Last week the House passed H.R. 1904, the Southeast Arizona Land Exchange and Conservation Act of 2011, which authorized a land exchange in Arizona.  The House also passed H.R. 674, which repeals the 3% withholding tax, and H.R. 2576, which brings the definition of income under the President’s healthcare bill in line with existing programs like Medicaid and SCHIP, saving taxpayers $13 billion over ten years.

Simpson Joins Bipartisan Vote to Repeal Withholding Tax
Congressman Mike Simpson last week lauded passage of legislation to repeal a 3% withholding on government contractors.  H.R. 674 passed the House by a strong bipartisan vote of 405-16.  Simpson has been a cosponsor of this legislation since 2008.

“Democrats and Republicans alike recognize that allowing this provision of law to go into effect would increase costs for state and local governments and adversely impact small businesses,” said Simpson.  “Idaho businesses, universities, and communities have all contacted me with their concern about the 3% withholding tax, and I’m pleased with the bipartisan effort to permanently repeal this misguided law.”

H.R. 674 repeals a provision of a tax law passed in 2005 that requires government entities to withhold 3% on payment to contractors for goods and services for federal taxes.  The provision was originally intended to go into effect on January 1, 2011, but widespread concern about the unintended consequences of the law led to multiple delays of enactment.  H.R. 674, which permanently repeals the provision, has broad bipartisan support.

“While this may be a relatively narrow provision, its passage is an example of how members from both sides of the aisle can come together to do what is right for the country,” Simpson said.  “Our country faces big challenges, and the only way we will solve them is to look past partisan politics and do what is in the best interest of the nation.”

H.R. 674 is now under consideration by the U.S. Senate, where similar legislation has been introduced.

Congressman Simpson Receives Gold Mouse Award
Award reflects having one of the best websites on Capitol Hill
Congressman Mike Simpson’s website www.simpson.house.gov was named one of the best websites on Capitol Hill and given a “112th Congress Gold Mouse Award.”  The award was given by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), a nonpartisan nonprofit working to improve communications between citizens and Congress and enhance operations in Capitol Hill offices.  CMF has assessed and graded congressional websites and issued these awards since 2001. Idaho Senator Mike Crapo also received the award this year.

"Rep. Simpson is to be commended for educating citizens and achieving the highest degree of transparency and accountability in online communications," said Bradford Fitch, President and CEO of CMF.

“I’m honored to receive such a distinguished award,” said Simpson. “The internet provides a valuable tool for constituents, they can visit my website to find out what is happening in Congress, sign up for a Capitol tour or to receive my E-newsletter, and most importantly, it provides another tool to communicate effectively with Idahoans.”

CMF conducted its analysis from June to September 2011 and last week released its latest report, “112th Congress Gold Mouse Report: Best Practices in Online Communications on Capitol Hill.”

Download a copy of the report here.

Of the 618 congressional websites graded, 14 House offices, including Simpson’s, received a Gold Mouse Award. With the assistance and guidance of faculty from the University of California-Riverside, the Ohio State University, and Northeastern University, CMF staff assessed and graded the websites and gave each a numerical score, which was translated into a grade of A through F.

The criteria for website assessments have been developed and refined by CMF over the past decade based on survey research, focus groups with constituents, and interviews with key stakeholders to congressional offices. A total of 92 criteria were used to grade personal office websites, 66 criteria for committee websites, and 53 criteria for leadership sites. Reviewers assessed 10 categories of criteria: usability of website; timeliness of content; breadth and depth of information on issues; constituent services and casework information; promoting accountability to constituents; legislative process information; district/state information; floor proceedings information; availability of diverse forms of content; and availability of diverse forms of content channels. CMF reviewers also included social media components in the criteria.

Floor Schedule

MONDAY, OCTOBER 31TH
On Monday, the House will meet at 1:00 p.m. in Pro Forma session.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST
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. 1002 - Wireless Tax Fairness Act of 2011 (Sponsored Rep. Zoe Lofgren / Judiciary Committee)
2) H.Con.Res 13 - Reaffirming "In God We Trust" as the official motto of the United States and supporting and encouraging the public display of the national motto in all public buildings, public schools, and other government institutions (Sponsored Rep. Randy Forbes / Judiciary Committee)
3) S. 1280 - Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Sen. Johnny Isakson / Foreign Affairs Committee)

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2ND
On Wednesday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for morning hour and 12:00 p.m. for legislative business.

Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules:
1) H.R. 2061 - Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011, as amended (Sponsored Rep. Richard Hanna / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
2) H.R.1070 - Small Company Capital Formation Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Rep. David Schweikert / Financial Services Committee)
3) H.R. 1965 - To amend the securities laws to establish certain thresholds for shareholder registration, and for other purposes (Sponsored by Rep. James Himes / Financial Services
Committee)
4) S. 894 - The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011 (Sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray / Veterans’ Affairs Committee)

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3RD, AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
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 for the week are expected no later than 3:00 p.m.

