February 10, 2017

Back to the Eighties on Public Lands

The House was in session for two days this week. All votes detailed in the newsletter took place on Tuesday. The first was H.J. Res. 44, Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to the Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. This resolution nullifies the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)’s updated Resource Management Planning Rule. The rule in question updates the requirements for maintaining Resource Management Plans (RMPs) which are used for the 245 million acres of public lands as well as 200 million acres containing minerals of various kinds. It has not been revised since the 1980’s. The new framework increases public participation, mandates the use of most relevant and updated science and takes into account climate change. Nullifying this BLM update takes planning back decades to the 1980’s. I voted NO. The resolution passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Leave Some Children Behind

On Tuesday the House also considered H.J. Res. 57, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. This resolution rejects a rule that applies to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Its purpose is to help states implement accountability plans. The rule gives school systems guidance on implementing academic standards, fulfilling reporting requirements and managing resource allocation. Many states have already begun to revise their academic plans based on this rule, which was voted down Tuesday. I voted NO. The resolution passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Let’s Leave Some Teachers Behind Too

Finally on Tuesday the House considered H.J. Res. 58, Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues. The purpose of the rule is to enhance the transparency and quality of teacher preparation programs. It gives prospective teachers valuable information about preparation programs so that they may choose the one that works best for them. This resolution deprives teachers of important tools that they can use to become more effective in the classroom. I voted NO. The resolution passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Behind the Curtain

Here are this week’s additions. If you need to catch up or share with friends, you can find the full list here. We begin where we left off:

17. On February 3, 2017 the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) removed all animal welfare inspection reports from their website, making them inaccessible to the general public. The documents removed include records of abuse and enforcement actions against research laboratories, zoos, dog breeding operations and other animal related facilities. These records are now only available via a Freedom of Information Request. Information once readily available has now vanished, shielding cases of animal abuse from the public. Now, we have no way of readily knowing whether the zoo in our community or the dog breeder our neighbor recommended violated animal protection laws.
18. On February 3, 2017 the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) prohibited 9 companies from providing discounted high-speed internet service to low-income individuals. The ability to access the internet is no longer a luxury. It is an important economic tool and necessary for those seeking employment opportunities because most job openings are advertised online. Most job applications are now online as well.
19. On February 3, 2017 the FCC withdrew an effort to keep prison phone rates down. In some instances, prisoners’ phone calls went as high as $14 a minute. With this recent FCC action, rates will once again soar beyond what is reasonable.
20. On February 3, 2017 the FCC also chose not to pursue a proposal that would have reduced the cost of cable boxes. Until this month, the FCC had been advancing a proposal that would allow consumers to buy a cable box from a third party rather than be required to pay a monthly rental fee to their cable provider.

What’s Up Next

The next House votes are scheduled for Monday February 13th. At this writing, a floor schedule is not available.