Statement of Senator Feinstein on Passage of Legislation to Provide Assistance to Workers, Businesses and States

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today welcomed passage of legislation designed to boost the economic recovery while providing assistance to workers, businesses and states.  The “American Workers, State and Business Relief Act” was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 62-36, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be sent to the President for his signature.

“The emergency relief package approved by the Senate today is the second in a series of bills designed to help boost the recovery effort and assist those who are the most hard-hit by the economic downturn,” Senator Feinstein said.

“The bill will offer much-needed relief to the 2.26 million out-of-work Californians who are relying on unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits to tide them over until they can find a good paying job – by extending those vital safety net programs through the end of the year. 

The legislation will also help the State of California bridge budgetary shortfalls by extending for another six months the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, enacted under the Recovery Act. This will provide an additional $1.5 to $2 billion in federal assistance to California.

Finally, I’d like to extend my thanks to Senator Lincoln for including a provision in her amendment -- at the request of Senator Boxer and myself -- to give specialty crop farmers access to $150 million in emergency financial assistance regardless of whether their crops were devastated by flood or drought. This will be helpful to California farmers, where three years of drought cost nearly $600 million in lost crops last year and resulted in the fallowing of more than 400,000 acres of farm land.  Last year, 24 counties in California were declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and this relief will help prepare farmers for the coming harvest cycle.”

The legislation, (H.R. 4213), contains several provisions that are of particular importance to California, including:

• Extending unemployment relief to out-of-work Americans through the end of the year, including unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. There are currently 2.26 million Californians unemployed and looking for work. 
  
• This provision could assist an estimated 200,000 Californians who could become ineligible to receive benefits once the current 30-day extension expires.
  
• For unemployed California families, the average monthly COBRA premium is $1,107. The COBRA premium assistance reduced this cost to $388 per month, and without this benefit, unemployed Californians could lose $720 a month.
  
• Providing a six month extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This extension would provide an increase of $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding for the state to cover Medicaid costs and help close the budget gap. This additional Medicaid funding will help the state continue to provide health care services for the poor, and meet the increased demand caused by the economic downturn.
  
• Providing $150 million in disaster relief for specialty crop producers who have suffered heavy losses because of flood or drought. The emergency assistance, included at the request of California Senators Boxer and Feinstein in an amendment by offered by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), will provide critical help for California specialty crop growers. California is the largest specialty crop producer in the country, with 39 percent of the nation’s specialty crops. The emergency aid will be awarded to states based on the value of specialty crop losses in 2009, and states will distribute the aid to growers in primary disaster counties. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 24 of the California’s 58 counties as primary disaster counties due to drought conditions.

The bill also offers relief to working families through tax relief provisions for tuition payments, energy efficiency improvements for homes, as well as school supplies for our teachers. And it will also promote the growth of our businesses through an extension of the research and development tax credit and other tax relief provisions.

Finally, the legislation includes assistance for small businesses.  Specifically, the bill extends through the end of the year increased loan guarantees offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The guarantees were enacted through the Recovery Act, and are expected to support $18.5 billion of loans to America’s small businesses. 

A summary of the legislation can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=fs-111-2-32

A detailed summary of the benefits for California can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-sr-111-2-33/ca.pdf

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Statement of Senator Feinstein on Passage of Legislation to Provide Assistance to Workers, Businesses and States

Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today welcomed passage of legislation designed to boost the economic recovery while providing assistance to workers, businesses and states.  The “American Workers, State and Business Relief Act” was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 62-36, and will now be sent to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be sent to the President for his signature.

“The emergency relief package approved by the Senate today is the second in a series of bills designed to help boost the recovery effort and assist those who are the most hard-hit by the economic downturn,” Senator Feinstein said.

“The bill will offer much-needed relief to the 2.26 million out-of-work Californians who are relying on unemployment insurance and COBRA health benefits to tide them over until they can find a good paying job – by extending those vital safety net programs through the end of the year. 

The legislation will also help the State of California bridge budgetary shortfalls by extending for another six months the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, or FMAP, enacted under the Recovery Act. This will provide an additional $1.5 to $2 billion in federal assistance to California.

