Congressman Platts Votes Against Cuts to Medicare Advantage
On August 1, 2007, the House voted 225-204 to pass legislation (H.R. 3162) expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or "SCHIP," at the expense of the Medicare program. Specifically, H.R. 3162 would create incentives for states to expand eligibility for SCHIP to families with incomes equal to 400% of the poverty line ($82,000 for a family of four) or even higher. "Children" would include young adults up to the age of 21. H.R. 3162 would also make it easier for illegal aliens to receive welfare benefits and would eliminate the five year waiting period for new legal immigrants to be eligible for these programs.
To help pay for the costs of this legislation, H.R. 3162 would slash spending on the Medicare Advantage program. Critics of H.R. 3162 pointed out that Medicare Advantage provides more comprehensive health care coverage than traditional Medicare and disproportionately benefits low-income seniors. Nearly 15,000 seniors in the 19th Congressional District are enrolled in Medicare Advantage. H.R. 3162 would also reduce Medicare payments for home health care, hospital inpatient care, skilled nursing care, inpatient rehabilitation services, oxygen equipment, and benefits for end stage renal disease, as well as raise taxes on tobacco products.
Congressman Platts voted in favor of an alternative to H.R. 3162 which would have reauthorized SCHIP, preserved Medicare Advantage, and halted a scheduled cut in Medicare physician reimbursements in order to ensure seniors continue to have their choice of doctor. The alternative also would have maintained the requirement for states to verify the citizenship status of SCHIP applicants and maintained the current five-year waiting period for legal immigrants to participate. After the alternative was defeated by a vote of 202-226, Congressman Platts voted against final passage of H.R. 3162. "As the House and Senate work towards a conference agreement to reauthorize SCHIP," Congressman Platts stated, "I sincerely hope that the final bill will be a more balanced and reasonable approach that I can support."
Congress Enacts Terrorist Surveillance Bill
On August 4, 2007, by bipartisan majorities of 60-28 in the Senate and 227-183 in the House, Congress enacted legislation (S. 1927) meant to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in order to ensure U.S. intelligence agencies have the tools necessary to monitor foreign terrorist suspects. Proponents of S. 1927 argued that FISA was never meant to require a warrant in order to spy on enemies overseas. The distinction between foreign and domestic surveillance has become blurred, however, in a time when communications bounce freely back-and-forth between countries.
Specifically, S. 1927 allows the Director of National Intelligence and U.S. Attorney General to develop procedures permitting intelligence gathering without a court-issued warrant so long as there are reasonable safeguards in place to determine the targets of the surveillance are outside the country, the intelligence is gathered with the assistance of the communications provider, the purpose of the acquisition is to gather foreign intelligence, and the surveillance meets FISA standards meant to minimize the amount of information collected and disseminated. The procedures will have to be approved by an 11-judge court established by FISA. Communications providers can appeal federal requests for information to the same court.
S. 1927 was signed into law on August 5, 2007. Congressman Platts voted in favor of the bill.
Web Page Highlights (www.house.gov/platts)
Congressman Platts Advocates for Renewable Energy Legislation
On August 4, 2007, the House voted 220-190 to adopt a bipartisan amendment to energy legislation (H.R. 3221) that was advocated by Representatives Tom Udall, Todd Platts, and others. A news release discussing the amendment prior to its adoption is posted on the web site.
(http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa19_platts/rps.shtml)
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