On the Blog: Stop the Spending Cuts! House Republicans added an amendment to national defense legislation last week that would restore military spending that might be cut. The thing is, the cuts were part of an agreement to control the deficit. Read about it in a post entitled: “Going Back on the Budget Control Deal.”

Featured Item This week, the House will not meet. The Senate will debate S. 3187, the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act. The bill would revise and extend the user-fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user-fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars. There is no cost estimate for S. 3187 yet. S. 3187 The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act

What People Think The Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act 50% For, 50% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family. New Items H.R. 3985 The Building Better Business Partnerships Act of 2012 Costs $0.05 per family H.R. 4005 The GAPS Act Costs $0.01 per family H.R. 4363 The Federal Employee Phased Retirement Act Saves $3.67 per family H.R. 460 The Bonneville Unit Clean Hydropower Facilitation Act Costs $0.13 per family H.R. 1272 The Minnesota Chippewa Tribe Judgment Fund Distribution Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4203 The Women’s Procurement Program Improvement Act of 2012 Costs $1.29 per family S. 414 The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2011 Costs $0.20 per family S. 657 The National Blue Alert Act of 2011 Costs $0.31 per family H.R. 2446 The RESPA Home Warranty Clarification Act of 2011 Costs $0.08 per family

Updated Items H.R. 4310 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Costs $5,889.77 per family

Passed Items P.L. 112-107 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 500 East Whitestone Boulevard in Cedar Park, Texas, as the “Army Specialist Matthew Troy Morris Post Office Building” P.L. 112-108 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 115 4th Avenue Southwest in Ardmore, Oklahoma, as the “Specialist Micheal E. Phillips Post Office” P.L. 112-109 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10 Main Street in East Rockaway, New York, as the “John J. Cook Post Office” P.L. 112-110 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 801 West Eastport Street in Iuka, Mississippi, as the “Sergeant Jason W. Vaughn Post Office” P.L. 112-111 The Veterans Missing in America Act of 2012 P.L. 112-112 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 122 North Holderrieth Boulevard in Tomball, Texas, as the “Tomball Veterans Post Office” P.L. 112-113 The Brian A. Terry Memorial Act Costs $0.00 per family P.L. 112-114 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 8 West Silver Street in Westfield, Massachusetts, as the “William T. Trant Post Office Building” P.L. 112-116 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 15455 Manchester Road in Ballwin, Missouri, as the “Specialist Peter J. Navarro Post Office Building” P.L. 112-115 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 260 California Drive in Yountville, California, as the “Private First Class Alejandro R. Ruiz Post Office Building” P.L. 112-117 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1100 Town and Country Commons in Chesterfield, Missouri, as the “Lance Corporal Matthew P. Pathenos Post Office Building” P.L. 112-118 To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 112 South 5th Street in Saint Charles, Missouri, as the “Lance Corporal Drew W. Weaver Post Office Building” P.L. 112-119 A bill to authorize the Administrator of General Services to convey a parcel of real property in Tracy, California, to the City of Tracy Costs $0.01 per family

