Weekly Wrap
This week, the House passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen the nation’s military and bolster its national security both at home and abroad. The NDAA puts the NDC’s National Security Principles into action through historic investments in our military, alliances, and our uniformed men and women and their families.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced that House Democrats have reached agreement on USMCA with the U.S. Trade Representative on transformative and historic improvements to the original USMCA, which were developed by the Speaker and the NAFTA Working Group. The NDC endorsed the updated USMCA and looks forward to its consideration next week.
Finally, the House passed H.R. 3, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, to ensure Americans have more affordable access to the quality care and treatments they need. The bill caps out-of-pocket expenses, allows the Secretary of Health and Human Services to directly negotiate drug prices for Medicare, reinvests billions in innovation and research for new treatments and cures, and expands Medicare coverage to include vision, hearing, and dental, to improve overall health outcomes for seniors.
Coalition Highlights
The NDC announced its endorsement of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) following the transformative improvements of the December 10 Agreement. The NDC supports modernizing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) to reflect the 21st century economy and advances the United States has made in trade policy. The updated USMCA makes critical improvements to a 25-year-old trade agreement, building off of the progress made by the Obama administration. The updated agreement and many of the 21st century economy provisions in USMCA represent a paradigm shift in U.S. trade agreements and should serve as a template for bipartisan consensus in future agreements.
New Democrat Coalition National Security Task Force Statement on NDAA
The NDC, led by National Security Task Force Co-Chairs Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Anthony Brown (MD-04), Brad Schneider (IL-10), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), issued a statement following House passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which was navigated through conference by NDC Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09): “This NDAA builds a modern military ready to address challenges abroad and bolster our national security here at home. By embracing new technology, training the next generation and honoring the sacred commitments we make to support our troops and their families, we create a safer future for all Americans.”
New Democrat Coalition Health Care Task Force Statement on Drug Pricing
The NDC, led by Chair Derek Kilmer (WA-06), Vice Chair Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Leadership Member Ami Bera (CA-07), and Health Care Task Force Co-Chairs Angie Craig (MN-02), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), Kim Schrier (WA-08), and Greg Stanton (AZ-09), released a statement following House passage of H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, landmark legislation drive down the costs of prescription drugs, reinvest in innovation and research for new cures, and expand Medicare benefits to its recipients. Full list of New Dem-led bills and provisions.
ICYMI: Beyer on the Damage to Planet’s Oceans
In case you missed it – NDC Climate Change Task Force Co-Chair Don Beyer (VA-08) spoke up about the impacts of large energy companies on the planet’s degrading ocean conditions. “Ocean acidification is a serious problem which threatens coral reefs, key species, and also jobs in the United States and around the world,” said New Dem Climate Change Task Force Co-Chair Don Beyer. In June, the House passed Chair Derek Kilmer’s (WA-06) legislation to fight ocean acidification through research and prize competitions.
Member Highlights
Floor Action
House Passes Kilmer’s Bipartisan Bill to Help Coastal Tribes Facing Severe Weather Threats
The House passed NDC Chair Derek Kilmer’s (WA-06) bipartisan legislation to protect coastal tribes from severe weather threats. Included in the package is Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (CA-24) bipartisan bill to help states better identify the threats that climate change poses and gives states resources to help minimize those threats and Rep. Mike Quigley’s (IL-05) the Great Lakes Fishery Research Authorization (GLFRA) Act to support fisheries within the Great Lakes Basin.
Bill Introductions
Craig, Bustos Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Tackle Government Waste
Reps. Angie Craig (MN-02) and Cheri Bustos (IL-17) introduced the Payment Integrity Information Act to save significant taxpayer dollars by cutting down on government waste in the form of overpayments, underpayments, improperly documented payments, or payments made to ineligible recipients.
Shalala Introduces Legislation to Increase Number of Green Cards Available
Rep. Donna Shalala (FL-27) introduced the Resolving Extended Limbo for Immigrant Employees and Families (RELIEF) Act, a bill that would eliminate the family and employment green card backlog by increasing the number of green cards available for those purposes.
Kuster, McBath Introduce Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Fight Back Against Growing Online Child Exploitation Crisis
NDC Vice Chair Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Rep. Lucy McBath (GA-06) introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Eliminate Network Distribution of Child Exploitation Act, or the END Child Exploitation Act, to extend the period of time that technology companies are required to preserve information about child sexual abuse images they report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
Aguilar Introduces Bill to Combat Domestic Terrorism
NDC Whip Pete Aguilar (CA-31) introduced the Preventing Radical Extremists’ Violent Endeavors Now and Tomorrow (PREVENT) Act to provide federal resources, such as clinical social workers, psychologists, religious leaders, and law enforcement personnel, to train local officials to prepare for and respond to threats by violent extremists and white nationalists.
Carbajal Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Fund Forest Roads
Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) introduced the Funding Our Roads and Ecosystems Sustainably Together (FOREST) Act to help ensure forest roads in California and across the nation have the funding needed to maintain infrastructure and keep communities safe.
Carbajal, Brownley Introduce Legislation to Improve Boat Safety
Reps. Salud Carbajal (CA-24) and Julia Brownley (CA-26) introduced the Small Passenger Vessel Safety Act to raise the standards of maritime safety and prioritize the well-being of the public. This legislation mandates safety updates to small passenger vessels in the wake of the Conception boat fire that took the lives of thirty-four people off the coast of Santa Barbara earlier this year.
Member Happenings
NDC Chair Emeritus Jim Himes (CT-04) penned an op-ed in The American Independent addressing the House’s decision to vote on articles of impeachment while continuing to work with the Administration and Ambassador Lighthizer to move USMCA forward: “Some observers asked me why Democrats would move forward with the USMCA and "give Trump a win." This reaction shows the deep cynicism Trump's behavior has engendered. Democrats support the USMCA because it is good for the American (and Mexican and Canadian) people… Were the House speaker to torpedo such a broadly beneficial deal, she would be doing precisely what has gotten Donald Trump impeached: sacrificing the national good for a partisan interest.”
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) led a group of Members of Congress in a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, requesting the repeal of the medical device tax before the end of the year. The medical device tax is a 2.3% excise tax on the price of taxable medical devices sold in the U.S., including x-ray machines, hospital beds, and MRI machines.
DelBene’s Bicameral, Bipartisan Bill to Empower Small Business Receives Strong Industry Support
NDC Vice Chair Suzan DelBene’s (WA-01) bicameral, bipartisan Small Business Tax Fairness and Compliance Simplification Act, legislation to reduce compliance burdens for tens of thousands of small businesses in the beauty industry, was met with strong industry support. In a letter, over 3,300 salon owners and beauty professionals expressed support for the legislation.
Rice, Castro Call on DOJ to Investigate Housing Discrimination on Long Island
NDC Leadership Member Kathleen Rice (NY-05) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) sent a letter to Eric Dreiband, the Assistant Attorney General for the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, asking him to immediately open an investigation into potential fair housing violations exposed in a recent Newsday report.
Shalala Leads Hearing on Human Trafficking
Rep. Donna Shalala (FL-27) led a subcommittee hearing on human trafficking focusing on the complexities of combatting it, ways the federal government can assist local law enforcement, and the additional resources needed to increase prevention.
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