Before Congress embarked on its August recess, various bills were left hanging. So, if you see your representative or Senator in their home district, you might want to ask him or her about this “legislative limbo.” Broad, complex legislation like the immigration-overhaul bill tend to get the lion’s share of publicity. That bill, passed by the Senate in the summer of 2013, still has not been acted upon by the House. When Congress returns from its vacation, it likely will act on the immigration bill—given the border crisis involving Central American youths who have been illegally streaming over the leaky southern border. Yet other bills which are not so well known also are gathering dust. They include: • H.R. 2959, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2013. This bill was referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigation. The Library of Congress says the bill “amends the federal criminal code to allow a citizen with a valid government ID and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state . . . to legally carry their gun in any other state.” That holds true unless the person in question is already prohibited from “possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm under federal law.” Machine guns or a “destructive device” are not included. The bill was introduced by Rep. Richard Nugent, a Florida Republican. Another item sitting on the shelf is: • House Concurrent Resolution 105: The resolution prohibits the President from deploying or maintaining United States Armed Forces in a sustained combat role in Iraq without specific, subsequent statutory authority. This bill passed the House by a vote of 370 to 40 on July 25th. But the Senate did not act before the August recess. Yet, President Obama began to again bomb parts of Iraq when Congress was already in recess, in order to destroy Islamic State of Iraq and Syria units that have been attacking northern-Iraq minorities. A third item that hasn’t moved actually pertains to immigration. That bill is: • H.R. 5116 The bill’s text says it directs the Secretary of Homeland Security “to train Department of Homeland Security personnel how to effectively deter, detect, disrupt, and prevent human trafficking during the course of their primary roles and responsibilities, and for other purposes.” This bill, which might help sort out the border crisis, was passed on a July 23rd House voice vote. So, there’s no recorded ledger of individual votes. The Senate has yet to act. A fourth bill just sitting around is: • H.R. 105: Otherwise known as the Reclaiming Individual Liberty Act, this bill, according to the Library of Congress: “Amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal provisions added by [Obamacare] requiring individuals to purchase and maintain minimum essential health care coverage.” In other words, if H.R. 105 were to become law, individuals would no longer be forced to buy federal health insurance. The bill is marooned in the House Subcommittee on Health. Viewers are encouraged to contact any House or Senate member on these and other bills. To reach Capitol Hill, call 202-224-3121 or contact their local offices. Support Indymedia! Donate USD: http://nnn.is/donate-dollars Donate BTC: http://nnn.is/donate-bitcoin Download your free Next News "Heroes & Villains" Poster here: http://nextnewsnetwork.com/the-2013-heroes-villains-posters LIVE: http://NextNewsNetwork.com Facebook: http://Facebook.com/NextNewsNet Twitter: http://Twitter.com/NextNewsNet Sub: http://NNN.is/the_new_media Meet the Next News Team: http://youtu.be/2QnNKwQ2WkY Hashtag: #N3 #DC

• published: 20 Aug 2014
• views: 27