Health Care Bill Posted on the Web Site
Yesterday, a health care reform bill consisting of more than 1,900 pages was introduced in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3962). The measure, which contains a public option and is estimated to cost $1.055 trillion over 10 years, can be viewed by visiting www.house.gov/platts and clicking on the appropriate button on the right.
“Members of Congress and all Americans should be given an appropriate amount of time to review this new legislation,” Congressman Platts stated in posting the bill to his web site. “Unfortunately, H.R. 3962 was written behind closed doors instead of being debated through the ordinary committee process and is expected to be voted on just a few days after its release. A bill with such wide-ranging implications for all American citizens and businesses deserves a much more thorough review and debate.”
Congressman Platts voted against a similar bill when it was considered in the House Education and Labor Committee (H.R. 3200), arguing that it would inevitably lead more people into government-run health care. He advocates other alternatives such as: allowing small businesses to pool their resources across state lines in order to obtain more affordable insurance for their employees; enacting medical malpractice reform legislation that could help to bring down health care costs; and, providing tax benefits to the self-employed and others who have to buy their own insurance.
House Approves National Security Measures
During the month of October, the full House of Representatives passed a variety of measures related to national security and veterans. These measures included: a bill to provide appropriations for homeland security (H.R. 2892); a defense authorization bill (H.R. 2647); a measure to impose additional sanctions on Iran (H.R. 1327); and, two veterans-related measures (H.R. 1016 and H.R. 3590). Congressman Todd Platts voted for all of the aforementioned bills.
The homeland security bill (H.R. 2992) would fund the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2010, including the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In addition, an amendment was added to the bill to prohibit the transfer of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba into the United States for the fiscal year. H.R. 2992 was passed by a vote of 307-114 and was signed into law on October 28, 2009.
The defense bill (H.R. 2647) provides a 3.4% pay increase for military service members, authorizes additional funds and personnel for military readiness, and expands military housing and health care benefits. In addition, the bill contains provisions intended to assist service members with traumatic brain injury (see “Web Page Highlights” below). H.R. 2647 was passed by a vote of 281-146 and was also signed into law on October 28, 2009.
The measure to sanction Iran (H.R. 1327) would provide federal authority for state and local governments to divest their pension plans from businesses involved in the Iranian energy sector. The bill is aimed at pressuring Iran to suspend its nuclear weapons program. H.R. 1327 passed by a vote of 414-6 and is now pending in the Senate.
Finally, the first veterans bill mentioned above (H.R. 1016) would reform the budgetary process for veterans’ health care, allowing Congress to pass appropriations measures in advance of the current fiscal year in order to make it easier for the veterans’ health care system to plan how they spend their budget. The second veterans bill (H.R. 3590) would extend the current tax credit for first-time home buyers for an additional year for military families in which a service member in the family had been stationed abroad in 2009. Without the extension, some military families would be unfairly denied the benefits of the credit.
H.R. 1016 was passed by a vote of 419-1 and was signed into law on October 22, 2009. H.R. 3590 was passed by a vote of 416-0 and is now pending in the Senate.
Web Page Highlights (www.house.gov/platts)
Hearing Held on Improving Child Nutrition
The Education and Labor Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities, on which Congressman Platts serves as the Ranking Member, recently held a hearing on child nutrition issues. An employee of Biglerville Elementary School, located in the 19th Congressional District, provided testimony. A copy of Congressman Platts’ opening remarks and the testimony are posted to the web site.
(http://www.house.gov/apps/list/speech/pa19_platts/childnutrition.shtml)
Traumatic Brain Injury Provisions in the Defense Bill
Congressman Platts applauded the inclusion of benefits in the defense authorization bill to assist American soldiers afflicted with traumatic brain injuries. Congressman Platts is a co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which advocated for these provisions.
(http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa19_platts/defenseauth.shtml)
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