THIS WEEK IN CONGRESS - July 22, 2011
Jul 22, 2011
- Food stamp agency commits to helping the NMI
- Health care reform law brings $3m. to NMI Medicaid – First installment of $100m. “Obamacare” increase begins – More help for those in need
- Debt and deficit reduction have a real impact in NMI
- With other Democrats I believe protecting Social Security is a priority
- Delegates want hearing on economic conditions in U.S. insular areas
- NMI farmers get refund checks for shipping costs from USDA
- We must protect endangered species worldwide
- Protect military commissaries from DOD restructuring
- Grants awarded to the NMI
- OPPORTUNITIES - Federal contracts, grants and jobs for and in the Marianas
- Hightlights of the Legislative Week
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Food stamp agency commits to helping the NMI.
Audrey Rowe, head of the federal agency that administers the food stamp program, gave her “on the record” commitment to respond to the worsening food stamp situation in the Northern Marianas on Thursday. The House Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture, where I am a member, held a hearing on food stamps and other nutrition programs; and I used the occasion to explain how desperate people in the Marianas are for food assistance. Benefits have been cut 24.7% as of May. And 500 people are wait-listed. We have a “food stamps lite” program negotiated by the Commonwealth Government that provides half the benefits that people in Guam and the rest of America get – even though we have much higher food costs in the NMI. That’s unacceptable. I am asking the Agriculture Department to provide some immediate extra funding, so people can eat. And in the long run my AYUDA Act, H.R.1465, will put the Northern Marianas into the national Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, so we get the same benefits as the 44.6 million other Americans receiving food stamps. You can see the hearing at http://agriculture.edgeboss.net/wmedia/agriculture/20110721a.wvx. My questioning begins about minute 42.
Health care reform law brings $3m. to NMI Medicaid – First installment of $100m. “Obamacare” increase begins – More help for those in need,
The first installment of $100 million in additional Medicaid funding for low-income patients in the Northern Mariana Islands was deposited in the Commonwealth’s account on July 13. The $3.12m. increase was scheduled to arrive on July 1, but there were delays within the bureaucracy at the Department of Health and Human Services. The CNMI Medicaid office asked their congressional office to “shake the tree” at HHS and we were able to get Medicaid their money within a few days. “Obamacare” – as Republican critics love to call the new health care reform law – tripled the amount of federal Medicaid funding the NMI receives between 2011 and 2019. We will get a total of $150 million during this period. It also lowered the local match required from 50% to 45% — a change worth $15m. to the Commonwealth. The Obamacare increase means more help for more of our low-income patients. A recent report by the Harvard School of Public Health documents the benefits of Medicaid, which reduces financial strain on households, increases access to care, and improves overall health.
Debt and deficit reduction have a real impact in the Northern Mariana Islands.
The down-to-the-wire negotiations on increasing the amount of money the United States is allowed to borrow may seem like a faraway policy debate with no real impact on our lives in the Northern Marianas. But that’s not true. Whatever deal is agreed to by the President and the Republican and Democratic wings in Congress could have a profound effect on you. I am particularly concerned that Republican attacks on safety net programs – Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare – will hurt those who have the least. 1,500 people in the NMI receive Social Security. 1,500 people are insured by Medicare. Some 12,000 receive help from Medicaid each year. I understand the need to balance the federal budget. But the Republican strategy is to use the debt ceiling debate as leverage to cut basic programs that protect the most vulnerable. At the same time Republicans are refusing to plug the leaks in the tax code that provide huge tax breaks to oil companies and the wealthiest Americans. This is unacceptable. The debt limit was raised 17 times during Ronald Reagan’s presidency. Here’s what the Gipper had to say about playing games with our Nation’s economy:
“Congress consistently brings the Government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the Federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility – two things that set us apart from much of the world.”
Reagan represented the kind of responsible leadership that today’s Republicans seem to have forgotten.
With other Democrats I believe protecting Social Security is a priority.
Preserving Social Security is critical to the elderly and disabled in the Northern Marianas, who literally depend on these benefits for survival. This is why I joined fifty-eight of my Democratic colleagues in a letter urging President Obama not to extend the 2011 cut in the payroll tax that funds Social Security as part of any debt/deficit deal. Social Security does not contribute to the national debt or the annual deficit. Social Security is self-funded through the payroll tax. But as part of the tax deal that went into effect this year, which was aimed at making it cheaper for employers to hire, the payroll tax was cut by 2%. No one knows for sure how many new jobs were created as a result. But everyone knows that we can’t stop paying into the Social Security system, if we expect it to be there when we retire or become disabled or to benefit our survivors.
Delegates want hearing on economic conditions in U.S. insular areas.
Delegates Donna Christensen of the Virgin Islands, Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa, and I banded together in a request this week for an oversight hearing on economic conditions in the islands we represent. Our letter to Chairman John Fleming (R-LA) outlined the problems in each area, but the recent Bureau of Economic Analysis report of a 20% drop in gross domestic product in the NMI stood out as particularly dire. The decline in tourism and the end of the garment industry have left deep wounds in our economy and weakened the ability of our local government to act. A hearing will focus the attention of the federal government and the Congress on the need for more federal help with the economic recovery and the further development of the U.S. insular areas.
NMI farmers get refund checks for shipping costs from USDA.
25 farmers in the Northern Marianas are receiving checks to offset the cost of shipping fertilizers, feed, and other inputs of their crops and livestock. Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack announced this week that the Department is issuing the payments to Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers for the 2010 cycle. Those whose applications were approved should expect their reimbursement checks soon. Here’s the payment breakdown provided by USDA:
- Rota - 6 recipients: $10,207.78
- Tinian - 7 recipients: $454.09
- Saipan - 12 recipients: $9,042.61
- NMI total - 25 recipients: $19,704.48
To take advantage of this program, it is important to keep accurate records. Receipts and invoices for shipping costs should be saved to submit with applications for reimbursement each year. The sign-up period for the 2011 cycle begins on July 25 and ends September 9, 2010. For more information, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/
We must protect endangered species worldwide -- and at home.
We have to protect sharks and other apex predators that play a fundamental role in keeping ecosystems – such as our coral reefs – healthy. This week I signed on as a cosponsor of H.Res. 47, supporting the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and particularly urging stronger protections for sharks and tuna and other species at the top of the food chain. CITES is an international trade agreement prohibiting trade in animal and plant species that are, or may become, threatened with extinction. Currently, 175 countries including the United States are parties. This is more than an environmental policy. Species protected under CITES attract tourists to our islands and the ecosystems they keep healthy allow for sustainable fishing. So the protection of these endangered species is critical to the Marianas' economy.
Request for comment: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which coordinates U.S. endangered species policy, is requesting recommendations for amending the list of species protected by the CITES Appendices I and II. For more information, contact Rosemarie Gnam by email: scientificauthority@fws.gov, phone: 703-358-1708, or fax:703-358-2276. Deadline for comments is August 15, 2011.
Protect military commissaries from DOD restructuring.
Along with sixty-eight of my colleagues in the Military Families Caucus, I sent a letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta requesting that military commissaries and exchanges be spared from any extreme restructuring as Defense looks for ways to save money. About 4,000 service personnel, veterans, and their families take advantage of this benefit and patronize the small AAFES troop store here on Saipan. Budget-minded advocates have questioned the need for the military to run grocery and department stores, but as we know, commissaries and exchanges are among the most significant supports for the military community. Military service is not lucrative. So, commissaries and exchanges were established to help ensure that military families have access to reasonably priced food and other basic goods. We need to keep that support in place.
Grants awarded to the NMI:
- DLNR gets $50,049 from Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Department of Lands and Natural Resources can use the money to establish urban parks and community green spaces; to restore and provide public access to rivers, lakes and other water resources; and to conserve natural landscapes for public outdoor recreation use and enjoyment.
- Fish and Wildlife receives $ 135,000 for Pacific Fisheries Data Program. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formula grant will allow the Commonwealth Division of Fish and Wildlife to collect data used in federal and local fishery management programs in the Northern Marianas.
- $122,350 will enhance the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Tracking and Surveillance System. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the funds to the Commonwealth Department of Public Health to improve understanding of hearing loss in infants and provide screening and evaluation services.
OPPORTUNITIES - Federal contracts, grants and jobs for and in the Marianas
GRANTS:
- Housing Preservation Grants – The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the availability of $9.8 million in competitive grants through the Housing Preservation Grant program. Housing Preservation Grants are provided to intermediaries such as town or county governments, public agencies, federally recognized Indian Tribes, and non-profit and faith-based organizations for the repair or rehabilitation of eligible housing units. Grants are distributed to qualified homeowners or owners of multi-family rental properties or cooperative dwellings who rent to low- and very-low-income residents. Funding is not provided directly to homeowners by USDA under this program. Closing date is August 22, 2011. For more information go to http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/HAD-HPG_Grants.html.
- FY 2012 MCSAP Basic and Incentive Funding – The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has announced the availability of Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program Basic and Incentive grant programs. These formula based programs provide financial assistance to states and territories to reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous material incidents involving commercial motor vehicles. Closing date is August 1, 2011. For more information go to https://www.grantsolutions.gov/
- State Energy Program 2011 Competitive Awards – The Department of Energy, State Energy Program, is seeking to provide grants to state energy offices in states and territories to design and carry out their own renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. Grants will be used to address energy priorities and program funding to adopt emerging renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Closing date is August 11, 2011. For more information go to www.Grants.gov.
- Sexual Violence Prevention and Education– The Department of Health and Human Services has announced the availability of FY 2012 funds to award formula-based cooperative agreements to states and territories. Funds are to be used for strategies that prevent first-time perpetration and first-time victimization in line with the Healthy People 2020 focus area of Injury and Violence Prevention. Closing date is August 30, 2011. For more information go to www.Grants.gov.
JOBS:
- Clinical Nurse Specialist (Mental Health APRN-RX) – The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, is accepting applications for a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Guam. Duties include using expert clinical judgment in the management of care to complex and specialized patient populations, guiding staff in the implementation of the nursing process and evaluation of patient care outcomes, and organizing care delivery in collaboration with the interdisciplinary team. Job position is open until July 30, 2011. For more information got to www.USAjobs.gov.
- Telecommunications Specialist – The Department of the Navy, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, is accepting applications for a Telecommunications Specialist in Guam. The incumbent serves as a computer watch operator for the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Technical Control Facility. Job position is open until July 27, 2011. For more information go to ww.USAjobs.gov.
HIGHLIGHTS IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM
THIS WEEK
On the floor
H.R.2560 – Cut, Cap, and End Medicare Act (Passed 234 – 190)
H.R.2553 – Airport and Airway Extension Act of 2011, Part IV (Passed 243 – 177)
H.R.1315 – Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011 (Passed 241 – 173)
H.R.2551 – Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2012 (Passed 252 – 159)
Co-sponsorships
H.Res.47 –Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the contributions of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
<strong>H.Res.352</strong> – Calling for a peaceful and collaborative resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and its environs and other maritime areas adjacent to the East Asian mainland
<strong>H.res.353</strong> – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives on Nelson Mandela International Day
NEXT WEEK
On the floor
H.R.2584 – Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012
H.R.2608 – Small Business Program Extension and Reform Act of 2011
H.R.2587 – Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act
nate Amendments to H.R. 1383H.R.2551 – Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011
H.R.2056 – To instruct the Inspector General of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation to study the impact of insured depository institution failures
Committee Hearings
July 26
- Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans, and Insular Affairs oversight hearing on NOAA’s Fishery Science: Is the Lack of Basic Science Costing Jobs?
July 27
- Committee on Natural Resources oversight hearing on State Perspectives on Offshore Revenue Sharing
July 28
