“Along the way, Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) secured the support of major industry groups and dozens of their House colleagues. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously passed their bill Thursday, just a week after it was introduced. It’s slated for a House vote Wednesday, just 13 days after introduction. That success aside, what they most wanted was for FMCSA to go on record in favor of a rule making — and that’s just what they got.”

Bucshon’s bill will be considered on the House floor under suspension of the rules on Wednesday, September 25, 2013.

 

Sleep apnea bill awakens Congress

Adam Snider

September 24, 2013

The tale of a sleep apnea bill shows what just might be the most efficient Congress has been in years.

In a few short weeks, two House members went from writing a simple two-page bill to seeing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration committing to a formal rule making on sleep apnea testing and treatment for truckers and other professional drivers.

Along the way, Reps. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) secured the support of major industry groups and dozens of their House colleagues. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee unanimously passed their bill Thursday, just a week after it was introduced. It’s slated for a House vote Wednesday, just 13 days after introduction. That success aside, what they most wanted was for FMCSA to go on record in favor of a rule making — and that’s just what they got.

“A lot of times in Washington, D.C., if you get both political parties to agree on something that’s very practical, you can move things more quickly,” Bucshon said in an interview.

“The speed surprised me a little bit. But I think it shows that things can happen quickly, can get done here,” Lipinski told POLITICO. “We’ve gotten so used to everything getting bogged down. Even sometimes when there is bipartisan agreement, things still get bogged down, but it also shows that the Transportation Committee is working well now.”

The bill’s momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing — Bucshon said House leadership has told him the measure will come to the floor under suspension of the rules, a procedure used to fast track largely noncontroversial legislation.

Though the lawmakers took only modest credit for their bill having prompted FMCSA’s announcement, their colleagues were more effusive in their praise. Even during Thursday’s markup, which was dominated by a major water resources bill, several committee members took the time to praise the duo and say the bill inspired FMCSA’s action.

“I think the action of the committee has already produced the result we intended,” said D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the top Democrat on the highways panel.

“I’ve got to believe some of it is,” Transportation Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.) told POLITICO when asked if the bill prompted FMCSA to change course. “Being bipartisan can be a powerful force.”

After the bill was introduced, FMCSA initially committed to act “through a public notice and comment process.” That addressed one of the concerns from lawmakers — that industry groups wouldn’t be able to weigh in.

But the night before the markup, an FMCSA official contacted POLITICO with a more definitive statement, saying the agency will act “through the formal rule-making process after collecting and analyzing the necessary data and research.

Bucshon and Lipinski both said they were pleased with FMCSA’s commitment to rule making but still plan to press ahead with their legislation.

They had plenty of help from their fellow lawmakers, but Bucshon and Lipinski also had the trucking industry, a hefty force, behind them. The American Trucking Associations and other groups had recently written to lawmakers in support of the bill.

“We’d like to thank Reps. Bucshon and Lipinski, as well as all our supporters in the House, for moving this important bill forward,” ATA President and CEO Bill Graves said in a statement after committee passage. “While FMCSA has said they are receptive to a rule-making process in lieu of sleep apnea guidance, we urge the House and Senate to follow through with swift approval” of the bill. The American Bus Association also put out a statement in support.

The sleep apnea bill is child’s play compared with the heavy legislative lifts the committee faces next year with writing a new surface transportation bill just as the Highway Trust Fund is going broke and needs tens of billions of extra dollars to maintain current spending levels.

Shuster, however, isn’t worried about that just yet.

“We have some tougher issues that are going to come up, but I think this sets a precedent for working together,” he said.
This article is available online at http://www.politico.com/story/2013/09/sleep-apnea-bill-bipartisanship-congress-97235.html#ixzz2fp0Dbq69.

After nearly a 5 hour finance committee meeting that was for the most part a public forum on the current embodiment of the hotel deal Council President Connie Robinson declared after a voice vote of 7 – 2 to defer the hotel vote until next Monday night at 5 PM. That special meeting will have no other topics except the hotel on the agenda.

Since last Thursday when it became apparent that the $37.5 Million public subsidy supported by Mayor Winnecke, the Redevelopment Commission, and Council members Weaver, Mosby, and McGinn the public subsidy by the City of Evansville has been reduced to only $7.5 Million to the hotel with the balance of the proposed $20 Million bond allocated for infrastructure and a parking garage. The county has committed to pay $1.5 Million to the project in February with the CVB kicking in another $2 Million.

In what was perhaps one of the most courageous moves of the public comments opposition leader Brad Linzy asked the crowd how they liked the saving of $17.5 Million in public dollars only to follow that question with a strong “you’re welcome”. Local Innkeeper’s attorney Joe Langerak spoke eloquently about how much better this deal was now than it was just four days ago and credited the members of the council along with the opposition for forcing that to happen.

It was also revealed that the rumored $13 Million gift from local business leaders is actually an $11.5 Million investment in part ownership of the hotel. When asked how much equity by President Robinson, HCW’s Rick Huffman slipped and said 25% only to say later that the deal was private and that the City Council will not be allowed to know the terms of the deal. The City of Evansville will get no equity for the $7.5 Million subsidy.

This is a developing story.

Posted by the CCO without opinion, bias or editing

Lloyd,

As we discussed, I apologize for not getting back to you before 9 pm...After 
discussion with Dr. Adams, he and I both feel that the City needs to be 
prepared to go "all in' on the downtown Med School RFP.

According to Dr. Adams, Warrick must be receiving inside info, and, apparently, 
will boost the RFP to 40 million and 40 acres. This is highly concerning. 
You and I both realize that the Med School downtown is the game changer. 
From the failed McCurdy to the main street walkway, the med school represents 
the total transformation of downtown. 

The hotel is very important, but, pails to the Med...if we lose this because we 
just could NOT wait for a lousy 4-5 months, this will be blunder of the century. 
For those who think that we MUST move on this ASAP and we are the laughing stock 
of the mid-west are drinking euphoric kool-aid. In addition, med school will not
come because we have decided to construct a hotel. They know that the Med will 
bring the hotels without massive amounts of taxpayers hard-earned tax dollars. 

So, do we over-subsidize the project, and are forced to pay millions for 
the Med school, and HCW pockets the intrinsic value on their way out. If not, 
why did Mr. Huffman indicate rolling the hotel into a REIT [Real Estate
InvestmentTrust] in other words, a mutual fund of sticks and bricks. This was
the discussion when he met with Dr. Adams and I over two months ago. 

So, in summary, why didn't the administration negotiate to these levels 
months ago? And, why do I feel that I'm a contestant on the game show 
"Let's Make a Deal" The only thing that seems to be missing here is Monte 
Hall. Seriously, what is the motive, the extreme sense of urgency concerning
a project that has been debate and reviewed for four years, and especially, 
with the Med school in the mix.

Again, I appreciate your thoughts and comments. 

John