Legislative Activity Senators Introduce Data Breach Legislation Last Thursday, January 30, four Democratic senators introduced the Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2014, which would require the Federal Trade Commission to issue data security standards for companies that hold consumers’ personal and financial information. The bill also would implement requirements for the prompt notification … Continue Reading
The Senate will convene today, Monday, January 27, at 2:00 pm. After any leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1926, the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014. At 5:30 pm there will be a roll call vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Cybersecurity Legislation The House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies Committee plans to move forward on its cybersecurity bill this week, with plans to follow-up in full committee in the near future. H.R. 3696, the “National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013” is a bipartisan bill designed … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Homeland Security Nominations The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee held a nomination hearing for President Barack Obama’s nominee to become the next Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), John Roth. Both Majority and Minority Members of the committee expressed support for Roth’s nomination and along with continued … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Homeland Security Nominations President Barack Obama has announced his intention to nominate two more officials to fill senior homeland security positions. First, he will nominate Leon Rodriguez to serve as Director of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Rodriguez is currently the Director of the … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity D.C. Circuit Upholds Sunset Of FCC’s “Viewability Rule” On December 27, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit released a decision upholding the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) authority to sunset its dual carriage “viewability rule.” The rule, adopted in 2007, required “hybrid” cable operators – those that provide both … Continue Reading
The Senate will convene today, Monday December 16, at 3:00 pm, and after any leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:30 pm, with time equally divided and controlled. The filing deadline is 4:00 pm today for first degree amendments to the motions to concur with respect to H. … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House-Passed Budget Agreement Includes Energy Policy Provisions Last Thursday, December 12, members of the U.S. House voted 332-94 to pass the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013, a budget resolution offered as an amendment to H.J. Res. 59 that sets short-term funding caps for the FY 2014 and FY 2015 years and longer-term projections … Continue Reading
LEGISLATIVE ACTIVITY Senate Vote on Fed Chair Expected This Week The Senate is expected to hold a vote on the confirmation of Ms. Janet Yellen to be Chair of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors this week. In addition to pushing for a vote on Ms. Yellen’s confirmation, Senate Democrats have already confirmed two judges … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Members Introduce Video Policy Bills Last Thursday, December 12, two members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee introduced video reform legislation that would eliminate or reform a number of provisions in current law governing video policy. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) introduced the Next Generation Television Marketplace Act (H.R. 3720), … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Farm Bill Conference Progress This week, we expect the House to adjourn until 2014 without passing a conferenced farm bill, despite House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) expressing his willingness to have the chamber consider a conference report. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-OK) has indicated that the conference committee will most … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity House Commerce Committee Announces Process For Communications Act Update Last Tuesday, December 3, the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s top two leaders on communications and technology issues announced the committee will begin a comprehensive process to update the Communications Act of 1934 between 2014 and 2015. Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) and Subcommittee on … Continue Reading
The Senate will convene today, Monday November 18, at 2:00 pm. After any leader remarks, the Senate will be in a period of morning business until 5:00 pm, with senators being allowed to speak for up to 10 minutes each. The filing deadline for all first degree amendments to H.R. 3204, the Drug Quality and … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity This Week’s Hearings: Tuesday, November 19: The House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing titled, “A General Overview of Disparate Impact Theory.” This hearing will review the legal and theoretical underpinnings of disparate impact theory and explore the consequences of its application in various contexts, such as housing … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity The House and Senate will continue to hold oversight and investigation hearings focused on the problems with HealthCare.gov. This week’s hearings follow the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) announcement that 106,185 individuals have selected a health care insurance plan through the exchanges and President Obama’s announcement that HHS will use its … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Farm Bill Conference Progress Senate Agriculture Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) has remarked publicly that a farm bill compromise is “doable” before Congress leaves for the Thanksgiving break, as agreements may have been reached or are close to being reached on issues including dairy, crop insurance, and conservation. It also appears that the conference … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate EPW Committee Holds Hearing on Fugitive Methane Gas Leaks Last Tuesday, November 5, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works held a hearing titled “Fugitive Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Operations.” During the hearing, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) director of atmospheric programs in the Office of Air and Radiation, … Continue Reading
Regulatory Activity Environmental Protection Agency and Local Governments The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Local Government Advisory Committee will meet November 26 via teleconference to discuss the Draft 2014–2018 EPA Strategic Plan concerning air quality issues, brownfield clean ups, water quality issues, environmental justice and related environmental issues of significance to local governments. While the meeting … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Over One Hundred Congressmen Ask for New Mortgage Rules to be Delayed On November 5, 118 House members, including 112 Republicans and six Democrats, sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Richard Cordray asking for the CFPB to extend the effective date of the qualified mortgage (QM) rules an additional … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Commerce Committee Holds Hearing On Patent Demand Letters Last Thursday, November 7, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee held a hearing titled “Demand Letters and Consumer Protection: Examining Deceptive Practices by Patent Assertion Entities.” Committee members heard testimony from the attorney general of Nebraska and various stakeholders from the technology industry. … Continue Reading
The Senate will convene at 2:00 pm today, Monday, November 4. After any leader remarks, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 815, the Employee Non-Discrimination Act—cloture was filed on the motion to proceed to S. 815 last Thursday, October 31. The Senate will proceed to Executive Session at 5:00 … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Farm Bill Conference: Priority Issues At-A-Glance On October 30, the 41 House and Senate farm bill conferees convened at a public meeting to formally kick-off negotiations, although informal talks began a few months ago between agriculture leadership’s staff. Despite many conferees cautioning against pre-maturely drawing lines on issues, it was clear what issues … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senator Threatens to Hold Jeh Johnson Nomination President Barack Obama has nominated former Department of Defense Chief Counsel Jeh Johnson to serve as the next secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). However, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has announced that he plans to block all new nominees until the State Department gives … Continue Reading
Legislative Activity Senate Confirms FCC Nominees Last Tuesday, October 29, the Senate unanimously confirmed the nominations of Tom Wheeler to become chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Michael O’Rielly to fill the empty Republican seat on the commission. The Senate vote followed Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) decision to lift his hold on Wheeler’s … Continue Reading
