Congress returns from a recess. 
Chairman Smith on the hearing: “As sports fans prepare for February’s Super Bowl, the prospect of human trafficking threatens to darken the festivities. Fortunately, we have learned from past sporting events and have new best practices, such as training for the transportation and hospitality industries to help identify and rescue victims being trafficked in plain sight. This hearing will examine how we can transform this Super Bowl — and other major sporting event worldwide — from potential trafficking-fests to trafficking-free zones.”
Hearings: Human Trafficking — On Monday, the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations will hold a hearing, “Lessons Learned from Super Bowl Preparations: Preventing International Human Trafficking at Major Sporting Events.”
On Tuesday, the House is scheduled to begin consideration of the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7).
Family Support — On Wednesday, the House is likely to consider the conference report for H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act, more commonly known as the Farm Bill.
What follows is what Congress accomplished the week before it began:
Bill to Restrict Funding for Abortions Cleared by House Committee
On January 15, the House Judiciary Committee approved, 22-12, the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act (H.R. 7). The Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice held a hearing on the bill on January 9 (see The Source, 1/10/14).
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), would prohibit federal funding for health benefit coverage that includes coverage for abortions. Unlike current law, this provision does not make an exception for rape, incest, and to protect the life of the mother. The measure would prohibit the inclusion of abortion in any health care service provided by federal or District of Columbia health care facilities, or by a physician employed by the federal or District of Columbia governments.
The legislation would prohibit DC from using locally raised revenue to fund abortion services for low-income women. In addition, the bill would disqualify individuals from receiving IRS tax deductions for medical expenses spent on abortion services. The definitions of “qualified health plan” and “health insurance coverage” would be modified to exclude any plan that provides abortions.
Child Protection
S. 1936—-Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)/Judiciary (1/16/14) — A bill to improve the response to missing children and victims of child sex trafficking.
H.R. 3902—-Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)/Judiciary (1/16/14) — A bill to amend the National Child Protection Act of 1993 to establish a permanent background check system.
H.R. 3905—-Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH)/Judiciary, Education and the Workforce (1/16/14) — A bill to improve the response to missing children and victims of child sex trafficking.
H.R. 3923—-Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA)/Judiciary (1/17/14) — A bill to expand the authority of governmental social service agencies with child protection responsibilities to access the national crime information databases.
Family Support
S. 1922—-Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)/Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (1/14/14) — A bill to prevent the illegal trafficking of supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits by requiring all program beneficiaries to show valid photo identification when purchasing items with program benefits.
International
S. 1942—-Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA)/Foreign Relations (1/16/14) — A bill to ensure that the United States promotes women’s meaningful inclusion and participation in mediation and negotiation processes undertaken in order to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict and implements the United States National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security.
Military
S. 1917—-Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO)/Read the first time (1/14/14) — A bill to provide for additional enhancements
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