Rokita Report 9-21-12

Rep. Todd Rokita

Sep 21, 2012

Dear Friend,

Thank you for the opportunity to update you on the work of the 112th Congress. I trust this finds you and your family well.

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This Week 9/16 - 9/22/12

This week, the House considered legislation to battle President Obama’s “war on coal,” to prioritize visas for foreign graduates of American universities in the STEM (science/technology/engineering/math) fields, and to provide for congressional disapproval of a rule allowing states to waive welfare work requirements.

For a full list of all legislation considered this week, you can review the Majority Leader’s Weekly Schedule.

This week is also Constitution Week, in which we commemorate the adoption of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787. This was the first time that all of the best ideas for the self-governance of man were brought together in one place, and it changed the world. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to set aside some time to read the full text of this great founding document of our republic: https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/.

On the House Floor This Week

Stop the War on Coal Act, H.R. 3409
This bill is a combination of five proposals that have all separately passed the House with bipartisan support: the Energy Tax Prevention Act, the Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation (TRAIN) Act, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act, the Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act, and theCoal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act.

The Energy Tax Prevention Act is designed to stop President Obama’s EPA from using the Clean Air Act to impose costly greenhouse gas regulations that would burden broad sectors of the economy.

The TRAIN Act requires an interagency committee to analyze the cumulative economic impacts of EPA’s power sector regulations in an effort to better understand how these policies affect jobs, energy prices, and electricity reliability.

The Coal Residuals Act provides for the safe management and disposal of coal ash in a way that preserves jobs and encourages recycling.

The Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act blocks EPA’s authority over the states regarding the setting of quality water standards

Finally, the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing regulations that would adversely impact mining jobs and the economy.

Passed with bipartisan support: 233-175
I voted Yea.

Congressional Disapproval of Welfare Work Waivers, H.J. Res. 118

This legislation formally disapproves the Obama Administration’s efforts to weaken the 1996 welfare reform law and prevents the administration from implementing its plan to waive work requirements for welfare recipients, critical reforms that have helped lift millions of American families out of poverty. Click here for a video of my remarks at our House Education and Workforce Committee markup last week, when we approved this legislation:

Passed with bipartisan support: 250-164
I voted Yea.

STEM Jobs Act, H.R. 6429

The STEM Jobs Act would end the diversity lottery green card program and allocate as many as 55,000 green cards per year to eligible foreign graduates with advanced degrees from U.S. universities. The green cards first be made available to foreign graduates with doctorates, and then to foreign graduates with master’s degrees.

There is bipartisan agreement on the need for STEM visas, and this bill would have been a meaningful and sensible step to promote the legal immigration that our country needs. I hear from business leaders in Indiana all the time about the constant demand for high-skilled workers in the STEM fields, such as our medical device industry. Through our state universities like Purdue, Hoosier taxpayers invest significant resources in educating the best and brightest students from other countries, only to see them return overseas after they graduate. We need to keep these graduates here so that Indiana and the rest of the country can benefit from their talents.

Failed: 257-158 (2/3 of present and voting members needed for passage on this vote, under suspension of the rules)
I voted Yea.

This week, I received the “Tax Fighter Award” and an “A” grade from the National Tax Limitation Committee for my leadership on tax and spending issues. I also had the chance to visit with members of the Indiana Chamber of Commerce during their annual DC Fly-In, and to participate in the Chamber’s panel discussion along with other members of the Indiana delegation.

Last Week 9/9 - 9/15/12

Last week, I introduced the Voter Registration Integrity Act along with Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan. This bill directs states to implement a voter registration check and verification when individuals move. Currently, when individuals move out of state and register their new address with their new state’s motor vehicle department, they are also asked if they would like to register to vote. The Voter Registration Integrity Act would require state motor vehicle departments to determine whether individuals want their new location to serve as their residence for voting in federal elections, and if so, to notify their former state of residence so they can be removed from the old voter registration rolls. As former secretaries of state in our respective states, Rep. Miller and I can both attest that this would be a valuable tool to help election administrators ensure the integrity and accuracy of voter rolls.

