Recently in Washington

Last week the House passed H.R. 4745, the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act by a vote of 229-192. Congressman Simpson supported the bill.  The House also passed two tax extenders, H.R. 4453 and H.R. 4457.  H.R. 4453, the S Corporation Permanent Tax Relief Act of 2014 would permanently shorten the recognition period for built-in-gains of S corporations from ten years to five years.  H.R. 4457, the America’s Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2014 would allow taxpayers to expense up to $500,000 of investments in new equipment and property per year, with deductions phased out for investments exceeding $2,000,000.  Congressman Simpson supported both bills.

Transportation Appropriations Bill Passes House with Simpson’s Truck Weight Language Intact

Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson last week supported final passage of the Fiscal Year 2015 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill, which passed the House 229 to 192. The bill included Simpson’s language increasing truck weights on Idaho Interstates Highways to 129,000 pounds.

The increase, above the current allowance of 105,500 pounds, puts Idaho in line with neighboring states and with Idaho’s state highway system, which already allows 129,000 pound trucks. 

The language comes after completion of a comprehensive ten year pilot study in Idaho which found the weight increase would have no significant impact on roadway safety, nor would it impact the structural soundness of Idaho’s bridges or pavement. The increase will actually ease the impact on infrastructure because heavier trucks use more axels and more evenly distribute weight than conventional trucks. It would also mean fewer trips would be required to move the same amount of freight, leading to fewer trucks on the road.

“Today was a big step forward for Idaho business and agriculture,” said Simpson. “This language has long been sought by the Governor, the Idaho State Legislature, the Idaho Transportation Department, and business and agriculture throughout Idaho because it will remove the competitive disadvantage Idaho businesses face and generate significant economic activity.”

Idaho’s current weight allowance is significantly less than that of neighboring states Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada, causing difficulty for producers who ship goods on the Interstate across and into Idaho.  Additionally, heavier trucks are currently allowed to travel all throughout Idaho, but not where they should be travelling – on Idaho’s Interstates.  Instead, they are navigating state highways, intersections, pedestrian areas, railroad tracks, and school zones.

Meanwhile, there are seven shipments “posted” and ready for pickup for every truck available in Idaho.

“This bill puts heavy trucks where they belong, on the Interstate,” added Simpson. “For centuries, our transportation system has been the backbone of our economy, and it remains so today. Our ability to move goods and people safely and efficiently across the country has made our economy the greatest in world history.  But today that system is aging, reaching the end of its life in many cases or being stretched beyond what was originally intended. We need to implement common sense reforms to extend our system’s life by making it work even better. This language does that.”

The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill will next proceed to conference with the Senate version of the same bill.

Committee Schedule

Wednesday

At 10:00 a.m., Chairman Simpson will oversee the markup of the Fiscal Year 2015 House Energy and Water Appropriations Act.

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, JUNE 16TH
On Monday, the House is not in session.

TUESDAY, JUNE 17TH
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. 1458 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1 Walter Hammond Place in Waldwick, New Jersey, as the "Staff Sergeant Joseph D'Augustine Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

2) H.R. 43 - Officer Tommy Decker Memorial Post Office (Sponsored by Rep. Michele Bachmann / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

3) H.R. 1391 - The Lance Corporal Joshua B. McDaniels and Veterans Memorial Post Office Building, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Steve Stivers / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

4) H.R. 3765 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 198 Baker Street in Corning, New York, as the "Specialist Ryan P. Jayne Post Office Building" (Sponsored by Rep. Tom Reed / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

5) H.R. 1707 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 302 East Green Street in Champaign, Illinois, as the "James R. Burgess Jr. Post Office Building” (Sponsored by Rep. Rodney Davis / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

6) H.R. 3472 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 13127 Broadway Street in Alden, New York, as the "Sergeant Brett E. Gornewicz Memorial Post Office" (Sponsored by Rep. Chris Collins / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

7) H.R. 1865 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 35 Park Street in Danville, Vermont, as the "Thaddeus Stevens Post Office" (Sponsored by Rep. Peter Welch / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

8) H.R. 2112 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 787 State Route 17M in Monroe, New York, as the "National Clandestine Service of the Central Intelligence Agency NCS Officer Gregg David Wenzel Memorial Post Office" (Sponsored by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

9) H.R. 1671 - To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 6937 Village Parkway in Dublin, California, as the "James 'Jim' Kohnen Post Office" (Sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)

10) H.R. 3786 - To direct the Administrator of General Services, on behalf of the Archivist of the United States, to convey certain Federal property located in the State of Alaska to the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska (Sponsored by Rep. Don Young / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

11) H.R. 3998 - Albuquerque, New Mexico, Federal Land Conveyance Act of 2014 (Sponsored by Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham / Transportation and Infrastructure Committee)

12) H.R. 3375 - To designate the community-based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs to be constructed at 3141 Centennial Boulevard, Colorado Springs, Colorado, as the "PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic" (Sponsored by Rep. Doug Lamborn / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

13) H.R. 1216 - To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs Vet Center in Prescott, Arizona, as the Dr. Cameron McKinley Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Center (Sponsored by Rep. Paul Gosar / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

14) H.R. 4199 - To name the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Waco, Texas, as the Doris Miller Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (Sponsored by Rep. Bill Flores / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

15) H.R. 3682 - To designate the community based outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs located at 1961 Premier Drive in Mankato, Minnesota, as the Lyle C. Pearson Community Based Outpatient Clinic (Sponsored by Rep. Timothy Walz / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

16) H.R. 4360 - To designate the facility of the United States Forest Service for the Grandfather Ranger District located at 109 Lawing Drive in Nebo, North Carolina, as the "Jason Crisp Forest Service Building" (Sponsored by Rep. Mark Meadows / Agriculture Committee)

17) S.Con.Res. 37 - Authorizing the use of the rotunda of the United States Capitol in Commemoration of the award of the Shimon Peres Congressional Gold Medal (Sponsored by Sen. Kelly Ayotte / House Administration Committee)

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18TH AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday and 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.

H.R. 4870 - Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2015 (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen / Appropriations Committee)

H.R. 4413 - Customer Protection and End User Relief Act, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule)
(Sponsored by Rep. Frank Lucas / Agriculture Committee)

Motion to go to Conference on Senate Amendments to H.R. 3230 - Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014

Motion to Instruct Conferees on Senate Amendments to H.R. 3230 - Veterans’ Access to Care through Choice, Accountability, and Transparency Act of 2014

In the News

Idaho's Simpson vows to keep fighting for A-10 funding

By John Sowell, Idaho Statesman, June 11, 2014

U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson was on the losing end Tuesday of a 23-10 vote of the House Appropriations Committee against an amendment that would have preserved funding for another year for the A-10 Thunderbolt gunship.

The A-10, the workhorse of the Idaho Air National Guard at Gowen Field, is slated for retirement as part of a cost savings measure for the Air Force. Elimination of 283 A-10s nationwide would save an estimated $4.2 billion over five years.

Lawmakers on the House and Senate Armed Services committees voted to restore funding for the plane commonly called the Warthog.

Simpson, an Idaho Falls Republican, said he will continue to push to maintain funding. “I do think it’s a mistake for the Air Force to retire this aircraft without an appropriate replacement,” Simpson said in testimony before the committee. “Everyone I’ve talked to says that the F-16 can’t actually do the air support for troops on the ground that the A-10 does.”

The defense appropriations bill now heads to the full House. But Tuesday's vote is far from the final word on the plane, as the panel's actions put it at odds with the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate, according to the Associated Press.