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[thomassborn]

Hawaii Officials Discuss Ways State Can Petition DEA For Exception To Federal Marijuana Schedule I Classification

By: Jason Karimi, WeedPress Contributor Title: Hawaii Officials Discuss Ways State Can Petition DEA For Exception To Federal Marijuana Schedule I Classification Sourced From: weedpress.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/hawaii-officials-discuss-ways-state-can-petition-dea-for-exception-to-federal-marijuana-schedule-i-classification/ Published Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2021 05:30:39 +0000

The roughly 2,000 Facebook followers and email subscribers here at WeedPress should be intrigued. On Tuesday this week, Hawaii’s Health, Human Services, and Homelessness committee discussed Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 132. HCR 132 directs Hawaii officials to begin the process of “requesting the Department of Health to submit a request to the Drug Enforcement Administration for an exception to regulations and a petition to initiate proceedings for federal rulemaking to clarify that the state-authorized use of medical cannabis does not violate the federal controlled substances act.”

Below is recent discussion by Hawaii officials, as well as the full text of the proposal. Discussion is two minutes; the text is roughly one single-spaced page.

To view original video by clicking here: Hawaii House of Representatives YouTube channel.

Special thanks to Kurt Hanna of the Minnesota chapter of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) for the find. Follow RAMP_MN on Twitter. To read more on Minnesota’s effort

Follow RAMP on twitter at twitter.com/ramp_mn

Similar legislation is being advanced and discussed in Minnesota. Iowa officials have also agreed to apply to DEA for a federal exemption as well. Click here to follow WeedPress on Facebook for more upcoming articles as we continue our 12 year effort to end this unnecessary conflict between state and federal law — and bring law and order to otherwise lawful state medical marijuana industries.

Read more at WeedPress: Minnesota Bill Requireing Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Progrm Be Exempted From Federal Law ADVANCES

Read more at Marijuana Moment: Iowa Officials To Seek Federal Marijuana Exemption From DEA

Other medical cannabis states are on board with following this already provided for legal remedy, most notably those of Iowa and Minnesota, who have been leading the effort by the states to properly exempt state medical marijuana industry from federal laws.

https://twitter.com/MNFamilyCouncil/status/441014202686140416

Back in 2014, the Minnesota Family Council (@MNFamilyCouncil on twitter), claimed that state marijuana laws are seemingly in violation of federal law. See the Family Council’s 2014 tweet on the right. Glad to report the Council should be satisfied that there is a solution advancing in cold Minnesota to the Minnesota Family Council’s wisely perceived problem.

Our current system of government already allows a process and solution to solve this the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws, and these three states, Hawaii, Iowa, and Minnesota, are in the lead to use this solution, 26 years after the first medical marijuana law was passed to allow for compassionate marijuana medicines to be provided to patients who otherwise could not find adequate relief for their medical conditions.

As the Hawaii House Health, Human Services, & Homelessness Committee discussed this past Tuesday March 23, the solution to the Minnesota Family Council’s problem with medical marijuana is found in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1307.03, which allows the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to grant exceptions to certain federal regulations.

Hawaii’s language also states “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making a petition for federal rule making in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1308.43, the Department of Health is urged to offer the following proposed language:  “§1307.     State Authorization.  The listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I does not apply to the state-authorized use of marijuana, and persons using marijuana in compliance with state law are exempt from registration.”” Read the full text of HCR 132 below:

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESH.C.R. NO.132THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021H.D. 1STATE OF HAWAII     

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO REGULATIONS AND A PETITION TO INITIATE PROCEEDINGS FOR FEDERAL RULEMAKING TO CLARIFY THAT THE STATE-AUTHORIZED USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS DOES NOT VIOLATE THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT.

