January 23, 2015
The House passed HR 161, the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform Act, a bill that requires the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to approve or deny natural gas pipeline projects within 12 months after receiving a complete application. The House also passed HR 7, a bill making the Hyde amendment permanent. The Hyde amendment prohibits taxpayer-funded abortions. The House took up HR 7 after facing opposition from their own party and putting aside debate on a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks (HR 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act). House Republicans wanted to pass some form of abortion legislation to coincide with March for Life Day. The Senate resumed consideration of S 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act and voted on several amendments, but not final passage. One accepted amendment offered by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) expressed the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and not a hoax. And President Obama delivered his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday evening.
Border Security
The House Homeland Security Committee met this week and marked up HR 399, the Secure Our Borders First Act. The bill mandates operational control of the Northern and Southern borders within five years, and imposes harsh penalties on political appointees at the Department of Homeland Security if they fail to meet those requirements. The bill also calls for new fencing and infrastructure, requires deployment of specific technological capabilities at various sectors on the Northern and Southern borders, allows for the use of Department of Defense (DoD) excess wartime equipment, authorizes the use of DoD aviation assets to assist the Border Patrol, allows Border Patrol to access federal lands on the border, doubles the authorization for Operation Stonegarden, and requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to implement a biometric exit at all of our nation’s air, land, and sea ports of entry within five years.
The bill was introduced last Friday and passed out of committee this Wednesday by a vote of 18 to 12. Democrats on the committee accused GOP leaders of drafting the proposal without any minority representation and used a number of procedural motions that slowed the markup process. HR 399 is expected to be considered on the House floor next week. House Republicans have not said how this bill fits into their broader immigration reform strategy. A companion bill was introduced in the Senate this week by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX), Ron Johnson (R-WI), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ). Johnson is Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
A copy of HR 399 can be found at:
http://homeland.house.gov/sites/homeland.house.gov/files/documents/pdf/HR-399-ANS_xml.pdf
And a copy of the Senate bill can be found at:
House Appropriations Committee
House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Nita Lowey (D-NY) announced the ranking members and democratic membership of the committee’s 12 subcommittees. Under Committee Rules, Lowey, as the Ranking Minority Member of the Full Committee, is authorized to sit as a member of all Subcommittees. The subcommittee assignments are as follows:
Agriculture:
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA), Ranking Member
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Commerce, Justice, Science:
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Ranking Member
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. José Serrano (D-NY)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
Defense:
Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN), Ranking Member
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Energy & Water Development:
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Ranking Member
Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Financial Services & General Government:
Rep. José Serrano (D-NY), Ranking Member
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-GA)
Homeland Security:
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Ranking Member
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH)
Interior & Environment:
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ranking Member
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-WA)
Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)
Labor, HHS, Education:
Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Ranking Member
Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA)
Legislative Branch:
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Ranking Member
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN)
Military Construction, Veterans Affairs:
Rep. Sanford Bishop, (D-GA), Ranking Member
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. David Price (D-NC)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
State and Foreign Operations:
Rep. Nita Lowey, Ranking Member
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD)
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)
Rep. José Serrano (D-NY)
Transportation, Housing and Urban Development:
Rep. David Price (D-NC), Ranking Member
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)
Political Updates
Brian Deese will take over for Tony Podesta when he leaves the administration in February. Deese is currently the Deputy OMB Director. Deese’s portfolio will concentrate on the president’s energy policy and climate change initiatives. And Alex Platkin, White House Deputy Research Director, will become Director with the departure of Ben Holzer. Kristen Bartoloni will become the Deputy Research Director.
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee approved the nomination of Russell Deyo to be Undersecretary for Management at the Department of Homeland Security and Earl Gay to be Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management.
Ashton Carter will appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee about his nomination for Secretary of Defense on Feb. 4.
President Obama announced his intention to nominate Stan Meiburg as deputy administrator of the EPA. Meiburg is currently serving in that post in an acting capacity. Previously, he served as Deputy Regional Administrator for EPA Regions 4 and 6 and has held several other positions within EPA where he started his career in 1977.
Next Week
The House will consider HR 351, the LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act and HR 399, the Secure Our Borders First Act. The Senate will resume consideration of S 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act.