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PeninsulaNorthwest
MONDAY, JULY 13, 2015
PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
Congress mulls appropriations, education PENINSULA DAILY NEWS
WASHINGTON — This week, the House will take up fiscal 2016 appropriations bills, while the Senate will resume debate on a bill to renew elementary and secondary education programs.
Contact legislators (clip and save) “Eye on Congress” is published in the Peninsula Daily News every Monday when Congress is in session about activities, roll call votes and legislation in the House and Senate. The North Olympic Peninsula’s legislators in Washington, D.C., are Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Mountlake Terrace), Sen. Patty Murray (D-Seattle) and Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Gig Harbor). Contact information — The address for Cantwell and Murray is U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510; Kilmer, U.S. House, Washington, D.C. 20515. Phone Cantwell at 202224-3441 (fax, 202-2280514); Murray, 202-2242621 (fax, 202-224-0238); Kilmer, 202-225-5916. Email via their websites: cantwell.senate.gov; murray. senate.gov; kilmer.house.gov. Kilmer’s North Olympic Peninsula is located at 332 E. Fifth St. in Port Angeles. Hours are 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays. It is staffed by Judith Morris, who can be contacted at judith.morris@mail.house. gov or 360-797-3623.
State legislators Jefferson and Clallam counties are represented in the part-time state Legislature by Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, the House majority whip; Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Sequim; and Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam. Write Van De Wege and Tharinger at P.O. Box 40600 (Hargrove at P.O. Box 40424), Olympia, WA 98504; email them at vandewege. kevin@leg.wa.gov; tharinger. steve@leg.wa.gov; hargrove.
disabled students in keeping with federal standards. A yes vote was to fully fund IDEA as part of the s e c o n d a r y education bill. education in Kilmer voted yes. the U.S. w h i l e ■ D E M O C R AT I C diminishing K-12 EDUCATION federal con- PLAN: Voting 187 for and trol over 244 against, the House on how that Wednesday defeated a Kilmer money is to Democratic alternative to be spent. HR 5 (above) that sought to The bill would shift most maintain the strong federal funding from categorical- role in K-12 education grant programs to a system begun by the Elementary of block grants that states and Secondary Education and localities could spend Act of 1965. as they see fit in keeping The measure would rewith federal objectives. emphasize the traditional It would allow “Title I” approach of using “Title I” aid for disadvantaged dis- funds primarily to close the tricts to move with students achievement gap between if they transfer out of inner- schools in inner-city and city schools. poor rural districts and The bill would continue those in better-off commustandardized reading, math nities. and science testing but It would retain No Child allow local authorities to Left Behind testing requiredevelop accountability mea- ments but give state and sures based on test scores. local officials authority to In addition, the bill develop programs to allows states and localities improve learning and to set their own require- teaching weaknesses idenments for educating dis- tified by test scores. abled students and permits A yes vote was backed resources to be shifted from the Democratic plan for failing public schools to K-12 education. charter and magnet schools. Kilmer voted yes. The bill overhauls the Elementary and Secondary ■ DISPUTE OVER Education Act of 1965 and SCHOOL VOUCHERS: the No Child Left Behind Voting 45 for and 52 against, law of 2001. the Senate on Wednesday A yes vote was to pass refused to establish a new the bill. program in a pending K-12 Kilmer voted no. education bill (S 1177) that would finance school vouch■ EDUCATING STU- ers, or scholarships, of DENTS WITH DISABILI- $2,100 each for enrolling as TIES: Voting 185 for 244 many as 11 million lowagainst, the House on income students in any priWednesday defeated a bid vate or parochial school of by Democrats to guarantee their parents’ choice. adequate funding of the At present, the District of Individuals with Disabili- Columbia is the only U.S. ties Education Act (IDEA) jurisdiction where federal in HR 5 (above). funds can be used to pay K-12 That law is designed to non-public-school tuition. provide disabled students This amendment sought with a mainstream public to establish a Scholarship education in a setting that for Kids Act that would conis unsecluded and with sume a large share of “Title minimal restraints. I” allocations now allocated Under the bill, states to disadvantaged public and localities could use schools and students in block-granted federal edu- poor communities. cation funds to develop A yes vote was to estabtheir own programs for edu- lish a new school-voucher cating and accommodating program for K-12 education. Cantwell and Murray voted no.
Eye on Congress
NEWS SERVICES
Murray
Cantwell
jim@leg.wa.gov. Or you can call the Legislative Hotline, 800-5626000, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays (closed on holidays and from noon to 1 p.m.) and leave a detailed message, which will be emailed to Van De Wege, Tharinger, Hargrove or to all three. Links to other state officials: http://tinyurl.com/ pdn-linksofficials.
Learn more Websites following our state and national legislators: ■ Followthemoney. org — Campaign donors by industry, ZIP code and more ■ Vote-Smart.org — How special interest groups rate legislators on the issues. ■ C O N F E D E R AT E SYMBOLS IN U.S. HOUSE: The House on Thursday voted, 238 for and 176 against, to send to the Administration Committee a measure (H Res 355) requiring the removal of state flags with Confederate symbols from House areas of the U.S. Capitol complex other than members’ personal offices. Because this was a privileged resolution, there was no debate on it. A yes vote was to send the measure to committee rather than vote on it immediately. Kilmer voted no. ■ E L E M E N TA R Y AND SECONDARY EDUCATION: Voting 218 for and 213 against, the House on Wednesday passed a GOP-drafted bill (HR 5) that would authorize $23 billion per year through 2019 for elementary and
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Serving: Port Angeles • Sequim • Port Townsend • Discovery Bay Seattle • SeaTac • Kingston • Edmonds Departure Eastbound: Leaves Port Angeles Gateway Transit Center 123 East Front Street Leaves Sequim Mariner Cafe, 609 West Washington Leaves Port Townsend Haines Place Park and Ride Leaves Discover Bay Call for departure area Arrives Kingston Ferry Terminal Ferry Leaves Kingston Arrives Edmonds Ferry Terminal Amtrak Station, 211 Railroad Avenue Arrives Seattle Hospitals Arrives Seattle Amtrak Station 303 South Jackson Arrives Seattle Greyhound Station Arrives SeaTac Airport Airline Departures area Departure Westbound: Leaves SeaTac Airport South Baggage Claim area, Door 00 Leaves Greyhound Station 503 S. Royal Brougham Way Leaves Seattle Amtrak Station 303 South Jackson Leaves Seattle Hospitals Arrives Edmonds Ferry Terminal Ferry Leaves Edmonds Arrives Kingston Ferry Terminal Call for arrival area Arrives Discovery Bay Call for arrival area Arrives Port Townsend Haines Place Park and Ride Arrives Sequim Mariner Cafe, 609 West Washington Arrives Port Angeles Gateway Transit Center 123 East Front Street
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■ RESTORATION OF NATIONAL FORESTS: Voting 262 for and 167 against, the House on Thursday passed a bipartisan bill (HR 2647) that would expedite reforestation and commercial logging activities in national forests to speed the restoration of acreage devastated by wildfires. The bill drew opposition over its waiving of environmental laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act and limiting one’s right to file lawsuits challenging practices such as timber salvaging in national forests. The bill makes changes to keep the U.S. Forest Service budget from being drained to meet the growing cost fighting wildfires. A yes vote was to send the bill to the Senate. Kilmer voted no. ■ LIMITS ON LAWSUITS: Voting 181 for and 247 against, the House on Thursday refused to strip HR 2647 (above) of limits it would impose on lawsuits against U.S. Forest Service timber-salvaging plans that result from the bill. The bill requires plaintiffs to post bonds covering the government’s litigation expenses, which they could redeem only if they win their claim. The bill also exempts
those suing the forest service from the Equal Justice Act, which enables plaintiffs to be reimbursed for attorney’s fees if they prevail in a case against the government. In addition, the bill bars courts from issuing restraining orders and preliminary injunctions against certain forest service actions authorized by the bill. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Kilmer voted yes. ■ BLIND, ACROSSTHE-BOARD CUT: Voting 168 for and 258 against, the House on Wednesday defeated an amendment to inflict a 1 percent acrossthe-board spending cut in a bill (HR 2822) to appropriate $30.17 billion in fiscal 2016 for the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior and other agencies. Republican leaders later pulled the bill from the floor after it was amended, on a non-record vote, to bar displays of Confederate symbols at national cemeteries and other federal properties funded by the bill. A yes vote was to blindly cut $300 million from the bill’s discretionary-spending programs. Kilmer voted no. ■ STATE CONTROL OF EDUCATION FUNDS: Voting 44 for and 54 against, the Senate on Thursday refused to allow states to totally opt out of federal requirements for elementary and secondary education while continuing to receive their share of federal funds, which they could spend virtually as they see fit on locally designed programs for K-12 education. The amendment was offered to a bill (S 1177), still in debate, that would overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and the No Child Left Behind law of 2001. The bill would authorize nearly $25 billion annually for K-12 education in public schools, more than half of which is “Title I” funding to benefit poor school districts and disadvantaged students. A yes vote was to adopt the amendment. Cantwell and Murray voted no.
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■ EXPANSION OF B I O M E D I C A L RESEARCH: Voting 344 for and 77 against, the
House on Friday passed a bipartisan bill (HR 6) to increase the National Institutes of Health budget for biomedical research while speeding Food and Drug Administration procedures for bringing new drugs and medical devices to the market. The bill’s projected cost of more than $9 billion over five years would be offset by the sale of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In addition to boosting agencies such as the NIH, FDA and Centers for Disease Control, the bill would extend the patent life of drugs that treat rare diseases or conditions while increasing Medicare payments to hospitals for antimicrobial drugs, among other provisions. A yes vote was to send the Senate a bill to spur the discovery of cures for diseases. Kilmer voted yes.