SPECIAL REPORT | October 2, 2008

Democratic Accomplishments in the 110th Congress: A New Direction for America

In the Face of Relentless Republican Obstructionism, Senate Democrats Remain Committed to Working for Change

 

In 2006, Democrats were elected to take the country in a new direction by advancing the key priorities of the American people. Under Democratic leadership, the 110^th Congress has made significant down payments on those expectations. After nearly a decade of Republican control, Democrats have worked to stimulate the slowing economy, restore fiscal responsibility in Washington, fund, and pass important legislation on housing, consumer product safety,economic security,combating terrorism,homeland security, troop readiness, veterans' care, crime, energy independence,competitiveness, ethics reform, labor and wages, small businesses, health care, nutrition, education, stem cell research, water infrastructure, government accountability, and Gulf Coast revitalization.

 

Though proud of these accomplishments, Senate Democrats are far from satisfied. President Bush and Congressional Republicans have stood in the way of progress time and time again and have often refused to work with Democrats in good faith to address the needs of the nation. The American people are fed-up; they are tired of partisan politics, and Democrats share their frustration. As we move forward in the 110^th Congress and look toward a brighter future, Senate Democrats will not rest until we have addressed the key domestic and international priorities of our nation. We invite Republicans to join us. Together, with the American people at our side, Democrats will take the country in a new direction.

 Table of Contents

Investing in America and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility, p. 2

Strengthening the Economy and American Competitiveness, p. 19

Combating Terrorism and Strengthening Homeland Security, p. 30

Fighting Crime and Injustice Across the Nation and Around the World, p. 35

Supporting, Honoring, and Caring for Our Troops and Veterans, p. 42

Improving the Health Care and Well Being, p. 46

Expanding Educational Opportunities, p. 56

Demanding Transparency, Accountability, and Ethics in Washington, p. 58

Advancing Energy Independence, Improving Infrastructure, and Focusing on the Environment, p. 61

Securing a Sound Agricultural Future, p. 64 

Investing in America and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility (top) 

With Democratic leadership, the Senate passed a Fiscal Year 2009 continuing resolution, security funding, and supplemental disaster assistance. On September 27, 2008 the Senate passedthe Message from the House on the Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009 (H.R. 2638) by a vote of 78-12. This legislation includes: a continuing resolution for Fiscal Year 2009 for nine appropriations bills, with critical additional appropriations; disaster assistance supplemental funding to ensure the recovery from the Midwest floods, Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, as well as other domestic disasters; and a security appropriations package, including Fiscal Year 2009 Department of Homeland Security, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Department of Defense Appropriations bills. The legislation reflects the Democratic commitment to supporting our troops and caring for our nation's veterans; protecting the homeland and providing assistance to victims of natural disasters; and offering real relief to American families and businesses struggling in today's economy. 

• Continuing Resolution Highlights.The continuing resolution for Fiscal Year 2009 will provide funding for government operations for nine appropriations bills at Fiscal Year 2008 levels through March 6, 2009, with the exception of the following critical appropriations made above those enacted levels:
   
• Auto Efficiency Loans: H.R. 2638 includes$7.5 billion above the 2008 enacted level to support $25 billion in loans to assist American automakers update their factories and build more fuel efficient cars and trucks, which could lead to the creation of an additional 600,000 jobs.
   
• Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP): The bill will provide$2.5 billion above the 2008 enacted level, for a total of $5.1 billion, to help an additional two million households meet the rising cost of home energy bills.
   
• Weatherization Assistance Program:The legislation includes$250 million above the 2008 enacted level to improve the energy efficiency of low-income housing. This funding will weatherize about 100,000 homes, saving each household about $400 in energy costs this coming year and supporting more than 8,000 existing jobs. 
   
• Disaster Assistance Highlights. H.R. 2638 includes $22.9 billion in Fiscal Year 2008 supplemental funding to help families and communities rebuild after the Midwest floods, Western wildfires, and Gulf Coast hurricanes. Highlights include appropriations for: 

•Disaster Relief Fund: The legislation includes $7.9 billion to ensure that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has sufficient funding to assist communities after the recent disasters and to ensure that they have the resources necessary to respond to future disasters. 

•Community Development Block Grants and Social Services Block Grants:The bill would provide $6.5 billion to provide communities with flexible grants for recovery measures as well as $600 million to provide states with flexible sources of funding to provide emergency assistance in the wake of a disaster, including food and healthcare assistance. 

•New Orleans Levees and Army Corps of Engineers:The bill includes $1.5 billion to allow the greater New Orleans area to pay the local cost share of hurricane and storm damage reduction projects over a 30-year period and ensure work is done by 2011. It also provides $1.3 billion to the Army Corps to repair damage to infrastructure caused by disasters, including the Midwest floods and Gulf Coast hurricanes. 

•Small Business Administration and Economic Development Assistance Programs: The bill includes $799 million for loans and technical assistance to businesses and homeowners hit hard by disasters and for increased oversight of these funds and $400 million to help communities hit by disasters create strategies for economic recovery. 

•Wildfires:The measure provides $910 million for firefighting, including funds for fire prevention and recovery. 

•Emergency Highway Relief:The legislation includes $850 million for the Federal Highway Administration to help states repair roads and bridges damaged by disasters. 

•International assistance:The bill also includes $365 million in bilateral assistance to aid the country of Georgia in humanitarian and economic relief, reconstruction, energy-related programs and democracy activities; $100 million to help Haiti recover from Ike and other hurricanes; and $100 million to provide international emergency food assistance.

 

•Fiscal Year 2009 Defense Appropriations Highlights.H.R. 2638 would provide $487.7 billion in new discretionary spending authority for the Department of Defense, which is six percent above the 2008 enacted level, but $4 billion below the President Fiscal Year 2009 budget request. The bill includes critical funding necessary to strengthen our military and intelligence capabilities; provide our troops with cutting-edge training and equipment; increase investments in military health care and housing; and ensure that our servicemen and women and their families are provided the services and care they deserve. Specifically, these funds will help to: 

•Implement a military pay raise: The legislation funds a 3.9 percent raise for all military personnel, which is 0.5 percent above the President's request. 

•Provide first-rate military health care: The bill provides $25.8 billion for military health care, including $300 million for traumatic brain injury and psychological treatment, which is $1 billion above the President's request. 

•Meet urgent intelligence needs:The measure includes $750 million, not requested by the President, to address the services' urgent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) needs identified by the Secretary of Defense's ISR Task Force. 

•Bolster nonproliferation initiatives: The bill includes $434 million, $20 million above the Administration's request, for the Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) or (Nunn-Lugar) program. 

•Provide compensation for Stop Loss: $72 million, not requested by the President, for a new initiative to pay troops $500 for every month their term of service will be involuntarily and arbitrarily extended in 2009.

 

•Fiscal Year 2009 Homeland Security Appropriations Highlights.H.R. 2638 would provide $42.24 billion for the Department of Homeland Security, which is $2.4 billion above the President's Fiscal Year 2009 budget request. Highlights of these appropriations include: 

•Reversal of dangerous cuts in first responder grants and port security grants: The bill will restore the President's proposed funding cuts to first responder programs by providing an additional $2 billion for a total of $4 billion for port security grants, rail and transit security grants, and FIRE Act and SAFER grants. 

•Strengthened border security initiatives:The legislation would provide $775 million for border fencing and technology, including interoperable communications initiatives; fund up to 2,200 new Border Patrol agents, and 892 Customs and Border Patrol officers and specialists. 

•Support for immigration enforcement programs:The bill includes $1 billion, $150 million above the request, for efforts to identify and remove criminal aliens from the United States who are at-large or currently incarcerated. It also includes funding for 1,400 new detention beds, $126.5 million for worksite enforcement, $226 million for fugitive operations teams, and $189 million for the Criminal Alien Program. 

