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Foreign aid bill, with $2 billion plus, for Israel, faces Senate vote
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release)—The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved its version of the foreign aid bill, which is expected to go to the Senate floor for final passage in the coming weeks. The bill will then go to President Obama for his signature.
On Thursday, July 9, The House of Representatives passed its version which will provide Israel with $2.22 billion in critical security assistance. When combined with $555 million included in a recently passed emergency supplemental bill, the foreign aid bill fully funds the administration's request of $2.775 billion for Israel and fulfills the second year of the 10-year, $30 billion U.S.-Israeli Memorandum of Understanding.
The bill passed by a vote of 318-106, with eight members not voting.
Health Care legislation introduced by House Democratic leadership
WASHINGTON,D.C. (Press Release)--On Tuesday, House Democratic leaders introduced the America's Affordable Health Choice Act of 2009. The three panels with jurisdiction over health policy in the House have been working together as one committee to develop a single bill that fulfills President Obama's goals of reducing health care costs, protecting and increasing consumers' choices, and guaranteeing access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans.
Following are statements by Jewish members of the House concerning this legislation:
 Congressman Henry Waxman (Democrat, California, chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce): This legislation is landmark legislation, and this is a defining moment for our country. We are about to undertake what has eluded so many Presidents and Congresses for far too long. And that is the objective of getting good quality, affordable health care insurance to every American.
The President was elected with a mandate that he undertake this very ambitious goal. He outlined how he wanted to achieve it by building on the system that we have now, by giving people the option to keep the insurance that they have if they like it, and to allow seniors to stay in Medicare but improve that system.
But for those who have no insurance or for those small businesses that cannot afford insurance, our legislation will allow people to choose an insurance option. And I emphasize the word choice because that choice and competition is one very formidable way to hold down the costs.
We are trying to achieve a number of different objectives. But holding down the costs in health care is certainly, by far, our number one objective. The system is unsustainable. We cannot continue to put more and more money into health care especially when you recognize that this country spends more money on health care than any other Western, industrialized nation.
And yet, we have 46 to 50 million people uninsured and more and more stories of people who have insurance that doesn’t work for them when they need that insurance to kick in and pay for their medical bills.
We can't afford it as a country, paying for Medicare and Medicaid. We can't afford it for those who are buying insurance that is going up every year. We can't afford it for the governments at the local level that help pay for health care as well.
So our system is dysfunctional and this legislation, we hope, will bring a system together that will serve all of the American people and all those who provide care for those people.
The legislation that we are rolling out today is an improvement on the draft that was released a couple of weeks ago. It reflects the input from many of our colleagues.
We have a number of items, from making sure that we protect small businesses to making sure that people have more options, and a number of other changes that you’ll be able to look at when you see the draft.
This draft, which is the product of the three Committees, will now be presented to each of our three Committees. And in our Committee on Energy and Commerce we will work through some of the differences we have among the members, both Democrats and Republicans, with the objective that we are going to get a bill.
We cannot allow this issue to be delayed. We cannot put it off again. We cannot, quite frankly, go home for a recess unless the House and the Senate both pass bills to reform and restructure our health care system.
And that is what we are going to be doing in the next three weeks, accomplishing this goal in the House and the Senate, so that we can get together and work out one final piece of legislation for the President to sign.
I’m pleased that we’ve had such strong leadership from our Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and our Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer, and our Whip, Jim Clyburn, and others in our Caucus.
And we are moving forward. We are going to accomplish what many people have felt wouldn’t come in our lifetime. But we are going to make it happen in the House this next few weeks and in the Congress by the end of this year to the President’s desk for his signature.
 Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz (Democrat, Pennsylvania): “The introduction of America’s Affordable Health Choices Act marks tremendous progress toward meaningful health care reform for Americans. This plan sets the right course for creating a uniquely American solution to health reform that contains costs and achieves access to affordable, stable coverage for all Americans,” said U.S. Rep. Schwartz. “Reform must be fiscally responsible, contain health care costs, protect and increase consumers’ choices, strengthen coverage stability, and guarantee access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans,” said Schwartz.
Schwartz authored core provisions included in the House’s legislation to increase access to primary care and strengthen consumer protections in the private market, both of which are key to improving the quality, efficiency and cost of care, and improving health outcomes.
Specifically, these provisions will increase the number of primary care doctors and nurses, increase reimbursement for primary care, and improve continuity of care for patients. Co-payments for prevention and primary care for Medicare beneficiaries will be eliminated. Market reform provisions authored by Schwartz will substantially benefit American consumers, both those currently with coverage and those who are uninsured or under-insured. Schwartz successfully included in the bill provisions ensuring that insurance companies would no longer be permitted to exclude coverage of pre-existing conditions and will be required to explain coverage in plain language.
