FISCHER, DEB (a Senator from Nebraska)

Amendments

Civil rights: improve remedies for discrimination in the payment of wages based on sex (S. 2199), S2244 [8AP]

Conservation of energy: promote energy savings in residential buildings and industry (S. 2262), S2729, S2737 [6MY], S2815, S2816 [7MY]

Dept. of HHS: reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (S. 1086), S1368 [6MR]

Employment: reform and strengthen the workforce investment system (H.R. 803), S4006 [25JN]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: exempt emergency services volunteers from individual health insurance mandate (H.R. 3979), S2017 [1AP]

Science, Depts. of Justice and Commerce, and related agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 4660), S3818 [18JN], S3869, S3879 [19JN]

Sports: protect and enhance opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting (S. 2363), S4231 [7JY], S4346 [9JY], S4420 [10JY]

Taxation: provide incentives for businesses to bring jobs and business activity back to the U.S. (S. 2569), S4913, S4914, S4923, S4971 [24JY], S4999 [28JY]

Unemployment: extend unemployment benefits (S. 1845), S151 [8JA]

Articles and editorials

Hobby Lobby Decision and Its Distortions, by, Wall Street Journal, S4526 [16JY]

How Obama Neglects the Poor (excerpt), Arthur C. Brooks, Wall Street Journal, S49 [7JA]

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Baker, Howard H., Jr.: tribute (see S. Res. 494), S4154 [26JN]

Budget: establish biennial budget and appropriations processes and enhance oversight and performance of the Federal Government (see S. 554), S2195 [7AP]

Bureau of Reclamation: authorize early repayment of obligations within the Northport Irrigation District in Nebraska (see S. 2544), S4153 [26JN]

Bush, George: tribute (see S. Res. 471), S3604 [11JN]

Commission on Native Children: establish (see S. 1622), S3029 [14MY]

Commission To Study the Potential Creation of a National Women’s History Museum: establish (see S. 398), S2796 [7MY]

Committee on Taxation (Joint): provide a macroeconomic analysis or dynamic scoring of the impact of major revenue legislation (see S. 2371), S3237 [21MY]

Congo, Democratic Republic of the: resume processing adoption cases and issuance of exit permits for adopted Congolese children seeking to depart the country with their adoptive parents (see S. Res. 502), S4503 [15JY]

Congress: approve permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline (see S. 2280), S2614 [1MY]

Constitution—U.S.: protect the separation of powers by allowing Congress to authorize a civil action against the President or executive branch for failure to execute laws (see S. 2118), S1584 [12MR]

Contraceptives: ensure employers cannot prohibit access, call for an FDA study on whether prescriptions are necessary for contraceptives, and allow use of certain health accounts to purchase over-the-counter drugs (see S. 2605), S4502 [15JY]

Crime: provide justice for victims of human trafficking (see S. 1738), S3720 [17JN]

Denton, Jeremiah: tribute (see S. Res. 407), S1871 [31MR]

Dept. of Defense: provide additional enhancements of sexual assault prevention and response programs and activities (see S. 1917), S325 [14JA]

Dept. of Justice: increase authorization for Children’s Advocacy Centers (see S. 1799), S2471 [29AP]

Dept. of the Interior: require a study of the feasibility of establishing Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail (see S. 2745), S5217 [31JY]

Dept. of Transportation: delay implementation of regulation changing the hours-of-service rule for commercial truck drivers pending a GAO assessment of such regulation (see S. 1891), S291 [13JA]

——— improve State flexibility in addressing propane and other home heating fuel shortages and extend motor carrier exemption from hours of service regulations in the transportation of such fuels (see S. 2086), S1585 [12MR]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: provide for removal of Senior Executive Service employees based on performance (see S. 2013), S3368 [3JN]

——— provide veterans with the choice of medical providers, improve performance metrics for provided health care, and increase transparency and accountability of operations (see S. 2424), S3367 [3JN]

Dixon, Alan J.: tribute (see S. Res. 496), S4224 [7JY]