•Increased investments in core homeland security programs:The legislation provides $294 million for the purchase and installation of explosives detection equipment at airports; $250 million for checkpoint screening equipment; $122.8 million for air cargo security; $1.1 billion for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to fulfill requirements authorized by the 9/11 Act; $819.5 million for Federal Air Marshals; $108 million for Coast Guard response boats; $353.7 million for the Coast Guard's National Security Cutter; $30.3 million above the request to reactivate the Coast Guard's heavy polar icebreaker; and $23.5 million for Coast Guard port and maritime safety and security enhancements.

 

•Fiscal Year 2009 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs.H.R. 2638 would provide $72.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs, which is $3.5 billion above the President's Fiscal Year 2009 budget request-including a $2.84 billion increase in veterans' health care and research. Highlights of these appropriations include:

 

•Increased funding for veterans' medical care and research:The bill provides $47.6 billion in discretionary funding for the VA, which is $2.84 billion above the President's request to fund critical improvements and major new initiatives for enhancing care to our nation's veterans. These additional appropriations include: $250 million for a new rural health initiative; $375 million to increase the income threshold for Priority 8 veterans, to provide access to VA care for more veterans; increased funding for cutting edge research for areas including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury, and suicide prevention; $368 million to address maintenance and construction needs at VA hospitals and clinics; and additional investments in support of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. 

•Investments in military construction needs:The bill includes a total of $25 billion for military construction efforts, which is $650 million above the requested amount and $4.4 billion above the Fiscal Year 2008 level, to support BRAC-related construction and the Army and Marine Corps "Grow the Force Initiative."

 

Under Democratic Leadership, the Senate passed a Supplemental Appropriations bill to provide war funding, expand veterans' education benefits, and address vital international and domestic priorities.In May 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 2642, the Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008, which includes provisions to meet the needs of our troops and fund ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, while also addressing critical international and domestic needs. The legislation provides a 21st century G.I. bill that honors the service and sacrifice of our troops and veterans; ensures extended unemployment insurance benefits; places a moratorium on harmful Medicaid regulations; and funds continued Hurricane Katrina recovery for the Gulf Coast. The legislation provides a total of $186.5 billion for Fiscal Years 2008 and 2009, including $161.8 billion to fund ongoing military and intelligence operations related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. On June 30, 2008, the President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-252). 

With Democrats at the helm, Congress passed a budget that restores fiscal discipline and puts middle-class families first, without raising new taxes. In 2001, the country enjoyed a $5.6 trillion ten-year projected surplus. During the Bush Administration, that surplus was squandered, and the national debt ballooned from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to a projected $9 trillion by the end of 2007, all the while key domestic programs were left un-funded or under-funded and, as a result, average Americans suffered. 

In May 2007, the Democrat-led Congress began the process of reversing six years of fiscal mismanagement and irresponsible budget cuts by passing S. Con. Res. 21,the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2008 (2008 Budget Resolution). Measures in the 2008 Budget Resolution provided for cutting middle-class taxes, and funding domestic andforeign priorities, including education, children's health care, veterans' care, troop readiness, energy independence, and environmental protection. Under the resolution,the federal budget would be balanced within five years and, by 2012, there would be a surplus of more than $40 billion, all without raising a penny of new taxes. The2008 Budget Resolution also re-established the pay-as-you-go rule in the Senate, which requires that any new mandatory spending or tax cuts be offset or get 60 votes. This rule helped restore fiscal discipline before, in the 1990s, and its reinstatement represents a major step toward fiscal responsibility now. 

In June 2008, Senate Democrats took another step toward restoring the federal budget to surplus by approving the conference agreement on S. Con. Res. 70, the Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Resolution (2009 Budget Resolution),on a party-line, 48-45 vote. The 2009 Budget Resolution outlines the proposed federal budget for next year, as well as proposed budget levels for Fiscal Years 2010 through 2013. This $3 trillion measure reflects the Democratic commitment to strengthening the economy by creating jobs, cutting middle-class taxes, and making key investments in energy, education, and infrastructure-all while maintaining fiscal discipline and without raising a penny in new taxes. 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Democrats Pass Budget That Restores Fiscal Discipline, Invests in Middle-Class Priorities, for more information on the 2008 Budget Resolution, and The Democratic Budget: Strengthening the Economy and the American Middle Class, for more information on the 2009 Budget Resolution.

 

The 110^thCongress achieved what the Republican-led Congress did not: Democrats funded America's priorities for Fiscal Year 2008...in 2007. 

•Democrats passed legislation to strengthen our military and ensure adequate funding for the Department of Defense.On October 3, 2007 the Democratic-led Senate approved H.R. 3222, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2008. The bill provides $459.3 billion in funding to the Department of Defense, which represents an increase of 9.5 percent over Fiscal Year 2007 levels. These funds will help restore the readiness of our overstretched forces and fully support the needs of our servicemen and women by investing in equipment, training, and cutting-edge weaponry, and also providing our military personnel and their families with the care and benefits they have earned and deserve. The bill was signed into law by the President on November 13, 2007 (P.L. 110-116). Specifically, the legislation will provide: 

•Military health care.The bill provides $23.5 billion for military health care, which is $918 million above the President's requested amount. 

•Military pay raise.The bill funds a 3.5 percent raise for all military personnel, which is 0.5 percent above the President's request. 

•National Guard and Reserve equipment.The bill includes $980 billion above the President's requested amount to address critical equipment shortfalls. 

•Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles.The bill includes $11.6 billion for MRAP funding, to better-protect our troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan from deadly roadside bombs; 

•Family support initiatives.The bill provides $2.6 billion for family support and advocacy programs, which is $237 million above the President's request; and 

•Readiness programs.The bill includes $140.1 billion for key readiness programs that prepare forces for combat operations as well as critical peace-time missions. 

•The Democratic-led Senate approved a funding bill that better reflects America's priorities for Fiscal Year 2008. In spite of Senate Republicans who have been committed to blocking critical needs and a President who has refused to negotiate in good faith, the Democratic Congress passed a Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations bill that addresses the needs and priorities of the American people. Specifically, H.R. 2764, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008(P.L. 110-161) signed by the President on December 12, 2007)makes investments to: 

•Support agriculture, forestry, and rural development programs. (Agriculture).

 

Division A of the bill provides $18.1 billion in total funding with $16.26 billion for the operations at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), $1.71 billion for work at the Food and Drug Administration, and $111 million for United States Commodity Future Trading Commission. This rejects the President's proposed $24 million cut to the USDA and is $263 million above the President's budget request. The bill makes investments to: 

•Ensure the safety of our food supply; 

•Serve approximately 8.55 million low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk; and 

•Help rural America better handle the current problems in the housing market by providing funding for single and multi-family rural housing needs; 

•Strengthen the economy and promote American competitiveness, protect our nation against terrorism and violent crime, and promote scientific advancements. (Commerce-Justice-Science)

 

Division B of H.R. 2764 will strengthen the economy and promote American competitiveness, protect our nation against terrorism and violent crime, and promote scientific advancements by providing $51.8 billion in funding for the Department of Commerce (including the National Institute of Standards and Technology Research (NIST)), Department of Justice (including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)), and Science-related agencies (including the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA)) for Fiscal Year 2008. This is $688 million above the president's request and $1.5 billion over Fiscal Year 2007 funding levels. Division B also includes $286 million in emergency appropriations for border and cyber security. The bill makes investments to: 

•Help the FBI focus on counterterrorism and crime prevention activities; 

•Provide nearly $2.7 billion for state and local law enforcement and crime prevention grants, including the Community Organized Policing Services' (COPS) and COPS hiring program, which gives police departments across the country the tools needed to prevent, detect, and stop traditional street crime; and 

•Fight illegal drug use. 

