Tag Archives: United States Congress

Title I – Temporary Payroll Tax Relief
Sec. 101 Extension of Payroll Tax Holiday (costs $20.1 billion)
The Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010 provided a two percentage point employee payroll/self-employment tax holiday during 2011. This means employees pay only 4.2 percent on wages and self-employed individuals pay only 10.4 percent on self-employment income up to the threshold. The proposal would extend the payroll tax cut for 2 months with a pro rata limitation on the amount of earnings eligible for the tax cut of $18,350.

Note: The total cost for Title I is $20.1 billion over ten years.

Title II – Temporary Extension of Unemployment Compensation Provisions
Sec. 201 Continuation of Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program
This provision extends for two months the availability of benefits in all tiers of Federal Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC).
Temporary Extension of Extended Benefit Provisions
This provision continues, for 2 months the extended benefits (EB) program, with a 3-year look-back.
Federal UI Benefits Available
Program; Additional Weeks

State-Based Regular Benefits; Up to 26 Additional Weeks

EUC Under Current Policy; Up to 53 Additional Weeks

Tier 1: None; 20

Tier 2: None; 14

Tier 3: at least 6%; 13

Tier 4: at least 8.5%; 6

EB under current policy (3yr look-back); up to 20

Total: Up to 99

Sec. 202 Continuation of Unemployment Benefits Under the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act

This provision permits for a two-month continuation of benefits for railroad workers.

Note: The total cost for Title II is $8.49 billion over ten years.

Title III – Temporary Extension of Health Provisions
Sec. 301 Physician Payment Update (costs $3.6 billion)
Under current law, the Medicare payment formula would cut payments to physicians by 27.4 percent on January 1, 2012. This provision would update physician payments by zero percent for two months, ending February 29.

Sec. 302 Two Month Extension of MMA Section 508 Reclassifications (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
Under current law, hospital geographic reclassifications authorized under section 508 of the Medicare Modernization Act expire on September 30, 2011. The bill would extend these reclassifications for two months.

Sec. 303 Work Geographic Adjustment (costs $0.1 billion)
This provision would extend the current law work geographic price cost index (GPCI) floor of 1.0 for two months, through February 29, 2012.

Sec. 304 Extension of Exceptions Process for Medicare Therapy Caps (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
This provision extends the exceptions process for nonhospital therapy services for two months, until February 29, 2012. Without the exceptions process, therapy services would be capped at an annual amount of $1,880 per beneficiary in 2012.

Sec. 305 Extension of Payment for Technical Component of Certain Physician Pathology Services (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
Permits independent labs under a grandfathered arrangement to continue direct billing for pathology services provided to hospitals for two months, until February 29, 2012.

Sec. 306 Ambulance Add-Ons (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
This provision would extend payment add-ons for ambulance services for two months, until February 29, 2012.

Sec. 307 Extension of Physician Fee Schedule Mental Health Add-on Payment (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
Extends increased payments by 5 percent for certain Medicare mental health services, until February 29, 2012.

Sec. 308 Extension of Outpatient Hold-Harmless Provision (changes are between $50 million and -$50 million)
Provides “hold harmless” payments for rural hospitals that ensure those hospitals will receive 85 percent of Outpatient Prospective Payment Services payments they would have received had the prior payment system remained in effect.
Sec. 309 Extending Minimum Payment for Bone Mass Measurement (no cost)
Extends an increase in the payment rate for certain X-Ray machines (DEXA), which are used to measure bone mass to identify individuals who may be at risk of having osteoporosis for two months, until February 29, 2012.

Sec. 310 Qualifying Individual Program (costs $0.1 billion)
This provision is a two month extension of the Qualifying Individual (QI) Program. Under the QI program, Medicaid pays the Medicare Part B premium for beneficiaries with incomes between 120 and 135 percent of poverty.

Sec. 311 Extension of Transitional Medical Assistance (costs $0.2 billion)
This provision is a two month extension of work-related Transitional Medical Assistance (TMA). TMA allows low-income families to maintain their Medicaid coverage as they transition into employment and increase their earnings. The provision extends TMA until February 29, 2012.

Sec. 312 Extension of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (no cost)
Extends the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for two months, until February 29, 2012.

Note: The total cost for Title III is $4.1 billion over ten years.

Title IV – Mortgage Fees and Premiums

Sec. 401 Guarantee Fees
This section increases the guarantee fees that are charged to mortgage lenders by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by 10 basis points. (CBO score pending. The increase in the fees will be adjusted so that they only cover the cost of the bill.) Revenue generated by the increase is deposited directly into the United States Treasury. This increase in the annual premium expires in ten years.

Sec. 402 FHA Guarantee Fees
The Federal Housing Administration is required to increase the annual premium charged to homeowners by an amount equal to the increase at the GSEs. (CBO score pending. The increase in the GSE fees will be adjusted so that they only cover the cost of the bill.) This change does not affect the upfront premium charged by FHA for insuring loans. This increase in the annual premium expires in ten years.

