Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 72 bills introduced. Two of those bills will receive additional coverage in this blog:
HR 612 To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to health care providers to enhance the physical and cyber security of their facilities, personnel, and patients. Escobar, Veronica [Rep.-D-TX-16]
HJ Res 27 Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to "Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)". Harshbarger, Diana [Rep.-R-TN-1]
HR 612 has been co-sponsored by 57 Democrats and no Republicans. This makes it a partisan bill. While the Republicans are likely in favor of healthcare cybersecurity, the spending of federal money on such programs will almost certainly be opposed by significant Republican elements in the 119th Congress. Depending on the actual provisions of this bill, this legislation could see the use of a discharge petition to move it to the floor of the House with the assistance of a few moderate Republicans, a simple majority vote on the discharge petition will move the bill to the floor. That will not help in the Senate (13 Republicans would have to support the bill on the cloture votes), but it will make life interesting for Speaker Johnson in the House.
The disapproval resolution will be the first of many. The House Republicans in the 118th were able to pass many of these, and a few made it through the Senate. Most of these bills that landed on Biden’s desk were vetoed and the House was never able to override those vetoes. With Republicans in nominal control of the Senate (it still takes 60 votes for cloture) more of these bills will make it to the President’s desk, and Trump is unlikely to veto any of them. This is one that could probably make it to Trump’s desk. The text of this resolution is available, it is a really short piece of legislation.
I am adding these bill-introduction blog posts to this site. They are a common feature on my Chemical Facility Security News blog; they are being added here with expanded political commentary.