Legislative Briefing for Week of 4.24.17

Compiled by Indivisible 49

In Congress This Week:

Health Care: Big week ahead! Negotiations are under way for the budget bill which must be passed on Friday, April 28th by midnight to avoid a fed gov’t shutdown. (Right around when 45’s 100 days are up. Good work team! We got baby to whine. sad.) Hot button issues are funding the wall (wow, that’s a really bad idea) and the fate of the health subsidies for the ACA. Keep the pressure on! New ACA repeal bill in the pipeline. It is a lot like the previous bill–a main feature that states could opt out of provisions such as “preventing insurers from raising an individual’s premium based on that person’s health.” (read: Penalizing sick people with preexisting conditions.) The Freedom Caucus has signaled that it will most likely back the bill.

House: It’s mostly about the budget this week–though keep an eye out for the new ACA repeal bill; 45 is pushing for it to be passed quickly. Thursday, the House votes on HR 1694, a bill that Issa co-sponsors, which seeks to tweak definitions in the Freedom of Information Act.

Issa’s activities: (Local section)

In the News 4/20 – In advance of the Science and Climate Marches, in the San Clemente Times Letters to the Editor, Sarah Mosko, Santa Ana, urges Issa to “step up and co-sponsor the first all-Republican House resolution introduced on March 15 calling for action on climate change.” 4/21 – Along with the members of the SD Congressional Delegation, Issa attended to Regional Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Re: the border wall, Issa defended the idea of having “at least a fence,” but with more openings in it, saying immigration reform would ultimately make a wall unnecessary.

Monitoring Closely:

HR 354 Defund Planned Parenthood Act

HR 1021/S361 To amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to deem specified terrorist activities as a renunciation of nationality

S 295/276 Divide Ninth Circuit into two and add more federal judges for Trump to appoint

HR 781 Allow charitable organizations (churches) to make political statements

HR 727 To prohibit federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after 2019  

HR 861 Eliminate EPA

HR 1510 Elimination of Department of Education

HR 1431/1430 Both interfering with EPA and scientific process. Passed House. On to Senate.

HR 1718 Another bill to repeal the ACA

HR 2090 Require Voter ID law

HR 2101 To amend the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to expand the ability of trade associations to solicit contributions from the stockholders and executive or administrative personnel of their member corporations, and for other purposes. NEW BILL! Another bill for #richpeople.

HR 2098 To eliminate the authority of the executive branch to further restrict the conduct of individuals in relation to firearms or ammunition. NEW BILL!

Recommended Action:  Call Issa/Your Rep to insist that no budget is passed without including the current payments for health subsidies for the ACA and excluding funding to build the silly wall.

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