Tag Archives: Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Black History

the Senate S.1392/Energy – S.514/Saving Coal JObs – S.1497/ACA ~~ CONGRESS ~~ the House HR687 -HR1526 – HR3102/SNAP


matthew 25

The Senate stands in adjournment until 9:30am on Thursday, September 19, 2013. Following any Leader remarks, the Senate will be in morning business for one hour with the Majority controlling the first half and the Republicans controlling the final half.

Following morning business, the Senate will resume consideration of S.1392, the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act.

Senator McConnell asked unanimous consent to take up and pass Calendar #191, S.514, Saving Coal Jobs Act of 2013. Senator Reid objected.

Following morning business (approx. 10:50am), the Senate will resume consideration of Calendar #154, S.1392, Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act of 2013. Managers of the bill will continue to work on an agreement to consider amendments in order to complete action on the energy efficiency bill.

 Senators will be notified if any votes are scheduled.

Senator Vitter asked unanimous consent that on Wednesday, September 25 at 10:00am, the Senate Committee on Finance from further consideration of S.1497, a bill to amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to apply the provisions of the Act to certain Congressional staff and members of the executive branch, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

That there be 60 minutes of debate on that bill, evenly divided and controlled by the Majority Leader and Senator Vitter, and that the bill not be subject to any amendments, points of order or motions to commit, and that after debate has expired, the bill be engrossed for third reading, read a third time, and the Senate immediately vote on passage.

That passage of the bill be subject to a 60-affirmative vote threshold.

 Senator Wyden objected

At 2:00pm today the Energy Committee will be discharged from further consideration of H.R.527, the Helium bill, and the Senate will proceed to its immediate consideration. The Wyden substitute amendment, the High Technology Jobs Preservation Act, will be agreed to. There will be 15 minutes for debate, equally divided between Senators Wyden and Cruz, prior to a vote on passage of H.R.527, as amended.

As a result of reaching this agreement at approximately 2:15pm today, the Senate will proceed to vote on passage of H.R.527, as amended.

The Senate is in a period of morning business until 2pm, with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

The Senate has reached an agreement that when H.J.Res.59, the continuing resolution, is received by the Senate from the House, it will be placed on the Calendar.  Additionally, a motion to proceed to the joint resolution will not be in order until Monday, September 23rd.

2:15pm The Senate began a 15-minute roll call vote on passage of H.R.527, the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, as amended.

Passed: 97-2

There will be no further roll call votes today.  As previously announced, Monday will be a no-vote day.  Senators should expect the next roll call vote on Tuesday, September 24th prior to the weekly caucus meetings.

The Senate is in a period of morning business until 5pm with senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

At 11:15am on Tuesday, September 24, the Senate will proceed to Executive Session to consider Executive Calendar  #203, the nomination of Todd M. Hughes, of the District of Columbia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Federal Circuit. There will be up to 30 minutes for debate equally divided prior to a vote on confirmation of the nomination.

If all time is used at approximately 11:45am on Tuesday the Senate will vote on confirmation of the nomination.

WRAP UP

ROLL CALL VOTE

1)      Passage of H.R.527, the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act, as amended; Passed: 97-2

LEGISLATIVE ITEMS

Adopted S.Res.246, recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and celebrating the heritage and culture of Latinos in the United States and the immense contributions of Latinos to the United States.

Adopted S.Res.247, designating the week of September 16 through September 20, 2013, as “National Health Information Technology Week” to recognize the value of health information technology in transforming and improving the healthcare system for all people in the United States.

Adopted S.Res.248, designating September 22, 2013, as “National Falls Prevention Awareness Day” to raise awareness and encourage the prevention of falls among older adults.

No EXECUTIVE ITEMS

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

Last Floor Action:
12:49:21 P.M. -H. Res. 351
DEBATE –
The House proceeded with one hour of debate on H. Res. 351.

« Previous Day

_____________________________________________________________________

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Dumb And Dumber


By 

The federal government is hurtling toward two critical deadlines where a failure to act will be extraordinarily damaging to the US economy. But Republicans think it’s okay to play political games even if it means sabotaging our economy.

Deadline 1: To avoid government shutdown, Congress needs to pass a spending bill to fund the federal government by September 30.  Republicans have been engaged in a civil war for weeks over how best to use this deadline to manufacture a crisis. Those on the far right, led by Senators Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz, insist they shut down the government unless the budget fully defunds Obamacare, even touring the country to promote a shutdown. And now there are reports that House Republican leadership is following their lead in allowing such a bill to come to a vote.

The consequences of a government shutdown are severe: social security checks might not go out, our troops might not get paid, and the economy would take a huge hit.  Indeed, some fearful Republicans have warned their constituents as much.

A majority of Americans will blame Republicans if the government shuts down. But Republicans are still unable to let go of their obsession with repealing Obamacare, and are now barreling towards shutdown. That’s just dumb.

Deadline 2: The U.S. government will default on its obligations sometime in mid-to-late October unless Congress extends its borrowing limit. This would have catastrophic consequences for not just the United States economy; it could cause a worldwide crash even worse than we faced in 2008.  But House Republican leadership — that’s right, not just some of their crazier members — want to use the debt limit to force Congress to delay Obamacare for one year. Speaker John Boehner, who previously insisted he would not use the debt ceiling for political leverage, has promised “a whale of a fight.”

