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Virginia lawmaker with Parkinson's helps lead the charge in creating panel to fight the illness
Read full article: Virginia lawmaker with Parkinson's helps lead the charge in creating panel to fight the illnessMembers of the House have introduced a bill, likely the last of the year, they hope may one day stomp out Parkinson's disease.
Congress approves bill to crack down on racehorse doping
Read full article: Congress approves bill to crack down on racehorse doping(Jan Brubaker/Hodges Photography via APWASHINGTON – A bill to ban race-day doping of horses and set national medication and track-safety standards for the horse-racing industry is nearing the finish line. Lawmakers gave final approval to the bill late Monday as part of the massive legislation on spending and pandemic relief. Passage of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act comes after a series of doping scandals and a rash of horse fatalities in recent years. I’m proud the Senate agreed to my legislation to preserve our signature racing industry and the 24,000 workers who support it,” he said in a statement. The bill also will ensure that the U.S. racing industry aligns with global standards, he said.
House approves bill to combat doping in horse racing
Read full article: House approves bill to combat doping in horse racingThe “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act” comes after a series of doping scandals and a rash of horse fatalities in recent years. "Horse racing has long been woven into the fabric of American culture,'' Tonko said during House debate, citing storied names such as Secretariat and Man o' War that “stir the imagination of racing fans” around the world. The House bill would empower an independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority to set uniform, national standards for medication, track safety and testing of horses for performance-enhancing drugs, or PEDs. The legislation is supported by a range of groups, including The Jockey Club, the New York Racing Association and the Humane Society of the United States. “Horse racing is experiencing the most profound crisis in the long history of the sport.
House backs bill to boost 'clean energy,' enhance efficiency
Read full article: House backs bill to boost 'clean energy,' enhance efficiency(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – The House has approved a modest bill to promote “clean energy” and increase energy efficiency while phasing out the use of coolants in air conditioners and refrigerators that are considered a major driver of global warming. The House approved the bill, 220-185, Thursday, sending it to the Senate, where a separate energy bill is pending. The Senate bill, like the House measure, would phase out hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, that are used as coolants, after an internal dispute among Senate Republicans was resolved earlier this month. It also boosts electric cars and programs to finance clean energy projects. House Republicans disputed that, saying the bill would cost more than $135 billion while including no serious reforms.
House panel approves bill to combat doping in horse racing
Read full article: House panel approves bill to combat doping in horse racing(AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)WASHINGTON – A key House committee on Wednesday gave bipartisan approval to legislation to create national standards for the horse racing industry to prevent fatalities and discourage illegal medication practices. The Senate's top Republican said he would press to pass the bill before the year is out. The “Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act" comes after the racing industry has been hit by a series of doping scandals and a rash of fatal breakdowns in recent years. The legislation is aimed at empowering an independent Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority with federal recognition and enforcement power to set uniform standards for medication, track safety, and testing of horses for PEDs. In recent years, tragedies on the track, medication scandals and an inconsistent patchwork of regulations have cast clouds over the future,” McConnell said in a floor speech.