Weekly Wrap
This week, the NDC, led by the Technology Task Force, announced its endorsement of a package of forward looking technology and artificial intelligence legislation led by New Dem Members. These bills address the opportunities and challenges of rapidly advancing technology on workers and consumers while promoting innovation.
Through its Housing Task Force, the NDC also endorsed a slate of housing bills to promote increased housing supply and affordability through policies that promote smarter housing and transit planning, incentives for low income housing development, and targeted grants to encourage zoning reform. These New Dem-led bills build off of the NDC Housing Task Force’s Missing Millions of Homes Report, which investigated the drivers of our national housing affordability and supply shortage..
More on what Members have been up to below.
Coalition Highlights
NDC Endorses Housing Legislation
The NDC, led by New Dem Housing Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Denny Heck, Katie Hill, and Ben McAdams , announced the endorsement of four pieces of housing legislation: H.R. 927, The Sustainable Communities Act (Torres), H.R. 3077, The Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act (DelBene), H.R. 4307, The Build More Housing Near Transit Act (Peters), and H.R. 4351, The Yes in My Backyard Act (Heck). This endorsement comes after the NDC Housing Task Force hosted two forums on Capitol Hill focusing on the challenges that contribute to America’s housing supply shortage and the measurable solutions to address them. The forums and subsequent endorsements present actionable solutions to begin to address the housing crisis identified in the Task Force’s 2018 report, Missing Millions of Homes. Read more in TIME.
NDC Endorses Legislation on Technology and Artificial Intelligence
The NDC, led by the Technology Task Force Co-Chairs Reps. Sharice Davids (KS-?), Kendra Horn (OK-?), Harley Rouda (CA-?), and Darren Soto (FL-?), announced the endorsement of three pieces of technology legislation: H.R. 2013, The Information Transparency & Personal Data Control Act (DelBene), H.R. 827, The AI JOBS Act (Soto), and H.Res. 153 (Lawrence). These bills are forward-looking, responsive to the realities of our rapidly advancing technological world, and consumer- and worker-focused while also promoting innovation. Read more about the NDC’s tech legislation endorsement in Bloomberg Law, POLITICO, Yahoo News, and The Hill.
NDC Chair Joins House Democratic Leaders in Introducing Legislation to Protect American Elections
NDC Chair Rep. Derek Kilmer (WA-06), along with leading House Democrats, introduced legislation to strengthen the integrity of American elections and curb foreign interference in the nation’s democratic process. The Stopping Harmful Interference in Elections for a Lasting Democracy (SHIELD) Act will prohibit foreign spending in our elections by closing loopholes, improving transparency and accountability requirements, and mandating disclosures of illicit offers from other nations and governments. The SHIELD Act contains provisions from two bills previously endorsed by the NDC: Chair Derek Kilmer’s The Honest Ads Act, which would improve the transparency of online political advertisements, and The PAID AD Act from Rep. Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), which would prohibit foreign entities from purchasing political ads to influence American elections.
Member Highlights
Floor Action
House Passes Luria’s VA Website Accessibility Act
The House passed Rep. Elaine Luria’s (VA-02) VA Website Accessibility Act. This legislation directs the Secretary of Veteran Affairs (VA) to conduct a study on the accessibility of VA websites and to submit a plan to Congress regarding how to make VA websites more accessible for veterans affected by blindness or hearing loss.
Bill Introductions
McAdams Introduces Bipartisan Legislation to Spur Research into Suicide Prevention
Rep. Ben McAdams (UT-04) introduced the bipartisan Advancing Research to Prevent Suicide Act, which directs the National Science Foundation to fund competitive research grants across a range of disciplines with the goal of better understanding the factors behind America’s rising suicide rate.
Kuster, Stevens, Sewell Introduce Legislation to Improve Drug Coverage for Seniors
NDC Vice Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02), NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell (AL-07), and Rep. Haley Stevens (MI-11) introduced the Maximizing Drug Coverage for Low-Income Seniors Act. This bill seeks to improve the Medicare enrollment process and lower out-of-pocket costs by ensuring that beneficiaries are enrolled in a Part D plan that best meets their needs.
Shalala, Soto, Murphy Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidies to Residents of Puerto Rico and Other U.S. Territories
Reps. Donna Shalala (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-09), and Stephanie Murphy (FL-07) introduced the Medicare Low-Income Subsidy Expansion for Territories Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation would allow residents of U.S. territories to become eligible for the Medicare Part D low-income subsidy (LIS) program beginning in plan year 2021.
Shalala Introduces the College Affordability Act
Rep. Donna Shalala (FL-27) introduced the College Affordability Act (CAA). This legislation would help revamp America’s higher education system and lower the cost of college for millions of students and their families.
Foster Introduces Two Pieces of Legislation
- Rep. Bill Foster (IL-11) introduced The Medical Records Access Fairness Act, which would require health care providers to give patients annual access to their medical records, at no cost, if requested. According to the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO), doctor’s offices often charge patients fees to access their medical records, imposing an unnecessary financial burden on patients, particularly those with extensive medical histories.
- Rep. Foster also introduced The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Inclusion Act, which would assist those who forgo potentially lucrative careers to serve the public good. Currently, ninety-nine percent of public servants who have applied for loan forgiveness are denied. Millions of borrowers who enrolled in the PSLF program were told, after already making payments, that they had the wrong type of loan or repayment plan and would not qualify for forgiveness under the program. Foster’s bill would expand the types of plans that would qualify for loan forgiveness.
