Video Conferencing, Just in the Nick of Time

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE, posted on December 5, 2016 and for Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Health Care Videoconferencing – Passage
• House: Medical Research and Associated Activities - Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment with an Additional House Amendment
• House: Additional Committee Funding – Agreeing to Resolution
• House: Banking Regulations – Passage
• House: Fiscal 2017 Defense Authorization - Conference Report

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: Medical Research and Associated Activities
• Senate: Fiscal 2017 Defense Authorization
• Senate: Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal 2017
• Senate: Water Projects
• House: International Insurance Standards
• House: Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal 2017
• House: Water Projects

Recent Senate Votes

Health Care Videoconferencing – Passage Vote Passed (97-0, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate passed the bill that would require the Health and Human Services secretary to examine distance education models that use videoconferencing to connect medical specialists with multiple other health care professionals. The examination also would need to look at the models' impacts on: addressing chronic disease, mental disorders, palliative care and other types of care; health care workforce issues; implementing public health programs; and health care services in rural and underserved communities. The secretary would be required to submit a report to Congress based on this examination.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

It is curious to see a government need to have a vote on a work practice. Sadly, it must be evidence that existing rules prevent dynamic change in government and more importantly the business that the y have under their thumb. This was so simple that the Senators were able to be unanimous in approval. More impressive would be another unanimous vote by Congress to get the heck out of the way of comon sense. 

Recent House Votes

Medical Research and Associated Activities - Motion to Concur in the Senate Amendment with an Additional House Amendment Vote Passed (392-26, 16 Not Voting)
The House passed a bill that would reauthorize the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, and would modify the FDA's drug and medical device review and approval process to accelerate the approval and distribution of new drugs and devices. The measure would create three dedicated offset funds within the Treasury into which $6.3 billion would be transferred over 10 years, through 2026. The accounts would include $4.8 billion for NIH medical research, $500 million for FDA approval and review modification and $1 billion for opioid addiction treatment and response. Funding for the accounts would not count against annual discretionary budget caps. Within the NIH funding, $1.8 billion would be for cancer therapy and test development, $1.5 would be for brain-related research and $1.5 billion would be for medical treatments related to genetic characteristics. The measure would also expand the Health and Human Services Department's oversight of mental health issues, would modify the Medicare program for hospitals, and would allow small employers to provide certain reimbursement plans for employees to purchase their own health insurance. The House replaced the original text of HR 34 with an amendment that consisted of the medical research and expedited drug approval legislative provisions.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Fast tracking medicine approvals. Again , this is government, trying to simplify the mess that government created.

Additional Committee Funding – Agreeing to Resolution Vote Passed (234-181, 19 Not Voting)

The House agreed to the resolution that would allow the House Energy and Commerce Committee to spend an additional $800,000 in 2016 to cover expenses incurred by the committee's select panel investigating alleged sales of fetal tissue.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

If I understand correctly, my Congressman just voted not to approve of money budget that is already spent. Good thing that the Republicans set the vote correctly, otherwise all that money spent trying to prove something the press already exposed might have been wasted.

Banking Regulations – Passage Vote Passed (254-161, 19 Not Voting)

The House passed the bill that would modify the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul law to eliminate the requirement that the Federal Reserve automatically review bank holding companies with assets greater than $50 billion. The measure would authorize the Financial Stability Oversight Council to require enhanced Federal Reserve supervision and regulation of any bank holding company based on the FSOC's determination of the individual institution's riskiness.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

My Congressman probably gets large campaign donations from banking institutions. Generally I am for less supervision of any business by government, for banking the same. The problem is that where the regulations originate is usually i the industry, that means some poor bank startup has no influence over the rules created. Rules that certainly favor the players that are established, and can lead to quasi-monopolistic marketplace. 

