[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]


** Weekly Wrap 12/06/2019
------------------------------------------------------------

This week, the House passed H.R. 4, the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2019, which was introduced by NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell and endorsed by the Coalition. This landmark legislation fully restores and modifies the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to address the most egregious forms of voter suppression and ensure all Americans are able to exercise their fundamental, democratic right to vote.

The House also passed NDC Chair Emeritus Jim Himes’ bipartisan H.R. 2534, the Insider Trading Prohibition Act. This legislation makes it a crime to trade securities by those who possess material, nonpublic information, and prohibits those possessing such information from sharing it with those who may trade on that information or pass it along to others you will.

More on what Members have been up to below.

Do you know someone who is interested in receiving the Weekly Wrap? Have them sign-up
here ([link removed]) . Follow along daily on Facebook ([link removed]) and Twitter ([link removed]) .
COALITION HIGHLIGHTS

House Passes NDC-Endorsed Voting Rights Advancement Act ([link removed])
The House passed NDC Vice Chair Terri Sewell’s (AL-07) H.R. 4, The Voting Rights Advancement Act, which establishes criteria to determine if states and localities with a recent history of voting rights violations must pre-clear election changes with the Department of Justice. Following the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), voting protections were weakened, creating unnecessary obstacles and allowing discriminatory voter practices to proliferate at the state and local level. This legislation aims to restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to its original strength.

Beyer: How Congress Can Take Action on Climate Change Today via The Hill ([link removed])
Rep. Don Beyer (VA-08), Co-Chair of the Climate Change Task Force, penned an op-ed in The Hill highlighting the NDC’s Priorities for U.S. Climate Policy, which provide a framework to address climate change with the urgency the crisis demands: “For years Democrats were in the minority and could only talk about acting on climate while working quietly on policy solutions to help. Now we are acting. The Democratic-led House of Representatives has put the spotlight on climate, and the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task Force is here to show we have solutions that can help.”
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

FLOOR ACTION
House Passes Himes’ Bipartisan Legislation to Prohibit Insider Training ([link removed])
The House passed NDC Chair Emeritus Jim Himes’ (CT-04) bipartisan Insider Trading Prohibition Act with strong support. This legislation codifies and clarifies the overarching principles on insider trading set forth by courts, while eliminating the ambiguities that have existed in the case-by-case evolution of the law in this area, ensuring American investors and bad actors are fully aware what constitutes insider trading and are able to be held legally culpable. Chair Emeritus Himes has been committed to achieving bipartisan support: “The bipartisan passage of this bill represents years of work incorporating ideas and input from regulatory agencies, legal experts, and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle… It’s a testament to the fact that Congress can craft meaningful policy that both Democrats and Republicans can support if we fully commit to working across the aisle in good faith.”

BILL INTRODUCTIONS
Allred Introduces Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Support New Parents in Working Families ([link removed])
Rep. Colin Allred (TX-32) introduced the Advancing Support for Working Families Act, which would allow families the option to advance up to $5,000 of their recently-doubled child tax credit in the first year of a child’s life or the first year a family adopts a child.

Larsen, Craig Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Promote Transportation Career Opportunities
Reps. Rick Larsen ([link removed]) (WA-02) and Angie Craig ([link removed]) (MN-02) introduced the Promoting Service in Transportation Act, bipartisan legislation authorizing the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to develop a series of public service announcement campaigns to promote career opportunities and improve diversity in the transportation workforce.

Rep. Ron Kind (WI-03) Introduces:
* Legislation to reauthorize the Training for Realtime Writers Act ([link removed]) , which allows colleges and universities to apply for funding specifically to help encourage more students to pursue a career in realtime writing, closed captioning, or court reporting.
* A resolution to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO) ([link removed]) and to working with other members to achieve necessary reforms to improve efficiency, increase transparency and structural concerns, and ensure fairness in its outreach and treatment of all nations.

Brownley Introduces Bill to Make the Federal Government a Renewable Energy Leader ([link removed])
Rep. Julia Brownley (CA-26) introduced the Green Energy for Federal Buildings Act, which would require the federal government to increase the amount of renewable energy it consumes to 35% of its total electricity by 2030, 75% by 2040, and 100% by 2050. This bill would also encourage – to the maximum extent possible – that the federal government use renewable energy that is produced on-site at federal facilities, on federal lands, or on tribal lands.

Horsford Introduces Legislation to Protect Families from Out-of-Pocket health Care Costs ([link removed])
Rep. Steven Horsford (NV-04) introduced the Fair Indexing for Health Care Act to reduce out-of-pocket costs by reversing the Administration’s rule that would make fewer Americans eligible for the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) premium tax credits and cause those who are eligible to receive less in tax credit support.

Cardenas Introduces the RECOVER Act ([link removed])
Rep. Tony Cardenas (CA-29) introduced the bipartisan Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Values of Expanding Recycling (RECOVER) Act. This bill would allocate $500 million in matching federal grants to eligible states, local municipalities, and tribal governments to invest in improving their recycling infrastructure, programs, and education efforts.

Cisneros, Peters, Davis Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill to Create VA Support Network to Boost Veterans’ Mental Health
NDC Vice Chair Scott Peters ([link removed]) (CA-52) and Reps. Gil Cisneros ([link removed]) (CA-39) and Susan Davis (CA-53) introduced a bipartisan, bicameral bill to direct the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to create a network of support that shares information from the VA with the designated family member and friends of veterans, in an attempt to help them better understand the rigors, challenges, and needs associated with military service.

