Congressional Dish

Do you want to know where your food comes from? Well, Congress is in the process of repealing our Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) law because the World Trade Organization says our meat labels are internationally illegal. In this special episode, we take a look at the World Trade Organization: What is it? Where did it come from? How is it possible that it is determining our laws? Executive Producer: Stephen McMahan Executive Producer: Leslie Behan Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Please Support GovTrack's Kickstarter Upcoming Meet-Ups Orinda, September 2, 2015 6:30pm - 8:00pm: Rep. Mark DeSaulinier's Town Hall Meeting Orinda Library Auditorium 8:15pm - ?: Piccolo Napoli The Bills H.R. 2393: Country of Origin Labeling Amendments Act of 2015 Removes beef and pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels Removes ground beef and ground pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Removes "chicken, in whole or in part" from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Eliminates voluntary programs for labeling the country of origin of beef. Passed the House of Representatives 300-131 Sponsored by Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas's 11th district 4 pages S. 1844: Voluntary Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) and Trade Enhancement Act of 2015 Removes beef and pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels Removes ground beef and ground pork from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Removes "chicken, in whole or in part" from the list of items that must have mandatory country of origin labels. Creates a voluntary program for packers who want to include country of origin labels for beef, pork, or chicken. Has not passed the House of Representatives or the Senate Sponsored by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota 5 pages Information Presented in This Episode Country of Origin Labels USDA fact sheet on the country of origin labels World Trade Organization documents related to the case the United States lost regarding our country of origin labels. Panel Members for the country of origin label WTO case: Chairman: Dr. Christian Haberli of Switzerland Was a trade negotiator for Switzerland during the Uruguay round and has been a WTO panelist since 1996 Manzoor Ahmad of Pakistan He's a Senior Executive at World Trade Advisors Regional Trade Advisor for Deloitte Consulting, the self-proclaimed "world's largest consulting firm", Joao Magalhaes of Portugal World Trade Organization World Trade Organization has 161 member countries The House of Representatives voted 288-146 to create the World Trade Organization on November 29, 1994. The U.S. Senate voted 76-24 to create the World Trade Organization on December 1, 1994. The World Trade Organization's creation became law when signed by President Clinton on December 8, 1994. Additional Information European Commission fact sheet on the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) International Monetary Fund: Frequently asked questions regarding Greece International Monetary Fund wants Greece to sell of their banks, rails, ports, utilities and airports in return for loans. Article: Greece approves first privatisation deal under Syriza, EurActiv.com, August 19, 2015. Article: For most workers, real wages have barely budged for decades by Drew Desilver, Pew Research Center, October 9, 2014. Speech: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Singapore Management University, November 2012 (transcript) Article: Courting Unions, Hillary Clinton Says She Didn't Work on Trans-Pacific Partnership by Josh Eidelson of Bloomberg, July 30, 2015. Sound Clip Sources Panel Discussion: GATT Treaty Negotiations, C-SPAN, April 15, 1994 Ralph Nader, founder of Public Citizen James Sheehan, analyst for the Competitive Enterprise Institute Hearing: General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, October 18, 1994 Laurence Tribe, Professor at Harvard Law School Ralph Nader, founder of Public Citizen Panel Discussion: Beyond NAFTA and Gatt, Southern Center for International Studies, April 20, 1994. Arthur Dunkel Former Director General of the United Nations Wrote the "Dunkel Draft" in 1991, a 500 page general outline of what became the WTO 3 years later "Retired" from GATT in 1993, became a "trade consultant", and served on the board of Nestle Was a registered WTO dispute panelist Alejandro Orfila Former Secretary General of the Organization of American States 1953: Director of Information at the Organization of American States right after it was formed 1962: Created a lobbying firm, specializing in the interests of U.S. firms investing in or trading with Latin America 1964: Political advisor to the Director of the Adela Investment Company, the largest multinational development corporation in Latin America 1975: Became Secretary General of the Organization of American States until 1984 James Callaghan Former Prime Minister of the UK Andreas von Agt Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Press Conference: Country of Origin Labeling, U.S. Capitol, January 7, 2004 Former Senator Tom Daschle of South Dakota Tom Buis, Vice President of the National Farmers Union Hearing: H.R. 2393 & H.R. 2685 Markup, House Rules Committee, June 9, 2015. Rep. Michael Conway of Texas Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut Rep. Louise Slaughter of New York Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Globalisation: The Pirate Song

Lots of new laws! Hear all about the final version of fast track and other trade related dingleberries, new measures to combat human trafficking, and new benefits for veterans. In this episode, you'll also learn about the bills that passed at least one branch of Congress in May, which include a poisonous scientific research funding bill, an anti-abortion bill, lots of bills to funnel taxpayer money into private pockets, bills that benefit veterans' families, and more. After the break, get the details for the Chicago and Miami meet-ups, an update on the Congressional Dish Arms Race, and hear a indisputable argument for why train travel is superior to plane travel. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Meet Up Times & Locations Chicago: Wednesday, August 5th 6:30pm: Sweetwater Tavern & Grille 225 Michigan Ave Chicago, IL 60601 (312) 698-7111 Co-Hosted by Kevin and Loren, hosts of Political Discontent Radio Miami: Tuesday, August 18th 7pm: Emerge Miami Meeting 6pm: Meet and Greet 7pm: Meeting begins Sweat Records 5505 NE 2nd Ave. Miami, FL 33137 (786) 693-9309 8:30pm: Elwoods Gastro Pub 188 NE 3rd Avenue Miami, FL 33132 (305) 358-5222 Laws H.R. 2146: Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act Became the vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority to become law Allows Federal law enforcement officers, firefighters, and air traffic controllers with 20 years experience to avoid a 10% tax penalty if they withdraw from their retirement plans after age 50, instead of 59.5 years old. The effects of this on the budget will not be counted. Passed 407-5 Sponsored by Rep. David Reichert of Washington 43 pages Did Your Rep & Senators Vote for Fast Track? Check your Senators' Votes on H.R. 1314 Check your Representative's Vote on H.R. 2146 H.R. 1295: Trade Preferences Extension Act Title I: Extension of African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Background Original African Growth and Opportunity Act was signed into law by President Clinton in 2000. Allows certain products from some African countries to be imported tax-free. Oil accounted for 68% of these imports in 2014; "despite remaining the top U.S. import under AGOA, U.S. oil imports from the region have fallen by 80% or nearly $40 billion since 2011." Clothes and vehicles from South Africa are the other main products imported tax-free under this law The law was going to expire on September 30, 2015. The assistance is intended to "encourage governments to Liberalize trade policy Harmonize laws and regulations with WTO membership commitments Engage in financial and fiscal restructuring Promote greater agribusiness linkages. Reauthorization Highlights Extends the AGOA until September 30, 2025 Eliminates the President's ability to terminate an African country's eligibility for the program without notifying Congress and the country 60 days before. Creates an annual public comment period regarding whether the African countries are meeting their eligibility requirements. Increases the number of people employed full time to make sure African food exports meet U.S. food safety standards from 20 to 30. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that extending this program will cost us $2.8 billion in lost tax revenue by 2025 Title II: Extension of Generalized System of Preferences Background A bigger program for allowing products to be imported tax-free into the United States, which was first created in 1974. President Obama terminated Russia's status as a Generalized System of Preferences country in October 2014, after the invasion of Crimea. Extension Highlights Extends the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program until December, 2017. Backdates the effective date to July 31, 2013, when the program expired. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this extension will cost us over $2.5 billion in lost tax revenue. Limits the types of cotton that are eligible for tax-free import Makes some luggage and travel products eligible for tax-free import Title III: Extension of preferential duty treatment program for Haiti Extends tax-free import status for products from Haiti until December 19, 2025. The Congressional Budget Office estimates this will cost us $520 million in lost tax revenue Title IV: Extension of trade adjustment assistance Extends trade adjustment assistance until June 30, 2021 Specifically mentions farmers. Brings back a tax credit for health insurance for workers who lose their jobs due to trade agreements or due to failed pension plans until the end of 2019, which are higher than the subsidies we get for health insurance on the ObamaCare exchange websites. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this will cost us $2.8 billion, with the most money needed from 2017 to 2021. Title VI: Tariff classification of recreational performance outerwear Contains a modified version of the Affordable Footwear Act, which reduces tariffs on some athletic footwear. Contains part of the OUTDOORS Act, which was introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell of Washington and Senator Kelly Ayote of New Hampshire, which lowers or eliminates tariffs that average 14% for "recreational performance outerwear" Washington is home to headquarters of REI, Amazon, Nordstrom, Brooks Sports, and Eddie Bauer. New Hampshire is home to the headquarters of Timberland The American Apparel and Footwear Association, the Outdoor Industry Association, Eastern Mountain Sports, Kamik Boots, NEMO Equipment, and New Balance, and the Washington Council on International Trade have all voiced support for this language, with the Washington Council on International Trade saying it's because it "would save consumers money while improving profits for our retailers and apparel companies that do their manufacturing overseas". The Outdoor Industry Association spent a record $360,000 lobbying Congress on the US OUTDOOR ACT and the Affordable Footwear Act in 2014. Title VI: Offsets Extends customs charges for some imports from September 30, 2024 to July 7, 2025 and then increases the fees for two and a half months in the Summer 2025, after the expiration. