The Serrano Report
THE SERRANO REPORT  |  Sept. 29, 2006
  On Capitol Hill This Week   
 

House Passes Final Homeland Security Appropriations Conference Report

This week the House-Senate conference committee on the Homeland Security Appropriations bill for FY 2007 approved a final conference report. Congressman Serrano, a member of the House Appropriations Committee on Homeland Security, participated in the negotiations.

The final conference agreement totaled $33.7 billion, which is 7 percent above the amount allocated to the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2006. It allocates $3.4 billion for grants to support homeland security activities of state and local governments, including $770 million for the Urban Areas Security Initiative. UASI provides grants to security measures for densely populated urban areas like New York City.

Despite rumors that the House Republican leadership had stalled the bill this week in an effort to attach additional draconian immigration enforcement legislation, the House finally passed the conference report today without any such provisions. Serrano, along with the other conferees on the bill, had promised to remove his signature from the conference report if extra authorizing language had been attached.

The bill does, however, legislate a reorganization of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. It also allows Americans to re-import 90-day supplies of prescription drugs from Canada, where the same American-made prescription drugs are sold at a lower cost. During conference negotiations, Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Tex.) and Serrano offered an amendment to expand this provision to include drugs from Mexico. The House conferees approved the amendment, but it was rejected by the Senate.

House Republicans Further Bash Immigrants for Votes

This week, in a last-minute scramble by House leaders to pander to conservative base Republicans, the House passed three draconian border security and immigration enforcement measures. Congressman Serrano strongly opposed all three bills.

  • H.R. 6061 would authorize the construction of a largely symbolic 700-mile fence along the U.S.-Mexico border.
  • H.R. 6094 would allow the government to easily to deport or deny entry to illegal immigrants who are suspected of being gang members, with little judicial review.
  • H.R. 6095 would expand state and local authority to enforce federal civil immigration laws.

"These bills are an embarassment to America's immigrant legacy and a disgrace to the Democratic process," Serrano said. "The majority of Americans have spoken out in favor of comprehensive reform. Only real comprehensive reform, including a temporary guest worker program, will be able to address the root causes of undocumented immigration. The House Republican leadership has again demostrated how out of touch they are, both from the reality of what's enforceable and from popular sentiment."

As of press time, the Senate was scheduled to consider the fence bill. The Congress is scheduled to recess through the election after this weekend.

  In the Bronx This Week   
 

Serrano, Mayor to Dedicate Barretto Point Park

On Tuesday, October 3rd, Congressman Serrano and Mayor Bloomberg will preside over the dedication ceremony of Barretto Point Park on the site of a newly reclaimed brownfield in Hunts Point. The five acre restoration project overlooks the shores of Barretto Bay and features lush grass, tree-lined promenade, and a public amphitheatre. It represents the keystone public space of the South Bronx Greenway, an initiative that Serrano has supported from its inception.

“Barretto Point Park is now a beautiful symbol of the extraordinary revitalization that is possible when a community comes together,” Serrano said.

The dedication ceremony on October 3 will also include a performance of William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest,” by Mud/Bone Theatre Company, in association with the Public Theatre. To learn more about Barretto Point Park, please contact Siddhartha Sanchez at (718) 620-0084.

Serrano to Inaugurate New Bronx Museum of the Arts Building

On Tuesday, October 3rd, Congressman Serrano will participate in the ribbon cutting of the Bronx Museum of the Arts’ new building on the Grand Concourse. At over 16,000 square feet, this new facility nearly doubles the Museum’s existing gallery space. Since 2000, Serrano has secured over six million dollars for the construction of this new facility, which will house temporary exhibitions and expanded room for educational programs and public events.

“This is a very exciting day, not only for the Museum but also for The Bronx,” Serrano said. “This Museum is a tremendous resource for the borough—both for exposing Bronxites to the arts and for helping to inspire the creative energies of future generations of Bronx artists.”

Founded in 1971, the Bronx Museum’s exhibits focus on twentieth-century and contemporary art. The Museum’s permanent collection includes works by artists of African, Asian, and Latin American descent. The new facility will open to the public on Saturday, October 7th. For more information about the Bronx Museum of the Arts, please feel free to visit its website at http://www.bronxmuseum.org/.

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