U.S. Congressman José E. Serrano ~ Representing the people of the 16th District of New York

The Serrano Report, Vol. VII, #17

On Capitol Hill

Serrano Speaks out for Immigration Reform

On Thursday, Congressman Serrano joined other members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for a press conference to speak out in favor of H.R. 4321, the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act. Looking to garner as many co-sponsors as possible by the targeted September date, members urged their colleagues to speak out against anti-immigrant efforts like the new Arizona immigration law.

During the press conference, Serrano questioned the approach of Members of Congress who were opposed to immigration reform, but continued to seek support within the Hispanic community, saying, "I’d like to challenge any Members of Congress opposed to this bill to stop advertising in Spanish and asking people to vote for them." The bill currently has 102 cosponsors, and the sponsors of the measure are looking to reach at least 130 before further action is taken.

Serrano speaking at the press conference

Serrano speaking at the press conference

House Passes Bill Reforming Campaign Funding

On Thursday, the House passed H.R. 5175, the DISCLOSE Act, by a vote of 219-206. Congressman Serrano voted in favor of the legislation.

"The DISCLOSE Act will shine a much needed light on the realm of corporate and special interest spending in elections," said Serrano. "Given the wild west campaign atmosphere created by the Supreme Court, these new disclosure requirements will ensure that voters are not duped by corporations and other special interests seeking to hide their involvement in elections, and that investors and special interest donors know how their money is being spent. In addition, this bill places some reasonable restraints on political efforts by corporations who have received TARP money or who have significant government contracts. By no means is this bill perfect, but it is a big step in the right direction."

The bill is a legislative response to a recent Supreme Court decision which equated the free speech rights of corporations with those of individuals. The legislation puts reasonable restraints and disclosure requirements on such corporate speech, to ensure that corporations and other special interests cannot hide behind third parties to promote their agenda.

Serrano Meets with FTC Chairman

On June 23, 2010, Congressman Serrano met with the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Jon Leibowitz. Congressman Serrano is Chairman of the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee which approves the annual budget for the FTC.

During the meeting Serrano emphasized the importance of the FTC focusing its efforts on protecting the poorest in our society. He also said that although he was a strong proponent of first amendment protections, he was troubled by deliberately false advertising and the impact that it has on consumers. Chairman Leibowitz discussed the efforts that the FTC has made in the areas of addressing mortgage servicing abuse and stopping foreclosure rescue scams. Congressman Serrano also emphasized that the territories should have the same attention from the FTC with respect to consumer protections as the fifty states.

At the conclusion on this meeting, Congressman Serrano said, "We must make sure that the Federal Trade Commission receives the funding that it needs in order to continue their ongoing work to help address the problems of identity theft and deceptive lending practices as well as to protect consumers and investigate unfair practices in the areas of foreclosure rescue and credit repair services, payday loans, and debt collection."

Grant Opportunities

Health-Care Workforce Development Grant

Application Deadline: August 5, 2010

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently announced the availability of funding to support the establishment of training, education, and career advancement programs to address workforce needs in the health-care professions. Individuals who receive assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and other low-income individuals are eligible to participate in funded programs. State governments, 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 ACF website.

For information on other government grants, please go to: www.grants.gov.

WASHINGTON OFFICE
2227 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-3216
(202) 225-4361
Fax: (202) 225-6001

BRONX OFFICE
1231 Lafayette Ave, 4th Floor
Bronx, NY, 10474
(718) 620-0084
Fax: (718) 620-0658

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