This Week's R&P Report from nwyc.com

We are proud to be a member of National Write Your Congressman ...

This week's report after the Thanksgiving Congressional Recess has arrived.

www.nwyc.com
Vol. 13 No. 1-36
Monday, December 7, 2009

REVIEW

Senate Health Care Overhaul Bill
(H.R.3590)

The opening week of debate on the Senate’s health care overhaul bill has been dominated by GOP charges that the legislation would slash Medicare benefits. Democrats countered with an amendment promising seniors that none of Medicare’s traditional benefits would be reduced by the bill and that savings from reducing payments to Medicare providers would go toward improving the program.

Medicare Reductions: At issue are $384 billion in reductions in projected Medicare spending over the next ten years. The cuts would help finance an expansion of subsidized health insurance coverage for people who are not elderly, in order to reduce the uninsured population by almost two-thirds. Click
here to express your opinion on this issue.

Abortion: Lawmakers are considering stricter abortion curbs in the bill. Limits on federal funding for abortion are dividing Democrats as they battle to gather enough votes to pass the bill before year’s end.

Women’s Health: The Senate voted to increase access to preventive health care and screening services for women and to retain previous mammogram guidelines in the bill.

Trigger Mechanism: Lawmakers are considering a plan that calls for a state-by-state trigger mechanism that would introduce a government-run insurance plan for states deemed not to have affordable insurance rates.

************************************

Jobs Legislation: Lawmakers are eying Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) funds as they scramble to find ways to pay for new policies intended to create jobs. If TARP funds are used to help create jobs outside of Wall Street, lawmakers hope to quell voter anger over high unemployment numbers.

Black Caucus: Citing the lack of action on minority issues, the 10-member caucus announced plans to introduce a proposal to increase access to federal funds for minority-owned banks.

Estate Tax: The House passed a bill to permanently extend the estate tax at current rates. It approved the measure 225-200, less than a month before the current law would eliminate the estate tax for next year and then return it in 2011 with fewer exemptions and higher rates. The bill would make permanent this year’s $3.5 million per-person exemption and 45 percent tax rate on estates. The bill goes next to the Senate where lawmakers are consumed with health care legislation and not expected to act quickly on the legislation. (H.R.4154) Click here to express your opinion on this issue.

Financial Sector Regulations: Reps. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Henry Waxman (D–CA) agreed to put a director in charge of a proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency temporarily, then set up a commission to run it. The agency would police common financial products like mortgages and credit cards. (H.R.3126)

PREVIEW

Afghanistan/Pakistan Strategy: In a supplemental funding request next year, lawmakers will be asked to replenish military funding for war operations, which is expected to be depleted because of the recently announced U.S. troop increase. Funding for Pakistan is also being considered. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) told Congress, “What happens in Pakistan ... will, in my judgment, do more to determine the outcome in Afghanistan than any increase in troops or shift in strategy.”

Satellite Law: Congress has not reauthorized a satellite TV distribution law that expires at the end of the month. If both chambers do not reach an agreement on the issue, programming could be cut off to as many as one million satellite television subscribers. (S.1670, S.2764, H.R.3570)

Multi-bill Omnibus Package: Lawmakers could resort to passing a broad package of bills to clear spending measures and extend expiring programs by the end of the month.

Click here to view the R&P Report as a PDF

Robin Tucker