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this will cause the revenue from those fees to spike from a little under a billion in 2024, to $4.6 billion in 2025. This is the biggest single source of money that will pay for this law. Increases taxes on corporations that make more than $1 billion in 2019 by 8% for the months of July, August, or September of 2020. The corporation's next payment will then be reduced by the same amount. On the Congressional Budget Office estimate, this makes it seem as though there is much more revenue for the 2015-2020 period than there actually is. If the numbers weren't cooked like this, the report would show an additional $5.7 billion budget deficit from 2015-2020. Beginning in 2016, the law forbids college education tax credits from students who don't receive an accounting "statement" from their school. CBO estimates this will save almost half a billion dollars. Increases the fines for failing to file tax returns on time or including incorrect information on a return, for example from $100 to $250 and raises the caps on these kinds of fees, effective in fiscal year 2016. CBO estimates this will bring in an additional $136 million by 2025. Disqualifies people who choose to exclude foreign earned income from their tax returns from claiming the child tax credit, effective this year. CBO estimates this will save $293 million by 2025. Somehow changes the way Medicare pays for dialysis services in a way that will cut direct spending by $250 million. Passed the Senate 97-1 and the House of Representatives 286-138 Sponsored by Rep. George Holding of North Carolina 58 pages S. 178: Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act Through September 30, 2019, a person convicted of a human trafficking related offense will have to pay an extra $5,000 fine. The money will go to a "Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund, controlled by the Attorney General. The money will be used for law enforcement, grants to States, tribes, local government and non-profit NGO's, and local children's advocacy centers. Authorizes grant money specifically for victims of child pornography. Expands the property that can been seized by the government from people convicted of human trafficking crimes. Expands the "range of conduct punished as sex trafficking." "Section 108: Reducing demand for sex trafficking" adds "patronized, or solicited" to the list of of things punishable by a fine and at least 10 years in prison. The crime: "Whoever knowingly" in the United States "recruits, entices, harbors, transports, provides, obtains, patronizes, or solicits" anything of value that arises out of forcing someone under 18 to "engage in a commercial sex act", which means "any sex act, on account of which anything of value is given to or received by any person." Gives crime victims the right to be informed of any plea bargains or deferred prosecution agreements. Mandates that officers in anti-human trafficking programs operated by the Justice Department will have training on methods for investigating and prosecuting human traffickers and for getting proper physical and mental health care for the victims. Mandates that Federal prosecutors request restitution for the victims whether or not the victims request it. Creates an advisory council made up of human trafficking victims to analyze human trafficking laws every year until September 30, 2020. The members will not be paid except for travel reimbursement and per diem allowances. Requires missing children reports to include a recent photo Requires audits of human trafficking grants Prohibits the Attorney General from giving a grant to a nonprofit that has offshore tax havens. Includes the SAVE Act which makes advertising the services of prostitutes who are under 18 or are forced into prostitution punishable by ten years in prison. Creates a website for accessing victims' services Expands the statute of limitations on civil actions by child trafficking survivors to 10 years after they turn 18. Creates a "cyber crimes center" within the Customs and Immigration section of the Department of Homeland Security to "provide investigative assistance, training, and equipment to support United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement's domestic and international investigations of cyber-related crimes." The cyber crimes center will have a "Child Exploitation Investigations Unit" in it. The cyber crimes center will have a "Computer Forensics Unit" which will train and support Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and help "Federal, State, local, tribal, military, and foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged in the investigation of crimes" The cyber crimes center will have a "Cyber Crimes Unit" , which will "enhance" Immigration and Customs ability to "combat criminal enterprises operating on or through the Internet, with specific focus in the areas of cyber economic crime, digital theft of intellectual property, illicit e-e-commerce (including hidden marketplaces), Internet- facilitated proliferation of arms and strategic technology, and cyber enable smuggling and money laundering" and will also help "Federal, State, local, tribal, military, and foreign law enforcement agency personnel engaged in the investigation of crimes" The cyber crimes center will be allowed to coordinate with the Defense Department to hire war veterans. Temporarily increases by 10% the amount of money a State can get from Federal grants if the State has a law that allows the mother of a child to eliminate the parental rights of her rapist and authorizes $5 million for the increases (only 10 states currently have such laws). Adds people convicted in the military justice system to the National Sex Offender Registry. Creates a hotline for sex trafficking victims to speak with service providers starting in 2017. Makes sex trafficking victims automatically eligible for the jobs corps. Allows human trafficking survivors to move to vacate any arrest or conviction records for crimes that they committed as a direct result of human trafficking. Passed the Senate 99-0 and the House 420-3 Sponsored by Senator John Cornyn of Texas 41 pages S. 802: Girls Count Act Authorizes the Secretary of State and Administrator of USAID to coordinate with the World Bank, UN nations agencies and "relevant organizations" to "enact, implement, and enforce laws" in other countries to register births of baby girls. Sunsets in June 2020. Passed the House and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida 3 pages H.R. 2252: Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act Clarifies the effective date of a new overtime system for border patrol agents, which will effectively pay them less, as January 1, 2016. Passed the House of Representatives and the Senate by voice votes Sponsored by Rep Will Hurd of Texas 1 page H.R. 2496: Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act Authorizes and additional $900 million for a Department of Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Denver, CO. Passed the House and the Senate by voice votes Sponsored by Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado 2 pages H.R. 606: Don't Tax Our Fallen Public Safety Heroes Act Excludes money paid to the families of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty from counting as taxable income. Passed the House of Representatives 413-0 and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Erik Paulsen of Minnesota 1 page H.R. 1191: Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act Requires the President to give Congress any agreements with Iran within 5 days of reaching the agreement, along with a report by the Secretary of State on the effectiveness of the agreement. Requires the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee to hold hearings on the agreement within 30 days - 60 days if it would interfere with their August vacation. Prohibits the President from altering sanctions on Iran during the Congressional review period. Prohibits the President from altering sanctions on Iran if a joint resolution of disapproval passes both the House and the Senate for 12 days after passage. If the President vetoes the joint resolution of disapproval, the law prohibits him from altering Iran's sanctions within 10 days of the veto. Allows the agreement to go into effect if Congress does nothing Creates an expedited process for Congress to bring back the sanctions if Iran violates the agreement. Passed the Senate 98-1 and the House of Representatives 400-25. Sponsored by Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania 12 pages H.R. 2353: Highway and Transportation Funding Act of 2015 Clean extension of Federal transportation programs until July 31, 2015. Passed the House of Representatives 387-35 and the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Bill Schuster of Pennsylvania 9 pages H.R. 91: Veteran's I.D. Card Act Allows veterans who have honorably completed their service but who didn't "retire" or receive a medically-related discharge to request and pay for an ID card proving their veteran status. The fee for the card will be reassessed every five years. The cards would be available 60 days after the bill would be signed into law. Final version passed the Senate by a voice vote and the House of Representatives 411-0 Sponsored by Rep. Vern Buchanan 3 pages Bills H.R. 1806: America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015 Funds the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Institute f Standards and Technology, the Department of Energy - Science, the Department of Energy - Applied Research and Development, and the Department of Energy - Technology Transfer. Contains a program that transfers taxpayer funded research to manufacturers in the U.S. - including the legal rights to the new inventions - as long as the company pays for 50%+ of the upgrades to their systems. Continues to invest tax money in research for coal, oil, and natural gas It would extend the life of current nuclear power plants instead of design new ones Creates a "nuclear energy enabling technologies program" which, in part, develops "small modular reactors". According to the Department of Energy, small modular reactors are factory-made mini-nuclear power plants that can be shipped to places that don't have the infrastructure or money for large nuclear power plants. The idea is to create these for "U.S. companies" to sell around the world. So far, none of these have been designed, licensed, or constructed and DOE wants them deployed within the next decade. Eliminates research into hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicle technology and on-site renewable energy generation for buildings. Eliminates research into fish friendly turbines for hydropower Allows "energy efficiency" money to be used for research into renewable power combined with any fossil fuel (currently only wind-coal combo allowed). Makes the Secretary perform extra market analysis for renewable energy projects. Eliminates a program for taxpayer funded installation of solar and other renewable power on State or local government buildings. Eliminates the objective of "Improving United States energy security" from energy research, prohibits research money from being used for Fossil Energy Environmental Restoration, limits the amount of fossil fuel research money that can be used in universities, and prohibits government research into fossil fuels from being used for regulatory assessments by the government. Invests more taxpayer money in coal energy research. Passed the House of Representatives 217-205 President Obama would veto the bill. The veto threat is because the bill funds much less than requested for many areas of research; for example, it provides less than half of what was requested for clean energy research and grid modernizations. Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas 203 pages H.R. 1735: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 Passed the House 269-151 and the Senate (with changes) 71-25 Sponsored by Rep. Mac Thorneberry of Texas 994 pages S. 136: Gold Star Fathers Act Extends hiring advantages for Federal jobs to fathers of people killed in military service (currently, it's only available to mothers). Passed the Senate by voice vote Sponsored by Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon 3 pages H.R. 1732: Regulatory Integrity Protection Act of 2015 Forces the Army Corps of Engineers and the EPA to withdraw a proposed rule that would expand protection of waterways in the United States. Orders a new proposed rule to be crafted using studies - including an economic impact study - hand picked by the bill authors. Forces the Army Corps of Engineers and EPA to consult with "public and private stakeholders" that would be effected by the rule Prohibits any additional money for the extra work. Prohibits the Federal government's classification of waterways from voiding State permits for two years. Passed the House of Representatives 261-155 President Obama would veto the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, who has taken almost $400,000 from the Oil and Gas industry, with over half of that for the most recent election. 