AFSCME Legislative Highlights
AFSCME LEGISLATIVE
REPORT
November 17, 2006
In this issue:
New Congressional Leaders Selected
Fresh from their Election Day victories, which brought historic change to the House and Senate by returning both to Democratic control, new members elected to Congress converged on Washington, D.C. this week even though the new 110th session of Congress does not officially start until January 4, 2007. In addition to orientation meetings, the members joined with their new colleagues to select leaders for the new Congress.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) made history when she was elected the first female Speaker of the House, while joining her as Majority Leader will be Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who won a stunning victory over Pelosi's hand-picked candidate Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), by a vote of 149-86. Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) was elected Majority Whip and Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-IL) was elected Democratic Caucus Chairman. House GOP leadership elections will be held on Friday, but we know former House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-IL) is not running for a leadership position, leaving Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) to run against Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) for Minority Leader and Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) against Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) for Minority Leader.
On the Senate side, Democratic Sen. Harry Reid (NV) was elected Majority Leader and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) was selected Majority Whip. Republicans replaced outgoing leader Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) was installed as Minority Whip. Lott won a close election restoring him to leadership after his demise several years ago when he offered insensitive praise for former Sen. Strom Thurmond's (R-SC) segregationist presidential platform.
(Ed Jayne- ejayne@afscme.org)
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Continuing Resolution Approved
The House and Senate cleared a temporary continuing resolution to fund government programs through Friday, December 8. The measure has been sent to the President for his expected signature. The resolution funds programs at the lowest of the House or Senate proposed funding level, or last year's enacted level. Congress reconvenes December 4 to attempt to complete further action on remaining 2006 spending bills.
To date, two spending measures have been completed, Defense and Homeland Security. The House has finished all but the Labor-Heath and Human Services (HHS)-Education bill. The Senate has nine bills pending. Options for finalizing the FY 2007 appropriations process include addressing as many outstanding spending bills as possible through mid-December, bundling them in an omnibus package or several "mini" packages for consideration during the lame duck session, extending the continuing resolution until next calendar year or some combination.
(Ed Jayne- ejayne@afscme.org)
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Democrats Push to Make Up State Funding Shortfall in S-CHIP
Seventeen states are facing a funding shortfall in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) next year. The total shortfall could exceed $900 million and threatens the health coverage of as many as 630,000 kids. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA) and Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV) have introduced legislation (H.R. 6098/S. 3913) to eliminate the funding gap. There is also support for a fix from at least one key House Republican - Rep. Nathan Deal (GA), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee, has introduced a bill to eliminate the shortfall. Unlike the Democratic bills, Deal's legislation (H.R. 6077) caps the federal fix at $900 million. At this time, it is unclear whether the Congress will address the problem when it returns after the Thanksgiving break or whether this unfinished business will be left for the new Democratic Congress after the first of the year. States expected to experience a shortfall are: Alaska, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, Rhode Island, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
(Barbara Coufal- bcoufal@afscme.org)
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President Bush Ignores Promise of Bipartisanship and Re-nominates Controversial Judges
Despite recent promises to work in a bipartisan and cooperative manner with the newly elected Democratic leadership in the Senate, President Bush this week re-nominated several of his most controversial judges. These are nominees who failed to win confirmation under a Republican-controlled Senate because they were unacceptable even to many Republican Senators. Four of these judges, who are particularly controversial, had their nominations expire without any Senate action. The four include two nominees to the Fourth Circuit in Richmond: Terrence Boyle, a district court judge in North Carolina and a former aide to Sen. Jesse Helms, and Defense Department General Counsel William Haynes, who became a symbol of the Bush Administration's policies on terrorism, interrogations and other wartime powers. In addition, William Myers, a lobbyist and critic of environmental rules, was re-nominated for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco, and Michael Wallace of Mississippi, rated unqualified for the appeals court by an American Bar Association panel, was re-nominated for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans.
The likelihood of action is remote on any of the nominees before the December 15th scheduled adjournment.
(Cynthia Bradley- cbradley@afscme.org)
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Minimum Wage Headed to Early Vote in the 110th Congress
With the momentum at their back after initiatives to raise the minimum wage passed in all six states where it was on the ballot – Arizona to $6.75 per hour beginning January 1, 2007; Colorado to $6.85 per hour beginning January 1, 2007; Missouri to $6.50 per hour (or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher) beginning January 1, 2007; Montana to $6.15 per hour (or federal minimum wage, whichever is higher) beginning January 1, 2007; Nevada to $6.15 per hour, if employer does not provide health benefits; and Ohio to $6.85 per hour beginning January 1, 2007–House and Senate Democratic leaders are poised to bring bills to raise the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour as soon as the Democrats take control of Congress in January 2007. Senate Democrats led by Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY), held a rally where they pledged early action on raising the minimum wage and Majority Leader-elect Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has also stated that raising the minimum wage, will be the first vote that the House will take in 2007.
(Marge Allen- mallen@afscme.org)
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Health Information Technology Legislation Appears Doomed
This year, the House and Senate passed different versions of bills to encourage health care providers to adopt technology to computerize patient health care records, including diagnostic tests. The differences between the bills have been great enough to prevent agreement between the House and Senate on a final version for enactment. The lack of final action creates an opportunity for labor and consumer groups to win improvements in language in the next Congress that ensure privacy of health records and provide for worker involvement in the adoption of technology at the workplace.
(Barbara Coufal- bcoufal@afscme.org)
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Veterans Affairs Spending Bill Passes Senate
On November 15, the Senate approved the FY 2007 spending bill for Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (H.R. 5385). The bill provides nearly $78 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), which is $8.88 billion above the amount VA received last year. The House passed H.R. 5385 last summer but a conference on the bill is not expected before December.
(Jayne Clancy- jclancy@afscme.org)
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