February 9, 2015

The Affordable Care Act

On Tuesday the House considered H.R. 596, to Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and health care related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010. This legislation completely repeals the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and is the 56th vote taken to either eliminate or weaken the ACA. It’s worth noting that opponents still offer nothing as an alternative to the ACA, their only interest lies in doing away with it. A vote to repeal the ACA means that insurance companies will again be able to deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions and place limits on coverage. Without the ACA, millions of Americans already enrolled would actually lose their health care. I voted NO. H.R. 596 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Unfunded Mandates

On Wednesday the House considered H.R. 50, Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015. This legislation makes the regulatory process more burdensome by imposing additional requirements on agencies. It requires agencies to consult with impacted private businesses before even notifying the public that a rule is being drafted. This gives the private sector more influence over how a rule is developed. H.R. 50 changes current law by allowing agencies to use the legal process to delay or challenge rules. It also greatly expands the reach of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act by extending its requirements to independent regulatory agencies such as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which compromises their independence. I voted NO. H.R. 50 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Small Business Legislation

On Thursday the House considered H.R. 527, Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act. This legislation doesn’t give small businesses any tools to navigate federal regulatory compliance requirements. Instead, it requires agencies to review all of their existing regulations and study their economic impact. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has reviewed similar legislation and found that it could cost close to $100 million for such an extensive review. The result of this sweeping reviewing requirement would be delays in rulemakings that apply to everything from food safety to health care. The Administration has stated that H.R. 527 will be vetoed. I voted NO. H.R. 527 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

What’s Up Next

Next votes will take place on Tuesday February 10th. The House is expected to consider tax legislation and a Keystone XL related bill.