Congressional Report: April 16-April 20, 2018
Representative Turner
Major Votes: None.
Other Activity
4/17 – Turner’s Fostering Stable Housing Opportunities Act had a hearing by the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance. It is meant to address situations where foster care youths age out of the system but have few resources to find safe, stable housing. Turner said the bill would fix it, with no increase in federal dollars.
4/19 – Portman, Brown, and Turner joined forces to urge the Pentagon to relocate the F35 product support organization to WPAFB, which would result in the addition of 400+ jobs.
Senator Portman
Major Votes
4/19 – Portman voted to confirm Rep James Brindenstine (R-OK) to NASA Administrator, along a 50-49 party line vote. NASA does a lot of climate change research. Bridenstine is a climate skeptic.
Other Activity
4/18 – Portman introduced S.2113 Construction Consensus Procurement Improvement Act of 2017, to improve the manner in which Federal contracts for design and construction services are awarded.
4/18 – The Portman/Hassan Hack DHS Act unanimously passed. It establishes a program that uses “ethical” hackers to identify vulnerabilities in Dept of Homeland Security networks.
4/19 – Portman called on the Senate to pass the Synthetics Trafficking Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act. It would seek to keep synthetic drugs from China out of the US. He also highlighted the need for a 3 day opioid prescribing limit.
4/19 – Portman announced $26 million in new funding to help combat the heroin and prescription drug epidemics.
4/19 – Portman, Brown, and Turner joined forces to urge the Pentagon to relocate the F35 product support organization to WPAFB, which would result in the addition of 400+ jobs.
Senator Brown
Major Votes
4/19 – Brown voted against the confirmation of Rep James Brindenstine (R-OK) to NASA Administrator, along a 50-49 party line vote. NASA does a lot of climate change research. Bridenstine is a climate skeptic. He was confirmed by the Senate.
Other Activity
4/16 – Brown introduced the Quality Care for Moms and Babies Act, to improve maternity care for women and newborns, by increasing quality standards for CHIP. Also develops new strategies to improve maternity and infant care between insurers, providers, and government.
4/16 – Brown demanded answers from the GM CEO after they announced the layoff of 1500 workers at the Lordstown plant. He urged GM to reverse the decision and said it was galling after GM received massive tax cuts, and said the tax savings are not flowing to American workers, as promised by Republicans.
4/17 – Brown introduced the Elderly Poverty relief Act, to increase benefits to vulnerable seniors who count on Social Security or SSI for basic needs.
4/17 – Brown announced that Trump signed a declaration bringing some financial relief to OH areas affected by floods last month.
4/18 – Brown said VA Administrator nominee Ronny Jackson committed to him privately to oppose VA privatization. He called on him to oppose it publicly during confirmation hearings. It has been speculated his predecessor was forced out because he resisted Trump administration efforts to privatize the VA.
4/18 – Brown decried the use of the Congressional Review Act to repeal and weaken the Consumer Protection Bureau’s indirect auto lending guidance (S.J. Res 57). It was designed to outline auto lenders responsibility to avoid discriminatory lending practices.The repeal passed along party lines, 50-49. Observation: just another removal of an important consumer protection by the Republicans. Portman Yea, Brown Nay.
4/18 – Brown helped block a provision that sought to weaken protections to keep invasive species out of Lake Erie.
4/19 – Portman, Brown, and Turner joined forces to urge the Pentagon to relocate the F35 product support organization to WPAFB, which would result in the addition of 400+ jobs.
4/19 – Brown sent a letter to the VA Chief of Staff outlining concerns about consequences of VA’s hiring freeze on OH vets seeking care and benefits.
4/20 – Brown said “on the heels of the Senate voting to repeal the CFPB’s Fair Auto Lending Guidance, I’m glad to see the CFPB’s case against Wells Fargo for it’s auto and mortgage loan abuses move forward.” Wells Fargo was fined $500 million by the CFPB and $500 million by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for forcing consumers into unnecessary auto insurance and for charging mortgage borrowers unfair fees. A rare victory for consumers in this toxic environment…although this is a mere drop in the bucket for Wells Fargo.
