Congressional Update

Press release submitted by Tyler Price, Baker University Assistant Athletic Director

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Passed the Senate:
 The confirmation process continues for President Trump's appointments.
Confirmed:
There were two nominees who were confirmed and sworn in on Inauguration Day:

1. Retired Gen. James Mattis (Secretary of Defense)     
2. Retired Gen. John Kelly (Secretary of Homeland Security)     

Monday:

• Representative Mike Pompeo was confirmed as CIA Director. He resigned from Congress and took the oath of office Monday evening.     

Tuesday:

• former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, was confirmed by the Senate for the position of UN Ambassador. She submitted her resignation from the governor's post on Tuesday afternoon.

Passed committee: 

1. Senate committees approved the nominations of Elaine Chao (Transportation)
2. Dr. Ben Carson (Housing and Urban Development)
3. Wilbur Ross (Commerce)
4. On Monday, the nomination of Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee by a vote of 11-10.

Passed the House:
H.R. 7: No Taxpayer Funding for Abortions

Party	Yes	No	Present	Not Voting
Republicans	235			4
Democrats	3	183		7
Independents
Total	238	183		11

What H. R. 7 means:

• Permanently authorizes the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of Federal funds for abortion or health plans that cover abortion, except in cases of rape, incest or when the life of the mother is in danger. 
• Prohibits premium tax credits and cost-sharing subsidies authorized under the A.C.A. (aka ObamaCare) from being granted for health plans that include elective abortion coverage.

Retirement  Announcement:
On Wednesday January 25, 2017, Second District Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins, announced that she would not seek re-election to the House seat she was elected to in 2008.  Jenkins had been a favorite possible Gubernatorial candidate, seem to squash any thought of that saying, she would not seek any office in 2018.