Foster, Casten, Meeks Introduce Bicameral Legislation to Protect American Consumers from Punitive Legal Action ([link removed])
Reps. Bill Foster (IL-11), Sean Casten (IL-06), and Gregory Meeks (NY-05) introduced the Investor Choice Act, which would prohibit pre-dispute mandatory arbitration agreements and ban prohibitions on class action lawsuits in customer contracts that investors often must enter into in order to receive services from broker-dealers or investment advisers.

MEMBER HAPPENINGS
Heck Announces Retirement from U.S. House ([link removed])
Rep. Denny Heck (WA-10), NDC Housing Task Force Co-Chair, announced his retirement from the U.S. House at the end of the 116^th Congress. Rep. Heck has been integral to the efficacy of the Housing Task Force, having authored the Missing Millions of Homes report ([link removed]) , and working diligently to solve our nation’s housing crisis for American families.

Brownley, Casten, Peters Join Bicameral Delegation to Madrid for COP25
Rep. Julia Brownley ([link removed]) (CA-26), Sean Casten ([link removed]) (IL-06), and Scott Peters ([link removed]) (CA-52) joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a bicameral delegation to Madrid for the 2019 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to show the world the United States is committed to working with our allies in addressing the climate crisis. More
photos on Facebook ([link removed]) and Twitter ([link removed]) .

Schneider Leads More Than 120 Members in Condemning Trump Administration’s Formal Withdrawal from Paris Climate Agreement ([link removed])
Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) introduced a resolution, joined by more than 120 original co-sponsors, condemning the Administration’s decision to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement and abandon the global effort to reduce emissions in an attempt to limit global temperature rise.

Dean Recognized for Her Constituent Services ([link removed])
In less than twelve months’ time, Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04) and her staff have successfully closed over 1400 constituent service cases and are on track to have the highest number of closed cases for any freshman Democrat in the nation.

Spanberger Concludes Two-Day, Nine-Stop Health Care Tour Across Central Virginia ([link removed])
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) met with local patients, health care professionals, and community leaders to learn more about health and wellness challenges facing families and seniors throughout her nine-stop, district-wide tour.

Sherrill Launches Effort to Pass SALT Cap Tax Relief ([link removed])
NDC Freshman Whip Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced her “12 Days of SALT” campaign on the House floor to urge her colleagues to lift the federal cap on state and local tax (SALT) deduction before the end of 2019.

Shalala: Don’t Believe All the Hype. Bipartisanship Is Alive and Well in Congress via Miami Herald ([link removed])
Rep. Donna Shalala (FL-27) penned an op-ed in the Miami Herald pushing back on the sentiment that partisanship and division has overtaken Capitol Hill and highlighting the bipartisan efforts she continues to put forth to create change for the American people.

Houlahan Chairs Committee Hearing Celebrating Small Business Leadership on Corporate Social Responsibility ([link removed])
NDC Freshman Leadership Representative Chrissy Houlahan ([link removed]) (PA-02) chaired a House Small Business Committee hearing focused on how small businesses incorporate social and environmental responsibility into their business model and the role of the federal government in empowering and supporting them.

Bera Forms Bipartisan Diplomacy Caucus ([link removed])
NDC Leadership Member Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07) joined a group of bipartisan lawmakers in forming the Diplomacy Caucus, which aims to strengthen support for U.S. diplomats and diplomatic institutions around the world.

Murphy Launches Congressional Trade Series
Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07) launched a series of briefings on how U.S. trade policies affect quality of life in the United States. The first briefing brought economic and policy experts together ([link removed]) to discuss the impact of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. The next briefing for Members, staff, and the public will discuss the World Trade Organization (WTO) ([link removed]) and highlight how a threat to the organization could have serious implications for U.S. interests.

Connolly, Brown, Trone, Wexton Urge Chairs of the Armed Services Committees to Provide All Federal Employees with Paid Family and Medical Leave Benefits
Reps. Gerry Connolly ([link removed]) (VA-11), Anthony Brown (MD-04), David Trone ([link removed]) (MD-06), and Jennifer Wexton (VA-10) sent a letter to the Chairs of the Armed Services Committees, who are leading the conference committee working to reconcile the House- and Senate-passed versions of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The letter urges them to maintain the House version’s inclusion of 12 weeks paid family and medical leave benefits for all federal employees.

President Signs Stanton’s Bipartisan, Bicameral Legislation to Expand Security Protections for Supreme Court Justices ([link removed])
President Donald Trump signed Rep. Greg Stanton’s (AZ-09) legislation to permanently extend security protections for Supreme Court Justices outside the court grounds. This is Rep. Stanton’s first sponsored bill signed into law.

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences ([link removed]) or unsubscribe from th ([link removed]) e Weekly Wrap. ([link removed])

Follow on Facebook ([link removed])
Follow on Twitter ([link removed])
Follow on Medium ([link removed])

============================================================

This email was sent to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
why did I get this? ([link removed]) unsubscribe from this list ([link removed]) update subscription preferences ([link removed])
New Democrat Coalition . 1410 Longworth House Office Building . 15 Independence Ave Se . Washington, DC 20515-0001 . USA