Recently in Washington

Last week, the House passed H.R. 3495, the Women's Public Health and Safety Act, by a vote of 236-193.  H.R. 3495 increases states' flexibility in determining whether individuals or entities that perform or participate in performance of elective abortions can participate as providers in their Medicaid programs.  On Wednesday, the House passed H.Con.Res. 79, Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 719, by a vote of 241-185.  H.Con.Res. 79 would modify H.R. 719 (the Continuing Resolution) by defunding Planned Parenthood.  The House also passed H.R. 719, the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2016 by a vote of 277-151.  H.R. 719 extends spending at fiscal year 2015 levels for all discretionary federal programs until December 11, 2015.  On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 3457, the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act by a vote of 251-173. H.R. 3457 prohibits U.S. sanctions from being lifted against Iran until the President certifies to Congress that all of the damages owed to victims of Iranian terrorism have been received.  Also on Thursday, the House passed the Conference Report to accompany H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2016, by a vote of 270-156.  The Conference Report authorizes and prioritizes funding for the Department of Defense and other select national security programs within the Department of Energy for Fiscal Year 2016.  Congressman Simpson supported all of these bills. 

Simpson Supports Legislation to Fund A-10s and Troops

The House of Representatives passed the conference report to H.R. 1735, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson supported the legislation which authorizes many important programs that support our military, including a pay increase and benefits to military members and their families.

The conference report includes important Idaho priorities such as a provision which prevents retirement of the A-10 Thunderbolt II, a squadron of which currently operates at Gowen Field in Boise and it also authorizes funding for the aircraft to continue operating.

“By ensuring the A-10 remains available for close air support, we are responding to the needs of the service members that operate them and to the brave men and women on the ground that rely on them,” said Simpson. “While I certainly acknowledge that the Air Force must make difficult decisions in this time of reduced budgets, the A-10’s low operating costs and unique capabilities merit our continued support until an appropriate replacement can be identified. I am pleased today’s conference report recognizes the unique importance and contributions of the A-10.”

The conference report also delays the transfer of AH-64 Apache helicopters from the Army National Guard to active duty Army through June 30th of fiscal year 2016. The Apache helicopters also operate at Gowen Field.

The conference report to H.R. 1735 passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 270-156.

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5TH
On Monday, the House will meet at 2:00 p.m. in pro forma session. No votes are expected. 

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6TH
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. 1553 - Small Bank Exam Cycle Reform Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Rep. Scott Tipton / Financial Services Committee)

2) H.R. 1839 - Reforming Access for Investments in Startup Enterprises (RAISE) Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Rep. Patrick McHenry / Financial Services Committee)

3) H.R. 2091 - Child Support Assistance Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Rep. Bruce Poliquin / Financial Services Committee)

4) H.R. 1525 - Disclosure Modernization and Simplification Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Rep. Scott Garrett / Financial Services Committee) 

5) H.R. 3032 - Securities and Exchange Commission Reporting Modernization Act (Sponsored by Rep. Kyrsten Sinema / Financial Services Committee)

6) H.R. 3102 - Airport Access Control Security Improvement Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. John Katko / Homeland Security Committee)

7) H.R. 3510 - Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Strategy Act of 2015, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Cedric Richmond / Homeland Security Committee)

8) S. 1300 - Adoptive Family Relief Act (Sponsored by Sen. Diane Feinstein / Judiciary Committee)

9) S. 2078 - United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act of 2015 (Sponsored by Sen. Bob Corker / Foreign Affairs Committee)

10) H.R. 2168 - West Coast Dungeness Crab Management Act, as amended (Sponsored by Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler / Natural Resources Committee)

11) S. 986 - Albuquerque Indian School Land Transfer Act (Sponsored by Sen. Tom Udall / Natural Resources Committee)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business. 

H.R. 3192 - Homebuyers Assistance Act, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule (Sponsored by Rep. French Hill / Financial Services Committee)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8TH
On Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

H.R. 538 - Native American Energy Act, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Don Young / Natural Resources Committee)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9TH
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. 702 - To Adapt to Changing Crude Oil Market Conditions, Rules Committee Print (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Joe Barton / Energy and Commerce Committee / Foreign Affairs Committee)

**Additional Legislative Items are Possible**

Guest column: Wildfires are national disasters

By U.S. Reps. Mike Simpson, Kurt Schrader, Ken Calvert and Betty McCollum, Post Register, September 22, 2015

The 2015 wildfire season has been brutal. In mid-August the National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level was raised to the highest Level 5 and the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) mobilized active duty military personnel to fight wildfires for the first time in almost a decade.

Millions of acres are burning in the drought-plagued West - more than twice as many as last year - and the Forest Service anticipates that suppression costs will exceed the budget by nearly a half a billion dollars.

The severity of this fire season underscores the fact that our current wildfire suppression budget process simply does not work. Twenty years ago wildfire suppression made up about 15 percent of the Forest Service budget. This year it is over half. This means that the Forest Service spends the majority of its time, funding, and staff resources putting out fires instead of managing our nation’s public lands.

This situation has reached a crisis point. This is why we have introduced H.R. 167, the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act (WDFA). The WDFA discards the old, broken model for wildfire suppression and replaces it with one that treats wildfires like the natural disasters they are.

Today wildfire suppression funding is based primarily on an historical average of suppression costs over the past 10 years. The 10-year average funding model worked when the cost of wildfire suppression was relatively stable. But wildfire suppression costs have steadily grown over the past two decades. Drought, invasive vegetation, and increasing development near wildland areas increase the risk of catastrophic fires.

Fire season is longer, fires are more severe, and suppression is more costly-and these trends are expected to continue. And because suppression costs now routinely exceed the budget, agencies are continually forced to transfer funding from non-fire projects to pay them.

Our current path only leads to bigger, more expensive, and more devastating fires. The WDFA changes directions by treating catastrophic wildfires like other natural disasters. It continues to use the 10-year average funding model where it works-for routine wildfire suppression costs-but it makes those few but very expensive emergency fires eligible for the same disaster spending cap adjustment as other natural disasters. Catastrophic fires represent only about 1% of all wildland fires but make up 30 percent of the costs.

The WDFA allows us to finally budget responsibly for wildfire suppression in a way that ultimately decreases firefighting costs by mitigating fire risk. It restores the Forest Service’s ability to effectively manage our forests, and with proper management forests will be more resilient to catastrophic fire, disease, and other threats. And ending the destructive cycle of fire borrowing means that land management agencies will be more accountable to Congress’s direction.

The fires we experience out west are just as devastating as the hurricanes and tornadoes that strike the East Coast and Midwest and they should be funded as such. Westerners have been suffering from this fairness issue and it’s high time that all states be treated the same-with equal access to disaster funding.

As wildfires continue to blaze, Congress has a responsibility to act. Today more than 130 members of Congress have cosponsored H.R. 167, and that number continues to grow. The bill is supported by a broad coalition of over 300 organizations who all recognize that the status quo is unsustainable. Fixing the wildfire budget is the critical first step in making our forests healthier and, ultimately, reducing the cost of wildfires in the future.

Simpson, an Idaho Republican, is chairman of the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee; Schrader is a Democrat from Oregon; Calvert, a Republican from California, is chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee; McCollum is the ranking Democrat on the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee