Stuff in the News: Energy Producers, Selling Baby Parts, Ocean Resources, Military Recruiters, Vacant Homes

The House passed H.R. 1734 the Improving Coal Combustion and Residuals Regulation Act of 2015, preventing the EPA from unilaterally implementing and enforcing one-size-fits-all regulations on state and local energy producers.

Congressman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), participated in a special order on the floor of the House of Representatives decrying recent videos of Planned Parenthood officials discussing selling the organs of aborted children and calling for investigations into these horrific acts.

Jaime Herrera Beutler testified before the Water, Power and Oceans Subcommittee of the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee in support of her two bipartisan bills to better manage Northwest ocean resources. The Endangered Salmon and Fisheries Predation Prevention Act seeks to reduce predation on endangered Columbia River salmon, and the West Coast Dungeness Crab Management Act will permanently extend a 17-year fishery management agreement that has been vital to Washington state’s Dungeness crab fishery. The next step after the subcommittee hearing would be a markup by the full U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources.

Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) introduced H.R. 3138, the Military Recruiter Right to Carry Act of 2015. Hice introduced the measure in response to the terrorist attack in Chattanooga, Tennessee which claimed the lives of five military service personnel.

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) joined members of the Distressed Properties Task Force in Western New York to announce the Vacant Homes Act, a bill designed to expedite the sale of underwater homes and foreclosures to prevent the buildup of vacant homes in neighborhoods and communities. Higgins’ bill will place time limits on how long banks and mortgage holders can hold property before moving to a sale, to protect neighborhoods from the burden of lingering vacant properties.