Mad Dog Gets the Nod

Congress.org presents MEGAVOTE for January 18, 2017 and Georgia's 13th Congressional District.

Recent Congressional Votes

• Senate: Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution-Klobuchar Amendment Concerning Drug Importation
• Senate: Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution
• Senate: Gen. James Mattis Secretary of Defense Waiver
• House: Private Market Investors
• House: Regulatory Accountability
• House: SEC Cost-Benefit Analyses
• House: CFTC Reauthorization
• House: Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution
• House: Gen. James Mattis Secretary of Defense Waiver

Upcoming Congressional Bills

• Senate: GAO Access and Oversight

The House is out of session until Jan. 20 when they will meet for a pro forma session.

Recent Senate Votes:
Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution-Klobuchar Amendment Concerning Drug Importation
Vote Rejected (46-52, 2 Not Voting)
The amendment would establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund relating to lower prescription drug prices for Americans by importing drugs from Canada.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted NO
Sen. David Perdue voted NO

These are votes that I agree with and am glad that vote ended the way it did. Our government having a vote to decide whether or not to leverage another country's program rather than fix the situation here in the United States. Hell, if Congress wants to have citizens reap the benefits of Canada's largess, just change the laws that restrict Americans from purchasing drugs on-line from foreign businesses. But NO, there is an underlying business support objective.  Let markets be truly free and legislation is not required.

Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution Vote Agreed to (51-48, 1 Not Voting)
The concurrent resolution would trigger the budget reconciliation process and enable the subsequent consideration of reconciliation legislation to repeal major portions of the 2010 health law. The measure would provide instructions to two Senate and two House committees to cut a minimum of $1 billion each during the next 10 years as part of budget reconciliation.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Have said it before, budget cuts projected over a future plan, are effectively, lies. The actual reconciliation points are normal business, paying the bills for commitments.

Gen. James Mattis Secretary of Defense Waiver Vote Passed (81-17, 2 Not Voting)
The bill would provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.
Sen. Johnny Isakson voted YES
Sen. David Perdue voted YES

Why waive a rule that is easily bypassed with a vote. The rule is meaningless, shit-can it.

Recent House Votes:
Private Market Investors Vote Passed (344-73, 17 Not Voting)
The bill would expand the circumstances under which events where businesses offer unregistered securities in the private market would not be considered "general solicitations" that otherwise require the issuer to verify that the individuals attending the events are accredited investors.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Open markets up.

Regulatory Accountability Vote Passed (238-183, 13 Not Voting)
The bill would modify the federal rule-making process with a focus on reducing the possible economic costs of federal regulations, allowing more legal challenges to rules and increasing transparency. Among its provisions, it would require agencies to estimate the cost of proposed regulations and consider lower-cost alternatives, creating additional steps that agencies must follow when proposing "major" or "high impact" rules, including an opportunity for the public to challenge agency justifications and findings. It also automatically would postpone the implementation of new federal rules costing $1 billion or more until all legal challenges are resolved, and it effectively would overturn two Supreme Court decisions that require courts to give substantial deference to an agency's interpretation of a rule or underlying law.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

Why should Congress give deferential treatment to regulatory agencies. The regulatory agencies service the wishes of the president and are both authorized and funded by Congress. This attempted reversal of this earlier ruling is proper as the directed predisposition toward approval resulted in significant abuse by the executive branch. The agency would do what the President directed and Congress had been given advice that these were to be accepted before serious Congressional review. Time will tell if SCOTUS reasserts itself, I suspect with new members the ruling may be different.

SEC Cost-Benefit Analyses Vote Passed (243-184, 7 Not Voting)
The bill would require the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct cost-benefit analyses of new regulatory proposals and existing rules, and to modify or rescind those found to have a negative impact.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

Same deal as just above. Why a district representative would vote to play second fiddle to a bureaucrat is a curious choice.

CFTC Reauthorization Vote Passed (239-182, 13 Not Voting)
The bill would reauthorize operations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission through fiscal 2021 and amend the 2010 financial regulatory overhaul law to modify and clarify how the CFTC is to regulate derivatives and swaps. Among its provisions, it would ease certain regulatory requirements to ensure that some "end users" of derivatives are not regulated as swaps dealers, require the CFTC to conduct cost-benefit analyses of its proposed rules and allow for the development of rules regarding the interaction of U.S. swaps rules to international requirements.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Derivatives are dangerous vehicles, I am for open markets but buyer beware.

Fiscal 2017 Budget Resolution Vote Passed (227-198, 10 Not Voting)
The concurrent resolution would trigger the budget reconciliation process and enable the subsequent consideration of reconciliation legislation to repeal major portions of the 2010 health law. The measure would provide instructions to two Senate and two House committees to cut a minimum of $1 billion each during the next 10 years as part of budget reconciliation.
Rep. David Scott voted NO

Gen. James Mattis Secretary of Defense Waiver Vote Passed (268-151, 1 Present, 14 Not Voting)
The bill that would provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces.
Rep. David Scott voted YES

Apparently he does not like to nickname "Mad Dog", but I am guessing that when he was an active Marine he was proud of that moniker.

Upcoming Votes:
GAO Access and Oversight - HR72
The bill would grant the Government Accountability Office access to the National Directory of New Hires. The directory contains information from states about new employees.

squeeze off the Federal hiring, if agencies need help, more people from less active positions.

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