WASHINGTON, D.C. – Democratic lawmakers announced today they will introduce critical legislation to address the high school dropout crisis, which poses a growing threat to the nation’s economic stability and global competitiveness. Nearly one-third of all high school students do not to graduate every year, costing the U.S. economy billions of dollars in lost revenue.
Nationwide, about 7,000 high school students drop out every day. Only about 70 percent of students now graduate from high school with a regular diploma. There are 2,000 “dropout factories” across the country, which produce more than 50 percent of the nation’s dropouts, and a recent study suggests that in the 50 largest U.S. cities, only 53 percent of students graduate on time. Poor and minority children disproportionately attend these dropout factories, and graduation rates for African American, Hispanic, and Native American students are significantly lower than those of their white peers. In addition, only 56 percent of all students with disabilities earn diplomas each year.
The Graduation for All Act would help end this crisis by providing eligible school districts with competitive grants to help turn around their lowest-performing high schools, often deemed “dropout factories,” as well as struggling, feeder middle schools. In order to be eligible to receive a grant, a district must first identify schools most in need of comprehensive reform, determine a strategy for turning around each school, and form a team of experts and community leaders, called a Graduation Improvement Team, to help carry out these turnaround strategies. Districts receiving grants would be required to implement data systems to help better detect early warning signs of dropout behavior (such as frequent absences or failing a course), use appropriate interventions targeted to student needs and monitor the impact of interventions so that they can be refined as necessary. Research shows identifying and addressing these patterns early on can help keep at-risk students in school.
More information on the Graduation for All legislation.
“We are failing our students, failing our communities and failing our nation if we allow this dropout crisis to continue,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Ending this epidemic is a civil rights imperative, a moral issue and an economic necessity. This bill says that it is no longer acceptable to let an at-risk student fall through the cracks and empowers schools to make the changes needed to help at-risk students thrive in school, earn a diploma and go on to college or a good job.”
“We must stop the everyday dropout rate of thousands of students from our middle schools and high schools. In particular we must address the problems encountered by so many minority students who are at a higher risk of dropping out of school. “The Graduation for All Act of 2009 builds on ‘The Graduation Promise Act’ which directly addresses our nation’s dropout crisis,” said U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa (D-TX), Chairman of Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness. “I continue to work with Chairman George Miller and other Members of Congress on the Education and Labor Committee on legislation to address our nation’s dropout problem. The only way for the United States to be a world class contender in the global market is to ensure that all of our children stay in school and graduate not only high school, but college as well. We are working together to make that happen.”
“I am extremely proud to join with my colleagues to introduce the Graduation for All Act. This legislation includes provisions from my legislation, the Fast Track to College Act, which makes important investments in early college high school partnerships and dual enrollment programs,” said U.S. Rep. Dale E. Kildee (D-MI), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. “These programs enable students, especially those underrepresented in postsecondary education, to earn an associate’s degree or up to two years of transferrable college credits at no cost to their families, while still in high school. These programs have a proven track record of reducing dropout rates, keeping students engaged, and providing a seamless transition to college.”
“The dropout rate has reached epic proportions in minority communities,” said U.S. Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL). “Only 48% of African American males and 58% of Latino males graduate from high school. The social, economic and human costs are horrific. This bill will meaningfully advance efforts to identify and help individual youth at risk for dropping out early on and we know that early identification and intervention significantly reduces the dropout rate and significantly increases the graduation rate.”
“One of the most important aspects of this legislation is that it provides students in high-need schools with rigorous curricula and the teacher support to master college-ready courses.” said U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA), architect of the nationally acclaimed college access program GEAR UP. “Students will be given information about the college admission process and financial aid opportunities keys to encouraging students to keep their focus on a college education. We have learned through GEAR UP that increasing academic rigor, demystifying the college and financial aid application processes, and focusing on post-secondary education dramatically increases high school graduation rates. This bill builds on that experience and I am proud to have contributed to its development.”
“This bill not only makes a strong financial commitment to ending our nation’s school dropout crisis, it puts the right programs in place to encourage greater college enrollment and improve educational opportunity at many age levels,” said U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ). “No cause could be more important than educating American students, and this bill gives timely and needed support to struggling middle schools and high schools around the country to make that goal achievable.”
“I applaud Chairman Miller and my colleagues for moving forward on this vital issue, ” said U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA). “This is a significant step forward in our fight to address the drop out dilemma. Recent research has shown that nearly 600,000 students dropped out of the high school class of 2008 in the nation's fifty largest cities and the surrounding areas. We must do more to stem this tide and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to bring support to Iowa and states across America.”
“This legislation will make a strong investment in education, intervention services and resources that are critical to addressing the dropout crisis and turning low performing schools into high achieving schools,” said U.S. Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA). “We must address these shortcomings that are persistent in our schools in order compete in today’s global economy with a highly skilled and educated workforce. I am pleased that this is one more step we are taking to improve the quality of education for all our children.”
The legislation also will help prepare students for college and careers by requiring schools to provide them with their financial aid options and other college-related information. This bill includes $150 million for Early College and dual enrollment programs to allow students to earn up to two years of college credit at no cost to the student, which would help decrease the overall cost of college for these students.
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]]>For the first time in U.S. history, House votes to provide quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the first time in America’s history, all Americans will have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation passed by the U.S. House of Representatives today. The legislation will cover 96 percent of Americans by 2015, while reducing the deficit by tens of billions of dollars over the next decade. The House approved the measure by a vote of 220 to 215.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), blends and revises the three versions of reform legislation passed by the House committees of jurisdiction in July. It embodies President Obama’s key goals for health reform. It will slow the growth in out-of-control health costs, and introduce competition into the health care marketplace to keep coverage affordable and insurers honest. Additionally, it will protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and assure all have Americans access to quality, stable, affordable health care.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the net cost of expanding coverage at $891 billion, consistent with the $900 billion coverage mark laid out by President Obama in September. The legislation will be fully paid for. CBO estimates the bill reduces the deficit by at least $30 billion over 10 years, not counting the additional deficit reduction generated by the CLASS Act.
