May 14, 2021

New Democrat Coalition Weekly Wrap 05/14/2021

This week, President Biden announced over one million Americans have signed up for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health coverage since the administration launched a special enrollment period. This is an important milestone in the nation's recovery from the pandemic and proves the ACA is crucial to Americans' health and economic security. The New Democrat Coalition (NDC) has been a leader on efforts to expand quality, affordable coverage to more Americans in more places. The Coalition pushed for a special enrollment period for the ACA in our COVID-19 economic stimulus recommendations and urged the President to prioritize strengthening and expanding on the ACA as part of the American Families Plan.

NDC Members met with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to continue discussion on the nation’s economic recovery, the roll out of the relief and stimulus measures in the American Rescue Plan, the American Jobs Plan and the accompanying tax proposals, and the American Families Plan. The NDC will continue engaging with Administration as Congress develops legislation to build back better. 

More on what New Dems have been up to below. 

NDC Highlights

NDC Members Meet with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen

  • The New Democrat Coalition hosted a meeting with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, during which the Secretary and Coalition Members discussed the American Rescue, Jobs, and Families Plans as well as other priorities within the purview of the Treasury Department. 
  • The Coalition and its Members have actively engaged with the Biden administration on these plans, previously meeting with Secretaries Buttigieg and Granholm, White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, and Chairs DeFazio, Neal, and Pallone. 

Bill Action

House Passes Bera's HERO Act to Provide Mental Health Resources to Nation’s First Responders and Health Care Workers

  • The House of Representatives passed the Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by NDC Vice Chair Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) that would provide critical mental health resources to our nation’s first responders and health care providers. The HERO Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to report to Congress each year on first responder suicide rates, including identifying risk factors, possible interventions, and recommended interventions for further study. It also requires HHS to develop and distribute best practices on the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress among first responders.

House Passes Comprehensive Debt Relief Package that Includes NDC Member Priorities

  • The package included Rep. Gregory W. Meeks’ (NY-05) Debt Collection Practices Harmonization Act. This bill provides much needed protections for small businesses and consumers against predatory debt collection practices, and Rep. Meeks’ portion of the bill, included as Title VII of the package, amends and modernizes the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
  • The package included an amendment introduced by Rep. Angie Craig (MN-02) to retroactively release all cosigners on all private student loans upon a student borrower’s death. The Ryan Frascone Memorial Student Loan Relief Act of 2021 was included as part of a package of bills to reform debt collection and curb abuses in the industry.

House Passes Escobar’s Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Act

  • The House of Representatives passed Rep. Veronica Escobar’s (TX-16) bipartisan legislation to provide Native American communities a critical economic lifeline and opportunity to recover from the coronavirus health and economic crisis. The Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Tribes of Texas Equal and Fair Opportunity Act would ensure the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta tribes are covered by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and create parity with the only other federally recognized tribe in Texas, the Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas.   

 

NDC Member Legislation

DelBene, Bera Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Make Care More Efficient for Seniors by Reforming Prior Authorization

  • NDC Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and NDC Vice Chair Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07) introduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, bipartisan legislation that would improve care for seniors by streamlining and standardizing the way Medicare Advantage plans use prior authorization and increasing oversight and transparency around prior authorization. The NDC endorsed this legislation in the 116th Congress.

Davids, Allred, Crow Lead Letter to Urge Senate to Pass the For The People Act

  • NDC Vice Chair Sharice Davids (KS-03) and NDC Reps. Colin Allred (TX-32), and Jason Crow (CO-06) led a letter with thirty-seven other Members, including fifteen other New Dems, to Senate Leadership urging the Senate to pass the For The People Act following the Senate Rules Committee markup. Earlier this Congress, the House passed the NDC-endorsed For The People Act, a sweeping campaign finance and election reform bill which aims to end the dominance of money in politics, make it easier for Americans to vote, and help ensure all government officials work in the public interest.

Kilmer Introduces Bipartisan “Yes In My Backyard” Bill to Increase Affordable Housing Production

  • NDC Chair Emeritus Derek Kilmer (WA-06) introduced the Yes In My Backyard (YIMBY) Act, bipartisan legislation to identify obstacles to, and opportunities for, increasing home construction through better zoning, by-right development, and faster permitting. The legislation aims to encourage localities to eliminate discriminatory land use policies and remove barriers that prevent needed housing from being built around the country. The NDC endorsed the YIMBY Act in the 116th Congress.

Kuster Reintroduces Bicameral Bill to Lower Energy Costs, Create Jobs, Support Community Energy Projects

  • NDC Vice Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02) reintroduced the Community Energy Savings Program Act of 2021, legislation that would promote the expansion of clean energy by providing low-interest financing to consumers and communities that want to make clean energy investments. The NDC endorsed this bill in the 116th Congress.

Peters, Himes Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Ease Temporary Visits to the U.S.

