Statement of Senator Feinstein on Passage of Legislation to Provide Assistance to Workers, Businesses and States

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today welcomed passage of legislation designed to boost the economic recovery while providing assistance to workers, businesses and states.  The “American Workers, State and Business Relief Act” was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 62-36, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be sent to the President for his signature.

“The emergency relief package approved by the Senate today is the second in a series of bills designed to help boost the recovery effort and assist those who are the most hard-hit by the economic downturn,” Senator Feinstein said.

“The bill will offer much-needed relief to the 2.26 million out-of-work Californians who are relying on unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits to tide them over until they can find a good paying job – by extending those vital safety net programs through the end of the year. 

The legislation will also help the State of California bridge budgetary shortfalls by extending for another six months the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, enacted under the Recovery Act. This will provide an additional $1.5 to $2 billion in federal assistance to California.

Finally, I’d like to extend my thanks to Senator Lincoln for including a provision in her amendment -- at the request of Senator Boxer and myself -- to give specialty crop farmers access to $150 million in emergency financial assistance regardless of whether their crops were devastated by flood or drought. This will be helpful to California farmers, where three years of drought cost nearly $600 million in lost crops last year and resulted in the fallowing of more than 400,000 acres of farm land.  Last year, 24 counties in California were declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and this relief will help prepare farmers for the coming harvest cycle.”

The legislation, (H.R. 4213), contains several provisions that are of particular importance to California, including:

• Extending unemployment relief to out-of-work Americans through the end of the year, including unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. There are currently 2.26 million Californians unemployed and looking for work. 
  
• This provision could assist an estimated 200,000 Californians who could become ineligible to receive benefits once the current 30-day extension expires.
  
• For unemployed California families, the average monthly COBRA premium is $1,107. The COBRA premium assistance reduced this cost to $388 per month, and without this benefit, unemployed Californians could lose $720 a month.
  
• Providing a six month extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This extension would provide an increase of $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding for the state to cover Medicaid costs and help close the budget gap. This additional Medicaid funding will help the state continue to provide health care services for the poor, and meet the increased demand caused by the economic downturn.
  
• Providing $150 million in disaster relief for specialty crop producers who have suffered heavy losses because of flood or drought. The emergency assistance, included at the request of California Senators Boxer and Feinstein in an amendment by offered by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), will provide critical help for California specialty crop growers. California is the largest specialty crop producer in the country, with 39 percent of the nation’s specialty crops. The emergency aid will be awarded to states based on the value of specialty crop losses in 2009, and states will distribute the aid to growers in primary disaster counties. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 24 of the California’s 58 counties as primary disaster counties due to drought conditions.

The bill also offers relief to working families through tax relief provisions for tuition payments, energy efficiency improvements for homes, as well as school supplies for our teachers. And it will also promote the growth of our businesses through an extension of the research and development tax credit and other tax relief provisions.

Finally, the legislation includes assistance for small businesses.  Specifically, the bill extends through the end of the year increased loan guarantees offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The guarantees were enacted through the Recovery Act, and are expected to support $18.5 billion of loans to America’s small businesses. 

A summary of the legislation can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=fs-111-2-32

A detailed summary of the benefits for California can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-sr-111-2-33/ca.pdf

###

GOPLeader: RT @powerlineblog The Slaughter solution? http://bit.ly/c2gRyh #hcr

H.Res. 1031 - Rep. Conyers;Dispose of H.Res. __ - Rep. Flake; Suspensions

H.Res. 1031 - Rep. Conyers;Dispose of H.Res. __ - Rep. Flake; Suspensions

Washington, DC—During debate today of a bill introduced by Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) H.Con.Res. 248, the Afghanistan War Powers Resolution, Rep. John Lewis made this statement against the war in Afghanistan:

Washington, DC—Today Rep. John Lewis introduced a resolution establishing February as Teen Dating Violence Prevention Month, a bill that was delayed because of the shutdowns in Washington due to the blizzard.  Because March is Women’s History Month, the Congressman felt it was still important to introduce the bill to call attention to the plight of young women who are victimized by teen dating violence.  This resolution is a companion to the Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act of 2009 which establishes a national teen dating violence prevention initiative.

Washington, DC—Today Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) sponsored a resolution today leading Congress to pay tribute to the 600 peaceful, non-violent workers who attempted to March from Selma to Montgomery on March 7, 1965, to demonstrate the need for voting rights in Alabama.  The group met Alabama state troopers in a brutal confrontation known as Bloody Sunday.

