Congressional Dish

In this episode, Jen and Joe recap all the bills that passed the House of Representatives and were covered on Congressional Dish in 2013. Also, an update on the debt ceiling. Music in This Episode: Intro and Exit Music: by , by , Debt Ceiling  See how your representative voted on until March 16, 2015, which passed the House on February 11 and the Senate on February 12. If we don't suspend the debt ceiling, we probably will not default on our debt as . However, the only way that we would avoid a default would involve a scenario along the lines of the one , which involved slashing the Federal government and even eliminating whole departments. The debt ceiling either needs to be raised or suspended or the government drastically slashed by February 27. Bills Covered by Congressional Dish in 2013 (In Chronological Order) (Agreed to 1/3/13) Highlighted in episode Members can take private jets using government money (CD016) Speaker John Boehner , but this promise wasn't put in the official House rules. (112th Congress) (Passed House & Senate 1/1, LAW 1/2) Highlighted in episode Extended unemployment insurance Extended Farm bill until September 2013 Extended the Bush tax cuts Increased capital gains taxes from 15% to 20% Extended the college and child tax credits Multinationals -including banks- don't have to pay taxes on income from foreign subsidiaries (Passed House 1/15, Senate 1/28, LAW 1/29) Highlighted in episode Sandy was on 10/29/12, funding for the recovery was finally provided on 1/15/13 All Reps from Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas voted against it (Passed Senate 2/27, House 3/4, LAW 3/13) Highlighted in episode Loosened the definition of an "emergency" to include "threat justifying emergency authorized use" of unapproved medical devices (Passed House 1/23, Senate 1/31, LAW 2/4) Highlighted in episode Suspended the debt ceiling until May 18, 2013 House & Senate both have to pass budgets by April 15, 2013 (which they did). Would have paid Congress no matter whether or not they passed their budgets; they would have been back paid. Highlighted in episode Public & private non-profits need to help CDC with surveillance systems in order to get pediatric research grants but provided no money. (Passed House 2/6) Highlighted in episode President would have to submit a second budget if his first budget wasn't balanced. (Passed House 2/12) Highlighted in episode Gives grants to States to streamline requirements for veteran EMTs to become civilian EMTs (Passed House 2/13) Highlighted in episode The first amendment to the Constitution prohibits direct funding of religious buildings [caption id="attachment_419" align="alignright" width="150"] A small conduit hydro-electric project[/caption] (Passed House 2/13, Senate 8/1, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode Fast tracks hydro-power projects on existing dams. (Passed House 2/15) Highlighted in episode (Passed Senate 2/12, House 2/28, LAW 3/7) Highlighted in episode Adds stalking and date rape to list of punishable offenses Cyber stalking counts as stalking Most of the funding decreased from previous levels (Passed House 3/12) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 3/13) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 3/15, S. 1911 introduced in Senate committee 1/9/2014) Highlighted in episode Would effectively put decisions on welfare-to-work training programs in corporate control by changing the make-up of local boards. Would have required layoffs of Federal workers by consolidating 35 programs into one. (Passed Senate 3/20, House 3/21, LAW 3/26) Highlighted in episodes , , , and Funded the government until September 30, 2013 Included the   (passed House 4/10, Senate 8/1, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode Authorizes small hydro-power projects and determines who is first in line for the power (passed 4/12) Highlighted in episode Board would have had to stop all work & not enforce decisions make after 1/4/2012 Could have restarted if recess appointments were ruled Constitutional or at start of second session of 113th All about which may have been unconstitutional S. 716: Gut the STOCK Act (Passed Senate, 4/11, House 4/12, LAW 4/15 - Passed Congress with no recorded votes) Highlighted in episode Exempted Congressional staff and executive branch employees from financial reporting. Eliminated the searchable website for financial reports. (passed House 4/15) Highlighted in episode Can be waived (Passed House 4/16 by 416-0) Highlighted in episode Provides a framework for the coordination of information security between civilian, national security, and law enforcement communities. Focuses on automated and continuous monitoring of information systems. Acknowledges “market solutions for the protection of critical information systems important to the national defense and economic security of the National that are designed, built, and operated by the private sector.” Authorizes "secure facilities" for storing information Authorizes having enough staff with classified clearance to analyze that information (Passed House 4/16) Highlighted in episode Trains cyber-security professionals with taxpayer money & creates a strategy for buying private sector cloud services (Passed House 4/18) Highlighted in episode Director of National Intelligence would create procedures for giving "cyber threat information" to private companies and utilities Information can be passed from private companies to DHS and DOJ Information given by the private companies to the government will be exempt from the Freedom of Information Act A company that shares cyber intelligence with the government will be exempt from civil or criminal liability if they act "in good faith" The military and intelligence communities can't control, change or direct in any way the cyber-security efforts of a private company. Says US citizens can not be targets for surveillance (Passed House 4/26, Senate 9/26, LAW 10/2) Highlighted in episode Changes the way we sell our stockpile of helium so we get a fairer price & end the global helium shortage by allowing the government to sell our helium (Passed House 5/9) Highlighted in episode Tells Treasury to make interest payments and social security payments when we hit the debt ceiling (Passed House 5/8, S. 1623 Introduced in Senate committee 10/30) Highlighted in episode Allows time and a half in paid time off instead of time and a half pay for overtime, if the employee chooses that option (Passed House 5/16) Highlighted in episode Introduced by Michelle Bachmann (Passed House 5/17) Highlighted in episode Forces SEC to do a cost-benefit analysis on their regulations of Wall Street SEC must explain why they didn't include suggestions made by the financial industry SEC must review all existing regulations every five years (Passed House 5/20, Senate 5/22, LAW 6/2) Highlighted in episode The Bush Administration version was ruled unconstitutional for violating the First Amendment This changes it so that you get busted for fraud if you fake having a medal for financial gain (Passed House 5/20) Highlighted in episode Penalties that currently apply when a US ship or ship in US territory is attacked would be applied worldwide and would include attacks on corporate ships. (Passed House 5/22) Highlighted in episode [caption id="attachment_580" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Tar sands oil next to a home in Mayflower, Arkansas. Source: EPA[/caption] Bill by Lee Terry of Nebraska Would exempt Keystone XL from the law requiring a Presidental permit Government can waive any law or regulation in order to issue the Keystone XL permit (Passed Senate 7/24, Passed House 7/31, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episodes and Caps student loan interest rates at 8.25% for undergrads and 9.5% for graduate level students (Passed Senate 8/1, House 8/2, LAW 8/9) Highlighted in episode Creates procedures for expediting and private TSA screenings for injured and disabled veterans (Passed House 6/4) Highlighted in episode Never went to conference with the Senate & was funded via Jan 2014 omnibus budget (Passed Senate 5/8, house 6/3, LAW 6/13) Highlighted in episode Reauthorizes a fee system for accelerating testing or distribution of animal antibiotics Caps the amount of revenue the fees can bring into the government (Passed House 6/3) Highlighted in episode Allows so much time for implementation that the soonest the system would exist is 2028 Prohibits states from enacting stricter standards (Passed House 6/12 by 420-2) Highlighted in episode Makes SEC (Wall Street Police) liable for lawsuits that arise from them sharing information with other regulators. (Passed House 6/12 by 411-12) Highlighted in episode (Passed 6/12) Highlighted in episode The Commodity Futures Trading Commission and SEC would have to issue