•Help ensure that the country maintains its position as the global leader in science research and technology through the National Science Foundation; 

•Promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by assisting industry in developing technology to improve product quality, modernize manufacturing processes, ensure product reliability, and facilitate rapid commercialization of products based on new scientific discoveries through NIST; and 

•Provide important funding for NASA to ensure that the United States remains the world's preeminent leader in manned space flight. 

•Help reduce America's dependence on oil, protect the environment, and support development of our nation's water resources. (Energy and Water)

 

Division C of H.R. 2764 will fund important programs within the Department of Energy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Bureau of Reclamation by providing $30.9 billion in funding for programs that will help reduce America's dependence on oil, improve the environment, and support development of our America's water resources. This funding amount matches the President's proposed budget numbers and $1.6 billion more than enacted Fiscal Year 2007 levels. The bill makes investments to: 

•Conduct essential research into reducing America's reliance on oil and developing renewable energy technologies that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions; 

•Support a series of advanced technology projects and climate change research; and

 •Help the Army Corps of Engineers protect, improve, and rebuild the nation's water resources infrastructure. 

•Enhance consumer protections, strengthen local economies, provide support for small businesses, and improve services for American taxpayers. (Financial Services and General Government) 

Division D ofH.R. 2764 provides $20.6 billion in funding for the Department of the Treasury, Executive Office of the President, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and 20 independent agencies. This is $1.1 billion below the President's request and $1.1 billion over Fiscal Year 2007 funding. Division D also includes $250 million in emergency funds for border security.

 

The bill makes investments to: 

•Provide additional funding for the Consumer Product Safety Commission to improve its ability to safeguard consumers against dangerous products and redouble its efforts to keep dangerous toys and other products out of children's hands; 

•Support community and economic development through the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which promotes access to capital; spur economic growth in urban and rural low-income communities across the nation; and encourage the entrepreneurship that is the engine of the U.S. economy through small business programs; 

•Improve taxpayer services to help make the often daunting process of filing tax returns simpler and less burdensome and create a demonstration grant program to help Community Volunteer Tax Assistance (VITA) programs provide volunteer income tax preparation services for low-income individual taxpayers; 

•Provide a 3.5 percent cost-of-living adjustment for the civilian federal workforce to continue the tradition of pay-parity between civilian and military employees; 

•Protect judicial personnel, witnesses, and family members of judicial personnel; 

•Implement the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to provide grants to help states comply with the federal law, including upgrading voting machines and voter registration databases so that they are ready for the 2008 Presidential Election; 

•Permit the District to spend local funds for a needle exchange program to combat the epidemic spread of HIV/AIDS. While, on average, the United States has 14 cases of HIV per 100,000 people, there are 128 cases per 100,000 people in Washington, D.C. In previous appropriations for the District, use of federal and local funds for this purpose was prohibited; and 

•Help continue the progress on capital improvements in the Judiciary Square complex, including restoration of the Old Courthouse for occupancy by the Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C. 

•Improve disaster preparedness programs and better secure American borders, ports, and transit systems against terrorist threats. (Homeland Security)

 

Division E of H.R. 2764 provides $34.85 billion in base funding, which is $550 million above the President's budget request and nearly $3 billion above Fiscal Year 2007 levels, excluding emergency supplemental appropriations. The bill also provides an additional $2.7 billion in emergency funding for Fiscal Year 2008 for border security, not requested by the President. The bill makes investments to: 

•Support critical homeland security grant programs; 

•Increase funding for state and local first responder grants and training programs, including Urban Area, homeland security, transit, fire, Emergency Management Performance, Metropolitan Medical Response System, and Regional Catastrophic Preparedness grants; 

•Provide REAL ID grants to help states comply with DHS requirements for drivers' licenses; 

•Fund port security grants under the SAFE Port Act and provide funding for Coast Guard port and maritime security programs; address the shortage of Coast Guard response boats protecting our ports; hire up to 200 additional Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers at ports nationwide; fund improvements in container security (C-TPAT); and improve intelligence, information-sharing and coordination among federal, state and local maritime authorities; 

•Bolsteraviation security, including increasing the procurement and installation of explosives detection equipment at airports; enhance screening of air cargo placed on passenger aircraft; increase vulnerability assessments of general aviation aircraft; increase the number of canine explosive detection teams; fund card reader pilot programs for the transportation worker identification credential (TWIC) and airport checkpoint screening technologies; 

•Provide border security fencing, infrastructure and technology and CBP facility construction funding; additional helicopters and eleven new marine enforcement units for northern border surveillance; and support the US-VISIT program; 

•Support Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) initiatives to identify and provide removal proceedings for criminal aliens and provide funding for detention and removal operations; 

•Help the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rebuild its core competencies and improve management and ensure that state and local governments are prepared to respond to disasters; 

•Address unmet border security and immigration enforcement needs through Emergency Border Security Funding; and 

•Fund the chemical site inspection program. 

•Provide future and current generations with clean air and water, support firefighting activities, and improve America's national parks.(Interior/Environmental Protection)

 

Division F of H.R. 2764 provides $26.6 billion in funding to support programs that will help achieve the goal of enhanced environment protection. This funding amount is $900 million above the President's budget request and $200 million more than enacted Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations. The bill also includes $300 million in emergency funding for firefighting. The bill makes investments to: 

•Fund the drinking water state revolving fund, the clean water state revolving fund, and sewer and water grants to improve drinking water quality and polluted waters across the United States; 

•Distribute clean air grants to states, and fund clean air research grants to reduce emissions from diesel fuel; 

•Take important steps to protect the environment and the health of all Americans by allocating funding for the Superfund, air toxics and quality, and the Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; 

•Provide critical financial assistance through the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program to those counties across the country that have large amount of land owned by the federal government. 

•Fund the nation's labor, health, and education programs. (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies)

 

Division G of H.R. 2764 provides $144.8 billion in discretionary funding for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and related agencies. This amount is $300 million above the Fiscal Year 2007 comparable level for these agencies and departments and $3.9 billion above the President's budget proposal. In addition to the funding in the base bill, H.R. 2764 will also provide $307 million in emergency funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and for health monitoring and treatment needs for emergency responders, residents, and workers exposed to toxins at or around the World Trade Center Disaster site. The bill makes investments to:

 

•Support critical medical researchat theNational Institutes of Health, including biomedical research and research into diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease;. 

•Increase access to health care through the Community Health Centers program, which includes community health centers, migrant health centers, and health care centers for the homeless. These organizations provide primary health care and social services for those without other access to care; 

•Increase Title I grants for K-12 education, providing extra academic support to help raise the achievement of disadvantaged students in high-poverty schools or districts; 

•Expand and improve the successful Head Start early childhood education program; 

•Provide financial assistance to make college more affordable for millions of studentsthrough and increase in the maximum Pell Grant, need-based financial assistance that helps low- and middle-income undergraduate students and their families pay the costs of postsecondary education and vocational training; 

•Provide greater assistance to students with disabilities to ensure they have access to a free, appropriate public education; 

•Alleviate poverty through the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program, which provides states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S. Territories, Indian Tribes and tribal organizations, community action agencies, migrant and seasonal farm workers or other organizations designated by the states, funds to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty in communities; 

•Assist low-income households in meeting the rising costs of home energy through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) awards grants to states, territories, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to assist low-income households in meeting the costs of home energy; 

•Invest in workforce development programs, which enhance job training and employment assistance services at the local level for economically disadvantaged veterans, dislocated workers, civilian adults, and at-risk youth; 

•Fundthe International Labor Affairs Bureau (ILAB) to support the effort to eliminate exploitative and abusive child labor and to support a new initiative to address worker rights in foreign countries with which the US has trade preference programs; 

•Help the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) meet its legal obligation to conduct 100 percent of mandatory health and safety inspections; and 

•Reduce the backlog of Social Security disability claims. Currently, it takes more than 550 days to process an appeal, up more than 300 days from Fiscal Year 2000. 