On the Blog: The Violence Against Women Act The Senate has already passed a bill, and the House will debate a bill to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act this week. The politics are in favor of the bill becoming law. Read about it in a post entitled: “Everyone’s Against Violence Against Women.”
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Featured Items This week, the House will debate H.R. 4970, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012. The bill spends money on Department of Justice and Health and Human Services programs meant to reduce violence against women and aid in the prosecution of violence against women. Passage of H.R. 4970 would cost the average U.S. family about $16.50. The Senate will debate H.R. 2072, the Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011. The bill would extend through 2015 the authority of the Export-Import Bank of the United States to provide loans and insurance to finance exports of U.S. products and services. Passage of H.R. 2072 would cost the average U.S. family about $14.50. H.R. 4970 The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Costs $16.60 per family H.R. 2072 The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011 Costs $14.59 per family	What People Think The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 50% For, 50% Against Vote on this Bill The Securing American Jobs Through Exports Act of 2011 30% For, 70% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family. New Items H.R. 2764 The WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4310 The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 Saves $1.34 per family H.R. 4970 The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2012 Costs $16.60 per family S. 2516 An original bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to revise and extend the user-fee programs for prescription drugs and medical devices, to establish user-fee programs for generic drugs and biosimilars, and for other purposes Costs $115.78 per family H.R. 365 The National Blue Alert Act of 2011 Costs $0.31 per family H.R. 1237 To provide for a land exchange with the Trinity Public Utilities District of Trinity County, California, involving the transfer of land to the Bureau of Land Management and the Six Rivers National Forest in exchange for National Forest System land in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, and for other purposes Costs $0.00 per family S. 1763 The SAVE Native Women Act Costs $1.71 per family H.R. 3670 To require the Transportation Security Administration to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4201 The Servicemember Family Protection Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4607 The Midnight Rule Relief Act of 2012 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4206 The Contracting Oversight for Small Business Jobs Act of 2012 Costs $0.02 per family H.R. 4114 The Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2012 Costs $219.91 per family H.R. 2008 The Keeping Politics Out of Federal Contracting Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 2621 The Chimney Rock National Monument Establishment Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 3987 The Small Business Protection Act of 2012 Costs $0.11 per family H.R. 4966 The Sequester Replacement Act of 2012 Costs $0.00 per family S. 2224 A bill to require the President to report to Congress on issues related to Syria Costs $0.00 per family S. 2375 The Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 Costs $1,297.88 per family S. 2465 The Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 Costs $394.80 per family S. 2343 The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012 Costs $82.12 per family S. 2322 The Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 Costs $1,109.72 per family S. 2323 An original bill making appropriations for Departments of Commerce and Justice, and Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes Costs $612.25 per family

Updated Items S. 363 A bill to authorize the Secretary of Commerce to convey property of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to the City of Pascagoula, Mississippi, and for other purposes Costs $0.00 per family

Passed Items none

On the Blog: FY 2013 Spending Underway The House and Senate have begun work on the annual spending bills for fiscal year 2013. The Senate has twice as many bills in process, but it has provided us half the information about them so far. Read about it in a post entitled: “And They’re Off! FY 2013 Spending.”

Featured Items This week, the House will debate H.R. 5326, the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013. The bill spends money on the operation of the Departments of Commerce and Justice, and on science-related programs. Passage of H.R. 5326 would spend about $600 per U.S. family. The Senate will debate S. 2343, the Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012. The bill would keep the interest rate on federally subsidized student loans low, at 3.4 percent, for another year. Passage of S. 2343 would cost about $82 per U.S. family. H.R. 5326 Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes Costs $608.09 per family S. 2343 The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012 Costs $82.13 per family

What People Think H.R. 5326 50% For, 50% Against Vote on this Bill The Stop the Student Loan Interest Rate Hike Act of 2012 33% For, 67% Against Vote on this Bill

Displayed below are new, updated, and passed items with their cost or savings per family. New Items H.R. 2489 The American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011 Costs $0.31 per family H.R. 3409 The Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act Costs $0.00 per family S. 1998 The Department of Homeland Security Improved Financial Accountability Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family S. 2061 The Former Charleston Naval Base Land Exchange Act of 2012 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 3874 The Black Hills Cemetery Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 5325 Making appropriations for energy and water development and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes Costs $390.74 per family H.R. 5326 Making appropriations for the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science, and Related Agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013, and for other purposes Costs $608.09 per family H.R. 3783 The Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012 Costs $0.15 per family H.R. 538 The Federal Customer Service Enhancement Act Costs $0.00 per family S. 925 The Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 1818 The Mt. Andrea Lawrence Designation Act of 2011 Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 3283 The Swap Jurisdiction Certainty Act Costs $0.01 per family H.R. 3902 The District of Columbia Special Election Reform Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 4235 To amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Commodity Exchange Act to repeal the indemnification requirements for regulatory authorities to obtain access to swap data required to be provided by swaps entities under such Acts Costs $0.00 per family

Updated Items H.R. 1016 The Assessing Progress in Haiti Act Costs $0.00 per family H.R. 2668 The Brian A. Terry Memorial Act Costs $0.00 per family

Passed Items none