We’ve been down this road before. Paying our bills on time is non-negotiable.  Congress needs to pay the bills Congress itself racked up. Period.

Even among those that oppose the health care law, more than half want their elected officials to make it work as well as possible. So if Republicans truly think the American people support their threats of default instead of doing the hard work of governing, well…that’s dumber.

BOTTOM LINE: Americans are tired of the fighting and of having their economic security put on the line time and time again. Harming the economy to refight old political battles won’t help middle class families.

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

10 Crazy Things the Right Did This Week


By  The summer may be over, but it’s never the end of crazy season when it comes to conservatives–from the silly to the serious.

1. Republicans Threaten To Push Nation Into Default Unless Obama Agrees To Delay Obamacare For One Year: Ironically, the proposition could actually increase the deficit by billions of dollars.
2. Secret Koch Fund Decries ‘Corporate Welfare’ And Stimulus But Funds Their Top Defender: A tax-exempt group claims to fight runaway stimulus spending and “corporate welfare” but gave millions to the Chamber of Commerce, perhaps the top backer of those programs.
3. GOP Tries To Sink Uncontroversial Energy Bill With An Obamacare Amendment: An energy efficiency bill would be the first major energy legislation passed in the Senate since 2007, but Republican amendments aiming to repeal Obamacare threaten to sink a long-awaited bill that has broad bipartisan support.
4. Heritage Puts Anti-Obamacare Billboard In Times Square After State Announces Huge Premium Drop: The message is just the latest political stunt from the organization that first developed the individual health care mandate and later touted Obamacare-like reforms in Massachusetts.
5. The Origins Of An Epidemic: How Right-Wing Religious Communities Give Measles A Chance To Spread: A recent measles outbreak in Texas was traced to an evangelical church that preached against vaccines. That’s not an isolated incident.
6. Five Reasons Congress Can’t Blame The Calendar For Delaying Immigration Reform: House Republicans are telling the media they simply don’t have time to pass immigration reform this year. They’re wrong.
7. Benghazi Conspiracy Rally On Capitol Hill Attracts Dozens Of People: It was meant to be a rallying moment for thousands of conservatives to demand the truth about Benghazi. Less than a hundred bothered to show up.
8. Conservatives Pressure Textbook Publishers To Downplay Existence Of Climate Change, Evolution: Prominent creationists with little scientific background or training are asking publishers include disclaimers about existing scientific theories.
9. Meet The Maryland Republicans Who Want To Secede:  The group, which calls itself the Western Maryland Initiative, is dissatisfied with the fact that, in a democracy, people with minority views are frequently outvoted by people with more common views.
10. Mitch McConnell Exploits Syria Conflict For Campaign Fundraising: The letter opened with the claim that Mitch McConnell “does not politicize issues of national security” but went on to argue that the senator’s opposition to the authorization for use of force is “a ringing example of why we need to keep Mitch fighting for us in the United States Senate.”

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Small business and ACA
Calvin W. Goings Regional Administrator Calvin W. Goings

The Affordable Care Act, Part 3

The U.S. Small Business Administration is committed to educating small business owners about the facts surrounding the Affordable Care Act, so that you can make an informed decision about what makes sense for your business – including whether you choose to apply for a tax credit.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, small businesses are benefitting from improved accountability and affordability in the health insurance market. As you prepare for the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplaces to begin open enrollment on October 1, it is important that small businesses, who offer health insurance to their employees, remember that you may also be eligible for a tax credit. This can significantly offset the cost of providing insurance, by crediting a percentage of small business owners’ premium contributions.

Through 2013, to qualify for a small business tax credit of up to 35 percent (up to 25 percent for non-profits) of your premium contributions, you must meet all of the following criteria:

·         Have fewer than 25 full-time equivalent employees

·         Pay average annual wages below $50,000

·         And, contribute 50 percent or more toward your employees’ self-only health insurance premiums.

Beginning in January 2014, this tax credit increases to 50 percent (35 percent for non-profits) and will be available to small businesses who meet the criteria listed above and who purchase coverage through the new SHOP Marketplaces (also known as Exchanges). This enhanced credit can be claimed for any two consecutive taxable years beginning in 2014 (or beginning in a later year) through the SHOP.

To determine whether your small business or tax exempt organization qualifies for the credit, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers a helpful step-by-step guide. Visit http://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/ and search for the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit. If you have additional questions about the tax credit, or need assistance completing the necessary forms, call the IRS Business Help Line at 1-800-829-4933.

Once you’ve determined that you qualify for the credit, your tax professional can help guide you through the necessary steps to claim the credit which include:

·         Carrying the credit back or forward to other tax years.

·         Obtaining a refundable credit if you are a tax-exempt employer. (Note this is a federal tax credit. You may also be eligible for additional health care tax credits from your state.)

·         Using Form 8941, Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums, to calculate the credit. It’s also important to know that eligible small employers can claim the credit and still take a business expense deduction for the remainder of their premium contributions.

The Affordable Care Act allows small employers to offer health coverage in a way that makes sense for their business and works for their bottom line, and the SBA is committed to leveraging our resources and federal partnerships to connect you with the facts and resources you need to understand the law.

To learn more, visit www.sba.gov/healthcare.