13 pages H.R. 723: Fallen Heroes Flag Act of 2015 An immediate family member of a deceased fire fighter, law enforcement officer, member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who died in the line of duty can request and be sent a Capitol-flown flag free of charge by their Congressional Representative. Caps the amount to be spent on this at $30,000 per year. Passed the House of Representatives by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter King of New York 4 pages H.R. 36: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act Makes it illegal for someone to perform an abortion unless: The fetus is 19 weeks or younger The abortion is performed in a way that gives the fetus the best opportunity to survive Exceptions: If the mother's life is in danger due to a physical illness or injury Incest that has been reported to the government The pregnancy is the result of a rape The mother must have gotten rape counseling or medical treatment for the rape, which must be documented in the mother's medical file The rape counseling or report can not be provided by a non-hospital facility that performs abortions. The penalty for performing an abortion illegally can be a fine and 5 years in prison The mother or parents of the mother (if she is a minor) can seek civil damages from the doctor who performed her abortion illegally The mother can not be prosecuted Passed the House of Representatives 242-184 President Obama would veto the bill Sponsored by Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona 24 pages H.R. 2297: Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act of 2015 Orders the Secretary of State to report to Congress "the activities of all satellite, broadcast, Internet, or other providers that knowingly provide material support to al-Manar TV and any affiliates" and the status of sanctions against them as ordered by President W. Bush on September 23, 2001. Prohibits financial institutions that process transactions for Hezbollah from opening or maintaining accounts in the United States. Penalties for facilitating Hezbollah transactions will be the greater of $250,000 or twice the transaction amount in addition to a criminal penalty of up to $1 million and up to 20 years in prison. This can be waived in 180 day intervals if the Treasury Secretary says it's in the "national security interests of the United States" These rules will not apply to intelligence activities Passed by 423-0 Sponsored by Rep. Ed Royce of California 20 pages H.R. 474: Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Programs Reauthorization Act of 2015 Reauthorized a program for homeless veterans for five years. Clarifies that veterans being released from prison are eligible for benefits. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Brad Wenstrup of Ohio 3 pages H.R. 1038: Ensuring VA Employee Accountability Act Forces the Department of Veterans Affairs to keep a copy of all official reprimands or admonishments in the employee's permanent record as long as they work at the Department of Veteran's Affairs. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Ryan Costello 3 pages H.R. 1313: Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Relief Act Allows the business that was owned by a disabled veteran to keep it's veteran perks if the spouse takes over the business for three years, if the veterans did not die as a result of a service related disability (if the veteran did die of service related injuries, the spouse can keep the benefits for 10 years or until she remarries). Passed the House of Representatives 403-0 Sponsored by Rep. Jerry McNerney 3 pages H.R. 1382: BRAVE Act Authorizes the Secretary of Veteran's Affairs to give preferential treatment to companies that hire veterans in their choice in awarding procurement contracts. A company that lies about the veteran status of its employees will be prohibited from contracting with the Department of Veteran's Affairs for five years. Passed the House of Representatives 404-0 Sponsored by Rep. Kathleen Rice 3 pages H.R. 1816: Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act of 2015 Excludes monthly pension payments from counting as income for veterans who become permanently or totally disabled from non-service related injuries. Limits the total amount of bonus money allowed to be issued to employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada 3 pages H.R. 874: American Super Computing Leadership Act Broadens the definition of "institution of higher learning" to include organizations that exist to benefit institutions of higher education Orders the Department of Energy to partner with universities, National Laboratories, and industry. Eliminates the Department of Energy's High End Software Development Center and replaces it with a partnerships with universities, National Laboratories, and industry to do research. Part of this program will include outreach to domestic industries, including manufacturing so they can use the technology developed. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Randy Hultgren of Illinois 8 pages H.R. 1162: Science Prize Competitions Act Allows private for-profit entities to be given grants and contract so administer government prize competitions. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Donald Beyer of Virginia 6 pages H.R. 1119: Research and Development Efficiency Act Creates a working group to make recommendations on how to streamline Federal regulations and to "minimize the regulatory burden" on universities performing federally funded research. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Barbara Comstock of Virginia 4 pages H.R. 1156: International Science and Technology Cooperation Act of 2015 Creates a working group to coordinate international science and technology cooperation, designed in part to "support United States foreign policy goals". Will be co-chaired by officials from the Office of Science and Technology and the Department of State. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Daniel Lipinski of Illinois 4 pages H.R. 1561: Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2015 Creates a program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association to improving weather knowledge, understand how the public reacts to warnings, and develop radar and other weather forecasting technologies. At least 30%) of the money for the program will go to universities, private entities, and NGO's to further their research. Creates a tornado warning improvement program with the goal of predicting tornadoes more than an hour in advance. No budget listed. Creates a Hurricane Forecast Improvement Program with the goal of extending hurricane forecasts. No budget listed. Allows the government to pay commercial providers up to $9 million for weather data Creates a pilot contract which makes NOAA contract with a private sector entity for weather data by October 1, 2016. Authorizes (but doesn't appropriate) about $100 million per year through 2017. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma 25 pages H.R. 1158: Department of Energy Laboratory Modernization and Technology Transfer Act of 2015 Orders an assessment and report on the Department of Energy's ability to host and oversee "privately funded fusion and non-light water reactor prototypes and related demonstration facilities at Department-owned sites" Orders the Energy Department to carry out a pilot program designed to "commercialize" research at National Laboratories. Projects can not directly compete with the private sector. Extends the pilot program until October 31, 2017. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Randy Hultgren of Illinois 16 pages H.R. 880: American Research and Competitiveness Act of 2015 Makes permanent a corporate tax credit for research and development the expired at the end of 2014 The effects of this on the budget will not be counted The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates this would increase the Federal deficits by $182 billion in the next ten years. President Obama would veto the bill. Passed the House of Representatives 274-145 President Obama would veto the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas 9 pages Hearings Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Hearing: "Border Security: Examining the Implications of S. 1691, the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2013", June 9, 2014. House Committee on Science, Space and Techonology Markup Hearing: "H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015", April 22, 2015 Additional Information Federation of American Scientists: Status of World Nuclear Forces Federaation of American Scientists/Washington and Lee University Study: The Future of Nuclear Power in the United States U.S. Department of Transportation Factsheet: Deficient Bridges by States and Highway System: Current Data Associated Press Article: House votes to provide for highway aid, plug hole in veterans' health care budget by Joan Lowy, July 29, 2015 Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Fast Track by Terry Quiett Band On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

In this special 100th episode of Congressional Dish, Jen interviews Jack Abramoff, the most famous lobbyist in the world. After spending 3.5 years in prison, Jack has been speaking out against the systemic corruption he participated in during his time in Washington D.C. and in this episode, he tells us Washington's secrets. Jack Abramoff's book: Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Presented in This Episode Fact Check: Politifact: Donna Brazile: No conspiracy here, IRS targeted liberals too by Steve Contorno OpenSecrets.org: Senator Harry Reid's campaign finance information August 18th Meet Up: 7pm: Emerge Miami's website 8:30pm: Elwoods Jen's Recent Appearances July 7, 2015 episode: Off the Grid with Gov. Jesse Ventura July 1, 2015 episode: The Peter Collins Show Episode #118: The Mike Herrera Hour Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Have You Had Enough by Rotflmao (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Medicare, cybersecurity, favors for banks, mortgages, IRS bullying, a tax cut for the rich, and a couple of good ideas are highlighted from the law and bills that passed Congress in April. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Laws H.R. 2: Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR): Enacted in 1997, the SGR paid doctors for Medicare patients based on the growth in gross domestic product (GDP). If Medicare costs increased more than GDP, doctors payments were cut across the board. According to the American College of Physicians, this formula for payment has meant that the Medicare payment rate to doctors is essentially the same as it was in 2001 and cuts have been postponed so many times that doctors' payments would have been cut by 21% if this bill was not signed into law by April 1. This new law: Repeals the Sustainable Growth Rate formula for Medicare payments to doctors. Increases payments to doctors by 0.5% through 2019 while the payment rate transitions away from a pay-per-service model. The new system will be based on scores assessed by a "Merit-based Incentive Payment System" which will be created by the Secretary of Health and Human Services which will go into effect on January 1, 2019. A list of "quality measures" will be posted every November and doctors can choose which one's will be used in their performance assessments. Doctors will be rated and paid based on a performance score from 0 to 100, which will take improvement into account starting in the second year of the program. The GAO will report on the effectiveness of the system by October 1, 2021. An advisory committee will be created to propose alternative payment models, which will be lump sum payments to group practices and medical homes. Sets a goal for Medicare records to be electronic nation-wide by December 31, 2018. Extends a bunch of existing Medicare programs, including the Children's Health Insurance Program (which covers low income kids whose parents make too much for Medicaid) for two years. Doubles the length of Medicare administrator contracts from five to ten years. Expands nationally a prior authorization requirement for "repetitive scheduled non-emergent ambulance transport" Prohibits the printing of social security numbers on Medicare cards Pays for the new system by... Denying access to policies with no out of pocket costs to people who enter Medicare after January 1, 2020. For all future beneficiaries, they will have to pay at least $147 per year (the cost of the Medicare Part B deductible). Increasing the premiums for relatively high income individuals. People who have a gross income between $133,501 and $160,000 ($267,000 and $320,000 for a couple) will pay a 65% premium instead of 50%, and people above that will pay an 80% premium rate. This would increase with inflation beginning in 2020. Has a huge increase in the levy that the Treasury Department can impose on tax delinquent service providers, increasing it from 30% to 100%, effective on October 16, 2015. Will have auditors distribute information about improper payments to help reduce the number of them. Creates a paper-free option for Medicare notices, saving mail fees. The effect this bill will have on the budget will not be counted. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates this bill will increase the budget deficit by $141 billion. Passed 392-37 in the House and 92-8 in the Senate Sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas 95 pages Bills H.R. 1731: National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015 For reference, here's the text as of March 2015 of the Homeland Security Act, which is amended by this bill. This bill: Adds "private entities" to the list of groups that will be part of the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, which coordinates information sharing between the Federal government and other entities. Adds new groups to the list of who will be included in the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center who will coordinate with all sizes of businesses. Expands the type of information that the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center will share between the Federal government, local governments, and private sector. Authorizes the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center to share information internationally. Requires the government and businesses to use existing technology to "rapidly advance" implementation of "automated mechanisms" for sharing between the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center and Federal agencies. Participation by non-Federal entities will be voluntary. Agreements that exist before this bill is signed into law will be deemed compliant with this law. All participating entities need to take "reasonable efforts to remove information that can be used to identity specific persons". There's no listed punishments if they don't. The Under Secretary for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection will create policies for governing the use of information shared with the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center 180 days AFTER the bill becomes law. He/she will also be responsible for creating "sanctions" for government employees who disregard his/her privacy policies. Private entities that share information will have immunity from lawsuits, if they share information according to this law. If the Federal government breaks this law, it will have to pay the person actual damages or $1,000, whichever is higher, plus attorneys fees. There is a two year statute of limitations. This law will trump state laws that limit information sharing. The law would sunset 7 years after enactment. Passed 355-63 in the House Sponsored by Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas 60 pages H.R. 1560: Protecting Cyber Networks Act Contains the text of H.R. 1731: National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act Within 90 days of enactment, the Director of National Intelligence must develop procedures for sharing classified "cyber threat indicators" with "non-Federal entities" Allows cybersecurity monitoring of government systems to be privatized Allows "non-Federal entities" to share information to with anyone other than the Defense Department. The entity sharing information must "take reasonable efforts" to remove personally identifiable information on people "not directly related" to the cybersecurity threat. The President will develop polices governing what happens to information received by the Federal Government, within 90 days of the bill becoming law. The Attorney General will create policies relating to privacy and civil liberties, within 90 days of the bill becoming law. A new branch, with 50 or less employees, will be created within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence called the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, which will "serve as the primary organization within the Federal Government for analyzing and integrating all intelligence possessed or acquired by the United States pertaining to cyber threats." Information shared with the government is exempt from public disclosure. Information given to the government "shall not be subject to a rule of any Federal department or agency or any judicial doctrine regarding ex parte communications with a decision-making official." The government can keep and use information given to it to investigate, prosecute, prevent or mitigate a threat of "death or serious bodily harm or an offense arising out of such a threat" and to investigate, prosecute, prevent or mitigate a threat to a minor. The information can also be used to prevent, investigation, disrupt, or prosecute fraud, unauthorized access to computers and transmission of information taken from it, "serious violent felonies" including murder, manslaughter, assault, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery, carjacking, extortion, firearms use, firearms possession, or attempt to commit any of these crimes, espionage including photographing or sketching defense installations, and theft of trade secrets. Passed 307-116 in the House Sponsored by Rep. Devin Nunes of California 121 pages H.R. 650: Preserving Access to Manufactured Housing Act of 2015 Changes the definition of "Mortgage originator" to exclude mobile home retailers who take mortgage loan applications, negotiate loans, or advise consumers on loan terms (including rates, fees, and other costs) This exempts mobile home dealers from licensing, registry, a law prohibiting payment based on the terms of the loan, regulations prohibiting steering customers towards loans they can't repay or with excessive fees, regulations prohibiting mischaracterizing a customer's credit history, regulations prohibiting the mischaracterization of the appraised value of the home, or steering a customer towards a loan that's more expensive than others that they qualify for. Increases the interest banks can charge people buying a home for under $75,000 without the loan being labeled as "high-cost", which subjects the loans to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau regulations. The regulations this would exempt the loans from: Ban balloon payments, which is an oversized payment due at the end of a mortgage Prohibit banks from charging prepayment penalties and fees Restrict late fees to four percent of the payment that is past due Bans fees for loan modification Require banks make sure the loan can be repaid before offering it Prohibit banks from recommending that a customer default on a loan Require that banks receive a confirmation that the customer has received homeownership counseling before they accept a high-cost mortgage. Would allow banks to charge $3,000 or 5% in fees for loans under $75,000, whichever is greater. Current law says banks can charge 5% for loans over $20,000, so the $3,000 fee option would hit the smaller loans the hardest. Passed the House 263-162. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote. The bill would be vetoed by President Obama. Sponsored by Rep. Stephen Fincher of Tennessee He took $15,150 from Clayton Homes for the 2014 election, his #4 donor and Clayton Home's #1 recipient of funds. Jeb Hensarling, the Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee was Clayton Homes #2 recipient in 2014, giving him $8,750. 4 pages H.R. 685: Mortgage Choice Act of 2015 By changing the definition of what charges count as "points and fees", this bill... Reverses a Dodd-Frank requirement that charges for title insurance be counted as points and fees if they're paid to an affiliate of the bank/creditor that issued the loan. Currently, points and fees can not be greater than 3% of the loan amount, which include fees charged by affiliated settlement providers. Every thing that gets exempted from counting as "points and fees" therefore becomes additional charges the lender is allowed to tack on to a mortgage. Exempts money held in escrow for insurance from being considered points and fees, which exempt insurance charges from the fee caps. The change in definition allows more fees to be charged to mortgages, while keeping those mortgages from being classified as "high-cost" and being subject to greater restrictions. This is a zombie bill from the 113th Congress; it passed by voice vote on June 9, 2014. Passed the House 286-140. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote. Sponsored by Rep. Bill Huizenga of Michigan His top three contributing industries are - in this order - Insurance ($273,265), Real Estate ($218,175), and Commercial Banks ($193,000). 4 pages H.R. 299: Capital Access for Small Community Financial Institutions Act of 2015 Federal Home Loan Banks are privately owned cooperatives, funded by the global credit market, which provide money to local banks. There are twelve of them around the country and they are owned by the member banks. Most local banks are members of least one Federal Home Loan Bank. Allows privately insured credit unions to become members of Federal Home Loan Banks if they are FDIC eligible or are certified by the State. If the State doesn't get to it in under 6 months, the application is deemed approved. Zombie bill from the 113th Congress Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Steve Stivers of Ohio His top three contributing industries over the course of his four year Congressional career have been Insurance ($898,858), Commercial Banks ($534,622), and Securities and Investment ($502,098). 6 pages H.R. 1259: Helping Expand Lending Practices in Rural Communities Act Orders the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to create an application process for people or companies to have their location designated as "rural" This would allow residents to become eligible for certain mortgages and exempt lenders from regulations intended for urban areas, according to Phil Hall of National Mortgage Professional Magazine Sunsets after 2 years. Zombie bill from the 113th Congress Passed the House 401-1. Nydia Valazquez of New York was the only no vote. Sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky He has taken $333,800 from the Securities & Investment industry during his 3 years in Congress. 4 pages H.R. 1195: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection Advisory Boards Act Creates paid advisory boards for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau made up of bankers Places limits on funding for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Passed the House 235-183, with 4 Democrat Ayes and 5 Republican Nays President Obama would veto the bill Sponsored by Rep. Robert Pittenger of North Carolina His #4 and #5 contributing industries are Securities & Investment and Commercial Banks; he's taken a combined $189,450 during his 3 years in Congress 7 pages H.R. 1314: Ensuring Tax Exempt Organizations the Right to Appeal Act Became the vehicle for Trade Promotion Authority in the Senate Creates an appeal process for organizations that are denied tax-exempt status Would apply to decisions made on or after May 19, 2014. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania 4 pages H.R. 1026: Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act Gives the Treasury Secretary the option of telling organizations if they are investigating a claim of unauthorized information disclosure by a government, if the investigation substantiated their claim, and if any action, including prosecution, is planned. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly of Pennsylvania 3 pages H.R. 709: Prevent Targeting at the IRS Act Allows the IRS to fire employees who steer and audit for a political purpose or for personal gain. Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. James Renacci of Ohio 2 pages H.R. 1104: Fair Treatment for All Gifts Act Makes gifts made to 501(c)4 "social welfare" groups, 501(c)5 labor and agricultural groups, and 501(c)6 business groups (including chambers of commerce, real-estate boards, and professional football leagues) tax exempt. Passed the House by voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois 3 pages H.R. 1058: Taxpayer Bill of Rights Act Tells the IRS Commissioner to "ensure" that IRS employees are "familiar with and act in accord" with a list of "taxpayer rights" including The right to be informed The right to quality service The right to pay no more than the correct amount of tax The right to challenge the position of the Internal Revenue Service and be heard The right to appeal a decision of the Internal Revenue Service in an independent forum The right to finality The right to privacy The right to confidentiality The right to retain representation The right to a fair and just tax system Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Peter Roskam of Illinois 3 pages H.R. 1152: IRS Email Transparency Act Prohibits IRS employees from using personal email accounts for official business Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Kenny Marchant of Texas 2 pages H.R. 1105: Death Tax Repeal Act Repeals the estate tax for anyone who dies after the bill is signed Repeals the generation-skipping transfer tax, which is a tax on gifts and transfers of wealth to unrelated people who are more than 37.5 years younger than the donor, or to related people who are one generation younger. Would lower the top gift tax rate from 40 to 35 percent. The effects of this on the budget would not be counted. The CBO says this would increase the deficit by $269 billion over the next 10 years President Obama would veto the bill. Passed by 240-179 Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas 7 pages H.R. 622: State and Local Sales Tax Deduction Fairness Act Permanently extends the law that allows taxpayers who itemize their claims to deduct their state's sales taxes instead of getting a deduction for their state's income taxes. The effect of this bill on the budget would not be counted. CBO says this would increase the Federal deficit by $42 billion over the next ten years. President Obama would veto the bill. Passed the House 272-152. Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina was the only Republican no vote Sponsored by Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas 2 pages H.R. 1562: Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2015 Stops Federal agencies from contracting with companies that are tax delinquent A waiver can be issued and the contract granted if a report is submitted to Congress saying that the contract "significantly affects the interests of the United States" Passed the House 424-0 Sponsored by Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah 9 pages H.R. 471: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act Makes the Attorney General list specific laws and regulations that a drug company is accused of violating in their notices to the companies regarding the possible suspension of their drug's registration. Allows drug companies to submit a "corrective action plan" when their drug registration may be suspended Passed the House by a voice vote Sponsored by Rep. Tom Marino of Pennsylvania His top contributing industry for the last election was the pharmaceutical industry; they gave him $55,250. 6 pages S. 971: Medicare Independence at Home Medical Practice Demonstration Improvement Act Increases the length of Medicare contracts for at-home care from 3 years to 5 years Passed the Senate by a voice vote Sponsored by Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon 2 pages H.R. 373: Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act Clarifies that search and rescue volunteers are not Federal volunteers and are not entitled to Federal compensation. Releases the government from liability for allowing search and rescue teams onto Federal land so that they won't have to get insurance. The government as to approve or deny a request for a search and rescue mission within 48 hours. Passed the House 413-0 Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck of Nevada Rep. Heck introduced the bill in response to the murder of Keith Goldberg; the search for his body in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area was delayed because the search team needed a special use permit and a $1 million insurance policy. It took 10 months to get the insurance; his body was found 3 hours after their search began. The National Association for Search and Rescue and the National Park Service, however, don't think access is a problem. 6 pages S. 304: Motor Vehicle Safety Whistleblower Act Protects the identity of whistleblowers who provide information relating to motor vehicle defects or other dangerous safety problems. Allows the government to give up to 30% of the fine collected from a car company that breaks the law to the whistleblower whose information lead to the conviction. The whistleblower is not allowed to be represented by a lawyer. Passed the Senate by a voice vote Sponsored by Senator John Thune of South Dakota Senator Thune has taken over $380,000 from the automotive industry 11 pages S. 984: Steve Gleason Act of 2015 Starting in 2016, Medicare would cover speech generating devices. Allows people to own their speech generating devices (as opposed to renting them) if purchased between October 1, 2015 and October 1, 2018. Named after former NFL football player Steve Gleason, who played for the New Orleans Saints before being diagnosed with ALS Passed the Senate of a voice vote Sponsored by Senator David Vitter of Louisiana 3 pages Hearings Rules Committee: April 13 on HR 650 and HR 685, about housing bills. Rules Committee: April 21 on HR 1731 and HR 1560 on Cybersecurity House Committee on Financial Services: March 18 hearing on deregulation for banks titled "Preserving Consumer Choice and Financial Independence" Information Presented in This Episode Article: 'Doc fix' headed to president's desk after easily clearing Senate by Paul Demko, Modern Healthcare, April 14, 2015. Article: The mobile-home trap: How a Warren Buffett empire preys on the poor by Mike Baker and Daniel Wagner, The Seattle Times, April 2, 2015. Article: MBA's Mortgage Action Alliance: A Message from MAA Chairman Fowler Williams by Fowler Williams, National Mortgage Professional Magazine, June 11, 2015. Article: U.S. Bank Profits Near Record Levels by Robin Sidel and Saabira Chaudhuri, Wall Street Journal, August 11, 2014 Article: Bureaucracy hindered search for slain brother by Anjeanette Damon, USA Today, March 8, 2014. Webpage: About the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center, Department of Homeland Security. Webpage: Team Gleason Press Release: Rep. Kelly Introduces Taxpayer Knowledge of IRS Investigations Act Additional Information Kickstarter: Explore Campaign Finance App by Soloman Kahn. Jen's Podcast Appearances Episode 66: Talk Nerdy with Cara Santa Maria Episode 42: Podcast Junkies with Harry Duran Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Ask Your Doctor by Neal Fox (found on Music Alley by mevio) Thank you by Ben Willmott (found on Music Alley by mevio)

It's law! The USA Freedom Act, which reauthorizes and privatizes portions of the Patriot Act, is being called a victory for privacy... but it's not. In this episode, find out all the details of the bill that was signed into law just hours after this episode was recorded, including how it continues bulk data collection and lets the most powerful men in the United States get away with breaking the law. Executive Producer: Brandon K. Lewis Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! H.R. 2048: USA Freedom Act of 2015 Title I: FISA business records reforms The government will need to provide "a specific selection term to be used for the basis" for the data being collected The term can't be the name of a telecom, unless that telecom is under investigation The term can't be a "broad geographic region, including the United States, a city, a county, a State, a zip code, or an area code" The term must be something that "specifically identifies an individual, account, or personal device." The government will have 180 days to comply after the bill is signed into law Limits ongoing phone call record collection to 180 days unless extended Orders the telecoms to keep secret the order from the government to turn over call records The Attorney General can require records be turned over in "emergencies" if he/she informs a judge and applies for the warrant within 7 days. If the warrant is denied, nothing collected under the Attorney General's emergency power will be admissible in court, "except with the approval of the Attorney General if the information indicates a threat of death or serious bodily harm to any person." The Attorney General will be in charge of determining if the standards above are met. Eliminates a clause that lets a judge immediately dismiss a protest from a company fighting a FISA order Gives immunity to any company that hands over information under a FISA order or an emergency order from the Attorney General Companies will be paid for "expenses incurred" producing the information or assisting the government with FISA or emergency orders "Call detail record" will not include the contents of the call, the person's name, address or financial information, or the cell phone's GPS location. The bill expressly says that nothing in the USA Freedom Act will limit the government's authority to get orders from the secret FISA court, as authorized in by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Title II: FISA pen register and trap and trace device reform The Attorney General will get to determine the privacy procedures for the use of tracing devices installed to track phone numbers dialed in monitor Internet communications. Title III: FISA acquisitions targeting person outside the United States reforms "Limits on use of unlawfully obtained information" can be waived if the government fixes whatever illegal thing they were doing, which would allow information they collected before the fix to be used in court. Within 180 days after enactment, FISA court judges will pick at least five people to serve as amicus curiae - "friends of the court" - to argue on behalf of privacy and civil liberties. FISA court judges will write the rules for the amicus curiae participation. The FISA court gets to decide if the amicus curiae's participation is appropriate The Director of National Intelligence must make publicly available "to the greatest extent practicable" any FISA court decision that includes "a significant construction or interpretation of any provision of law" The decision, order, or opinion can be released to the public in redacted form The Director of National Intelligence can waive the requirement to make FISA decisions, orders, and opinions public as long as they say it's "necessary to protect the national security of the United States or properly classified intelligence sources or methods". Title V: National Security Letter reform National Security Letter (NSL): Letters served by the FBI to telecoms that allow the FBI to secretly demand data. There is a gag order on anyone who receives these letters, guaranteeing that the public is not told and that there is no judicial review. Allows NSLs to be issued for telephone, financial, and consumer records if the order "specifically identifies a person, entity, telephone number, or account as the basis for a request". There will be a gag order, preventing companies from telling anyone that the FBI is requesting the information, as long as the order also has a notification of the telecoms right to judicial review and if the FBI says disclosure could result in: "A danger to the national security of the United States" "Interference with a criminal, counterterrorism or counterintelligence investigation" "Interference with diplomatic relations" (new) "Danger to the life or physical safety of any person" Title VI: FISA transparency and reporting requirements Orders the government to submit a bunch of new reports to Congress Allows companies served with National Security Letters to publicly report approximately how many NSLs they've received They can only report the number of FISA orders and NSLs subject to a gag order to the nearest thousand They can only report the number of FISA orders and NSLs not subject to a gag order to the nearest 500. They can report twice a year on the total number of orders, directives, and NSLs served to the nearest 250 These reports are only allowed to cover NSLs for the previous 180 days Once a year, they can report on the total number of orders, directives, and NSLs they were required to comply with to the nearest 100 The FISA court, if their ruling "includes significant construction or interpretation of any provision of law or results in a change of application of any provision of this Act", will have to submit their decision or denial of disclosure petition to Congress within 45 days Title VII: Enhanced national security provisions Emergency monitoring of a person outside the United States is limited to 72 hours without a warrant Extends PATRIOT Act and Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 provisions until December 15, 2019. Title VIII: Safety of Maritime Navigation and Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation Allows civil forfeiture of property of people suspected of trying to harm a United States ship Gives a fine of up to $2,000,000 and possible life in prison to a person who possesses radioactive material or a device with intent to damage people or property or someone who threatens to do so. Sound Clip Sources Hearing: House Judiciary Committee Markup of H.R. 2048 from April 28, 2015 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 20, 2015 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 31, 2015, Part 1 Senate Floor Proceeding: May 31, 2015, Part 2 Speech: President George W. Bush speaks at Kansas State University, January 23, 2006. Television Appearance: President Barack Obama on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, August 6, 2013. Hearing: Director of National Intelligence James Clapper lies to Congress, March 12, 2013. Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: HBO, October 5, 2014 Information Presented in This Episode USA Freedom Act Article: White House backs bill that would end NSA bulk collection of phone records by Ellen Nakashima and Mike DeBonis, Washington Post, May 11, 2015. Article: House Votes to End NSA's Bulk Phone Data Collection by Jennifer Steinhauer, New York Times, May 13, 2015. Article: House reaches deal on bill to end NSA phone collection by Associated Press, April 30, 2015. Article: House Says No To NSA Bulk Data Collection As Fight To End Mass Surveillance Gathers Momentum by Thomas Fox-Brewster, Forbes, May 14, 2015. Article: US Congress to vote on bill banning NSA from bulk-collecting phone calls by Spencer Ackerman and Sabrina Siddiqui, The Guardian, May 13, 2015. Patriot Act Expiring Provisions Legal Summary: Section 206 - Roving Surveillance Authority under FISA by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. Legal Summary: Lone Wolf by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. Legal Summary: Section 215 - Access to Business Records under FISA ("Libraries Provision") and Section 214 - Pen Register and Trap and Trace Authority under FISA by Mary DeRosa, American Bar Association. NSA Surveillance System Article: Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts by James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, December 16, 2005. Article: The NSA is Building the Country's Biggest Spy Center (Watch What You Say) by James Bamford, Wired, March 15, 2012. Article: The NSA's New Spy Facilities are 7 Times Bigger Than the Pentagon by Aliya Sternstein, Defense One, July 25, 2013. Article: In NSA-intercepted Data, Those Not Targeted Far Outnumber The Foreigners Who Are by Barton Gellman, Julie Tate, and Ashkan Soltani, Washington Post, July 5, 2014. Editorial: Meet Executive Order 12333: The Reagan Rule That Lets the NSA Spy on American by John Napier Tye, Washington Post, July 18, 2014. Podcast Appearance ProfitCast Episode #48: Effective NON-Marketing Ways to Grow Your Podcast - Interview with Jen Briney Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Bill of Rights Song by Rhythm, Rhyme, and Results Let Their Heads Roll by Jack Erdie (found on Music Alley by mevio)

A resignation, renewed "national emergencies", help for a (very) few veterans, screwing over of VA employees and Native Americans, favors for drug companies, changes to Amtrak, a veto threat and more are highlighted from a relatively calm March in Congress. In the second half of this episode, Jen discusses her plan to keep producing Congressional Dish full time, extends an invitation to hang out, reads some of your letters, and answers your questions. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Resignation Representative Aaron Schock of Illinois's 18th district resigned on March 17th, 2015 after it was discovered that he overcharged taxpayers and his campaign for miles driven on his personal car. Article: Aaron Schock resigns after new questions about mileage expenses by Jake Sherman, Anna Palmer and John Bresnahan of Politico, March 17, 2015. Article: After 'Downton Abbey' scandal, Rep. Aaron Schock to resign from Congress by Donna Cassata of AP, March 17, 2015. Article: Congressman's spending brings Schock and awe by Jake Sherman, John Bresnahan, and Anna Palmer of Poltico, February 9, 2015. Article: Taxpayers pay thousands for Rep. Schock's renovations by Paul Singer of USA Today, February 3, 2015. Article: Aaron Schock is looking for a job by Lynn Sweet of the Chicago Sun Times, May 6, 2015. Executive Orders EO 13660, March 6, 2014, Ukraine EO 13288, March 6, 2003, Zimbabwe March Laws H.R. 1527: Slain Officer Family Support Act Allows contributions made to funds set up for NYPD detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos to be deductible in 2014, instead of 2015. Sponsored by Hakeem Jefferies of New York 2 pages S. 535: Energy Efficiency Improvement Act Requires the Administrator of General Services to develop model commercial leasing provisions that encourage tenants and government landlords to invest together in energy efficiency measures. The model provision will be published publicly to "encourage" private sector landlords to use them. The EPA will create a "Tenant Star" program to "recognize" energy efficiency by tenants in commercial buildings. Grid enabled water heaters will have activation keys that are only given to the utility or company that operates the grid. Grid enabled water heaters will have permanent labels informing people not to buy it unless he home is enrolled in a demand response program. It will be illegal for anyone to activate a grid-enabled water heater that is not part of an electric thermal storage or demand response program. Creates a public database for researching the energy use of commercial and multifamily buildings. Sponsored by Rob Portman of Ohio 10 pages March Bills H.R. 294: "Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act" For three years, starting on October 1, 2015, the Veteran's administration can place veterans who can not live independently but want a family setting into "medical foster homes" No more than 900 veterans may have their "medical foster home" care paid for by the government Limits the amount that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs can award According to a fact sheet issued by the U.S. Census on Veteran's Day 2014, there are 957,504 veterans with a rating of 70 or higher. Sponsored by Rep. Jeff MIller of Florida 4 pages Passed 405-0 H.R. 280: Authorizes the government to take back Department of Veterans Affairs employees' bonuses Allows the government to force an employee of the Department of Veteran's Affairs to pay back bonuses they previously received. The employees can be ordered to give back their bonus if the Secretary of Veterans Affairs determines that it's appropriate under regulations that the Secretary of Veteran's Affairs will eventually write. The employee will be given a notice and be allowed an opportunity for a hearing conducted by another part of the Federal Government. The decision to order a bonus repayment will be final and may not be reviewed by any agency or court. The Senior Executives Association (SEA), which represents Federal executives, wrote Rep. Jeff Miller a letter in opposition to this bill. Sponsored by Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida 3 pages Passed by voice vote H.R. 216: Department of Veterans Affairs Budget Planning Reform Act Requires the Veteran's Administration to create more reports Creates a 'Chief Strategy Officer' position to do the reports Prohibits any additional money for the Veterans Department to use for the extra work Sponsored by Corrine Brown of Florida 17 pages Passed by 420-0 H.R. 639: "Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act" Article: House Passes DEA Reform Bill Changing Definition of When a Drug is 'Approved', Alexander Gaffney, Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society, March 17, 2015. Fact Sheet: Drug Schedules, Drug Enforcement Agency Delays the approval date of drugs until after the Department of Justice issues a final rule for the drug. Forces the Department of Justice to schedule the drug within 90 days of the final rule Allows drugs that are in the process of being evaluated to be marketed and sold Makes it easier for drugs to be tested in clinical trials by forcing the government to rule on an application within 180 days. Creates a path for extending drug patents Sponsored by Rep. Joe Pitts of Pennsylvania, who has taken over $928,000 from "health professionals" and $634,000 from the pharmaceutical industry. 11 pages Passed by voice vote H.R. 647 Access to Life-Saving Trauma Care for All Americans Act Reauthorizes annual grants to trauma centers, but does not adjust the total for inflation Removes the requirement that the money be used for Indian trauma centers Sponsored Michael Burgess of Texas 4 pages Passed 389-10 H.R. 648: Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act Reauthorizes funds for trauma centers, without adjusting for inflation Grants can only to to regional burn centers that meet the standards and requirements of the American Burn Association. Sponsored by Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas 4 pages Passed 382-15 with all no votes coming from Republicans H.R. 284: Medicare DMEPOS Competitive Bidding Improvement Act For two years, 2017 -2019, a company that wants to bid for a Medicare equipment contract has to buy a "bid bond" that costs between $50,000 and $100,000. The companies will forfeit the bid bond if they bid below the median bid rate and don't accept the contract Contracts can not be awarded to companies that don't meet state licensure requirements. Sponsored by Rep. Pat Tiberi of Ohio 6 pages Passed by voice vote H.R. 1191: Protecting Volunteer Firefighters and Emergency Responders Act Exempts volunteer firefighters and EMT's from counting towards the Affordable Care Act employer mandate. Sponsored by Rep. Lou Barletta of Pennsylvania 6 pages Passed 415-0 Was the vehicle for the bill that funded the DHS for a few days in March H.R. 233: Tenant Income Verification Relief Act Landlords would only have to verify income for fixed-income families in subsidized housing once every three years, instead of every year. Sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter of Colorado 3 pages Passed by voice vote H.R. 360: Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act If the amount of Federal funds, excluding grants, is under 49%, housing projects on Indian land will be exempt from the National Environmental Policy Act. Requires the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to approve or deny cost overruns within 60 days. Limits low income Indian housing grants to $650 million per year through 2019 (it was unlimited through 2013). Tribes may have to forfeit saved housing grant money that is more than three times their annual grant amount as of January 2016 A new demonstration project will allow 20 tribes to partner with private investors for housing development projects. Grant money can be used to ensure a "full return on investment" for the investors Grants for Native Hawaiian homes will go from unlimited to $13 million per year until 2019. Sponsored by Rep. Steve Pearce of New Mexico. 38 pages Passed 297-98, with most no votes coming from Republicans H.R. 1030: "Secret Science Reform Act of 2015" Prohibits the EPA from proposing or finalizing a regulation unless the research used is publicly available online and can be reproduced Sponsored by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas, who has taken over $610,000 from the Oil and Gas industry 3 pages Passed 241-175 Veto threat H.R. 749: Amtrak Amtrak will will be funded with half a billion a year for the Northeast and a little under a billion a year for the rest of the country, for the next four years. In order to receive grant money, Amtrak will need to hire an "independent entity" to decide what routes it will provide, including establishing new routes, eliminating routes, and frequency of service. The views of the private freight companies that own our rail infrastructure will have to be taken into account Creates a pilot program to allow the private freight companies to operate passenger service instead of Amtrak on desired routes for 5 years Allows the private companies to use Amtrak's equipment Gives the private company an "operating subsidy" equal to 90% of what Amtrak receives Requires the private company's staffing plan be available to the public This program will only be available on a maximum of two intercity passenger rail routes The private company will be required to run the route as frequently as Amtrak did The private company will be guaranteed access to Amtrak's reservation system, stations, and facilities. Requires Amtrak to eliminate their operating loss on food and beverages within five years and removes Federal funding of losses. Requires Amtrak to allow private sector use of Amtrak owned right-of-way for telecommunications systems, energy distribution, and "other activities" and Amtrak will share the revenue. Creates a pilot program to allow pet dogs and cats on some Amtrak trains within a year of enactment Pets must be in a kennel and stored as carry-on baggage Pet owners will pay an extra fee Larger pets will be allowed in the temperature controlled cargo hold The program will be paid for 100% through pet owner fees Sponsored by Rep. Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania 80 pages Passed 316-101, with every Democrat voting yes Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Dirty Little Secret by 54 Seconds (found on Music Alley by mevio) Snap Back to Reality by The Undercover Hippy (found on Music Alley by mevio)

