Last week the House passed H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012, which reduced mandatory spending by the required $78 billion necessary to replace the planned budgetary sequester scheduled to come into effect next year.  It further reduces spending by $180 billion over the next ten years.  The House also passed H.R. 5326, the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013.  Congressman Simpson supported passage of both bills.

Simpson Supports Bill to Drastically Reduce Mandatory Spending
Congressman Mike Simpson last week supported passage of H.R. 5652, the Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012.  It passed in the House of Representatives 218 to 199.  The House Budget Committee, of which Simpson is a member, considered and passed this legislation on last week and sent it to the floor for a vote.

“It is important to remember that the sequester is not intended to be the solution to our debt problem, rather, it is the penalty if Congress fails to act,” said Simpson. “This legislation represents the House of Representatives’ priorities in cutting spending and reforming some of our most unsuccessful and unpopular mandatory programs, which make up two-thirds of the federal budget.”

The legislation is composed of the policy suggestions from six committees about where the size of government can be reduced, including cuts and reform to mandatory programs that are on auto-pilot.  The bill:

The bill uses these savings and others to replace the planned sequester that is scheduled to come into effect next year. 

“We have yet to see a proposal from the Senate or from President Obama on what they would like to do to avoid a painful sequester next January,” added Simpson. “I hope Senator Reid and President Obama will put forth their proposals so that both sides can immediately begin debating and agree to a plan to start dealing with the massive $15.6 trillion national debt facing us.”

The bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for consideration.

Committee Schedule

Wednesday
At 10:00AM the Appropriations Committee will hold a markup of the Homeland Security and Military Construction/Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bills for FY2013.

Thursday
At 10:00 AM the Appropriations Committee will hold a markup of the Defense and State/Foreign Operations Appropriations Bills for FY2013

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, MAY 14TH
On Monday, the House is not in session.

TUESDAY, MAY 15TH
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:00 p.m. for morning hour and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 365 - National Blue Alert Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Michael Grimm / Judiciary Committee)
2) H.R. 1864 - Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Howard Coble / Judiciary Committee)
3) H.R. 3534 - Security in Bonding Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Richard Hanna / Judiciary Committee)
4) H.R. 4119 - Border Tunnel Prevention Act of 2012 (Sponsored by Rep. Silvestre Reyes / Judiciary Committee)
5) H.R. 2621 - Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act (Sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton / Natural Resources Committee)
6) H.R. 2745 - To amend the Mesquite Lands Act of 1986 to facilitate implementation of a multispecies habitat conservation plan for the Virgin River in Clark County, Nevada, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Joe Heck / Natural Resources Committee)
7) H.R. 3874 - Black Hills Cemetery Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kristi Noem / Natural Resources Committee)
8) H.R. 205 - HEARTH Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. Martin Heinrich / Natural Resources Committee)
9) H.R. 4240 - Ambassador James R. Lilley and Congressman Stephen J. Solarz North Korea Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2012, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen / Foreign Affairs Committee)
10) H.Res. 568 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the importance of preventing the Government of Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen / Foreign Affairs Committee)
11) H.R. 4045 - To modify the Department of Defense Program Guidance relating to the award of Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence administrative absence days to members of the reserve components to exempt any member whose qualified mobilization commenced before October 1, 2011, and continued on or after that date, from the changes to the program guidance that took effect on that date, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. John Kline / Armed Services Committee)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 16TH
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

H.R. 4970 - Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Sandy Adams / Judiciary Committee / Energy and Commerce Committee / Education and the Workforce Committee / Financial Service Committee)

Begin Consideration of H.R. 4310 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Buck McKeon / Armed Service Committee)

THURSDAY, MAY 17TH, AND FRIDAY, MAY 18TH
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. Last votes expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

Complete Consideration of H.R. 4310 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Buck McKeon / Armed Service Committee)