New Democrat Coalition Weekly Wrap 09/25/2020
Last Friday, America lost a trailblazer and an American hero, Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The New Democrat Coalition (NDC) joins the rest of the nation in mourning her loss and remembering her lifelong service and contributions to the United States.
This week, the House passed a bipartisan continuing resolution to keep the federal government operating and avoid a partial government shutdown.
In addition, the NDC was busy at work building on its ambitious and actionable legislative agenda to combat climate change. This week NDC endorsed a third slate of climate bills and applauded House passage of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act, which included several New Dem-led provisions. This action comes after the Coalition urged for House consideration of several New Dem-endorsed bills earlier this summer, and builds on the NDC’s Principles for U.S. Climate Policy and broader agenda of legislation to confront climate change with the urgency this crisis demands. The NDC is committed to advancing legislation using every solution available to enact a swift and just transition and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.
Finally, the Coalition’s Members continued to advocate for further action on COVID-19 relief legislation. When asked about progress towards potential floor consideration, NDC Chair Kilmer was quoted in The Hill saying, “I’m certainly hopeful there’s a deal. But a lot of our members are eager to have the House move forward on something that can help our constituents.”
More on what New Dems have been up to below.
NDC Highlights
House Passes Clean Energy Package with NDC-Led Provisions
NDC Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and Vice Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued a statement following House passage of the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act. The legislative package invests in clean energy development to promote a cleaner, more sustainable energy future that drives innovation, helps create good jobs for American workers, and makes progress in the fight against climate change.
NDC Builds on Ambitious Climate Agenda
The NDC, led by NDC Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and NDC Climate Change Task Force Co-Chairs Don Beyer (VA-08), Sean Casten (IL-06), Elaine Luria (VA-02), and Susan Wild (PA-07), endorsed its third slate of bills to combat climate change. These bills continue to take action on climate change with a robust legislative agenda to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. Read the highlights in E&E News. NDC’s Priorities for U.S. Climate Policy, one pager, and the full list of New Dem-endorsed climate change bills from the 116th Congress.
Featured Video
House Passes Bera’s Legislation to Provide Mental Health Resources to First Responders
The House passed NDC Leadership Member Ami Bera’s (CA-07) Helping Emergency Responders Overcome (HERO) Act, legislation that would provide critical mental health resources to our nation’s first responders. 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.
Floor Action
House Passes Pappas, Rose’s Legislation to Protect Veterans from Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Errors
The House passed Reps. Chris Pappas and Max Rose’s (NH-01) Stopping Harm and Implementing Enhanced Lead-time for Debts (SHIELD) for Veterans Act to reform the VA’s debt collection process causing undue financial hardship for veterans.
House Passes Wild’s Bipartisan Bill to Expand Access to Child Care Services
The House passed Rep. Susan Wild’s (PA-07) bipartisan 21st Century Community Learning Centers Coronavirus Relief Act to help expand access to childcare services through the remainder of the COVID-19 emergency.
House Passes Sewell’s Bipartisan Trade Bill with Caribbean
The House passed NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell’s (AL-07) bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the U.S. Caribbean Basin Trade Partnership Act (CBTPA). The CBTPA is a preferential trade agreement that provides for duty and quota-free access for apparel products manufactured in designated beneficiary Caribbean Basin region countries. The CBTPA also requires that Caribbean Basin countries use U.S. formed yarns, fabrics, and thread.
Committee Action
Education & Labor Committee Passes Davis’ Legislation to Expand Apprenticeships
The House Education & Labor Committee passed Rep. Susan Davis’ legislation to reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act that would create nearly one million new Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship positions over the next five years.
NDC Member Legislation
Trahan, Morelle Introduce Legislation to Increase Workers’ Access to Apprenticeship Programs
Reps. Lori Trahan (MA-03) and Joe Morelle (NY-25) introduced legislation to provide more opportunities for workers to enroll in apprenticeships. The legislation would authorize the Department of Labor to issue grants in order to incentivize participation in the national apprenticeship system.
Casten, Lawrence Introduce Bill to Protect K-12 Students from Sexual Harassment and Assault
Reps. Sean Casten (IL-06) and Brenda Lawrence (MI-14) introduced the Stop Sexual Harassment in K-12 Act. The bill aims to address sexual harassment and assault occurring in our nation's K-12 schools by creating clear standards and related funding streams for schools to uphold their students' Title IX rights.
Escobar Introduces Two Bills to Improve Veterans’ Quality of Care
Rep. Veronica Escobar (TX-16) introduced two bills to improve veterans’ quality of care from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and center veterans’ experiences in federal policy making:
- The Honor Our Commitment Act would require the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental health care to veterans who received Other-than-Honorable (OTH) discharges, also commonly referred as ‘Bad Paper’ discharges. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found the OTH veterans population has higher rates of mental health conditions, suicide, homelessness, and unemployment.
- The Ask Veterans Act would require the VA to contract an experienced outside organization to conduct annual surveys of veterans’ experiences obtaining care at specific VA locations. It also requires the surveyors to consult with Veterans Service Organizations for their critical insight on the veterans’ health care experience, and report on specific metrics such as appointment cancellations and wait times, ability to obtain needed care, and perceived quality of care delivery.
NDC Member Action
Crow, Schiff Lead Letter Urging the Department of Defense (DOD) to Protect Stars and Stripes
Reps. Jason Crow (CO-06) and Adam Schiff (CA-28) led a group of Members, including New Dem Reps. Elaine Luria (VA-02), Andre Carson (IN-07), Lori Trahan (MA-03), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), Seth Moulton (MA-06), and Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), in sending a letter to urge the DOD to protect Stars and Stripes, the editorially independent publication that has provided news for over millions of active-duty members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families for generations.
Cox Leads Letter Urging CDC to Use Wastewater-Based Epidemiology to Combat COVID-19
Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) led a group of Members, including New Dem Reps. Norma Torres (CA-35), Max Rose (NY-11), and Eliot Engel (NY-16), in sending a letter to urge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to invest federal funding in wastewater-based epidemiology for the purposes of low-cost, effective COVID-19 testing.
Axne: America Needs to Start Treating Childcare as What It Is: Vital Infrastructure via TIME
Rep. Cindy Axne (IA-03) penned an op-ed in TIME addressing the urgent need to prioritize childcare in the United States to increase the nation’s productivity, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic: “While Congress provided a down payment of support in the CARES Act, more is needed to support childcare providers and working families so that they in turn can help rebuild the countless industries still feeling the effects of this economic downturn. And we need use this moment not to get us back to the status quo, but to invest in improving the cost and quality of care by understanding childcare as a cornerstone of economic growth – just like other public goods like infrastructure and public transportation. Just as we’ve banded together to connect this nation with roads and rail, so too must we join together to support our working families in order to finally build an economy that works for everyone.”
Trahan: A Shining Light in Dark Times via Metrowest Daily News
Rep. Lori Trahan (MA-03) penned an op-ed in the Metrowest Daily News praising the work of the current class in the House of Representatives on their hard work protecting the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act: “This historic legislation, which recently became law, fully funds LWCF and prevents the future diversion of the program’s funds for non-conservation purposes. I’m proud of the work the “Conservation Congress” has done to secure that opportunity the same way that President Kennedy knew was so important – by investing in the Land and Water Conservation Fund for generations to come.”
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