AFSCME LEGISLATIVE REPORT May 16, 2008

[Omaha Steve]

Below are the top stories of the week from Capitol Hill.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE REPORT
May 16, 2008

In this issue:

* House Votes on War Emergency Supplemental; Senate to Vote Next Week
* House and Senate Pass Farm Bill By Veto-Proof Margin
* McCain, Republican Leadership Halt Consideration of Public Safety Officer Collective Bargaining Bill
* House Ways and Means Committee Approves Tax Extenders
* Bill to Exempt Small PHAs from Asset Management Rules Introduced in House
* Family Spending on Health Care Rises
* Study Finds State Inspectors Miss Problems in Nursing Homes

House Votes on War Emergency Supplemental; Senate to Vote Next Week
The House had three separate votes on key provisions of an emergency funding bill (H.R. 2642) to provide additional funds for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and to meet pressing domestic needs. The wars portion of the bill was rejected by a vote of 141-149, with 132 Republicans failing to vote for or against funding for wars but instead voting "present" as a political move. The domestic spending portion of the bill was adopted by a vote of 256-166, which would not be enough to overcome a threatened presidential veto. The domestic provisions of the bill extend unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, add funding for UI administration, provide expanded educational opportunities for veterans, and fund other critical needs. With this vote, the House again voted to temporarily stop cuts in federal Medicaid payments to states which would occur if seven regulations proposed by the Administration were to go into full effect. The House also voted 227-196 to set the goal of withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq by December 31, 2009, which also is not sufficient to override a veto.

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its own version of the supplemental funding bill. Like the House-passed bill, Senate appropriators included domestic spending priorities and also would block a directive limiting eligibility for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Unfortunately, it also includes a provision offered by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) which provides an exemption to the cap for returning H-2B guest workers, a program rife with labor abuses. The full Senate is expected to take up the bill next week.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

House and Senate Pass Farm Bill by Veto-Proof Margins
The Senate adopted the farm bill conference report (H.R. 2419) by a vote of 81-15 on Thursday, a day after the House passed the bill 318-106. President Bush has said he will veto the legislation, but both houses have now passed the measure with veto-proof majorities. As we reported earlier, an AFSCME-initiated anti-privatization provision in the House bill was excluded from the final bill during negotiations between the House and Senate. The provision would have clarified and strengthened the merit personnel requirements for determining eligibility in the food stamp program. The failure to win this fight underscores the need to elect a President and additional members of Congress who will work with AFSCME to curb the drive to privatize.
(Nanine Meiklejohn- [e-mail])

McCain, Republican Leadership Halt Consideration of Public Safety Officer Collective Bargaining Bill
This week, the Senate voted 69-29 to begin consideration of a bill (S.2123) providing collective bargaining rights for public safety officers, a key vote that showed widespread support for the bill. Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) – who opposes collective bargaining for public safety officers – and Senate Republican leaders tried to attach an amendment to the bill which was a weak and watered down version of the new G.I. Bill proposed by Sens. Jim Webb (D-VA) and John Warner (R-VA) and major national veterans groups. AFSCME supports the stronger Webb-Warner bill.

One senator called the move by McCain and Republican leaders a "parliamentary gimmick," one that played politics with U.S. troops, police, corrections officers and first responders to delay the benefits they deserve. AFSCME will continue to push for passage of the collective bargaining bill.
(Blaine Rummel- [e-mail])

House Ways and Means Committee Approves Tax Extenders
The House Ways and Means Committee voted 25-12 along party lines to approve a revenue neutral $54 billion tax package (H.R. 6049) which would extend a variety of expiring or expired tax breaks, including a $1.1 billion additional standard deduction for state and local property taxes; $1.7 billion extension of the deduction for state and local general sales tax; and $19.6 billion in renewable energy incentives, including $1 billion for a new category of tax credit bonds to finance state and local government programs and initiatives designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, among other tax extenders. For more information, please visit: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/media/pdf/110/bill.pdf.
(Marc Granowitter- [e-mail])

Bill to Exempt Small PHAs from Asset Management Rules Introduced in House
Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) introduced H.R. 5829, which would relax the Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) new public housing asset management regulations by exempting public housing agencies (PHAs) with less than 500 units. This will reduce unnecessary burdensome regulations on smaller PHAs. Many observers think HUD designed its regulations to promote privatization of public housing. AFSCME supports and the Bush Administration opposes this bill.
(Marc Granowitter- [e-mail])

Family Spending on Health Care Rises
A typical American family of four will spend $15,609 on medical costs in 2008, up $1,109 from 2007, according to an annual study by the Milliman health care consulting firm. Employees saw their share of health care coverage costs go up by slightly more than 10%. According to the survey, employees now pay about 40% of average medical costs, compared to 60% paid by employers offering health care benefits.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

Study Finds State Inspectors Miss Problems in Nursing Homes
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that state inspectors fail to identify serious problems or understated problems in quality of care in nursing homes, missing at least one deficiency in 15% of the inspections checked by federal officials. Failures to ensure proper nutrition and hydration and prevent pressure sores were the frequently missed problems which could harm patients. Last year, about one in five nursing homes were cited for serious deficiencies by state inspectors. Sens. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), who requested the GAO report, are pressing that their bill (S. 2641) be included in a package of Medicare changes that Congress is expected to consider next month. This bill would increase enforcement of nursing home regulations, improve transparency of nursing home ownership, increase data on nurse staffing and make other changes to improve the quality of nursing home care and oversight.
(Linda Bennett- [e-mail])

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