Employment: encourage corporate, academic, and social entities to develop rules requiring consideration of minority candidates when searching for a business vendor or filling leadership positions (see S. Res. 511), S4705 [22JY]

EPA: call for withdrawal of proposed rules to establish carbon pollution (greenhouse gas) emission guidelines for existing and modified and reconstructed fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units (see S. Res. 512), S4762 [23JY]

——— disapprove rule establishing new source performance standards to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new powerplants (see S.J. Res. 30), S439 [16JA]

——— improve establishment of any lower ground-level ozone standards (see S. 2833), S5697 [17SE]

——— prohibit garnishment of non-Federal wages to collect delinquent non-tax debts owed to the U.S. without first obtaining a court order (see S. 2809), S5588 [15SE]

——— prohibit proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible (see S. 2613), S4557 [16JY]

——— prohibit regulation of carbon pollution (greenhouse gas) emissions for existing fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating units under certain circumstances (see S. 2414), S3367 [3JN]

——— provide for Scientific Advisory Board member qualifications and public participation (see S. 1853), S326 [14JA]

FAA: issue or revise regulations with respect to the medical certification of certain small aircraft pilots (see S. 2103), S5589 [15SE]

——— use enplanement numbers that preceded enactment of certain pilot regulations to calculate Airport Improvement Program apportionments (see S. 2848), S5698 [17SE]

FCC: report on impact of designated media market areas and assess how television stations can best serve local communities (see S. 2643), S4705 [22JY]

Federal agencies and departments: limit authority to award bonuses to employees (see S. 2263), S2567 [30AP]

Financial institutions: clarify application of certain leverage and risk-based capital requirements (see S. 2270), S3296 [22MY]

——— improve examination of depository institutions (see S. 727), S5919 [12NO]

——— provide exception from requirement for annual privacy notices for financial institutions which do not share personal information with affiliates (see S. 635), S2162 [3AP]

——— provide regulatory easement for lending institutions that enable a vibrant economy (see S. 2698), S5134 [30JY]

Government regulations: provide for regulatory impact analyses for certain rules and for consideration of the least burdensome regulatory alternative (see S. 2931), S6096 [18NO]

Immigration: require notification of a Governor of a State if an unaccompanied alien child is transferred to the State (see S. 2600), S4454 [14JY] (see S. 2633), S4662 [21JY]

Indian Tribal Energy Development and Self-Determination Act: amend (see S. 2132), S4405 [10JY]

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty: require a report on compliance information sharing (see S. 1924), S325 [14JA]

Iran: impose and expand sanctions for violations of interim Joint Plan of Action on nuclear weapons or failure to reach final agreement (see S. 1881), S28 [6JA]

Iraq: protect religious minorities from persecution by Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) (terrorist organization) (see S. Res. 530), S5135 [30JY]

IRS: prohibit modification of the standard for determining whether an organization is operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare (see S. 2011), S890 [11FE]

Israel: reaffirm support for right to defend itself against rocket attacks from Hamas (terrorist organization), condemn and call for an end to such attacks, and dissolve Palestinian Authority unity Government with Hamas (see S. Res. 498), S4404 [10JY]

——— strengthen strategic alliance with the U.S. (see S. 2673), S5137 [30JY]

Jeffords, James M.: tribute (see S. Res. 539), S5434 [9SE]

Labor unions: protect the free choice of individual employees relative to participation in labor organizations (see S. 204), S325 [14JA] (see S. 1712), S5051 [29JY]

Mathews, Harlan: tribute (see S. Res. 444), S2953 [13MY]

Medicare: clarify policy relative to physician supervision of therapeutic hospital outpatient services (see S. 1143), S852 [10FE]

——— develop criteria for medically necessary short inpatient hospital stays (see S. 2082), S1315 [5MR]

——— remove the physician certification requirement for inpatient critical access hospital services (see S. 2037), S1001 [24FE]

Members of Congress: constitutional amendment to limit terms (see S.J. Res. 2), S3509 [9JN]

Moldova: support sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, call for removal of Russian forces, and resolve conflict in Transnistria territory (see S. Res. 411), S2161 [3AP]

