House

Rep. John Barrow (D-Ga.) on Thursday told House leaders from both parties that they violated the trust of members of the House by quickly approving a change to the Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act earlier this month

Earlier in April, the House passed a bill ending the requirement that senior officials post their financial information online. But Barrow complained that it was done with no debate, and after members had been told there were no more votes that day.

"I don't blame Mr. and Mrs. America for saying that Congress is not doing its work. They're right, we're not," Hoyer says.

Reps. Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and Tom Massie (R-Ky.) have proposed legislation that would give federal judges the option of imposing criminal penalties below the minimums set out in federal law.

The Justice Safety Valve Act is meant to give judges more leeway in sentencing, both to consider factors that might justify a reduced sentence, and to ensure that people accused of nonviolent crimes don't force the early release of violent criminals.

GOP leaders lacked the votes to pass an ObamaCare fix bill.

The House on Wednesday made quick work of two noncontroversial bills, one dealing with a commemorative baseball coin, and the other dealing with the civil rights movement.

In a voice vote, members approved H.R. 1071, which makes a technical correction to a 2012 law dealing with the production of commemorative coins for the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Freshman Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said on the House floor Wednesday that last week's bombing of the Boston Marathon is the latest piece of evidence that President Obama's counterterrorism plan is not working.

"I rise today to express grave doubts about the Obama administration's counterterrorism policies and programs," Cotton said.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Wednesday addressed the House in Armenian to mark the 98th anniversary of Genocide Memorial Day, a day that marks the victims of Armenian Genocide from 1915 to 1923.

"I speak to you from the floor of the House of Representatives in the language of your grandparents and your great grandparents — the language they used to speak of their hopes, their dreams, their lives and their loves in the years before 1915," Schiff said in Armenian.

A handful of House Democrats have introduced legislation that would impose a five-cent tax on all disposable paper and plastic bags, which they hope would discourage the use of these bags, reduce litter, and encourage the use of environmentally friendly renewable bags.

Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) introduced the Trash Reduction Act, H.R. 1686, along with Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and John Garamendi (D-Calif.), and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.).

The House will consider a bill Wednesday that props up an insurance plan created by ObamaCare for people with pre-existing conditions.

Members will consider H.R. 1549, the Helping Sick Americans Now Act. The legislation would drain a preventive healthcare fund created by ObamaCare, and use most of the money to continue enrollment in the Pre-existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP), which the Obama administration said is no longer open for enrollment.

The House on Tuesday approved two bills that updated various portions of the U.S. Code, after a brief debate in which no opposition was heard.

In a 409-0 vote, members passed H.R. 1067, which would update portions of U.S. law regarding patriotic and national observances and ceremonies.