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Washington Update Congressman J. Randy Forbes, Virginia's Fourth Congressional District Week of February 2 - 6, 2009 |
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ü Introduced H.R. 855, the Enhancing SIMULATION (Safety in Medicine Utilizing Leading Advanced Simulation Technologies to Improve Outcomes Now) Act of 2009, in this 111th Congress. This bill would improve the quality of healthcare in the United States by reducing medical error and cutting healthcare costs. The Enhancing SIMULATION Act of 2009 would: ▪ Create medical modeling and simulation (M&S) Centers of Excellence across America to provide leadership and research into advancing the field; ▪ Establish medical M&S grants for academic and professional organizations; ▪ Promote innovation in medical M&S within the Department of Health & Human Services; and ▪ Establish a coordinating council for federal government collaboration on medical M&S efforts. The increased use of medical M&S has the potential to increase doctor skill and proficiency, save money, and, most importantly, save lives. Medical simulation technologies – a relatively new field - provide training and feedback in which the learner practices tasks and processes in life-like scenarios using models or virtual reality. This legislation would provide measurable benefits to patients by improving patient safety, to consumers and taxpayers by lowering costs, to communities by the creation of more high-tech jobs, and to physicians and insurers by lowering malpractice rates and claims. Congressman Forbes originally introduced the Enhancing SIMULATION Act in the 110th Congress. üAddressed the 4th Annual Modeling and Simulation Leadership Summit on February 2, 2009 in Norfolk VA. Over 220 personnel from defense, industry and academia participated in the only major M&S conference devoted to federal, state, and local M&S policy. Congressman Wittman (VA-01) and Congressman Scott (VA-03) also participated in the event. For more information on the Congressional Modeling and Simulation Caucus, click here.
üHosted a telephone town hall meeting for an hour and a half on Tuesday night with thousands of residents of the Fourth Congressional District to discuss the economy and the proposed spending package before Congress. Congressman Forbes took calls from residents who voiced concerns about inadequate oversight of the proposed bailout, assistance for homeowners, loss of jobs, taxes on small businesses, and the impact the stimulus package would have on the federal debt. Congressman Forbes opposed the $819 billion stimulus in the House of Representatives.
üOpposed the Senate-passed version of H.R. 2, the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. In today’s uncertain economy, Congress has a responsibility to see that uninsured children from low-income families have access to quality healthcare to help keep them healthy. The reauthorization program contained in H.R. 2 would shift the priority away from uninsured low-income children by making children from families who make up to $63,000 annually in Virginia and adults eligible for the program, and it would fail to set basic citizenship verification standards. This bill would pull resources away from children in most need of healthcare and shift 2.4 million children who are already receiving private coverage to government-run healthcare. The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 passed the House by a vote of 290 – 135. It was signed into law by the President on February 4, 2009. ü Introduced H.R. 877, the Patients First Act, in this 111th Congress. The Patients First Act would bridge the political divide over embryonic stem cell research and focus on the common goal shared by both sides of the embryonic stem cell debate – curing and treating patients. The purpose of this bill is to: ▪ Intensify research that may result in an improved understanding of, and treatment for, diseases and other adverse health conditions;▪ Promote research and human clinical trials using stem cells that are ethically obtained and show evidence of providing clinical benefit for human patients; and ▪ Promote the creation of pluripotent stem cell lines without the creation of human embryos, or the destruction or discarding of, or risk of injury to, human embryos. Congressman Forbes originally introduced the Patients First Act in the 110th Congress.
ü Supported H.R. 748, the Campus Safety Act of 2009, to establish a National Center for Campus Public Safety (NCCPS). The NCCPS would focus on strengthening campus safety by: training public safety agencies, researching and coordinating best practices on campus safety, developing protocols to prevent and respond to natural and man-made threats to campus communities, and increasing cooperation between law enforcement and mental health agencies. ü Voted to support H.R. 738, the Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2009. This bill would encourage states to report information to the Attorney General regarding the death of a person who is detained, under arrest, in route to be incarcerated, incarcerated, in a state-run boot camp, or other State correctional facility. The Attorney General will study the data and determine if it can be used to reduce the number of deaths in custody. ü Voted to support H. Res. 82, establishing January 2009 as National Stalking Awareness Month. This bill urges national and community organizations, private businesses, and the media to promote, through National Stalking Awareness Month, awareness of the crime of stalking.
üCosponsored H.R. 197, the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009. This bill would allow a person who has a valid state permit to carry a concealed firearm, and who is not prohibited from carrying a firearm under federal law, to carry a concealed firearm in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that state.
üVoted to oppose, S. 352, the DTV Delay Act. This bill would delay the transition of television broadcasting from analog to digital to June 13, 2009. The delay in the transition (from the original date of February 17th) would require an additional $650 million in taxpayer money contained in the economic stimulus bill. Only half of the $1.5 billion in original money slated for the transition has already been spent, while 94.3% of households are already prepared for the DTV transition. Because the telecommunications industry has spent over $1 billion preparing for the switch to digital television, delay will make it less likely, not more, that consumers are prepared. Perhaps most importantly, delay will jeopardize the clearing of spectrum for emergency services personnel, which has been endorsed by the 9/11 Commission. DTV Delay Act passed the House by a vote of 264 - 158 and is currently awaiting action by the President.
ü Supported H.R. 553, the Reducing Over-Classification Act of 2009, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to develop policies to prevent the over-classification of information so that various law enforcement agencies are able to coordinate and share information relating to security, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction. üVoted to support H.R. 559, the Fair, Accurate, Secure, and Timely (FAST) Redress Act. The FAST Act directs the Department of Homeland Security to develop a process for individuals who believe they were delayed or prohibited from boarding a commercial aircraft because they were wrongly identified as a threat when screened against any terrorist watch list or database used by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). ü Supported H.R. 549, the National Bombing Prevention Act, which would establish an Office for Bombing Prevention in the Department of Homeland Security. The Office will partner with other law enforcement agencies to develop a breeding program for explosives detection canines and continue to engage in explosives detection canine research and development through partnerships with the Science and Technology Directorate and Technical Support Working Group.
For a comprehensive look at Congressman Forbes' work on legislative issues, visit the Spotlight Issues page on his website.
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