Your Congress At Work (Week Of May 30, 2014)

I will be reporting weekly on what is happening in the US House Of Representatives. For prior reports, be sure to check out my previous blog posts.

H.R. 4660: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015, was passed in the House, and will be sent on to the Senate. 204 Republicans and 117 Democrats voted for passage, and a total of 87 House members voted against. 

According to www.govtracks.us/congress/votes, this bill has only a 28% chance of passing into law. 

This bill proposes a budget of $51.2 billion, including funding in the following areas: 

Commerce

H.R. 4660 would slash funding to programs that conserve and restore fisheries and aquatic habitats. 

Legal Service Corp. (LSC) has 800 offices nation-wide and provides free or low-cost legal services to low-income people. H. Amdt. 736 proposes slashing the LSC budget by $350 million, but 186 Democrats and 104 Republicans said NO WAY. (116 Republicans liked the idea, and wanted the $350 million to be applied to the spending reduction account.) 

H. Amdt. 745 prohibits the use of funds to prevent a State from implementing its own laws that authorize the use, distribution, possession, or cultivation of industrial hemp.  Only 66 Republicans voted for this amendment, along with 171 Democrats for a total of 237 in favor (154 Republicans and 16 Democrats voted against the amendment). 

Justice 

H.R. 4660 increases FBI funding to combat human trafficking and violence against women, and to combat foreign hacking of government computer systems. 

H. Amdt. 698, a proposal to reduce funding for periodic census taking by $3 million in order to increase funding for COPS grants, which provides local communities grants to add to police forces, by an equivalent amount. This amendment was passed when 136 Republicans and 170 Democrats voted for, and 106 voted against. 

The Bureau of Prisons, which operates 119 prisons nation-wide, received an additional $7 billion for handling in excess of 215,000 inmates currently in federal custody. 

H. Amdt. 708 was passed when 213 Republicans and 5 Democrats voted “aye.” This amendment will reduce, then increase funding for salaries, expenses and general administration of the Dept. of Justice, by $5 million.  

H. Amdt. 718 would reduce funding for salaries and expenses for the DEA by $18 million in order to increase funding for LSC by $15 million. This amendment did not pass muster, with 212 Republicans and 26 Democrats voting against. 

H. Amdt. 704 passed in a 260 for, 145 against, vote, with 184 Democrats taking the lead in passing the amendment, which provides increased funding for the National Instant Criminal Background Check system which provides States the funds to improve their supply of information on felons, domestic violence convictions, and the mentally ill for background checks when guns are bought from federally licensed gun dealers. The funds will be accumulated by decreasing funds from DOJ management and the Justice Information Sharing Technology program. 

Science Agencies 

H. Amdt. 699 is a two-fold amendment, on which 212 Republicans and 128 Democrats voted for passage. This amendment will 1) reduce funding for periodic census taking by $12 million, and 2) increase funding to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the purpose of weather research by a similar amount. 

The National Weather Service will receive increased funding for weather forecasts if H.R. 4660 passes in the Senate, as will NASA’s Mars exploration program and NASA’s program to return to the moon. Increased funding will go to study the role of mental health and videogames in causing gun violence. Additional funds will also be allotted for research of the brain and neuroscience, and programs to combat the abuse of prescription drugs. 

However, if H.R. 4660 passes in the Senate, climate-change research will receive fewer funds than in previous years. 

For more information, go to https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr4660#. 

image credit cagle.com 'Stooges In Congress'