2014: Schweikert Voted To Significantly Reduce The Ability Of The Federal Government From Creating New Regulations, Making Permanent Numerous Tax Breaks, Modify Obamacare's 30-Hour Work Week Threshold to 40-Hour And Reclassify Mining Operations As Infrastructure Projects. In September 2014, Schweikert voted to significantly reduce the ability of the federal government from creating new regulations, modify the Affordable Care Act's 30-hour work week threshold to 40-hour, reclassify mining operations as infrastructure projects among other measures. According to Congressional Quarterly, "Passage of the bill that would modify the federal rule-making process by preventing all 'major rules' from being implemented unless Congress enacts legislation approving them and requiring agencies to consider less costly alternatives and review the 'indirect' costs of proposed and existing rules. It would require independent agencies to determine whether their proposals would create unfunded mandates. It would modify the definition of who is a full-time employee for purposes of the employer mandate in the 2010 health care law, by repealing the 30-hour-a-week threshold and replacing it with a 40- hours-a week threshold. It also would require the U.S. Forest Service to increase timber production on National Forest lands and it would reclassify certain mining operations as 'infrastructure projects' in order to streamline the permitting process for mining on federal lands." The House passed the bill by a vote of 253 to 163. The bill died in the Senate. [House Vote 513, 9/18/14; Congressional Quarterly, 9/18/14; Congressional Actions, H.R. 4]
Legislation Would Make Numerous Tax Proposals Permanent With No Offsets, Would Undermine The Affordable Care Act, "Would Throw All Major Regulations Into Months-Long Limbo," And Includes Numerous Harmful Provisions That Would Impair Responsible Management Of Federally-Owned Lands." According to a Statement of Administrative Policy, "However, making traditional tax extenders and costly business tax cuts permanent without offsets, while at the same time allowing taxes to increase on 26 million working families, represents the wrong approach. [...]In addition, the Administration welcomes ideas to improve the Affordable Care Act. However, [the legislation] would undermine that Act by shifting costs to taxpayers and causing fewer Americans to have employer-sponsored health insurance coverage [...] [,] would throw all major regulations into a months-long limbo, marking a significant departure from the longstanding separation of powers between the Executive and Legislative branches and, fostering uncertainty and impeding business investment that is vital to economic growth [...] [and] includes numerous harmful provisions that would impair responsible management of Federally-owned lands and undermine many important existing public land and environmental laws, rules, and processes." [Statement of Administrative Policy, 9/16/14]
Statement Of Administrative Policy: Senior Advisors To The President Would Recommend Its Veto. According to a Statement of Administrative Policy, "The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 4, which incorporates several bills that have previously been passed by the House during this Congress, including a number of bills for which the Administration issued Statements of Administration Policy strongly opposing passage and indicating that, if presented to the President, his senior advisors would recommend that he veto them." [Statement of Administrative Policy, 9/16/14]