House passes financial policy bill; Senate working on its own version

In this week's Tap, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Financial CHOICE Act. The act, introduced by House Finance Chair Jeb Hensarling, al [View this email in your browser]( [Ballotpedia]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [The Tap]( Here are the top six stories we feel you should know about this week. When you're up to it, check out the full recap of what happened last week and plan for the events coming down the line. If you miss the old version of The Tap, we want to know. Just reply to this email and tell us what you think. Happy Saturday! -Ballotpedia [Click here for our comprehensive review of the week.]( #1 Budget Committee says AHCA can move on to the Senate - On Tuesday, the [Senate Budget Committee]( announced that the [American Healthcare Act of 2017]( (AHCA) [complies]( with the Senate reconciliation process. Reconciliation bills primarily deal with changes in taxes or spending and can bypass potential filibusters in the Senate. Reconciliation bills can pass the Senate with a simple majority of votes (51-49) rather than the 60-vote threshold required to end a Senate filibuster. House Republicans were waiting for the committee's verdict on the AHCA before sending it to the upper chamber. Read more about the timeline to repeal and replace the ACA [here](. Senate Parliamentarian flags Hyde Amendment language in AHCA - Senate Parliamentarian [Elizabeth MacDonough]( said that Hyde Amendment language in the [American Healthcare Act of 2017]( (AHCA) as currently written, would not be allowed under the [Byrd Rule](. The AHCA would prevent individuals from using refundable tax credits for private insurance plans that cover abortion. The AHCA, which is a [reconciliation]( bill, is subject to the Byrd Rule. The rule requires that legislation be sufficiently budget-related and not primarily about changing policy. According to [The Hill]( “Arguably, attaching Hyde language to the refundable tax credits is designed more to shape abortion policy than affect how much money is spent to subsidize healthcare coverage.” If senators are unable to find a workaround to prevent federal funding from being used to pay for abortions—excluding cases of rape and incest and when a mother’s life is in danger—it could prevent conservative senators from supporting the bill. Sen. [James Inhofe]( (R-Okla.) commented on what would happen to the AHCA if Hyde Amendment language is removed. He said, “Would that be a deal killer? I’d have to think about it. I’m inclined to think it would [be].” Senate Finance Committee Chairman [Orrin Hatch]( (R-Utah) agreed, saying, “I think a lot of people do think that’s essential.” #2 House votes to pass Financial CHOICE Act - The House of Representatives voted to pass the Financial CHOICE Act. The act, introduced by House Finance Chair [Jeb Hensarling]( allows banks to not be subject to the heightened regulatory requirements of [Dodd-Frank]( by maintaining a 10-1 ratio of capital over borrowed money to withstand a financial downturn.  It grants the president power to fire the head of the [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]( (CFPB) and the [Federal Housing Finance Agency]( at any time and without cause, and grants Congress authority over the CFPB's budget. The act also repeals the Volcker Rule, a rule which prevents commercial banks from making speculative investments for their own profits. The version of the bill passed by the House is not expected to pass in the Senate, which is preparing its own financial regulation bill. The Senate version is not expected to eliminate the Volcker Rule or to weaken the CFPB's authority. The bill passed the House in a vote of 233-186, with 233 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. 185 Democrats and one Republican, [Walter Jones]( opposed the bill. The act passed committee in a 34-26 vote along party lines, with unanimous support from Republicans and no support from Democrats on the Finance Committee after about a year of deliberation across two sessions of Congress. #3 Donald Trump nominates 9 to serve on federal courts - On June 7, 2017, President [Donald Trump]( formally nominated nine individuals to serve in the federal judiciary.  Five of the nominees were appointed to [Article III judicial positions]( where the nominees, if confirmed by the [Senate]( would be commissioned to serve a life term.  The nominees to the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims and to the Court of Federal Claims, if confirmed, would be commissioned to serve 15-year terms of office.  The nominees put forward on June 7, 2017, were: - [Allison Eid]( to the [Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals]( - [Ralph Erickson]( to the [Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals]( - [Dabney Friedrich]( [Timothy J. Kelly]( and [Trevor McFadden]( to the [U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia]( - [Michael P. Allen]( [Amanda Meredith]( and [Joseph Toth]( to serve 15-year terms on the [U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims]( - [Stephen Schwartz]( to serve a 15-year term on the [U.S. Court of Federal Claims]( Senate Judiciary Committee to hold confirmation hearings on three of Trump’s judicial nominees - On Wednesday, the [Senate Judiciary Committee]( will hold confirmation hearings on three of President [Donald Trump’s]( judicial nominees.  The nominations were submitted to the [Senate]( on May 8, 2017.  After the hearings, the committee will meet on another date to vote on whether to report the nominations to the full Senate for final confirmation.  