115th Congressional Dumpster Fire

The purpose of this page will be to compile Fark threads dealing with the dumpster fire that is the 115th U.S. Congress.

This page is for the month of 

For previous months, please see the archive

=Background= This section will provide background information about the members of the 115th U.S. Congress, or their party affiliation, etc. any information to give a basic overview of the 115th U.S. Congress that does not necessarily need a Fark-related thread.


 * date first called into session: January 3, 2017
 * date Americans can first expect relief: January 3, 2019
 * elections November 6, 2018
 * to read about all the Fark threads on the legislative crap they're up to click here, for outstanding individual achievements in assholery, click here, for "oversight hearings" click here and for confirmation hearings click here

Congresscritters and how to contact them

 * all members on Gov Track
 * House members
 * Senators

Current Pending Bills

 * all bills on Gov Track

Senate

 * Senate Committees

House

 * House Committees

Senate

 * Senate Committee Hearings and Meetings

House

 * House of Representatives Schedule
 * House Floor Summary

Congressional Record

 * Congressional Record

=Congressional Legislation= to view legislation introduced or debated by and for state legislations, please click here

Repeal ESSA
Every Student Succeeds Act

Sell ISP information to advertisers
Senate Joint Resolution 34

Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act of 2017 (HR 372)
repeal McCarran-Ferguson special exemption from federal antitrust laws

repeal Alaska National Wildlife Refuges Rule
allows shooting bears and wolves from aircraft and killing cubs and pups in their dens, even during hibernation

Repeal of ACA

 * 1) Background
 * 2) Backlash
 * 3) Repeal
 * 4) Replacement
 * 5) "Repair"
 * 6) Rescinding coal miners health benefits

MAR-A-LAGO Act
Make Access Records Available to Lead American Government Openness Act

The HONEST Act
Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act
 * would prohibit the EPA from writing any regulation that uses science that is not publicly available

College For All Act 2017
=Congressional Votes on Legislation= for confirmation votes on nominees, please see the confirmation section below

DonTCare

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Fillibuster
is this still a thing anymore?

=Congressional Oversight=

Responses to the Increase in Religious Hate Crimes

 * Full committee
 * "Responses to the Increase in Religious Hate Crimes"


 * Witnesses
 * Eric Treene
 * Special Counsel For Religious Discrimination, Civil Rights Division



Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election

 * Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
 * "Russian Interference in the 2016 United States Election"


 * Witnesses
 * Sally Yates
 * former Acting Attorney General


 * James Clapper
 * former Director of National Intelligence

add musical note emojis

Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

 * Full committee
 * "Oversight of the Federal Bureau of Investigation"


 * Witnesses
 * James Comey
 * director, Federal Bureau of Investigation



Trump-Russia Independent Commission
to investigate allegations of potential coordination between the Trump campaign and the Russians

Speier-Mattis-MacStravic letters
communications between Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th), Defense Secretary James Mattis and acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, James MacStravic
 * in February, Speier wrote Mattis about the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal [the DoD leasing space in Trump Tower] with Mattis
 * on March 3, MacStravic wrote Speier that
 * the White House Military Office "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence"
 * the residence in question was privately owned and negotiations "have been with the owner?s representatives only."
 * MacStravic was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics"
 * as such he would have to approve "an annual rental in excess of $1 million"

=Confirmation Hearings=

Green for Army Secretary
state Senator Dr. Mark Green (R, TN, 22nd); retired Army flight surgeon; West Point grad; insane religious zealot

Garrett for Chairman and President, Export-Import Bank
former Rep. Scott Garrett (R NJ 5th); co-founded House Freedom Caucus, twice voted against reauthorizing the bank while in Congress

Bachus for Board of Export-Import Bank
former Rep. Spencer T. Bachus III (R AL 6th); former chairman (2011–2013), House Financial Services Committee

Ricketts for Deputy Commerce Secretary
Chicago Cubs board member

Judicial Nominees
=Special Addresses to Congress=

=Congressional Staff=

=Special Elections=

Georgia

 * 6th Congressional District to fill seat of Tom Price who is now Secretary of Health and Human Services

Montana

 * At-large Congressional District to fill seat of Ryan Zinke, who is now Secretary of the Interior

Mark Wicks (L)
=Members of Congress=

Rep. Mark Meadows (R NC 11th)
chair, Freedom Caucus

Tuesday Group
informal caucus of about 50 moderate Republican representatives

Rep. Paul Ryan (R WI 4th)
Speaker of the House

Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY)
Senate Majority Leader

Senator John Cornyn (R TX)
Majority Whip

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R CA 23)
House Majority Leader

Senator Richard Burr (R NC)
chair, Senate Intelligence Committee

Senator Chuck Grassley (R IA)
chair, Senate Judiciary Committee

Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R UT 3rd)
chair, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

Rep. Devin Nunes (R CA 22nd)
''chair, House Intelligence Committee ... for now''

Rep. Michael McCaul (R TX 10th)
chair, House Homeland Security Committee

Rep. Lamar Smith (R, TX 21st)
chair, House Science, Space and Technology Committee

Rep. Pete Sessions (R TX 32nd)
chair, House Rules Committee

Senator Lamar Alexander (R TN)
chair, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP)

Senator Mike Crapo (R ID)
chair, Senate Banking Committee

Senator Luther Strange (R AL)
former Attorney General for Alabama during DMV closure scandal

former Congressman Joe Walsh (R IL 8th)
former Republican Representative of Illinois' 8th district, radio personality

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D CA 12th)
House minority leader

Senator Chuck Schumer (D NY)
Senate minority leader

Rep. Joseph Crowley (D NY 14th)
chair, House Democratic Caucus

Senator Bob Menendez (D NJ)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Senator John Cornyn (R TX)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Senator Ted Cruz (R TX)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Senator Marco Rubio (R FL)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Senator Bill Cassidy (R LA)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Senator Dick Durbin (D IL)
wrote letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin asking him, as chair of CFIUS, for a "thorough, conflict-free and expedient review" in the event that PDVSA defaults and Roseneft gains control of CITGO

Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th)
member, House Armed Services and House Intelligence committees; discussed "the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal [the DoD leasing space in Trump Tower]" with SecDef Mattis and James MacStravic

Speier-Mattis-MacStravic letters
communications between Rep. Jackie Speier (D CA 14th), Defense Secretary James Mattis and acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, James MacStravic
 * in February, Speier wrote Mattis about the appearance that the President of the United States will financially benefit from this deal [the DoD leasing space in Trump Tower] with Mattis
 * on March 3, MacStravic wrote Speier that
 * the White House Military Office "requested approval to lease space in the Trump Tower for personnel assigned to support the President when at his private residence"
 * the residence in question was privately owned and negotiations "have been with the owner?s representatives only."
 * MacStravic was "temporarily performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics"
 * as such he would have to approve "an annual rental in excess of $1 million"

Rep. Patrick McHenry (R NC 10)
chief deputy whip, GOP Caucus

On The Fence
these Congresscritters aren't sure yet how their decisions will play politically, so they're not committing to anything publicly

WTF?
who knows what's going on here or why

Senator Mitch McConnell (R KY)
Senate Majority Leader

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D CA 12th)
House minority leader

Rep. Brad Sherman (D CA 30th)
=Links=