the exact same rules. Would exempt the biggest foreign swap gamblers from United States swaps regulations. "This really just gives banks permission to go around the world regulator shopping." (Passed 6/14, Final version LAW 12/26) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 6/18, S. 1670 introduced to Senate committee 11/7) Highlighted in episode Doctors can't perform an abortion on a fetus that is 20 weeks or older. Doctors can be fined and sentenced to five years in prison. The mother can't be prosecuted. Exceptions: Life of the  mother in danger, rape, or incest. (Passed House 6/27) Highlighted in episode Approves the treaty with Mexico allowing drilling the Western Gap - in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. Slipped into the 2014 budget and is now LAW (Passed House 6/28) Highlighted in episode Forces Federal government to lease at least 50% of the unleased Outer Continental Shelf with the most fossil fuel resources Increase oil and gas production Forces leases off of the east coast and southern California Limited the content of environmental impact studies (Passed House 7/10) Highlighted in episode Shorted renewable energy by $1.9 billion Shorted power grid upgrades, fuel efficiency, energy efficient buildings, geothermal energy, wind energy, energy assistance for the poor, environmental clean ups, and natural gas. Gave more than requested for nuclear energy and fossil fuels. (Passed House 7/30, Senate 10/31, LAW 11/13) Highlighted in episode Public schools will be allowed to stockpile epinephrine for students with food allergies and train staff to administer it (Passed House 7/25) Highlighted in episode Coal industry will have 10 years of meet groundwater protection standards EPA cannot categorize waste from burning coal, oil, natural gas, and tar sands as ‘hazardous waste’. (Passed House 8/1) Highlighted in episode EPA is not allowed to issue a regulation costing over $1 billion The social cost of carbon – climate change, cancer rates, etc. – can’t be used in a cost-benefit analysis (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode Authored by Forces Federal agencies to get Congressional approval for all major rules that cost over $100 million, affect the finances of businesses, or create a carbon tax If Congress does nothing for 70 working days, the rule can’t be enacted None of this is subject to judicial review Monetary policy by the Federal Reserve is exempted (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode Government conferences capped at $500,000 but private companies can make up the rest. All conference materials must be posed online. (Passed House 8/1) Highlighted in episode Makes it easier to fire high level Federal employees Caps some Federal worker bonuses and prohibits any bonus at all for others. (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode Each agency must establish customer service standards but will get no extra funding to do so.  (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode  (Passed House 7/31) Highlighted in episode and (Passed House 8/2) Highlighted in episode IRS prohibited from enforcing tax provisions of Affordable Care Act (Passed House 7/19) Highlighted in episode Expands the number of charter schools Gives charter schools as much taxpayer money as real public schools Charter school programs can be provided by for-profit businesses Public money will go to private schools and tutoring Sex education must teach abstinence to get Federal funds High schools students contact information must be given to military recruiters (Passed House 6/6) Highlighted in episode Never went to conference & was funding in the omnibus budget in January 2014. (Passed Senate 7/19, House 9/10, LAW 9/18) Highlighted in episode Allows permits for small hydroelectric projects and a natural gas pipeline to cut through an Alaska national park. (Passed House 9/9) Highlighted in episode FCC does a 25 country comparison of data transmission speeds and price; this bill repeals that report. (Passed House 9/12, passed House & Senate 10/16, LAW 10/17) Highlighted in episode and The bill was the "vehicle" to end the shutdown. The text was completely changed Prevents Americans from getting subsidies until the Secretary of Health and Human Services has a subsidy verification system in place. Funded government until 1/15/14 Suspended debt ceiling until 2/7/14 Killed the Monsanto Protection Act (Passed House 9/19) Highlighted in episode Was Titled the "Nutrition Reform and Work Opportunity Act" (Passed House 9/17) Highlighted in episode Done on behalf of wealthy casino-owning tribes in Arizona that don't want the competition (Passed House 9/17, Senate 9/25, LAW 10/2) Highlighted in episode South American wants us out of their business; we're saying we're not going away. (Passed House 9/18) Highlighted in episode Exempts mining projects from environmental regulations. (Passed House 9/25) Highlighted in episode Exempts an old wooden boat from fire safety standards for 10 years so it can carry passengers overnight The Shutdown Bills The House CR that didn’t really defund the Affordable Care Act () The Senate CR that has not had a vote yet in the House () The House CR that delays the Affordable Care Act for year () The House CR that delays the Affordable Care Act & kills employer-paid health benefits for Congress and their staff. The House bill that requests a conference committee with Senate Funds National Parks and some museums Funds operations in Washington D.C. Funds veterans benefits Funds the National Institutes of Health Funds the National Guard and reserves H.R. 2275 finally ended the shutdown (see above) Back to Work (Passed House 10/23, Passed Senate with changes 10/31) Highlighted in episode Speeds up and consolidates studies Speeds up permitting by letting utilities and natural gas companies pay the Army Speeds up environmental reviews Prohibits lawsuits after five months Privatizes maintenance and management of public water infrastructure (Passed House 10/30) Highlighted in episode Bill written mostly by Citigroup lobbyists Makes foreign banks eligible for a bailout Allows bailout-eligible banks to trade in credit default swaps (Passed House 10/29) Highlighted in episode Prevents a Department of Labor regulation forcing brokers to do what is best for their customers, not themselves (Passed House 11/12, Senate 11/14, LAW 11/27) (Passed Senate 6/17, House 11/12, LAW 11/21) Highlighted in episode (Passed Senate 10/28, House 11/12, LAW 11/21) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 11/12, Senate 12/10, LAW 12/20) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 11/13) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 11/14) Highlighted in episode Imposes mandatory financial penalties for filing “frivolous” lawsuits. Eliminates the 21-day grace period to withdraw a lawsuit without financial penalty. (Passed House 11/15) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 11/12) Highlighted in episodes and Streamline reporting standards and publish spending data on USAspending.gov (Passed House 11/20) Highlighted in episode Speeds up oil and gas permitting Forces us to lease our land to fossil fuel companies Leases land for oil shale development - a technology that still doesn't exist Limits Americans' access to the courts to stop drilling Severely limit Native Americans' access to the courts to stop drilling (Passed House 11/20) Highlighted in episode Prevents Federal regulation of fracking Rigs studies to only examine benefits of fracking, not the costs (Passed House 11/21) Highlighted in episode Automatically permits pipelines that are not permitted in under 120 days (Passed House 12/2, served as the vehicle for the 2014 budget, LAW 1/17/14) Highlighted in episode Taxpayers will pay for private space accidents starting at $500 million and up to $2.8 billion (Passed House 12/3, S. 1893 referred to Senate committee 12/20) Highlighted in episode TSA must publicly publish a plan for the security technology they intend to buy Private sector must be included and plan must identify "public private partnership" opportunities (Passed House 12/3, Senate 12/9, LAW 12/9) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 12/4) Highlighted in episode (Passed House 12/5) Highlighted in episode Claims must be available on a public, searchable website Limits lawsuits down the supply chain Lawsuit losers must pay expenses and fees of the winners (Passed House 10/28, Senate 11/19, LAW 12/26) Highlighted in episode A cyber-security section was added last minute by Jay Rockefeller Creates a "Conflict Records Research Center" and allows states, foreign governments, and “any source in the private sector” to give money to the Department of Defense. Allows contractors to make more than the President of the United States. Expands the drug war to Chad, Libya, Mali, & Niger.

