NASA leasing bill morphs into ‘freedom to vote’ laws
A current monthly bill meant to aid NASA elevating income by leasing out underused services went in a most unforeseen course: increasing the appropriate to vote.
The NASA assets invoice was transformed into the “Independence to Vote: John R. Lewis Act” beneath the Democratic management of the Dwelling of Representatives, searching for to undercut Republican opposition to growing the franchise.
The act contains provisions this kind of as turning election working day into a federal holiday, permitting similar-day voter registration, expanding early voting and mail voting and enabling a lot more varieties of non-photographic ID for voting, according to Enterprise Insider.
The Residence handed the bill on Thursday (Jan. 13) by a 220 to 203 vote, with every representative voting along occasion lines, in accordance to SpaceNews.
But in the meantime, NASA is nonetheless without the potential to enter precise forms of leases to make revenue. NASA’s authority to do so lapsed on Dec. 31, which suggests the company simply cannot establish new agreements with companies, governing administration companies or educational establishments to lease unused house.
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okay), ranking member of the House Science, Place, and Technological innovation Committee that oversees NASA functions, said he was not happy with going the bill from its primary concentrate to allow for the company to enter increased use leases.
“Fantastic policy doesn’t involve secrecy and strategies. This is no way to govern,” Lucas stated in an e-mail statement to constituents, saying that the Residence had only 12 hours to vote on the issue right after 735 webpages had been tacked on the monthly bill.
“What’s much more,” he explained, “by stripping this NASA bill and replacing it with an try to impose federal command of elections, they have killed our only auto to increase NASA’s authority to lease out underutilized home and help you save taxpayer money.”
The Democratic agent who to begin with launched the NASA leasing monthly bill in October, on the other hand, praised the shift as a way of offering growing voting accessibility.
In a assertion unveiled ahead of the monthly bill was handed, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) reported the bill will be a counter to “attacks on Americans’ potential to workout their suitable to vote.”
“Though I did not count on this end result when I first released the NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act,” he added, “if my laws will support overcome the filibuster, the Senate can finally have the extensive-overdue discussion on voting rights this country deserves. I would be honored to make this unforeseen contribution to the lead to of defending our democracy.”
The bill, also identified as H.R. 5746, experienced really the journey to laws. Soon after its introduction in October, the House voted to allow for NASA the moment all over again to enter leases for the up coming 10 decades on Dec. 8, permitting the invoice to go to the Senate.
The Senate modified the monthly bill to permit only a a few-month extension for NASA, alternatively of 10 yrs, but passed it unanimously. But the moment the House re-acquired the monthly bill below typical processes, a new matter happened, in accordance to SpaceNews.
“The Democratic management of the Property, in an uncommon go, then took the Senate-amended invoice and stripped out the NASA provisions, changing it with the textual content of two voting rights charges,” SpaceNews stated.
“They did so due to the fact H.R. 5746 experienced now handed the House and Senate,” the report additional, “so the amended version could go straight to the Senate ground devoid of the risk of a filibuster from Senate Republicans, who oppose the voting legal rights laws.”
As for NASA’s leasing, that’s however up in the air. But a spokesperson for Beyer informed SpaceNews that he hopes to tackle that situation in upcoming legislation.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Abide by us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
A current monthly bill meant to aid NASA elevating income by leasing out underused services went in a most unforeseen course: increasing the appropriate to vote.
The NASA assets invoice was transformed into the “Independence to Vote: John R. Lewis Act” beneath the Democratic management of the Dwelling of Representatives, searching for to undercut Republican opposition to growing the franchise.
The act contains provisions this kind of as turning election working day into a federal holiday, permitting similar-day voter registration, expanding early voting and mail voting and enabling a lot more varieties of non-photographic ID for voting, according to Enterprise Insider.
The Residence handed the bill on Thursday (Jan. 13) by a 220 to 203 vote, with every representative voting along occasion lines, in accordance to SpaceNews.
But in the meantime, NASA is nonetheless without the potential to enter precise forms of leases to make revenue. NASA’s authority to do so lapsed on Dec. 31, which suggests the company simply cannot establish new agreements with companies, governing administration companies or educational establishments to lease unused house.
Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okay), ranking member of the House Science, Place, and Technological innovation Committee that oversees NASA functions, said he was not happy with going the bill from its primary concentrate to allow for the company to enter increased use leases.
“Fantastic policy doesn’t involve secrecy and strategies. This is no way to govern,” Lucas stated in an e-mail statement to constituents, saying that the Residence had only 12 hours to vote on the issue right after 735 webpages had been tacked on the monthly bill.
“What’s much more,” he explained, “by stripping this NASA bill and replacing it with an try to impose federal command of elections, they have killed our only auto to increase NASA’s authority to lease out underutilized home and help you save taxpayer money.”
The Democratic agent who to begin with launched the NASA leasing monthly bill in October, on the other hand, praised the shift as a way of offering growing voting accessibility.
In a assertion unveiled ahead of the monthly bill was handed, Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) reported the bill will be a counter to “attacks on Americans’ potential to workout their suitable to vote.”
“Though I did not count on this end result when I first released the NASA Enhanced Use Leasing Extension Act,” he added, “if my laws will support overcome the filibuster, the Senate can finally have the extensive-overdue discussion on voting rights this country deserves. I would be honored to make this unforeseen contribution to the lead to of defending our democracy.”
The bill, also identified as H.R. 5746, experienced really the journey to laws. Soon after its introduction in October, the House voted to allow for NASA the moment all over again to enter leases for the up coming 10 decades on Dec. 8, permitting the invoice to go to the Senate.
The Senate modified the monthly bill to permit only a a few-month extension for NASA, alternatively of 10 yrs, but passed it unanimously. But the moment the House re-acquired the monthly bill below typical processes, a new matter happened, in accordance to SpaceNews.
“The Democratic management of the Property, in an uncommon go, then took the Senate-amended invoice and stripped out the NASA provisions, changing it with the textual content of two voting rights charges,” SpaceNews stated.
“They did so due to the fact H.R. 5746 experienced now handed the House and Senate,” the report additional, “so the amended version could go straight to the Senate ground devoid of the risk of a filibuster from Senate Republicans, who oppose the voting legal rights laws.”
As for NASA’s leasing, that’s however up in the air. But a spokesperson for Beyer informed SpaceNews that he hopes to tackle that situation in upcoming legislation.
Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Abide by us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.