Bill S.4244 titled “A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of commercial asbestos and mixtures and articles containing commercial asbestos, and for other purposes” was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works by the Senate. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Bill S.4247 titled “A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to establish university centers to encourage certain economic development, and for other purposes” was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works by the Senate. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Alex Padilla with Sherrod Brown, Robert Menendez as cosponsors.
Most bills have a hearing where those involved explain why they are for or against the bill. Roughly 8,000 bills are addressed by committees each year but only about 800 make it to the floor of Congress, according to ushistory.org.
A 2019 report from the Brookings Institute argued committees aren’t capable of delving fully into the issues they address and are forced to rely on lobbyists.
| Bill Name | Sponsor | Action |
|---|---|---|
| A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of commercial asbestos and mixtures and articles containing commercial asbestos, and for other purposes. | Sen. Merkley, Jeff | Senate |
| A bill to amend the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 to establish university centers to encourage certain economic development, and for other purposes. | Sen. Padilla, Alex | Senate |