On February 7, President Obama signed the Farm Bill into law, which will govern our food policy for the next five years. In the new law are cuts to food stamps, an expansion of an extremely generous crop insurance program, bailouts for livestock producers, a big favor for chemical companies, and much more. Music in This Episode: Intro and Exit Music: by , by   by Farming in the United States We often hear that most United States farms are "family farms", which is true; in 2011, 96 percent of U.S. crop farms were family farms, and they accounted for 87 percent of the value of crop production. The term is misleading, however, because family farms can be sole proprietorships, partnerships or corporations. Using the term 'family farm' implies a small farm like the one Auntie Em owned in the Wizard of Oz. In reality, ; 86 percent of farms with at least 10,000 acres of cropland are family operations. The way these large farms qualify as 'family farms' but actually produce the products of giant corporations is through the use of contracts. The farms themselves are owned and operated by individuals, but their crops belong to and are sold by a corporation. For example, Dole Foods leases 14,000 acres in Arizona and California from landowners who purchased the land from Dole Foods. Most of that land is now farmed by independent growers, most of which are family operations, under contract arrangements with Dole. , larger operations are more likely to use contracts, which can reduce the price and marketing risks faced by farmers. Large farms now dominate crop production in the United States. From 1987-2007, consolidation lead to larger farms for every major crop except for cantaloupe and plums. Between 1950 and 1997, consolidation caused the number of farms in the U.S. to decline dramatically—f. concluded that this consolidation is due in part to the expansion of crop insurance in the United States. By reducing risk to farmers, crop insurance encourages farmers to invest more in labor-reducing equipment and to specialize in specific crops instead of diversifying crops and livestock as had been traditional in the past. Crop insurance also guarantees a certain amount of income to farmers which allows the large farms with only one crop to survive even if their product is devastated by drought, fire, or other national disaster. This guaranteed financial return has allowed larger farms to gobble up smaller farms, leading to the rapid consolidation of the last 60 years. Wealthy farmers' ability to buy vast amounts of land and huge equipment has increased production so much that now very few people are needed to do the actual work. In 1945, it took 14 labor hours to produce 100 bushels of corn on 2 acres of land; on less than half the amount of land. That increased productivity resulted from bigger, more powerful machines, commercial fertilizers, genetically modified seeds, and other technologies. As a consequence of the substitution of equipment and chemicals for human labor, for a living today. The Farm Bill was signed into law on Friday, February 7, 2014. It will govern food policy in the United States for the next five years. Cuts to SNAP: Food Assistance for Needy Families The farm bill cuts $8 billion from SNAP (which is less than ); the cut from a typical poor family. The law kept the mean, unnecessary, and probably unenforceable provision that prevents food stamp recipients from recycling for cash the bottles and cans they bought with food stamps (Section 4001). Stores and restaurants that accept food stamps will be forced to pay for 100% of the electronic equipment and supplies needed to process food stamp cards while the law also prohibits manual vouchers (Section 4002). Murderers and sex offenders will not be eligible for food stamps (Section 4008). Government sponsored advertisements for the food stamp program will be prohibited (Section 4018). Direct Payments Direct payments - tax money given to food manufacturers for each acre they owned, regardless of production - were eliminated (Section 1101). Direct payments had cost The House version had kept direct payments to upland cotton growers until 2016; the law will not. The farm bill shifted the gifts to Agribusiness from direct payments to crop insurance, a program that will an increase of $7 billion, likely more. The increase in crop insurance cancels out all savings generated by eliminating direct payments, and then some. for crop insurance due to the 2012 drought. No person or "legal entity" can receive more than $125,000 per year, but (Section 1603). Individuals who make over $900,000 a year are ineligible for commodity and conservation program money, but payments (Section 1605). Food manufacturers who do not purchase insurance will be able to get payments equal to catastrophic insurance levels - also capped at $125,000 per year- if they back-pay premiums (Section 12305). The insurance program is managed by private insurance companies for a profit but claims will be paid with taxpayer money. Taxpayers reimburse private insurance companies for their costs (Section 11021). Private insurers have pocketed surplus premiums in all but two years since 1993; in that time, private while the taxpayers have absorbed $70 million in losses. Any savings generated by renegotiating terms with the private insurance companies (Section 11012). Federal subsidies for premiums totaled $7.15 billion in 2012, and Federal support for insurance company expenses were $1.38 billion (). "But we are also telling private crop insurance companies, we are going to guarantee you a 14  percent profit margin. We are going to pay your entire administrative and operating expenses. And, by the way, you are going to bear very little risk in offering these policies. The American taxpayer will still bear that risk." - , We will also pay the food manufacturers' premiums. Taxpayers will pay 65% of insurance premiums in some cases (Section 11003). For beginning farmers and ranchers, we will pay 75% of their premiums (Section 11016). For the dairy program, the lowest level of coverage requires no premium payments (Section 1407). Organic farmers will be eligible for insurance no later than 2015 (Section 11023). "In case folks do not know, the fact of the matter is that Americans subsidize crop insurance. We pick up over 60 percent of the cost of the premiums on crop insurance. We pay 100 percent of the administrative costs in terms of crop insurance. We have , and we can't find out who they are." -), Multiple insurance options - price loss coverage and agriculture risk coverage- are available only to food manufacturers with over 10 acres (Sections 1115-1117). Price loss coverage: Food manufacturers are paid with tax money when the real price of their crops is less than expected. Agriculture risk coverage: Food manufacturers are paid with tax money when they make less in revenue than they expected; it essentially . The Numbers Are Rigged Methods used to calculate average crops for the purpose of insurance payouts inflate the average crop size, which in turn will trigger larger taxpayer-funded insurance payouts. In determining the expected crop, any year in the previous five - which is used to determine the average- when the crop yield is less than 70% of the historical yield, that year will count as 70% (Section 1117). Food manufacturers can exclude years during which their yield was 50% below the average of the previous ten years (Section 11009). For the dairy program, the production history for the milk manufacturers' will be their highest production rate in the years 2011, 2012, or 2013 instead of an average (Section 1405). Bailouts for Food Manufacturers Unlimited tax money will be used to pay individuals and corporations for livestock losses caused by attacks by wolves and other Federally protected predator species, disease, and natural disasters such as drought, flood, blizzards, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters (Section 1501). We will pay the person or corporation 75% of the value of the dead animals. We will pay 60% of a livestock producers' feed costs in the case of drought, 80% if they disposed of livestock because of drought in one or both of the previous years. Drought payments will be multiplied by the severity of drought. D3 level drought will give the livestock producer three times the standard monthly payment, D4 level drought will give the livestock producer four times the standard monthly payment, and D4 level drought that lasts longer than four weeks will pay out five times the standard monthly payment. Assistance is capped at $125,000 per person or "legal entity" per year. We will also pay tree manufacturers for 65% of their replanting costs if more than 15% of their trees were destroyed due to a natural disaster, capped at $125,000 per year for no more than 500 acres. Research We will pay for research into improving the "digestibility, nutritional value, and efficiency of the use of corn, soybean meal, cereal grains, and grain byproducts for the poultry and food animal production industries" (Section 7209). ; the dietary change makes them unhealthier food for humans but changes their growth time from five years to 14 months, leading to faster profits for industry. Corn production in 2010 consumed 9 million tons of fertilizer & led to 42 million tons of CO2 greenhouse gas emission. The budget signed two weeks ago caused by livestock production. Due to their unhealthy diets, 80% of antibiotics in the United States are given to U.S. farm animals, . The "Red Meat Safety Research Center" is repealed in this law (Section 7215). When publishing a final rule for "Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption", the Secretary of Health and Human Services must evaluate the economic impact on industry and develop a plan to respond to business concerns (Section 12311). Genetically Modified Food Plants that secrete poison - "" - can be imported into the United States without the knowledge of the government as long as is registered in the United States or has received an experimental use permit (Section 10008). This section was slipped into the final version of the bill. Labeling Country of origin labeling was not prevented by this law; the law orders a study on the economic impact of the new regulations (Section 12104). Certified organic farm will have to keep records for five years detailing the substances they use in their fields, the name and address of the person who applied it, and the date, rate, and method of application for each substance (Section 10005). Penalties for mis-labeling a product will be capped at $10,000. Protection for Chemical Companies The EPA will be from studies assessing tolerances to pesticides (Section 10015). In 2011, the as a pesticide because the combination of pesticides on food when added to the exposure we get from drinking water and toothpaste exceed the legal limit. If they don't assess the tolerance level anymore, then fluoride can still be considered "safe" to use as a pesticide. Sulfuryl flouride is a product of Dow Chemical, which spent in 2013. Marketing We will pay $25 million to "address the critical needs to the pulse crop industry" with an information campaign designed to get us to buy more dry beans, dry peas, lentils, and chickpeas (Section 7209). We will also pay for research into "improving pulse crop productivity" using plant breeding, genetics, and genomics." We will pay $20 million per year to promote and expand production of maple syrup (Section 12306). Conservation Programs Overall, the law will c from conservation over the next ten years. Food manufacturers will have to comply with conservation rules in order to get taxpayers to  pay their insurance premiums (Section 2611). Payment in Peanuts Peanut producers are able to get loans from the Federal government by putting up physical peanuts for collateral. When they repay the loan, they are supposed to pay us back for the storage and handling; however, if the loan can not be re-paid, the taxpayer is on the hook for the storage, handling, and will be the proud owner of a warehouse(s) full of peanuts (Section 1201). Elimination of Mineral Rights The following section of current law, says if a landowner's mineral rights aren't included in the appraisal for a loan, the mineral rights can't be considered collateral. This section is eliminated which may mean that if a landowner's mineral rights are not included in the appraisal for a loan, those mineral rights CAN be seized as collateral on the loan (Section 5004). With respect to a farm ownership loan made after December 23, 1985, unless appraised values of the rights to oil, gas, or other minerals are specifically included as part of the appraised value of collateral securing the loan, the rights to oil, gas, or other minerals located under the property shall not be considered part of the collateral securing the loan. Nothing in this subsection shall prevent the inclusion of, as part of the collateral securing the loan, any payment or other compensation the borrower may receive for damages to the surface of the collateral real estate resulting from the exploration for or recovery of minerals. Marijuana Universities and States may grow hemp as part of a pilot program to research the growth, cultivation, or marketing of industrial hemp (Section 7606). Medical marijuana cannot be treated as a medical expense for a medical expense deduction (Section 4005). Animal Fighting It will now be illegal to attend an animal fight; doing so will be punishable by a fine and/or up to one year in prison. Deleted A provision in previous versions would have required members of Congress, their immediate families, and the President's Cabinet to report any payouts they receive from crop insurance; it

This episode is a mash-up of the State of the Union and the 2014 budget. We compare the impression President Obama gave us about what to expect for this upcoming year with the reality of what was funded in the last-minute and little-examined budget which he signed into law just two weeks before the speech. Information Presented in this Episode The following quotes are from the . Let's compare them to what was in the budget which he recently signed into law: The 2014 Budget () "Last month, thanks to the work of Democrats and Republicans, Congress finally produced a budget that undoes some of last year's severe cuts to priorities like education. Nobody got every-thing they wanted, and we can still do more to invest in this country's future while bringing down our deficit in a balanced way, but the budget com-promise should leave us freer to focus on creating new jobs, not creating new crises." - President Obama The budget should have been done by September 30, 2013. This new law puts all 12 appropriations bills into one big monster law. The bill was put on the and was passed on January 15. The budget is The budget was attached as an amendment to H.R. 3547, the bill extending the insurance program for commercial space flight which was highlighted in The insurance program was originally extended for a year; the budget bill extended it until 2017.) Fossil Fuels  "Now, one of the biggest factors in bringing more jobs back is our commitment to American energy. The all-of- the-above energy strategy I announced a few years ago is working, and today, America is closer to energy independence than we have been in decades. One of the reasons why is natural gas. If extracted safely, it is the bridge fuel that can power our economy with less of the carbon pollution that causes climate change. Businesses plan to in-vest almost $100 billion in new factories that use natural gas. I will cut red tape to help States get those factories built and put folks to work, and this Congress can help by putting people to work building fueling stations that shift more cars and trucks from foreign oil to American natural gas." - President Obama (Division G - Section 108) The Interior Secretary will set up Internet program for oil and gas leasing. Lip Service to Fracking Water Poisoning "Meanwhile, my administration will keep working with the industry to sustain production and job growth while strengthening protection of our air, our water, and our communities." () Prohibits more than $6 million for a joint research effort by the EPA and USGS into hydraulic fracturing that aims "to address the health, safety, and environmental risks of shale gas extraction." Solar  "It is not just oil and natural gas pro-duction that's booming. We are becom-ing a global leader in solar, too. Every 4 minutes, another American home or business goes solar, every panel pounded into place by a worker whose job cannot be outsourced. Let's con-tinue that progress with a smarter tax policy that stops giving $4 billion a year to fossil fuel industries that don't need it so that we can invest more in fuels of the future that do." - President Obama Solar will receive $257 million in 2014. () Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy = $1.7 billion, about half of what was requested (Wind & Solar = 20% of budget at $345 million) Fossil Fuel Research and Development will get $562 million, $142 million more than requested Only time the word 'solar' appears in the budget, the law prohibits the Department of Interior from processing a grant or lease for a (Division G - Section 116) Money is given to the Air Force to upgrade the heating at and forces the little town to use United States coal as the power source, even though . Climate Change - Flood Preparation [caption id="" align="alignright" width="340"] FEMA/Bill Brown[/caption] "Taken together, our energy policy is creating jobs and leading to a cleaner, safer planet. Over the past 8 years, the United States has reduced our total carbon pollution more than any other nation on Earth. But we have to act with more urgency because a changing climate is already harming Western communities struggling with drought and coastal cities dealing with floods." - President Obama Authorizes $1.6 billion for a maximum of 4 new Army Corps of Engineers construction projects. One has to be for environmental restoration, the other three are for navigation OR flood and storm damage reduction, which means that it is possible that none of these projects will be for storm damage reduction. () Authorizes $28 million for preparation for floods, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. (Division D) and $154 million for flood plain mapping and management. () Disaster Relief Fund will receive $6.2 billion. () Reduces money available for weatherization programs that were part of the stimulus bill and also changes eligibility to make it harder to get; the law prohibits the Department of Energy from paying employees who enforce the changes made by the stimulus. () Prohibits enforcement of energy efficiency standards for light bulbs. () Prohibits money to be used to pay the salary of the Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change () New Carbon Standards "That's why I directed my administration to work with States, utilities, and others to set new standards on the amount of carbon pollution our power plants are allowed to dump into the air." -President Obama No money can go towards a regulation for, among other things, carbon dioxide and methane caused by livestock production.