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Legislation News & Report (TM) The Week in Congress .com (TM) "A Democracy is Only A Democracy When You Participate" April 8, 2011 Edition Volume 8 Number 10 |
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Bills and Resolutions This Week +++ U.S. & The World Nothing This Week ---- Managing America +++ Appropriations & Authorization Bills Bill Funds DoD and Cuts Other Agency Spending; --- Banking & Finance Senate Continues With Small Business Bill; --- Budgets --- The Courts Nothing This Week ----- Education Nothing This Week ---- Energy Nothing This Week ---- Environment and Resources Bill Directs EPA on Climate Change Issue; ----- Government Agencies Bill Would Rescind FCC Net Neutrality Rule; ---- Health & Safety Nothing This Week ---- Immigration Nothing This Week ---- Military Nothing This Week ------ Miscellaneous Nothing This Week ---- Native American Matters Nothing This Week ---- Private Relief Nothing This Week --- Privileged Resolutions ------ Public Land Nothing This Week ---- Taxes Nothing This Week ---- Transportation Nothing This Week ----- Veterans Nothing This Week --- War on Terror Nothing This Week Nothing This Week ---- Civil Rights Nothing This Week --- Nothing This Week ---- The President Nothing This Week ----
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Photo Courtesy DoD; David Didier
HOUSE PASSES DEFENSE SPENDING AND SPENDING CUT BILL
TheWeekInCongress.com - April 7, 2011 - The House agreed 247 to 181 to HR 1363, a bill that provides funds for the Department of Defense programs and requires cuts to other federal agencies and programs to the tune of $12 billion from the current fiscal year spending that ends on September 30th.
The Defense spending section of the bill increases appropriations by one percent over last year's spending for Defense and Iraq. The bill provides $516 billion that includes $157 billion for Iraq and Afghanistan. The funding would be provided to cover expenses through September 30, 2011.
The spending cut section takes $12 billion off the table and extends the fiscal year funding through April 11th from it's current deadline of April 8th.
Congress has passed other continuing appropriations bills this year;
The first was HR 1 that aimed to cut $61 billion from spending for the remainder of the fiscal year. HR 1 passed the House but failed in the Senate.
Next up was HJR 44 that continued funding the government through March 18th. The bill became law.
HJR 48, agreed to by the House and Senate and signed into law, continued current funding through April 8th and cut about $6 billion in earmarks and ended 25 government programs.
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The House also agreed to HR 1246 that cuts Defense Department Operations and Management spending for printing and reproduction by 10%.
HR 1246 Bill report and votes.
UPDATE SATURDAY APRIL 9TH
HOUSE AGREES WITH SENATE AMENDMENT TO DEFENSE AND STOP GAP SPENDING
The Senate amended HR 1363 by unanimous consent and the House agreed to the amendment that aims to reduce spending by $38 billion more than the President's budget called for, commits to $2 billion in the total cuts immediately, and extends the time for more negotiations until Thursday, April 14th.
The amendment did not alter the $516 billion appropriated for the Department of Defense but delays most sections specifying specific cuts.
The nature of the immediate and proposed cuts were based largely on the consideration that mandatory cuts have less impact on operations whereas discretionary cuts, cuts to programs that Congress must enact each year, do in fact affect budget baseline levels. The consideration accents the complications of managing the budget with mandatory and discretionary spending procedures. A balancing act necessary to meet bureaucratic, domestic and foreign programs.
While the ultimate $38 billion in cuts (Half of which will be to entitlement programs) will continue to be negotiated, under the amendment the immediate cuts are as follows:
Policy riders, those provisions that tend to be
more ideological, were not included in this deal. Republican issues
not included are bans of money for birth control and certain greenhouse
gas provisions. The House did pass a
restricting bill regarding climate control
this week. The birth control issue brought forth a plan to cut funding to
Planned Parenthood but that, too, was not included in the bill. The
District of Columbia, however, would be affected by a ban on local money
used for abortion in the District.
While no provisions yet apply to the healthcare
laws passed last year, a regular target in other House bills this year,
the compromise requires a vote in the Senate on repealing those laws. The House agreed to the Senate amendment 348 to 70.
HOUSE BILL RESTRICTS EPA DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE
The bill, HR 910, prohibits the Administrator of the EPA from 'promulgating any regulation concerning, taking action relating to, or taking into consideration the emission of a greenhouse gas (GHG) to address climate change.'
While the bill seems simplistic in its purpose, implications upon passage are more far reaching. Comments within the bill report indicate that the underlying intent of the bill is to wrest control from the EPA over the subject of climate change and global warming rules and regulations and..."return global warming policymaking responsibility where it belongs--Congress. "
HR 910 - Bill report, amendments and votes. SENATE LINGERS OVER SBA BILL - COMPLETES WORK ON HEALTHCARE TAX PAPERWORK ISSUE
The Senate continued to debate S 493, a bill that would requires specific set asides of funds in each relevant government agency for small business research grants. the Senate did agree to HR 4 amended. HR 4 would repeal a requirement in last year's healthcare reform law that businesses must file tax paperwork for all vendors or contractors who were paid more than $600. The Senate agreed to the bill 87 to 12.
To cover the administrative costs of the research programs under S 493 the bill would establish a three-year pilot program that would authorize participating agencies to use up to 3 percent of the R&D amounts set aside for the SBIR program, rather than paying those costs from general operating funds. The pilot program also would allow agencies to use R&D funds to provide outreach and technical assistance to recipients of awards and to carry out additional duties as required under the bill.
S 493 is amendment-heavy and has become a battle ground for ideological and partisan amendments.
S 493 Bill report, amendments, and votes
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Bill Takes Exception to FCC Net Neutrality Rule
Net Neutrality
An FCC rule limiting the extent to which broadband providers can control or limit or charge extra for high volume downloads is protested under the bill as restricting free market elements of the Internet. Supporters of the Rule claim it protects consumers, but the bill's point rests on the definition of 'information'.
Monthly Budget Review
CBO calculates an increase in the budget deficit as compared to this time last year. At $830 billion the amount is $113 billion over last year.
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