The U.S. Senate today passed a sweeping bill aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.
Included in the measure were several provisions championed by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.). [Read more…] about Senate passes sweeping opioid bill
U.S. Senate
Senate votes to restore Net Neutrality
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson voted for the measure
The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 52 to 47 to restore Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules prohibiting internet service providers from blocking or slowing down traffic from specific websites and apps.
The measure, supported by Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, was backed by all 47 Democratic senators, along with three Republicans and the chamber’s two Independents.
The rules, known as net neutrality, were initially adopted by the FCC under the Obama administration but were repealed by the newly Republican-controlled commission in the aftermath of President Trump’s election.
The resolution approved by the Senate would reverse the FCC’s rollback of the rules, which are set to expire on June 11.
“The American public understands how important these protections are to their lives and the future of the internet,” Nelson said on the senate floor before the vote. “They do not want to have their websites blocked or internet accessed slowed. And, they certainly don’t want their internet providers making those decisions.”
The vote is seen as a victory for consumer groups and small businesses that argued that the FCC’s repeal of net neutrality would ultimately result in internet service providers charging extra to access some online content or have websites load faster.
The resolution now heads to the House of Representatives.
Senate passes $90 billion disaster aid package
Includes billions of dollars to help Florida
and Puerto Rico recover from 2017 hurricanes
The U.S. Senate today approved a massive two-year government spending bill that includes, among other things, $89.3 billion in disaster assistance to help areas, such as Florida and Puerto Rico, recover from the devastating 2017 hurricanes.
The bill provides $2.36 billion to help farmers in states affected by last year’s storms, including Florida’s citrus growers who sustained more than $760 million in losses due to Hurricane Irma. It also provides $2.7 billion for schools impacted by the storms, including schools in Florida that have experienced a sudden influx of students who evacuated from Puerto Rico; and $10.4 billion for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to use for construction projects in states impacted by the hurricanes, such as the Herbert Hoover Dike that helps protect residents and businesses on Lake Okeechobee.
Also included in the bill is $2 billion to help Puerto Rico rebuild its power grid, where nearly a third of the island still remains without power; and $4.8 billion to fund Puerto Rico’s Medicaid program for at least two years.
“This is a big win for all those who are still struggling to recover from last summer’s devastating storms,” said U.S. Bill Nelson (D-FL), who has been calling on Congress for months to pass a disaster funding bill to help people in Florida and Puerto Rico recover. “For some, the funding in this bill is a light at the end of the tunnel and a major step forward in helping them return to the way life used to be before these storms.”
In addition to the nearly $90 billion in disaster assistance, the overall $300 billion budget agreement includes several other non-disaster related items Nelson pushed for, including:
$6 billion to help combat the opioid crisis.
$81 million to repair facilities damaged at NASA’s Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers during Hurricane Irma and Harvey. Nelson, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees NASA, requested the funding to repair numerous federal facilities affected by the storms, including NASA’s Kennedy and Johnson Space Centers.
$835 million for U.S. Coast Guard costs associated with Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, Maria and Matthew. Nelson, who serves as the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce Committee which oversees the U.S Coast Guard, requested the funding to repair damaged Coast Guard facilities.
Closing Medicare’s prescription drug “donut hole” by 2019. Nelson got Senate leaders to include in the budget deal a provision to close the so-called Medicare prescription drug “donut hole” by 2019, instead of 2020, and shift more of the cost to drug makers, instead of Medicare. The move not only helps to lower the cost of prescription drugs for Florida’s seniors, it also saves taxpayers billions of dollars over ten years.
Reauthorizes the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for 10 years. Nelson cosponsored legislation similar to a provision included in the budget deal to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which more than 370,000 children in Florida rely on.
Seniors’ Tax Simplification Act of 2017. Included in the budget bill is a provision identical to legislation Nelson filed with Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in January 2017 (S. 157) to make it easier for seniors to file their taxes. The measure allows seniors to file a new tax form, similar to the 1040EZ, instead of the more complicated Form 1040 or Form 1040A they are currently required to use because of the income they earn through Social Security, capital gains and other retirement benefits, and the special tax credits they receive.
$7 billion to help fund Community Health Centers. Nelson cosponsored similar legislation included in the budget deal to provide an additional $7 billion for Community Health Centers. These health centers provide much-needed medical services to some of the nation’s most vulnerable individuals, including more than one million Floridians each year.
Repeals the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). Nelson cosponsored legislation that was included in the budget deal to repeal IPAB in its entirety.
Senate approves $692 billion defense budget
The U.S. Senate today passed its annual defense budget for the next fiscal year.
In addition to authorizing $692.2 billion for the Department of Defense and other national security programs, the bill includes a number of projects important to Florida that U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), a senior member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed for, including a provision that will make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from the Cape, possibly up to twice a day.
The bill, which was approved by the House yesterday, now heads to the president to be signed into law.
Here’s a list of provisions included in the bill that Nelson pushed for:
- Improving Cyber Defenses. As the top Democrat on the Armed Services’ cyber subcommittee, Nelson was instrumental in requiring the Department of Defense to establish new procedures to better detect, counter, and conduct cyber-enabled information operations, like the Russian attempt to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
- Combating Opioid Crisis. Nelson authored an amendment included in the final bill that directs DoD to study the effectiveness of training provided to DoD healthcare providers regarding opioid prescribing practices, initiatives in opioid safety and the use of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Opioid Therapy for Chronic Pain.
