Congressman Jon D. Fox
1995 Legislative Accomplishments

H.R. 1143

Amends the federal criminal code to provide that if retaliation against a witness, victim, or informant occurred because of attendance at or testimony in a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.

H.R. 1144

Amends the federal criminal code to provide that if an offense of tampering with a witness, victim, or informant occur in connection with a trial of a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.

H.R. 1145

Amends the federal criminal code to provide that if an offense under provisions regarding influencing or injuring an officer or juror occurs in connection with at trial of a criminal case, the maximum term of imprisonment which may be imposed for the offense shall be the higher of that otherwise provided by law or the maximum term that could have been imposed for any offense charged in such case.

H.R. 1763, the Federal Agency Sunset Act of 1995

Requires the review of all federal departments and agencies and their programs.

H.R. 1877

Amends the federal judicial code to make an exception to foreign sovereign immunity in cases in which money damages are sought against a foreign state for personal injury or death or economic harm that was caused by an act of torture, extrajudicial killing, aircraft sabotage, hostage taking, or the provision of material support or resources to terrorists.

H.R. 1995, the Life-Extending and Life-Saving Drug Act

Amends the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide positive changes to the present drug approval system without adversely affecting the FDA's high safety and efficacy standards.

H.R. 2013 (passed as an ammendment to H.R. 2219)

Requires that the POW/MIA flag be flown daily at each Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center until the President determines that the fullest possible accounting of all Vietnam-era POW/MIA's has been made.

H.R. 2290, the Life-Extending and Life-Saving Medical Device Act

Amends the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide positive changes to the present medical device approval system without adversely affecting the FDA's high safety and efficacy standards.

H.R. 2510

Amends federal employment provisions to provide veterans' hiring preference status to members of the armed forces who served active duty in the armed forces in connection with Operation Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm, whether or not such service took place in the Persian Gulf theater of operations.

H.R. 2665, the Domestic Violence Community Response Team Act of 1995

Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish domestic violence community response teams and a technical assistance center to address the development and support of such community response teams.

H.R. 2985, the Affordable Day Care Act of 1995

Provides tax credits for businesses that provide licensed, on-site or site-adjacent child care for their employees. Employers will be eligible for a tax credit equal to fifty percent of the expenses they incur to provide such care for the expenses paid or incurred by an employer in providing dependent care services at a child day care facility for employees. No credit shall be allocated unless the employer certifies that the amount of such credit is passed on to the employees using the provider day care in the form of reduced costs.

H.R. 2984

Legislation that extends the research credit and allows an alternative incremental research credit.

H.R. 2983

Legislation that restores the ten percent investment credit.

Drafted Legislation:

Lobbying Gift Ban of 1995

Bans lobbyist from presenting gifts to Members of Congress and staff in order to protect Members from a failure to reject gifts or failure to disclose. Complements gift reform measures by placing responsibility on the lobbyist as opposed to solely on the recipient.

Fox amendment included in S. 244, the Paperwork Reduction Act.

Includes Fox provision, which sets a goal of ten percent paperwork burden reduction for each of FY 1996 and FY 1997, and five percent for each fiscal year from 1998 through 2001. Bill signed into law on May 22, 1995.

Offered the Fox/Foglietta amendment to the FY 1996 Transportation Appropriations bill

Would have restored $135 million to mass transit operating assistance. (Bill reduced funding for mass transit operating assistance from $710 million in FY 1995 to $400 million in FY 1996.

Offered the Fox amendment to H.R. 1977, the FY 1996 Interior Appropriations bill

Would have increased funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program under the Department of Energy. The bill proposed cuts the program by 50% ($107 million). Some funding restored ($7 million) after Fox spearheaded letter to conferees in support of increased funding.

Education Accomplishments:

H.R. 1229

Primary cosponsor along with Rep. Patrick Kennedy of legislation to restore tax deduction for student loan interest payments. Partial deduction included in the Balanced Budget Act vetoed by President Clinton.

H.R. 127

Cosponsor of legislation to extend the educational assistance tax exemption, which exempts employer-provided tuition assistance from federal taxation. Jon has also written several letters on this issue. An extension was included in the Balanced Budget Act which was vetoed by President Clinton.

Saving the in-school interest subsidy

Jon cosigned letters to restore educational funding and save the in-school interest subsidy and the 6 month grace period for student loans. These suggestions were adopted by the budget conferees.

TRIO programs

Jon led the successful fight to avoid any cuts in the TRIO program, which serves low-income and minority college students and also college-bound students. Jon led a sign-on letter and testified to Chairman Porter. In FY 96, this funding was maintained. Jon has been asked to once again lead this fight for FY 97.

Funding

Jon cosigned letters asking that education funding be made a priority, emphasizing the importance of Title I aid, and asking that the House recede to the Senate's higher levels of funding (Specter amendment). As you know, negotiations are underway.

Impact Aid

Jon worked with Greenwood, Weldon, and Specter to protest Impact Aid for Hatboro-Horsham School District.