Blue Dog Recess Round Up
Blue Dog Coalition Adds Four New Members: The Blue Dog Coalition is expanding its ranks in the U.S. House of Representatives by adding Rep. Ron Barber (D-AZ), Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-IL), Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) and Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) as its news members. These additions bring the coalition's total membership to 19.
Rep. John Barrow (D-Georgia): This month, Congressman Barrow joined Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY) as an original cosponsor on H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act. This bill relates to EPA's pending greenhouse gas regulations for new and existing fossil fuel-fired power plants. He also joined 65 other House colleagues in a letter to Labor Secretary Tom Perez expressing concerns over OSHA's regulation of "post-harvest" agricultural production. Lastly, he visited with farmers in 15 Georgia counties to talk about the Farm Bill and agricultural policy.
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee): Congressman Cooper joined fellow Blue Dog David Scott (D-Georgia) in sending a letter on December 20, 2013, to Chairman Ben Bernanke, Chairman Martin Gruenberg and Comptroller Thomas Curry about the Volcker Rule's impact on community banks due to the treatment of collateralized debt obligations backed by trust-preferred securities (TruPS CDOs) they own. The letter read, "We are deeply concerned the current Volcker Rule will devastate community banks in our districts and throughout the country. Community banks were not responsible for the financial meltdown. They should not get caught up in a one-size-fits-all approach to regulation, especially when financial institutions come in all shapes and sizes. We believe this was not the regulators' intent, and we strongly urge you to immediately correct these shortcomings." The agencies issued a regulatory fix on January 14, 2014.
Cooper is also taking steps to maintain the ban on in-flight cell phone calls as federal agencies consider new rules for air travel. Cooper is cosponsoring a bill to ban in-flight cell phone calls. He also has joined with his colleagues in sending letters to the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration opposing the proposed change. "It's one thing to blast music with headphones or earbuds; it's another to talk your head off in a crowded space," Cooper said. "There's already limited peace and quiet on airplanes. Let's keep what we have."
Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon): Congressman Schrader celebrated passage of the 2014 Farm Bill, which was passed on January 29th. As a member of the House Agriculture Committee and a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee, Schrader helped secure many provisions in the final bill that will benefit Oregon farmers and strengthen the competitiveness of Oregon agriculture, as we as protect hungry Oregonians from draconian cuts to critical nutrition programs.
Rep. Ron Barber (D-Arizona): Congressman Barber hosted DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson on the border last week to meet with local ranchers, law enforcement and elected officials about economic and border security in Southern Arizona and the region.
Barber worked with his Republican colleague, Steve Daines (MT) to introduce legislation that would require the federal government to develop and put in place cybersecurity safeguards to protect individuals' personal health care information on the federal health exchange.
Barber and Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS) passed their bipartisan Mental Health First Aid legislation in the FY2014 omnibus appropriations bill. This new program will increase public awareness of mental illness symptoms and mental health services.
Barber was honored as an AbilityOne Champion for his support of their programs and services which have helped more than 48,000 people who are blind or have significant disabilities gain employment skills and training. Barber had a 32-year career with the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Arizona Department of Economic Security, working to help people with disabilities out of government-run institutions and into their communities.
Rep. Sanford Bishop (D-Georgia): Congressman Bishop received a 100% rating from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights based on his voting record on key issues like civil rights protections, the budget, education, jobs, immigration reform, violence against women, and more.
Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Illinois): Congresswoman Bustos spent the January recess traveling to every corner of her district of Illinois. She joined Sen. Dick Durbin in the Quad Cities to talk about how the Omnibus bill would help create jobs and grow the local economy by helping the Rock Island Arsenal stay competitive and ensure a steady workload while also putting Thomson prison one step closer to opening. She also spoke at a biofuels rally in Freeport to voice her opposition to the EPA's recent proposal to lower the amount of biofuels in our nation's fuel supply. In addition, she also spoke at the Peoria Rotary Club and several MLK events, participated in volunteers projects as part of the MLK Day of Service, toured local non-profits and held "Cheri on Shifts" at a veteran forklift training program and a family-owned meat processing business.
Rep. Jim Costa (D-California): Congressman Costa called on his colleagues in the House to support a path forward for Trade Promotion Authority, calling it a "critical tool" to help the United States successfully negotiate free and fair trade agreements.
California Governor Jerry Brown answered Costa's call to declare an emergency drought, and Costa is now calling on the President to authorize a disaster declaration and form a federal drought task force. Costa is also working with Senator Feinstein on legislation to achieve a bipartisan, bicameral consensus on solutions that will help California cope with the state's historic drought conditions
Costa also introduced a bipartisan bill (H.R. 3854) to reauthorize the Community Service Block Grant program and modernize local efforts to reduce poverty and economic insecurity. Costa highlighted the bill's introduction during a press conference with the Fresno Economic Opportunity Commission, one of the nation's largest Community Action Agencies.
Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas): On January 16th, Rep. Cuellar held a meeting with Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, the Texas Department of Transportation Commissioner Jeff Austin, and officials from the Mexican State of Nuevo Leon to discuss plans for a high speed rail from San Antonio, Texas to Monterrey, Mexico. TXDoT is currently working on a study regarding a high speed rail line from Oklahoma City to San Antonio and considering expanding the study to Monterrey by way of Laredo, Texas. On the Mexico side, the State of Nuevo Leon has already received approval and funding for the rail lines leading up to Laredo. Linking passenger rail lines would revolutionize trade and travel between the United States and Mexico and be a boon for the South Texas and binational economies.
Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois): Congressman Lipinski hosted a ceremony with active military, veterans and guests to honor his nominees for the U.S. Service Academies.
Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-North Carolina): On January 8, 2014, U.S. Congressman Mike McIntyre announced that he will retire at the end of this congressional term. Speaking about his decision, Congressman McIntyre said, "In eastern North Carolina, we have demonstrated that public service is a partnership between the people and the representative they entrust to speak on their behalf. For us, this has been where the priorities of policy over politics, issues over ideology, dialogue over dollars, and cooperation over campaigning have prevailed. Having answered the call entrusted through this partnership, I will be retiring from the U.S. House of Representatives at the end of this term. I am grateful to all of the Democrats, Republicans, and Independents with whom we have successfully worked through nine elections over 18 years."
On January 15, Congressman Mike McIntyre accepted the White House's invitation to accompany the president on Air Force One in order attend a landmark speech at N.C. State University, which focused on establishing a new manufacturing innovation institute at 18 schools including N.C. State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Speaking about the announcement of the new manufacturing institute, Congressman McIntyre said, "Jobs and the economy have always been an overriding concern for our state and our country. I am excited that North Carolina will once again be at the forefront with this initiative to produce and sustain jobs well into the future."
Rep. Nick Rahall (D-West Virginia): Congressman Nick Rahall, top Democrat on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, spearheaded the recent passage of the Water Resources Reform and Development Act (WRRDA). The legislation garnered overwhelming bipartisan support in the House, passing by 417 -3 margin. WRRDA authorizes significant investment in the Nation's network of inland waterways and U.S. ports to promote the efficient movement of goods and commodities. Rahall is currently participating in a Conference Committee with the Senate to work out details between the two chambers' versions of water resources legislation and hopes to produce a conference report in the coming weeks.
Rahall's committee recently kicked off its efforts to reauthorize MAP-21, which expires in September. The Surface Transportation measures authorizes funding for roads, bridges, highways, and transit systems nationwide and is considered an essential tool in creating a modern and efficient transportation network. As part of the Committee's efforts to examine all means of financing needed transportation investments, Rahall and Chairman Bill Shuster announced earlier this month that the T&I Committee has created a special panel, which will focus on the use of and opportunities for public-private partnerships (P3s) across all modes of transportation, economic development, public buildings, water, and maritime infrastructure and equipment.
Rep. David Scott (D-Georgia): On January 17, Congressman David Scott was the guest speaker at the University of Georgia's 11th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Breakfast. Scott toured several sites on campus and also visited the School of Law's Dean Rusk Center to give a presentation on international finance, particularly as it relates to the implementation of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
On January 23, Scott joined with SunTrust and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to host an informational meeting about HomeSafe Georgia, a federally-funded program that helps prevent home foreclosures. The event was held at the Operation Hope Financial Dignity Center.
On January 24, Scott delivered opening remarks at the grand opening of the Riverdale Development Authority's small business incubator, the Riverdale Centre for Innovation.
On January 25, Scott attended the Cobb County Chamber Annual Dinner.
Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona): In January, Congresswoman Sinema attended the inaugural meeting of the Arizona Near Space Technology Alliance, where 28 Arizona companies are collaborating on the development of Space Data Corp.'s high-altitude balloon system, SkySat. She joined Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ) in a demonstrative launch of a 15-foot latex SkySat balloon, which has the capability to carry communications equipment aloft to above 65,000 feet to relay voice and data over a 600-mile range. It has been utilized on a limited basis by the military and industry, but has the potential to be used for border security, natural disaster recovery and communication support for wildland firefighters. At a cost of just $11,000 per balloon system, a fraction of the cost to build and launch a satellite, Congresswoman Sinema is encouraging her colleagues to consider the Combat SkySat system as a cost-saving alternative. Last year, Congresswoman Sinema worked with Congressman Ron Barber's (D-AZ) office to include in the National Defense Authorization Act report language urging the Department of Defense to review existing high-altitude balloon technologies.
Rep. Mike Thompson (D-California): Two bills that Congressman Thompson's wrote, one that addresses backlog at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the other requiring the Department of Defense to only purchase American-made U.S. flags, were added to the omnibus appropriations bill that was signed into law.
Rep. Mike Michaud (D-Maine): Congressman Michaud, along with Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), sent a letter with their colleagues to President Obama expressing concern that strong and enforceable currency disciplines have not yet been addressed in the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations.