Weekly Wrap 02/07/2020
This week, President Trump delivered his State of the Union Address before a joint session of Congress. Prior to his speech, the New Democrat Coalition’s (NDC) Leadership Members sent a letter to the President urging him to focus on issues that can unite Democrats and Republicans. There are many issues on which the NDC and President Trump disagree, but the Coalition wants to get things done and make progress on the shared priorities that are most important to the American people.
The NDC announced its endorsement of legislation put forward by the NDC Health Care Task Force. The slate of bills aims to strengthen the nation’s existing health care system, expand coverage, and drive down costs for Americans. The package builds on the NDC’s previous endorsements of H.R. 1425, The State Healthcare Premium Reduction Act, and H.R. 584, The Incentivizing Medicaid Expansion Act made earlier this Congress.
More on what Members have been up to below.
Coalition Highlights
NDC Endorses Slate of Bills to Strengthen the Health Care System
The NDC, led by NDC Health Care Task Force Co-Chairs Angie Craig (MN-02), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Greg Stanton (AZ-09), endorsed a slate of seven health care bills that present innovative and commonsense solutions to improve our health care system, expand coverage, and reduce costs for Americans. Read more in POLITICO’s Morning Pulse.
Prior to the 2020 State of the Union, NDC Leadership Members sent a letter to President Trump urging him to move past partisan rhetoric and focus on working across the aisle to address the issues that matter most to Americans: improving the existing health care system; rebuilding our nation’s crumbling infrastructure; prioritizing a future that helps Americans navigate the rapidly evolving nature of work; reducing carbon emissions; and, restoring the United States’ role as a leader of the multi-lateral system and global world order. Read the full letter.
Member Highlights
Floor Action
NDC Future of Work Task Force Co-Chair Haley Stevens (MI-08) introduced an amendment to direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the feasibility of sectoral bargaining for non-traditional workers. Rep. Stevens also spoke to the importance of Congress exploring other innovative solutions to modernize the social contract for the 21st century, including portable benefits and how to best design our worker classification system for today. At the end of last year, Rep. Stevens co-led a letter on behalf of the NDC to the Education & Labor Committee Chair Bobby Scott sharing the Coalition’s Economic Opportunity Agenda: A Future That Works report and urging consideration of solutions that preserve the flexibility of alternative work while expanding protections and benefits for all workers.
House Passes Fletcher, Malinowski’s Legislation to Increase Funding and Protections for Estuaries
The House passed Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) and Tom Malinowski’s (NJ-07) bipartisan Protect and Restore America’s Estuaries Act to reauthorize and increase funding for the National Estuary Program (NEP), which works to protect the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries across the country.
House Passes Bipartisan Legislation Led by New Dem Members to Pair Veterans with Service Animals
The House passed NDC’s Leadership Member Kathleen Rice (NY-04), Freshman Whip Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-39), and Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s (MI-) bipartisan Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act to create a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to give veterans access to treatment derived from working with service dogs. Watch Rep. Sherrill, Rep. Rice, and Rep. Slotkin on the bill.
The House Passes Heck, Kilmer’s PUGET SOS Act
The House passed Rep. Denny Heck (WA-10) and NDC Chair Derek Kilmer’s (WA-06)the Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act with bipartisan support to address climate issues affecting Puget Sound, the nation’s largest estuary by volume. The bill establishes a Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), codifies the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force dedicated to Puget Sound recovery, and provides $50 million in funding for these efforts.
Committee Action
Energy & Commerce Committee Holds Hearing on Peters’ NDC-Endorsed Environmental Carbon Capture Bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on NDC Vice Chair Scott Peters’ (CA-52) New Dem endorsed the Utilizing Significant Emissions with Innovative Technologies (USE IT) Act, which supports the development and demonstration of vital carbon capture and removal technologies. Earlier this Congress, the bill was endorsed by the Coalition and included in its first slate of climate bills following the rollout of the New Dem Priorities for U.S. Climate Policy.
Bill Introductions
DelBene Introduces Legislation to Support American Manufacturers and Build a Clean Economy
NDC Vice Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) introduced the Resolution on the Environmental Goods Agreement, which would direct the Trump Administration to restart and conclude negotiations on the Environmental Goods Agreement between several World Trade Organization (WTO) nations and the United States.
Maloney Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Improve America’s Infrastructure
Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) introduced the bipartisan Bridge Investment Act to invest $20 billion into repairing America’s structurally deficient bridges and create meaningful, good-paying jobs throughout the nation.
Sewell, Cárdenas Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Increase Medicare and Medicaid Transparency
NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell (AL-07) and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) introduced the bipartisan Strengthening Innovation in Medicare and Medicaid Act to increase transparency and accountability within the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI).
Lee Introduces Bipartisan Child Care Expansion Bill
Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced the bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act, which would grant non-profit childcare providers access to the same types of Small Business Administration (SBA) loans available to for-profit businesses.
Larsen, Carson Introduce Legislation to Better Protect Americans From the Flu
Reps. Rick Larsen (WA-02) and André Carson (IN-07) introduced two bills to better protect Americans from the flu. The Protecting Americans from Seasonal Influenza Act establishes a grant program for states to better prepare communities against seasonal flu by increasing vaccination rates. The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Update Act would require the White House to update its plan to prepare for, detect, and respond to a flu pandemic.
Member Happenings
Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) sent a letter to House Leadership urging them to address a key surprise medical billing issue for rural communities by including protections for emergency air ambulance trips in any final agreement on surprise medical billing legislation.
Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-09) sent a letter to President Trump ahead of the State of the Union, urging him to use the address as an opportunity to call for bipartisan work on infrastructure: “My colleagues on both sides of the aisle agree that we need solutions to modernize and revitalize our nation’s highways, airports, bridges, waterways and transit systems… I hope the President seizes the opportunity in his address to bring Congress together on the issue of infrastructure and set forth a clear course of action.”
Pappas Calls on VA to Ensure Corrective Action is Taken to Improve Veterans’ Access to Timely Care
Rep. Chris Pappas (NH-01) reacted to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report which found that the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) has failed to take meaningful action to address deficiencies in key medical supplies purchasing programs that are responsible for delays to care for veterans. Rep. Pappas called on the VA to reiterate his commitment to working with his colleagues and the VA to resolve this issue.
NDC Vice Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02) met with the New Hampshire Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office to receive an update on DEA drug interdiction efforts and to discuss her recent work to extend fentanyl scheduling before it was set to expire on February 6th.
Kilmer Joins Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe to Discuss Their Re-Entry Program
NDC Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) joined the Port Gallam S’Klallam Tribe to discuss their Re-Entry Program, which helps individuals with criminal records overcome barriers to employment. The discussion centered around the ways in which they can collaborate to ensure funding continues for these programs.
[INSERT STANTON PHOTO TOURING TRIBAL LANDS & DAVIDS/STANTON HEARING PHOTO]
Houlahan Tours Small Businesses to Find New Ways to Help Them Thrive
NDC Freshman Leadership Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) toured multiple small businesses throughout her district to discuss the challenges they face and potential solutions to help them thrive.
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