Finally, I’d like to extend my thanks to Senator Lincoln for including a provision in her amendment -- at the request of Senator Boxer and myself -- to give specialty crop farmers access to $150 million in emergency financial assistance regardless of whether their crops were devastated by flood or drought. This will be helpful to California farmers, where three years of drought cost nearly $600 million in lost crops last year and resulted in the fallowing of more than 400,000 acres of farm land.  Last year, 24 counties in California were declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and this relief will help prepare farmers for the coming harvest cycle.”

The legislation, (H.R. 4213), contains several provisions that are of particular importance to California, including:

• Extending unemployment relief to out-of-work Americans through the end of the year, including unemployment insurance and COBRA benefits. There are currently 2.26 million Californians unemployed and looking for work. 
  
• This provision could assist an estimated 200,000 Californians who could become ineligible to receive benefits once the current 30-day extension expires.
  
• For unemployed California families, the average monthly COBRA premium is $1,107. The COBRA premium assistance reduced this cost to $388 per month, and without this benefit, unemployed Californians could lose $720 a month.
  
• Providing a six month extension of the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) enacted under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This extension would provide an increase of $1.5 to $2 billion in federal funding for the state to cover Medicaid costs and help close the budget gap. This additional Medicaid funding will help the state continue to provide health care services for the poor, and meet the increased demand caused by the economic downturn.
  
• Providing $150 million in disaster relief for specialty crop producers who have suffered heavy losses because of flood or drought. The emergency assistance, included at the request of California Senators Boxer and Feinstein in an amendment by offered by Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), will provide critical help for California specialty crop growers. California is the largest specialty crop producer in the country, with 39 percent of the nation’s specialty crops. The emergency aid will be awarded to states based on the value of specialty crop losses in 2009, and states will distribute the aid to growers in primary disaster counties. In 2009, the U.S. Department of Agriculture declared 24 of the California’s 58 counties as primary disaster counties due to drought conditions.

The bill also offers relief to working families through tax relief provisions for tuition payments, energy efficiency improvements for homes, as well as school supplies for our teachers. And it will also promote the growth of our businesses through an extension of the research and development tax credit and other tax relief provisions.

Finally, the legislation includes assistance for small businesses.  Specifically, the bill extends through the end of the year increased loan guarantees offered by the Small Business Administration (SBA). The guarantees were enacted through the Recovery Act, and are expected to support $18.5 billion of loans to America’s small businesses. 

A summary of the legislation can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/dpcdoc.cfm?doc_name=fs-111-2-32

A detailed summary of the benefits for California can be found online at:
http://dpc.senate.gov/docs/states-sr-111-2-33/ca.pdf

###

U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-Martinez) made the following statement after House leaders announced they will no longer grant earmarks to private, for-profit companies:

“Democrats in the House of Representatives took another important step this week to improve the ethics practices of Congress and the way our government works for you.

“The House leadership announced that no longer will private, for-profit companies be allowed to receive congressionally directed funds – commonly referred to as earmarks. In addition, independent audits will be conducted on five percent of earmarks that go to non-profit organizations to ensure they really are not for-profit.

“I applaud this decision, which mirrors what I already announced in January - that I would not support earmark requests from for-profit companies. If the Senate agrees with the House plan, this policy will take effect this year. This will help end the appearance or the practice of members of Congress and Senators doling out federal tax dollars to private companies in exchange for political or financial support.

“In general, earmarks help communities meet critical local priorities, such as education, worker training programs, highway and bridge repair, or water treatment improvements. And they will continue to help our communities through municipal and county agencies or verifiable non-profit organizations.

“Banning private earmarks is the latest of several important reforms Democrats have made to the earmark and lobbying process in Washington. It is well documented that earmark requests swelled during the 12 years of Republican control of Congress. When Republican Tom “The Hammer” Delay was House Majority Leader, he worked hand-in-hand with now disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff to hand out federal favors to special interest buddies in exchange for campaign contributions or free trips. In 2005, Rep. Duke Cunningham pled guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery with defense contractors. Cunningham and Abramoff are now in jail.

