{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-12720", "Washington Watch - 12/7/20", "2020-12-07", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "GA", "Rob Woodall", "W000810", "woodall.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "HOUSE SKIPS COVID-19 RELIEF; PASSES MARIJUANA REFORM INSTEAD\nAs many of you are aware, there are a number of pressing items that require Congress's attention before the end of the year, including a coronavirus relief package, funding for the government that runs out at the end of this week, completing consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, reauthorizing the Coast Guard, and finalizing the Water Resources Development Act, to name a few. However, while the House didn't prioritize any of those items, the Democrat majority found time last week for the House to consider H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. Specifically, this bill would remove marijuana from the federal list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminate criminal penalties for those who manufacture, distribute, or possess marijuana. It would also create an Opportunity Trust Fund to assist those adversely impacted by the War on Drugs through a 5% sales tax on marijuana that would incrementally increase to 8% over five years.\nI don't fault the Majority for recognizing the need to reassess the federal government's role in regulating marijuana as states are ignoring federal law in increasing numbers. 36 states permit marijuana to be used for medical purposes, and 15 states allow for recreational use  all in contravention of federal law while marijuana is still listed as a Schedule I substance. In fact, there is broad bipartisan support for addressing the wrong that is having two sets of rules for Americans to abide by. That said, setting timing issues aside, there are a number of flaws in the bill that my friends on the other side of the aisle did not take the time to address, again passing a messaging bill rather than legislation intended to become law.\nFor example, the bill fails to include some commonsense protections for minors that we have for tobacco and vape products like banning flavored products that appeal to kids or teens, banning advertisements or public event sponsorships, and including a warning label from the Surgeon General regarding the health risks. The bill also fails to include general health and safety guidelines that exist for tobacco products governing pesticide use or heavy metal concentration in marijuana products. You can listen to my remarks when managing the rule last week for H.R. 3884 below.\nRep. Rob Woodall Manages Rule Debate for H.R. 3884, the MORE Act\nWhile the MORE Act will not be brought up for consideration by the Senate before the end of the year, sending the bill back to the starting line, I am hopeful that the Members of the 117th Congress will take their time to carefully craft legislation that addresses all aspects of marijuana rescheduling.\n\nJOBS REPORT SHOWS SLOWED BUT CONTINUED GROWTH\nWith the beginning of each month also comes the release of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest jobs report that serves as a snapshot of the state of our economy. For the month of November, the good news is that the unemployment rate continued its downward trajectory, edging down to 6.7 percent from 6.9 percent last month. The economy added 245,000 jobs, with notable gains made in transportation and warehousing, professional and business services, health care, and manufacturing. Other sectors, including government, saw declines, including declines in retail trade, reflecting less seasonal hiring.\nThis latest report demonstrates just how dependent a strong economic return is on our ability to control the COVID-19 public health threat. With new cases of COVID-19 rising nationally this November and new restrictions enacted as a result, we can only expect our economy to slow if we don't work to limit the spread of this virus. And while vaccine candidates, whose reported trial data have been incredibly encouraging, are currently being evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), full deployment of any vaccine that is approved as safe and effective by the FDA will take time.\nIt is clear that additional support is needed to strengthen our economy and support individuals affected, as public health officials anticipate the pandemic could worsen in the now winter months and with many CARES Act provisions set to expire by year's end. That is why I have continued to call on Speaker Pelosi to come to the table and reach an agreement with White House and Senate leaders on a bipartisan deal. I am glad to see renewed interest from Congressional leadership this past week about the need to get this done before the end of the year. It is imperative that we do.\n\nHOUSE PASSES BILLS UNDER SUSPENSION OF THE RULES\nAs you know, the end of the 116th Congress is fast approaching, which is why I was pleased to see the House continue to advance bills that have garnered wider support among both Republicans and Democrats. The House considered and passed 27 bills under suspension of the rules last week  a procedural mechanism that the House utilizes to bring legislation that is largely agreed upon to the floor. And while I can't say that each of these measures as drafted enjoyed overwhelming bipartisan support, nor were the most pressing considering the little time remaining this legislative session, I want to highlight a few of those notable bills below.\nThe House passed several bills referred from the Senate, advancing these bills to President Trump's desk for his expected signature. Those include S. 4054 that re-authorizes the U.S. Grain Standards Act (USGSA) for five years, which provides for the efficient workings of our federal grain inspection system and ensures our grain supply chains run smoothly and our grain exports are of high quality. Additionally, the House passed S. 945, the Holding Foreign Companies Accountable Act. This bill requires the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to identify any publicly traded company with a foreign registered public accounting firm that cannot be inspected by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), due to the laws of that foreign jurisdiction. Those companies would be required to submit documentation demonstrating that they are not owned by that foreign nation's government, and the SEC would prohibit trade of securities on U.S. national indexes for organizations that do not meet auditing requirements. This would strengthen transparency surrounding the commercial and financial activities of foreign companies and governments, China in particular, which has long restricted U.S. regulators' access to information. You can read a full list of last week's bills HERE.\nAs we enter what is likely to be the final legislative stretch this week, I hope you we can continue a trend of passing smart, targeted measures like these that have bipartisan support.\n\nCONSTITUENT SPOTLIGHT: PPP LOAN DEDUCTIONS\nOver 174,000 Georgians were supported through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which as many of you know, offers forgivable loans for many small businesses, nonprofits, and sole proprietors if those funds were used for eligible payroll and nonpayroll expenses. However, I have heard from several PPP recipients back home about their concerns with the tax treatment of these forgivable loans. You can read some of those messages below.