Today, on the 51st anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising, we honor the many brave Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives fighting for freedom and the aspirations of the Tibetan people to live in peace.

51 years ago today, the people of Lhasa peacefully assembled and called for an end to harsh Chinese rule in Tibet. The ensuing crackdown was brutal, and His Holiness the Dalai Lama was forced into exile.

For more than five decades, Tibetans have waited for peaceful evolution and democratic reforms that would usher in a brighter future in China and Tibet. The dialogue continues between Tibetan envoys and Chinese officials, but there has not been any substantive progress. A negotiated agreement is essential and it would ensure internal stability in Tibet and bolster China’s reputation in the world.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government has not won the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people and attempts to drive a wedge between the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people have been counterproductive for the Chinese government. Tibetans are as devoted to their beliefs as ever and the bond with His Holiness the Dalai Lama is unbreakable.

It is long past time for Beijing to work toward a solution that respects the human rights of all Tibetans.

President Obama is to be commended for his meeting with the Dalai Lama at the White House last month. The meeting marked another chapter in the long friendship and close ties between the United States and the people of Tibet. We will continue to stand with His Holiness to promote, preserve, and protect the rights of all people to live in freedom worldwide.

On the 51st anniversary of the Dalai Lama being forced into exile, we heed his transcendent message of peace, and we remember the people of Tibet in their ongoing struggle.

Health insurance reform opponents continue to spread myths, including the notion that Republicans are fighting to protect seniors from Medicare changes. In fact, the House-passed bill and the President’s plan improve care and benefits under Medicare and extends Medicare solvency.

But in the hypocrisy file, Congressional Republicans have made no effort to hide their attempts to gut Medicare over the years – from then-Speaker Newt Gingrich proudly declaring that Medicare would wither on the vine in 1995 to the top Republican on the House Budget Committee this year proposing that Medicare be completely privatized within 10 years.

MYTH: The President’s health insurance reform bill will undermine health care for America’s seniors–slashing Medicare by $500 billion.

FACT: Nothing in the Democrats’ health insurance reform reduces Medicare benefits for seniors. Reform achieves savings by cracking down on inefficiency, fraud and waste in Medicare – targeted at private insurance companies and providers, not beneficiaries. These savings include cutting large and unnecessary overpayments to private insurance companies that offer Medicare Advantage plans. Rather than undermining Medicare, this bill strengthens Medicare. Much of the cost savings achieved are reinvested into Medicare – improving benefits and extending the life of the Medicare Trust Fund by nine years.

It is estimated that up to 20% of Medicare spending, as well as private health care spending, goes to waste, inefficiency, fraud, and unnecessary procedures. It is this spending that is targeted for elimination in this bill. The Medicare savings in the bill are simply a 5% reduction overall in what Medicare is expected to spend over the next 10 years.

While Republicans are now claiming to be champions of Medicare, it was Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich who said that, under his plan, Medicare “is going to wither on the vine” and it was Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey who said that Medicare was “a program I would have no part of in a free world.” These statements were made when they were trying to enact a bill that would have gutted Medicare—cutting it by hundreds of billions of dollars in order to pay for massive tax cuts for the wealthy. President Bill Clinton vetoed the bill.

Now, once again, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), the top Republican on the House Budget Committee, has put forward a budget plan that would undermine Medicare. The Ryan plan would:

Completely privatize Medicare for those 55 and under – where people are given fixed vouchers and told to buy their own private insurance

Cut Medicare spending by about $650 billion over the next 10 years for those currently covered by Medicare

Democrats are committed to protecting and strengthening the Medicare program for America’s seniors. Medicare is a sacred trust with Americans and our health insurance reform plan will ensure that trust is preserved. But currently, billions of dollars are lost each year to waste and inefficiency in the Medicare system. The waste is driving up seniors’ health care costs and threatening Medicare’s long-term solvency. Some of the ways that our health insurance reform plan targets inefficiency and waste in Medicare include:

Saving over $150 billion by targeting wasteful Medicare payments to private insurers – putting Medicare Advantage plans and traditional Medicare on a level playing field by eliminating overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans.

Reducing over-billing by providers

Cutting out duplicative paperwork

Cracking down on abuse from those who fraudulently bill Medicare

Preventing dangerous hospital readmissions by providing follow-up care that will help individuals safely transition home after a hospital stay

Furthermore, under our plan, much of the Medicare savings are then re-invested into improving Medicare. Our bill protects seniors by improving Medicare benefits and strengthening the fiscal stability of Medicare over the long term:

Lowers prescription drug costs for millions of seniors by gradually completely closing the so-called “donut hole,” the coverage gap in the Medicare prescription drug benefit

Ensures free preventive care under Medicare – eliminating deductibles and copayments for preventive services

Includes numerous delivery system reforms that reward the value of care, not the volume of care, while at the same time improving the quality of care – including such steps as promoting Accountable Care Organizations, patient-centered Medical Homes, and payment bundling for services

Invests in expanding the medical workforce so seniors will have more doctors to choose from and an easier time getting an appointment

Extends the solvency of the Medicare Trust Fund by nine years

While discussing health insurance reform in St. Charles, Missouri today, President Obama announced new efforts to reign in waste and fraud in Medicare, Medicaid and other government programs. He explained that the administration plans to prevent wasted dollars through the use of payment recapture audits by giving auditors incentives to catch improper payments and payment errors. He called for federal agencies to launch these audits across the country, which have been successful through pilot programs.  The audits are expected to return $2 billion in taxpayer money over the next 3 years.

He also announced his support for the Improper Payments Elimination and Recovery Act, a bipartisan bill to expand the government’s ability to perform such audits and prevent waste. The administration is working to cut programs that are not needed, increase accountability, and eliminate high-risk contracts. The President explained that by saving billions of dollars, government-run health care programs like Medicare can work better and provide better care.

On the other side of the spectrum there are those who believe that the answer is to simply unleash the insurance industry, and provide less oversight and fewer rules. And that somehow that's going to drive down prices for everybody.  This is called the “putting the foxes in charge of the hen house” approach to health care reform. So whatever state regulations were in place, we’d get rid of those and so insurance companies could basically find a state that had the worst regulations and then from there sell insurance everywhere.  And that somehow that was going to be helpful to you.  All this would do would give insurance companies more leeway to raise premiums and deny care.

So I don’t believe we should give either the government or the insurance companies more control over health care in America.  I want to give you more control over health care in America.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on Medicaid fraud and health care reform at St. Charles High School in St. Charles, Missouri,

The President also explained that his health care proposal would have three core reforms: ending the worst practices of insurance companies, creating a marketplace that allows for affordable health care options, and reducing costs for families, businesses, and the government. As a result, the government would reduce the deficit by $1 trillion dollars. Businesses have also conducted a study that shows the reforms are expected to reduce premiums by as much as $3000 per employee.

So here’s the bottom line, St. Charles.  There’s no government takeover, unless you consider reining in insurance companies a government takeover -- and I think that’s the right thing to do.  There’s no cutting of Medicare benefits.  There’s just cutting out fraud and waste in Medicare to make it stronger. 

What we’re proposing is a common-sense approach to protecting you from insurance company abuses and saving you money.  That’s the proposal, and it is paid for.  And I believe that Congress owes the American people a final up or down vote on health care reform.  The time for talk is over; it’s time to vote.
 

Today I had the honor of addressing BET’s first ever “Leading Women Summit” in Washington, DC. The Summit brought together artists, community activists, media representatives and professional women from across the country to work on finding solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing the African American community. I welcomed the opportunity to participate and offer my perspective on the health care crisis in our country, which, according to almost every available statistic, disproportionately affects Women of Color.

For instance, consider the following facts:

Nearly one in five African Americans (19%) are without health care insurance. African Americans in general spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs compared to their white counterparts (16.5% vs. 12.2%). African Americans also tend to live in areas where there are fewer hospitals or where quality care cannot be obtained. African Americans suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes, which are perpetuated by a lack of access to quality care. Currently, 48% of African American adults suffer from a chronic disease compared to 39% of the general population.

With this in mind, my talk focused on President Obama’s unwavering commitment to reforming health insurance. He is determined to give Americans, not government or insurers, more control over their care. He has kept fighting against insurance companies that discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions. He has kept fighting to reduce the costs of health care for families, businesses and government. He has kept fighting. He has kept fighting for people who are uninsured and small businesses to give them the same coverage as Members of Congress. And now it is time for an up-or-down vote in Congress, because that’s what the people deserve -- people like Leslie Banks and Natoma Canfield.

The President met Leslie at a recent event in Philadelphia after she had written him a letter describing her frustrations with her insurance. Leslie is a self-employed, African-American single mother, whose daughter is a sophomore in college at Temple University. Leslie has type 2 diabetes. She can no longer afford her coverage after the insurer recently notified her of a 100% across the board rate hike and told her that the only way to stay at her previous rate would mean increasing her deductible from $500 to $5,000. Leslie is not available for coverage through her HMO because of her pre-existing condition.