- Upgrading launch infrastructure at Cape Canaveral. Nelson authored a provision that requires DoD to modernize the Air Force’s launch infrastructure and improve launch operations to make it easier for commercial space companies to launch more frequently from Cape Canaveral, possibly up to twice a day. Also included are provisions that provide funding to support automated launch safety systems and reusable launch vehicles that would allow the Air Force to support more commercial launches from the Cape, while reducing costs to the government.
- $300 million to upgrade Florida military bases. The bill authorizes $299.1 million for construction at Florida’s military bases, including a special operations simulator facility at Eglin Air Force Base, near Pensacola; a special operations simulator and fuselage training facility at Hurlburt Field, also near Pensacola; a fire station at Tyndall Air Force Base, near Panama City; a “Guardian Angel” facility at Patrick Air Force Base, at Cape Canaveral; and a wastewater treatment plant at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.
- Upgrading testing and training ranges. Nelson secured an additional $35 million in funding to improve infrastructure at the military’s testing and training ranges, including the Eastern Gulf Test and Training Range off Eglin Air Force Base. The additional funding underscores how important these ranges are to our national security and the need to protect them from offshore oil drilling.
- Future ships to Mayport. Nelson authored a provision that would require the Navy to consider a port’s ability to mitigate risks associated with natural disasters and improve fleet response times when deciding where to homeport future ships. Those considerations, if taken into account, would help make Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville a natural choice for future homeporting of a nuclear aircraft carrier and additional amphibious ships.
- Apollo 1 Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. Nelson authored language to authorize the construction and placement of a memorial marker at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the crewmembers of Apollo I who died during a launch rehearsal on January 27, 1967.
- Providing military dependents with the benefits they deserve. Nelson led efforts to include a provision that permanently extends Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) payments, which were set to expire in June 2018. Congress created SSIA to offset the mandatory reductions in payments to some surviving military spouses.
Congress approves seven new VA facilities in Florida
The U.S. Senate late last night unanimously approved legislation authorizing seven new major VA medical facilities in Florida.
The legislation, approved by a voice vote yesterday, included language originally sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) authorizing the General Services Administration to execute 28 new leases for major VA medical facilities around the country, including seven in Florida.
The new Florida facilities will be located in Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Ocala, Tampa, Lakeland and two in Gainesville.
“We have a duty to care for the brave men and women who have served in our nation’s military,” Nelson said. “Getting these seven new VA clinics opened here in Florida will make it easier for some of our veterans to access the care that they need.”
By law, Congress must approve any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs lease that would result in an average rental payment of more than $1 million per year. Congress has not authorized a major VA medical facility lease since 2014.
The legislation authorizing the new Florida facilities was included in a broader veterans’ health care bill, known as the VA Choice and Quality Employment Act of 2017, which the Senate approved yesterday. The measure, which was approved by the House last week, now heads to the president’s desk to be signed into law.
Here’s the list of Florida facilities and the amounts authorized for each:
- A replacement outpatient clinic, Daytona Beach, Florida, an amount not to exceed $12,198,000.
- A new outpatient clinic, Gainesville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $7,891,000.
- An outpatient mental health clinic, Gainesville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $4,320,000.
- A replacement outpatient clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, an amount not to exceed $18,623,000.
- A replacement outpatient clinic, Ocala, Florida, an amount not to exceed $5,026,000.
- A replacement mental health clinic, Tampa, Florida, an amount not to exceed $13,387,000.
- A replacement outpatient clinic, Lakeland, Tampa, Florida, an amount not to exceed $10,760,000.
Hurricane Hunter backup bill passes Senate
The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday requiring the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to have reliable backups available for its Hurricane Hunter aircraft.
The provision, sought by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), comes in the wake of an incident last year when one of the jets NOAA was using to gather hurricane measurements was forced to land for emergency repairs during Hurricane Hermine. The Gulfstream G-IV was grounded for several days, forcing NOAA to scramble to find a temporary replacement.
“When it comes to protecting lives and property, we can’t afford to go without Hurricane Hunters,” Nelson said following the passage of the measure. “We need to have a backup plan in place, and I’m hopeful we’ll have one in time for hurricane season.”
NOAA maintains a fleet of three aircraft currently based at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The planes are designed to fly in and around hurricanes and tropical storms, collecting data used to track and measure the intensity of these powerful storms.
NOAA’s current fleet of Hurricane Hunters include two P3 propeller aircraft, known as Miss Piggy and Kermit, that fly into storms, but only one Gulfstream jet, known as Gonzo, capable of reaching altitudes high enough to fly above storms.
The measurements taken by Hurricane Hunters are essential to weather forecasters. On May 1, the Hurricane Hunter fleet is slated to move from Tampa to the Lakeland-Linder Regional Airport.
Nelson’s Hurricane Hunter provision was included in a broader weather bill (HR 353). The legislation now goes to the House for consideration.
