June 6, 2008

Budget

On Thursday the House considered the Conference Report on S. Con. Res. 70: the Concurrent Budget Resolution for 2009. This Conference Report provides the framework for the Fiscal Year 2009 federal budget. It increases funding for veterans' programs and expands children's health insurance coverage. It seeks to address energy costs by providing investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives. It rejects the Bush Administration's cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and to Medicare and Medicaid. The resolution also establishes an affordable housing trust fund and improves the Higher Education Act to help make a college education more affordable. I voted YES. The resolution passed and the entire vote is recorded below:

Darfur and the U.N. Security Council

This week, my colleague Scott Garrett (R-NJ) and I sent a letter to President Bush, asking for strong US leadership in the U.N. Security Council on the issue of Darfur . Sudan has violated a number of Security Council resolutions designed to protect civilians in Darfur . They have obstructed full deployment of the UNAMID peacekeeping force, imported arms into Darfur, and refused to cooperate with the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur . The US assumed the presidency of the Security Council for one month on June 2. We should use this opportunity to demand that Sudan comply with certain benchmarks on cessation of attacks against civilians, implementation of UNAMID, cooperation with the ICC, and access for humanitarian workers.

Community Health Centers

This week, the House passed H.R.1343, the Health Centers Renewal Act. As co-chair of the Community Health Centers Caucus, I have been working with my colleagues to advance this measure. This legislation continues Congress' commitment to our nation's 1,100 Community Health Centers; organizations that provide high-quality, affordable primary health care to more than 16 million Americans in over 6,000 communities nationwide. The Health Centers program has been consistently rated as one of the most effective programs in the Department of Health and Human Services by the Office of Management and Budget.

H.R. 1343 takes a comprehensive approach towards addressing pressing health center needs by: recognizing the rising cost of health care and increased patient loads; investing in greater access to mental health, oral health and pharmacy services and authorizing funding for new health centers in communities with little or no access to care. This bill ensures that the millions of Americans who rely on health centers continue to have access to high-quality and affordable health services. H.R. 1343 passed Wednesday under suspension of the rules by a vote of 393-24.

What's Up Next

Next week, the House is scheduled to consider the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008 and possibly a supplemental appropriations bill for war funding and certain domestic initiatives.