Dear Friends,

After months of tough economic news, there are positive signs that job growth is beginning to take hold in our communities in Massachusetts. In the Bay State, unemployment remains consistently lower than the national average, at about 6.9% here compared to 9.6% nationally. We still have much work to do, but in Massachusetts we can already see concrete evidence that the tax cuts and investment in job creating technological innovation made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is working.

JOB GROWTH

October marked the 10th straight month of job growth in our country, with 159,000 new private sector jobs.  Businesses added more than 100,000 jobs in both August and September as well.  That means we've seen four months of private-sector job growth above 100,000 – which is the most consistent increase in four years. So far, 1.1 million private-sector jobs have been created this year nation-wide.

We know that in order to create the jobs that Massachusetts and our entire nation need, we have to accelerate our economic growth and create jobs at a faster pace. Last year, I voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which continues to provide essential funding across the country. The Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office reports that nearly $48 million has been spent in our 7th District since July, expanding clean energy, maintaining schools, and supporting housing projects.



To help with this, Congress recently passed a small business jobs bill that I supported and the President signed into law on September 27, 2010, based on ideas from both parties and the private sector. We know that small business is the economic engine of our country. In Massachusetts, small businesses represent 85% of all companies and employ over a quarter of our workers. Congress and the President will continue to explore new ideas to support small business including additional tax breaks, new incentives for hiring and for entrepreneurs to start new businesses, and support for innovative and growing sectors like clean energy and biotechnology. 

For more information on the Small Business Jobs and Credit Act Click HERE.

HEALTH CARE

Data released at the end of October showed that as of October 1, 2010, 3,330 seniors in our 7th Congressional District of Massachusetts have received the $250 'donut hole' checks. These checks are being provided as a part of the new health care reform legislation, to help close the Medicare prescription drug coverage gap. In total, seniors in our district have received a total of $825,000 to help pay their high drug costs.

An additional 5,300 seniors in the 7th District are expected to enter the 'donut hole' before the end of 2010 and will also receive a $250 check to help with their drug costs. As a result, by the end of the year, a total of 8,600 seniors in our district will have received assistance to help cover the cost of their drugs. The total amount of assistance provided to seniors in the district will be $2.2 million.

Checks are being mailed out every couple of weeks. Nationwide, as of October 21, 2010, more than 1.8 million seniors have received the $250 rebate check.  It is estimated that by the end of the year about 4 million seniors will have received the check nationwide.

Click HERE for a full Health Care Reform Timeline.

AIR CARGO

I have been concerned about air cargo security since the terrorist attacks on 9/11.  In 2007, I successfully offered amendments to the bill implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission that require screening of 100% of air cargo carried on passenger planes by August 2010. Previously, the billions of pounds of freight transported in the cargo bays of passenger aircraft were not screened for bombs or other dangerous materials.  While the Administration continues to implement this mandate for passenger planes, the recently foiled Yemen air cargo bomb incident underscores the importance of screening all air cargo.

We know that Al Qaeda will continue to target our aviation system for terrorist attack, which is why I introduced the Air Cargo Security Act, H.R.6410, on November 16.  My bill would extend the 100% cargo screening mandate to include all-cargo aircraft.

A Dear Colleague Letter sent to fellow House members can be found HERE.

ACCESSIBILITY OF TECHNOLOGY FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES

At a ceremony at the White House on October 8, President Obama signed into law legislation that I authored, the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act, to provide improved access to the Internet, smart phones, television, and other technologies for Americans with disabilities.

This sweeping new law is one of the most significant and comprehensive reforms focused on providing greater opportunities and accessibility for the individuals who are deaf, blind and both deaf and blind since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted 20 years ago. It's the "ADA for the Internet Age".

I celebrated the enactment of this new law with the students and staff at the Framingham Learning Center for the Deaf.

The new law will:

• Improve access to the Web for individuals who are blind through improved user interfaces for smart phones.

• Enable Americans who are blind to enjoy TV more fully through audible descriptions of the on-screen action.

• Make TV guides and selection menus accessible to people with vision loss.

• Provide Americans who are deaf the ability to watch new TV programs online with the captions included.

• Require that telecommunications equipment used to make calls over the Internet is compatible with hearing aids.    

• For low-income Americans who are both deaf and blind, provide a share of a total $10 million per year to purchase accessible Internet access and telecom services so these individuals can more fully participate in society.