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November
21, 2008
Volume 3 Number 30
Inside this issue:
- President Signs Extension of Unemployment Insurance
- Finance Committee Chairman Proposes Comprehensive
Health Care Reform
- Congress Continues Debate on Economic Recovery
- Immigration Program Funding Opportunity
President
Signs Extension of Unemployment Insurance
On
November 21, President Bush signed into law legislation (H.R. 6867) to extend
unemployment insurance benefits for seven weeks. The legislation will extend
benefits fro 13 weeks for workers in states with unemployment rates higher
than six percent. The extension is expected to cost about $6.1 billion in
FY2009.
Congressional leaders hope to pass an economic recovery package when Congress
reconvenes on January 6, 2009 which will likely include funding for state
Medicaid programs, infrastructure, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP).
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Finance Committee
Chairman Proposes Comprehensive Health Care Reform
U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee,
recently released his plan to reform the U.S. health care system. The
comprehensive plan aims to create affordable, quality health care coverage
for all Americans. His plan stresses access for all Americans, quality and
value, and efficiency and sustainability.
The Baucus plan would create a nationwide insurance pool called the Health
Insurance Exchange, providing a place where Americans could compare both
public and private plans, and purchase the plan of their choice. Private
insurers participating in the Exchange would be precluded from discriminating
based on pre-existing conditions. All individuals living below the federal
poverty line would have access to Medicaid. States would also be required to
cover all children up to 250 percent of the federal poverty level under the
State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This plan would
restructure the health care system to focus on prevention and wellness. It
would create a program, “RightChoices”, to guarantee access to preventative
care for the uninsured.
The Baucus plan would improve quality by increasing the supply of primary
care providers, fixing the Medicare physician payment formula, and promoting
accountability and coordination among providers. The plan would also invest
in health information technology and comparative effectiveness research.
The Baucus plan seeks to reduce excess spending by eliminating waste, fraud,
and abuse. The plan would increase transparency of cost and quality
information. It would also consider reforms of medical malpractice laws that
could lower overall health care costs. Long-term care would shift focus from
institutional care to community and home based care.
Catholic Charities USA applauds Senator Baucus for his commitment to
comprehensive health care reform and looks forward to working with the Senate
Finance Committee in the future.
To read more, click
here.
For more information, please contact Kellyann McClain, Policy Analyst, kmcclain@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Congress Continues Debate
on Economic Recovery
On
November 18, Congressional leaders questioned Treasury Secretary, Henry
Paulson, about his implementation of the Troubled Asset Relief Program
(TARP), the financial system rescue plan signed into law by President Bush on
October 3. The hearing examined the allocations of TARP under the leadership
of Sec. Paulson and the various options for the use of TARP funds.
TARP was
originally designed to allow the Treasury department to purchase troubled mortgage-backed
assets in order to reduce foreclosures. Recently, Secretary Paulson abandoned
the original plan and instead decided to directly infuse the money into banks
in an effort to unfreeze the credit markets. Thus far, the Treasury
department has obligated $290 billion of the $350 billion it is permitted to
use without further approval from Congress.
The change
in focus of the TARP plan comes amidst criticism from House Financial
Services Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) who believes a portion of the funds
should be dedicated to reduce foreclosures. Currently, Chairman Frank and
many other Congressional Democrats support a proposal put forward by Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) Chairwoman Sheila Bair that would use
government funds to encourage mortgage servicers to modify home loans in
danger of default.
Catholic
Charities USA will continue to monitor developments in the implementation of
the TARP program and other financial rescue measures as announced by
Congress.
For more
information, please contact Joseph Devine, Policy Analyst, jdevine@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
Immigration Program
Funding Opportunity
The
Migration Policy Institute's National Center on Immigrant Integration Policy
is launching the E Pluribus Unum Prizes program. This new national awards
program will provide four $50,000 awards annually to exceptional initiatives
that promote immigrant integration.
Application
procedures and rules can be found here.
The deadline for applications is January 31, 2009 at 9 p.m. EST. If you have
any questions, please contact awardsinfo@migrationpolicy.org.
For more
information, please contact Lucreda Cobbs, Senior Director of Advocacy and
Civic Engagement, lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org.
There will be no Washington
Weekly until Congress reconvenes.
***
Washington Weekly
is a publication of the Social Policy Department of Catholic Charities USA
and is published regularly when Congress is in session.
Catholic Charities USA
Sixty-Six Canal Center Plaza, Suite 600, Alexandria, VA 22314
socialpolicy@catholiccharitiesusa.org
For information about advocacy, please contact Lucreda Cobbs at (703)
236-6243 or lcobbs@catholiccharitiesusa.org
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