The government in action

To keep readers informed, the ICO will begin publishing significant events and actions of the past week of the legislative, executive and judicial branches of the federal government. To contact elected officials about these events or any others, see the box on p. 13.

 

Monday, Jan. 23

á       Trump reinstated the global gag order, which forbids foreign nongovernmental organizations that receive certain U.S. aid from talking to clients about abortion.

á       HR610, a bill to distribute funds for elementary and secondary education in the form of vouchers for eligible students and to repeal a rule on nutrition standards in schools was introduced in Congress.

Tuesday, Jan. 24

á       The EPA and USDA were ordered to stop communicating with the public through social media or the press and to stop publishing their data, papers or research unless cleared with Trump transition personnel.

á       HR7, a bill that would prohibit federal funding not only to abortion service providers, but to any insurance coverage that provides abortion coverage, went to the floor of the House for a vote. Does not apply to cases of rape or incest or when the life of the woman is endangered.

á       HR621, a bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to sell certain Federal lands in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming, previously identified as suitable for disposal and for other purposes introduced in Congress.

á       HR622, a bill to terminate the law enforcement functions of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management and to provide grants to states for the enforcement of Federal law on Federal land introduced in Congress.

á       HR669. A bill to prohibit the conduct of a first-use nuclear strike absent a declaration of war by Congress introduced in Congress.

á       HR673, a bill to prohibit United States contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Green Climate Fund introduced in Congress.

á       HR674, a bill to require each agency to repeal or revise one or more existing regulations before issuing a new regulation introduced in Congress.

Wednesday, Jan. 25

á       Trump signed an executive order to begin building a wall along the U.S.-Mexican border that would cost an estimated $20 billion to $35 billon. Congress must still appropriate funds.

á       Trump signed an executive order that threatens to cut off federal funding to so-called Òsanctuary cities.Ó

Thursday, Jan. 26

á       Vice President Mike Pence told congressional Republicans that the administration will initiate a Òfull evaluation of voting rolls in America, the overall integrity of our voting system in the wake of this past election.Ó

Friday, Jan. 27

á       Trump closed the nationÕs borders to refugees from around the world, ordering families fleeing Syria be indefinitely blocked from entering the United States and temporarily suspending entry from several predominantly Muslim countries.

á       HR707, a bill to permit Medicare eligible seniors to receive a voucher for a health savings account, for premiums for a high deductible health insurance plan, or both instead of regular Medicare benefits and suspending Medicare late enrollment penalties between ages 65 and 70 introduced in Congress.

á       HR714, a bill to provide for the legitimate use of medicinal marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States.

á       HR715, a bill to provide for the rescheduling of marijuana, the medical use of marijuana in accordance with State law, and the exclusion of cannabidiol from the definition of marijuana introduced in Congress.

á       HR717, a bill to amend the Endangered Species Act to require review of the economic cost of adding a species to the list of endangered species or threatened species introduced in Congress.

Saturday, Jan. 28

á       Refugees are detained at the airport; green card and visa holders blocked from getting on flights to the U.S.

á       A late night ruling from federal judges stays part of TrumpÕs immigration ban.

Sunday, Jan. 29

á       National Security Council is reorganized putting Steve Bannon, TrumpÕs Chief Political Strategist and Senior Counselor, and Reince Priebus, Chief of Staff, on the Principals Committee. The Director of National Intelligence and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are demoted to only attending meetings where issues pertaining to them directly are to be discussed.