“Tonight, for the first time in our nation’s history, the House voted to guarantee every American access to quality, affordable health insurance,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Our bill embodies President Obama’s goals and reflects what we have heard from the American people. Because of this legislation, never again will Americans have to worry about losing their health care if they lose their job or get sick. For all of the great leaders before us who tried to get this done, and for all of the workers and families who will finally have greater health benefits and financial security because of this bill, tonight we made history.”
“God has been good to our country and this Congress and that means we have a responsibility to extend our power to make certain that every American has access to quality, affordable health care,” said U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “We are so proud of this bill because it will cover 96 percent of our nation and ensure that no one will be denied health care because they have a pre-existing condition, or lose their coverage because they lose their job. This is truly an historic effort to improve the health and well-being of our nation, create jobs and grow our economy.”
“Today is a historic moment for the House of Representatives.” said U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “It is a significant victory that the House has passed comprehensive health reform legislation for all Americans. This bill will at long last reform the health care system by expanding choices, reducing costs, and providing people with peace of mind about their health insurance.”
“With this historic vote, tens of millions of Americans are closer to getting health insurance. With this historic vote, we stand to reduce our deficit by billions of dollars over the next decade,” said U.S. Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee and lead sponsor of H.R. 3962. “With this historic vote we are closer to bringing relief to American families who are forced to decide whether they will pay the mortgage or their health insurance premium. And with this historic vote, we will help American business compete in the global marketplace. Many legendary members who served in this body before have fought for national health insurance reform, only to never see it happen. It is a great honor to serve with a new generation of members who today took bold action, delivering on our promise of change. Our actions will earn the respect and appreciation of Americans for generations to come.”
“With this historic vote we are one step closer to fulfilling the promise of making the world's best health care system more affordable and accessible to all. This plan significantly limits the costs that have been spiraling out of control for decades, which have threatened the health, well-being and economic stability of our nation,” said U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), the Chairman of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee. “Making health care more affordable not only reduces the burden on families and businesses, but also frees up the resources needed to create and sustain countless jobs without adding to our nation's deficit. While there is still much work to do, I value the discussions and debates that I have shared with my constituents and colleagues over these past few months. I am proud and humbled to be part of such historic change that will improve the quality of life for millions of Americans and help put our country back on the course of long prosperity.”
“The Affordability Health Care for America Act will mark history with reforms that will put nearly every American within reach of quality health care at affordable costs,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) the Chairman of Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. “More important than the history books is what it will mean for all Americans. It will stop the insurance industry from denying or cutting off care and it will help prevent illness before it strikes. And it will reduce the amount spent on medical care in the country without adding one dime to the deficit. It will make the best of the health care system and help allow America live up to its promise and its ideals.”
“Today's vote is the most important in my career," said U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee. “I am proud to have helped author this legislation, which will finally guarantee affordable, quality health care to every American. I urge the Senate to act so we can achieve health care reform this year.”
The legislation will ensure affordability for workers and middle-class families, security for seniors with a stronger, more solvent Medicare program, and a healthy fiscal future.
The key components of the Affordable Health Care for America Act include:
Increasing choice and competition. The bill will protect and improve consumers’ choices.
· If people like their current plans, they will be able to keep them.
· Individuals who aren’t currently covered by their employers and small businesses will be able to purchase coverage through a new Health Insurance Exchange where consumers can comparison shop from a menu of affordable, quality health care options that will include private plans, health co-ops, and a new public health insurance option. The public health insurance option will operate on a level playing field with private insurers, spurring additional competition.
· This Exchange will create competition based on quality and price that leads to better coverage and care. Patients and doctors will have control over decisions about their health care, instead of insurance companies.
Giving Americans peace of mind. The legislation will ensure that Americans have portable, secure health care coverage – so that they won’t lose care if their employer drops their plan or they lose their job.
Every American who receives coverage through the Exchange will have a plan that includes comprehensive and quality health care benefits.
It will end increases in premiums or denials of care based on pre-existing conditions, race, or gender, and will strictly limit age rating.
The proposal will also eliminate co-pays for preventive care, and cap out-of-pocket expenses to protect every American from bankruptcy.
Improving quality of care for every American. The legislation will ensure that Americans of all ages, from young children to retirees, have access to greater quality of care by focusing on prevention, wellness, and strengthening programs that work.
Guarantees that every child in America will have health care coverage that includes dental, hearing, and vision benefits.
Provides better preventive and wellness care. Every health care plan offered through the
Exchange and by employers, after a grace period, will cover preventive care at no cost to the patient.
Increases the health care workforce to ensure that more doctors and nurses are available to provide quality care as more Americans get coverage.
Strengthens Medicare and Medicaid and closes the Medicare Part D “donut hole” so that seniors and low-income Americans receive better quality of care and see lower prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Ensuring shared responsibility. The bill will ensure that individuals, employers, and the federal government share responsibility for a quality and affordable health care system.
· Employers can continue offering coverage to workers, and those with payrolls over $500,000 who choose not to offer coverage will contribute a fee of up to eight percent of payroll.
· All individuals will generally be required to get coverage, either through their employer or the exchange, or pay a penalty of 2.5 percent of income. Individuals facing difficulties can apply for hardship waivers from the penalty.
· The federal government will provide affordability credits, available on a sliding scale for low- and middle-income individuals and families, to make premiums affordable and reduce cost-sharing.
Protecting consumers and reducing waste, fraud, and abuse. The legislation will put the interests of consumers first, protect them from insurer discrimination and mistreatment, and reduce waste, fraud and abuse.
· Provides transparency in plans in the Health Exchange so that consumers have clear, complete information, in plain English, to select the plan that best meets their needs.
· Establishes consumer advocacy offices as part of the Exchange to protect consumers, answer questions, and assist with any problems related to their plans.
· Simplifies paperwork and other administrative burdens. Patients, doctors, nurses, insurance companies, providers, and employers will all benefit from a streamlined, less confusing, more consumer-friendly system.
· Increases funding of efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse; and creates enhanced oversight of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Reducing the deficit and ensuring the solvency of Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation will be entirely paid for – it will not add a dime to the deficit and will actually reduce the deficit over at least the next two decades. It will also put Medicare and Medicaid on the path to a more fiscally sound future, so seniors and low-income Americans can continue to receive quality health care benefits for years to come.