Fiscal 2017 Defense Authorization - Conference Report Vote Passed (375-34, 25 Not Voting)

The House adopted the conference report on the bill that would authorize $611.2 billion for defense programs in fiscal 2017, including $59.5 billion for overseas operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. It would authorize $222.4 billion for operations and maintenance; $139.6 billion for military personnel; $7.9 billion for military construction and family housing; $10 billion for ballistic-missile defense; and $33.4 billion for defense health care programs, including $334 million from the overseas operations account. It would prohibit the use of funds for a new round of base closures. The bill would authorize a 2.1 percent pay raise for military personnel. It would elevate U.S. Cyber Command to an independent major command within the Defense Department. It would prohibit detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from being transferred to U.S. soil, and would prohibit the closing of the main base and detention facility at Guantanamo. It would extend, through fiscal 2017, the authority for several bonus and special payments for military members.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

David Scott has been alright with me in terms of defense postures.

Upcoming Votes
Medical Research and Associated Activities 
HR34 The Senate will vote on a bill that would reauthorize the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration, and would modify the FDA's drug and medical device review and approval process to accelerate the approval and distribution of new drugs and devices. The measure would create three dedicated offset funds within the Treasury into which $6.3 billion would be transferred over 10 years, through 2026. The accounts would include $4.8 billion for NIH medical research, $500 million for FDA approval and review modification and $1 billion for opioid addiction treatment and response. Funding for the accounts would not count against annual discretionary budget caps. Within the NIH funding, $1.8 billion would be for cancer therapy and test development, $1.5 would be for brain-related research and $1.5 billion would be for medical treatments related to genetic characteristics. The measure would also expand the Health and Human Services Department's oversight of mental health issues, would modify the Medicare program for hospitals, and would allow small employers to provide certain reimbursement plans for employees to purchase their own health insurance. The House replaced the original text of HR 34 with an amendment that consisted of the medical research and expedited drug approval legislative provisions.

Fiscal 2017 Defense Authorization - S2943
The Senate will vote on the conference report to the bill that would authorize $611.2 billion for defense programs in fiscal 2017, including $59.5 billion for overseas operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. It would authorize $222.4 billion for operations and maintenance; $139.6 billion for military personnel; $7.9 billion for military construction and family housing; $10 billion for ballistic-missile defense; and $33.5 billion for defense health care programs, including $374 million from the overseas operations account. It would prohibit the use of funds for a new round of base closures. The bill would authorize a 2.1 percent pay raise for military personnel. It would elevate U.S. Cyber Command to an independent major command within the Defense Department. It would prohibit detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from being transferred to U.S. soil, and would prohibit the closing of the main base and detention facility at Guantanamo. It would extend, through fiscal 2017, the authority for several bonus and special payments for military members.

Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal 2017 
The Senate will consider legislation that would extend current stopgap government spending until sometime after March 2017. The current continuing resolution expires on Dec. 9.

Water Projects - S612

The House will likely take up the conference report on water resources development legislation that would authorize new water projects for construction by the Army Corps of Engineers. The measure has also been at the center of negotiations to provide aid to Flint, Mich., whose drinking water system has been contaminated by lead. The water resources bill is expected to include at least an authorization for that aid. The House replaced the original text of S 612 with an amendment that consisted of the water resource development legislative provisions.

The new President has promised to make the Detroit situation right, but things like water projects are never resolved quickly and always costs multiples of the amounts estimated.

International Insurance Standards - HR5143
The House will vote on a bill that would prohibit the United States from agreeing to any international insurance standards unless the government first publicly publishes the proposal, seeks public comment and reports to Congress on the impact of those standards on U.S. markets and consumers. It also would prohibit the adoption of any international insurance capital standards until after the Federal Reserve issues domestic capital standards for insurance companies.

Government has been largely responsible for restricting insurance competition i the United States and that alone is significant to the spiraling cost of health care. The EU models seems to work pretty well on a basic level if you are willing to overlook the lack of service availability issues that arise when doctors and nurses spurn the marketplace. Government involved in insurance, other than fraud, is bad.

Continuing Appropriations for Fiscal 2017 
The House will consider legislation that would extend current stopgap government spending until sometime after March 2017. The current continuing resolution expires on Dec. 9.

Who thinks we will achieve an approved budget in the next two years, not me.

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