  • NDC Vice Chair Scott Peters (CA-52) and Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04) introduced the Temporary Family Visitation Act to ease obstacles for travelers looking to temporarily enter the United States to visit family.

 Larsen, Davids Introduce Bipartisan Fair and Open Skies Act

  • Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), Chair of the Aviation Subcommittee, joined NDC Vice Chair Sharice Davids (KS-03) to introduce bipartisan legislation seeking to preclude new foreign airlines from operating to and from the United States when they exploit “flags of convenience” to avoid the regulations of their home countries, or otherwise undermine labor standards.

Lee Introduces Legislation to Expand Child Care Opportunities

  • Rep. Susie Lee (NV-03) introduced the bipartisan Small Business Child Care Investment Act. This bipartisan and bicameral legislation would make non-profit childcare providers that are small businesses eligible to participate in all loan programs available through the Small Business Administration, thereby supporting these small businesses in expanding the availability of affordable, high-quality childcare to more working families. This is an even greater problem for rural areas, low-income, and minority communities. Read more in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Morelle Introduces Legislation to Provide Home Office Tax Deduction Related to Pandemic

  • Rep. Joe Morelle (NY-25) introduced legislation to create the Home Office tax deduction. This bill will ease the financial stress of setting up a home workspace for teachers, social workers, and the millions of other Americans who began working remotely and kept this country running during quarantine. Specifically, it will create a temporary above-the-line deduction for business expenses incurred by an employee between March 13, 2020 and December 31, 2021. 

Bera Reintroduces Bipartisan Taiwan Fellowship Act

  • NDC Vice Chair Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07), Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific, reintroduced the Taiwan Fellowship Act. The Taiwan Fellowship Act establishes a fellowship exchange program for U.S. federal government employees in all three branches of government to learn, live, and work in Taiwan for a length of up to two years. Upon successful conclusion of the program, fellows must fulfill a service requirement in their sponsoring branch of government where they will be equipped to advance U.S. values and interests in the Indo-Pacific region, with special emphasis on strengthening our strategic partnership with Taiwan.

 Strickland Introduces First Congressional Resolution to Recognize May 10th as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day

  • Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) introduced the first congressional resolution to recognize May 10th as Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Mental Health Day. This resolution calls upon Members of Congress to promote national awareness of mental health issues unique to the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander community and urges State and local health agencies across the nation to improve the quality and availability of mental health services for this population.

 

NDC Member Action

NDC Members Participate in Child Tax Credit (CTC) Week of Action

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act that NDC Members helped develop and pass, eligible families can get payments of up to $300 per child per month for 2021 beginning as soon as July. The NDC endorsed Chair DelBene’s American Families Act as part of its COVID-19 economic stimulus priorities earlier this year, and is continuing to push to make the enhanced, expanded CTC permanent. NDC Members are urging hardworking families to file their taxes before the upcoming May 17th deadline to ensure they receive the accurate amount in new advance monthly CTC payments they are entitled to as soon as possible.

Houlahan Convenes Panel Focused on Community College’s Role in Future of Work

  • NDC Whip Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) hosted a public forum examining the critical role community college will play as Pennsylvania works to rebuild its economy and generate jobs and academic opportunities for workers and students of all skill and income levels. Read more in The Daily Local News.

Stanton Joins Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman and Mayors from Across the U.S. To Call for Bold Federal Infrastructure Investment

  • Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-09) joined House leaders and mayors from across the country to highlight the need for Congress to act boldly on infrastructure. The Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will be taking up surface transportation reauthorization legislation in the coming weeks.

Fletcher Leads Bipartisan Coalition of Texas Members to Include Funding for Coastal Resiliency Projects in American Jobs Plan

  • Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) led a bipartisan coalition of the Texas delegation calling on Congressional leadership to prioritize funding for coastal resiliency projects like the Texas Coastal Spine in the American Jobs Plan. In the letter, Members emphasized the unique conditions along the Texas Gulf Coast that make the Texas Coastal Spine project a national priority and proposed including a funding stream dedicated specifically to regional coastal resiliency projects as a part of the American Jobs Plan. 

Trahan Leads Group of Lawmakers in Calling on Facebook to Reverse Harmful WhatsApp Terms of Service Update

  • Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee, led a group of fellow Congressional Hispanic Caucus members in writing a letter calling on Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg to reverse the company’s decision to require WhatsApp users to accept expanded data collection or leave the platform entirely. Read more in The Hill.

Everett Herald Editorial: Get Shovels Ready for Biden’s Transportation Plans

  • Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), a senior member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, recently spoke to the Everett Herald about President Biden's American Jobs Plan and what a bold, FDR-like investment in infrastructure would mean for Northwest Washington.

 Strickland Announced as Honorary Chair of NewDEAL

  • The NewDEAL announced that Rep. Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), is a new honorary chair of the organization which identifies, cultivates, and provides policy support to a network of 175 rising state and local Democrats. NewDEAL alums include several New Dem Members.
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