() No money can go towards a rule requiring mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas emissions of manure management systems. ( No money can go towards implementing regulations on high-carbon intensity projects of the Export-Import bank that would prohibit any coal-fired or "other power-generation project" in USAID (poor, indebted countries) that would "provide affordable electricity" or increase US exports or jobs. Immigration  "Finally, if we are serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, and law enforcement and fix our broken immigration system. Republicans and Democrats in the Sen-ate have acted. I know that Members of both parties in the House want to do the same." - President Obama Republicans discussed immigration on their , specifically a border fence, but didn't mention immigration in their letter to President Obama. Detention: Must have at least 34,000 detention beds () Federal Prison Industries, Incorporated () has 83 factories, which pay their prisoner slaves between $0.23 and $1.15 per hour, and provide services, including . () No money can be spent on a public advocate in Immigration & Customs Enforcement. () Prohibits a border crossing fee. Gun Control  "Citizenship means standing up for the lives that gun violence steals from us each day. I have seen the courage of parents, students, pastors, and police officers all over this country who say ‘‘we are not afraid,'' and I intend to keep trying, with or without Congress, to help stop more tragedies from visiting innocent Americans in our movie theaters, in our shopping malls, or schools like Sandy Hook." - President Obama ) No money may be used to advocate or promote gun control. Afghanistan "With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America's longest war will finally be over. - President Obama None of the money can be used to "establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of US Armed Forces in Afghanistan" () No money for new construction projects () "After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future. If the Afghan Government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces, and counter-terrorism operations to pursue any remnants of al Qaeda. For while our relationship with Afghanistan will change, one thing will not: our resolve that terrorists do not launch attacks against our country." - President Obama Iraq "When I took office, nearly 180,000 Americans were serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Today, all our troops are out of Iraq." - President Obama None of the money can be used to "establish any military installation or base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of US Armed Forces in Iraq" or "to exercise United States control of any oil resource of Iraq" () $209 million to support "United States government transition activities" () which includes security assistance, facilities renovation and construction, training of Iraqi troops and counter-terrorism personnel. Orders a report from DoD and the Secretary of State for their plan to transfer "training activities that they determine are needed after the end of fiscal year 2014 to existing or new contracts for the sale of defense articles or defense services" $250 million for "democracy programs" "Building Democracy"  "From Tunisia to Burma, we are sup-porting those who are willing to do the hard work of building democracy." - President Obama to "target citizens of the US for exercising any right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States." ) No money can be used by the IRS to "target groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs." No money can be used to require any company with a government contract or requesting a government contract to disclose political contributions to candidates or committees (political action committees) or payments made towards political advertising. () Syria  "In Syria, we'll support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist networks." - President Obama "None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of the War Powers Resolution." which says the President needs to declare war within 60 days AFTER he starts one. He doesn't have to do this at all if he has an Authorization for the Use of Military Force. Funds for Iraq can be used in Syria "to support international efforts to promote regional security"( Funds for the State Department can be used to "establish governance in Syria that is representative, inclusive and accountable", and to "counter extremist ideologies" Drones "America must move off a permanent war footing. That's why I have imposed prudent limits on the use of drones, for we will not be safer if people abroad believe we strike within their countries without regard for the consequence." - President Obama Guantanamo Bay "And with the Afghan war ending, this needs to be the year Congress lifts the remaining restrictions on detainee transfers and we close the prison at Guantanamo Bay." -President Obama Can't use money to transfer anyone into the United States from Guantanamo Bay, but can upgrade and repair Guantanamo Bay Israel-Palestine "As we speak, American diplomacy is supporting Israelis and Palestinians as they engage in the difficult but necessary talks to end the conflict there; to achieve dignity and an independent state for Palestinians, and lasting peace and security for the State of Israel—a Jewish State that knows America will always be at their side." - President Obama $3.1 billion for Israel's military. Prohibits money for Palestine, unless they become a state. ) 10th Deployment  [caption id="" align="alignright" width="302"] U.S. Army Ranger Sgt. First Class Cory Remsburg at the 2014 State of the Union Address[/caption] "I first met Cory Remsburg, a proud Army Ranger, at Omaha Beach on the 65th anniversary of D-day. Along with some of his fellow Rangers, he walked me through the program. He was a strong, impressive young man with an easy manner. He was sharp as a tack. We joked around and took pictures, and I told him to stay in touch. A few months later, on his 10th deployment, Cory was nearly killed by a massive roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His comrades found him in a canal, face down, under water, shrapnel in his brain." - President Obama The budget cancels the pension cut from for people who are disabled, like Cory. The cut remains for anyone lucky enough to escape the military uninjured. The cuts start December 1, 2015. Procurement Over $92 is going toward procurement - the buying of stuff for the military. Every single category allowed our money to pay for expansion of private plants, including the land, to pay for equipment, appliances, and tools in those private plants and pay the layaway payments for contractor-owned equipment. Air Force must spend the money it's given for the RQ-4B Global Hawk drones, the (). RQ-4 Global Hawks drones are manufactured by Northrup Grumman; Northrup Grumman manufacturers the drones in Buck McKeon's district; Buck McKeon is Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; the House Armed Services Committee is in charge of Defense money. : Will Work Around Congress  "What I offer tonight is a set of concrete, practical proposals to speed up growth, strengthen the middle class, and build new ladders of opportunity into the middle class. Some require congressional action, and I am eager to work with all of you; but America does not stand still, and neither will I, so wherever and whenever I can take steps without legislation to expand opportunity for more American families, that is what I am going to do." - President Obama Minimum Wage  "Today, the Federal minimum wage is worth about 20 percent less than it was when Ronald Reagan first stood here. TOM HARKIN and GEORGE MILLER have a bill to fix that by lifting the minimum wage to $10.10. It is easy to remember— 10, 10. This will help families. It will give businesses customers with more money to spend. It does not involve any new bureaucratic program. So join the rest of the country. Say ‘‘yes.'' Give America a raise. Give them a raise." - President Obama Retirement "That is why tomorrow, I will direct the Treasury to create a new way for working Americans to start their own retirement savings: MyRA. It is a new savings bond that encourages folks to build a nest egg. MyRA guarantees a decent return with no risk of losing what you put in."