WASHINGTON — Legislation first introduced last year to reform the nation’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program has been reintroduced in Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana:On Friday, Jordan introduced House Resolution 2832, the Welfare Reform and Upward Mobility Act of 2017, with U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, sponsoring the bill in the Senate.
According to Jordan’s office, this bill models itself after reforms in Maine as well as welfare reforms in 1996, designed to encourage able-bodied adults without dependents to choose to re-enter the workforce rather than remain on government assistance.
“Welfare programs should serve as a temporary safety net, but for millions of Americans they have become a permanent way of life,” Jordan said in a statement. “Instead of giving impoverished families and individuals a helping hand, the current welfare system penalizes positive steps toward self-sufficiency. It’s time for this to change. I’m honored to work with Senator Mike Lee to improve the welfare system, so that it helps our fellow Americans realize their goals and potential.”
According to Jordan, this bill would improve reporting of means-tested welfare spending, create work activation programs run by the states to help SNAP recipients receive vocational education and job training and find employment, reinforcing a 100-hour per month work activation program for SNAP benefits for able-bodied recipients and eliminate Temporary Assistance for Needy Families provisions that penalize marriage.
Rep. Bob Latta, R-Bowling Green: Latta voiced his support for the Financial CHOICE Act passed in the House of Representatives on Thursday, rolling back regulations imposed by the Dodd-Frank regulatory bill, providing, “relief for small and community banks … [ending] taxpayer bailouts of Wall Street banks and [cutting] the deficit by $24 billion,” according to a statement from Latta’s office.
“The Financial CHOICE Act gives banks the option to have greater regulatory relief if they meet capital reserve requirements,” Latta said. “It will also ensure that not 1 cent of taxpayer money is spent on bailing out Wall Street, and it ends the disastrous policy of ‘Too Big To Fail.’ At the same time, federal regulatory agencies will be reined in by requiring that any new major rule must be approved by Congress, ensuring any regulation that has an $100 million impact will be thoroughly vetted and evaluated.”
U.S. Senate
Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio: On Monday, Brown and U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced the members of a bipartisan judiciary advisory commission to help find the best candidates to fill vacancies on the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Northern Districts of Ohio. The commission, consisting of lawyers and law professors will be chaired by Elizabeth Smith, a partner at the Columbus law firm of Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.
The bipartisan advisory commission model was first put in place by Brown and former U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio.
On Thursday, Brown introduced the Community Care Core Competency Act, designed to help the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs offer continuing medical education for doctors outside the VA system who treat veterans and their families. The aim is to better prepare physicians for treating veteran-related illnesses or injuries, such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Our veterans and their families have unique health needs connected to their service to our country,” Brown said. “It’s critical to give all doctors who treat our veterans the training they need to provide the best care possible to our heroes.”
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio: On Thursday, the Housing Opportunities Made Easier Act, authored by Portman, passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Financial CHOICE Act.
This provision would ensure that Habitat for Humanity affiliates are able to receive donated appraisals on homes they construct.
“The HOME Act will make it easier for Habitat to carry out its mission by eliminating unnecessary red tape and freeing up more resources that Habitat can use to help more people in Ohio and across our great country,” Portman said.
Ohio House of Representatives
Rep. Bob Cupp, R-Lima: Cupp is supporting action by the Ohio House Education and Career Readiness Committee to advance House Bill 170, which would require the Ohio Board of Education to add computer science as a recognized curriculum option for high school students, require the board to adopt academic standards and model curriculum for that discipline.
“It is important to integrate a computer science option into high schools across Ohio,” Cupp said. “Many witnesses before the committee representing Ohio technology companies stressed the need for more individuals skilled in computer programming and the job opportunities that exist for those individuals.”
Under this legislation, students could elect to take a computer science course instead of Algebra II, many science courses, or as an elective class.