Note: The total savings achieved in Title IV is $35.7 billion over ten years.

Title V – Other Provisions

Sec. 501 Keystone XL Pipeline Permitting Process (no cost)
Within 60 days, the President, acting through the Secretary of State, is required to grant a permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project application unless he determines the pipeline would not serve the national interest. Any permit issued shall require the reconsideration of routing the pipeline within the State of Nebraska. Any permit granted is deemed to satisfy all the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act and any modification required by the Secretary to the construction mitigation and reclamation plan shall not require supplementation of the final environmental impact statement.

Sec. 511 Senate Point of Order against Emergency Designation (no cost)
This provision fixes a technical problem that occurred when the Budget Control Act passed. Because of an oversight, that legislation changed a long-standing 60-vote point of order against emergency designations in appropriations bills that had been a longstanding procedure in the Senate. This provision simply reinstates that procedure and it has bipartisan support.

Sec. 512 PAYGO Scorecard Estimates (no cost)
This provision directs OMB not to include the budgetary effects of this bill on the scorecard for Statutory Pay-As-You purposes. The provision is needed to avoid a possible sequester associated with the five-year PAYGO requirements.

Total CBO Savings Over Ten Years: $2.968 Billion

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Pell Grants help millions of Black students access higher education … by Matt Nelson, ColorOfChange.org

12/12/2011 Nativegrl77

Tell Congress to stand up for educational opportunity:

Black families across the U.S. are finding it harder to pay the rapidly-increasing costs of higher education, and now some members of Congress are trying to dramatically cut the Pell Grant program — a lifeline that makes college possible for more than 9 million low-income students each year.1

The Republican-led proposal would put educational access and advancement out of reach for millions of prospective Black students. $900 million in cuts would mean dumping 1 million students from the program within the next five years — half of whom could be kicked out before the end of this school year. The plan would also shrink the size of the award for many current recipients.2

The entire 2012 budget is under negotiation and Congress must vote by next Friday to avoid a potential government shut down. This debate is about funding priorities, and important programs like Pell will be cut unless enough members of Congress stand up to support education. Our elected officials should be working to expand opportunities for economic growth, not decimating higher education programs that help put low-income students and students of color in good jobs. Please call on members of the House of Representatives, where Republicans pose the biggest threat to Pell Grants, to vote down any attempts to cut or restrict the program:

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/PellFunding

Tuition and fees at colleges and universities continue to skyrocket, increasing more than 400% since 1982 — more than 4 times the rate of inflation.3 Access to a good education dramatically increases a person’s chances for solid employment and pay. Young adults with a college degree are nearly 3 times more likely to be employed, and earn almost twice as much as those with just a high school diploma.

Defunding Pell Grants will hit Black and low-income students the hardest. Nearly half of Black undergraduates rely on Pell Grants to attend school, and families with incomes below $40,000 constitute 90% of awardees.4 Republicans have used racially-charged language as part of their attack on Pell. One Congressman called Pell “the welfare of the 21st century.”5

Of course, Pell isn’t welfare. In fact, the average grant size is much less likely to cover a sizable amount of college tuition costs than when the program began 40 years ago. Back then, Pell covered 100% of the average cost of tuition while today’s maximum Pell award generally covers one-third.6

Pell Grants are a cornerstone of our nation’s student aid program and greatly influence the makeup of our nation’s colleges and universities, providing much-needed racial and economic diversity within the overall student population. Tell Congress to fund higher education, and when you do, ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://act.colorofchange.org/sign/PellFunding

Thanks and Peace,

— Rashad, James, Gabriel, Dani, Matt, Natasha and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
December 10th, 2011

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU—your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don’t share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/donate

References

1. “House Budget Committee Is Searching for Excuses to Cut Pell Grants,” Center for American Progress, 11-15-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1070?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=7

2. “Fight for Social Programs Looms Anew in the House,” New York Times, 10-03-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1071?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=9

3. “Is college still worth the price?” CNN Money, 04-13-2009
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1073?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=11

4. “Pell Grants: The Cornerstone of African-American Higher Education,” Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1072?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=13

5. “Rep. Denny Rehberg: Pell Grants Are Becoming ‘The Welfare Of The 21st Century’,” Huffington Post, 04-01-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1074?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=15

6. “Infographic: A History of the Shrinking Pell Grant,” Campus Progress, 05-23-2011
http://act.colorofchange.org/go/1075?akid=2320.1174326.5nh0Fe&t=17

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AFL – CIO

12/07/2011 Nativegrl77

AMAZING

You’ve got to see this—these stories from jobless workers blew us away.See the stories, share them and add your voice.

You need to check out this website, right now.

It’s a powerful reminder of the real faces behind America’s sobering unemployment statistics. It has real pictures and stories from job-hunters and impacted people from all walks of life—from your state and from every state.

I hope you’ll take a minute to look at these powerful stories, share them and add your own.

If Congress fails to act by Dec. 31, extended unemployment insurance will expire for millions.