Economic competitiveness for American businesses, large and small, requires action to level the playing field, provide fairness in financing, and reduce the rate of cost growth in health care. To support small businesses, Schwartz advanced provisions to assist small businesses with tax credits for health benefits and enable them to participate at reduced levels in health reform if they do not provide benefits.
“As Members of Congress, we all have a shared responsibility to the American public to find ways to contain health care costs for families, businesses and the government, while ensuring that every American has access to affordable, meaningful coverage,” said Schwartz.
Schwartz added, “The current status quo is unacceptable and unsustainable. Health reform is both a moral and an economic imperative, and now is the time to act.”
Lawsuit filed to block "In God We Trust" engraving at U.S. Capitol
MADISON, Wisconsin (Press Release)—The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a state/church watchdog and the nation's largest association of atheists and agnostics, filed a federal lawsuit on Tuesday to stop the prominent engraving of "In God We Trust" and the religious Pledge of Allegiance at the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C.
The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in the western district of Wisconsin.
Last week, the House and the Senate passed resolutions directing the Architect of the Capitol to engrave "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance in prominent places in the Capitol Visitor Center, which is "the entrance for the thousands of tourists who visit the Capitol every day." The engraving project is expected to cost up to $150,000, a figure attributed to U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint, (Republican, South Carolina), the Senate sponsor.
DeMint had threatened to hold up the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center last December, because he said the Center failed to recognize the purportedly integral role of religion in our federal government. DeMint said the cost of the mandated engraving would correct the alleged historical whitewash of the original design, welcome God back into the Center and highlight the "all important relationship between faith and freedom in America."
U.S. Rep. Steve King, (Republican, Iowa), claimed that without the engravings of "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance, the Visitor Center would reflect an effort "to scrub references to America's Christian heritage" and to eradicate "the role of Christianity in America."
The Madison, Wis.-based Foundation, with 13,500 members, including members in every state and in the District of Columbia, is an organizational plaintiff, along with taxpayers and Foundation Co-Presidents Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor.
The suit names Stephen Ayers, acting Architect of the Capitol, who is responsible for the U.S. Capitol Complex, including the Capitol Visitor Center. The Foundation's legal Complaint points out that the Center is "conceived as an extension of the Capitol rather than a stand-alone facility; the Capitol Visitor Center is intended to be and is the sole point of entry to the seat of American government."
The Complaint notes that the selection of "In God We Trust" as a motto, and the insertion of "under God" into the formerly secular Pledge of Allegiance, were both adopted belatedly in the 1950s during the Cold War. The godly motto, adopted in 1956, did not appear upon paper currency until 1957. The pledge was tampered with by Congress in 1954, after generations of schoolchildren had learned the original, godless version composed in 1892. Both changes were the result of religious lobbying. The Congressional Report accompanying the 1954 pledge act, which openly disapproved of atheism, read: "The inclusion of God in the pledge . . . would serve to deny the atheistic and materialistic concepts of communism."
The Foundation Complaint said the Congressional appropriations "will give actual and apparent government endorsement and advancement of religion," while excluding nonreligious Americans.
" 'In God We Trust' excludes and treats as outsiders the millions of adult Americans, including as many as 15% of all adults, who are not religious, i.e., atheists, agnostics, skeptics and freethinkers, none of whom possesses a belief in a god; the mandated language diminishes nonbelievers by making god-belief synonymous with citizenship."
The lawsuit seeks a judgment declaring the Congressional directive unconstitutional and an order enjoying the defendant from engraving "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance in the Capitol Visitor Center.
NAACP salutes Rep. Bob Filner for work assuring veterans' equality
 NEW YORK (Press Release)—Congressman Bob Filner, chairman of the House Committee on Veteran Affairs, was awarded the Jesse Brown Distinguished Leadership Award at the NAACP Annual Conference and 35th Annual NAACP Armed Services and Veterans Award Ceremony here on Tuesday, July 14.
The Jesse Brown Distinguished Leadership Award is presented to an American who works diligently to ensure that all veterans are provided the benefits and services they have earned through honorable service to our country.
“I am very pleased to receive the Jesse Brown Distinguished Leadership Award,” said Congressman Filner. “I worked with him when he was Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and I was a new Member of the House of Representatives and of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
“He travelled to my Congressional district to meet with veterans, community leaders, and students,” Filner continued. “I recall vividly his warmth and caring nature, and the rapport he had with the students and veterans he talked with. I am truly honored to be recognized by the award which bears his name.”
The event also honors the United States Army and Marine Corps and the Men and Women of the Department of Defense. 400 conference participants, community leaders, military, and Department of Defense civilians will be attending.