•Fund the legislative branch of government.(Legislative Branch)

 

Division H of H.R. 2764 funds the activities of the legislative branch at $4 billion, which is $400 million below the President's proposal but $100 million more than the Fiscal Year 2007 enacted level. This bill makes investments to fund:

•the House of Representatives and the Senate;

•the Library of Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the Government Printing Office, and the Government Accountability Office to help improve Congressional oversight efforts;

•the Architect of the Capitol and the Capitol Police, which will be merged with the Library of Congress Police.

•Provide the largest increase in veterans' spending in the history of the United States. (Military Construction and Veterans' Affairs)

 

Division I of H.R. 2764 provides a total of $60.2 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), as well as an additional $3.7 billion in emergency funding for veterans. The total amount provided is $3.2 billion above the President's budget request, and $14.1 billion above the Fiscal Year 2007 funding level. Veterans' affairs programs would receive $43.1 billion, which is $3.7 billion above the President's proposal and $6.6 billion above enacted Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations (excluding FY 2007 emergency supplemental funding). The bill makes investments to: 

•Fully fund veterans' medical care, VA hospitals and clinics, and medical research; 

•Allow the VA to increase funding for the growing number of combat-related injuries such as Traumatic Brain Injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, without shortchanging the health care needs of veterans from previous conflicts; 

•Improve the management and efficiency of the VA health care system; 

•Fund medical facilities, including non-recurring maintenance of VA hospitals and clinics to ensure that VA facilities do not fall to the same neglect experienced at Walter Reed; 

•Provide for medical and prosthetic research; 

•Hire up to 1,800 new claims processors to address the backlog of the more than 400,000 disability claims pending at the Veterans Benefits Administration; 

•Fund construction needs at VA hospitals and clinics; and 

•Address the construction and maintenance needs, including critical renovations and repairs, at military facilities and military family housing.

•Fight international terrorism, strengthen diplomacy, and combat the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. (State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs)

 

Division J of H.R. 2764 provides $32.8 billion in funding for Department of State operations, embassy security and foreign aid programs, as well as U.S. contributions to international organizations. This is $2.1 billion below the President's proposal and $1.5 billion over enacted Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations. The bill makes investments to: 

•Promote global health, provide HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care programs around the world; Global Fund grants to countries for AIDS, TB and malaria prevention, treatment and care programs; and invest in Global Health and Child Survival programs; 

•Help displaced people around the world with food, water, shelter and other basic needs; 

•Support peacekeeping activities, includingthe UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur as well as peacekeeping missions throughout the world, including in Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Haiti, Timor-Leste, the Middle East, and Kosovo; 

•Fund the participation of over 42,000 individuals in educational, cultural and professional exchange programs worldwide; and 

•Provide funding for radio programs critical to the nation's overall public diplomacy efforts.

•Improve America's transportation infrastructure and a variety of community development programs.(Transportation, Housing and Urban Development)

 

Division K of H.R. 2764 provides $103.4 billion for the Department of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. This represents an increase of $3.1 billion above the President's request and $4.9 billion more than the Fiscal Year 2007 enacted level. The bill makes investments to: 

•Providecritical funding to help address the glaring needs to rehabilitate and construct roads and bridges throughout the country, including $195 million for emergency reconstruction funds for Minneapolis to rebuild the I-35W bridge; 

•Prevent Amtrak's bankruptcy and continue the ongoing work to improve the railroad's infrastructure and current services. 

•Support a number of measures that will improve air traffic congestion and safety, including providing airport modernization, safety, and efficiency grants; fund aviation safety activities and FAA procurement requirements; speed up the deployment of the next generation of air traffic control equipment; and restore the President's proposed $60 million cut to the Essential Air Service, which helps maintain aviation service to our nation's rural communities; 

•Provide funding for Section 8 tenant based voucher program to subsidize housing costs, provide relocation assistance, and assist residents with job training; ensure the development of affordable housing for 1.3 million low-income families and individuals; and create housing for low-income elderly and disable Americans; 

•Provide new housing vouchers for more than 7,500 homeless veterans, including those returning from Iraq; 

•Restore funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Hope VI programs, which invest in housing infrastructure projects in states and localities to provide affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Americans; 

•Provide grants to state and local governments to conduct lead-based paint hazard reduction and abatement activities in private low-income housing; and 

•Address the nation's worsening housing crisis by providing funding for housing counseling, which includes a new program specifically targeted to foreclosure avoidance/mitigation assistance programs. 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Democratic Funding Bill More Closely Reflects America's Priorities than President Bush's Budget, for more information on the 2008 appropriations bills.

 

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate passed the Defense Authorization bills for Fiscal Year 2008 and Fiscal Year 2009. 

Fiscal Year 2008 authorization bill:On January 22, 2008 Senate Democrats led the effort to pass H.R. 4986, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, by a vote of 91 to 3. After vetoing the initial version of the bill (H.R. 1585) in late December, the President signed the revised version (H.R. 4986) into law on January 28 (P.L. 110-181). The bill fully authorized the President's requested base budget of $507 billion for Fiscal Year 2008 defense-related spending, as well as an additional $189.5 billion in emergency supplemental funding to support military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and related purposes. The bill advanced Democratic priorities for troops and veterans by: 

•Authorizing a 3.5 percent pay raise for all uniformed service personnel;

•Providing our service members with the resources, equipment, cutting-edge technology, and training they need for missions at home and around the world;

•Ensuring our troops and returning veterans are provided fair compensation, benefits, and first-rate health care;

•Advancing a comprehensive plan for improving the care, management, and transition of wounded service members; and

•Investing in programs that promote small business entrepreneurship amongst veterans and reservists.

 

Additionally, the conference report for H.R. 4986 included provisions to advance Democratic priorities on national security by: 

•Promoting the transition of our military to meet 21st Century threats;

•Strengthening nonproliferation and cooperative threat reduction programs;

•Eliminating terrorist safe havens in Pakistan and strengthening initiatives to combat al Qaeda and bring Osama bin Laden to justice;

•Ensuring a fair process for detainees held at Guantanamo Bay;

•Improving the management and efficiency of Defense Department programs; and

•Strengthening oversight and accountability of war-time contractors.

 

Fiscal Year 2009 authorization bill: On September 17, 2008, the Democratic-led Senate passed S. 3001, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, by a vote of 88 to 8. The bill fully authorizes the President's requested base budget of $542.5 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 defense-related spending, and includes $68 billion in war-related bridge funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, which is $2 billion below the requested amount.

 

The bill will advance Democratic priorities for troops and veterans by: 

•Authorizing a 3.9 percent pay raise for all uniformed service personnel;

•Providing our service members with the resources, equipment, cutting-edge technology, and training they need for missions at home and around the world;

•Ensuring our troops and returning veterans are provided fair compensation, first-rate health care and improving the quality of life of the men and women in our armed forces and their families;

•Supporting the continued implementation of wounded warrior initiatives, to improve the care, management, and transition of wounded service members; and

•Fully funding readiness and depot maintenance programs to ensure that deploying forces have the necessary training and equipment for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and around the world.

 

Additionally, the bill's provisions will work to advance Democratic priorities on national security and make our country safer by: 

•Promoting the transition of our military to meet 21^st Century threats;

•Working to restore the readiness of our military and lessen our nation's strategic risk;

•Ensuring aggressive oversight and management of Department of Defense programs to ensure the effective use of taxpayer dollars and the lawful conduct of war-time contractors;

•Bolstering nonproliferation and cooperative threat reduction programs and also enhancing homeland security initiatives; and

•Promoting greater Iraqi self-sufficiency by calling on the U.S. government to begin negotiating a cost sharing agreement with the Iraqi government to use more of its resources to pay for its military expenses.

