Legislation & Politics

Week Ending October 30, 2009

House Leaders Introduce Revised Health Care Reform Bill; House Vote Set for Next Week

On Thursday, House leaders introduced the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962), a strong bill that addresses many of AFSCME's key health care priorities.  We expect the House to begin debate on the bill in the middle of next week.  A vote is likely at the end of the week.  The vote for this bill will be very close.  We will need the help of AFSCME activists, pressing your representatives, to ensure victory. 

Under the bill, most of us would continue to receive our health care coverage through our employers.  But for those who do not have coverage through their jobs, they would be able to purchase coverage through an "exchange," or market.  Low-and moderate-income individuals and families would receive subsidies to help purchase coverage.  The bill includes important reforms that would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions, or charging more based on gender or health status or occupation.

The bill includes a number of features aimed at restraining cost growth in our coverage.  Implemented over time, these features would help reduce the annual increase in premiums that often forces us to give up wage increases at the bargaining table in order to maintain our health benefits.  Other major features of the bill include:

  • Progressive financing that increases taxes on the wealthiest to help pay for reform.  The House bill does not tax health benefits.
  • A requirement that most employers either provide coverage to their workers or pay a meaningful sum into a fund to help low-and moderate-income workers purchase their own coverage through the exchange.
  • A public health insurance option that will provide true competition in the market to help lower costs and keep insurance companies honest.

 

The bill also expands the Medicaid program to cover all individuals up to 150% of poverty.  In the first two years, this expansion is fully funded by the federal government.  But after that, 9 to 10% of this cost will be shifted to the states.  AFSCME has been lobbying to reduce this burden on states and will continue to press this going forward.   

Please Contact Your Representative Today!

Call toll-free at 202-224-3121

Urge your Representative to vote for
the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962).
Tell him/her that our nation cannot wait.

Senate Health Care Reform Bill Includes Public Health Insurance Option

On Monday, Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) unveiled the Senate Democratic leadership's health reform bill.  It reflects a merger of the bills passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) and the Senate Finance Committees.  Significantly, the bill contains a public health insurance option, with a state "opt out."  This is an important victory because the bill that passed out of the Senate Finance Committee did not include any public option.  Also critically important to AFSCME, the threshold amount for the excise tax on high cost health care plans has been increased to $23,000 annually for families, and to $26,000 for workers in high risk occupations, including law enforcement officers. 

The Senate legislation is considerably improved from the deeply flawed bill that emerged from the Senate Finance Committee.  We are concerned that a small group of moderate and conservative members of the Democratic caucus will block consideration and/or passage of this legislation, which requires a 60-vote majority.  While AFSCME will continue to push for improvements in the Senate bill, including further reducing the impact of the excise tax on health care plans and strengthening employer responsibility to provide or contribute towards health care coverage, we are urging all Democrats and Independents in the Senate to support the Senate health care reform bill. 

The Congressional Budget Office is working on providing a "score" for the Senate bill, after which the legislative text will be released.  This may come as early as late next week. 

Senate Republicans Continue to Stall Legislation to Help Unemployed Workers

Last week, the Senate voted overwhelmingly (87-13) to proceed on legislation that would provide 14 additional weeks of unemployment insurance for workers in all 50 states exhausting their state and federal benefits, and up to 20 additional weeks for workers in high unemployment states. 

However, despite the increasing desperation of workers who have run out of benefits as long ago as last August, a small handful of Republican senators continue to pursue parliamentary maneuvers to hold up a vote on final passage of the bill.  Negotiations to allow a vote are continuing and Senate Majority Leader Reid is moving to force a vote on the bill early next week. 

The House has already passed legislation providing 13 additional weeks of benefits for workers in states with unemployment rates of 8.5% or more.  Once the Senate passes a bill, we expect the differences between the two bills to be resolved quickly.

New Budget Extension

Congress is expected to approve a second continuing resolution (CR), before the October 31 expiration of the first stopgap appropriations measure. A further extension is needed because little progress has been made toward completing the remaining annual spending bills, which are supposed to be in place before the October 1 start of the new fiscal year. The new extension would last through December 18. The House has passed all 12 of its appropriations bills, but the Senate still has four spending bills left to pass, including the important Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill, which funds many state and local government services.  

Improvements for Federal Employees Signed into Law

President Obama signed the fiscal year 2010 Defense Authorization bill into law this week. The bill includes several civil service improvements. It allows Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) workers to credit half, and in 2014 all, unused sick leave toward retirement; permits federal agencies to re-employ federal retirees on a limited, part-time basis without annuity offset; provides retirement equity for federal employees in Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Territories; and other AFSCME-supported improvements. 

President Signs Hate Crimes Legislation into Law

After more than a decade of debate and failed attempts to get federal hate crimes legislation approved, President Obama, on October 29, signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009.  The legislation was attached to the Senate's 2010 Department of Defense (DOD) authorization bill conference report. 

The new law would extend strong protections to victims of violent hate crimes, including those committed against individuals because of their gender, disability, sexual orientation or perceived sexual orientation, or gender identity.  In addition, the legislation strengthens existing protections in a variety of other categories, including national origin and ethnicity, race, color and religion. The new law will empower federal prosecutors to work with local police while providing funding to assist in investigations. 

Immigration Report Released

The AFL-CIO, in coordination with allied organizations, released "Iced Out: How Immigration Enforcement Has Interfered with Workers' Rights." The report focuses on how the Department of Labor (DOL) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can work together to raise the floor on core labor standards.  It is available at: http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/dmdocuments/ARAWReports/icedout_report.pdf

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