The nominees who will have their hearings on Wednesday are: - [John K. Bush]( a nominee to the [Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals]( - [Kevin C. Newsom]( a nominee to the [Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals]( - [Damien Schiff]( a nominee to the [U.S. Court of Federal Claims]( #4 Comey testifies before Senate Intelligence Committee about Flynn investigation and Trump - Former FBI Director [James Comey]( appeared before the [Senate Intelligence Committee]( and delivered his first public comments since [being fired]( by President Donald Trump on May 9, 2017. Questioning focused on conversations Comey had with Trump regarding the investigation of former National Security Advisor [Michael Flynn](. Here are the highlights from the hearing: - Comey said that he thought he was fired because Trump wanted to change the course of the investigation into [alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election](. Comey said, "There’s no doubt that it’s a fair judgment—it’s my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation. I was fired, in some way, to change—or the endeavor was to change the way the Russia investigation was being conducted.” - Comey said that the White House lied when it said that FBI agents were unsatisfied with his performance as director. He said, “The administration then chose to defame me and more importantly the FBI, by saying the organization was poorly led. Those were lies, plain and simple.” - Comey said it was special counsel [Robert Mueller]( job to decide whether or not Trump obstructed justice by asking him to end the investigation into Flynn. Comey said, “I don’t think it’s for me to say whether the conversation I had with the president was an effort to obstruct. The special counsel will work … to try and understand what the intention was there.” - Comey confirmed that he told Trump on three occasions that he was not being investigated by the FBI as part of the ongoing Russia probe. - Comey asked a friend to leak memos he wrote after his meeting with Trump to The New York Times. He said, "I asked a friend of mine to share the content of a memo with the reporter. I didn't do it myself for a variety of reasons, but I asked him to because I thought that might prompt the appointment of a special counsel." - See also: [Donald Trump firing of FBI Director James Comey]( and [Investigations into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election]( #5 EPA announces one-year delay to implementation of 2015 ozone standard - The [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency]( (EPA) announced it would [delay for one year]( the implementation of revised [ground-level ozone (smog) standards]( ozone standards) issued by the [Obama]( administration in 2015. EPA Administrator [Scott Pruitt]( notified state governors that the EPA will determine which areas and regions do not meet the 2015 ozone standard by October 2018. Under the original implementation plan, the EPA was slated to determine nonattainment areas (areas that do not meet the standard) in June 2017 and to finalize its decisions in October 2017. In a statement, Pruitt said that the delay would allow the EPA to work with states and localities to implement the standard in a way that improves air quality and does not interfere with local decisionmaking or negatively affect economic growth. Pruitt further stated that the delay would provide flexibility for states and localities to avoid being designated  as nonattainment areas, which Pruitt argued result in reduced infrastructure spending, more regulatory requirements, higher business costs in these areas. - In October 2015, the EPA lowered the federal standard of acceptable ground-level ozone from 75 parts per billion to 70 parts per billion. The standard was previously lowered from 80 parts per billion to 75 parts per billion in 2008. - Ground-level [ozone]( (smog), which is formed when nitrogen oxide combines with sunlight and fine particles in the atmosphere, is one of six pollutants regulated under the[National Ambient Air Quality Standards]( (NAAQS) established by the federal[Clean Air Act](. NAAQS are uniform national air quality standards set by the EPA that state governments take steps to meet. - Proponents of the 2015 standard argue that it would help further reduce ozone levels and produce health benefits in the form of fewer asthma attacks, fewer premature deaths, fewer emergency room visits, and fewer missed days of school and work. - Opponents of the 2015 standard argue that existing regulations and improved technology have already led to reduced ozone levels, would continue to reduce ozone levels further, and that the 2015 standard would produce few to no additional health benefits. #6 GA-6 candidates participate in last planned televised debate before June 20 runoff - Democrat [Jon Ossoff]( and Republican [Karen Handel]( faced off in their [second and final planned televised debate]( in the [race to represent]( Georgia's 6th Congressional District. The debate audio was broadcast live and livestreamed via WABE-Radio at 9 AM, then was televised at 7 PM on PBA30-TV. [The candidates discussed]( domestic policy issues, including healthcare, the economy, and the federal budget. Handel and Ossoff also debated issues related to President Trump, the ongoing investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and the Iran Nuclear Deal. [Ready for the full recap? Click here to read the complete Tap.]( Ballotpedia depends on the support of our readers. The Lucy Burns Institute, publisher of Ballotpedia, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Donations to the Lucy Burns Institute or Ballotpedia do not support any candidates or campaigns. [Donate Securely Online]( Decide which emails you receive from Ballotpedia. [Unsubscribe or adjust your preference]( Ballotpedia The Encyclopedia of American Politics 8383 Greenway Blvd., Suite 600 Middleton, WI 53562 [Facebook]( [Twitter](