 

Congressional Democrats began the 110^th Congress by completing the fiscal work of the Republican Do-Nothing Congress. After running up trillions of dollars in new debt, last year's Republican-led Congress left town without trying to pass a budget resolution and after completing only two of 11 annual appropriations bills. As a result, three months into the fiscal year that began in October 2006, 13 of 15 federal agencies were left to operate under a series of short-term continuing resolutions. Within six weeks of convening the 110^th Congress, before beginning the 2008 budget and appropriations process, Democrats passed H. J. Res. 20, the Revised Continuing Appropriations Resolution, 2007 (2007 Continuing Resolution), which provided funding for the nine remaining appropriations bills that were not completed by Republicans in the 109^thCongress. President Bush signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-5) on September 9, 2007. 

•Additional funding for health and education programs. Democrats stayed within budget limits, eliminated earmarks, and increased funding for programs, including Pell grants, elementary and secondary education, the National Institutes of Health, and global AIDS prevention and treatment. 

•Additional funding for veterans health care. The resolution also provided a total of $32 billion for VA medical care, which was an increase of $3.5 billion over Fiscal Year 2006 levels, and the funding level approved by the Republican-passed Continuing Resolution during the last Congress. These funds were vital for improving mental health services, enhancing inpatient and outpatient care for veterans, and also allowing the VA to better address its backlog of pending benefits claims. 

•Additional funding for law enforcement.Democrats further provided $2.6 billion for state and local law enforcement assistance programs. Included in the funding was $519 million for the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne/JAG) program, which is an increase of $108.7 million over Fiscal Year 2006 levels, and $541.7 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services Program (COPS), which is an increase of $67.9 million from Fiscal Year 2006 levels. 

•Additional funding for energy and environmental programs.Democrats increased funding for basic science research at the Department of Energy by $200 million and for energy efficiency and renewable energy programs by $300 million. Efficiency and conservation are the cheapest and fastest ways to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Senate Democrats passed an emergency spending bill to meet critical Fiscal Year 2007 national security funding needs.The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007 (2007 Emergency Supplemental) (P.L. 110-28)included $120 billion in emergency funds, primarily for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, critical health care improvements for returning troops and veterans, Gulf Coast recovery efforts, and for addressing major shortfalls in homeland security funding needs and providing emergency drought relief to farmers. Specifically, the bill provided:

 

•A $1 billion funding increase for National Guard equipment needs;

•An additional $1.1 billion for military housing requirements;

•$3 billion, or $1.2 billion above the President's requested amount, for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles;

•$4.8 billion to fund health care improvements for troops and veterans;

•$6.4 billion for continued recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast, including $25 million for the small business economic injury disaster loan program;

•$3 billion to help farmers and ranchers recover from severe drought and agricultural disasters; and

•More than $1 billion in homeland security investments, including funds for port and mass transit security, and the installation of explosives detection equipment at airports.

 

The legislation also included measures to increase the minimum wage, provide tax incentives for small businesses and promote small business entrepreneurship amongst women.

 

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate approved legislation to eliminate waste and strengthen accountability in the FEMA housing program. FEMA has been spending an estimated $3 billion each year to store thousands of unused temporary housing units purchased in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. On September 26, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed S. 2382, the FEMA Accountability Act of 2008, to put an end to this waste of taxpayer money and establish effective safety and storage regulations for FEMA housing units. The bill provides the FEMA administrator three months to assess the number of unused manufactured homes and trailers that the agency needs to have in stock to respond to disasters; six months to devise a plan for the permanent storage of the units it intends to keep, and sell, transfer, or dispose of the remaining surplus or unusable units; and nine months to implement its plan and one year to provide a status report to Congress. The legislation ensures that FEMA is provided the flexibility necessary to address the problem of the formaldehyde in trailers and ensure they are safe for public use.

 

Strengthening the Economy and American Competitiveness (top) 

After years of misguided Bush Republican economic policies, the Democratic-led Senate passed an economic rescue package aimed at stabilizing the economy and helping to restore economic security for American families.On October 1, 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 1424,the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA), which included the Senate-passedJobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008. 

EESA is the product of negotiations between the Department of Treasury, the House of Representatives, and the Senate on how to respond to the nation's financial crisis, stabilize the economy, and address one of the root causes of the crisis: mass home foreclosures. A significant improvement over the Treasury Department's proposal, EESA would: 

•Reinvestin the financial markets by providing the Treasury Department graduated authorization to purchase troubled mortgages, mortgage-backed securities, and pensions; 

•Reimbursethe American taxpayer, beginning with a share in the profits earned by participating companies; and 

•Reformfinancial institutions by strengthening oversight, increasing transparency, and limiting executive compensation. 

The legislation would help prevent unnecessary mortgage foreclosures by allowing the government to negotiate the modification of mortgage terms with loan servicers and extending the provision to eliminate tax liability on mortgage foreclosures. 

The legislation would also increase the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund deposit insurance limits from $100,000 per account to $250,000. This change would continue until December 31, 2009. In addition, the legislation would temporarily raise the borrowing limits at the Treasury for the FDIC and the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund.

The Senate, under the leadership of Democrats, passed a bipartisan measure to provide energy, middle class, business tax cuts. Senate Democrats are committed to enacting an energy policy that invests in renewable energy, lowers gas prices, makes America more energy independent, reverses global warming, and strengthens our national security. The extension and expansion of renewable and energy efficiency tax credits is a critical step towards achieving that goal. In the 110^th Congress, Democrats have worked tirelessly to pass these energy tax extenders, as well as other non-energy tax extenders, including an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch, while ensuring that these tax cuts were paid for out of revenues generated from closing corporate tax loopholes and revoking taxpayer subsidies to big oil companies. Unfortunately, on multiple occasions, the vast majority of Bush Republicans failed to join them in this effort. Early in 2008, the Senate failed twice to invoke cloture on a motion to proceed to consideration of H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008. 

Later, in early September, Senate Democratic and Republican leaders worked to produce a bipartisan tax relief and job creation package, entitled the Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 (H.R. 6049, as amended), which would: 1) provide for energy tax extenders; 2) prevent the AMT from raising taxes for more than 21 million middle-class Americans; and 3) provide for other non-energy tax extenders that are critical to the financial health and growth of American families and businesses during these uncertain economic times. The legislation also includes a measure to ensure the fair treatment of Americans facing mental health challenges and includes disaster relief. Although the bill passed the Senate as a stand alone measure, it was passed again as part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008on October 1, 2008. 

With respect to the AMT, the tax was created in 1969 to keep wealthy people from avoiding taxes altogether. Unfortunately, failures to adjust limits permentantlyhave resulted in the tax threatening to hit middle-class families instead. Democrats have consistently fought to prevent the tax from ensaringunintended Americans. Last year, the Democratic-led Congress passedH.R. 3996, the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-166) to temporarily fix the AMT. Without this measure and without the most recent tax relief package, hard-working American families could have faced an average tax increase of nearly $2,000.

 

Senate Democrats are committed to ensuring that Americans can buy a home -- and keep a home.Years of abuse by the mortgage lending industry and under-regulation by the Bush Administration have resulted in a serious housing crisis that is crippling the American economy and undermining the American people's sense of security. It is estimated that lenders file thousands of new foreclosures per day,and that over the next two years, more than twomillion Americans may lose their homes to foreclosure and more than 40 million of their neighbors may see theirproperty values decline as houses foreclose around them. As a result, towns and cities across America are experiencing business closings, increased crime, and an undermined tax base due to the abandonment of homes in their neighborhoods. 

