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Legislation & Politics | ||
Week Ending June 19, 2009Key Senate Committee Begins Consideration of Health Care Reform LegislationThis week, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee was the first congressional committee to begin "mark-up", or final drafting, of health care reform legislation. The HELP Committee began the sessions still missing important pieces of the legislation, including a public health insurance option and shared employer responsibility to contribute towards their employees' health insurance coverage. The mark-up is expected to continue through next week. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued its preliminary budgetary assessment, or "scoring", of the incomplete HELP Committee bill. It concluded that the cost would be approximately $1 trillion over 10 years, and that the net decrease in the number of uninsured would be only about 16 million. However, the CBO analysis fails to include the extent of coverage expansion and cost containment measures. Congressional Republicans are using the CBO's analysis to scare the public into believing that comprehensive health care reform is too costly, and to promote more modest approaches. We expect the House to release its "Tri-Committee" health care reform draft legislation on June 19. Next week, the three committees of jurisdiction in the House and the Senate will hold five additional hearings on the draft bill. Senator Rockefeller Introduces Public Health Insurance OptionOn Wednesday, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care, introduced the "Consumers Health Care Act" (S. 1278), which details a robust public health insurance option as part of health care reform. Senate Finance is one of two Senate committees with jurisdiction over health care reform. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), a HELP Committee member, is an original co-sponsor. Chairman Oberstar Offers Sneak Preview of Surface Transportation BillHouse Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) presented a snapshot of his long-awaited surface transportation bill on June 18. The 90 page blueprint of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 presents a broad description of what will be in the actual legislation when it is written in bill language and introduced later this month. Under Chairman Oberstar's proposal, investment in surface transportation will be significantly increased, creating or sustaining approximately six million jobs. In addition, the legislation seeks to transform the current system by creating greater transparency, accountability, oversight and performance measures in an effort to ensure that taxpayer money is spent effectively. Seventy-five current transportation programs will be either consolidated or eliminated in an effort to redefine the federal role and restructure surface transportation. Republicans Introduce Legislation to Stop Union OrganizersSen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced the Truth in Employment Act of 2009 (S. 1227, H.R. 2808). If enacted, the bill would allow employers to fire or refuse to hire workers who obtain jobs with the intent of organizing. AFSCME opposes this bill because it is inconsistent with the National Labor Relations Act, which "prohibits employers from firing, refusing to hire or otherwise discriminating against workers for their union activity" and conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent which has stated protecting union organizers against discrimination "is consistent with several of the [NLRA]'s purposes, such as protecting the right of employees to organize for mutual aid without employer interference…and encouraging and protecting the collective bargaining process." House Passes Law Enforcement and Corrections FundingThis week, the House passed the FY 2010 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations bill by a vote of 259 to 157. The bill included the following funds which benefit AFSCME law enforcement and correction officers:
Senate action is expected in coming weeks. House and Senate Pass Supplemental Spending Bill with Funding for Pandemic Preparedness and Transit Operating ExpensesThe FY 2009 Supplemental spending bill conference report was approved by a vote of 226 to 202 in the House and 91 to 5 in the Senate. It provides $7.7 billion for efforts to prepare for and respond to a pandemic influenza, including $1.5 billion to supplement federal stockpiles and to develop and purchase vaccines. The agreement also includes $5.8 billion in contingent emergency funds requested by the President. Such funds may be needed in the fall and winter flu season when experts expect a surge in cases of the H1N1 novel flu. Additionally, AFSCME worked with a coalition of labor unions to secure language in the bill that will allow transit agencies to spend up to 10% of their economic recovery funds on operating expenses, in addition to new equipment and construction. President Obama is expected to sign the conference agreement. Sign Up to Receive the Weekly Report and Action Alerts via Email and Become an AFSCME e-Activist!!In an effort to move toward electronic transmission which will allow us to put important federal legislative updates in your hands sooner, we urge you to sign up to receive the Federal Legislative Report via your email address. Please go to http://www.unionvoice.org/afscme/join.html and check the "Federal Legislative Report" box under Subscriptions on the bottom of the page. |
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