H.R. 2940- Access to Capital for Job Creators Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Kevin McCarthy / Financial Services Committee)

H.R. 2930 - Entrepreneur Access to Capital Act (Subject to a Rule) (Sponsored by Rep. Patrick McHenry / Financial Services Committee)

Possible Motion to go to Conference and Motion to Instruct Conferees

In the Press

Bipartisan House Group Pushes for Grand Bargain
About 80 House Members, led by Rep. Mike Simpson, are signing on to a letter urging the super committee to negotiate a grand bargain.
By Jessica Brady, Roll Call, October 27, 2011

Signs of bipartisanship are slowly beginning to show on Capitol Hill, even as Congress moves into full campaign mode.

A collection of about 80 House Members, split almost evenly between the two parties, is preparing to send a letter this week calling on the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction to negotiate a grand bargain. Supporters of the effort, led by Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), include dozens of lawmakers who have been meeting all year to discuss fiscal issues.

The group’s efforts come as a New York Times/CBS News poll places Congress’ approval rating at 9 percent and just weeks before the super committee is scheduled to put forward its recommendations to reduce the deficit by at least $1.2 trillion.

“They have to go big and everything has to be on the table,” Simpson said recently of the super committee. “I don’t think you can take anything off the table and get to where we need to be.”

Simpson and Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) are the bipartisan leaders behind a letter urging the super committee to negotiate a grand bargain similar to what Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and President Barack Obama discussed this summer before settling on a smaller deal to raise the debt limit. Simpson said the House letter follows up on a Senate version released last month, in which more than 30 bipartisan Members urged the panel to go beyond its mandate and shoot for a $4 trillion deal.

“We know that many in Washington and around the country do not believe we in the Congress and those within your committee can successfully meet this challenge. We believe that we can and we must,” the letter says.

Supporters of the letter represent a broad cross section of the House, including freshmen, conservatives and liberals. Rep. Jim Himes, a New Democrat Coalition member, said the eclectic mix proves “there’s a very substantial group that’s willing to be more public for a larger deal than just statements would suggest.”

Asked whether he thought a silent majority of lawmakers was forming in support of bipartisanship, the Connecticut Democrat said: “I absolutely do. Over the last six months, I have been at countless breakfast and dinners with no press and no cameras where conservative Republicans have said I know we need to address revenues, and liberal Democrats have said I know we need to address entitlements.”

While the Senate has shown its own attempts at bipartisanship this year, namely the “gang of six” led by Sens. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), the House has offered no complementary effort. Boehner, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) have each made public statements urging the super committee to reach a broad agreement, but rank-and-file Members have not come together behind the same message.

One senior Democratic aide described the House letter as an attempt for Members to show there is support to pass a grand bargain that includes revenues, defense cuts and entitlement reform.

“There’s a sense that there’s bipartisan grass-roots support in the Senate for going big and doing it in a bipartisan way, and there hasn’t been the same evidence of that in the House, and there’s a sense that the House is more polarized,” the aide said. “I think it’s important to show there’s a similar group of bipartisan Members over here.”

Members of the Tuesday Group, of which Simpson is a member, and leaders of the Blue Dog Coalition, of which Shuler is a leader, met just before the October recess to discuss Simpson’s letter and other areas where the two groups could work together. Like other bipartisan coalitions that have searched for ways to collaborate this year, Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) said the super committee gave the two groups a platform to come together.

“We’re working on this letter. We’re not having press conferences and beat[ing] our chest,” Ross said in a brief interview. “We’re trying to work on bringing both sides to the middle to get the job done.”

Ross, who is retiring next year, noted that Members on both sides have grown frustrated with the political stalemates that have dominated the Capitol this year. He acknowledged that moderates have been too quiet in their efforts at bipartisanship, but he said that with the approval of Congress at an all-time low, constituents need to see more public examples of collaboration on the Hill.

“While I think Members are focused on the super committee, I think it’s all related to this idea that our constituents think we’re not solving problems confronting us,” he said. “And Members on both sides of the aisle are hearing that. And so the sense is we really need to do something.”

Other Members have been feeling the squeeze, too. An informal group of lawmakers led by freshman Reps. John Carney (D-Del.) and Jim Renacci (R-Ohio) has been meeting for breakfast all year. Some of those participants have signed on to Simpson’s letter, although the two groups are not coordinating.

It’s not just moderates looking to collaborate. Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, count themselves as supporters of the Simpson-Shuler letter. Welch has made his own attempts at bipartisanship this year, forming a coalition of Members from hurricane-ravaged states in September. In June, he struck an unlikely partnership with conservative Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) to push for a withdrawal of troops in Afghanistan.

“Below the surface and all the combat, I think there’s a growing awareness among Members on both sides of the aisle that this standoff we’re having, where every vote is party line and we don’t get anything done, is really creating an immense amount of frustration among our constituents,” Welch said.

And as leaders look to bring a potential set of recommendations from the super committee to the floor, as well as another continuing resolution to keep the government funded, a cross-section of Members is looking to show them that the votes will be there.

“There is a de facto middle that governs this place now and then on some of the big stuff,” Welch said. “Will it be there for the super committee recommendations? Will it be there for other things as well? Only time will tell.”