- President Obama NSA Spying "That's why, working with this Congress, I will reform our surveil-lance programs, because the vital work of our intelligence community depends on public confidence, here and abroad, that the privacy of ordinary people is not being violated." -President Obama "Information pertaining to United States persons shall only be handled in accordance with protections provided in the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution as implemented through " (. was created during the Reagan administration and updated several times, notably by George W. Bush when his administration started his program. One way they appear to be authorizing and funding NSA spying: Money "shall be available for the inter-agency funding of national security and emergency preparedness telecommunications initiatives which benefit multiple Federal departments, agencies, or entities, as provided by Executive Order 13618"  ). Executive Order 13618 orders the Defense Secretary to "provide, operate, and maintain communication services and facilities adequate to execute responsibilities consistent with Executive Order 12333 of December 4, 1981, as amended." "No money can be used by any Federal Agency to collect "personally identifiable information" relating to our access or use of any website. There are exceptions which include voluntary submissions of personally identifiable information, actions taken for law enforcement, regulatory, or supervisory purposes, in accordance with applicable law, and actions taken to protect the rights or property of the Internet provider. ( TPP "Over the past 5 years, my administration has made more loans to small business owners than any other, and when 98 percent of our exporters are small businesses, new trade partner-ships with Europe and the Asia-Pacific will help them create even more jobs." - President Obama Our tax money will be allowed to be used to advertise for "United States" corporations overseas. Prohibits the trade representative from seeking "the removal by any foreign country of or tobacco products" ( Prohibits the use of text from the , , & which granted strict patent rights to industry. The Morocco FTA forced both countries to allow patents on plants, animals, and surgical procedures and including that in the TPP is now illegal. ( Not Mentioned By President Obama But In The Budget Torture "None of the funds made available in this Act shall be used in any way whatsoever to support or justify the use of torture by any official or contract employee of the United States Government." ( Food Safety and Inspection Service Will get $1 billion for 148 full time inspectors... for the entire country.  Abortion Federal money can't pay for abortions unless the life of the mother is in danger or if she was the victim of rape and/or incest. This includes prisoners. Contraceptives Government health care that provides for prescription drugs must include birth control Propaganda Prohibits funding for propaganda inside the United States that isn't already authorized by Congress Marijuana No money can be used to "enact or carry out and law, rule, or regulation to legalize or otherwise reduce penalties associated with the possession, use, or distribution of… any tetrahydrocannabinols derivative" ( No money can be used to promote the legalization of any drug, except when there is "significant medical evidence of a therapeutic advantage to the use of such drug" Public Health No money can go towards sterile needles for junkies. ( Music In This Episode Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) by (found on )

This week, a bill was introduced in both the House and the Senate that would hand Congress' power to negotiate trade deals, such as the Trans-Pacific Partnership, over to the President. We also look at the budget agreement to get an idea of what Congress is putting into their last-minute must-sign-by-next-week budget. Finally, thoughts on the golf swing. Information Presented in This Episode Fast Track for Trade Agreements On Thursday, January 9, , retiring Democrat in the Senate, and and , two shameless Republicans in the House, introduced a bill that would hand their power to negotiate and enter into trade agreements to the President. This bill would provide the President with so-called "" authority to enter into both the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and a trade deal with the European Union. Fast track authority makes it much, much easier for these controversial deals to become law. The bill starts off with , which lists a whole bunch of wonderful sounding goals - "objectives"- for the United States' trade agreements with other nations. Some of these lofty goals include opening up new markets, protecting the environment, protecting United States' family farms, encouraging foreign investment in the United States, protection of intellectual property rights, transparency, fair labor practices, and anti-corruption. Too bad none of these things are actually enforceable. The reason these goals are unenforceable is that regardless of whether any of these "objectives" are actually met by the trade agreement, authorizes the President of the United States, and only the President of the United States, to enter into trade agreements with foreign countries on or before July 1, 2018. There's some wiggle room with that date. The expiration date will be automatically extended until July 1, 2021 if the President asks for the extension as long as "neither House of Congress adopts an extension disapproval resolution" before July 1, 2018. If Congress does nothing; the extension is automatically approved. And doing nothing is one area where Congress performs extremely well. In order to enter into a trade agreement, the President merely has to inform Congress of his intentions to do so. He also has to let them pretend to have a say in "consultation" meetings, but there are no consequences if the majority of Congressional representatives disagree with the substance of the trade agreement, even if they can prove that the trade agreement does not meet the "objectives" listed in the beginning of the bill. In fact, Congress might not know the substance of the trade agreement because doesn't require the President to submit the final text to Congress until after he has entered into the agreement. From there, Congress will only be permitted to vote on whether or not to implement the President's trade agreement; no amendments to the agreement will be allowed. Congress did insert some language into the bill that is supposed to make us feel better about all this. First, says that Congress must be given the text of the trade agreement before the "implementing bill" comes up for a vote. What it doesn't say is how much time they'll get to read it. In theory, the President could give them the text of the trade agreement an hour before the vote and he will have fulfilled his obligations. is the only source of real hope in the bill. It essentially says that trade agreement provisions that are different from or that change United States laws are not enforceable. It also says that any findings or recommendations of "dispute settlement panels" will have "no binding effect" on the law of the United States. The Budget Agreement On December 12th, 2013, the House of Representatives passed the that was crafted by Democratic Senator and Republican Representative . The budget agreement is the general rules they will follow while crafting the omnibus budget for 2014 and 2015. The omnibus budget is all twelve appropriations bills wrapped up into one monster bill, with all kinds of non-related gifts to campaign contributors attached to the must-sign legislation. . It must be signed into law next week to avoid another government shut down. One creepy provision () in the budget agreement will restrict our access to the for three years. The Death Master File lists the name, social security number, birthday, and date of death of everyone who dies in the United States. Currently the list is updated weekly and available both for a fee and for free on various websites. The budget agreement will prevent us from getting this information for three years after a person dies. Fees are steep for those who release this currently-public information; you will be charged $1,000 for each disclosure, capped at $250,000 a year if the disclosure is accidental. If the disclosure is on purpose, there is no cap. The provision also exempts the Death Master File from the Freedom of Information Act, effective immediately. Another infuriating provision () approves the to open up oil and gas exploration in the center of the Gulf of Mexico, an area known as the Western Gap. As outlined in detail in , the majority of companies that have already claimed leases on the American side are not American companies, yet we are risking our coastlines for them anyway. A bill to approve this deal passed the House of Representatives earlier this year but the Senate did not approve it, so friends of the oil industry slipped it into the budget agreement. Hardly anyone has noticed. Some other provisions: : Lowers fee rates on student loan defaults to 16% from 18.5% : Changes TSA fees from $2.50 per plane, one-way, capped at $5 to a flat $5.60 each way, regardless of number of planes boarded. : Changes the compensation formula for Federal contractors and lowers the cap to $487,000/yr. For the rest of the provisions, we will have to wait for the text of the actual budget  to see the details. It will likely already be law by the time we get a chance to read it. Music In This Episode Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) by (found on )

