No excuse for being uninfomed

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August 1, 2017 In this MegaVote for Massachusetts' 9th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes Senate: Bernhardt Nomination – Confirmation Senate: Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – Motion to Proceed Senate: Sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea Senate: Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – “Skinny” Repeal Amendment House: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Arbitration Rule Disapproval House: Four Bill Fiscal 2018 Appropriations Minibus House: Fiscal 2018 Intelligence Authorization House: Veterans Choice Fund Authorization Upcoming Congressional Bills Senate: Nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit Senate: FDA User Fees Senate: Nomination of Marvin Kaplan to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board Senate: Veterans Choice Fund Authorization Senate: Nomination of Christopher A. Wray to be a Director of the FBI Editor's Note: The House is in the August district work period and not doing any legislative business until Sept. 5. Recent Senate Votes Bernhardt Nomination – Confirmation - Vote Confirmed (53-43, 4 Not Voting) The Senate confirmed the nomination of David Bernhardt to be deputy secretary of the Interior. Sen. Edward Markey voted NO Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted NO Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – Motion to Proceed - Vote Agreed to (51-50) McConnell, R-Ky., motion to proceed to the bill would make extensive changes to the 2010 health care overhaul law, by effectively repealing the individual and employer mandates as well as most of the taxes that finance the current system and by making extensive changes to Medicaid. Vice President Mike Pence voted yes as the tie breaking vote. Sen. Edward Markey voted NO Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted NO Sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea - Vote Agreed to (98-2) The Senate passed the bill that would codify certain existing sanctions on Russia, including various sanctions tied to Russia's aggression in Ukraine, Moscow's annexation of Crimea, and malicious cyber activities relating to the 2016 U.S. elections. The bill would establish multiple new sanctions on Russia, including sanctions on entities conducting malicious cyber activity on behalf of the Russian government and entities which conduct business with the Russian intelligence and defense sectors.  Sen. Edward Markey voted YES Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted YES Health Care Marketplace Overhaul – “Skinny” Repeal Amendment - Vote Rejected (49-51) McConnell, R-Ky., second-degree amendment to the McConnell substitute amendment to the bill in which the second-degree amendment would repeal the individual mandate, repeal the employer mandate through 2024, delay the implementation of the medical device tax through 2020, and block, for one year, federal funding from going to certain medical providers that provide abortions. The amendment would ease the waiver process for states to opt out of the requirement that their health insurance providers include certain benefits on their health care plans. Additionally, the amendment would increase the maximum allowable contribution to health savings accounts and would defund the Prevention and Public Health Fund starting in 2019. Sen. Edward Markey voted NO Sen. Elizabeth Warren voted NO Recent House Votes Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Arbitration Rule Disapproval - Vote Passed (231-190, 12 Not Voting) The House passed the joint resolution that would provide for congressional disapproval of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s final arbitration rule which prohibits financial services companies that offer financial products to consumers from using arbitration clauses to stop consumers from being part of a class action lawsuit. Rep. William Keating voted NO Four Bill Fiscal 2018 Appropriations Minibus - Vote Passed (235-192, 6 Not Voting) The minibus would include the following appropriations bills: (Defense, Energy-Water, Legislative Branch and Military Construction-VA). Defense appropriations (HR 3219) would provide $658.1 billion for the Defense Department and $73.9 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism funding. Energy-Water appropriations (HR 3266) would provide $37.6 billion for national defense nuclear weapons activities, the Army Corps of Engineers and various programs under the Energy. Legislative branch appropriations (HR 3162) would provide $3.6 billion (excluding Senate only items) for the House and joint operations. Military Construction-VA appropriations (HR 2998) would provide $88.8 billion in discretionary funding with $638 million for the Overseas Contingency Operations fund. It would provide a total of $182.3 billion (in mandatory and discretionary funding) for the Veterans Affairs Department. The bill would provide $1.6 billion in funding to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for procurement, construction and improvement of a barrier along the southern U.S. border. Rep. William Keating voted NO Fiscal 2018 Intelligence Authorization - Vote Passed (380-35, 18 Not Voting) The House passed the bill that would authorize classified amounts of funding through fiscal 2018 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities, including the Office of the National Intelligence Director, the CIA and the National Security Agency. The bill would require the director of National Intelligence to submit to Congress multiple reports regarding Russia's campaigns directed at foreign elections and its efforts related to cyber influence, including an analytical assessment of the most significant Russian influence campaigns, if any, conducted during the three years prior to the bill's enactment. Rep. William Keating voted YES Veterans Choice Fund Authorization - Vote Passed (414-0, 19 Not Voting) The House passed the amended bill that would make available an additional $2.1 billion in funding for the Veterans Choice Fund, without fiscal year limitation. The bill would extend until Sept. 30, 2027, the current cap on per-month payment of VA pensions to certain veterans residing at VA nursing care facilities. Rep. William Keating voted YES Upcoming Votes Nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit - PN372 The Senate will vote on the nomination of Kevin Newsom to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the 11th Circuit. FDA User Fees - HR2430 The bill would reauthorize the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) user fee programs for prescription drugs, medical devices, generic drugs and biosimilar biological products through FY 2022. It significantly modifies the fee structure for FDA prescription drug user fees to codify the agreement reached last year by the FDA and pharmaceutical industry, while also modifying FDA fee structures for medical devices, generic drugs and biosimilars. It also includes provisions to accelerate the review and approval of generic drugs, allow certain classes of medical devices to be reviewed by accredited persons and laboratories, and provide for federal regulation of over-the-counter hearing aids. Nomination of Marvin Kaplan to be a Member of the National Labor Relations Board - PN681 The Senate will vote on Marvin Kaplan to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board. Veterans Choice Fund Authorization - S114 The Senate will consider the House-amended bill that would make available an additional $2.1 billion in funding for the Veterans Choice Fund, without fiscal year limitation. The bill would extend until Sept. 30, 2027, the current cap on per-month payment of VA pensions to certain veterans residing at VA nursing care facilities. Nomination of Christopher A. Wray to be a Director of the FBI - PN696 The Senate will vote on Christopher A. Wray to be director of the FBI for a term of 10 years.