Rep. Seth Moulton (MA-06) introduced the SAFE Drivers Act, a bill to modernize and digitize driver records. The bill would permit states to use highway safety grants to digitize a data sharing and notification process for drivers with criminal records, helping get dangerous drivers off the roads.
Sewell Introduces Legislation to Increase Americans’ Access to Asthma Medication
Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) introduced the Inhaler Coverage and Access Now Act (I CAN Act) which would require certain high deductible health plans to cover the cost of inhalers for the treatment of any chronic lung disease, including asthma.
Mucarsel-Powell Introduces Legislation to Improve Social and Emotional Education
Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26) introduced the Social and Emotional Learning for Families (SELF) Act to authorize a competitive grant program to increase the capacity of teacher and school leaders to work with families to develop and support the social and emotion skills, habits, and mindsets of children.
Sherrill, Spanberger Introduce Legislation to Expand Biomedical Research
NDC Freshman Whip Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) and Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) introduced the Biomedical Innovation Expansion Act to invest $10 billion in the National Institute of Health over the next 10 years to extend and provide new funding for antibiotic resistance, rare diseases, and cancer.
Wild Introduces Landmark Legislation to Simplify Student Loans
Rep. Susan Wild (PA-07) introduced the Simplifying Student Loans Act, a bill to replace the numerous existing repayment plans with one fixed repayment plan and one income-based repayment plan to make borrowing and repaying student loans easier and more affordable. The Simplifying Student Loans Act will be included as a key component of the College Affordability Act (CAA), a comprehensive overhaul of the higher education system to lower the cost of college for students and families, improve the quality of higher education through stronger accountability, and expand opportunity by providing students the support and flexibility they need to succeed.
Houlahan Introduces Two Pieces of Legislation
- NDC Freshman Leadership Representative Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) introduced the Support UNFPA Funding Act to provide funding for the United Nations Population Fund. Since taking office, the Administration has withdrawn all funding for the UNFPA, which is the lead UN agency working to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.
- Rep. Chrissy Houlahan also introduced legislation to recognize October 15th as National Mushroom Day and honors the regions of Chester and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania, for their unparalleled contributions to the national mushroom industry. Watch Rep. Houlahan’s House Floor speech on National Mushroom Day here.
McBath Introduces Legislation to Improve Seniors’ Access to Hearing Aids Under Medicare
Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) introduced H.R. 4618, the Medicare Hearing Act of 2019, which provides coverage for hearing aids and services for seniors under Part B of the Medicare program. The bill would make hearing devices more accessible for Americans across the nation.
Houlahan Introduces Legislation to Honor Pennsylvania's Mushroom Growers
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06) introduced legislation to recognize October 15th as National Mushroom Day and honors the regions of Chester and Berks Counties, Pennsylvania, for their unparalleled contributions to the national mushroom industry. Watch Rep. Houlahan’s House Floor speech on National Mushroom Day here.
Member Happenings
NDC Chair Joins The Aspen Institute to Discuss the Future of Work
NDC Chair Derek Kilmer joined The Aspen Institute Future of Work Initiative’s event, “Policies in the Age of Automation: Solutions for a Changing Economy.” Chair Kilmer addressed the ways in which automation and globalization is impacting the American workforce, and how the NDC plans on guiding American workers through the changing economy. Read more from Rep. Kilmer on Twitter.
Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06) led a letter with other New Dem Members requesting information from President Trump on his decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria. Full letter here.
Kuster: Medicaid Should Be Available in Prisons via The Washington Post
NDC Vice Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02) penned an op-ed in The Washington Post about her bicameral Humane Correctional Health Care Act. This act would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion policy to improve health care and treatment delivery for those behind bars, reduce recidivism rates nationwide, and save taxpayer dollars: “Addiction and untreated mental health needs in our criminal-justice system have heartbreaking consequences for individuals, families and loved ones, and are a waste of human potential and taxpayer dollars. We need to break this vicious cycle — and repealing the Medicaid inmate exclusion is an important step.”
Peters Hosts Press Conference for the Build More Housing Near Transit Act
NDC Vice Chair Scott Peters (CA-52) held a press conference with local leaders at the UTC Transit Center to announce his introduction of the bipartisan Build More Transit Act. This legislation, endorsed by the NDC this week, would maximize federal investment in transit projects by requiring applications for the Federal Transit Administration’s New Starts program to determine how and where housing units could be built near new transit stops.
Sewell: Hold Trump Accountable via The New York Times
NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell (AL-07) penned an op-ed in The New York Times addressing the dynamics surrounding the impeachment inquiry and the need to hold the Trump Administration accountable, drawing parallels to the Civil Rights Movement: “Our democracy is a work in progress, but we must ensure it is not taken hostage by those who put their own interests over those of the American people. It is the duty of Congress now to harness the legacy and the courage of the heroes of the civil rights movement and hold the president to account.
Connolly: Statehood for D.C.: Are We Truly a Democratic Republic? via The Fulcrum
Rep. Gerry Connolly (VA-11) penned an op-ed in The Fulcrum highlighting the Committee on Oversight and Reform's recent hearing on statehood for Washington, D.C., and advocating for the District's admission as our 51st state: "Today's Washington is nothing like what the Founders envisioned. It has evolved from a sleepy administrative center for an emerging set of colonies to a vibrant metropolis bursting with life, culture, commerce, and innovation — everything we look to as points of pride in each of our 50 states. It is inexcusable that we would deny its residents their constitutional right to representation for a second longer."
Sherrill Holds Field Hearing on Lead in Water
NDC Freshman Whip Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) held a field hearing on the effects of lead in drinking water and the challenges that local leaders face in addressing lead contamination.
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