On July 26, 2008, the Democratic-led Congress adopted H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, a comprehensive legislative package that would bring relief to American homeowners and stabilize the housing markets while maintaining fiscal responsibility. Specifically, the bill, which was signed into law on July 30, includes: 

•TheFederal Housing Finance Regulatory Reform Act of 2008(GSE Reform), which would create a new, effective regulator for the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) so that these vital institutions can safely and soundly carry out their important mission of providing our nation's families with affordable housing; the legislation would also raise loan limits to expand affordable housing in high cost areas; in addition, this legislation would create the Housing Trust Fund, of which 75 percent of the monies must be used to benefit extremely low-income families, and a Capital Magnet Fund, which will leverage $10 for every dollar contributed by the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac; 

•Treasury Emergency Authority, which was requested by Secretary of the Treasury Paulson and designed to shore up the confidence of the financial markets in Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (referred to as "GSEs") in response to the erosion of investor confidence in GSEs in July 2008. This temporary authority would allow Treasury to purchase debt securities issued by the GSEs and to purchase common stock of the enterprises with the agreement of the companies in order to protect the taxpayer, provide stability to the financial markets, and prevent disruptions in the availability of mortgages; 

•The HOPE for Homeowners Act, which would establish a voluntary, new initiative at the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to help 400,000 American homeowners refinance their loan at an affordable rate in an effort to avoid foreclosure and stay in their homes; 

•The S.A.F.E. Mortgage Licensing Act, which would create a federal registry and establish minimum national standards for all residential mortgage brokers and lenders; 

•TheForeclosure Prevention Act, which would provide assistance for communities devastated by foreclosures, foreclosure counseling for families in need, programs to help returning soldiers avoid foreclosure, and mortgage disclosure enhancements; the bill also includes the FHA Modernization Act;

•The Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008, which would provide tax benefits for homeowners, homebuyers, and homebuilders aimed at helping the housing market recover; and 

•Revenue provisionsto pay for the legislation, consistent with responsible fiscal policy.

 

On December 14, 2007, the Democratic-led Senate unanimously approved an amended version of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007 (H.R. 3648), which the House later approved on December 18 and the President signed into law (P.L. 110-142) on December 20. The new law offers tax relief to American families caught in the sub-prime mortgage crisis. Specifically, this fully off-set measure creates a three-year exception for debt forgiveness on home loans - helping families already unable to meet their mortgages to avoid incurring large tax bills as well - and extends a provision allowing homeowners to deduct mortgage insurance payments from their taxable income. The law also gives a surviving spouse an additional two years from the spouse's death to sell their home and claim the full $500,000 exclusion from capital gains tax. 

See the DPC documents entitled, H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008and Democrats are Committed to Safeguarding the American Dream of Homeownership, for more information on this legislation and issue.

 

The Democratic-led Congress responded to the needs of the nation by passing a stimulus package that helps America's families.On February 7, 2008, both Houses of Congress passed H.R. 5140, the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, by overwhelmingly bipartisan votes. In passing this legislation so quickly, the Democratic-led Congress has kept its promise to respond to this economic downturn. While we recognize that there are structural problems in the economy that the short-term stimulus measure will not solve, the bill will provide direct financial relief to those who need it most and are most likely to use it to jumpstart the slowing economy. The measure, signed into law (P.L. 110-185) on February 13, will:

 

•Issue a $300 - $600 rebate for individuals, or a $600 - $1200 rebate for married couples, including seniors living only on Social Security and disabled veterans;

•Provide a $300-per child tax credit;

•Help families at risk of foreclosure by expanding mortgage financing opportunities; and

•Promote job-creating business investments by providing tax relief for American businesses, especially small businesses.

 

Senate Democrats passed landmark legislation to protect American consumers from dangerous products and our children from toxic toys.Multiple, high-profile recalls in the summer and fall of 2007, most notably the deadly Magnetix toy, lead-based toys, and pet-food recalls, brought to light major gaps in the nation's ability to protect American consumers and their families from dangerous products of domestic andforeign origin. Worse, it unmasked serious funding, staffing, resource, authority, enforcement tool, and process deficiencies at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which have crippled the agency's ability to fulfill its mission "of protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard or can injure children." 

The CPSC estimates that products under its jurisdiction are related to 28,200 deaths and 33.6 million injuries each year, all of which cost the American people $800 billion annually, and the number, scope, and technological complexity of consumer products has increased. Yet, the Commission is staffed at only half the level it was 30 years ago and is funded at only a fraction of the level needed to ensure the standards and frequency of product inspections and the effectiveness of recalls. Moreover, the CPSC is operating with out-dated rules and laws that are inadequate to meet the needs of a rapidly changing marketplace. What is more, as word has spread about unsafe children's toys and products, consumer confidence has dwindled to levels that threaten the retail market.

 

Recognizing this crisis as a threat to the safety of our nation and the stability of our economy, Congressional Democrats worked in a bipartisan manner with Administration officials, consumer and child safety advocates, and states to create a broad-sweeping reform package that will strengthen the Commission and laws to better safeguard and restore consumer confidence in the products on American shelves. On July 31, with the Senate's agreement to the conference report, the Democratic-led Congress enacted final passage on H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

The legislation was signed into law on August 14, 2008 (P.L. 110-314).

 

The bill will: 

•Strengthen CPSC resources and effectivenessby increasing current funding level of $80 million to $136 million by Fiscal Year 2014; restoring the Board of Commissioners to a five member panel (from the current three member panel), increasing CPSC staff to at least 500 employees by 2013, and streamlining product safety rulemaking procedures; 

•Protect children from unsafe productsby banning lead in children's products, mandating toy safety standards; requiring third-party testing and certification of children's products, and banning certain phthalates in children's products; 

•Prevent deadly importsby improving information sharing among relevant federal, state, local, and foreign agencies; increasing the numbers of CPSC employees at our nation's ports; banning the importation of recalled products; and establishing safety standards for imported All-Terrain Vehicles; 

•Provide greater penalties for violators and resources for law enforcement by increasing civil and criminal penalties; enabling state attorneys general to pursue injunctive relief of certain violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act; and providing whistleblower protection for manufacturers' employees who report safety problems; 

•Enhance recall effectivenessby banning the sale of recalled products; requiring companies to identify their subcontractors in the supply chain; mandating tracking labels for children's goods; enhancing public access to product safety information; and enhancing CPSC authority to order corrective action plans by the manufacturers of recalled products. 

See the DPC Legislative Bulletin entitled, S. 2663, the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act, for more information on this legislation and issue.

 

Congress has approved legislation to protect children from hazards due to contact with gasoline. Gasoline containers that are not secured with child-resistant caps can pose a serious danger to small children who gain access to them. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in a single year, over 1,200 children under the age of 5 were treated in emergency rooms for injuries relate to gasoline, either due to fire, ingestion, or inhalation of fumes. Currently, portable gasoline cans are not required to be sold with child-resistant caps, because even though the cans are designed to hold gasoline, they are sold empty. That is why on June 16, 2008 the Senate unanimously approved H.R. 814, the Children's Gasoline Burn Prevention Act.This legislation will require that all gasoline cans, whether sold full or empty, will be required to have child-resistant caps. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-278) on July 17, 2008.

 

Senate Democrats passed a law that improves car safety for children. On February 28, 2008, the President signed into law the Cameron Gulbransen Kids Transportation Safety Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-189). The law reflects Democrats' ongoing commitment to ensuring product safety for American families and decreasing the number of deaths and injuries that have resulted from children being backed over, strangled by power windows, or killed when they inadvertently shift a car into gear causing an accident. The law would:

•Provide drivers with a means of detecting the presence of a person or object behind their vehicle;

•Provide for the vehicle service brake to be engaged to prevent vehicles from unintentionally rolling away;

•Require the government to study making power windows automatically reverse direction when they detect an obstruction to prevent children from being trapped, injured, or killed; and

•Establish a child safety information program to collect non-traffic incident data and disseminate information to parents about these hazards and ways to mitigate them.

 

Democrats sought better pay for working Americans by passing legislation to raise the minimum wage. In May 2007, after a ten year battle, Congress, under Democratic leadership, gave workers a long overdue raise by increasing the federal minimum wage to $7.25/hour. While the Senate passed H.R. 2, theFair Minimum Wage Act of 2007, earlier in the year, the wage was finally increased as part of 2007 Emergency Supplemental. 

The bill, which raises the minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour in three steps over two years, will benefit 13 million workers -- 5.6 million directly and 7.4 million indirectly -- and help reverse years of wage stagnation, without harming the economy. Nearly 59 percent of those who will benefit are women and 10 percent are single parents. Minimum wage earners also serve as the sole breadwinners of 46 percent of families who will benefit. Moreover, the raise will help well-over six million children under the age of 18 whose parents will receive an increase in earnings. 

The increase of $2.10/hour will help many of the approximately 37 million (or 12.6 percent) Americans who live below the poverty line by adding nearly $4,400 to a full-time, year round minimum wage worker's income. In some areas of the country, this additional money could be enough for a low-income family of three to cover months of groceries, utilities, or rent or nearly two years of child care or college tuition at a public two-year college. When combined with the Earned Income Tax Creditand assistance programs, the additional income could lift a family of four above the poverty line, even afterpayroll taxes. While more needs to be done, raising the federal minimum wage was an important step toward economic security for working Americans.

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, After a Ten Year Battle, Democrats Raised the Minimum Wage for American Workers, for more information on this legislation and issue.

 

The 110^th Congress is determined to keep America competitive in the global economy. In early August 2007, on a broad bipartisan basis and with the strong support of the technology, business, and academic community, the House and the Senate approved the conference report to H.R. 2272, the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science Act (America COMPETES). The bill was signed into public law (P.L. 110-69) on August 9, 2007. The law ensures that the United States retains its competitive position in the world through increased resources for math and science education for teachers and students in elementary through graduate school; and increased investments in science and technology research and innovation in the public sector. America COMPETES also supports private sector research and innovation, including investing in programs that ensure small- and medium-sized businesses have the tools needed to contribute to the global economy. 

America COMPETES is the culmination of a two-year, bipartisan, bicameral effort to pass a package of competitiveness bills in response to recommendations in the 2005 National Academies report, "Rising Above the Gathering Storm." Earlier in the year, the House and Senate passed comprehensive legislation (H.R. 2272, S. 761) that served as the basis for the multidisciplinary America COMPETESconference agreement, which passed the House on an overwhelming 367 to 57 vote and the Senate by unanimous consent. It was then signed into law by President Bush on December 26, 2007 (P.L. 110-169). The America COMPETES Act follows through on a commitment by Democratic Leadership to ensure U.S. students, teachers, businesses and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology -- well into the future. 

See the DPC Legislative Bulletin entitled, The 110th Congress Passes a Bipartisan Initiative to Strengthen American Competitivenessand S. 1745, the Departments of Commerce and Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill, 2008for more information on this issue.

 

The Democratic-led Senate approved flood insurance reform to better protect homeowners, businesses, and taxpayers. Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma caused 1,700 deaths, families and businesses and catastrophic property losses associated with massive flooding. The devastation of the 2005 hurricane season exposed millions of Americans to the consequences of the lack of affordable insurance, revealed the inadequacy of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to handle a catastrophe of this magnitude, and left the program with staggering debt. On May 13, 2008, the Senate approved an amended version of the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 (H.R. 3121) by a strong, bipartisan 92 to 6 vote. This measure would ensure sufficient funds and establish financial soundness for NFIP, expand and encourage the purchase of flood insurance, modernize the flood mapping program; protect policyholders and taxpayers; and reform the procedures associated with the reimbursement of insurance companies.

 

The Democratic-led Senate unanimously passed important disaster aid legislation. In August 2007, as the two-year anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma approached, the Senate unanimously approved bipartisan legislation to improve assistance to business owners and homeowners after a disaster. S. 163, the Small Business Disaster Response and Loan Improvements Act, would improve assistance to disaster victims by: 1) establishing a private disaster loan program to be used in the aftermath of catastrophic disasters; 2) creating a new expedited disaster assistance business loan program; 3) creating a new presidential declaration of "Catastrophic National Disaster" that will allow the Small Business Administration to issue nationwide economic injury disaster loans to small businesses affected by a large-scale disaster; 4) improving the disaster loan application process; and 5) increasing the maximum size of a disaster loan and allows non-profit groups to be eligible for disaster loans.

 

Democrats enacted small business tax relief. The Small Business and Work Opportunity Tax Act, passed and signed into law as a part of the 2007 Emergency Supplemental, provides important tax relief for America's small businesses. These deficit-neutral tax incentives include measures to:

 

•Encourage the hiring of low-income and disadvantaged workers (extension of the Work Opportunity Tax Credit); 

•Help growing businesses save when they buy new equipment (extension and expansion of Section 179 Small Business Expensing); 

•Assist economic growth in the Gulf Opportunity Zone - the area still struggling to recover from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma (enhancement of GO Zone tax incentives); 

•Reduce reporting requirements for family businesses (family business tax simplification); 

•Help entrepreneurs hit by the alternative minimum tax (waiver of individual and corporate AMT limitations on WOTC and tip credits);

•Ensure that employers don't lose current tax benefits when the minimum wage increases (enhanced tip credit); and 

•Help small businesses keep the tax benefits of being a small business, even as they grow (S-Corp tax incentives).

 

The Senate unanimously extended a program to assist workers who have been adversely affected by international trade. On September 28, 2007, the President signed into law (P.L. 110-89) a three-month extension of the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. Originally established by the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, the TAA program provides temporary federal assistance to hundreds of thousands of individuals, farmers, and firms facing job losses as a consequence of free trade agreements, when it can be demonstrated that the job losses resulted from increased imports or production being moved overseas due to a trade agreement. Eligible individuals, who currently include workers in the textiles, electronic, transportation, apparel, and other industries, can receive reemployment services, training in new occupational skills, and income support while the worker is in training. The extension ensured that eligible U.S. workers, farmers, fishermen, and manufacturing firms do not fall through the cracks while Congress completes its work on a broad expansion and reauthorization of the current program. Democrats attempted to pass an additional extension authority for the TAA program in December 2007, but Republicans blocked this effort, and the program has now lapsed.

 

The Democratic-led Congress passed legislation to strengthen intellectual property laws. In our increasingly technological age, intellectual property (IP) is the most valuable asset of American businesses, but the same technology that has spurred national and global economic growth has left IP vulnerable to piracy, counterfeiting, and similar crimes. It is estimated that businesses lose more than $200 billion each year to IP crimes, which leads to significant job loss. As America seeks to secure its position as a world leader in innovation, it is vital that we have strong IP laws. In September 2008, Congress passed the S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act,which would authorize the Attorney General to enforce civil copyright laws and would enhance civil and criminal intellectual property laws. The legislation would also provide increased resources for Department of Justice programs to combat intellectual property theft, and provide coordination and strategic planning of federal efforts against counterfeiting and piracy.

 

The Senate also passed legislation to give travelers and commuters more options, relieve crowding on highways and in airports, and reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.S. 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, would reauthorize Amtrak for six-years at $11.6 billion. This legislation would:

 

•Improve Amtrak's operations save taxpayer money by reducing Amtrak's federal operating subsidy by 40 percent; 

•Repair Amtrak's deteriorating infrastructure by authorizing $818 million in capital grants per year and $1.4 billion in grants to states for new passenger rail projects, funding to return the Northeast Corridor-America's busiest rail corridor, running from Boston, MA, to Washington, DC-to a state of good repair; 

•Expand Amtrak's operations and allow it to operate more efficiently by authorizing $11.4 billion over six years to fully fund Amtrak's capital and operating needs; and 

•Improve the service of Amtrak's passengers by setting a minimum standard of 80 percent on-time performance record for Amtrak trains and allowing the Surface Transportation Board to issue fines to freight railroad companies for delaying Amtrak trains.