     WHEREAS, when Act 228, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000 (Act 228), was enacted, Hawaii became the first state to authorize the use of medical marijuana to treat debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other chronic or debilitating diseases; and

     WHEREAS, at the time Act 228 was enacted there was ample evidence to show that medical marijuana helps to alleviate pain and has other benefits for severely ill patients; and

     WHEREAS, federal law expressly prohibits the use of marijuana, despite the evidence of the benefits of using medical cannabis; and

     WHEREAS, this lack of clarity between state and federal marijuana laws has repercussions for medical cannabis patients and the State’s medical cannabis dispensaries, including loss of employment and discrimination in child custody hearings, federally subsidized housing, and applications for federal firearms permits, life insurance, and disability insurance for patients who use medical cannabis in compliance with state law; and

     WHEREAS, Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1307.03 allows the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to grant exceptions to certain federal regulations; and

     WHEREAS, obtaining an exception from the federal Controlled Substances Act for the state-authorized use of medical cannabis would benefit the State’s residents who use medical cannabis and the State’s medical cannabis dispensaries; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to submit a request to the Drug Enforcement Administration for an exception to regulations and a petition to initiate proceedings for federal rulemaking to clarify that the state-authorized use of medical cannabis does not violate the federal Controlled Substances Act; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making the request for an exception to regulations, the Department of Health is urged to argue that Hawaii’s medical cannabis laws do not create any positive conflict with state or federal drug laws and to request a written acknowledgement from the Drug Enforcement Administration that the listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act does not apply to the non-prescription use of cannabis under Hawaii’s medical cannabis registry and medical cannabis dispensary programs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making a petition for federal rule making in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1308.43, the Department of Health is urged to offer the following proposed language:  “§1307.     State Authorization.  The listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I does not apply to the state-authorized use of marijuana, and persons using marijuana in compliance with state law are exempt from registration.”; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the members of Hawaii’s Congressional Delegation, Governor, Attorney General, and Director of Health.

Curated by Thc 420 Hemp

Via https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/hawaii-officials-discuss-ways-state-can-petition-dea-for-exception-to-federal-marijuana-schedule-i-classification/

source https://lauragfollett.weebly.com/blog/hawaii-officials-discuss-ways-state-can-petition-dea-for-exception-to-federal-marijuana-schedule-i-classification

[lauragfollett]

Hawaii Officials Discuss Ways State Can Petition DEA For Exception To Federal Marijuana Schedule I Classification

By: Jason Karimi, WeedPress Contributor Title: Hawaii Officials Discuss Ways State Can Petition DEA For Exception To Federal Marijuana Schedule I Classification Sourced From: weedpress.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/hawaii-officials-discuss-ways-state-can-petition-dea-for-exception-to-federal-marijuana-schedule-i-classification/ Published Date: Fri, 26 Mar 2021 05:30:39 +0000

The roughly 2,000 Facebook followers and email subscribers here at WeedPress should be intrigued. On Tuesday this week, Hawaii’s Health, Human Services, and Homelessness committee discussed Hawaii House Concurrent Resolution 132. HCR 132 directs Hawaii officials to begin the process of “requesting the Department of Health to submit a request to the Drug Enforcement Administration for an exception to regulations and a petition to initiate proceedings for federal rulemaking to clarify that the state-authorized use of medical cannabis does not violate the federal controlled substances act.”

Below is recent discussion by Hawaii officials, as well as the full text of the proposal. Discussion is two minutes; the text is roughly one single-spaced page.

To view original video by clicking here: Hawaii House of Representatives YouTube channel.

Special thanks to Kurt Hanna of the Minnesota chapter of Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (RAMP) for the find. Follow RAMP_MN on Twitter. To read more on Minnesota’s effort

Follow RAMP on twitter at twitter.com/ramp_mn

Similar legislation is being advanced and discussed in Minnesota. Iowa officials have also agreed to apply to DEA for a federal exemption as well. Click here to follow WeedPress on Facebook for more upcoming articles as we continue our 12 year effort to end this unnecessary conflict between state and federal law — and bring law and order to otherwise lawful state medical marijuana industries.

Read more at WeedPress: Minnesota Bill Requireing Minnesota’s Medical Marijuana Progrm Be Exempted From Federal Law ADVANCES

Read more at Marijuana Moment: Iowa Officials To Seek Federal Marijuana Exemption From DEA

Other medical cannabis states are on board with following this already provided for legal remedy, most notably those of Iowa and Minnesota, who have been leading the effort by the states to properly exempt state medical marijuana industry from federal laws.

https://twitter.com/MNFamilyCouncil/status/441014202686140416

Back in 2014, the Minnesota Family Council (@MNFamilyCouncil on twitter), claimed that state marijuana laws are seemingly in violation of federal law. See the Family Council’s 2014 tweet on the right. Glad to report the Council should be satisfied that there is a solution advancing in cold Minnesota to the Minnesota Family Council’s wisely perceived problem.