Time-sensitive episode! Congress is rushing to pass a bill that would grant the President Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), which hands Congress' power to negotiate international treaties to the Executive Branch. In this episode, we look at the details of the Trade Promotion Authority bill. Is giving the Executive Branch this power a good idea? Please Contact Your Representative in the House www.house.gov Please Contact Your Two Senators www.senate.gov Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) or Fast Track H.R. 1890: "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015" S. 995: "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015" The following links are to the text of H.R. 1890, as introduced in the the House Ways and Means Committee. The Senate, as of April 26, has not sent the text of their version to the Government Publishing Office to be released to the public. [caption id="attachment_1743" align="aligncenter" width="968"] Despite having been introduced on April 16 and passed out of the Senate Finance Committee on April 22, the text of Trade Promotion Authority had still not been submitted for public publishing on April 26[/caption] Section 2: Negotiating Objectives Elimination of trade laws that keep multinational corporations out of foreign countries Expand the Investor State Dispute System Allow multinational corporations access to the world's resources Get other countries to change their laws Eliminate taxes that companies have to pay to sell their products in other countries (tariffs) Remove regulations that prevent businesses from operating in other countries Agriculture Prevent countries from refusing foreign food for safety reasons unless an approved international scientific organization says the concerns are legit. Force countries to eliminate subsidies for their own industries Eliminate government owned industries Prohibit labeling requirements for food that "affect" biotechnology (for example, genetically modified foods) and making labeling requirements eligible for lawsuits in the Investor State Dispute System Prohibits restrictions "not based on scientific principles" Foreign Investment Eliminate exceptions for when a foreign corporation is treated the same as a domestic corporation Allow money to be transferred into and out of the country Eliminate performance requirements for opening and operating a business in a foreign country Create laws that force governments to pay companies for law that reclaim their land from corporations Create an appeal process for the Investor State Dispute System Ensure that Investor State Dispute System rulings are made public, that hearings are open to the public, and that businesses, unions, and NGO's have a way to make their opinions heard in Investor State Dispute System cases, even if those businesses, unions and NGOs are not a part of the case. Intellectual Property Make sure that companies have the legal and technological means to prevent unauthorized use of their copyrighted material over the Internet Enforcement must include civil, administrative, and criminal mechanisms Prohibit laws that require local storage or processing of digital data Prohibit taxes on electronic transfers Regulatory Practices Require regulations be "based on sound science, cost benefit analysis, or risk assessment" Have countries match their laws Eliminate price controls Government-Owned Industries Eliminate government owned industries that compete with private companies Localization Eliminate and prevent laws that require multinational corporations to operate facilities or keep assets in a country where they want to do business Labor and Environment Require countries to adopt "internationally recognized core labor standards" Allows environmental laws to be weakened (see exception) Allow countries to enforce labor and environmental laws at their discretion "Ensure that labor, environmental, or safety politics and practices of the parties to trade agreements with the United States do not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate against United States exports or serve as disguised barriers to trade." Ensure that labor and environmental laws are subject to the Investor State Dispute System Prohibit foreign countries from enforcing labor and environmental law within the United States Anti-Corruption "Encourage and support" anti-corruption and anti-bribery initiatives Section 3: Trade Promotion Authority for the President The President may enter into agreements with foreign countries before July 1, 2018 That can (and likely will) be extended until July 1, 2021. The President has to request the extension in writing and submit reports to Congress and if Congress does nothing, the extension is automatically approved. Procedures for the President to Enter International Agreements The President must notify Congress of his intention to begin negotiations 90 days before they start 30 days before starting negotiations, the President must publish a summary of the negotiation objectives on a publicly available website. Before entering into an agreement, the President must "consult" with various Committees and inform them of the "nature of the agreement" and the "general effect of the agreement on existing laws" At least 180 days before entering the agreement, the President must submit a report to Congress of the proposals that "may be" in the final agreement. At least 90 days before entering the agreement, the President must provide the International Trade Commission - which is not a part of Congress - with details of the agreement as it exists at that time and request an assessment of the agreement. At least 90 days before entering the agreement, the President must publish his intention to enter the agreement in the Federal Register. 60 days before entering into the agreement, the President must publish the text of the agreement on a publicly available Internet website of the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. 30 days before entering the agreement, the President must give Congress the final text and a plan for implementing and enforcing it. Congress will make changes needed to existing U.S. law with an implementing bill Any agreement with a foreign government that is not disclosed to Congress before the implementing bill is introduced will have no force or effect. Congressional Involvement in Negotiations The U.S. Trade Representative must meet with any member of Congress who requests a meeting The U.S. Trade Representative must provide any member of Congress access to negotiation documents, including classified materials The United States Trade Representative must "consult" with various committees at various stages of negotiations. The U.S. Trade Representative - not Congress - will write guidelines on "enhanced coordination with Congress" and the USTR can revise the guidelines whenever he wants to. The U.S. Trade Representative will have to accredit at least 10 members of Congress to the trade delegation. It's unclear if they will be able to participate in the actual negotiations. How to rescind Trade Promotion Authority If the Senate Finance Committee meets to pass the implementing bill, and it doesn't pass, a "disapproval resolution" will be passed and sent to the Senate floor. Any member of the House or Senate can introduce a "disapproval resolution" In the House, the resolution goes to the Committee on Ways and Means AND the Committee on Rules If either of these Committees does not pass the resolution, it can not go to the House floor for a vote If the Committee on Ways and Means does not pass the resolution in 6 legislative days, the resolution dies. In the Senate, the resolution goes to the Committee on Finance. If the Committee on Finance does not pass the resolution, it can not go to the Senate floor for a vote Information for the Public The U.S. Trade Representative will create written guidelines on public access to information regarding agreements, which he can revise at any time. Chief Transparency Officer Creates a new position in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative - the Chief Transparency Officer - who will "consult" with Congress on transparency policy, "assist' the public, and "advise" the U.S. Trade Representative Sovereignty "No provision of any trade agreement... that is inconsistent with any law of the United States, any State of the United States, or any locality of the United States shall have effect." "Reports...issued by dispute settlement panels... shall have no binding effect on the law of the United States, the Government of the United States, or the law or government of any State or locality of the United States." Hearings Discussed in This Episode "Congress and U.S. Trade Policy", Senate Finance Committee, April 16, 2015. [caption id="attachment_1745" align="aligncenter" width="314"] People available for questions during the April 16 surprise hearing in the Senate Finance Committee about Trade Promotion Authority[/caption] "Congress and U.S. Trade Policy", Senate Finance Committee, April 21, 2015. [caption id="attachment_1746" align="aligncenter" width="303"] People available for questions during the April 22 Senate Finance Committee hearing on Trade Promotion Authority [/caption] Mark-Up Hearing for S. 995 (the Trade Promotion Authority bill), Senate Finance Committee, April 22, 2015. Mark-Up Hearing for H.R. 1890(the Trade Promotion Authority bill), House Ways and Means Committee, April 22, 2015. Additional Information U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman bundled between $200,000- $500,000 for Barack Obama's political campaigns, Center for Responsive Politics Senator John Thune has taken over $1.6 million from Agribusiness, Center for Responsive Politics Is the Bt Protein Safe for Human Consumption?, ucbiotech.org - University of California, February 2012. USDA Fact sheet on Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio)

In this special episode, we prepare for the Senate's upcoming push to fast-track multiple "free trade" agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). We also look into the January 2015 draft text of the leaked TPP Investment Chapter. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Discussed in this Episode Leaked Trans-Pacific Partnership Chapters Wikileaks: The January 2015 draft text of the TPP Investment Chapter Wikileaks: The August 2013 draft text of the TPP Intellectual Property Chapter Wikileaks: The May 2014 draft text of the TPP Intellectual Property Chapter Wikileaks: The November 2013 draft text of the TPP Environment Chapter Additional Information Hearing: US Trade Policy, Senate Finance Committee, January 27, 2015. Video: Defense Secretary Ashton Carter's speech at the McCain Institute at Arizona State University. Fox 10 Pheonix via YouTube. April 6, 2015. Article: Trade bill timeline could push Senate to act by Adam Behsudi. Politico. April 2, 2015. Article: U.S. Defense Secretary Supports Trade Deal with Asia by Helene Cooper. New York Times. April 6, 2015. Congressional Research Service Paper: The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Negotiations and Issues for Congress, March 20, 2015. Monsanto Press Release: Why Does Monsanto Sue Farmers Who Save Seeds? Report from Public Citizen: Table of Foreign Investor-State Cases and Claims Under NAFTA and Other U.S. "Trade" Deals, March 2015. List of the 600+ corporate advisors who have been given access to the TPP text Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Change the World by Dona Oxford (found on Music Alley by mevio)

A summary of all the bills that passed at least one branch of Congress in February, including six bills destined for a veto and one new law. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Information Discussed in this Episode Read Jennifer Briney's Reddit Ask Me Anything from March 23, 2015. Check out The Marketers Guide to Reddit AMAs, written by Paul and David DiGiovanni. [caption id="attachment_1731" align="aligncenter" width="266"] This is the tool I used to help my AMA raise to #1 on Reddit's front page[/caption] Follow Paul DiGiovanni and David DiGiovanni, the Reddit Marketers on Twitter Listen to the details of Jen's front-page of Reddit experience on Episode 145 of The Pursuit Podcast [caption id="attachment_1732" align="aligncenter" width="549"] Listen to this episode to find out what it's like to have your first reddit AMA end up at #1 on the front page[/caption] Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi died of brain cancer at age 56 February Laws H.R. 203: Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act Requires annual independent evaluations of Veteran's Administration mental health programs Requires the Veteran's Administration to create a website for information about their mental health services that needs to be updated at least every 90 days. Creates a three year pilot program to repay psychiatrists' loans ($30,000 a year) if they work for at least two years at the Veteran's Health Administration. Prohibits any additional money to get this done. Written by Democrat Rep. Timothy Walz of Minnesota February Bills S.1: Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act Authorizes TransCanada to construct, operate, and maintain the KeystoneXL pipeline. Deems the environmental impact analysis complete Forces all challenges in court to be heard in Washington D.C. or in the Supreme Court. Orders the Department of Energy to create a website to coordinate Federal assistance for making schools energy efficient Expresses a "sense of the Senate" that Congress should tax bitumen as oil for the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund Requires the General Services Administration to develop commercial leasing provisions that encourage tenants to invest in energy and water efficiency Requires the EPA to develop a voluntary "Tenant Star" program to recognize commercial tenants who achieve high standards of energy efficiency. Makes it illegal for people to tamper with grid-enabled water heaters Passed 62-36 in the Senate, with nine Democrats joining all Republicans. It passed 270-152 in the House, with all but Justin Amash of Michigan voting yes on the Republican side and with 29 Democratic yes votes. Sponsored by Senator John Hoeven of North Dakota, whose top contributing industry is Oil and Gas, which has given him over $330,000 President Obama vetoed the bill and the Senate failed to over-ride that veto by the two-thirds majority they would need to do so. H.R. 596: To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Repeals the Affordable Care Act, effective 6 months after it would become law. The