\nMike from Cumming:\nCongressman Woodall, please support H.R. 6821. The IRS has ruled that expenses paid for by forgiven PPP loans will not be deductible. This ruling effectively makes the amount of loan forgiveness taxable, contrary to the intent of the Cares Act. Please support H.R. 6821 to correct that error on the part of the IRS. We are still struggling to keep afloat!\nJohn from Buford:\nPlease help pass the Small business Expense Protection Act so that expenses paid with PPP funds will be deductible when filing 2020 tax return. If we have to pay taxes on this it will devastate our financial reserves if they are even there at the end of the year. I truly believe a lot of people are or will be in this situation by the end of the year.\n__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________\nWhile the CARES Act provided that PPP forgiven loan amountsare not to beincludedin the borrower's taxable gross income,the IRS'snotice issued earlier this year clarified that deductions are not allowed, pointingto InternalRevenue Code (IRC) Section 265(a)(1),whichstatesthat an expense that would otherwisebe deductible from gross income as a business or nonbusiness expense cannot be deducted if it is allocable to a class of income which is exempt from taxation.The IRS has further confirmed that interpretation in its subsequent revenue ruling this November, but also noted a safe harbor, that allows borrower to later deduct those expenses if not forgiven.\nInlight of this, it has becomeclear that Congress would need to stepin,in order to allowforPPP recipients to also deductexpenses from these forgivable loans. To that end, several pieces oflegislationhave been introduced by Members from both sides of the aisle in both the House and Senate, including the Small Business Expense Protection Act that Mike and John mentioned, which wouldalsoallow forthe deductibility offorgivablePPP expenses.\nI certainly realize the critical role this program has played in supporting small businesses and workers greatly impacted by COVID-19, and I am receptive to ways we can provide greater relief in the wake of the financial burdens imposed by the spread of this virus. That is why if such a bill were brought totheHouse floor, I would beinclined to supportit.Additionally, I have continued to join my colleagues, in the absence of a wider COVID-19 deal, in urging Speaker Pelosi to allow a bill to come to the House floor, which would allow for the second draw of the roughly $134 billion remaining PPP funds that remain unused. Millions of American families and businessesare in need of relief, and I hope the Speaker will delay these efforts no longer.\n\nRAINBOW VILLAGE BUILDS ON DECADES OF SERVICE\nRainbow Village in Gwinnett County, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness, poverty, and domestic violence, has had a direct role in supporting individuals across our community for over a quarter of a century. This past week, they hosted their \"We Are Family Benefit Gala\" to help support that important mission. This year, that gala looked a little different than in years past, hosting a virtual event due to the ongoing pandemic, to raise awareness about Rainbow Village's important work and how volunteers and donors can become a part of the organization's efforts. And even with the challenges of the pandemic and transitioning its fundraiser to one that was free and conducted virtually, it should come as no shock to us that they continued to exceed expectations  raising $220,000 to support its programming!\nI would like to thank everyone at Rainbow Village for continuing their good work, especially during this time, as well as all those who have gone out of their way to support their programs through volunteering, donations, or sponsorships. Over my tenure in Congress, I have had the great pleasure of visiting with the dedicated personnel at Rainbow Village, and I am truly in awe of the remarkable work of Melanie and her team in lending a helping hand and setting families on a path to independent living. And I am grateful to witness the tremendous support of all of you have furthered this important work.\n\nLAMBERT STUDENTS REWARDED FOR SERVICE TO CLASSMATES\nHere in the Seventh District, we are home to remarkable individuals who dedicate their time, focus, and energy to give back to others. This week, I want to recognize the students of Lambert High School's Youth Give Back Club, founded earlier this school year by freshman Mandy Yang, aimed at alleviating the strain of the pandemic on other students.\nThe Club launched its first project  the Learning Pals Program  which encourages high school students to virtually teach younger members of our community, offering an opportunity for those younger students to learn about new subjects while also having a safe way to socialize and explore their passions. And now,just a few short months since that program began, it has over 180 registered students!\nIn recognition of their hard work to serve students across our communities, Star 94 selected the members of the Give Back Club as the winners of the radio station's Give Back Giveaway Contest sponsored by Delta Credit Union, awarding them $10,000 for their hard work. Congratulations are certainly in order for Ms. Yang and her fellow student-teachers for their efforts to bring our community closer together through these educational opportunities.\n\nFORSYTH ANIMAL SHELTER WAIVES ADOPTION FEES FOR THE HOLIDAYS\nAs we approach the holiday season, many of us are preparing to celebrate with our family and friends through traditions both old new. And for many of us, pets are simply part of the family and are included in many of the holiday traditions and family festivities we cherish year after year. That's why Forsyth County Animal Shelter has decided to make it that much easier to adopt a new member of the family by waiving their standard $85 adoption fee through January 2nd.This action will ensure that these fees do not prohibit these animals from finding a loving, forever home, and this initiative will surely help spread some holiday cheer to our community this year.\n\nTHE WEEK AHEAD\nSome promising news was revealed last week as House and Senate leadership came closer to reaching a deal to provide coronavirus relief to American families and businesses. There are a number of items that must still be finalized, like state and local funding as well as liability protections, but the talks seem to be finding some success and we might be able to have a vote on the package before the end of the year.\nAs I mentioned earlier, funding for the federal government runs out at the end of this week as both Chambers work to finalize a deal for FY2021. By mid-week, we should learn more about whether we will take up an omnibus package or short-term continuing resolution as negotiations continue.\nFinally, the conference committee has almost completed its work regarding the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which I am also hopeful we will be able to get to the president's desk. This will be Congress's 60th consecutive NDAA and I believe we will have the support to uphold this streak.\nSincerely,\nRob Woodall  Member of Congress", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://woodall.house.gov/media-center/e-newsletter-archive/washington-watch-12720"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9898629505187273, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}