‘Promises made’: Here’s what House Republicans have accomplished one month after taking majority
Cami Mondeaux
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It’s been just over a month since Republicans took control of the House and have begun to usher in a new era of rules and legislative priorities.
GOP lawmakers had high hopes to hit the ground running and quickly start voting on new bills to advance their agenda. But after a dragged out leadership election and subsequent intraparty disagreements on certain policy proposals, Republicans have managed to deliver only a handful of promises they made on the campaign trail.
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Days before the lawmakers were sworn in on Jan. 3, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise released a list of the GOP’s top 11 bills and resolutions the party planned to pass during the first two weeks of the new Congress. As of Friday, Republicans have only passed six.
“We have made it clear that we must change the way we do business in order to improve the legislative process,” Scalise wrote in a letter to Republican lawmakers on Dec. 30. “We do also recognize that it will take some time for our committees to organize and start moving legislation through regular order. In the meantime, we will begin bringing up meaningful, ‘ready-to-go’ legislation in the House. These commonsense measures will address challenges facing hard-working families on issues ranging from energy, inflation, border security, life, taxpayer protection, and more.”
Here’s a breakdown of what House Republicans have managed to accomplish so far and what other “ready-to-go” priorities are still making their way through the lower chamber:
Passed: Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
Just two days after lawmakers were sworn in to office, the House passed H.R. 11, “Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party,” on Jan. 9.
The resolution establishes a select committee in the lower chamber tasked with investigating the economic and security progress of the Chinese Community Party in relation to the United States. The 16-member panel is then responsible for submitting policy recommendations to address any concerns.
The resolution passed the House with a 365-65 vote.
Passed: Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act
On the same day, the House passed H.R. 23, “Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act,” which revokes some monetary payments that were made available through the Inflation Reduction Act. Specifically, the bill blocks most of the $80 billion in spending that was set to go toward the Internal Revenue Service that would have gone toward hiring roughly 87,000 new agency employees. However, Republicans argued the proposal would be used to boost tax enforcement and hurt middle-class workers in order to increase revenue for the federal government.
Democrats pushed back, noting not all of the 87,000 hires would have been auditors and would include thousands of other roles.
The resolution passed the House with a 221-210 vote that was split along party lines. McCarthy praised the bill’s passage, lauding Republicans for their “promises made. Promises kept,” he said in a statement.
Passed: Expressing the Sense of Congress Condemning the Recent Attacks on Pro-Life Facilities, Groups, and Churches
One of the first actions taken by the new Congress was to pass the concurrent resolution to condemn attacks on anti-abortion facilities and groups in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer.
In addition to condemning those attacks, the resolution also calls on President Joe Biden to activate appropriate law enforcement agencies to support the safety of anti-abortion groups. However, the legislation is largely a symbolic vote as it does not require Biden to implement any new policies or change current laws.
The resolution passed Congress with a 222-209 vote on Jan. 11, with three Democrats joining Republicans to back the measure.
Passed: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
On the same day as the concurrent resolution, House Republicans also passed H.R. 26, “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.”
The bill aims to increase protections for infants who survive an attempted abortion by requiring healthcare personnel performing the procedure to provide life-saving care that would be provided to “any other child born alive at the same gestational age.” Any healthcare worker who fails to do so could be subject to criminal penalties.
The House passed the bill with a 220-210 vote, with one Democrat joining Republicans to pass the measure. However, the vote was largely symbolic as the legislation is unlikely to pass the Democratic-led Senate.
Passed: Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act
House lawmakers passed H.R. 22, “Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act,” on Jan. 12.
The legislation blocks the sale of oil from the country’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve emergency stockpile to China or any entity that is linked to the Chinese Communist Party. Going further, the bill requires the Department of Energy to block any of its consumers from exporting the oil to China after purchasing from the U.S. reserve.
The bill passed with a 331-97 vote and has since been introduced in the Senate where it awaits a vote.
Passed: Strategic Production Response Act
The House passed H.R. 21, “Strategic Production Response Act,” on Jan. 27 after lawmakers submitted more than 140 amendments to be considered before taking a vote.
The bill seeks to limit the president’s ability to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and would require the federal government to increase the percentage of federal lands that are leased for oil and gas production. Republicans who introduced the legislation argued it was an “urgent” policy that would help rebuild the emergency stockpile and preserve oil for emergency situations or natural disasters.
The bill passed with a 221-205 vote, with one Democrat joining Republicans in approving the legislation. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration, where it is expected not to pass.
Awaiting Action: Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act
Among the list of “ready-to-go” legislation that is awaiting House action is H.R. 27, “Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act.”
The legislation would require state and local prosecutors to report data on how many criminal cases they decline to prosecute as well as the outcome of cases they choose to execute. The bill would also mandate prosecutors report how many cases they are initiating against defendants with a criminal history as well as the number of defendants who are released or eligible for bail.
The legislation was introduced in the House on Jan. 9 but has not yet been called for a vote.
Awaiting Action: Expressing Support for the Nation’s Law Enforcement Agencies and Condemning Any Efforts to Defund or Dismantle Law Enforcement Agencies
Also awaiting action is Concurrent Resolution 5, which seeks to offer “sincere gratitude and appreciation” for law enforcement agencies and officers across the country.
The legislation is largely a symbolic vote as it would not implement any new policies or change current public safety laws. Rather, the resolution would merely recognize Republicans’ opposition toward efforts to “defund and dismantle” law enforcement agencies.
The resolution was introduced in the House on Jan. 9 but has not yet been called for a vote.
Awaiting Action: Border and Safety Security Act
Lawmakers are still waiting to move forward with H.R. 29, “Border and Safety Security Act,” as Republicans seek to iron out intraparty disagreements on the legislation before bringing it to the floor for a vote.
The bill seeks to control the surge of immigration at the southern border further by giving the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security control to bar autonomously immigrants from coming into the country at any point of entry as a way to “achieve operational control” over the border. Under the legislation, that decision could be made whenever the secretary determines at their own discretion.
At least two Republicans have openly opposed the legislation, arguing the bill could block immigrants and unaccompanied children from seeking asylum in the U.S., which has long been a core principle of the country’s immigration laws. Several other Republicans have voiced concerns over the legislation, prompting lawmakers to delay action until they can guarantee their support.
Awaiting Action: Illegal Alien NICS Alert Act
Republicans introduced H.R. 28, “Illegal Alien NICS Alert Act,” in the House on Jan. 9, but the legislation has since failed to pick up steam in the lower chamber.
The legislation seeks to require the National Instant Criminal Background Check system to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement and relevant local law enforcement agencies when an illegal immigrant attempts to purchase a firearm in the U.S. The legislation has received some pushback from Second Amendment groups, which argue the bill would be used to empower the FBI to strip gun owners of their firearms even if they’re U.S. citizens.
As a result, House Republicans have delayed action on the bill as GOP leadership tries to garner intraparty support.
Awaiting Action: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act
On the same day, Republicans introduced H.R. 7 seeking to eliminate the use of federal funding toward abortions or health insurance provisions that cover the procedure.
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The legislation would seek to establish the Hyde Amendment as law, making permanent the provision in appropriations bills that prohibits the use of federal funds to go toward abortions. The bill would provide exceptions in the cases of rape, incest, or endangerment to the mother’s life, which are exceptions that are already included in the Hyde Amendment.
The bill was introduced on Jan. 9 but has not yet made it to the floor for a vote.