hough the bill exempts many projects, programs, and regulations). The bill creates a committee—consisting mostly of government economists—to study the economic impact of certain environmental regulations. The effect of several of those regulations is delayed until the committee returns with its report. The bill also devolves some regulation of coal ash to the states. I support empowering states to regulate coal and increasing Americans' access to our country's natural resources. It's not a perfect bill, but it's incrementally positive. It passed 233-175.

d that the rule will increase the average cost of new cars by $2,000; industry sources peg that figure at $5,000. Some are concerned that the light-weight materials needed to achieve the mandated fuel efficiency will decrease cars' safety. Policymakers should be aware of the costs and benefits (both intended and unintended) of such mandates. It passed 242-168.

bt and doesn't have a sterling record managing its existing land and facilities. There's a better case to be made for national parks when we're considering national treasures such as the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. I'm not convinced that the various facilities of the Manhattan Project rise to that level (despite its historical significance and the remarkable achievement it represents) or that creating a national park is the best way to preserve the sites. It failed 237-180 (suspension bills require a two-thirds majority to pass).

low immigration into the U.S. The idea behind the diversity visa program is to ensure national and ethnic diversity among immigrants. In the process, it takes visas from places where they're in high demand and sends them to places where they're not. The STEM visa program awards green cards to foreign nationals who receive Ph.D.'s (or, in some cases, masters degrees) from U.S. universities in STEM fields and agree to work for a U.S. employer for at least five years.

I'm not thrilled with the STEM program's preference for certain skill sets over others, although there's some data to suggest that American companies need more high-skilled STEM employees. I think it's better, though, that our visa system favor filling the labor needs of our economy over the goal of engineering some notion of national or ethnic balance among our immigrants. It failed 257-158 (suspension bills require a two-thirds majority to pass).

ealth and Human Services, which administers TANF, last year sent a letter to state governments saying that it's willing to waive the work requirements. As a recent GAO report showed, it's highly doubtful that HHS has the legal authority unilaterally to waive the requirements. If enacted, the resolution of disapproval invalidates HHS's actions. It passed 250-164.

d rule for H R 3409 and provides for one hour of debate equally divided between the Chairmen and the Ranking Members of the Committees on Natural Resources, Energy and Commerce, and Transportation and Infrastructure. Thirteen amendments are in order—six from Democrats—and one motion to recommit on each bill may be offered. Finally, the rule addresses the various procedural issues related to Congress's effectively not meeting from September 22 to November 12. It passed 233-182.

. However, as the family of Lance Corporal Andrew Carpenter found out after he was killed in Afghanistan in 2011, the IRS treats the forgiven debt as taxable income, which can result in a substantial tax bill for the fallen soldier's family. The bill is paid for by allowing the federal government to garnish funds from federal employees' retirement accounts when the employees are delinquent on their federal taxes. It passed 400-0.