MAJORITY WHIPLINE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2019

Floor Schedule and Procedure:

Under a Rule (2 bills):

House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1158 – Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Defense; Commerce, Justice, Science; Financial Services; and Homeland Security (Rep. Lowey – Appropriations)

Highlights of this consolidated national security minibus include $425 million for election security grants, which were not funded in FY 2019; $7.56 billion for the Census Bureau to ensure a fair and accurate 2020 Census; $3.28 billion for grants to state and local law enforcement, an increase of $245.5 million over FY 2019; $22.63 billion for NASA, an increase of $1.13 billion over FY 2019; $8.28 billion for the National Science Foundation, an increase of $203.3 million over FY 2019; and a 3.1% pay raise for federal government employees. In the Homeland Security division, the bill includes $1.375 billion for the border wall, the same amount as FY 2019, and includes new conditions for construction. It also establishes a new Office of Immigration Detention Ombudsman.

Click here for bill text.

Click here for a detailed summary from the House Committee on Appropriations.

House Amendment to the Senate Amendment to H.R. 1865 – Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Agriculture; Energy and Water; Interior; Legislative Branch; Military Construction and Veterans Affairs; State and Foreign Operations; and Transportation and Housing (Rep. Lowey – Appropriations)

Highlights of this consolidated domestic and international assistance minibus include $25 million split between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health for firearms injury and mortality prevention research, the first time this has been funded in more than 20 years; $1.5 billion for state opioid response grants; $9.3 billion for job training, a $178 million increase over FY 2019; $1.35 billion for HOME, a $100 million increase; $9 billion for the EPA, a $207 million increase; and $2.79 billion for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a $469 million increase. It also includes record high funding for Child Care and Community Development Block Grants, Head Start, Title I Education, the National Institutes of Health, and Food for Peace. Additionally, the Military Construction division does not provide backfill or pre-backfill funds for the border wall.

Click here for bill text.

Click here for a detailed summary from the House Committee on Appropriations.

Postponed Suspensions (6 votes)

1. H.R. 4183 – Identifying Barriers and Best Practices Study Act (Rep. Khanna – Veterans’ Affairs)

   This bill requires a multi-year study on VA disability and pension benefits for members of the Reserve Components and National Guard.

3. H.R. 3530 – Improving Confidence in Veterans’ Care Act (Rep. Cloud – Veterans’ Affairs)

   This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to conduct better oversight of its hospitals’ compliance with existing policies on patient safety and quality of care.

5. H.R. 2726 – Banning Smoking on Amtrak Act of 2019 (Rep. Norton – Transportation and Infrastructure

   This bill prohibits smoking and the use of electronic cigarettes on Amtrak trains.

7. H.R. 2548 – HELP ACT, as amended (Rep. Fletcher – Transportation and Infrastructure)

   This bill modifies eligibility for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) grant programs to allow state, local, tribal, and territorial governments to begin certain land acquisition and simple construction which do not require a comprehensive review.

9. H.R. 4719 – FISH SAFE Act, as amended (Rep. Golden – Transportation and Infrastructure)

   This bill restores the federal share of fishing training and research grants back to 75 percent and reauthorizes the safety training and research programs through 2021. The bill also makes several non-controversial changes to certain provisions regarding authorities related to the former United States Lighthouse Service.

11. H.R. 722 – Miracle Mountain Designation Act (Rep. Curtis – Natural Resources)

    This would designate an unnamed mountain in the State of Utah, partially found on the border of the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, as “Miracle Mountain.”

“There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.”

Malcolm X