Leslie’s story is not that different from the one I told about Natoma Canfield, who also wrote the President about an incredible increase in her rates, which forced her to drop her coverage. President Obama read the letter at a meeting of insurance industry leaders to show them why he continues to push for reform. Since then, Natoma has been hospitalized with a serious blood disorder and she has no health insurance.

As I related these stories, I couldn’t help but notice a lot of head-nodding in the audience. While nobody at today’s Summit knew Leslie or Natoma, the reality is we all know somebody whose life has been touched by the worst practices of the health insurance industry. That’s why it’s so important that we all work together to tackle this problem for the African American community and for all communities across America.

Valerie Jarrett is Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Engagement

GOPLeader: When will Democrats get the message? GOP sent the President a letter last month calling for spending cuts NOW: http://bit.ly/dBB2PZ

I recently unveiled a series of magnificent murals that highlights the legacy of two of the greatest figures in U.S. Department of the Interior’s history, Secretary Harold Ickes and renowned photographer Ansel Adams. The murals represent 26 of the photos Ickes commissioned Adams to produce as part of the Department’s Mural Project of 1941.

Grand Teton, Snake River, Wyoming, National Archives no. 79-AAG-1 Ansel Adams

On display in the main hallways of the first and second floors of the main Interior building, these stunning black-and-white photos convey the beauty Adams’ saw in our Department’s diverse mission, and include: a pair of Native American children; the eruption of Old Faithful; and the intricate network of power lines at Boulder Dam.

Ickes and Adams first met in 1936, while attending a conference on the future of national and state parks.  Ickes was secretary of the Interior under President Franklin Roosevelt; Adams, a renowned photographer and president of the Sierra Club. The two immediately found a common bond in a deep love for the beauty of our nation’s land and a desire to see it conserve that land for future generations.

In fact, Adams used his photographic talent to lead a successful campaign to save the Kings River area of the Sierra Nevada and have Congress designate it as Kings Canyon National Park.

Ickes believed that the Interior building, which was completed in 1936, should be symbolic of the Department’s mission to manage and conserve our nation’s vast resources. So in 1941, he hired Adams to create a photographic mural for display in this building that reflected the Department’s mission: the beautiful land, the proper stewardship of our resources, and the people we serve.

The attack on Pearl Harbor and our nation’s entry into World War II brought the project to a halt.  The more than 200 photographs that Adams took have been stored in the National Archives, but never printed or hung as murals.

Now, with our installation of the murals, we are able to share with visitors from across the nation Ickes and Adams’ timeless vision for this Department — and how we are in the business of fulfilling that vision today.

Boulder Dam Power Units, Colorado River, Nevada / Arizona Border, National Archives no. 79-AAB-5 Ansel Adams

Ken Salazar is the Secretary of the Interior

GOPLeader: RT @Drudge_Report Monthly Budget Deficit Balloons to a Record; Up 14% from 2009 http://bit.ly/bPp0Mb

Statement of Senator Feinstein on Passage of Legislation to Provide Assistance to Workers, Businesses and States

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today welcomed passage of legislation designed to boost the economic recovery while providing assistance to workers, businesses and states.  The “American Workers, State and Business Relief Act” was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 62-36, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be sent to the President for his signature.

“The emergency relief package approved by the Senate today is the second in a series of bills designed to help boost the recovery effort and assist those who are the most hard-hit by the economic downturn,” Senator Feinstein said.

“The bill will offer much-needed relief to the 2.26 million out-of-work Californians who are relying on unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits to tide them over until they can find a good paying job – by extending those vital safety net programs through the end of the year. 

The legislation will also help the State of California bridge budgetary shortfalls by extending for another six months the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, enacted under the Recovery Act. This will provide an additional $1.5 to $2 billion in federal assistance to California.

Finally, I’d like to extend my thanks to Senator Lincoln for including a provision in her amendment -- at the request of Senator Boxer and myself -- to give specialty crop farmers access to $150 million in emergency financial assistance regardless of whether their crops were devastated by flood or drought. This will be helpful to California farmers, where three years of drought cost nearly $600 million in lost crops last year and resulted in the fallowing of more than 400,000 acres of farm land.  Last year, 24 counties in California were declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and this relief will help prepare farmers for the coming harvest cycle.”

The legislation, (H.R. 4213), contains several provisions that are of particular importance to California, including:

• Extending unemployment relief to out-of-work Americans through the end of the year, including unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. There are currently 2.26 million Californians unemployed and looking for work. 
  
