Republicans Key Objection Removed from Appropriations Bill But Underwood Does Not Tell Anyone

Earlier this week, Congresswoman Lauren Underwood’s congressional staff issued a press release touting how the just completed and signed appropriations bills (H.R. 1158, H.R. 1865) included components of Underwood’s legislation that passed the House.

In an article published Tuesday, Underwood’s insulin legislation was found to have been signed by the President word-for-word from her legislation in H.R. 5444.

The second legislation Underwood had become law was a component of her sponsored H.R. 3525, U.S. Border Patrol Medical Screenings and Standards Act.

Here is Underwood’s statement on the H.R. 3525 implementation

Underwood was also successful in her efforts to secure $30 million in funding for an interoperable electronic health record (EHR) for use across the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Underwood’s legislation to establish this EHR—a top priority for DHS medical officials—and set standards for medical screenings at the border passed with bipartisan support in September.

Congresswoman Underwood press release 12/23/19
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First, Underwood does it again, calling the late September approval in the House of H.R. 3525 “bipartisan”, when the truth is only 2 Republicans and the independent voted with Democrats in the 230-184 vote that passed H.R. 3525 in the House back in late September. Here is McHenry County Blog‘s article from September 27.

Back in September, Republicans’ biggest objection to the EHR component of H.R. 3525 was the mandate that the EHR be up and running 90 days after H.R. 3525 becomes law.

Friend of McHenry County Blog commenter Han Bell, volunteered to read through the appropriations bill approved last week funding the Department of Homeland Security in FY2020, which was H.R. 1158.

The 90 days mandate is gone for EHR being implemented.

Underwood’s press release looks a little different now, since the key objection to the EHR was the 90 days mandate.

Had the mandate for EHR been removed from H.R. 3525 back in September, as well as the mandate for 12-hours medical screening that was also part of the bill, H.R. 3525 would have passed on a voice vote in September, and not the partisan 230-184 margin.

So the bipartisan appropriations negotiators did what House Democrats refused to do both in July at the committee level, and in September on the House floor — stripping the unworkable from the EHR, and making agreement genuinely bipartisan.

H/T: A very genuine thank you to Han Bell for thoroughly reviewing H.R. 1158 confirming the 90 days mandate from H.R. 3525 had indeed been removed before being signed into law. Thank you again.

External Link:

• Underwood Press Release 12/23/19: https://underwood.house.gov/media/press-releases/two-pieces-underwood-s-bipartisan-legislation-signed-law-president-trump