Newhouse co-sponsors bills on healthcare, gun rights, abortion funding, undocumented immigrants

U.S. Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., was sworn in Tuesday for his second term representing the 4th Congressional District and immediately added his name to several bills and resolutions.

According to a news release, those pieces of proposed legislation include:

▪  Obamacare Repeal Act to fully repeal the Affordable Care Act in its entirety.

▪  Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 to recognize 2nd Amendment rights by ensuring valid concealed carry permits issued in one state are valid for carrying concealed handguns in other states that also recognize their own residents’ right to conceal carry. Each state retains the authority to determine regulations for carrying within their borders, as well as for the carry permits issued under their law.

▪  Disapproving a rule submitted by the Department of Health and Human Services that would prohibit states from blocking funds from facilities that provide abortions. Effectively, this rule forces states to provide any qualifying funds to facilities that provide abortions, such as Planned Parenthood. This resolution would allow Congress to stop this rule under the Congressional Review Act.

▪  Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training (ENLIST) Act that would allow otherwise qualified undocumented immigrants who entered the U.S. as children and who are otherwise qualified for enlistment, the ability to gain legal status through military service.

▪  Proposing a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It would require a balanced annual federal budget, place a spending cap on annual federal spending, impose a three-fifths supermajority vote requirement to increase the debt limit and includes a three-fifths majority requirement to raise taxes. Another balanced budget amendment would require Congress not to spend more than it receives in revenues, would compel a true majority of each chamber to pass a tax increase and would obligate a three-fifths majority to raise the debt limit.

This story was originally published January 3, 2017 at 7:34 PM with the headline "Newhouse co-sponsors bills on healthcare, gun rights, abortion funding, undocumented immigrants."