Pays for the entire cost of the legislation though a combination of savings achieved by making Medicare and Medicaid more efficient – without cutting seniors’ benefits in any way – and through revenue generated from placing a surcharge on the top 0.3 percent of all households in the U.S.(married couples with adjusted gross income of over $1,000,000) and other revenue measures.
CBO estimates the bill will reduce the deficit by at over $30 billion over ten years, not counting the additional deficit reduction generated by the CLASS Act.
Extends the life of the Medicare trust fund by 5 years.
Estimates also show the bill will slow the rate of growth of the Medicare program from 6.6 percent annually to 5.3 percent annually.
To view a copy of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962, click here.
To view the immediate benefits for Americans that kick in under this legislation, click here.
To view a bill summary, detailed fact sheets and more information on what the health insurance reform will mean for Americans, click here.
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Below are the prepared remarks of U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and a key architect of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, during consideration of the legislation by the U.S. House of Representatives today.
***
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this historic legislation to fix our broken health insurance system and finally bring affordable health coverage to every American.
We are truly on the verge of making history.
Never before has the House or Senate approved a bill to guarantee every American access to affordable health care. Never.
Not that we haven’t tried.
The fight to reform this nation’s health care system has spanned nearly 100 years, across generations and many great leaders, from Teddy Roosevelt to Franklin Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy to President Clinton to my own personal hero, Ted Kennedy.
But time and again these efforts were stymied by special interests.
The need for reform is dire.
Hundreds of thousands of people are losing insurance each month. At least 36 million Americans have no coverage at all – including nearly 50,000 people who live in my district in Northern California.
Over half of all personal bankruptcies are due to a medical incident. Businesses are chocking on bloated health care costs. Innovation is being stifled. Our competitiveness is undermined.
But this year is different. This time is different. The American people cannot afford to wait any longer, and today we will cast a history-making vote to guarantee all Americans access to quality, affordable health insurance.
We must not fail again.
An unprecedented effort by the House led us to this milestone. Three committees and our diverse Caucus worked together in an extensive and coordinated fashion, with one purpose – to fulfill a decades-old, and yet still urgent, promise.
We engaged the public in one of the most transparent debates of federal legislation in history, including over 2,000 events across the U.S. since July alone.
The result is a bill that reflects what we have heard from workers and families, from small business owners and economists, from seniors and college students, from doctors and nurses.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act will directly meet the needs of Americans and the goals that President Obama set for reform: it lowers costs for families and businesses, protects people’s choice of doctors and health plans, reduces the deficit, and ensures access to quality, affordable health insurance for all Americans.
For the first time in U.S. history, all uninsured Americans will be able to purchase quality, affordable coverage through a new Health Insurance Exchange, where they will be able to choose from a menu of options: a public health insurance option or several private plans.
And for those that already have insurance, our bill will grant them the security of knowing that their coverage will always be there.
Never again will Americans worry about losing their health care if they change or lose their job.
Never again will someone be denied health care coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Never again will a patient have to worry about their insurance company rescinding their policy when they need coverage the most.
Never again will a small business owner have to worry about unpredictable and unaffordable premiums.
Our bill, H.R. 3962, will end the many injustices that workers, families, and businesses face in today’s system. It will finally make health insurance work for consumers – not insurance CEOs.
Let me be specific about what our reforms will mean for the American people:
No more co-pays or deductibles for preventative care;
No more rate increases because of a pre-existing condition, gender, or occupation;
An annual cap on out-of-pocket expenses;
Guaranteed affordable dental, hearing and vision care for children;
Lower prescription drug costs for seniors;
Young people will be able to stay on their parents insurance through their 27th birthday; and
A ban on lifetime caps on what insurance companies will pay, so patients will never again be one treatment away from medical bankruptcy.
In my district, the 7th district of California, that means:
406,000 residents who receive coverage through their employer will benefit from insurance reforms;
Credits in the Exchange will help 123,000 households obtain affordable health insurance; and
13,800 small businesses will have access to provide affordable coverage for their employees.
As I mentioned earlier, this legislation meets our commitment to fiscal responsibility.
Every piece of this bill is fully paid for through a combination of revenue raised by placing a surcharge on the wealthiest Americans and savings generated by making Medicare and Medicaid more efficient.
These reforms will strengthen Medicare for seniors and shift our system’s focus from quantity of health procedures to quality of care and producing healthier outcomes for patients.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that our bill will reduce the deficit by more than $100 billion over the next decade and slow the growth of health spending, leading 11 chief health care economists to declare our legislation “vital to the nation’s fiscal and economic future.”
As with previous efforts to reform health care, this bill received an enormous amount of public scrutiny. In the last few months, opponents of health reform have conjured up every falsehood imaginable about this bill in an effort to scare the American people and once again try to stymie reform.
But as I said, I believe that this year is different. Our legislation has been tested in public and the momentum continues to grow in support of the bill.
The American people have seen through the lies and distortions. And they are not fooled by the hoax of an eleventh-hour Republican bill that is nothing more than a cruel rebuke to the needs of families. Their bill would do nothing but maintain the status quo and guarantee insurance profits at the expense of tens of millions of hard working Americans.
The American people understand the true meaning of our bill. They know it will cover 96 percent of the American people. They know that, under our bill, if they lose their job they will continue to have health coverage for their children, spouses and families.
They know that this bill means that if they have cancer, the insurance company can no longer pull the rug out from under them while they’re in the middle of treatment.
They know that this bill will protect them, through any economic cycle.
Nearly fifty years ago, as he was fighting to expand health care benefits, President Kennedy said,
“All of the great revolutionary movements of the Franklin Roosevelt Administration we now take for granted. But I refuse to see us live on the accomplishments of another generation. I refuse to see this country and all of us shrink from the struggles which are our responsibility in our times.”
The struggle for health insurance reform is our responsibility today. This is our moment to revolutionize health care in this country.
We have arrived at this historic moment thanks to the hard work of so many people.
I would like to thank my good friends and colleagues, Chairman Rangel and Chairman Waxman, and our three subcommittee chairs, Representatives Rob Andrews, Frank Pallone and Pete Stark, and especially Dean John Dingell. We could not have had better teammates in this journey.
