Federal Legislative Report 1-30-09

[Omaha Steve]

Below are the top stories of the week from Capitol Hill.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE REPORT
January 30, 2009

In this issue:

* House Passes $819 Billion Economic Recovery Package
* Senate Committees Advance Economic Recovery Package
* Obama Signs Important Pay Equity Bill Into Law
* Senate Approves Children's Health Bill
* House and Senate Introduce Paid Parental Leave Bills
* Medicare Prescription Drug Bill Introduced
* New Senator and Secretary of Treasury Sworn In

House Passes $819 Billion Economic Recovery Package
On Wednesday, the House passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) by a vote of 244-188. All but 11 Democratic lawmakers voted for the $819 billion package backed by President Barack Obama and strongly supported by AFSCME and the AFSCME-led coalition. The bill would create three million to four million jobs and help fight off the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. No Republicans voted for the bill. The 11 Democratic members who voted against the bill were: Reps. Allen Boyd (FL), Bobby Bright (AL), Jim Cooper (TN), Brad Ellsworth (IN), Peter Griffith (AL), Paul Kanjorski (PA), Frank Kratovil, Jr. (MD), Walt Minnick (ID), Collin Peterson (MN), Heath Shuler (NC), and Gene Taylor (MS). Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) did not vote.

The package includes roughly $300 billion for state and local governments, including $120 billion to states and school districts to stabilize budgets and prevent deep cuts to vital education programs, an $88.9 billion increase in federal payments for state Medicaid programs, $63.5 billion for public transportation and infrastructure investments, $5 billion for the Public Housing Capital Fund for repairs and modernization, $4 billion for state and local law enforcement, $2.1 billion for Head Start, $2 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), $1 billion for a two-year restoration of child support enforcement funding, $1 billion each for the Community Development and Community Services Block Grants, $500 million increase for reemployment services, $500 million for state unemployment insurance (UI) agencies for administration, $300 million for Food Stamp administration, and $500 million for public safety net hospitals. The bill also blocks $200 million in cuts to states through a moratorium on Bush Administration Medicaid regulations. The House passed Rep. Jerrold Nadler's (D-NY) amendment to increase transit capital funding by $3 billion, bringing the total for transit funding to $12 billion. The House also adopted Rep. Todd Platts' (R-PA) and Rep. Chris Van Hollen's (D-MD) amendment to protect federal employee whistleblowers.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

Senate Committees Advance Economic Recovery Package
By a vote of 21-9, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed $356.5 billion of spending provisions in S. 1, the Senate version of the economic recovery package. Four Republicans, Sens. Arlen Specter (R-PA), Christopher Bond (R-MO), Thad Cochran (R-MS) and Susan Collins (R-ME), joined all Democratic panel members to vote for the bill, but voiced reservations about the overall package. The provisions the committee considered were similar to those in the House-passed bill but include additional funding for school modernization projects and the Social Services Block Grant. However, it provides less funding than the House bill for reemployment grants, job training, highway and public transit investments, the Community Services Block Grant, and the Clean Water Revolving Fund.

The Senate Finance Committee passed provisions of S. 1 in its jurisdiction by a vote of 14-9, with Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe (ME) joining all Democratic members. The provisions passed by the panel included $87 billion in aid to states through increased Medicaid funds. Republican Sens. Charles Grassley (IA), Jon Kyl (AZ) and Jim Bunning (KY) objected vigorously to helping states in fiscal crisis.

Like the House bill, the Senate Finance Committee bill continues the federal UI benefits program through the end of the year, increases the weekly benefit by $25 and provides states with $500 million for UI administration and financial incentives to enable more low-wage and part-time workers to receive unemployment benefits. Efforts also are being made to reach agreement on a major overhaul of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) Program and incorporate it into the recovery package. The committee approved, on a bipartisan basis, a Grassley-Menendez amendment to add a $70 billion one-year patch to the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT), which would reduce tax payments for 24 million middle-class families.

The panels' actions set the stage for the full Senate to consider the economic recovery package next week. The Senate bill now totals $825 billion in new spending and tax cuts. Amendments to weaken or eliminate aid to states through Medicaid are expected.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

Please call your senators NOW toll free at 1-888-460-0813 and urge them to vote yes on Senate Bill 1, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and oppose any effort to reduce the amount of public service investment in our states and communities.

Obama Signs Important Pay Equity Bill into Law
On Thursday, President Obama in a moving White House ceremony signed his first bill into law, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S. 181). It became law after passage by the House and Senate. The bill restores longstanding protections against wage discrimination by overturning a controversial Supreme Court decision and making it easier for workers to sue over pay discrimination.
(Becky Levin- [e-mail])

Senate Approves Children's Health Bill
On Thursday, the Senate approved the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2) by a vote of 66 to 32. Nine Republicans joined Democrats to approve the bill. During the debate, a number of amendments were offered to weaken the bill, but none prevailed. The bill expands coverage to an additional 4.1 million children, with total coverage reaching nearly 11 million children. The expansion in coverage is paid for with a 62 cent per pack increase in the federal cigarette tax. The House is expected to quickly approve the Senate version of the bill and send it to the President.
(Barbara Coufal- [e-mail])

House and Senate Introduce Paid Parental Leave Bills
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act (H.R. 626) in the House, and Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) introduced a companion bill in the Senate (S. 354). The bill would grant four weeks of paid parental leave to federal employees and allow federal employees to use any accumulated annual or sick leave to offset the 12 weeks of unpaid Family Medical Leave Act leave.
(Becky Levin- [e-mail]; Andrea Zuniga DiBitetto- [e-mail])

Medicare Prescription Drug Bill Introduced
Reps. Marion Berry (D-AR) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Medicare Prescription Drug Savings and Choice Act of 2009 (H.R. 684) in the House, and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-IL) introduced a companion bill in the Senate (S. 330). The legislation would create a Medicare-administered prescription drug plan to provide seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries with an alternative to the more expensive, privately administered prescription drug plans currently offered under Part D.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

New Senator and Secretary of Treasury Sworn In
This week, Kirsten Gillibrand (D) was sworn in as New York's junior senator, filling Hillary Rodham Clinton's seat. The chamber now has 99 members. The Senate seat formerly held by Republican Norm Coleman (MN) is still enmeshed in a court battle after Minnesota's canvassing board ruled that Democrat Al Franken defeated Coleman by 225 votes after a statewide recount. The Senate also confirmed Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary.
(Fran Bernstein- [e-mail])

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