More Stuff in the News: Iran, Flood Protection, Cadillac Tax, Veterans, Environmental Protection Agency

Senate Democrats blocked an amendment cosponsored by Enzi that would prohibit the president from waiving or limiting Iran sanctions unless Iran releases Americans currently held in Iran. The amendment would require formal recognition of Israel as a sovereign and independent state.

U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp reinforced the need for strong federal investments in permanent flood protection for North Dakota’s communities during a conversation with Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Shaun Donovan. During the discussion, Heitkamp who has been a vocal proponent of securing comprehensive flood mitigation efforts in both the Fargo-Moorhead region as well as the city of Minot and the Souris River Basin, stressed to Donovan the need for budgetary support for efforts to advance permanent flood protections in these regions. OMB has to sign off on any federal funding for these projects. Heitkamp worked to secure a meeting with Fargo city officials for later this month with OMB and the White House’s National Economic Council to further discuss the use of a public-private partnership to advance the diversion. Donovan also committed to working with Heitkamp to set up a meeting for Minot city officials with OMB about a new study start for flood protection.

U.S. Senators Dean Heller (R-NV) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) introduced bipartisan legislation to fully repeal a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) known as the “Cadillac Tax” which taxes high-cost health insurance plans. The two Senators introduced a Senate companion to U.S. Congressman Joe Courtney’s (D-CT02) House legislation. Beginning in 2018, the “Cadillac Tax” would tax employers whose health insurance plans cost more than $10,200 a year for individuals and $27,450 a year for families at 40 percent of the cost above those limits.

Senators Mazie K. Hirono and John Boozman (R-AR), members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, introduced legislation Thursday to authorize federal homeless veteran programs for the next fiscal year. The Keeping Our Commitment to Ending Veteran Homelessness Act would reauthorize seven Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Labor programs for the next fiscal year. Without Senators Hirono and Boozman’s action, authorization for critical programs that provide outreach and services to homeless veterans and their families would expire on September 30, 2015.

At a Senate committee hearing this week, Senator John Hoeven pressed Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy to provide greater transparency and accountability in the EPA’s regulatory process. Hoeven called for the EPA to meet with North Dakota industry to explain the EPA’s carbon dioxide regulations and account for the agency’s greatly increased requirements for North Dakota. Under the agency’s proposed rule, North Dakota was set to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 11 percent. The reduction level for North Dakota was increased to 45 percent in the final rule, the biggest increase for any state. The change occurred without the agency issuing a new proposed rule, thereby avoiding the required public comment period. Hoeven said the EPA has not been forthcoming in explaining this drastic change, and he pressed Administrator McCarthy to explain the new, more costly rules.