The Congressional Connector Week of September 16 - 22, 2013 Back in Session: Congress Has a Full Plate The House and Senate returned from a 5-week recess to face a lengthy legislative to-do list. The packed fall agenda includes a number of pressing budget and spending matters. Republicans in Congress haveyet to complete action on any of the annual bills that fund the essential activities of the federal government, and also faces another divisive battle over raising the federal debt ceiling. Failure to reach agreement on these issues could result in a shutdown of the federal government on October 1 and/or an unprecedented government default. Forward progress on both the government funding bills and the needed debt limit increase has been greatly complicated by demands by conservative House Republicans to link these issues to delay or repeal of the Affordable Care Act. See Rep. Levin’s comments in opposition to linking the debt ceiling increase to health care delay. Rounding out Congress’ to-do list is completion of the 5-year Farm Bill, immigration reform, action on voting rights, overhaul of the postal service, a water resources bill, and reform of government intelligence-gathering and privacy laws. Levin Calls for Funding for Great Lakes Restoration Reps. Levin, Dingell and Slaughter are leading an effort to persuade the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to provide critically needed resources for restoration efforts in the Great Lakes. The three lawmakers are currently circulating a letter among their House colleagues that urges rejection of cuts to the high-priority Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) next year. Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Encourage Food Donations Rep. Levin and Rep. Jim Gerlach of Pennsylvania recently introduced a bipartisan bill that will expand and make permanent tax incentives for small businesses, farmers and ranchers to donate food inventory to charity. “Providing additional incentives for restaurateurs, small businesses, farmers, and ranchers to donate food that might otherwise go to waste is just common sense” Rep. Levin said. “Last year, in my district alone, companies donated over 83,500 pounds of prepared food with a value of $518,000 to 20 local charities. It is vital that we not let food go to waste when far too many Americans wake up hungry every day.” Click here for more details. Levin Calls for Safer Working Conditions in Bangladesh Rep. Levin visited Bengladesh in late August, and heard from workers about the conditions that resulted in a catastrophic fire and building collapse that together killed over 1200 workers in that country’s garment industry. In an article that appeared in the September 15 edition of the Detroit Free Press, Rep. Levin wrote, “Bangladesh may be half a world away, but the clothes its workers make are sold almost everywhere we shop.... We cannot simply stand by and let workers sacrifice their lives to make our clothes.”
Posted on: Wed, 18 Sep 2013 00:26:15 +0000
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