I would also like to thank the Democratic Leadership, our Speaker, Ms. Nancy Pelosi, the Majority Leader, Mr. Steny Hoyer, our Whip, Mr. James Clyburn, and all the members of leadership for the countless hours they spent working with the committee chairs to arrive at this point today.
And of course we could not have completed the work on this bill without the work of our incredibly talented staff, who worked long nights and weekends for months on end. They are the unsung heroes of this process, and I know all our colleagues join me in thanking them for their extraordinary work.
From my staff I would like to thank Mark Zuckerman, Alex Nock, Danny Weiss, Michele Varnhagen, Megan O’Reilly, Jody Calemine, Tico Almeida, Meredith Regine, James Schroll, Rachel Racusen, Aaron Albright, Amy Peake, Courtney Rochelle, and Mike Kruger.
Finally, I’d like to pay tribute to my mentor and friend, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Health care was the cause of Ted’s lifetime. Our effort would have been impossible had he not carried the torch of justice and equality for all those years.
I know I am not alone when I say that I sincerely wish Ted Kennedy could be with us today to see his dream of quality, affordable health care for all become a reality.
Mr. Speaker, this is the most important bill I have ever worked on during my many years of service in Congress.
I could not be prouder to have helped to write this bill, to encourage each of my colleagues to support it, and to cast my vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
We stand at the doorstep of history.
Let us go in.
November 4, 2009 10:00 PM
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Fifty-two million people would continue to go uninsured if the House Republican health care legislation was enacted, the Congressional Budget Office said tonight. Overall, CBO estimates that the bill would only reduce the number of uninsured by 3 million and would cover 83 percent of Americans by 2019 – about the same as what would happen under the status quo. In contrast, the House Democratic health insurance reform bill would cover 96 percent of Americans by 2019 and provide an additional 36 million people with access to quality, affordable health care.
“Tonight CBO confirmed that the Republicans’ only solution for health reform is to preserve the status quo,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “It will leave 52 million Americans literally out in the cold, does nothing to help low-income and middle-class families afford quality health care, and protects insurance companies’ power to deny claims and stand between patients and their doctors.”
“Their bill fundamentally fails to repair our broken health care system. Under this proposal, Americans will continue to lose coverage if they have a pre-existing condition or lose their job, seniors will continue to suffer from the donut hole, and millions of Americans will file medical bankruptcy due to illness. This legislation may be a nice giveaway to insurance companies, but it is not the comprehensive reform American needs to cover the tens of millions of uninsured and reduce the hidden costs all Americans pay to cover them.”
According to CBO’s analysis:
• Only 3 million people would gain coverage, “roughly in line with the current share”. “By 2019, CBO By 2019, the number of nonelderly people without health insurance would be reduced by about 3 million relative to current law, leaving about 52 million nonelderly residents uninsured. The share of legal nonelderly residents with insurance coverage in 2019 would be about 83 percent, roughly in line with the current share.” [p. 3]
• Would not lower premiums for most consumers. “And in the large group market, which represents nearly 80 percent of total private premiums, the amendment would lower average insurance premiums in 2016 by zero to 3 percent compared with amounts under current law, according to CBO’s estimates.” [p. 5]
• Premiums could increase for older consumers. “For example, states that loosened rating rules in the market for individually purchased insurance to allow premiums to vary more on the basis of age would cause premiums for older people to increase and premiums for younger people to decrease.” [p.7]
To view the CBO letter, click here.
]]>WASHNGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chair of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, announced emergency temporary legislation today that will guarantee five paid sick days for a worker sent home or directed to stay home by their employer for a contagious illness, such as the H1N1 flu virus. The House Education and Labor Committee will hold a hearing on the legislation the week of November 16.
“Sick workers advised to stay home by their employers shouldn’t have to choose between their livelihood, and their coworkers’ or customer’s health,” said Miller. “This will not only protect employees, but it will save employers money by ensuring that sick employees don’t spread infection to co-workers and customers, and will relieve the financial burden on our health system swamped by those suffering from H1N1.”
“To help control the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, workers who are sick should stay at home,” said Woolsey. “This bill will ensure that workers who are directed to stay home by their employers can do so without paying a financial penalty.”
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that a sick worker will infect one in ten co-workers. As a result, the CDC and other public health officials have advised employers to be flexible when dealing with sick employees and to develop leave policies that will not punish workers for being ill.
At least 50 million American workers do not have access to paid sick leave, many in lower-wage jobs that have direct contact with the public such as the food-service and hospitality industry, schools and health care fields. The National Partnership for Women and Families estimates that the economy loses $180 billion in productivity a year when sick employees show up to work, also known as “presenteeism.”
Among other provisions, the Emergency Influenza Containment Act:
·Guarantees a sick worker up to five paid sick leave days a year if an employer ‘directs’ or ‘advises’ a sick employee to stay home or go home.
·Covers both full-time and part-time workers (on a pro-rated basis) in businesses with 15 or more workers. Employers that already provide at least 5 days’ paid sick leave are exempt.
·An employer can end paid sick leave at any time by informing the employee that the employer believes they’re well enough to return to work. Employees may continue on unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act or other existing sick leave policies.
·Employees who follow their employer’s direction to stay home because of contagious illness cannot be fired, disciplined or made subject to retaliation for following directions.
·Takes effect 15 days after being signed into law and sunsets after two years.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For the first time in U.S. history, all Americans would have access to quality, affordable health care under updated health insurance reform legislation unveiled by House Democrats today. The House is expected to debate and vote on the legislation next week.
The Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), which blends and updates the three versions of previous bills passed by the House committees of jurisdiction in July, embodies President Obama’s key goals for health reform. It will slow the growth in out-of-control costs, introduce competition into the health care marketplace to keep coverage affordable and insurers honest, protect people’s choices of doctors and health plans, and assure all Americans access to quality, stable, affordable health care.
The legislation will ensure that 96 percent of Americans will be covered by a quality, affordable health plan. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the cost of expanding coverage at $894 billion, consistent with the $900 billion coverage mark laid out by President Obama. And the legislation will be paid for. CBO estimates the bill reduces the deficit by at least $30 billion over 10 years.
