H.J. Res. 117, the Continuing Appropriations Resolution

 Summary: The House passed legislation to ensure that discretionary federal operations will remain funded for six months. H. J. Res. 117 provides a six-month extension of appropriated funding for discretionary government operations through March 27, 2013. Under current law, appropriated funding for discretionary spending is set to expire after September 30, 2012: the end of the fiscal year. According to CBO,  H.J.Res. 117 would provide $1.047 trillion in regular appropriated funding for government operations on an annualized basis.  The funding in the CR is consistent with discretionary spending caps contained in the Budget Control Act (BCA, S. 365). Regular appropriated funding in the bill is $7.9 billion or 0.6 percent higher than FY 2012. Including funding for Overseas Contingency Operations/Global War on Terrorism ($99.9 billion) and disaster relief ($6.4 billion), total spending in the bill is $26.6 billion below total FY 2012 spending levels, CBO reports.

Rep. Farenthold Votes: YES

Passed the House by a vote of 329-91

H.R. 6365, National Security and Job Protection Act

Summary: On Thursday, the House voted to repeal the looming sequester upon enactment of legislation to replace the automatic cuts with responsible reductions. This act repeals the across-the-board defense and non-defense discretionary spending cuts scheduled to occur on January 2, 2013, upon the enactment of H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012, or any legislation that offsets the automatic sequester with equal or greater spending reductions over the next five years. The bill in and of itself would not repeal the sequester. However, it would ensure that if any legislation to replace the sequester with alternative spending reductions were enacted, the sequester would be shut off. In the event that the sequestration is replaced, the bill would lower the discretionary spending cap for FY 2013 from $1.047 trillion to $1.028 trillion. 
Rep. Farenthold Votes: YES

Passed the House by a vote of 223-196

H.R. 6213, No More Solyndras Act 

Summary: The Department of Energy (DOE) guaranteed a $535 million loan to Solyndra, the California solar panel manufacturer that ultimately went bankrupt last September.  The committee’s investigation revealed DOE’s loan guarantee program to be poorly managed and lacking sufficient safeguards for American taxpayers.  Solyndra filed for bankruptcy on September 6, 2011, and two days later was raided by the FBI on September 8, 2011. The Energy and Commerce Committee conducted an extensive investigation into Solyndra, resulting in this bill. The No More Solyndras Act will phase out the DOE’s mismanaged loan guarantee program and provide taxpayers strong new protections for any pending applications in the program.  The legislation provides for greater loan guarantee transparency and prohibits DOE from restructuring the terms of any loan guarantee without Treasury consultation.  The Act reaffirms that subordination of U.S. taxpayers’ interest to any other investors is forbidden.
Rep. Farenthold Votes: YES

Passed the House by a vote of 245-161