On Capitol Hill
Serrano Speaks Up in Support of Gun Control
During a hearing on the District of Columbia this week, Congressman Serrano spoke briefly about the renewed national debate about gun control. Earlier in the week, pro-gun activists had successfully killed a bill to give DC a vote in Congress by threatening to attach a provision which would have stripped the city of all gun control laws. Serrano spoke after a pro-gun member had just made a statement in favor of carrying concealed weapons and asked the DC mayor to consider how much better off his city would be with similar legislation to encourage concealed carrying.
“I feel that sometimes those of us on our side of this issue have tried much harder to understand your position than the other way around. We understand that you want to be able to hunt and to carry a weapon in your state to protect yourself. We get it. And we have compromised on that position. But your side has done very little to try to understand the position of those of us from cities where gun violence is a huge problem. You have done very little to understand that for us, most of the issue revolves around getting guns out of the hands of drug dealers and bad guys, and is not a question of rights. We do not want guns in our community, and we feel resentment that your side has spent so much time arguing (very often successfully) that we must accept guns in our communities to somehow protect your rights. I would ask your side to let us do in our communities what we want, and in return we will continue to try to let you do what you want in your communities.”
Serrano Chairs TARP Hearing
On April 22, 2010, Congressman Serrano, the Chairman of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee, held a hearing on the federal government’s response to the financial crisis and the administration and oversight of the Targeted Asset Relief Program (TARP). Herbert Allison, the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability, who oversees the TARP program, and Neil Barofsky, the Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP), both testified and answered questions.
"The financial crisis caused the deepest economic decline since the Great Depression in the early 1930s," Congressman Serrano said at the beginning of the hearing. "Although the economy has stabilized since the free fall of late 2008 and early 2009, credit continues to shrink and unemployment remains near 10 percent. We have a long way to go before most Americans will feel that the economy is back on its feet again. We need to understand what role TARP has played or could play in responding to our economic problems.”
Congressman Serrano asked Assistant Secretary Allison to comment on the $100 billion in bonuses that have been paid out at a time when banks have reduced the credit available to commercial borrowers by almost 20 percent or $300 billion. He also asked him to discuss the effectiveness of the new public-private investments that have used TARP funds to increase credit for small businesses, students, car buyers, and other consumers. Along with several other Members, Congressman Serrano urged the Treasury Department to do more to help small businesses, minorities, and homeowners. Lastly, Congressman Serrano was heartened to hear that the vast majority of TARP payments made by the federal government will be repaid to the government.
In response to Congressman Serrano’s questions, Mr. Barofsky discussed his ongoing efforts to address fraud in the various TARP programs, and the importance of the ongoing recommendations that he provides to Treasury to reduce waste, fraud, and abuse of TARP funds. Although some fraud has occurred, the SIGTARP’s office has been vigilant in pursuing and prosecuting those who have sought to take advantage of the government. Mr. Barofsky also spoke about the importance of transparency in his oversight efforts.
Both witnesses provided assurances that they are careful in their spending and Mr. Allison noted that he worked to make sure that all the money that has been allocated to TARP is in fact spent on TARP. Mr. Barofsky said that SIGTARP played an important role in improving TARP.
Congressman Serrano concluded the hearing by thanking them for their service and asking that they continue to inform the Subcommittee about their efforts to use TARP funding to restore a healthy flow of credit, a growing economy, and relief for worthy borrowers.
Serrano Applauds LGBT Order
Last week, Congressman José E. Serrano and State Senator José M. Serrano applauded President Obama’s decision to order the Department of Health and Human Services to issue new rules for hospitals across the nation that allow visitation rights for LGBT partners of patients.
“Too often the loved ones of LGBT patients are prohibited from visiting their partners, or even spouses, during hospitalization and treatment,” said Congressman Serrano. “They have been barred from helping with their partners’ major health decisions. And perhaps worst of all they have been forbidden from being with them in their final days. President Obama took the first step towards undoing this shameful situation. As our nation moves towards true equality for our LGBT friends and families, we must continue to take brave and righteous steps like the President took last week. Our nation is built upon respect for individuals to live their lives as they see fit, and our legal and political structures should not keep any person from being with whom they choose in all major moments of their lives. I applaud President Obama for striking this blow for equality, and look forward to more of these steps in the near future.”
“Having the opportunity to accompany a loved one who is ill is not only an LGBT right, it is a civil and human right," said Senator Serrano. "Respecting the wishes of patients by granting proper visitation rights to persons other than family members, and allowing them to decide who can make medical decisions on their behalf is vital to enhancing the integrity of our communities. As Americans, we share a fundamental commitment to equality for all, and I applaud President Obama for taking this very important step on the road to making this a more just, unified and inclusive nation.”