Congress and President Obama worked together to fast-track a new & unexamined NDAA into law. The new law essentially makes NSA data collection legal, cuts military pensions, and spends an enormous amount of money making sure the United States is able to destroy the entire world at a moment's notice. Links to Information in This Episode *The title has been changed to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2014 since it was signed into law. Previously, "To authorize and request the President to award the Medal of Honor to Bennie G. Adkins and Donald P. Sloat of the United States Army for acts of valor during the Vietnam Conflict and to authorize the award of the Medal of Honor to certain other veterans who were previously recommended for award of the Medal of Honor" The Cyber-security bill (Sections 932- 942) was Section 1071 creates the "Conflicts Records Research Center" and allows states, foreign governments, and "any source in the private sector" to give money to the Department of Defense. Section 143 prohibits the military from retiring the RQ-4 Block 30 Global Hawk drones, which . Section 234 gives $15 million taxpayer dollars to "United States" companies so they can set up assembly lines for the Iron Dome missile defense system in Israel. No requirement for profit-sharing with the taxpayers was included. Section 242 says the United Stats shouldn't buy products that don't work unless the purchase is "to mainatin a warm line for the industrial base". Section 811 allows private contractors specializing in science, technology, engineering, math, medical, and cyber-security to be paid up to $625,000/year. . Section 813 makes it easier for the Department of Defense to hide their reasons for contracting with suspended or disbarred companies. Section 1011 extends for another year. Section 1013 expands the drug war to Chad, Libya, Mali, and Niger. Section 1033-1039 prevent prisoners from Guantanamo Bay prison from being transferred to prisons in the United States, but allows them to be transferred to their home countries if certain conditions are met. Section 1043 orders a report from the President regarding how he creates his kill lists. Section 1056 only allows the military to "prepare" to comply with the not to actually comply with the New Start Treaty. Section 1062 says that upgrading nuclear bombers "must remain a high budget priority." Sections 1701-1753 create new rules governing sexual assault in the military. The note that the "Conference Report" numbers (H.R. 3304 is the conference report) are blank. The NDAA was , which  means no amendments were allowed. H.R. 1960: The National Defense Authorization Act version that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year; highlighted the House's original version of the 2014 NDAA. - which has been signed into law - cuts the cost of living adjustments to pensions for military veteran's by 1% per year. Defense Secretary . Music in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) Somebody's Watching Us by (found on )

During the first week of December, the House of Representatives passed bills to extend an insurance program that provides taxpayer bailouts to private space exploration companies, made changes to TSA policies, tried (again) to deregulate Wall Street gamblers, and tried to shut down patent trolls. Executive Producer: Brandon K. Lewis Information Presented in this Episode Extends an existing government insurance program for private companies that launch vehicles into space through 2014. The program has three tiers: The private companies buy insurance from a private insurance company for the "maximum probably loss" that would occur if there were an accident; the insurance is capped at $500 million. The "maximum probable loss" is determined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); the Government Accountability Office says that . If the "maximum probably loss" is not actually the maximum loss, taxpayers will pay up to $2.8 billion (in 2013 dollars -this number increases with inflation) for damage caused by the private companies' accident. Any amount over the insurance payment plus the taxpayers' $2.8 billion must be paid by the private company who caused the accident. The insurance program extension has been requested by the private companies who stand to profit from launching vehicles into space. [caption id="attachment_1162" align="aligncenter" width="261"] Rep. Lamar Smith (TX), author of H.R. 3547[/caption] Rep. Lamar Smith (TX), author of H.R. 3547, has taken money for the 2014 election from companies requesting the insurance program. [caption id="attachment_1163" align="aligncenter" width="773"] Source: OpenSecrets.org on December 20, 2013[/caption] Passed the House of Representatives on December 2, 2013 [caption id="attachment_1165" align="aligncenter" width="641"] Source: Govtrack.us[/caption] Would divert approximately $500,000 per year in abandoned change from airports from TSA airport security, where it currently goes, to  building areas of "rest and recuperation" for military families at airports. [caption id="attachment_1166" align="aligncenter" width="273"] Rep. Cedric Richmond (VA), December 3, 2013 Congressional Record[/caption] Passed the House of Representatives without a recorded vote on December 3, 2013. TSA must develop and publicly publish a plan for what security technology they plan to buy. Bill is necessary because the TSA is Former Department of Homeland Security officials, including Michael Chertoff, since leaving their government jobs. The plan must identify "opportunities for public-private partnerships". Private sector suggestions must be included in the plan. The Obama administration must report "subcontracting goals" and why they haven't been met (if applicable). Passed the House of Representatives unanimously on December 3, 2013. Was signed into law on December 9, 2013. It is illegal to "manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive a firearm not detectable by metal detectors." by Carrie Johnson, NPR, November 14, 2013. Real name: "Small Business Capital Access and Job Preservation Act" (hello, Orwell). Exempts private equity fund advisers from registering with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Passed largely along Party lines, getting almost unanimous Republican support. Unsurprisingly, the bill was supported by Democrat Jim Himes of Connecticut, [caption id="attachment_1169" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Rep. Jim Himes (CT), OpenSecrets.org as of 12/20/2013[/caption] Just a few weeks ago, the House passed H.R. 992, an even more offensive bill that would allow United States' government - the type of behavior that crashed the global economy. Requires more details when filing a lawsuit for patent infringement. Losers of lawsuits must pay expenses and fees of the winners, but the court can intervene. Limits discovery requests; they must be specific. Patent claims must be available on a searchable, public website. Limits lawsuits down the supply chain (for example, p and claiming they own the technology The bill passed on December 5, 2013 with 91 Representatives voting against it because they say the bill was rushed and not examined closely enough for unintended consequences. Representatives Quoted in This Episode (In Order of Appearance) Music & Other Audio in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: by (found on )

Hudson Hollister, Executive Director of the , schools Jen on the DATA Act, the bill from . Turns out, the bill is not so bad; In fact, the bill could be really, really good. Links to Information Presented in This Episode with a detailed summary of the bill. of the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) Act is the website that would be improved by the DATA Act. Follow The DATA Act informational YouTube video by the Data Transparency Coalition Music Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) by (found on )

Jen's husband loses his job; in this episode, the political situation that doomed his solar power company. Then we make a rough plan for the future, for ourselves and Congressional Dish. Joe Briney co-hosts. Links to Information in This Episode  A solar farm seen from an airplane[/caption] *Correction: Jen said that the sun shines in Western Oregon; it does not. She meant Eastern Oregon. Representatives Discussed in This Episode - Oregon, Greg Walden's Legal Bribes Campaign Contributions [caption id="attachment_1151" align="aligncenter" width="946"] OpenSecrets.org, Dec. 6, 2013.[/caption] Music Intro and Exit Music: by (found on )