Our current system of government already allows a process and solution to solve this the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws, and these three states, Hawaii, Iowa, and Minnesota, are in the lead to use this solution, 26 years after the first medical marijuana law was passed to allow for compassionate marijuana medicines to be provided to patients who otherwise could not find adequate relief for their medical conditions.

As the Hawaii House Health, Human Services, & Homelessness Committee discussed this past Tuesday March 23, the solution to the Minnesota Family Council’s problem with medical marijuana is found in Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1307.03, which allows the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to grant exceptions to certain federal regulations.

Hawaii’s language also states “BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making a petition for federal rule making in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1308.43, the Department of Health is urged to offer the following proposed language:  “§1307.     State Authorization.  The listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I does not apply to the state-authorized use of marijuana, and persons using marijuana in compliance with state law are exempt from registration.”” Read the full text of HCR 132 below:

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESH.C.R. NO.132THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2021H.D. 1STATE OF HAWAII     

HOUSE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO SUBMIT A REQUEST TO THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION FOR AN EXCEPTION TO REGULATIONS AND A PETITION TO INITIATE PROCEEDINGS FOR FEDERAL RULEMAKING TO CLARIFY THAT THE STATE-AUTHORIZED USE OF MEDICAL CANNABIS DOES NOT VIOLATE THE FEDERAL CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES ACT.

     WHEREAS, when Act 228, Session Laws of Hawaii 2000 (Act 228), was enacted, Hawaii became the first state to authorize the use of medical marijuana to treat debilitating medical conditions including cancer, glaucoma, human immunodeficiency virus, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other chronic or debilitating diseases; and

     WHEREAS, at the time Act 228 was enacted there was ample evidence to show that medical marijuana helps to alleviate pain and has other benefits for severely ill patients; and

     WHEREAS, federal law expressly prohibits the use of marijuana, despite the evidence of the benefits of using medical cannabis; and

     WHEREAS, this lack of clarity between state and federal marijuana laws has repercussions for medical cannabis patients and the State’s medical cannabis dispensaries, including loss of employment and discrimination in child custody hearings, federally subsidized housing, and applications for federal firearms permits, life insurance, and disability insurance for patients who use medical cannabis in compliance with state law; and

     WHEREAS, Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1307.03 allows the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration to grant exceptions to certain federal regulations; and

     WHEREAS, obtaining an exception from the federal Controlled Substances Act for the state-authorized use of medical cannabis would benefit the State’s residents who use medical cannabis and the State’s medical cannabis dispensaries; now, therefore,

     BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2021, the Senate concurring, that the Department of Health is requested to submit a request to the Drug Enforcement Administration for an exception to regulations and a petition to initiate proceedings for federal rulemaking to clarify that the state-authorized use of medical cannabis does not violate the federal Controlled Substances Act; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making the request for an exception to regulations, the Department of Health is urged to argue that Hawaii’s medical cannabis laws do not create any positive conflict with state or federal drug laws and to request a written acknowledgement from the Drug Enforcement Administration that the listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I of the federal Controlled Substances Act does not apply to the non-prescription use of cannabis under Hawaii’s medical cannabis registry and medical cannabis dispensary programs; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when making a petition for federal rule making in accordance with Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations section 1308.43, the Department of Health is urged to offer the following proposed language:  “§1307.     State Authorization.  The listing of marijuana as a controlled substance in Schedule I does not apply to the state-authorized use of marijuana, and persons using marijuana in compliance with state law are exempt from registration.”; and

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the members of Hawaii’s Congressional Delegation, Governor, Attorney General, and Director of Health.

Curated by Thc 420 Hemp

source https://weedpress.wordpress.com/2021/03/25/hawaii-officials-discuss-ways-state-can-petition-dea-for-exception-to-federal-marijuana-schedule-i-classification/

[kansascityhappenings]

Survey finds states give few details on billions spent on virus supplies

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — States are spending billions of dollars stocking up on medical supplies such as masks and breathing machines during the coronavirus pandemic. But more than two months into the buying binge, many aren’t sharing details about how much they’re spending, what they’re getting for their money or which companies they’re paying.