• This provision could assist an estimated 200,000 Californians who could become ineligible to receive benefits once the current 30-day extension expires.
  
• For unemployed California families, the average monthly COBRA premium is $1,107. The COBRA premium assistance reduced this cost to $388 per month, and without this benefit, unemployed Californians could lose $720 a month.
  
• Providing a six month extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This extension would provide an increase of $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding for the state to cover Medicaid costs and help close the budget gap. This additional Medicaid funding will help the state continue to provide health care services for the poor, and meet the increased demand caused by the economic downturn.
  
• Providing $150 million in disaster relief for specialty crop producers who have suffered heavy losses because of flood or drought. The emergency assistance, included at the request of California Senators Boxer and Feinstein in an amendment by offered by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), will provide critical help for California specialty crop growers. California is the largest specialty crop producer in the country, with 39 percent of the nation’s specialty crops. The emergency aid will be awarded to states based on the value of specialty crop losses in 2009, and states will distribute the aid to growers in primary disaster counties. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 24 of the California’s 58 counties as primary disaster counties due to drought conditions.

The bill also offers relief to working families through tax relief provisions for tuition payments, energy efficiency improvements for homes, as well as school supplies for our teachers. And it will also promote the growth of our businesses through an extension of the research and development tax credit and other tax relief provisions.

Finally, the legislation includes assistance for small businesses.  Specifically, the bill extends through the end of the year increased loan guarantees offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The guarantees were enacted through the Recovery Act, and are expected to support $18.5 billion of loans to America’s small businesses. 

A summary of the legislation can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=fs-111-2-32

A detailed summary of the benefits for California can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-sr-111-2-33/ca.pdf

###

BarackObama: The final march for reform has begun. We need you to talk to your neighbors and help spread the facts on health reform: http://j.mp/cZg3To

U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) made the following statement after House leaders announced they will no longer grant earmarks to private, for-profit companies:

“Democrats in the House of Representatives took another important step this week to improve the ethics practices of Congress and the way our government works for you.

“The House leadership announced that no longer will private, for-profit companies be allowed to receive congressionally directed funds – commonly referred to as earmarks. In addition, independent audits will be conducted on five percent of earmarks that go to non-profit organizations to ensure they really are not for-profit.

“I applaud this decision, which mirrors what I already announced in January - that I would not support earmark requests from for-profit companies. If the Senate agrees with the House plan, this policy will take effect this year. This will help end the appearance or the practice of members of Congress and Senators doling out federal tax dollars to private companies in exchange for political or financial support.

“In general, earmarks help communities meet critical local priorities, such as education, worker training programs, highway and bridge repair, or water treatment improvements. And they will continue to help our communities through municipal and county agencies or verifiable non-profit organizations.

“Banning private earmarks is the latest of several important reforms Democrats have made to the earmark and lobbying process in Washington. It is well documented that earmark requests swelled during the 12 years of Republican control of Congress. When Republican Tom “The Hammer” Delay was House Majority Leader, he worked hand-in-hand with now disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to hand out federal favors to special interest buddies in exchange for campaign contributions or free trips. In 2005, Rep. Duke Cunningham pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery with defense contractors. Cunningham and Abramoff are now in jail.

“Since being elected to the majority in 2007, Democrats have been working to fix this broken system. First, we banned gifts from lobbyists. Then, we suspended all earmarks until a reformed process was put in place that made transparency a priority. As a result, we required all earmark requests to be detailed online, to show who requested them and for what purpose. And today members of Congress must publicly certify that they have no financial interest in any earmark request.

“Our next step was to reduce earmarks -- last year the number of earmarks was half what it was in 2006.

“And now, we are banning earmarks to private entities. While many of the more than 1,000 private earmarks approved last year funded important work that created local jobs and spurred innovative technological developments, the private earmark process has been too easily corrupted. It is best to end the practice.

“I am working hard to improve the way your government works for you – to create good paying jobs in our communities, stop health insurance company abuses, and strengthen our economy. Earmark reform is one small part of this overall effort but it is an important one.”

# # #

After voting yes on H.Con.Res 248, the Afghanistan War Powers Resolution, Rep. George Miller made the following statement:

“We need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan. Today, I again registered my opposition to the current US policy in Afghanistan by voting for Mr. Kucinich’s war powers resolution. While we know it isn’t feasible for American troops to leave Afghanistan in the time allotted in the resolution, by voting for it I am sending a clear message to President Obama and my colleagues that we need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan.”

A copy of the resolution is available here.