As you may know, this week the House Republican Conference unveiled the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, a comprehensive plan to reform our nation’s tax system.
I’m sure you have questions, so I wanted to share a summary of the bill with you here.
Now that we have a starting point to work with, my staff and I plan to take a deep dive into this legislation to understand how these policy reforms will affect Nevadans. We are specifically going to analyze the individual applications, the business applications, and also determine if any health care applications are included. I think we can all agree the American taxpayer would be better off if Congress were to reform our current tax code in favor of a system that is simpler, fairer, and has lower tax rates.
At this point, I am unsure of the Speaker’s timeline for moving this through the House or how my colleagues in the Senate will react to this bill. So in the meantime, all hands are on deck in my Washington office as we work to break down the specifics of this legislation and determine what it might mean for our economy. We will also be seeking input from local stakeholders in Nevada and across the country.
The House Ways and Means Committee plans to mark up this bill next week. As always, I welcome your thoughts and concerns on this issue. Stay tuned – it’s shaping up to be an interesting November here in Washington.
Washington Wrap-Up
H.R. 2936 - the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017
This week with bipartisan support, the House passed H.R. 2936, The Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017. This much needed legislation will allow the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to better manage your public forests and federal lands from ongoing threats like wildfires, disease, and pest infestations. For the past several decades, the lack of proper forest management has led to overgrowth and accumulation of wildfire fuels, making our forests tinderboxes waiting to ignite. The Resilient Federal Forests Act is a great step forward in repairing this damage.
However, you may be seeing some claims about this bill that I would like to address below:
Claim: This bill eliminates protection of our forests.
Fact: This bill promotes the quick resolution of litigation against forest projects by requiring opposing forest management activity to offer an alternative forest management proposal rather than just saying “no". This also requires environmental analyses to weigh management options against simply taking no action.
Claim: This bill will give the timber industry free rein in federal forests.
Fact: The United States Forest Service already works with private partners, including loggers, in thinning our nation’s over-grown forests. This is because active management, including selective logging and other restoration practices, improve forest resiliency and mitigate environmentally devastating wildfire. H.R. 2936 expands this work on federal lands to protect millions of acres of habitat, hundreds of nest sites, rare plant populations, and watersheds that are being destroyed by catastrophic wildfire.
Claim: This bill will increase the risk of fires.
Fact: This bill actually bolsters locally-led forest management and hazardous fuel reduction projects to improve forest health, lessen the severity and costs of fires, and protect communities and the environment.
Health Care Update
This week, the House continued working to reform our nation's health care system. Below are two health care reform bills that successfully passed out of the House and were not appropriate for the reconciliation process, meaning each of these bills will require at least 60 votes in the Senate.
H.R. 3922 - the Championing Healthy Kids Act
This legislation extends funding for programs and providers that enjoy wide bipartisan support such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Community Health Centers (CHCs), and other important public health priorities. Additionally, this bill is fully offset, including responsible policies to pay for new spending. These offset policies will help lower premiums, stabilize the insurance markets, and redirect these dollars to proven public health programs that enjoy broad bipartisan support in Congress like CHCs.
H.R. 849 - the Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act of 2017
The Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) was established as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and has authority to unilaterally cut Medicare spending without any Congressional oversight or input. This means, the board’s unprecedented authority to alter Medicare policy could ultimately reduce seniors’ access to health care and also put the government – rather than the patient – at the center of our nation's health care system. The Protecting Seniors’ Access to Medicare Act amends the ACA by terminating the IPAB in order to protect and strengthen Medicare for our nation’s seniors.
Opportunities for Students
I’m currently seeking highly motivated college students and recent graduates to participate in a paid internship in my Washington office for the spring 2018 semester – which includes January through mid-May. Qualified candidates should possess an interest in the legislative process, excellent organizational, writing, and communication skills, and a willingness to work on a variety of projects.
Responsibilities include: answering phones, leading tours of the U.S. Capitol, attending committee hearings, and performing various other tasks based on interests and skills. Nevada ties are preferred but not required. Special consideration will be given to applicants from CD-2 or students attending Nevada institutions of higher education. Interested candidates should send their cover letter and resume to: nv02applications@gmail.com. APPLICATION DEADLINE: DECEMBER 1st. Visit the student section of my website for additional details: https://amodei.house.gov/students/
As always, thank you for subscribing to the Amodei Report. I look forward to continuing to keep you up to date on the issues you care about most.
For additional information, please visit my website at amodei.house.gov or call my Washington office: (202) 225-6155, Reno office: (775) 686-5760 or Elko office: (775) 777-7705. To receive updates on what I am doing in Washington and in Nevada’s 2nd District follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube.