An Associated Press survey of all 50 states found a hodgepodge of public information about the purchase of masks, gloves, gowns and other hard-to-get equipment for medical and emergency workers.

Illinois has one of the most detailed tracking websites, showing the date, vendor, purpose, quantity and price of each purchase. In most states, it’s not that easy. Some provided similar information only after the AP pointed to laws requiring the release of government documents.

The public can see only a piece of the procurement puzzle in many states — maybe an estimate of the total spent on supplies, but not the names of the providers or the price of each item, which could show whether the state got a good deal or was ripped off.

Those details are important because many states set aside purchasing safeguards amid a scramble for supplies among health care providers, states, the U.S. government and other countries. Instead of seeking competitive bids and vetting them for months, states have closed emergency deals in days with businesses claiming to have access to supplies. In some cases, states have prepaid to ensure orders aren’t diverted elsewhere.

Some states say technological barriers prevent them from posting more information. Others provided no explanation for why they aren’t doing so.

Transparency advocates say they’re troubled by the difficulty in getting details about government spending, especially during a crisis that’s shaken the economy and sickened about 1.6 million in the U.S.

“There’s no reason that this information should be hard to come by, and there’s no reason that the states should be keeping it under wraps. That just makes people suspicious,” said Lisa Rosenberg, executive director of Open the Government, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that advocates for government transparency.

After an AP request in late April and early May, 44 states provided figures showing they had ordered or spent more than $6 billion collectively on protective equipment and ventilators. The actual costs likely are higher, because some numbers were several weeks old and some reported only what they had spent so far, not what was in orders still to be delivered.

The AP hasn’t received figures from Florida, Indiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey and Texas. Some provided no specific timeline for releasing the information.

States should prioritize requests for public records that relate to the coronavirus, said Anna Diakun, an attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University.

“As this crisis is unfolding, the value of that information is less after the government response has concluded,” Diakun said. “There is still time to make course corrections, but only if the public knows they need to be taken.”

Several states have made changes already. Missouri canceled orders worth $34 million for over 9 million masks made in China after tests showed they didn’t fit properly. A Chinese company refunded California $247 million after missing a deadline for the U.S. to certify its N95 masks were safe and effective.

The AP’s survey shows other states have yet to get their supplies. North Carolina placed orders for $253 million in protective equipment but had received just $21 million of it as of early May. Emergency managers say they’re starting to cancel orders that probably won’t be delivered.

Colorado said it ordered over $58 million in protective equipment but has paid just $44,000 so far because it hasn’t received most of the supplies. The state has declined to identify its vendors in case they “fall victim to fraud or customs delays” and can’t deliver the goods, the health department said.

By contrast, Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza has created a website tracking coronavirus-related spending. It shows what was purchased, from what business, on what date, in what amount and at what cost.

“Transparency, to me, is like a pathway to rebuilding trust in government,” Mendoza said.

The website, for example, shows that the state paid nearly $11.8 million to Steven MacGeachy on May 6 for 2.4 million N95 masks.

MacGeachy, who does business as The Rare Group LLC in suburban Chicago, declined to tell the AP where he got the masks. He said he specializes in accessing global government institutions and wealthy people.

“I got involved in this particular instance in an effort to make sure that the state of which I live in was able to procure good product at fair pricing,” MacGeachy said.

State purchasing records show MacGeachy and numerous other businesses required full prepayment.

“Normally, we wouldn’t be able to do that, nor would we ever even entertain the thought,” Mendoza said. But “we kind of had a gun to our head — we didn’t have the leverage to negotiate the best deals.”

Though not posted online, officials in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas and Louisiana provided the AP with detailed lists showing how much they paid each vendor and how many supplies they got.

Other states are posting only certain information.

Minnesota publishes a biweekly online COVID-19 report detailing the prices and quantities purchased, but not the vendors. Washington state posts a list of vendors it uses to buy protective equipment, but not the amounts paid or ordered from each.

