America First Act

Bill: 114-hr-3777
Sponsor: Rep. Rigell, E. Scott [R-VA-2]
Introduced: 2015-10-21 in the House
Policy area: Economics and Public Finance
Subjects: Agricultural insurance
Agricultural prices, subsidies, credit
Budget deficits and national debt
Budget process
Civil actions and liability
Customs enforcement
Education programs funding
Evidence and witnesses
Executive agency funding and structure
Federal Reserve System
Federal preemption
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government lending and loan guarantees
Health care costs and insurance
Health care quality
Health facilities and institutions
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health technology, devices, supplies
Higher education
Hospital care
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax rates
Inflation and prices
Interest, dividends, interest rates
Medicaid
Medical education
Medicare
Poverty and welfare assistance
Sales and excise taxes
Social security and elderly assistance
Student aid and college costs
Transportation safety and security
User charges and fees
Wages and earnings

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: 

America First Act 

 
This bill increases discretionary spending limits, repeals sequestration for direct spending, and includes offsets that change direct spending programs and tax provisions. 
 
The bill amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to increase the discretionary spending limits for FY2016-FY2025 and to eliminate the sequestration for direct spending that is required under current law. 
 
The bill permanently extends two expansions of the Earned Income Tax Credit, limits tax deductions for high-income individuals, and repeals the medical device tax included in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. 
 
In the health care area, the bill expands means-testing for Medicare, changes certain Medicare cost-sharing requirements and benefits, reduces the Medicaid provider tax threshold, and changes procedures for medical malpractice cases. 
 
The bill changes the measure of inflation that is used for tax provisions and benefits under spending programs such as Social Security to the Chained Consumer Price Index. It also indexes several user fees for inflation, including customs user fees and Transportation Security Administration fees.
 
The bill decreases the dividend payment that the Federal Reserve pays on stocks held by member banks to participate in the Federal Reserve System. 
 
Federal Employees Retirement System contributions are increased for some current federal employees. 
 
The Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended to consolidate and make several changes to income-based student loan repayment programs. 
 
The Federal Crop Insurance Act is amended to reduce federal payments for crop insurance premium subsidies. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2016-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
action_date: 2015-11-02
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation Security.
action_date: 2015-10-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.
action_date: 2015-10-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on the Budget, Energy and Commerce, the Judiciary, Education and the Workforce, Oversight and Government Reform, Homeland Security, Financial Services, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-10-21
text: Introduced in House