THE DAILY WHIP: THURSDAY, JUNE 7, 2018

Daily Leader

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HOUSE MEETS AT:	FIRST VOTE PREDICTED:	LAST VOTE PREDICTED:
10:00 a.m.: Morning Hour 12:00 p.m.: Legislative Business Fifteen “One Minutes”	1:30 – 2:30 p.m.	9:00 – 10:00 p.m.


H.Res. 923– Rule providing for consideration of H.R. 5895 – Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Rep. Simpson – Appropriations) and H.R. 3 - Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act (Rep. McCarthy – Appropriations) (One hour of debate). The Rules Committee has recommended one Rule which would provide for consideration of two bills. For H.R. 5895, the Rules Committee has recommended a structured Rule for additional amendments. The Rule provides for consideration of 39 amendments, each debatable for 10 minutes, equally controlled by the proponent and opponent of the amendment. The Rule allows one motion to recommit, with or without instructions, and waives all points of order against the legislation. For H.R. 3, the Rules Committee has recommended a closed Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and the Minority Leader or their respective designees. The Rule allows one motion to recommit, with or without instructions, and waives all points of order against the legislation. The Rules Committee rejected a motion by Rep. McGovern of Massachusetts to make in order and provide the appropriate waiver to amendment #53 by Rep. Crowley of New York to Division A, which states that none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to reject any application in response to a funding opportunity announcement because of the use of the term “global warming” or the term “climate change” in the application. The Rules Committee rejected a motion by Rep. Torres of California to make in order and provide the appropriate waivers to amendment #9 by Rep. Cohen of Tennessee to Division A, which prohibits the use of funds to enter into any new contract, grant, or cooperative agreement with any Trump related businesses listed on the Trump Organization’s website. The specific properties are listed in the amendment. Members are urged to VOTE NO. H.R. 3 – Spending Cuts to Expired and Unnecessary Programs Act (Rep. McCarthy – Appropriations) (One hour of debate). This rescissions package proposed by the Trump Administration is an attempt by Republicans to appear to care about fiscal responsibility after they exploded the deficit by $1.8 trillion in order to give tax cuts to the wealthiest Americans. This rescissions package is a drop in the bucket compared to the monsoon of debt already created by the Republican majority. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the rescissions package will reduce deficits by just $1 billion – or 1/1800^th of the cost of the Republican tax cut. At the same time, it is yet another example of Republicans trying to impose the costs of their fiscally irresponsible tax scam on average Americans by taking away funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program, public housing, and clean energy research without the opportunity to reinvest in child and maternal health, biomedical research, and other critical priorities. While Republicans assert that none of these funds will ever be needed, they’ve already had to admit this is false. The original rescissions package cut funding to combat ebola that the Administration claimed was not needed – just before a new ebola outbreak began in Africa that caused the Administration to drop that provision from the package. It is essential that this irresponsible package be rejected. Members are urged to VOTE NO. Continue Consideration of H.R. 5895 – Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Rep. Simpson – Appropriations) (One hour of debate). This bill combines three FY19 appropriations bills – Energy and Water Appropriations Act, Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act – into one “Minibus” package that fails to fully fund critical domestic programs and includes controversial policy riders that jeopardize environmental protections and public health, many of which Democrats have successfully fought to keep out of the enacted appropriations bills in past years. Adoption of this package would set a dangerous precedent for the remainder of this year’s appropriations process. Under the Bipartisan Budget Act in February, discretionary spending caps were increased for both defense and non-defense discretionary spending. Instead of investing the 3.1% increase for non-defense discretionary spending on bipartisan initiatives Republicans have prioritized increases to the Department of Homeland Security, presumably to fund President Trump’s border wall and deportation policies. This leaves many Democratic priorities virtually flat-funded, including four of the twelve appropriations bills: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Interior; Agriculture; and Financial Services. Additionally, because of OCO funding, essentially State and Foreign Operations is flat-funded as well. Supporting this Minibus will thus make it more difficult to adequately fund essential programs like the Child Care Development Block Grant, Pell Grants, election security, EPA, and numerous others that are included in later appropriations bills. In addition, the Energy and Water Appropriations division cuts funding for critical renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, delaying progress in developing the clean energy technologies of the future. It also includes several poison pill riders that undermine public health and put the safety and welfare of Americans at risk. Among other problems, this division: removes Clean Water Act protections for the streams, headwaters, wetlands and other water bodies that serves as a drinking water source for 117 million Americans; overturns court decisions meant to protect endangered species; and allows guns to be carried on all Army Corps of Engineers lands. It is essential that this bill be defeated to protect our environment and natural resources, as well as to pave the way for additional appropriations bills that reflect Democratic priorities. Members are urged to VOTE NO. The Rule provides for one hour of general debate and makes in order 78 amendments. A full list of amendments can be found HERE and HERE. TOMORROW’S OUTLOOK The GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Friday, June 8: The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. The House is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 5895 — Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Rep. Simpson – Appropriations).

THE DAILY QUOTE
“House Republicans hope to safely drive a ‘minibus’ spending package to passage this week to make headway on fiscal 2019 appropriations... Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said his group hadn't taken a position on the minibus. ‘I think the real key is, are we really going to appropriate differently this year than we did last year,’ he said. ‘I want to see what the ultimate strategy is.’ ...The bottom line: It may still pass, but the minibus is heading for a bumpy ride.” - CQ, 6/7/2018

THE DAILY QUOTE

“House Republicans hope to safely drive a ‘minibus’ spending package to passage this week to make headway on fiscal 2019 appropriations... Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said his group hadn't taken a position on the minibus. ‘I think the real key is, are we really going to appropriate differently this year than we did last year,’ he said. ‘I want to see what the ultimate strategy is.’ ...The bottom line: It may still pass, but the minibus is heading for a bumpy ride.”

- CQ, 6/7/2018