I also met with Hoosier business owners and representatives including the National Association of Wholesale Distributors, the Indiana Pork Advocacy Coalition, St. Vincent Health, the American College of Cardiology, the Indiana Ethanol Producers Association, and the Indiana Farm Bureau (pictured below). I also received the Guardian of Small Business Award from the National Federation of Independent Business and the Friend of Farm Bureau Award from the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Additionally, I spoke with the current class of the Hoosier Congressional Policy Leadership Series organized by the Indiana Family Institute. I have the honor of serving as their class mentor this year and have had the opportunity to visit with them on several occasions.

Key Votes on the House Floor Last Week

National Security and Job Protection Act, H.R. 6365
This bill would repeal the across-the-board defense and non-defense spending cuts known as the automatic sequester, if legislation is passed that offsets the sequester with equal or greater spending reductions over the next five years.

Passed with bipartisan support: 223-196
I voted Yea.

FISA Amendments Reauthorization, H.R. 5949
FISA is the law governing surveillance of foreign nationals outside of the U.S. and the Reauthorization bill extends the program through 2017.

Passed with bipartisan support: 301-118
I voted Yea.

Continuing Resolution, H.J. Res. 117
A spending measure that provides funding for the federal government the first six months of FY 2013.

Passed with bipartisan support: 329-91
I voted Yea.

No More Solyndras Act, H.R. 6213
This legislation phases out the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee program and imposes additional requirements for applications currently pending review.

Passed with bipartisan support: 245-161
I voted Yea.

At the Committee
Committee on Education and the Workforce
Last Wednesday, Sept. 12, the HELP Subcommittee and Higher Education and Workforce Training Subcommittee held a joint hearing on various issues regarding the National Labor Relations Board’s expansion into higher education. In the hearing I questioned witnesses about the NLRB’s attempts to assert a broader authority over religiously affiliated higher education institutions. You can view my exchange with committee witnesses here.

Additionally, the full committee held a markup of a joint resolution for congressional disapproval of the rule submitted by the Administration for Children and Families allowing states to waive the work requirements under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). To watch a video of my remarks about the importance of protecting the American ideal of earned success, click here.

In Case You Missed It

1st Annual Red Tape Rollback Report

RAISE Act - Commentary: It's time for a new Labor Day

Chronicle of Higher Education - House Republicans Denounce Federal Labor Board's Actions as Threatening Colleges

PJ Media - Two Ex-Secretaries of State Introduce Bill to Clean Up Voter Rolls

For additional news items, please visit my In the News page.

Rokita Readings
A clickable offering of books and articles that I've read recently and highly recommend, as we strive together to "Keep the Republic."

Although our most recent recession officially lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, the reality is that our economy is still struggling. This recent Wall Street Journal piece about the fragile recovery, “When Even Pessimism May Be Too Optimistic,” says that our economy is “barely flying at stall speed” – a metaphor I understand well as an aviator.

The column, by David Wessel, outlines many of the challenges we face, including slowing retail sales, a weak manufacturing sector, and an ongoing recession in one of our biggest overseas markets, Europe. Add that to the recent instability in the Middle East and the looming “fiscal cliff” here at home, and we have a recipe for continued economic struggles.

The economy is complex, and government cannot bring about a recovery by force of will. But one thing we can do to give some certainty to the private sector is to stop the tax hike looming at the end of this year, and enact comprehensive tax reform next year to make the tax code fairer, flatter, and simpler. In August, the House approved legislation to do both of these things. I’ll continue leading the fight on this issue and on other initiatives, such as Red Tape Rollback, to allow our Hoosier job creators to do what they do best.

Thank you for your continued interest in Congress and for supporting my efforts in Washington. Take care.

Sincerely,