As our Nation learned of the news reports surrounding the tragic killing of 32-year old Kate Steinle in San Francisco by a five-time deported illegal immigrant with multiple felonies, I joined in the national outrage. Not only was this a senseless act of violence, but it should never have happened to begin with. Due to the city’s “sanctuary city” policy, law enforcement did not honor an immigration detainer issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and released the suspect a few months before the murder of Steinle.
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives took action and passed H.R.3009, the Enforce the Law for Sanctuary Cities Act. H.R.3009, which I voted for and which passed by a vote of 241 – 179, would cut off federal funding for state criminal alien assistance to any state or locality with laws or policies that prohibit or restrict the sharing of information on an individual's citizenship or immigration status with the Immigration and Naturalization Service or other government entity, as well as prohibit state or local law enforcement officials from gathering information regarding an individual's citizenship or immigration status.
Additionally, I have added my name as a co-sponsor to H.R.3011, the Establishing Mandatory Minimums for Illegal Reentry Act of 2015, also known as Kate's Law. This bill, named in memory of Steinle, would mandate a minimum five-year sentence for any illegal reentry offense.
The flow of illegal immigrants along our southern border is a direct consequence of the Obama Administration's failure to fully enforce our immigration laws. As I have said time and time again, keeping our southern border open and handing free passes to those who cut the line sends the wrong message to those patiently waiting and those seeking to come to our country legally that we are a Nation of laws meant to be ignored, and that is something for which I will not stand. Without question, we must secure our borders and oppose any attempt to reward those who have broken our laws with American citizenship.
House Votes to Authorize the Revocation or Denial of Passports and Passport Cards to individuals affiliated with foreign terrorist organizations
It remains clear that the threat of terrorism continues to exist, with terrorist groups intent on attacking Americans on our own soil. Carrying out one of the primary responsibilities of Congress, to provide for the common defense, the House also took up and passed H.R.237, the FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2015, which would prohibit the Secretary of State from issuing a passport to an individual who is a member of or affiliated with a foreign terrorist organization. The bill would also direct the Secretary to revoke a passport previously issued to any such individual. I was pleased to see this commonsense measure pass the House, and I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and in the Intelligence Community in pursuing efforts to help guarantee the protection of American people at home and abroad.
House Passes H.R.1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act of 2015, as amended
The House passed legislation last week to protect consumer health, while also providing clarity to food labeling. H.R.1599, the Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act, would reaffirm the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate and ensure the safety of genetically engineered foods, while also creating voluntary national standards for labeling of these products.
H.R.1599 would help prevent the uncertainty, and increased food costs, that would come from a patchwork of different state laws on labeling. Farmers for many generations have modified plants and animals to improve growth rates and yields and create varieties resistant to pests and diseases. Traditionally, these modifications have been achieved by crossbreeding plants and animals with desirable traits; however, recent technological advances have allowed scientists to select individual genes that carry desirable traits from one organism and insert them into another organism all together. The FDA continues to monitor these advancements to ensure that human health is protected, and this bill would simply create uniformity in the way that these foods are treated across the country.
House Passes H.R.1734, the Improving Coal Combustion Residuals Regulation Act of 2015
Coal combustion residuals, also referred to as coal ash, are a byproduct of our energy sector, created when coal is used to generate electricity. Coal ash can be reused in the manufacture of products like concrete, cement, and drywall and has been used beneficially for decades. In fact, the EPA has conducted numerous studies on coal residuals dating back to 1980 that show the benefits of reusing coal ash. In April 2015, the EPA released a final rule on the disposal of coal ash. Although this rule does regulate coal ash as a hazardous material, it does leave the door open for a potential reversal in the future, thus necessitating action from Congress to protect the more than 300,000 jobs that rely on coal ash.
Last week the house passed H.R.1734 by a vote of 258-166. This measure, which I voted for, would set up state-based permit programs to allow states the option to voluntarily set up their own permitting to regulate the use of coal ash in their states. Under this bill, state permitting programs would be required to adhere to the minimum safety standards; however, they would be given the authority to set more stringent requirements if its authorities deem additional requirements necessary. Providing states the flexibility to create their own permitting programs will help ensure that regulations are not overly burdensome, while still protecting public health.
Meeting with the Florida Bankers Association
I met with members of the Florida Bankers Association last week to discuss multiple issues affecting our community banks and pending legislation. To counter the "one-size-fits-all" approach of the federal government’s regulations, I cosponsored H.R.1309, the Systemic Risk Designation Improvement Act, which would call for a more reasonable approach when determining which financial institutions are “systemically important” by incorporating factors such as complexity, interconnectedness, and risk, instead of establishing this determination based off of the institution’s size. Additionally, I am a cosponsor of H.R.1941, the Financial Institutions Examination Fairness and Reform Act, which would require regulating agencies to provide timely examination reports to our community banks and credit unions and would grant financial institutions the right to appeal a regulatory agency’s findings.
Without question, proliferation of government regulation continues to significantly hamper our economic growth and directly harms small businesses, entrepreneurs, and families across the Nation. As a fiscal conservative, I will continue to support efforts to rid our financial system of the needless government intrusion and burdensome regulations imposed on our financial institutions.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: House Votes to deny funding to states or localities operating as sanctuary cities