S. 678: English Language Unity Act of 2015

Bill Summary — Aug 16, 2016 8:05 a.m.

An estimated 21.1 percent of U.S. residents now speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 63.2 million residents, approximately doubled since 1990 and tripled since 1980. Some members of Congress see this as a worrying sign or even a threat.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA4) and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) are two such members. Together they’ve introduced H.R. 997 and S. 678, the English Language Unity ...

H.R. 997: English Language Unity Act of 2015

Bill Summary — Aug 16, 2016 8:05 a.m.

An estimated 21.1 percent of U.S. residents now speak a language other than English at home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 63.2 million residents, approximately doubled since 1990 and tripled since 1980. Some members of Congress see this as a worrying sign or even a threat.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA4) and Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) are two such members. Together they’ve introduced H.R. 997 and S. 678, the English Language Unity ...

H.R. 916: All-American Flag Act

Bill Summary — Aug 15, 2016 7:21 a.m.

Our government uses the stars-and-stripes flag for many different purposes — from flying above or outside government buildings, to military funerals, to hanging in almost public school classroom in America for the Pledge of Allegiance — but many of them are manufactured overseas. H.R. 916, the All-American Flag Act, would mandate that all American flags used by the federal government — not just by the military — be produced in this country.

Why the bill was introduced

Currently, American flags made outside the ...

H.R. 5245: Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing Act of 2016

Bill Summary — Aug 15, 2016 7:11 a.m.

Problems with ticketing for music, theater, and sports abound these days. From 1981 to 2012, the average concert ticket price almost quintupled, compared to only a roughly 2.5x rise in overall consumer prices over the same period. The recent meteoric rise in surcharges and fees adds up to 40 percent to the cost. Bots used by third-party vendors can be used to cheat ticketing websites and buy up hundreds or more tickets at once, leaving those vendors to sell ...

H.R. 2971: Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act

Bill Summary — Aug 6, 2016 1:24 p.m.

The average national gas price is currently $2.12 per gallon —down about half from the July 2008 peak of $4.11 per gallon. Recently gas prices had fallen for 50 of 51 days. Sounds like great news? Not entirely. Some Members of Congress think it represents a potentially missed opportunity that, if Congress fails to act now, may never come up again.

The issue

The issue is that the federal Highway Trust Fund is underfunded, to the point that ...