pay into health savings plans. The Medicaid expansion would continue as planned, and subsidies would remain the same, as would protections for those with preexisting conditions.
Outcome: FAILED
The healthcare debate is ongoing, and will likely continue into the first week of August.
This bill amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. If passed, the legislation will allow spouses of servicemembers to keep residences in one state while still traveling from base to base with his or her military spouse. Currently, servicemembers can keep only one state of residence while traveling to and living at various bases, but spouses cannot. Supporters say that this gives military families stability for their kids in schooling and establish state residency for when their kids are in college. It would also helps them protect their equity as they don’t have to sell their homes with each move. Critics say that this would drains state taxes.
Other Bills Being Considered This Week:
S. 114 – A bill to authorize appropriations for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes, as amended
(Sponsored by Sen. Dean Heller / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 3218 – Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Phil Roe / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 1058 – VA Provider Equity Act, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Brad Wenstrup / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 1690 – Department of Veterans Affairs Bonus Transparency Act, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Claudia Tenney / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 2006 – VA Procurement Efficiency and Transparency Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 2772 – SEA Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Scott Taylor / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 2781 – Ensuring Veteran Enterprise Participation in Strategic Sourcing Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Neal Dunn / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 2749 – Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Jack Bergman / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 3262 – Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act of 2017
(Sponsored by Rep. Ann Kuster / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 1848 – Veterans Affairs Medical Scribe Pilot Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Phil Roe / Veterans Affairs Committee)
H.R. 2333 – Small Business Investment Opportunity Act of 2017
(Sponsored by Rep. Steve Knight / Small Business Committee)
H.R. 2056 – Microloan Modernization Act of 2017
(Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Murphy / Small Business Committee)
H.R. 2364 – Investing in Main Street Act of 2017
(Sponsored by Rep. Judy Chu / Small Business Committee)
H.R. 3180 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Devin Nunes / Permanent Select Intelligence Committee)
H.R. 3298 – Wounded Officers Recovery Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton / House Administration Committee)
H.R. 3178 – Medicare Part B Improvement Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady / Ways and Means Committee / Energy and Commerce Committee)
H.R. 2182 – Plum Island Preservation Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Lee Zeldin / Homeland Security Committee)
H.R. ____ – Russia, Iran, and North Korea Sanctions Act
(Foreign Affairs Committee)
H.J.Res. 111 – Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to “Arbitration Agreements”. (Subject to a Rule)
(Sponsored by Rep. Keith Rothfus / Financial Services Committee)
H.R. 3210 – SECRET Act of 2017
(Sponsored by Rep. Steve Knight / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
H.R. 2370 – Escambia County Land Conveyance Act
(Sponsored by Rep. Matt Gaetz / Natural Resources Committee)
H.R. 1927 – African American Civil Rights Network Act of 2017, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay / Natural Resources Committee)
H.Res. 317 – Calling for the unconditional release of United States citizens and legal permanent resident aliens being held for political purposes by the Government of Iran, as amended
(Sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen / Foreign Affairs Committee)
H.R. 3219 – Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule)
(Sponsored by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen / Appropriations Committee)
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