After the House Committees of jurisdiction debated and reported versions of the legislation in July, members of Congress have solicited unprecedented levels of input from the American people. Since then, the committees, House leadership, and the entire caucus have worked to revise the legislation to reflect the priorities that Members heard from their constituents.
“For over 70 years, generations have fought to bring the promise of quality, affordable health care to every American. Today is a groundbreaking moment in this historic effort,” said U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “The Affordable Health Care for America Act reflects the hard work and input of many members of Congress and the American people and lives up to the principles that President Obama has laid out. We are closer than ever to guaranteeing every American access to quality, affordable health insurance and giving middle-class families and businesses relief from crushing costs, while reducing our deficit.”
“For too long, health care has been a privilege, not a right in America,” said U.S. Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “This bill ensures that every American has access to high-quality, affordable care that meets their needs, while also working to slow the staggering growth of health care costs. We have worked long and hard to develop this consensus legislation that incorporates feedback from our constituents to deliver reform that will and protect and strengthen coverage for those who have it and help cover those who are currently uninsured.”
“This is a bill that strengthens the legislation we started with in the House,” said U.S. Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-CA), the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “It reflects the views that Members heard from constituents in thousands of meetings this summer and fall. It accommodates diverse views and suggestions from Members from all parts of the House. It incorporates the priorities and principles the President requested of the Congress. We listened, learned, and made improvements, and are now poised to act on a bill that will at long last make affordable, quality health care for all a reality.”
“We have the world’s best doctors and nurses, but because millions of our people have no access to the care they provide, we’ve become the unhealthiest industrialized nation on the globe. That is about to change because of H.R. 3962,” said U.S Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), the Chairman Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee and lead sponsor of H.R. 3962. “Not only will the legislation cover 96 percent of our citizens, but it will reduce the deficit and help our businesses get equal footing with international competitors. The bill offers the chance to dramatically improve the quality of life in our nation. For more than 70 years, great leaders like FDR, Truman, Clinton, Ted Kennedy and my dear old dad have fought for a bill like this. We are too close to fail them now.”
“This is a historic moment. We are one step closer to fulfilling the promise of President Obama by bringing change to Washington,” said U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), the Chairman of the Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee. The Affordable Health Care for America Act will create a better health care system that will create jobs, promote wellness, and reduce health care costs for all Americans. We will continue the fight on behalf of those suffering from ever increasing health care costs and inadequate health insurance coverage. I am honored to have participated in the creation of this important bill.”
“This is history in the making for health care in America,” said U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) the Chairman of Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health. “Once these reforms are enacted, every American will be able to take comfort in the knowledge they will have access to affordable health care and that insurance coverage won't be denied or taken away. Good health is a basic need shared by all Americans, this will make quality health care a basic right for everyone.”
“As we've worked to reduce the overall cost of this bill, I am most proud that we've done so without shifting greater costs to middle and lower income families,” said U.S. Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA), the Chairman of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. “A strong public health insurance option is a key component to holding down those costs by injecting real competition and accountability into the health care marketplace. While achieving savings from Medicare, we have also re-invested in the program to eliminate the prescription drug donut hole and strengthen the program’s financial footing. This bill is a real win for American people of all ages, America's businesses of all sizes, and the budgets of our nation and our families.”
The legislation will ensure affordability for workers and middle-class families, security for seniors with a stronger, more solvent Medicare program, and a healthy fiscal future.
Members also introduced at the same time critically important companion legislation, the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act (H.R. 3961). That bill will permanently reform Medicare’s physician payment system and place it on a more sustainable footing for physicians and beneficiaries in the future.
The key components of the Affordable health Care for America Act include:
Increasing choice and competition. The bill will protect and improve consumers’ choices.
· If people like their current plans, they will be able to keep them.
· For individuals who aren’t currently covered by their employer, , and some small businesses, the proposal will establish a new Health Insurance Exchange where consumers can comparison shop from a menu of affordable, quality health care options that will include private plans, health co-ops, and a new public health insurance option.. The public health insurance option will play on a level playing field with private insurers, spurring additional competition.
· This Exchange will create competition based on quality and price that leads to better coverage and care. Patients and doctors will have control over decisions about their health care, instead of insurance companies.
Giving Americans peace of mind. The legislation will ensure that Americans have portable, secure health care coverage – so that they won’t lose care if their employer drops their plan or they lose their job.
Every American who receives coverage through the Exchange will have a plan that includes standardized, comprehensive and quality health care benefits.
It will end increases in premiums or denials of care based on pre-existing conditions, race, or gender, and strictly limit age rating.
The proposal will also eliminate co-pays for preventive care, and cap out-of-pocket expensesto protects every American from bankruptcy.
Improving quality of care for every American. The legislation will ensure that Americans of all ages, from young children to retirees have access to greater quality of care by focusing on prevention, wellness, and strengthening programs that work.
Guarantees that every child in America will have health care coverage that includes dental, hearing and vision benefits.
Provides better preventive and wellness care. Every health care plan offered through the exchange and by employers after a grace period will cover preventive care at no cost to the patient.
Increases the health care workforce to ensure that more doctors and nurses are available to provide quality care as more Americans get coverage.
Strengthens Medicare and Medicaid and closes the Medicare Part D ‘donut hole’ so that seniors and low-income Americans receive better quality of care and see lower prescription drug costs and out-of-pocket expenses.
Ensuring shared responsibility. The bill will ensure that individuals, employers, and the federal government share responsibility for a quality and affordable health care system.
· Employers can continue offering coverage to workers, and those who choose not offer coveragecontribute a fee of eight percent of payroll.
· All individuals will generally be required to get coverage, either through their employer or the exchange, or pay a penalty of 2.5 percent of income, subject to a hardship exemption.
· The federal government will provide affordability credits, available on a sliding scale for low- and middle-income individuals and families to make premiums affordable and reduce cost-sharing.
Protecting consumers and reducing waste, fraud, and abuse. The legislation will put the interests of consumers first, protect them from problems in getting and keeping health care coverage, and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.
· Provides transparency in plans in the Health Exchange so that consumers have the clear, complete information, in plain English, needed to select the plan that best meets their needs.
· Establishes consumer advocacy offices as part of the Exchange in order to protect consumers, answer questions, and assist with any problems related to their plans.