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Lautenberg seeks more federal funds for research into stillbirths, Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths
 WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) – Senator Frank R. Lautenberg and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr, both Democrats from New Jersey, on Tuesday introduced a bill to help reduce the number of unexpected infant deaths in America by calling for new research and education on stillbirths and Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID). Every year, there are more than 25,000 stillbirths and more than 4,600 sudden unexpected infant deaths in the United States.
“The loss of a child is devastating, and no parent should have to live without knowing why their child has died. We need to learn more about stillbirths and sudden infant deaths so we can not only give parents peace of mind after a tragedy, but hopefully prevent some of these deaths in the future,” Sen. Lautenberg said. “Our bill would improve data collection and education so we can better understand the cause of these deaths and help parents get the information and answers they need to prevent them.”
“As a father of three children, I understand the anxiety that parents go through when having a child. We do everything possible to keep our children safe and hope they are healthy,” Pallone said. “But for thousands of families every year, sudden infant death syndrome and stillbirths mean the loss of their child with no explanation. Senator Lautenberg and I introduced this bill because no parent should have to endure the tragedy of losing a child with no answers and no help. This bill will fund investigations to finally provide some answers by creating a national registry to help researchers understand the scope and impact of these tragedies and raising awareness through education campaigns that will help parents decrease risk factors that can contribute to SUID and stillbirths every year.”
There is no known cause for as many as half of all stillbirths in the United States, leaving many parents without answers to the reasons for these deaths. Lautenberg’s and Pallone’s bill, the Stillbirth and SUID Prevention, Education, and Awareness Act, would improve the collection of critical data to determine the causes of stillbirth, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID) and Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood (SUDC), increase education and awareness about how to prevent these tragedies in the future and expand support services for families who have experienced a stillbirth or SUID loss. Specifically it would:
Expand current data collection activities to additional states to identify the causes of stillbirth and ways to prevent it in the future.
Create a national public awareness and education campaign to educate parents and caregivers about known risk factors for sudden unexpected death in infancy and childhood.
Expand support services, such as grief counseling, for families who have experienced stillbirth or SUID.
Establish a national database to track SUID deaths and identify risk factors to prevent them in the future.
Expand successful child death review programs to track and analyze the circumstances surrounding infant’s and children’s deaths in their community.
The bill has been endorsed by CJ Foundation for SIDS and the Sudden Unexplained Death in Childhood Program (based in New Jersey), Cribs for Kids, Northwest Infant Survival Alliance (NISA), Home Safety Council, Safe Kids USA and First Candle, all nonprofits working to stop infant mortality, as well as the National Association of Medical Examiners
(NAME ), International Association of Coroners and Medical Examiners (IAC&ME) and the National Sheriffs’ Association.
Lieberman measure would increase U.S.Army by 30,000
 WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release)-- Senator Joe Lieberman (Independent, Connecticut) on Tuesday introduced an amendment to the FY 2010 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that will reduce the strain on military personnel by giving the Secretary of Defense new authority to grow the U.S. Army by an additional 30,000 active duty soldiers. The amendment extends to FY 2010 an authority that the committee mark of the NDAA mark already provides for 2011 and 2012.
"Our Army is facing a period of tremendous stress," said Lieberman. "The total number of deployed soldiers will increase as more troops are leaving for Afghanistan before a large number return from Iraq. Authorizing additional personnel is a critical first step toward making sure that our military leaders can execute their strategy while also reducing the heavy strain on our soldiers and their families."
Lieberman is a senior member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and chairman of its Subcommittee on Airland, which is responsible for assessing the nation's requirements for land and air power.
Harman offers bill for swifter integration of military medics into civilian health care systems
 WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) -- Democratic Reps. Jane Harman of California, member of the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee, Melissa Bean of Illinois and Stephanie Herseth Sandlin of South Dakota, on Tuesday introduced the Experienced Medic Transition (EMT) Act. The legislation seeks to streamline the integration of returning veteran medics into the civilian emergency response system and expand hospital surge capacity by increasing the number of available medical personnel.
“The possibility of a terrorist attack, pandemic flu or devastating natural disaster demands that we strengthen the ability of our nation’s hospitals to jolt into action. Having the largest possible pool of experienced emergency personnel on hand is crucial to handling a patient surge,” said Congresswoman Jane Harman.
“This win-win proposal allows our veterans to leverage their medical skills while continuing to serve our communities as emergency responders,” said Congresswoman Melissa Bean.
“Our men and women in uniform have developed valuable skills during their service, and we should capitalize on opportunities that allow veterans to utilize those skills to the benefit of the civilian population as a whole,” said Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth Sandlin. “This common-sense legislation does exactly that while helping to alleviate shortages of experienced emergency medical personnel in rural areas like South Dakota and across the country.”
