November 18, 2013 In this MegaVote for Floridas 16th Congressional District: Recent Congressional Votes • Senate: Nomination of Cornelia “Nina” Pillard to US Court of Appeals – Cloture • House: Health Care Reform Implementation Delay – Passage Upcoming Congressional Bills • Senate: Drug Quality and Security • Senate: Fiscal 2014 Defense Authorization • House: Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform ________________________________________ Recent Senate Votes Nomination of Cornelia “Nina” Pillard to US Court of Appeals – Cloture - Vote Rejected (56-41, 1 Present, 2 Not Voting) President Barack Obama’s nominee for the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, legal scholar Cornelia “Nina” Pillard, failed to reach the 60-vote threshold to invoke cloture for a final vote. Pillard is currently a professor at Georgetown University and has argued cases before the U.S. Supreme Court in the past. Only two Senate Republicans – Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine – voted with Democrats in favor of the Pillard nomination. Republicans have blocked nominations to the Court three times this year, Caitlin J. Halligan in March, Patricia Millett in October and Pillard. Republicans are continuing to argue that the circuit’s workload does not warrant filling any of the three vacant seats. After the vote, Senate Democrats revisited the idea of changing Senate rules to forbid filibusters of executive nominations. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., promised to bring the nomination of another potential member of the court, Robert L. Wilkins, to the floor shortly. Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES Sen. Marco Rubio voted NO ________________________________________ Recent House Votes Health Care Reform Implementation Delay – Passage - Vote Passed (261-157, 12 Not Voting) Amidst the Obama Administrations struggles to launch the new online federal insurance exchange, 39 Democrats crossed party lines Friday to pass a bill that would allow Americans to keep their current medical plans through 2014. The measure would effectively delay key coverage requirements imposed on health care plans by 2010 reform measures. The bill allows insurers to continue to sell plans to individual consumers that went into effect at the beginning of this calendar year through 2014 outside of the health care exchange established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Beginning in 2014, the law mandates that individuals buy government-approved coverage plans that meet a more rigorous standard of quality than many insurers currently offer. The legislation, sponsored by Energy and Commerce Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., was a response to the cancellation of a raft of health plans not in compliance with the laws requirement that policies offer a comprehensive set of benefits. The cancellations prompted an outcry and raised questions about repeated assurances, from Obama and other Democrats, that Americans who liked their health insurance plans would be able to keep them under the new law. The Senate isnt expected to take up the measure, and the White House on Nov. 14 threatened a veto if it got that far. Democratic Senators, however, are sponsoring similar measures that would allow consumers to retain their current coverage. Rep. Vern Buchanan voted YES ________________________________________ Upcoming Votes Drug Quality and Security - H.R.3204 This week, the Senate could hold a final vote on a bill to reform compounding drug pharmacies that passed cloture last week. ________________________________________ Fiscal 2014 Defense Authorization - S.1197 The chamber will also consider legislation to authorize the defense programs for fiscal 2014 that may force a weekend session. ________________________________________ Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting Reform - H.R.1900 The House will take up a measure to speed up the permit process for oil and gas drilling and natural gas pipeline construction. ________________________________________
Posted on: Mon, 18 Nov 2013 20:14:46 +0000
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