Missouri Treasurer Scott Fitzpatrick launched a website showing how the state is using federal coronavirus aid. Because that money can reimburse state purchases, the site is gradually including some of the $42 million spent on protective equipment. It shows the amount paid to each vendor but only for general categories like “medical and dental supplies.”

Fitzpatrick said he’s limited by a more than 20-year-old computer accounting system.

“In a perfect world, I’d love to be able to put a check and a copy of every invoice up so people could see what it was,” he said. “But that’s not a realistic thing for us right now. That would be a massive amount of document scanning and uploading and cataloging.”

Ohio also said computer programming complications kept it from releasing more information. Three agencies have committed more than $109 million for personal protective equipment, but “a comprehensive number would be very difficult to ascertain because there is no single code in the State accounting system to identify PPE,” Bill Teets, a spokesman for the Department of Administrative Services, said in an email.

Missouri lawyer Dave Roland, who represents residents in public records lawsuits, said details of government coronavirus purchases should be easily available.

“It’s 2020,” he said. “There should be no difficulty in making this information available online.”

from FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports https://fox4kc.com/tracking-coronavirus/survey-finds-states-give-few-details-on-billions-spent-on-virus-supplies/

from Kansas City Happenings https://kansascityhappenings.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/survey-finds-states-give-few-details-on-billions-spent-on-virus-supplies/

[anchorarcade]

How Maine's members of Congress voted

https://ryanguillory.com/how-maines-members-of-congress-voted-3/

How Maine's members of Congress voted

Along with roll call votes last week, the Senate also passed the TSP Modernization Act (H.R. 3031), to provide for flexibility in making withdrawals from a Thrift Savings Plan account; the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act (H.R. 1370), to require the Homeland Security Department to issue guidance and develop training programs as part the department’s Blue Campaign; and the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (S. 1015), to require the Federal Communications Commission to study the feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.

The House also passed the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act (H.R. 3122), to protect individuals who are eligible for increased pension under laws administered by the secretary of Veterans Affairs on the basis of need of regular aid and attendance from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices; a bill (H.R. 3657) to authorize the secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide headstones and markers for the graves of spouses and children of veterans who are buried in tribal cemeteries; the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act (H.R. 918), to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish mental health care to certain former members of the Armed Forces who are not otherwise eligible to receive such care; and the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act (H.R. 2123), to improve the ability of health care professionals to treat veterans through the use of telemedicine.

HOUSE VOTES

COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE: The House passed the Community Health And Medical Professionals Improve Our Nation Act (H.R. 3922), sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. The bill would extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program for 5 years, extend the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program for 2 years, and extend several other health care programs. Walden said the extensions “will deliver quality health care and peace of mind to millions of Americans,” including more than 8 million children. A bill opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., said the extensions were wrongly offset by cutting funding for Medicare and health care reform programs by billions of dollars. The vote, on Nov. 3, was 242 yeas to 174 nays.

NAYS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District

YEAS: Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District

RECOVERY FOR DISABLED VETERANS: The House passed a bill (H.R. 3562) sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, that would authorize the Veterans Affairs Department to use its Specially Adapted Housing program to help disabled veterans install new equipment in their residences to improve their ability to rehabilitate from injuries. Arrington said reassigning the rehab responsibility from VA vocational counselors to the housing program should make it faster and easier for veterans to recover from their service-connected disabilities. The vote, on Monday, was unanimous with 400 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

RESTRUCTURING THE VA: The House passed the Veterans Affairs Management Alignment Act (H.R. 1066), sponsored by Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash. The bill would require the Veterans Affairs Department to submit to Congress a report describing the department’s organizational structure and potential ways to improve the structure. Kilmer said the report would help Congress work to reshape the VA “into a system that can deliver on our nation’s responsibilities to our military veterans” by improving health care and other services for the veterans. The vote, on Monday, was unanimous with 399 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

REGULATORY DEFINITION OF EMPLOYERS: The House passed the Save Local Business Act (H.R. 3441), sponsored by Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. The bill would define a joint employer, for the purposes of labor law, as someone who directly supervises and manages the work activities of an employee. Byrne said the bill’s revocation of a 2015 National Labor Relations Board decision that gave a confusing definition of “joint employer” was needed to give regulatory certainty to small businesses who currently face complex standards under federal law. A bill opponent, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said upholding the 2015 decision was necessary to hold both employers and subcontractors accountable for mistreating employees who are paid by staffing agencies and other labor contractors. The vote, on Tuesday, was 242 yeas to 181 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

