As Representative-elect Katie Hill and Rep. Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, prepare for their transitions in and out of the U.S. House, the two also are working on their respective legislative priorities.
Hill plans to work on Democratic legislation to strengthen the voting process as the first order of business in her new role, said her communications director Kassie King.
H.R. 1, a bill touted by Democratic leadership as a top priority in the new congressional session, would establish automatic voter registration, take away state legislatures’ powers to redistrict, reduce the influence of political money and reinvigorate the Voting Rights Act, Hill said.
“We need to restore faith in government and to do that, we have to focus on legislation that will remove voting obstacles so everyone has a voice, close loopholes in ethics laws, and reduce the influence of big money in our elections,” Hill said in a written statement. “Therefore, one of my first actions in Congress will be to help pass H.R. 1, so we can begin to repair the relationship between the public and our public servants.”
Hill is in Washington, D.C., for orientation week as a congresswoman-elect.
Before Congress ends its 2017-2018 session on Dec. 13, Knight is still waiting on the outcomes for two bills: one to commemorate the St. Francis Dam disaster and one to establish the Small Business Runway Extension act, said Knight spokesman Chris Jusuf.
The St. Francis Dam Disaster National Memorial Act, H.R. 2156, would create a national memorial at the site of the 1928 St. Francis Dam Disaster in San Francisquito Canyon. It passed the House in July 2017 and passed the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources in October. It is waiting on a full Senate vote.
The Small Business Runway Extension Act would modify the Small Business Administration reporting requirements to allow businesses to report their average earnings over the last five years, rather than three. Thus, small businesses could track their growth over time.
The bill passed the House in September and its Senate counterpart is pending.
Jusuf said the office would not comment on the legislation until it moves.