Cabbage News Network Week #8

Summary of Health Care Bill status from GovTrack - Where key legislators stand on the bill.

Status of cabinet picks and other appointments: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/us/politics/donald-trump-administration.html. Hearings are happening this week. New confirmations since last week are Dan Coats (Director National Intelligence).

Sunday 3/10

• DJT orders all Obama appointed prosecutors at DOJ to resign (source) - many of them promptly join anti-Trump organizations (source).

Saturday 3/11

• Manhattan attorney Preet Bharara refuses resignation order, is fired. (source).

Monday 3/13

• DJT's first cabinet meeting.
  
• Executive order asks OMB to look for entire agencies that could be eliminated (source).
  
• CBO report on healthcare replacement plan - 14 million to lose coverage in first year (source) - Full report.
  
• DJT gives CIA free rein to conduct drone strikes (source).
  
• DJT looking to severely cut UN humanitarian programs (source).
• Elsewhere - Russia military deployment to Egypt and Libya (source).
  
• Elsewhere - UK Parliament gives official go ahead for Brexit (source).

Tuesday 3/14

• Snow

Wednesday 3/15

• DJT promises to lower fuel economy standards (source).
  
• House intel panel proceeds with formal investigation of leaks (source).

Thursday 3/16

• DJT releases budget proposal - note this is basically his wish list, the actual budget will start in Congress (source) - source link contains details - recommended reading, there's a lot there including wiping out entire agencies (details on those). Congress has already said they plan to more or less ignore this.
  
• Judges block travel ban (again) (source).
  
• Senate panel finds no evidence for DJT wiretap claim (source).

Legislative action this week

Legislation awaiting DJT's signature

• Repeal rule favoring Federal contractors that comply with labor laws https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres37
  
• Repeal BLM rule on expanding public input on natural resource management planning https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres44 - BLM summary of this rule (note doing nice summaries like this will probably become illegal if the Regulatory Integrity Act passes) - New about the change.
  
• Repeal of two rules regarding school accountability and reporting requirements https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres57 and https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres58 - News about these.
  
• NASA Authorization Act - keeps NASA running https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s442
  
• New this week - Repeal of rule limiting what occupations can require regular drug testing https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres42
  

Legislation passed in the House, awaiting Senate

• Scrub Act - creates a commission whose job it is to look for regulations to repeal https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr998
  
• Regulatory Integrity Act - prohibits agencies from advocating for new rules https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1004
  
• OIRA Act - expands regulatory review process https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1009
  
• repeal of rule requiring employers to keep records of workplace injuries https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hjres83
  
• Law requiring a lactation room in public buildings https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1174
  
• DOD Appropriations - keeps DOD running https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1301
  
• Several laws changing litigation rules, of most interest is probably https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr985 making class action lawsuits more difficult - more about this and some of the other proposed laws about litigation - of that list, 985, 720, and 725 have passed the House
  
• MLK, Jr. NHP Act - upgrades and expands the MLK Jr. National Historic Site to a National Historic Park https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr267
  
• approval to increase the capacity of the Fontenelle Reservoir https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr648 - this would pull more water from the Colorado River for irrigation in Wyoming

Legislation passed in the Senate, awaiting House

• Repeal of a rule requiring transit authorities to consolidate planning organizations in the same metro area https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/s496
  

Legislation advancing in the House

• Law establishing an earthquake warning system for the Pacific Northwest https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr654
  
• Law raising the price cap on FEMA disaster recovery projects from $130k to $500k https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr1214
  
• New this week - Law removing anti-trust protections from the health insurance industry https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr372
  

Map of the week: