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September
28, 2008 Volume
3 Number 27 Inside
this issue:
Financial
System Rescue Package Stalls in Congress This week,
Congressional leadership met to discuss proposals to rescue the nation's
faltering financial and banking systems. According to Congressional Quarterly,
leaders from both parties had reached a tentative agreement earlier this
week, but the deal fell apart due to partisan disagreements. Lawmakers and
their staff are meeting through the weekend in attempt to work out a
resolution on the structure of a financial rescue package. On Friday
afternoon, U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Banking
Committee, released a draft proposal for review and discussion during the
deliberations this weekend. The draft language is available
here. The major
sticking points preventing an agreement include:
Congressional
leaders are hoping to reach an agreement by Monday. Earlier
this week, For more
information, please contact Joseph Devine, Policy Analyst, jdevine@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Child
Welfare Bill Goes to President On
September 22, the U.S. Senate approved the "Fostering Connections to
Success and Increasing Adoptions Act "(H.R.6893). The same measure was
passed by the House on September 17. It is expected that the President will
sign the legislation into law. The bipartisan legislation was widely supported
by both the House and Senate. It provides a number of important improvements
to the child welfare system including:
For more
information, please contact Desmond Brown, Senior Director of Government
Affairs, at dbrown@catholiccharitiesusa.org. This week,
Congress passed the "Health Care Safety Net Act of 2008" (H.R.
1343). This bill authorizes $13.1 billion in funding through FY 2012 for
community health centers that serve low-income families and the uninsured. Community
health centers play a vital role in providing medical care to the uninsured,
serving about 17 million people a year in more than 6,300 sites across the
country. For more
information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org. Congress
Passes Student Health Care Bill On
September 25, the U.S. Senate approved legislation (H.R. 2851) known as
"Michelle's Law" by unanimous consent. This legislation would allow
full-time college students over the age of 18 to maintain their parents'
health insurance plans for up to one year if they take a certified medical
leave of absence from school. "Michelle's
Law" was inspired by a young woman who died from cancer after taking a
full load of classes in order to maintain her health insurance while
undergoing chemotherapy treatments. The House
previously passed this legislation on July 30. The bill now goes to the
President for his signature. For more
information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org. Senate
Passes Legislation to Assist Low-Income Seniors On
September 25, the U.S. Senate passed the "QI Program Supplemental
Funding Act of 2008" (S. 3560) by unanimous consent. This legislation,
introduced by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), would authorize $45 million in
additional funds to assist "qualifying individuals" in paying
Medicare premiums. "Qualifying individuals" are those who fall
between 120 to 135 percent of the federal poverty line, have limited assets,
and do not qualify for Medicaid. The QI
program was created in 1997 to expand the government assistance for
low-income seniors. Over the summer, Congress enacted a Medicare law (PL
110-275) that authorized $400 million for the QI program for the 2008
calendar year. This Senate bill, S. 3560, would increase those funds to $445
million. For more
information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org. Economic
Stimulus Package Stalls in Congress On
September 26, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a $60 billion economic
stimulus package (H.R. 7110) that is intended to infuse money into the
nation's economy. The measure includes funds for infrastructure projects,
unemployment insurance, Medicaid, and food stamps. The legislation passed
264-158, but a similar proposal was rejected in the Senate. The House
package includes a seven week extension of unemployment insurance benefits
nationwide, with an additional 13 weeks for states with high unemployment.
The House plan would also provide $36 billion for transportation and highway
infrastructure projects, $1 billion for repair and construction projects in
public housing, and $1 billion for energy development. The White
House has threatened to veto a stimulus package. It is unclear if Congress
will be able to iron out a package that the President will sign before the
end of the 110th Congress. For more
information, please contact Joseph Devine, Policy Analyst, jdevine@catholiccharitiesusa.org. Congress
Extends Funding for Government Agencies This week,
Congress passed a continuing resolution to continue funding for most federal programs.
The House approved the bill by a 370-58 vote on September 24 and the Senate
passed the bill by a 78-12 vote on September 27. A continuing resolution is
necessary to continue federal funds when Congress fails to pass annual
spending bills. The package
includes $5.1 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance
Program (LIHEAP), a $2.5 billion increase from FY2008. Also included in the
package is $600 billion in funding for FY2009 funding for military
construction and the Department of Defense, Veterans Affairs and Homeland
Security; $22.9 billion for disaster relief and $7.5 billion to support a $25
billion loan to the auto industry. The
President is expected to sign the bill. For more
information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and
Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org. *** |
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