Native Americans: clarify rights of Indians and tribes on Indian lands under the National Labor Relations Act (see S. 1477), S5219 [31JY]

Nicklaus, Jack: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 1040), S3604 [11JN]

NIH: submit an annual budget estimate for Alzheimer’s disease initiatives (see S. 2192), S3720 [17JN]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: allow employers to exempt employees with health coverage under TRICARE or VA from employer health insurance mandate (see S. 2190), S1923 [1AP]

——— notify individuals if personal and private information of those enrolling in exchanges is known to have been acquired or accessed as a result of a breach of security (see S. 1902), S223 [9JA]

——— require States with failed health care exchanges to reimburse the Federal Government for amounts provided for establishment and operation of such exchanges (see S. 2339), S3186 [20MY]

Peres, Shimon: award Congressional Gold Medal (see S. 1456), S655 [30JA]

Public documents: prohibit the Government sale of Government documents that are available for free online by abolishing the National Technical Information Service (see S. 2206), S2912 [12MY]

Schlesinger, James R.: tribute (see S. Res. 472), S3604 [11JN]

Senate Rules: modify the provision relating to timing for filing of cloture motions (see S. Res. 382), S1584 [12MR]

Small Business Saturday: designate (see S. Res. 548), S5629 [16SE]

Sports: protect and enhance opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting (see S. 1996), S2471 [29AP] (see S. 2363), S3184 [20MY]

Sri Lanka: develop a balanced U.S. policy, call for international assistance in dealing with grievances arising from civil war, support reconciliation, and improve religious and media freedoms (see S. Res. 364), S2615 [1MY]

Sudan: condemn charge of apostasy and death sentence of Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, encourage U.S. efforts to support religious freedom, and urge inclusion of freedom of religion when drafting new constitution (see S. Res. 453), S3237 [21MY]

Taxation: clarify treatment of general welfare benefits provided by Indian tribes (see S. 1507), S4404 [10JY]

——— make permanent the moratorium on Internet access taxation and multiple and discriminatory taxes on electronic commerce (see S. 1431), S372 [15JA]

Transportation: empower States with authority for most taxing and spending for highway and mass transit programs (see S. 1702), S5051 [29JY]

Treaties and agreements: seek inclusion of provisions that promote Internet-enabled commerce and digital trade in negotiations for bilateral, plurilateral, or multilateral agreements (see S. 1788), S291 [13JA]

Water: prevent finalization by the EPA or Corps of Engineers of proposed guidance on identification of waters protected by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (see S. 2496), S3863 [19JN]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Budget: increase transparency in Federal budgeting (see S. 2420), S3367 [3JN]

Contracts: improve design-build process in Federal contracting (see S. 2652), S4903 [24JY]

Dept. of HHS: require U.S. Preventive Services Task Force compliance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (see S. 2574), S4336 [9JY]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: prohibit payment of performance awards to Veterans Health Administration employees (see S. 2362), S3184 [20MY]

FCC: assign the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis the responsibility of bringing institutional focus to approving new technologies and improving regulatory certainty (see S. 2817), S5628 [16SE]

——— modify Federal labeling requirements for electronic devices to permit electronic device manufacturers to display Federal labeling requirements digitally (see S. 2583), S4404 [10JY]

Financial Stability Oversight Council: strengthen review authority of regulations issued by Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (see S. 2212), S2161 [3AP]

FRS: replace the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with a 5-person commission (see S. 2213), S2161 [3AP]

Health: provide regulatory clarity over clinical and health software and relieve categories of such low-risk software from the medical device tax (see S. 2007), S852 [10FE]

IRS: improve transparency and efficiency relative to audits and communications with taxpayers (see S. 2044), S1174 [26FE]

——— prohibit asking taxpayers questions relative to religious, political, or social beliefs (see S. 2043), S1174 [26FE]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: provide that the individual health insurance mandate not apply until the employer health insurance mandate is enforced without exceptions (see S. 2106), S1519 [11MR]

SBA: increase maximum loan amount for loans under the Microloan program (see S. 2487), S3811 [18JN]