· Simplifyies paperwork and other administrative burdens. Patients, doctors, nurses, insurance companies, providers, and employers will all encounter a streamlined, less confusing, more consumer friendly system.
· Increases funding of efforts to reduce waste, fraud and abuse; creates enhanced oversight of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
Reducing the deficit and ensuring the solvency of Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation will be entirely paid for – it will not add a dime to the deficit. It will also put Medicare and Medicaid on the path to a more fiscally sound future, so seniors and low-income Americans can continue to receive the quality health care benefits for years to come.
Pays for the entire cost of the legislation though a combination of savings achieved by making Medicare and Medicaid more efficient – without cutting seniors’ benefits in any way – and revenue generated from placing a surcharge the top 0.3 percent of all households in the U.S.(married couples with adjusted gross income of over $1,000,000) and other tax measures.
The Congressional Budget estimates the bill will reduce the deficit by at least $100 billion over ten years.
Estimates also show the bill will slow the rate of growth of the Medicare program from 6.6 percent annually to 5.3 percent annually.
To view a copy of the Affordable Health Care for American Act, H.R. 3926, click here.
To view a copy of the Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act, H.R. 3961, click here.
To view a bill summary, detailed fact sheets and more information on what the health insurance reform will mean for American, click here.
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]]>WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today signed Rep. George Miller’s (D-CA) legislation to allow the National Parks Service to preserve an important part of American civil rights history.
The Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial Enhancement Act of 2009, introduced by Miller in February, was signed by the President today as part of the FY2010 National Defense Authorization Act. Miller, who has spearheaded efforts to create the Port Chicago memorial and recognize the events that occurred there, represents the East Bay community in California where the WWII homefront memorial is located.
“Future generations of America’s children will forever have the opportunity to visit and learn from the historic events that took place at Port Chicago during WWII,” Miller said after the legislation was signed. “The munitions detonation at Port Chicago, the so-called mutiny, and the subsequent legal cases are a significant part of our nation’s struggle for civil rights and rightly helped lead to the desegregation of the US Navy. The legislation that the President signed today will ensure that the site is properly maintained and remains available to the public.”
The legislation signed by the President today designates the memorial and the five acres that encompass the Port Chicago Naval Magazine blast site as an official unit of the National Park Service. Previously, the memorial was considered only an “affiliated area” of the park service and no federal money could be spent on education, historic preservation, or efforts to increase public awareness. This official designation granted today allows the park service to appropriate funds, care for the memorial and increase access for future generations.
The National Park Service announced that Superintendent Martha Lee will oversee the new site. She presently oversees two other local park units that Miller created through legislation years ago -- the Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond and the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez – as well as the Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site. Lee said she intends to immediately begin the process for hiring staff dedicated to telling this compelling story, both at the site and out in the nearby communities.
In addition to preserving the memorial, Miller’s legislation also authorizes the Interior Department to work with the City of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park District to establish and operate an interpretive center to allow visitors to learn about the events that took place at Port Chicago.
“Putting this memorial squarely in the capable hands of the National Park Service will ensure that Americans will have access to the compelling stories associated with this significant chapter in our history,” Miller said. “I’d also like to thank the Friends of the Port Chicago National Memorial, the National Parks Conservation Association, the City of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park District for their work, past and future, in supporting this legislation and in preserving the memorial.”
Lee also praised the groups’ participation. “We are committed, along with our partners - the Friends of Port Chicago, the City of Concord and the East Bay Regional Park District – in preserving the rich history and symbolism of this site,” she said.
Port Chicago History
On the night of July 17, 1944, in what is now Concord, CA, thousands of tons of ammunition being loaded for ships bound for the Pacific Theatre in WWII exploded. The blasts instantly killed 320 sailors at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine and wounded hundreds more, and damaged and destroyed merchant ships, the pier, a train, and the buildings of Port Chicago. Less than a month after the tragedy, three divisions were ordered to resume work at a new site a few miles away. Most of the men refused to continue their dangerous tasks until supervision, training, and working conditions were improved. In response, the Navy charged fifty men with conspiring to mutiny; all were convicted.
Nearly all of the men killed while handling ordinance at Port Chicago, and all of those convicted of mutiny, were African-American. Their courts martial had clear racial implications, and was a turning point in the nation’s history of a segregated military. Former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, a lawyer for the NAACP at the time, represented the sailors accused of mutiny.
Miller has long championed the Port Chicago issue and worked for nearly 20 years in Congress on behalf of the Port Chicago sailors and their families to preserve the historic site. His legislation in 1992 first designated the site of the Port Chicago Naval Magazine as a national memorial, and his subsequent efforts led to the pardon of one of the Port Chicago sailors. Since 1992, the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial has been managed by the National Park Service to remind Americans of the contributions made by the Port Chicago sailors. This summer marks the 65th anniversary of the events that took place at Port Chicago.
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Washington, D.C. – House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall (D-WV) and House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller (D-CA) today announced that they successfully secured provisions in the House version of the health insurance reform package that would provide for reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) – a long-sought priority for the two Chairmen.
“The job of reforming the Nation’s health care system and providing access to quality care for all Americans will not be complete until such care is extended to those living in Indian Country. In the 17 years that have lapsed since the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) was last reauthorized, the dire needs of health recipients throughout native communities that rely on these services have suffered. That is why it is more important now, than ever, that we work to fulfill our federal responsibility and see that the needs of our First Americans are attended to through national health insurance reform legislation,” said Chairman Rahall.
“We have a special responsibility to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act after more than a decade of delay. Today's news is a critical step for Indian Country and the best chance for passage of this legislation. Improving the quality and availability of care to American Indians and Alaska Natives is an important piece of our effort to ensure access to affordable, quality health care for every American,” said Chairman Miller, one of three Chairmen writing the health insurance reform bill.
“Words cannot express my gratitude to Chairman Rahall and Chairman Miller, who have been with us from the beginning as we worked together to address long-standing deficiencies in the delivery of Indian health care. We are elated that our long journey to reauthorize the Indian Health Care Improvement Act is one giant step closer to being realized, through the inclusion of this critical legislation in the House health insurance reform bill. This critical effort to modernize our health care delivery system will go a long way in improving the health status of those living in Native American and Alaska Native communities,” said Rachel Joseph, Co-Chair of the National Tribal Steering Committee for the Reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act.