The White House announced on April 15th that President Obama had issued a memorandum to HHS Secretary Sebelius ordering her to make the visitation rule changes for any hospital that participates in Medicare or Medicaid. Since virtually all hospitals in the nation participate in those programs, the rules would effectively change policy across the nation.
In the Bronx
Serrano Commemorates Earth Day
Congressman José E. Serrano commemorated the 40th Earth Day on Thursday by urging a new commitment to environmental justice for the communities that have traditionally been left out of the environmental gains of past decades. Serrano considers the new interest in the environment to be one of his greatest legacies in the Bronx, as he pioneered and directed funding to many of the efforts that have done the most to change the face of the borough.
“As we celebrate this 40th Earth Day, it is important to reflect on how far we have come, and also look to the future and see what remains to be done,” said Congressman Serrano. “The challenges facing the world and nation are vast in this area, and we are making progress. Personally I like to reflect on local successes and challenges on this occasion.
“Over the past decades, the Bronx has been greatly disadvantaged by the huge array of environmental burdens we have been asked to bear on behalf of our city and our region. For too long, the prevailing attitude in our city was ‘if it’s unpleasant or noxious, put it in the Bronx’. I am proud to report that we have changed the dynamic on that behavior. But we are still dealing with the legacy of that approach and the policymaking and planning that followed. We are making progress, but we still have a long way to go.
“One of our greatest successes began more than a decade ago when my office convened a group of concerned citizens and officials who began to study and plan to restore the Bronx River. I was successful in securing their first funding, and have worked to ensure that the federal government is a partner in their efforts. After a decade of work, and more than $30 million in directed federal dollars, our hard work and investments have paid off. We have a river that is back from the dead. It is filled with wildlife and surrounded by an increasing number of parks and green spaces. It has served as the catalyst for a powerful green movement in our community. The benefits have been far more than we ever dreamed of years ago when we began this project.
“The bottom line for our community is that we have learned to stand up to the rest of the City and say ‘we deserve a clean environment too.’ We have said this with increasing frequency and with increasing success. We have put in hard work and seen our efforts pay off. Our successes translate into a better environment for our borough and for the people and wildlife that live there.
“This is the action that is at the heart of the ideals of Earth Day—it’s about raising environmental consciousness, working to reverse environmental harm, reclaiming our green spaces, and teaching future generations to value and honor their natural surroundings. We are a leading community in these areas and our movement is only growing stronger. Earth Day is the perfect moment to savor our progress and to look forward to making even more positive change in the future. Our community depends on it and so does the world.” Serrano Advocates for Tenants
This week Congressman Serrano weighed in on a lawsuit being filed on behalf of tenants from 10 buildings in the Bronx known as the Milbank Portfolio that have gone into foreclosure. The suit is being brought by Legal Services NYC and seeks to force the bank which now holds the mortgages, in this case Wells Fargo, to make repairs in the buildings. Repairs to the building have largely ceased since March 2009, when the loans went into default. A recent decision in New York State Court ruled that tenants could seek financial compensation from lenders when buildings go into foreclosure, and Serrano made the following statement on the legal action:
“Yet again we are forced to tell a bank to pay attention to the needs of tenants when they sell a portfolio of apartments in the Bronx,” said Serrano. “We had the same message during the Ocelot fight, and we were right then, as we are now. The tenants of Milbank Houses have a powerful new tool in a recent court decision that allows them to press the lender to ensure that the properties are adequately maintained. And this is the crux of the issue—we cannot have buildings falling apart as legal wrangling takes place over ownership or foreclosure. Tenants are entitled to housing that is safe and decently maintained. I applaud the many tenants of these buildings who organized themselves, the advocates who worked tirelessly on their behalf, and the lawyers from Legal Services NYC who are now bringing suit to ensure these tenants have decent and safe housing.”
Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, and City Council Member Fernando Cabrera held a press conference in the Bronx this week in support of the tenants and to raise awareness about the case. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for May 10th in Bronx Supreme Court.
Grant Opportunities
Visual Arts Cultural Exchange Grant
Application Deadline: May 26, 2010
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs within the U.S. Department of State recently announced the availability of funding for visual artists to travel abroad to engage with foreign audiences for up to twelve weeks. The “smART Power: Visual Arts” program seeks organizations capable of soliciting, selecting, and facilitating between 10 and 30 visual arts projects for travel abroad and cultural exchange. Public and State controlled institutions of higher education and 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the Department of State's website.
For information on other government grants, please go to: www.grants.gov. |