effects this would have on the budget would not be counted. Would require three House Committees to write replacement bills. There is no deadline. Would be vetoed by the President Written by new Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama, whose #1 contributor) in his first election was Blue Cross/Blue Shield, who gave him over $30,000 that we know of. In total, he took over $180,000 from the Insurance and Health industries. H.R. 50 and S. 189: Unfunded Mandates Information and Transparency Act of 2015 Forces the government to consult with the private sector when creating regulations. Would be vetoed by the President Sponsored by Rep. Virginia Foxx of North Carolina in the House and Senator Deb Fischer of Nebraska. H.R. 527: Small Business Regulatory Flexibility Improvements Act of 2015 Would make creating regulations harder and make the government analyze a regulations effect on businesses finances. Blog: Deregulating big business in the name of small business by Amit Narang. The Hill. February 2015. Passed 260-163 in the House. Would be vetoed by the President Written by Rep. Steve Chabot of Ohio H.R. 644: Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2015 Makes permanent a tax deduction for businesses that donated food inventory to charity Increases the amount corporations can deduct for food inventory they donate to charity Passed 279-137, with 39 Democrats joining all but one Republican (Rep. Walter Jones of North Carolina). Would be vetoed by the President because it would increase the budget deficits by about $2.2 billion over the next 10 years. Written by Rep. Tom Reed of New York H.R. 636: America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015 Makes permanent a tax credit for depreciable business property, and increases the credit every year with inflation. Expands the eligible business property to include computer software, actual property, air conditioning and heating units. Cuts in half the amount of time certain gains are taxable, from 10 years to 5 years. The effects of this on the budget will not be counted. The bill would increase the deficit by $77 billon over the next 10 years Passed 272-142, with all but one Republican (Walter Jones of North Carolina) voting yes, along with 33 Democrats. Would be vetoed by the President because it would increase federal deficits by about $77 billion over the next 10 years. Sponsored by Rep. Pat Tiberi of Ohio H.R. 361: Medical Preparedness Allowable Use Act Allows Urban Area Security Initiative and State Homeland Security Grant Program money to be used for pharmaceutical stockpiles. Written by Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida; he has taken over $750,000 from "health professionals" and over $120,000 from pharmaceuticals. H.R. 623: Social Media Working Group Act of 2015 Authorizes a group within the Department of Homeland Security, made up of government officials and private sector employees, to report on how to use social media during emergencies. The group will be exempt from the Federal Advisory Committee Act, which requires meetings and transcripts be available to the public. Passed 328-51 in the House, with most no votes coming from Republicans, along with Democratic Rep. Jared Polis. Written by Rep. Susan Brooks of Indiana H.R. 212: Drinking Water Protection Act Orders the EPA to make a plan to study algae in drinking water supplies Passed with 37 Republicans voting no Written by Rep. Robert Latta of Ohio H.R. 529: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 529 plans. Allows computers and Internet access to be paid for with tax-advantaged college savings plan funds Changes the way taxes are calculated Would increase the deficit by $51 million over 10 years. Passed 401-20 Written by Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas H.R. 615: Department of Homeland Security Interoperable Communications Gives the Under Secretary of Management of the Department of Homeland Security the job of making sure that DHS departments can communicate with each other in emergencies. Written by Rep. Donald Payne of New Jersey H.R. 1020: STEM Education Act of 2015 Changes definition of STEM education to include computer science Creates one-year grants for math and science teachers to get master's degrees Passed 412-8 Written by Rep. Lamar Smith of Texas H.R. 719: TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015 Changes the job classification standards of criminal investigators in the TSA to make them tougher, which would theoretically result in less people being paid the higher wages associated with that title Passed 410-0 Sponsored by Rep. John Katko of New York H.R. 710: Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to review the effectiveness of the transportation security card program, which are biometric identification cards for maritime DHS workers. Prohibits the Secretary of Homeland Security from requiring the use of security card readers until the assessment is finished and a card reader is identified that will work with existing security cards Appropriates no additional money Passed without a recorded vote Sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas H.R. 734: Federal Communications Commission Consolidated Reporting Act Consolidates FCC reports into one assessment to be done every two years Passed 411-0 Written by Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana S. 295: Amy and Vicky Child Pornography Victim Restitution Improvement Act of 2015 Expands the definition of "full amount of the victim's losses" to include medical services, rehabilitation, and loss of income for the victim's lifetime. Passed 98-0 Sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) February by The Distants (found on Music Alley by mevio) Change the World by Dona Oxford (found on Music Alley by mevio)

In this episode, learn about our global war strategy for the 114th Congress through highlights of two Senate Armed Services Committee hearings. Witnesses include former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Madeline Albright, and George Shultz and retired military leaders General James Mattis, General Jack Keane, and Admiral William Fallon. Please support Congressional Dish: Click here to contribute with PayPal or Bitcoin; click the PayPal "Make it Monthly" checkbox to create a monthly subscription Click here to support Congressional Dish for each episode via Patreon Mail Contributions to: 5753 Hwy 85 North #4576 Crestview, FL 32536 Thank you for supporting truly independent media! Global Challenges and US National Security Strategy Senate Committee on Armed Services, January 27, 2015 General James N. Mattis, USMC (Ret.) Former Commander, United States Central Command 2010-2013 On the Board of Directors of General Dynamics Board Member at Theranos, a blood diagnostics company General John "Jack" M. Keane, USA (Ret.) Former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army 1999 - 2003 Member of the Council on Foreign Relations On the Board of Directors of General Dynamics Strategic advisor and consultant for Academi (Blackwater) as of July 2012 Is a Venture Partner at SCP Partners, a private equity firm with investments in IT, medical devices & pharmaceuticals, and surveillance, and defense. On the Board of Directors at International Battery Inc., which manufactures lithium ion batteries. On the Board of Directors at MetLife On the Board of Directors at CDC Real Estate Opportunity Fund, a commercial real estate service in Washington D.C. Quadrennial Defense Review, 2014 Admiral William J. Fallon, USN (Ret.) Former Commander, United States Central Command Executive Vice President of Strategy of SM&A, which help companies score defense procurement contracts Independent Non-Executive Director of Frontier Services Group Limited. as of April 201, which is "Africa's Premier Expeditionary Logistics Provider" The Executive Chairman of the Board is Eric Prince of Blackwater Partner at Tilwell Petroleum Inc. Chairman of the Board of Directors at Countertack Inc., a cybersecurity company. On the Board of Directors at Cylance, Inc., which is a cybersecurity company. On the Board of Directors at the American Security Project Owns his own consulting and advisory business, William J. Fallon & Associates, Inc. Global Challenges and the U.S. National Security Strategy Senate Committee on Armed Services, January 29, 2015 Henry Kissinger Government Positions Secretary of State and National Security Advisor to Presidents Ford and Nixon Coordinated the CIA coup that overthrew Allende and installed Pinochet in Chile (Project FUBELT) Private Positions Member of the Breton Woods Committee Member of the Council on Foreign Relations Board member at the Atlantic Council Trilateral Commission member Honorary Council of Advisors on the US-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce Member of the J.P. Morgan Chase International Council Board Member at Theranos, a blood diagnostics company Member of the 1994 CSIS American-Ukrainian Advisory Committee (with Brzezinski) Advisor to the Board of Directors at American Express On the Board of Directors at the Continental Grain Company, New York's 17th largest private company Madeleine Albright Government Positions President Clinton's Secretary of State Private Positions Member of the Breton Woods Committee Member of the Council on Foreign Relations Trilateral Commission member Chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, and Chair of Albright Capital Management, an affiliated investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. Albright Capital Management is a investor in Helios Towers Africa, a telecommunications company in Africa. Albright Capital Management is an investor in Flemingo International, an international retail company with over 120 stores, that sells things in airport, seaports, and borders, including duty free stores and jewelry stores. Albright Capital Management is also an investor in APR Energy, which supplies government utilities in developing nations with power equipment. Dr. George P. Shultz Government positions President Nixon's Labor and Treasury Secretary President Reagan's Secretary of State Advisor to President George W. Bush: The Wall Street Journal called him "The Father of the Bush Doctrine" Private positions President and Director of the Bechtel Group from 1974-1982, until he became Reagan's Secretary of State 1976: Bechtel gets contracts build a Saudi Arabian city, Jubail Member of the Breton Woods Committee Member of the Council on Foreign Relations Chairman of the Energy Task Force, member of the Economic Policy Working Group and the Arctic Security Working Group at the Hoover Institution Educated at the University of Chicago Former Chairman of the JP Morgan Chase International Council On the Board of Directors of Gilead Sciences Board Member of Acuitus, which has something to do with DARPA training and education. Board Member at Theranos, a blood diagnostics company Riley P. Bechtel is also on the Board of Directors as of March 2014 Information Presented in This Episode Ukraine U.S. Planned Coup Listen to the leaked phone call between Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland and US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt. Transcript of the call President Obama admits to Fareed Zakaria on CNN that the United States was behind the installation of the new Ukrainian government. IMF loan Ukraine was awarded another IMF loan, this time for $17.5 billion, in February 2015. Economic Reforms adopted Increase military spending Increase in the army from 184,000 to 250,000 Stricter punishments for deserters (approximately 10,000 people have deserted the army.) 3-7 years in jail for failure to execute an order that caused grave consequences Privatize Energy Increased a tax on gas produced by Ukragasvydobuvannia and Ukmafta, Ukrainian state gas companies, from 20 to 70 percent. Increased the gas tariff for heat supply companies by 2.2 times Increased gas tariff for residents by 3.3 times Deregulation Lifted ban on private sector ownership of land Legalized GMO's Ukraine is world's third largest exporter of corn and fifth largest exporter of wheat Three types of business activities related to agriculture will no longer require licenses Trade in pesticides and argo-chemicals Cattle breeding activities Fumigation Cut Social Welfare Programs Pension reforms will cut pensions of elderly with part time jobs by 15 percent Weapons to the New Government The U.S. will send $75 million worth of "non-lethal" weapons to the Ukrainian government. Why Soldiers have the Raven UAV Iraq Oil Pipeline A new oil pipeline opened from Erbil to Turkey in June 2014. Budget Functions Function 150 Function 150 appears to be war related items funded through the Departments of State, Agriculture, and Treasury. Function 150 received approximately $50 billion in 2014 and the President requested $55 billion for 2015. Music Presented in This Episode Intro & Exit: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Blood is Thicker than Oil by The Undercover Hippy (found on Music Alley by mevio)