First enacted in 1976, IHCIA is the primary source of medical care for 1.9 million American Indians and Alaska Natives, many of whom live in isolated, sparsely populated, and underserved areas of the country. Yet, the program was allowed to expire in 2001 and has not been reauthorized in 17 years, keeping the programs far out of pace with the dire needs of health service recipients throughout the native communities that rely on these services.
In June 2009, Rahall and Miller co-sponsored bipartisan legislation, H.R. 2708, to reauthorize the Act. Later that month, Rahall, who has long made IHCIA reauthorization a priority, led a House Natural Resources Committee hearing on the critical and needed legislation.
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Two ships to be removed from Bay by the end of the year
WASHINGTON, DC – Ending years of bureaucratic delay, Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today hailed a major step forward in removing and recycling the troubled Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet as federal and state officials announced plans to remove two ships by the end of the year.
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s plans call for vessels in the worst condition to be given priority in the process. The Earlham Victory and the Pan American Victory, cargo ships built in Richmond, CA, in 1945, will be the first to be removed. Each ship will be dry-docked and cleaned at a San Francisco Bay shipyard, before being towed to Brownsville, Texas to be recycled.
“I commend the Obama Administration and Deputy Secretary Porcari for coming up with a plan to deal with this very difficult problem after years of delay by the Bush Administration,” said Miller, whose congressional district includes Suisan Bay. “Today’s announcement presents a much-needed change in policy and a critical first step towards disposing of the Suisun Reserve Fleet ships properly and removing this source of pollution from the Bay.
“The Bush administration did everything it could to ignore this problem and shut the local community and the state of California out of the process,” Miller added. “But it’s clear that the new Administration is committed to removing the toxic ships from of the Bay. It is my hope that by taking this initial step, the Administration will continue to move this process forward until the issue is completely resolved and the mothball fleet is cleaned up.”
Senator Boxer said, "I am pleased that the Administration is taking a fresh look at the ships in Suisun Bay and implementing a plan to remove them. We still have work to do, but today's announcement makes much-needed progress."
The mothball fleet, officially termed the Suisun Bay Reserve Fleet, has sat idle in the Bay for decades. Recent reports (link) indicate the ships have leached toxic substances and contaminated Delta water. Previous efforts to remove the ships have gone unfinished. Under the Bush Administration, the U.S. Maritime Administration first slowed and then stalled efforts to remove the fleet and recycle the ships. Miller and Boxer have worked together, along with Senator Dianne Feinstein and former Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher, to get the Department of Transportation to solve this problem.
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Legislation will bring new water sources to drought-stricken California
WASHINGTON, DC – Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) released the following statement after the House of Representatives passed his legislation to expand water recycling in six San Francisco Bay Area communities:
“Today’s bill responds to the request for assistance from the state of California and local water managers to expand the supply of water in our drought-stricken state. This bill is good for our economy - it will create thousands of jobs and it will help reduce stress on our oversubscribed fresh water systems.
“Water recycling is supported by the major water coalitions, including the Metropolitan Water District and the Association of California Water Agencies, because they know the value of bringing alternative local water supplies like these online.
“This legislation will not only help my congressional district, which has pioneered water recycling efforts, but is one of a series of water recycling bills that the House has approved this year to expand water supply in communities up and down California, in Republican and Democratic districts alike -- without controversy, and without amendment, and without debate on larger California water policy issues. This year alone, the House has passed five local water bills for Republican members of the House. Those members asked for and received support from the House for their bills, and did not ask for an amendment for any one of those bills.”
The Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion Act of 2009 builds on a successful partnership that Congress has already authorized – adding six additional water recycling projects for the Bay Area that would provide 7.2 million gallons of water per day, enough water for nearly 25,000 households. And the projects are expected to create more than 3,000 jobs. Water recycling projects allow local water managers to treat wastewater and use the clean, recycled water for landscape irrigation and other uses, including at golf courses and city parks.
The projects authorized under the bill are:
CCCSD-Concord Recycled Water Project
Central Dublin Recycled Water Distribution and Retrofit Project
Petaluma Recycled Water Project
Central Redwood City Recycled Water Project
Palo Alto Recycled Water Pipeline Project
Ironhouse Sanitary District-Antioch Recycled Water Project
More information on the bill is available at: http://georgemiller.house.gov/news/2009/05/new_legislation_would_expand_i.html.
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]]>Concord, CA – Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) today congratulated one of his congressional staff, Elise Amaya, after she was sworn in as a member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves. Amaya joined Miller’s California staff in 2008 as the liaison to constituents serving in the military, military veterans and military families. Amaya joined nineteen Air Force Reservists today at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield for a swearing in ceremony and celebration.
“Elise has brought the same energy and dedication she showed throughout her military career to her work with my office,” Miller said. “She’s done an outstanding job connecting constituents to services and resolving problems that can often seem overwhelming for military families.
“As Elise enters the Air Force Reserves, I commend her for her continued commitment to service and our Nation. And I extend my commendations and appreciation to all the men and women sworn in today at Travis for their dedication to our country.”
Amaya entered the U.S. Air Force in 1999 and served with distinction on active duty with the Security Forces for five years. She has served both at home and abroad, ultimately rising to the rank of Staff Sergeant. During the course of her career, SSgt. Amaya was awarded the Air Force Achievement Medal with First Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Training Ribbon, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Military Education Ribbon, Air Force Longevity Service Award, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor, and the Overseas Long Tour Ribbon.
Elise Weaver Amaya and her brother Scott were raised in Oregon by her parents, Cindy and Dale Weaver. Her grandfather, Col. Bud Capell, USAF Retired, served as Base Commander at McChord Air Force Base near Tacoma, Washington.
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Republicans attempt to score political points and delay House passage of non-controversial bill to provide enough water for 24,000 households
WASHINGTON, DC - Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) issued the following statement after congressional Republicans voted against his non-controversial legislation to provide alternative water supplies to California:
"When it comes to providing clean water to California, congressional Republicans have now shown their true colors. The legislation that the House voted on today would supply California with much-needed funding for alternative water supplies -- but congressional Republicans just said no.
"The water projects authorized in this bill will provide 2.6 billion gallons of water per year for drought-stricken California, adding enough water to the system to meet the needs of 24,225 households. But 169 Republicans voted against it.
“Instead, congressional Republicans decided to pull the same old political games and showed a complete lack of understanding of the issues at hand – the measure they defeated today could have added significant water supplies to California's Central Valley Project system.
"California is in the third year of a serious drought and we're putting an inordinate amount of pressure on the Bay-Delta and on the water system as a whole. Finding solutions for these issues are too important for political stunts.
"We will bring up the bill again and pass it, but Rep. Nunes and his fellow obstructionists have delayed progress for California water issues - they have voted against jobs for Californians, they have voted against expanding water supplies, they have voted against developing new technology, and they have voted against expanding our economy. They have nothing to offer California but partisan stunts. They may have delayed this bill, but they will not defeat it."
H.R. 2442, the Bay Area Regional Water Recycling Program Expansion Act of 2009, builds on a successful partnership that Congress has already authorized – adding six additional water recycling projects for the Bay Area that would provide 7.2 million gallons of water per day. Water recycling projects allow local water managers to treat wastewater and use the clean, recycled water for landscape irrigation and other uses, including at golf courses, and city parks.
For more information on the bill, go to: http://georgemiller.house.gov/news/2009/05/new_legislation_would_expand_i.html.
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“Senator Kennedy was always a personal hero of mine. Over the past 35 years, the opportunity to work with him, to have him as a mentor, and a friend has been immensely valuable to me. Along with the rest of the nation, I have great respect for his commitment, his courage, and his leadership in fighting for the most important causes of our time. My wife Cynthia and I, along with our family, send our thoughts and prayers to Senator Kennedy’s wife Vicki, his children, Patrick – who has already begun to carry on his father’s legacy – Kara, Edward Jr., and the entire Kennedy family.”
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WASHINGTON, DC – Alaska’s wolves and bears would be protected from the controversial practice of airborne hunting under legislation introduced by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) today. The Protect America’s Wildlife Act, or PAW Act, protects wolves, bears, and other wildlife from the unethical, unscientific, and unsportsmanlike practice of airborne hunting.
The PAW Act closes a loophole in the 1971 Airborne Hunting Act that outlawed airborne hunting across the nation. Alaska officials have exploited that loophole to permit individual hunters to shoot and kill more than 1,000 wolves using aircraft in the past six years.
Miller, a long time leader in Congress on conservation, environmental, and natural resource issues and former chair of the House Natural Resources committee, released the following statement after introducing the legislation:
“The state of Alaska has been operating an airborne hunting program that has blatantly ignored federal law, ignored Alaskans’ opposition, ignored the science, and ignored even their own wildlife experts. It’s time to ground this air assault on wolves. The PAW Act is urgently needed to close the loophole in federal law and protect our nation’s wildlife from the unethical and unsportsmanlike practice of airborne hunting.”
In 1971, as a response to public outcry over airborne wolf hunting, Congress passed the Airborne Hunting Act to prohibit shooting or harassing animals from aircraft. For the last several years, however, individual hunters in Alaska have been granted permits to shoot hundreds of wolves from aircraft under the guise of wildlife management, but without any credible scientific justification for the need to remove predators to protect prey — in clear violation of the intent of the federal ban.
The PAW Act makes it clear that Alaska’s activities are a violation of federal law and that states can use aircraft for legitimate animal control purposes in circumstances where land, livestock, water, pets, crops, or human health and safety are at risk.
The PAW ACT was introduced by Miller along with 105 bipartisan cosponsors. Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced identical legislation today in the Senate. The legislation has already received the official support of nine former members of Alaska’s Board of Game and wildlife conservation groups, including Defenders of Wildlife.
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]]>Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this legislation to help restore fiscal responsibility. And I salute President Obama and Majority Leader Hoyer for their leadership on this important issue.
Listening to this debate today might leave the American people confused about Republican values.
Republicans regularly declare their fidelity to controlling federal spending. And they claim to want to fix our broken health care system. And yet, Republicans oppose our common-sense “pay-as-you-go” legislation. And Republicans oppose our historic health care reform bill.
My question to the Republicans is simple:
When they controlled the House, the Senate, and the White House for eight long years, why didn’t they control federal spending or reform health care? Why is it that the first thing they did with their power was to cut taxes for the rich without paying the cost? They did it in 2001 and 2003, turning budget surpluses into deficits.
Why is it that they added a record number of earmarks to the appropriations bills, running the deficit up further? And why is that in eight years they never, ever made health care reform a priority? NOT EVER.
Meanwhile, Americans’ health care costs kept rising. And insurance company denials of care continued. And the number of uninsured grew.
Eight years of all-Republican government -- spending the taxpayers’ money like drunken sailors, rising deficits and inaction on health care.
But they have made rhetoric a priority. And they have made politics as usual a priority.
Now that they are out of power, they speak about controlling deficits and reforming health care, but they openly state that they hope our president fails.
Their record is a shame and has really hurt our country.
I have been a supporter of “pay-as-you-go” budgeting since 1982, when I introduced the first PAYGO bill.
When liberals and conservatives worked together with President Clinton to adopt PAYGO rules, Democrats reigned in historic budget deficits left over from President Reagan and President Bush in the 1980s and early 1990s. And we recorded budget surpluses.
President Bush and the Republican-controlled Congress eliminated PAYGO rules. As a result, interest payments on the long-term debt are crowding out national priorities. In 2007, Democrats made PAYGO part of our rules again. Our legislation today strengthens those rules by giving them the force of law.
Our bill says Congress could neither cut taxes nor increase entitlement spending without first deciding how to afford those new costs. PAYGO requires difficult decisions about national priorities and how to afford them. If we can’t pay for new tax cuts or entitlement spending, we can’t have them. It is that simple.
PAYGO will strengthen the economy by helping to reduce interest payments on our debt, and by helping us to address our health care reform, modernizing energy policy and college affordability.
Our health care bill, for example, will not increase the deficit one dime. And our new college affordability bill is also fully paid for, and will actually return $10 billion to help reduce the deficit.
Democrats are working hard to ensure that, going forward, we exercise the fiscal discipline that hard working Americans need and expect from us. Vote yes on PAYGO.
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