July 10, 2015

Education

On Wednesday the House considered H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. This legislation reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through FY 2019. H.R. 5 funds ESEA programming at FY 2015 appropriated levels every year which doesn’t account for inevitable inflation or a projected increase in students. H.R. 5 takes all of the programs covered through Title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) and combines them into a single block grant program. It also voids an existing requirement ensuring Title I funds are spent on students living in high poverty areas. H.R. 5 underfunds education and diminishes protections currently in place so that available funds are directed where they are most needed. I voted NO. H.R. 5 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Forests

On Thursday the House considered H.R. 2647, the Resilient Federal Forests Act. This legislation updates practices on federal forest lands that address wildfires and timber production. In the process, however, H.R. 2647 establishes new exemptions under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) that will limit environmental review. It exempts NEPA requirements for some actions, and expands the categories of forest activity that can proceed without environmental oversight. I voted NO. H.R. 2647 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding

On Friday the House considered H.R. 6, the 21st Century Cures Act. This legislation establishes the NIH and Cures Innovation Fund which will provide close to $9 billion in additional funding over 5 years so the NIH can expand the scope of its research. Funds can be used to support early stage experimentation as well as areas that have previously lacked sufficient research dollars such as precision medicine and biomarkers. Additional funding not only spurs important discoveries, it also stimulates the economy by creating jobs. This is of particular importance in Massachusetts where so much biomedical and scientific research is taking place in our hospitals and universities. H.R. 6 gives the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enhanced tools to review and test drugs. This could help make newly approved treatments more quickly available to patients. Like all legislation, H.R. 6 is not perfect but I believe its potential benefits outweigh any concerns I have. There will be an opportunity in the Senate to improve H.R. 6 and I am hopeful the final result will be a law that infuses much needed funding into important areas of medical research. I voted YES. H.R. 6 passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

South Sudan

This week South Sudan marked its fourth anniversary of independence from Sudan. Tragically, the South Sudanese people are still at great risk. I introduced the South Sudan Peace Promotion and Accountability Act Thursday with Representatives Tom Rooney (R-FL), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) to promote a negotiated settlement that could bring lasting peace and stability to South Sudan.

Thousands of South Sudanese civilians have been killed and more than two million have fled their homes since fighting broke out in December of 2013. Our legislation directs the President to provide Congress with a strategy that will support the U.N. peacekeeping mission, advance reconciliation, investigate human rights abuses, and ease the refugee crisis. It codifies into U.S. law sanctions against individuals who have undermined the peace process, and urges all parties involved in the conflict to immediately cease all violence and work toward a negotiated, transparent settlement.

Millions of South Sudanese citizens continue to suffer in this horrific conflict, bringing the region closer to a humanitarian disaster. While the United States is the world’s leading humanitarian donor to South Sudan, it is clear more must be done to pressure warring parties to establish a transitional government and bring peace to their people. The United States must renew its commitment to helping South Sudan become a country of peace and prosperity.

What’s Up Next

The next House votes are scheduled for Monday July 13th. At this writing, a list of legislation expected to be considered has not been finalized.