House

The House voted Thursday to ensure active U.S. servicemembers have free Internet access while serving in zones of combat.

Members agreed to this language as it approved a group of amendments en bloc to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act. The Internet proposal came from Rep. Gene Green (D-Texas), although it says the new requirement can be waived if the security environment is "unsafe for recreational Internet use."

Lawmakers approved an amendment that says nothing in U.S. law can deny citizens the right to a court hearing.

The House on late Thursday approved several Defense Department policy proposals, including language saying Congress approves of high-level meetings in the United States with Taiwan officials, and a requirement to fly POW/MIA flags on federal buildings.

These and other amendments were added to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The House votes Thursday afternoon in favor of an amendment to the 2014 Defense policy bill that would make it an offense to abuse rank in the military by raping or sexually assaulting a subordinate.

The amendment, from Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), was would apply to commissioned and noncommissioned officers.

Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) on Thursday accused President Obama and Senate Democrats of pursuing a strategy of allowing interest rates on federally backed student loans to double on July 1 in order to mask their inability to pass an alternative plan.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Boehner said the House has passed a plan modeled on one that President Obama proposed in his 2014 budget plan. But he said that so far, Senate Democrats have done nothing, with only two weeks left before rates rise from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.

Members of the House on Thursday voted in favor of a rule that allows a marathon session of debate and votes on 172 amendments to the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

The House voted 238-189 in favor of the rule, after which members were to start considering changes to the bill, likely until late into the night. Only eight Democrats voted for the rule.

Two proposed amendments to the defense authorization bill that would remove the decision to prosecute sexual assault cases from the chain of command will not receive votes on the House floor.

The House Rules Committee declared the two amendments out of order on Wednesday, which meant they were not among the list of 172 amendments that will be considered to the bill on the floor beginning Thursday.

One of the amendments was identical to a proposal from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) that would have given the decision to prosecute major criminal cases to military lawyers, and not commanders.

House Democrats on Thursday filed a discharge petition aimed at forcing a floor vote on a Democratic bill that would keep interest rates on federally backed student loans at 3.4 percent for another two years.

Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) filed the petition, which will need 218 signatures in order for his bill to be released from the House Education & the Workforce Committee. Assuming just a few or no Republicans support it, it will not be able to garner that many signatures.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Thursday called on House GOP leaders to allow a vote on a bill expanding firearms background checks, to mark Friday's six-month mark since the Newtown, Conn., shooting that left 20 children dead.

Pelosi and other Democrats spoke on the House floor about their meetings this week with many of the parents of Newtown schoolchildren. She said these parents are continuing to push for gun legislation, but said House Republicans have failed to allow a vote on any legislation yet.

Rep. Michael Turner (R-Ohio) on Wednesday introduced legislation that would prevent the Internal Revenue Service from redirecting funds to hold conferences and parties for IRS employees.

The Stop Internal Resource Slush (IRS) Fund Act, H.R. 2345, is a reaction to last week's congressional hearing in which IRS officials admitted to holding a $4 million conference during which IRS employees dressed up as Star Trek characters.