Stuff in the News: Water, Language, Clemency, Education, Malaysia

H.R. 2898, the Western Water and American Food Security Act of 2015 passed in the House on Thursday, July 16, 2015. H.R. 2898 attempts to alleviate water supply and agricultural issues in western states that have, in part, resulted from both the mismanagement of critical water resources and severe drought. The bill revises the regulatory framework that governs the movement and storage of water; encourages the development and more efficient use of private and public water storage and delivery systems; reforms the Federal rulemaking processes relating to water storage and delivery; and includes other provisions to alleviate water shortages facing Western states. Included in the bill are provisions from H.R. 2749, the Dams Accountability, Maintenance, and Safety Act, introduced by Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) and Congressman Cramer to allow the Bureau of Reclamation to develop additional project benefits – such as increasing storage capacity – when studying and carrying out dam safety projects.

This week, Rep. Joe Crowley (D-Queens, the Bronx), Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, joined Reps. David Price (D-NC), Leonard Lance (R-NJ) and Don Young (R-AK) in introducing the World Language Advancement Act (H.R. 3096), which would help state and local school districts implement innovative K-12 language programs. Soon, your child may be learning a foreign language as a required part of his or her education.

An amendment adopted on Tuesday by the House Appropriations Committee and authored by Congressman John Culberson (TX-07) prevents the release of dangerous illegal aliens back into the public. Culberson’s amendment, which is now part of the fiscal year 2016 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, stops federal law enforcement agencies from releasing any alien that falls into the “Priority 1” or “Priority 2 Categories” created by the Obama Administration last November. Illegal immigrants convicted of domestic violence, sexual assault, drug dealing, or gun offenses can no longer be released at the Administration’s discretion.

In the ongoing national effort to provide better opportunities for the nearly 400,000 young people in the U.S. foster care system, Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-CA) have introduced the “Education Stability for Foster Youth Act,” legislation that would address some of the education challenges foster youth face when they enter the foster care system and are forced to change homes and schools or school districts.

A bipartisan group of 160 Members of Congress on Thursday, July 16, 2015 called on U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to not upgrade Malaysia in the U.S. Department of State’s soon-to-be-released 2015 Trafficking in Persons Report. Leading the effort were Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Eliot Engel (D-NY), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). Last week, Reuters reported that the State Department plans to upgrade Malaysia to the Tier 2 Watch List from Tier 3 in its Trafficking in Persons Report, although the country has failed to make substantive improvements in combating trafficking.