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The Leader’s Floor Lookout: Week of July 8, 2024

Washington, July 7, 2024
Here’s what to watch for on the House Floor this week:
 
Defending the Integrity of American Elections from Noncitizen Voting

The right to vote is a foundational principle of the United States of America, and it must be protected. 

Currently, federal law states that it is illegal for foreign nationals or noncitizens to vote in U.S. federal elections or donate with regards to federal, state, or local elections in order to protect the integrity of our elections. However, as we’ve seen in states like Texas and Pennsylvania, noncitizens continue to unlawfully register to vote, diluting the votes of American citizens and potentially allowing foreign interference in our elections. 
 

With the over 7.2 million illegal immigrants that have come across our southern border thanks to President Biden’s open border policies, including more than 350 people on the terrorist watchlist, it is vital we shore up our election security and ensure that only American citizens are voting in American elections.

House Republicans are bringing legislation to require proof of citizenship when registering to vote, as well as allow states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls, to keep foreign interference out of our elections, maintain election integrity, and increase American citizens’ trust in our federal elections.

Rep. Chip Roy’s legislation, H.R. 8281, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, amends the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, requiring individuals to provide proof of United States citizenship in order to register to vote in federal elections.

House Republicans will continue fighting to protect the integrity of one of American citizens’ most fundamental rights: the right to vote.
 

Protecting Women and Girls from Biden’s Dangerous Title IX Overhaul

In April of this year, President Biden’s Department of Education finalized a Title IX rule that threatens to destroy protections for women’s sports and put young women and girls at risk by allowing transgendered athletes on women’s teams and in their locker rooms and bathrooms. 

It’s a scientific fact: Men and women have biological differences that make competing on the same sports team unfair and potentially dangerous. Allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports not only takes opportunities away from hardworking female athletes, but also places them in a position where they could more easily be injured.

Furthermore, by allowing biological men into women’s locker rooms and bathrooms, this rule takes away spaces from women and girls where they have a right to feel safe and puts them at risk. No woman or girl should have to share a bathroom with or change in front of a biological male.

Educational institutions have a duty to protect the safety of the women and girls that attend them, and ensure those women have the same access to athletic and educational opportunities as men – this rule shirks those responsibilities for the sake of appealing to radical woke activists. 

Additionally, President Biden’s Title IX rule allows schools to leave parents out of discussions with their children surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity, taking away parents’ rights when it comes to how they raise their children.


H.J. Res. 165, introduced by Rep. Mary Miller, reverses the Biden Administration’s Title IX rule relating to Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance so schools and educational institutions can continue to uphold the safety and educational and athletic opportunities of women and girls. 

House Republicans continue fighting to protect our women and girls in schools and in sports. 


Keeping Congress Working for the American People

The most fundamental duty of the House of Representatives is to serve the people of the United States by faithfully representing our constituents and holding the executive branch in check.

In order to ensure Congress remains open and working for American families, we must responsibly fund the legislative branch. This funding is vital to supporting committees in their vigorous oversight investigations, Member offices and their staff in their work for their districts, and the Capitol Police officers who keep us safe.

This week, House Republicans are bringing legislation that provides necessary resources for Members of Congress to effectively serve their constituents, including funding for staffing; increases funding for recruiting and retaining sworn Capitol Police officers; and funds House committees so they can hold the Biden Administration accountable and keep the executive branch in check.

Additionally, our legislation requires unspent amounts from Members’ Representational Allowances to be used for debt and deficit reduction. It also strengthens our national security by barring the purchase of telecommunications equipment or drones from China or other adversaries. 

H.R. 8772, the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2025, introduced by Rep. David Valadao, provides FY2025 appropriations for the legislative branch, including the House of Representatives, to maintain essential oversight responsibilities, faithfully serve the American people, and protect our national security.

House Republicans are committed to funding our legislative branch responsibly, keeping the people's house accessible and effective for hardworking Americans.
 

Protecting Consumer Choice from Biden’s War on Refrigerators and Dishwashers

In 1975, Congress established the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA) to increase American energy production, encourage efficient energy use, reduce demand, and bolster national energy security. Under the EPCA, the Department of Energy (DOE) sets efficiency standards for 60 product categories – but these standards must be cost-effective, significantly save energy, and be technologically feasible. 

Unfortunately, President Biden’s DOE has consistently abused their authority to push a radical energy agenda on American families and consumers, attempting to implement conservation standards that aren’t economically justifiable or significantly more energy efficient. These overreaching rules would take away consumer choice and burden American families struggling to get by, raising costs and forcing Americans to use appliances that do not perform as well. 

Additionally, the Biden DOE’s proposed standards aim to shut down the use of natural gas and force electric appliances on the American people, regardless of cost, performance, or availability – putting their radical Green New Deal agenda before the needs of hardworking Americans. 

While the Biden Administration fights to unleash a stream of new burdensome regulations for a multitude of vital home appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, and dryers, House Republicans work to protect consumer choice and keep government agencies out of your home.
 

Let’s be clear: President Biden and Washington bureaucrats' war on everyday household appliances only hurts American families and small businesses.

H.R. 7637, the Refrigerator Freedom Act, introduced by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, prevents the Secretary of Energy and the DOE from implementing new or amended energy efficiency standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified.

H.R. 7700, the Stop Unaffordable Dishwasher Standards Act, introduced by Rep. Nick Langworthy, prevents the Secretary of Energy and the DOE from implementing new or amended energy efficiency standards for dishwashers that are not technologically feasible and economically justified.

House Republicans will continue working to protect consumer choice from government overreach and ensure families and hardworking Americans can keep their preferred appliances in their homes.  


Denouncing Biden’s Veto of Legislation Overturning the SEC’s Block on Banks Holding Crypto Assets  


In March of 2022, Biden’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published Staff Accounting Bulletin 121 (SAB 121), which requires entities that hold and safeguard cryptocurrency or digital assets to present an associated asset and liability on their balance sheets to indicate that obligation.

By requiring banks to hold these assets on-balance sheet, SAB 121 essentially prevents banks from offering custody services for digital assets because of prudential capital and liquidity requirements for on balance sheet obligations.

This means that currently, very few banks are able to offer custody services for digital assets, reducing customers’ options for well-regulated custodial services and forcing many consumers to turn to non-bank market competitors that may not be subject to the same degree of regulatory oversight. 

By blocking banks from holding crypto-assets for their customers, SAB 121 promotes unregulated activity that can leave consumers vulnerable to significant harm instead of allowing banks subject to prudential regulations to offer safe crypto custody services. Once again, Americans pay the price for the Biden Administration’s executive overreach. 

H.J. Res. 109, introduced by Rep. Mike Flood, overturns the rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to “Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 121,” which essentially prevents banks from offering crypto or digital asset custodial services to consumers, as SAB 121 breaks with the banks’ historical practice of treating all custody assets as off-balance sheet.

Despite both the House and the Senate passing this legislation in a bipartisan manner, President Biden continues to put expanding executive authority over protecting American consumers and vetoed this bill. House Republicans won’t stop fighting to ensure the SEC can’t arbitrarily block the banking industry from taking custody of digital assets, removing safe and regulated custody options from the market for consumers.