First responders routinely face life-or-death decisions, often amid a backdrop of chaos and confusion. This would only be magnified during a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Military medics work at the scenes of IED attacks, suicide bombings, and firefights; many entry level military personnel gain experience equivalent to seasoned civilian counterparts. Unfortunately, experienced military medics are often required to begin at entry-level curricula to receive certification for civilian jobs. The EMT Act addresses this by:
• Encouraging State Health Departments through federal grants to create a fast-track EMT certification path for honorably discharged members of the Armed Forces with military EMS training, and to provide reimbursement for the cost of a certification fee.
• Giving priority to applicants who will serve in areas with high demand for emergency care.
• Providing required coursework and training to military veterans that take previous coursework and training into account, thus avoiding wasting time and expense.
• Building partnerships between states and universities, colleges, and technical schools to establish a fast-track certification path by developing appropriate curricula to build on military medical training.
The EMT Act is supported by the National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials (NASEMSO) and the American Legion.
Ackerman bill authorizes Capitol statue of 'unknown slave'
 WASHINGTON, D.C. (Press Release) - In an effort to honor the slaves who helped build the United States Capitol, U.S. Rep. Gary Ackerman (Democrat, New York) introduced legislation on Tuesday that would create and permanently display a statue of “The Unknown Slave” in Emancipation Hall, the main area of Congress’ new Capitol Visitor’s Center.
Under the measure, the Architect of the Capitol would be required to solicit bids and enter into an agreement to build the statue within 180 days of the bill’s enactment. The legislation would also mandate that the Capitol’s Architect consult with Congressional Black Caucus on the project.
“The creation of this statue would be the least we can do to pay tribute to the blood, sweat and tears of the slaves who help build the Capitol of the free world” said Ackerman.
“Throughout our nation’s history, little has been known about the role that slave labor played in the construction of the U.S. Capitol. Hopefully, the displaying of this statue would continue Congress’ efforts to remedy this shameful omission from history and ensure that the story of these slaves is not only told, but never forgotten.”
“Thousands of Black men and women held in bondage lent their bodies and their lives to the construction of the Capitol building” said Rep. Charles Rangel (Democrat, New York), a cosponsor of the bill. “A statue in their collective honor would serve as a reminder of their contributions and of how far we have come. Their names may be unknown to the Capitol's visitors, but to their families, their peers, and their friends, they were human beings, made of flesh and blood − not stone. Our nation is great, not in spite of the mistakes of our past, but because we acknowledge them, remember them, and use them to strive towards a more perfect union."
Ackerman’s legislation has been referred to the Committee on House Administration, the panel that oversees the operations of the House. The measure, if passed by the House, would also require the approval of the Senate. It would not need to be signed into law by the President.
The Architect of the Capitol is responsible for the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of the United States Capitol Complex.
The Capitol Visitor’s Center, an extension of the Capitol that welcomes visitors to Capitol Hill, opened this past December.
Adler calls for strengthening of Federal Housing Administration
 WASHINGTON, DC (Press Release) - Congressman John Adler (Democrat, New Jersey) and Congressman Christopher Lee (Republican, New York) on Tuesday announced the introduction of a bipartisan bill aimed at modernizing the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The legislation would provide the FHA program with the tools needed to effectively underwrite mortgages and monitor lenders participating in the program.
"We need to ensure that government programs are efficient and working on behalf of middle class families," said Congressman Adler, a member of the Financial Services Committee. "It is vital to keep dangerous sub-prime lenders out of the system in order to ensure affordable mortgages for hardworking families. This legislation will prevent the abuse of taxpayer dollars."
"This bipartisan legislation implements a number of smart, common-sense reforms that will help responsible borrowers gain access to safe, affordable mortgages," said Congressman Lee, also a member of the Financial Services Committee. "We cannot keep the dream of homeownership within reach of working families unless we have an FHA that works better and costs less."
FHA is currently one of the primary sources of safe affordable mortgage financing for American families. During recent years, as private lenders fled the market, the demand for FHA mortgages grew exponentially. In order to meet demand and retain its mission of fostering sustainable homeownership, several legislative changes are needed to fully modernize the program.
The new legislation will:
• Improve target reviews of loan performance. Given the increase in demand for FHA mortgages, there is concern about proper review an oversight of FHA lenders and loans.
• Ensure that FHA has the staff, technology and risk management processes in place to protect the American taxpayer from unacceptable losses.
• Provide the HUD Secretary with the authority to implement new ideas to minimize foreclosures through demonstrations involving short sales and deeds in lieu of foreclosure.
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