“Since being elected to the majority in 2007, Democrats have been working to fix this broken system. First, we banned gifts from lobbyists. Then, we suspended all earmarks until a reformed process was put in place that made transparency a priority. As a result, we required all earmark requests to be detailed online, to show who requested them and for what purpose. And today members of Congress must publicly certify that they have no financial interest in any earmark request.

“Our next step was to reduce earmarks -- last year the number of earmarks was half what it was in 2006.

“And now, we are banning earmarks to private entities. While many of the more than 1,000 private earmarks approved last year funded important work that created local jobs and spurred innovative technological developments, the private earmark process has been too easily corrupted. It is best to end the practice.

“I am working hard to improve the way your government works for you – to create good paying jobs in our communities, stop health insurance company abuses, and strengthen our economy. Earmark reform is one small part of this overall effort but it is an important one.”

# # #

After voting yes on H.Con.Res 248, the Afghanistan War Powers Resolution, Rep. George Miller made the following statement:

“We need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan. Today, I again registered my opposition to the current US policy in Afghanistan by voting for Mr. Kucinich’s war powers resolution. While we know it isn’t feasible for American troops to leave Afghanistan in the time allotted in the resolution, by voting for it I am sending a clear message to President Obama and my colleagues that we need to move in a new direction in Afghanistan.”

A copy of the resolution is available here.

With states and municipalities facing more potential layoffs amidst budget squeezes, today House Democrats and a bipartisan group of mayors announced new legislation to create one million public and private sector jobs in local communities. Listen to the audio of the press conference call introducing the legislation here.

The Local Jobs for America Act, authored by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), will save and create jobs quickly in both the public and private sectors and help restore vital services that families and local communities rely on. The financial collapse is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities – teachers, police, firefighters, childcare workers, and others.

“Job cuts by local communities threaten to derail America’s economic recovery,” said Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee. “Local communities are having to choose between raising taxes to sustain essential services or firing more workers. We should not ask students to forgo a year of education or tell families that their safety will be compromised because local governments have to lay off teachers and police officers. This bill will quickly create local jobs that we can count – and jobs that we can count on.”

The bill – developed with mayors, county officials and others – will provide $75 billion over two years to local communities to hold off planned cuts or to hire back workers for local services who have been laid-off because of tight budgets. Funding would go directly to eligible local communities and nonprofit community organizations to decide how best to use the funds.

“Mayors are pleased to partner with Chairman Miller to push this important legislation. We deal face-to-face with unemployed citizens because we see them everywhere – in coffee shops, grocery stores, beauty salons and barber shops. And they all tell us the same thing – all they want is a good, dependable job so they can support their families,” said Mayor Elizabeth Kautz, of Burnsville, Minnesota, the president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. “Mayors know from experience that investment in metropolitan economies with direct funding to cities can create and save jobs and can do it quickly.”
The National League of Cities, the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and the National Association of Counties, among others, have endorsed the legislation.

The Local Jobs for America Act will also fund approximately 50,000 additional private-sector on-the-job training positions to help businesses put people back to work. Workers will be able to acquire core job skills and important work experience for private employers.

“Our bill is about getting America back to work,” said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “When Americans faced massive unemployment in the 1930s, our policymakers responded with programs like the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. This bill responds to the needs of this generation, demonstrating once again that we are one nation, indivisible.”

The bill also includes $24 billion, already approved by the House in December, to help states support 250,000 education jobs, put 5,500 law enforcement officers on the beat, and retain, rehire, and hire firefighters.

“Earlier today, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn gave his annual budget address in which he outlined a plan to borrow billions of dollars alongside $2 billion in cuts. States like mine desperately need federal assistance to directly retain and hire teachers, firefighters, police, and other critical employees,” said Rep. Phil Hare (D-IL), member of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus Task Force on Jobs. “The Local Jobs for America Act would provide that lifeline. I congratulate Chairman Miller for putting forward the most promising remedy to our unemployment crisis yet.”