Taxation: increase the annual contribution limit for Coverdell education savings accounts and include athletic equipment in qualified elementary and secondary education expenses (see S. 2568), S4271 [8JY]

——— provide a credit to employers who provide paid family and medical leave (see S. 2618), S4557 [16JY] (see S. 2627), S4620 [17JY]

Remarks

Agriculture: reauthorize certain programs (H.R. 2642), conference report, S725 [4FE]

Appropriations: making consolidated appropriations, S6736 [12DE]

Civil rights: improve remedies for discrimination in the payment of wages based on sex (S. 2199), S5475 [10SE]

——— improve remedies for discrimination in the payment of wages based on sex (S. 2199), motion to proceed, S2219 [8AP]

Contraceptives: ensure employers cannot prohibit access, call for an FDA study on whether prescriptions are necessary for contraceptives, and allow use of certain health accounts to purchase over-the-counter drugs (S. 2605), S4522 [16JY]

Dept. of Agriculture: clarify regulations relative to the importation of seeds, S725 [4FE]

Dept. of Defense: provide additional enhancements of sexual assault prevention and response programs and activities (S. 1917), S1345 [6MR]

——— reform procedures for determinations to proceed to trial by court-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (S. 1752), S1345 [6MR]

Dept. of HHS: reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant Program (S. 1086), S1557 [12MR]

Dept. of the Interior: assemble a team of experts to address energy needs of U.S. territories aimed at reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels and increasing use of indigenous clean-energy resources (H.R. 83), House amendment, S6736 [12DE]

Elections: constitutional amendment on contributions and expenditures intended to affect elections (S.J. Res. 19), motion to proceed, S5475 [10SE]

Energy and water development: making appropriations, S6736 [12DE]

Equal Pay Act: modernize, S2219 [8AP], S5475 [10SE]

FCC: assign the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis the responsibility of bringing institutional focus to approving new technologies and improving regulatory certainty (S. 2817), S5632 [16SE]

Federal agencies and departments: codify and modify regulatory requirements (S. 191), S49 [7JA]

Health: provide regulatory clarity over clinical and health software and relieve categories of such low-risk software from the medical device tax, S1557 [12MR]

——— provide regulatory clarity over clinical and health software and relieve categories of such low-risk software from the medical device tax (S. 2007), S853 [10FE]

Insurance: ensure that employers that provide health benefits to their employees cannot deny any specific health benefits, including contraception coverage (S. 2578), motion to proceed, S4522 [16JY]

IRS: improve transparency and efficiency relative to audits and communications with taxpayers (S. 2044), S1682 [24MR]

——— prohibit asking taxpayers questions relative to religious, political, or social beliefs (S. 2043), S1682 [24MR]

Medicare: Medicare Advantage program funding, S1137 [26FE]

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: ensure that personal and private information of those enrolling in exchanges is secured with proper privacy and data security safeguards, S99 [8JA]

——— impact of implementation on health care, coverage, costs, and accessibility, S569 [29JA], S1137 [26FE], S3007 [14MY]

——— provide that the individual health insurance mandate not apply until the employer health insurance mandate is enforced without exceptions (S. 2106), S3007 [14MY]

Sports: protect and enhance opportunities for recreational fishing, hunting, and shooting (S. 2363), S3196 [21MY]

Supreme Court: decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp., v. Burwell relative to requirements for health insurance coverage of contraceptives by for-profit corporations, S4522 [16JY]

Taxation: provide a credit to employers who provide paid family and medical leave (S. 2618), S5161 [31JY]

——— reform the Federal tax code, S50 [7JA]

Ukraine: support sovereignty and democracy (S. 2124), motion to proceed, S1682 [24MR]

Unemployment: extend unemployment benefits (S. 1845), motion to proceed, S49 [7JA]

Water: prevent finalization by the EPA or Corps of Engineers of proposed guidance on identification of waters protected by the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, S6736 [12DE]

Tributes

Johanns, Senator, S6421 [9DE]

Prange, Benjamin G., S5126 [30JY]