OVERSEEING CREDIT AGENCIES: The House passed the Risk-Based Credit Examination Act (H.R. 3911), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. The bill would authorize the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Credit Ratings to require credit rating agencies to use a risk-based method to rate the credit worthiness of debt-issuing companies. Wagner said the risk-based approach would alleviate regulatory burdens on small credit rating agencies, helping them compete against large agencies while still holding all of the agencies accountable to regulators. The vote, on Tuesday, was 389 yeas to 32 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

REGULATING HYDROPOWER: The House passed the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act (H.R. 3043), sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The bill would designate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead federal regulatory agency responsible for coordinating all reviews of applications to develop or maintain hydropower facilities, and define hydropower as a renewable energy resource. Rodgers said assigning FERC the responsibility should improve the efficiency of reviews of hydropower applications, helping lower energy costs and create jobs. A bill opponent, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said it wrongly gave hydropower first priority for use of the public’s waterways, marginalizing the rights and the interests of Indian tribes, recreational users, and environmental needs. The vote, on Wednesday, was 257 yeas to 166 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

VETERANS AND DEBT NOTICES: The House passed the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act (H.R. 3705), sponsored by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. The bill would direct the Veterans Affairs Department to develop a standard letter to send to veterans who owe money to the VA and send the letters either electronically or via certified mail. Pingree said the VA has frequently failed to deliver such letters to veterans, imposing financial hardships on former soldiers who may not even know that they owe the VA money. The vote, on Wednesday, was unanimous with 422 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

SMALL STOCK OFFERINGS: The House passed the Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act (H.R. 2201), sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., which would exempt businesses selling less than $500,000 of stock to parties who have pre-existing relationships with the business from a federal ban on interstate solicitation of potential investors. Emmer said the bill, by making it easier for small businesses to raise money from family and close associates, sought to help entrepreneurs “dream, innovate, and create jobs that grow our economy.” A bill opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said that removing regulatory safeguards against the fraudulent sale of unregistered securities “would leave investors vulnerable to an array of investment scams.” The vote, on Thursday, was 232 yeas to 188 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

MANAGING THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: The Senate confirmed the nomination of John H. Gibson II to serve as the Defense Department’s deputy chief management officer. Gibson, formerly the chief executive officer of XCOR Aerospace, a rocket engine developer, had also served as a management official in the Air Force and at the Defense Department. The vote, on Tuesday, was 91 yeas to 7 nays.

YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine; Angus King, I-Maine

LEGAL COUNSEL AT JUSTICE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Steven Andrew Engel to serve as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. A supporter, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cited Engel’s experience in the office during the George W. Bush administration and, more recently, as a business lawyer. Grassley said that if confirmed, Engel would “be a friend of congressional oversight” of the Trump administration and ensure its accountability to Congress. An opponent, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cited Engel’s work on the transition team for President Trump in saying Engel “has not demonstrated the independence and judgment we need from the head of this critical office.” The vote, on Tuesday, was 51 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

LABOR RELATIONS BOARD COUNSEL: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Peter B. Robb to serve as general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board for a four-year term. A supporter, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., called Robb an extremely qualified nominee with experience in labor law and as a labor board attorney, and predicted that Robb will “help restore the Board to the role of a neutral umpire in labor disputes.” An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cited Robb’s employment at corporate law firms defending companies against workers’ lawsuits in questioning whether Robb would work toward the board’s mission of protecting workers’ rights to form or join unions and bargain collectively with their employers. The vote, on Wednesday, was 49 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

ASSISTANT EPA ADMINISTRATOR: The Senate confirmed the nomination of William L. Wehrum to serve as an assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation. Wehrum, currently an environmental lawyer at the Hunton & Williams law firm, had previously served in the same role at the office on an interim basis during the George W. Bush administration. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wehrum would “implement clean air policies in a balanced way” that reverses the tendency of the Obama administration’s EPA to overreach its authority. An opponent, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said Wehrum had a track record of being “dismissive of the science that is the core of EPA’s actions to protect public health” and fighting federal environmental protections. The vote, on Thursday, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.

