With DC having dug itself out after the snowstorm, the House of Representatives has returned to D.C. The marquee item on the House agenda this week is a vote to override President Obama's veto of the budget reconciliation bill that repealed large parts of Obamacare.
The House will also vote on the "Iran Terror Finance Transparency Act" (H.R. 3662). This act requires the President to certify financial institutions are not involved in supporting the Iranian government or other terrorist activities before lifting sanctions on them. While it may seem harmless, the purpose of this bill is to make it more difficult for the US to pursue peaceful relations with Iran.
The House will also consider the "Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act of 2015" (H.R. 3700). As the name suggests, the bill makes various changes to the Housing and Urban Development program, including giving HUD the authority to establish a "Multifamily Housing Revitalization Program." While some of the bill's reforms appear to be improvements, the bill does not appear to do anything to reduce the federal government's role in housing.
Monday, the House considers bills on the "suspension"calendar. One of the bills they will considered (H.R. 3784) creates an "advocate for small business" and a "small business capital formation advisory committee" in the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). This is a well-intentioned effort to make the SEC responsive to the needs of small businesses. The problem is, it is based on the false premise that government bureaucracies like the SEC can somehow be made efficient.
The House will also consider legislation creating a new "Electricity for Africa Act." I have written about previous attempts to create this type of program here and here.
Campaign for Liberty members are encouraged to call their representative to ask them to oppose the "Electrify for Africa Act," the "Iran Terror Financing Transparency Act," and to vote to override President Obama's veto of the budget reconciliation bill.
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PDFTags: House of Representatives