Before going home for Thanksgiving, the House passed three bills designed to fast-track permits for oil and natural gas drilling. This episode highlights the Congressmen who pushed these bills through the House. Bill Summaries passed the House of Representatives 228-192 on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. H.R. 1965 will not become law; TITLE I, Subtitle A: Speeds Up Oil and Gas Permitting ("Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2013") Introduced by The government will have 30 days to decide on a drilling permit: If the government does not decide whether or not to issue a drilling permit in 60 days, the permit is automatically approved: It will cost $5,000 to challenge a drilling permit in court: Lawsuits that challenge a drilling permit must be filed within 90 days: If a citizen wins a lawsuit challenging a drilling permit, they cannot be reimbursed for their attorney's fees and court costs: American taxpayers will pay $50 million to map our oil and gas resources for the fossil fuel companies: TITLE I, Subtitle B: Hand Our Land to Fossil Fuel Companies ("Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 2013") Introduced by Every year, we must lease at least 25% of our available land; these leases cannot be challenged in court: Once we lease the land to the energy companies, we can't change our minds: Protests against lease sales that are not settled in 60 days are automatically denied: The Bureau of Land Management Instruction Memorandum 2010-117 - a process that examines environmental concerns and involves the public in oil and gas leasing decisions - will have "no force or effect". TITLE I, Subtitle C: Bring Back Bush Administration Regulations for Oil Shale Development ("Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act" or the "") Introduced by Oil Shale is a technology - that still doesn't work - which involves melting rocks to access the oil inside of them: Regulations for oil shale will return to the regulations issued by the George W. Bush administration: The Bush administration regulations - would would come back - require fewer environmental studies and allows oil companies decide which new regulations to obey: We would have to lease at least 125,000 additional acres to the oil companies for oil shale experimentation: TITLE III: "The National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act" Introduced by The national policy of the United States will be to drill, baby, drill in Alaska; we must give the oil companies at least 10 leases by 2023: We will throw out a completed Environmental Impact Statement and replace it with one designed to "promote efficient and maximum development of oil and natural gas resources" of the Alaska Petroleum Reserve: TITLE V: Prevent Native American Anti-Drilling Lawsuits ("Native American Energy Act") Introduced by Appraisals that determine the market value of Native American land will be automatically approved after 60 days: Environmental reviews of projects on Native American lands will not be available to the public; only Native Americans and local residents can get access: Native Americans can not file a lawsuit against a drilling lease after 60 days; they cannot file lawsuits locally, only in Washington D.C.: If Native Americans win a lawsuit against the United State government challenging a drilling decision, they cannot be paid for their court costs: If Native Americans lose a lawsuit against a drilling lease, they must pay the oil companies' court costs: Current law says the Secretary of the Interior needs to approve drilling projects on Navajo Nation land; Section 5008 reverses the law and extends the length of drilling leases by making the following edits: (e) Leases of restricted lands for the Navajo Nation (1) Any leases by the Navajo Nation for purposes authorized under subsection (a) of this section, and any amendments thereto, except a lease for including leases for the exploration, development, or extraction of any mineral resources, shall not require the approval of the Secretary if the lease is executed under the tribal regulations approved by the Secretary under this subsection and the term of the lease does not exceed - (A) in the case of a business or agricultural lease, 25 99 years, except that any such lease may include an option to renew for up to two additional terms, each of which may not exceed 25 years;... Federal regulations governing fracking will not automatically apply to Native American land: passed the House of Representatives 235-187 on Wednesday, November 20, 2013. H.R. 2728 will not become law, TITLE I: Only States Can Regulate Fracking Introduced by If a State has any regulations in place, the Federal government cannot enforce any additional regulations: The Federal government can't enforce fracking regulations on land held in trust for Indians: The government would create a rigged study that examines only the benefits of fracking (added by amendment): TITLE II: "EPA Hydraulic Fracturing Study Improvement Act" Introduced by Adds extra work to Environmental Protection Agency studies of fracking chemicals in drinking water by requiring the studies to be peer reviewed and held to a higher standard: EPA studies on fracking chemicals in drinking water need to point out their own weaknesses: Introduced by passed the House of Representatives 252-165 on Thursday, November 21, 2013. H.R. 1900 will not become law; Permits for natural gas pipelines must be decided in under 1 year: Agencies responsible for determining if a natural gas pipeline is in the public interest will have 90 days to decide after the environmental review is complete: If the agency does not decide within 90 days, the permit will be automatically issued on the 120th day: Representatives Discussed in This Episode Rep. Doug Lamborn (CO-5) He voted re-opening the government and raising the debt ceiling. Residents of the Colorado 5th are fighting fracking in their city. by Kirk Johnson, New York Times, October 24, 2011. Rep. Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming) Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-6) interview with The Denver Post. , CBS Denver, June 5, 2012. Rep. Doc Hastings (WA-4) Rep. Don Young (Alaska) by John R. Wilke, Wall Street Journal, July 25, 2007. Rep. Bill Flores (TX-17) by Dave Michaels, The Dallas Morning News, October 9, 2010. Rep. Lamar Smith (TX-21) was introduced by Lamar Smith He's marijuana legalization. Rep. Mike Pompeo (KS-4)   by Dan Eggen, Washington Post, March 20, 2011. by Tom Hamburger & others, The Los Angeles Times, February 6, 2011. Representatives Quoted in This Episode Music Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) Music by David Holmes and Andrew Bean Vocals and Lyrics by David Holmes and Niel Bekker Animation by Adam Sakellarides and Lisa Rucker Additional Information , Democracy Now!, November 22, 2013. , Wikipedia H.R. 1965 would bring in $325 million over 10 years in revenue. San Bruno Natural Gas Pipeline Explosion, September 10, 2010.

A bill marketed as for "transparency" appears to keep information secret from the public and gut an oversight board. Taxpayers treat a group of Representatives to an expensive Summer getaway. Cocaine. HR 2061: passed the House of Representatives 388-1 on Monday, November 12, 2013. Section 3: The following information would be published on the : A "pilot program" will "consolidate reports" that agencies and companies who receive Federal money must turn in: The agencies and companies allowed into the pilot program must be worth at least $1 billion total; there's no limit to the number of participants. The Recovery Board would start investigating the Inspectors General: Section 5: Expands the amount of information that can be kept secret: Section 3 of the says: Section 5 of the DATA Act changes it to say: The "information protected" under the which the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is:   Some information from the that the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is: The information from the that the DATA Act would keep secret from the public is: The Recovery Board investigates companies that are given government money - "recipients". [caption id="attachment_1065" align="aligncenter" width="336"] Quote by Rep. Darrell Issa, House Floor, November 18, 2013.[/caption] The DATA Act extends the Recovery Board but lets its functions and website expire six weeks from now: which passed the House in May 2013- is attached to the end of the DATA Act. Limits spending on conferences to $500,000. Extraordinarily detailed reports required for conferences over $10,000. Cuts agencies' travel budget by at least 30%. Congressional Travel Expenses Five Representatives and two staffers took a $179,938 six-day all expense paid-by-taxpayers trip to Singapore and Australia in Summer 2013. Representatives Discussed in This Episode was the only Representative to vote against the DATA Act. As a scientist, I know firsthand how important scientific conferences and meetings are.  I opposed H.R. 2061, the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, because it would cut by 30 percent the amount of travel federal employees could undertake for conferences, meetings, and other crucial events. - Rep. Rush Holt is on a leave of absence due to his . [caption id="attachment_1049" align="alignright" width="300"] Rep. Darrell Issa represents California's 49th district[/caption] Rep. Darrell Issa of California was the of the DATA Act. Darrell Issa is the in 2013. He has at least $430 million; he made $135 million in 2012 on Wall Street. Darrell Issa . Representatives Quoted in this Episode Additional Information Sunlight Foundation blog of HR 2061 Music Intro and Exit Music: by (found on ) by ) by Homework Watch