NAYS: Collins, King

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[awesomefelicitylewis-blog]

How Maine's members of Congress voted

https://ryanguillory.com/how-maines-members-of-congress-voted-3/

How Maine's members of Congress voted

Along with roll call votes last week, the Senate also passed the TSP Modernization Act (H.R. 3031), to provide for flexibility in making withdrawals from a Thrift Savings Plan account; the Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign Authorization Act (H.R. 1370), to require the Homeland Security Department to issue guidance and develop training programs as part the department’s Blue Campaign; and the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act (S. 1015), to require the Federal Communications Commission to study the feasibility of designating a simple, easy-to-remember dialing code to be used for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline system.

The House also passed the Veterans Care Financial Protection Act (H.R. 3122), to protect individuals who are eligible for increased pension under laws administered by the secretary of Veterans Affairs on the basis of need of regular aid and attendance from dishonest, predatory, or otherwise unlawful practices; a bill (H.R. 3657) to authorize the secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide headstones and markers for the graves of spouses and children of veterans who are buried in tribal cemeteries; the Veteran Urgent Access to Mental Healthcare Act (H.R. 918), to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish mental health care to certain former members of the Armed Forces who are not otherwise eligible to receive such care; and the Veterans E-Health and Telemedicine Support Act (H.R. 2123), to improve the ability of health care professionals to treat veterans through the use of telemedicine.

HOUSE VOTES

COMMUNITY HEALTH CARE: The House passed the Community Health And Medical Professionals Improve Our Nation Act (H.R. 3922), sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore. The bill would extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program for 5 years, extend the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program for 2 years, and extend several other health care programs. Walden said the extensions “will deliver quality health care and peace of mind to millions of Americans,” including more than 8 million children. A bill opponent, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., said the extensions were wrongly offset by cutting funding for Medicare and health care reform programs by billions of dollars. The vote, on Nov. 3, was 242 yeas to 174 nays.

NAYS: Chellie Pingree, D-1st District

YEAS: Bruce Poliquin, R-2nd District

RECOVERY FOR DISABLED VETERANS: The House passed a bill (H.R. 3562) sponsored by Rep. Jodey C. Arrington, R-Texas, that would authorize the Veterans Affairs Department to use its Specially Adapted Housing program to help disabled veterans install new equipment in their residences to improve their ability to rehabilitate from injuries. Arrington said reassigning the rehab responsibility from VA vocational counselors to the housing program should make it faster and easier for veterans to recover from their service-connected disabilities. The vote, on Monday, was unanimous with 400 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

RESTRUCTURING THE VA: The House passed the Veterans Affairs Management Alignment Act (H.R. 1066), sponsored by Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash. The bill would require the Veterans Affairs Department to submit to Congress a report describing the department’s organizational structure and potential ways to improve the structure. Kilmer said the report would help Congress work to reshape the VA “into a system that can deliver on our nation’s responsibilities to our military veterans” by improving health care and other services for the veterans. The vote, on Monday, was unanimous with 399 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

REGULATORY DEFINITION OF EMPLOYERS: The House passed the Save Local Business Act (H.R. 3441), sponsored by Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala. The bill would define a joint employer, for the purposes of labor law, as someone who directly supervises and manages the work activities of an employee. Byrne said the bill’s revocation of a 2015 National Labor Relations Board decision that gave a confusing definition of “joint employer” was needed to give regulatory certainty to small businesses who currently face complex standards under federal law. A bill opponent, Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., said upholding the 2015 decision was necessary to hold both employers and subcontractors accountable for mistreating employees who are paid by staffing agencies and other labor contractors. The vote, on Tuesday, was 242 yeas to 181 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

OVERSEEING CREDIT AGENCIES: The House passed the Risk-Based Credit Examination Act (H.R. 3911), sponsored by Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo. The bill would authorize the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Office of Credit Ratings to require credit rating agencies to use a risk-based method to rate the credit worthiness of debt-issuing companies. Wagner said the risk-based approach would alleviate regulatory burdens on small credit rating agencies, helping them compete against large agencies while still holding all of the agencies accountable to regulators. The vote, on Tuesday, was 389 yeas to 32 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