We never forget these are real people who face the prospect of going hungry and getting thrown out of their homes soon after the holidays if Congress fails to act. Many of us have been there before—or have friends and family who have.

Even though obstructionists in Congress are willing to ignore our joblessness crisis, we refuse to let these stories get brushed under the rug.

Click here to see and share the stories and faces behind America’s joblessness crisis.

Then, share our website on Facebook and Twitter and forward this message to all your friends.

These stories and pictures won’t just live on a website. We’ll share them with the media, hand-deliver them to Congress during our massive day of action on Dec. 8 and promote them widely on the Internet.

If callous members of Congress think they can sit back and allow unemployment aid to expire while they play political games, they’re wrong. With your help we’re going to force them to see this crisis head-on—with real faces of real people who are jobless and struggling in this brutal economy.

See these stories, share them and add your voice.

In Solidarity,

Manny Herrmann
Online Mobilization Coordinator, AFL-CIO

P.S. It’s not just people who are unemployed right now who have stories to tell. Millions of others do, too.

Maybe you’ve been jobless in the past and relied on unemployment benefits to get through. Or you’ve seen firsthand how much unemployment hurts your community and America—and how much unemployment aid helps. Or maybe you can write a brief statement of support for the jobless or urge Congress to act—even in just one to two sentences.

Together, we’re creating a visual display of the impact of unemployment that will be too powerful to ignore. See and share stories and statements in your state and across America. Then, add your own.

To find out more about the AFL-CIO, please visit our website at www.aflcio.org.

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Is Congress about to put you out of work?

12/01/2011 Nativegrl77 1 Comment

Watch the Video | Send Our Video to Your Elected Officials

Now that the deficit committee failed, war profiteers are scrambling to undo automatic cuts to their profit margins. They’ve re-launched their propaganda campaign focusing on jobs, but our new video exposes the truth: military spending is a job killer. If Washington, D.C. stops automatic cuts to the military budget at the expense of other programs, it will be a disaster for the economy.Send our video to your elected officials and make sure they understand the consequences of failing to make real cuts to the military budget.Super-wealthy war profiteer CEOs rely on massive Pentagon budgets for their wealthy lifestyles. They and their allies in the Pentagon are using huge lobbying budgets in an unprecedented economic fear campaign to convince Congress that war spending is some kind of grotesque jobs program. Nothing could be further from the truth.As our video shows, military spending costs jobs compared to other ways of spending the money. Protecting war budgets at the expense of other job-creating programs will mean more jobless people than virtually any other possible budget plan.Help us put the truth in your elected officials’ hands. Our toolwill let you push your senators and congressmen to do the right thing, despite the war industry’s propaganda push.This is an uphill battle, and we need your help. Please send our latest video to your elected officials now so they understand that military spending costs jobs.

Sincerely,

Derrick Crowe, Robert Greenwald
and the Brave New Foundation team

P.S. We continue to fight the war profiteers’ propaganda, but doing so with hard-hitting videos like this is expensive. After you send the video to Congress, please consider making a donation to support War Costs.

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Pizza is a vegetable? Tell Congress to Promote Healthy School Meals

11/29/2011 Nativegrl77

We thought we fixed this when Ronald Reagan declared ketchup to be a vegetable and most of our country laughed out loud. But apparently not.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=%2F2w9NMwavBAhxQgjDpoZ9NcufT5FYZsE

Late last night, Congress unveiled change to the National School Lunch program that will allow a few dabs of tomato paste to be considered a vegetable which means that a pizza is back on our kids’ tables and obesity is here to stay.

Congress chose to look past the straightforward recommendations of the National Academy of Sciences‘ Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and instead get in bed with the American Frozen Food Institute and the National Potato Council to gut major policy recommendations from the bill. This unhealthy serving of corporate special interests will hurt America‘s children — all 55 million of our kids, particularly poor and disadvantaged kids who have to count on school for their lunches.

Our nation’s schoolchildren deserve better. Tell Congress to support the USDA’s work to improve schools meals. The health of our nation’s schoolchildren is simply too important to be left to special interest groups like the American Frozen Food Institute or the National Potato Council.

But don’t just listen to Earth Day Network on this one. Over 100 retired generals and admirals recently declared that the dire state of our nation’s school food is a national security concern. Why? One-third of all applicants to the U.S. military are turned down because they are simply “too fat to fight.”

The USDA had proposed school nutrition standards that would have doubled the overall amount of fruits and vegetables and would have increased whole grains and low-fat dairy, while reducing sodium, unhealthy fats and excess calories. Yet, lobbying from special interest groups has once again derailed some of these critically important improvements-improvements that would have given our kids a fighting chance.

Let the USDA finish its job of helping schools improve the nutritional quality of their meals. Tell Congress to get off the payrolls of those FAT cats and back on the side of our children. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=2qyDe9WZrcbUkgWGnKl%2FONcufT5FYZsE

– The Earth Day Network Team