REGULATING HYDROPOWER: The House passed the Hydropower Policy Modernization Act (H.R. 3043), sponsored by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash. The bill would designate the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead federal regulatory agency responsible for coordinating all reviews of applications to develop or maintain hydropower facilities, and define hydropower as a renewable energy resource. Rodgers said assigning FERC the responsibility should improve the efficiency of reviews of hydropower applications, helping lower energy costs and create jobs. A bill opponent, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., said it wrongly gave hydropower first priority for use of the public’s waterways, marginalizing the rights and the interests of Indian tribes, recreational users, and environmental needs. The vote, on Wednesday, was 257 yeas to 166 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

VETERANS AND DEBT NOTICES: The House passed the Veterans Fair Debt Notice Act (H.R. 3705), sponsored by Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine. The bill would direct the Veterans Affairs Department to develop a standard letter to send to veterans who owe money to the VA and send the letters either electronically or via certified mail. Pingree said the VA has frequently failed to deliver such letters to veterans, imposing financial hardships on former soldiers who may not even know that they owe the VA money. The vote, on Wednesday, was unanimous with 422 yeas.

YEAS: Pingree, Poliquin

SMALL STOCK OFFERINGS: The House passed the Micro Offering Safe Harbor Act (H.R. 2201), sponsored by Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., which would exempt businesses selling less than $500,000 of stock to parties who have pre-existing relationships with the business from a federal ban on interstate solicitation of potential investors. Emmer said the bill, by making it easier for small businesses to raise money from family and close associates, sought to help entrepreneurs “dream, innovate, and create jobs that grow our economy.” A bill opponent, Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., said that removing regulatory safeguards against the fraudulent sale of unregistered securities “would leave investors vulnerable to an array of investment scams.” The vote, on Thursday, was 232 yeas to 188 nays.

NAYS: Pingree

YEAS: Poliquin

SENATE VOTES

MANAGING THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT: The Senate confirmed the nomination of John H. Gibson II to serve as the Defense Department’s deputy chief management officer. Gibson, formerly the chief executive officer of XCOR Aerospace, a rocket engine developer, had also served as a management official in the Air Force and at the Defense Department. The vote, on Tuesday, was 91 yeas to 7 nays.

YEAS: Susan Collins, R-Maine; Angus King, I-Maine

LEGAL COUNSEL AT JUSTICE: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Steven Andrew Engel to serve as assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department. A supporter, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cited Engel’s experience in the office during the George W. Bush administration and, more recently, as a business lawyer. Grassley said that if confirmed, Engel would “be a friend of congressional oversight” of the Trump administration and ensure its accountability to Congress. An opponent, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., cited Engel’s work on the transition team for President Trump in saying Engel “has not demonstrated the independence and judgment we need from the head of this critical office.” The vote, on Tuesday, was 51 yeas to 47 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

LABOR RELATIONS BOARD COUNSEL: The Senate confirmed the nomination of Peter B. Robb to serve as general counsel for the National Labor Relations Board for a four-year term. A supporter, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., called Robb an extremely qualified nominee with experience in labor law and as a labor board attorney, and predicted that Robb will “help restore the Board to the role of a neutral umpire in labor disputes.” An opponent, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., cited Robb’s employment at corporate law firms defending companies against workers’ lawsuits in questioning whether Robb would work toward the board’s mission of protecting workers’ rights to form or join unions and bargain collectively with their employers. The vote, on Wednesday, was 49 yeas to 46 nays.

YEAS: Collins

NAYS: King

ASSISTANT EPA ADMINISTRATOR: The Senate confirmed the nomination of William L. Wehrum to serve as an assistant administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation. Wehrum, currently an environmental lawyer at the Hunton & Williams law firm, had previously served in the same role at the office on an interim basis during the George W. Bush administration. A supporter, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wehrum would “implement clean air policies in a balanced way” that reverses the tendency of the Obama administration’s EPA to overreach its authority. An opponent, Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., said Wehrum had a track record of being “dismissive of the science that is the core of EPA’s actions to protect public health” and fighting federal environmental protections. The vote, on Thursday, was 49 yeas to 47 nays.

NAYS: Collins, King

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