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Senate Democrats Invest in Passenger Rail Service: American Travelers, Taxpayers, and our Environment Benefit, for more information on this issue.

 

Democrats passed legislation to keep America competitive in space exploration. On September 25, 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 6063, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Authorization Act of 2008, which would authorize $20.2 billion for Fiscal Year 2009 to fund certain agency activities. The authorization includes $1 billion to accelerate the initial operating capability of the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle, and $100 million for the development and demonstration of a commercial crew vehicle. The total authorization of appropriations is approximately $2.6 billion above the President's Fiscal Year 2009 request. The bill also reaffirms Congress's support for the goals of U.S. space exploration, including activities related to missions to the moon and Mars exploration, and expresses support for both international cooperation and commercial involvement in space exploration activities. The bill was sent to the President's desk for his signature on September 27. 

Congress passed a law to extend the moratorium on taxes on Internet usage and electronic commerce. In October 2007, Congress passed and the President signed into law the Internet Tax Freedom Act Amendments Act of 2007 (P.L. 110-108). The new law will extend the moratorium for seven years and ensure that certain Internet services, such as e-mail and homepages, remain included in the definition of tax-exempt internet access. 

The 110^thCongress, under Democratic leadership, passed legislation to expand and improve access to the Internet. In September 2008, Congress passed the S. 1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act, which seeks to expand access to high-speed Internet service in rural American and low-income communities. For nearly ten years, Americans have been switching from "narrowband" service to "broadband" service. Broadband provides users faster, more diverse, and more efficient Internet service, which allows them access to educational, employment, governmental service, communication, and entertainment options not easily available through traditional dial-up. Beyond the individual benefits, expanding access to broadband will help America maintain and improve its global competitiveness, especially in the area of technology. Unfortunately, recent rankings show that America is far behind other industrialized nations in achieving the goal of universal broadband access. 

S. 1492will ensure that more Americans have access to broadband by updating the broadband data collection policies at the Federal Communications Commission; requiring an additional broadband study by the General Accountability Office, Small Business Administration, and Bureau of the Census; and creating public-private partnerships to map the availability and use of broadband at the state level. The bill was sent to the President's desk for his signature on September 30.

 

The 110^thCongress, under Democratic leadership, passed legislation to keep experienced pilots in the air.On December 11, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. 4343, Fair Treatment for Experienced Pilots Act; two days later the bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-135) by the President. The measure will raise the mandatory retirement age for pilots from 60 to 65 and will ensure that older pilots are not discriminated against in health guidelines.

 

The Senate strengthened the national Do-Not-Call Registry. On February 6, 2008 the Senate passedH.R. 3541, theDo-Not-Call Improvement Act of 2007, which would revoke the previous rule that requires phone numbers to be automatically removed from the registry after five years. The Do-not-Call Registry is an extremely popular program-with more than 145 million numbers registered- which protects the American people from unwanted, oftentimes aggressive and excessive, telemarketing calls. The bill was signed into law on February 15, 2008 (P.L. 110-187). 

The Senate also passed S. 781, the Do-Not-Call Registry Fee Extension Act, which is a measure to permanently authorize the FTC to collect Do-Not-Call Registry fees from telecommunications companies for the operation and enforcement of the registry. These fees enable the FTC to keep the Registry free for consumers. The bill was also signed into law on February 15 (P.L. 110-188).

 

Democratic-led Congress granted trade preferences to reduce poverty and to develop economies across Latin America. On February 28, 2008,the Senate unanimously approved the Andean Trade Preference Extension Act of 2008 (ATPA) (H.R. 5264). This bill extends through December 31, 2008, providing four Andean countries-Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia-with duty-free access to the U.S. market for a variety of products including fuels, textiles and apparel, agricultural goods, and jewelry (but not for products considered "import sensitive" in the United States). ATPA was established in 1991 as part of a U.S. effort to encourage these developing countries to diversify their economies away from illegal drug production. The trade preferences help to reduce poverty and to develop economies across Latin America and are conditioned upon the meeting of eligibility criteria related to investment, labor rights, intellectual property rights, and drug eradication. On February 29, 2008, the President signed this measure into law (P.L. 110-191).

 

Senate Democrats passed legislation to address the housing crisis in Native American communities. Currently, approximately 90,000 Native American families are homeless or under-housed and over one-third of Native American homes are overcrowded. To help remedy this problem, in September 2008, the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 2786, the Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act (as amended by the Senate's substitute amendment).The legislation would produce more homes in Indian Country and would allow tribes to build other facilities necessary for healthy communities - including day-care centers and multi-purpose community centers. The bill also authorizes a study to assess the existing data sources for determining the need for housing and funding programs. An earlier version of this legislation was passed in May 2008 (S. 2062).

 

Combating Terrorism and Strengthening Homeland Security (top)

 

Despite White House obstruction, Senate Democrats are committed to giving the intelligence community the tools it needs to protect our nation from terrorist attack.On October 3, the Senate passed H.R. 2082, theIntelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, to authorize appropriations for Fiscal Year 2008 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States government, including the nation's 16 intelligence agencies and the director of National Intelligence. The bill included provisions that would ensure greater flexibility and authority to the Director of National Intelligence; require greater accountability from the Intelligence Community and its managers; improve the mechanisms for conducting oversight of intelligence programs; and reform acquisition procedures. The bill also included a classified annex including detailed budget recommendations. While the Republican-led Senate failed to pass the Intelligence Authorization bill for the past two years, Democrats have made this critical national security bill a top priority.

 

Unfortunately, on March 8, 2008, President Bush vetoed this legislation, objecting to the bill's provision that would require all federal agencies - not just the Pentagon - to abide by the Army Field Manual. While the President claimed that this provision would "take away one of the most valuable tools in the war on terror," referring to the CIA's interrogation program that permits so-called "enhanced" interrogation methods, including waterboarding and other cruel and inhumane treatment, Democrats strongly regret this veto and reject the President's claims. Democrats believe that that outlawing such harsh interrogation methods and reaffirming America's commitment to the Geneva Conventions is critical to restoring the credibility of the United States in the international community and vital to winning the fight against global terrorism.

Congressional Democrats are working to better secure our nation and safeguard our civil liberties by updating the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.Last summer, the Bush Administration came to Congress seeking emergency changes to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to address a gap that had arisen in our intelligence collection capabilities, according to administration officials. Democrats support giving the Intelligence Community the tools it needs to protect the nation from terrorism. However, many Democrats opposed the rushed legislation that ultimately resulted from the Administration's push, the Protect America Act of 2007 (PAA). Before passage, Democrats succeeded in adding a six-month sunset to ensure the PAA would serve as only a temporary measure to address the intelligence gap while Congress considered longer-term amendments to the statute.

Over the past year, Senate and House Democrats have worked with their Republican counterparts, the Administration, the intelligence community, and privacy advocates to develop proposals for amendments to FISA, which would give the intelligence community the flexibility it needs to safeguard our nation, while also providing strong protections for civil liberties.

On June 19, 2008, Senator Rockefeller, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), announced that a deal, entitled the FISA Amendments Act of 2008 (H.R. 6304),had been reached. The bill
 

•Provides the Intelligence Community the tools to target non-U.S. persons reasonably believed to be outside the United States;

 

•Increases the role of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) in reviewing and approving targeting and minimization procedures, ensures that traditional FISA warrant rules still apply for purely domestic communications, requires the government to establish guidelines to protect Americans against reverse targeting, and requires FISA Court orders prior to surveillance or physical searches of U.S. persons abroad;

 

•Provides Court review of procedures before surveillance begins unless there are exigent circumstances, in which case they must seek approval from the FISA Court within seven days; and

 

•Requires the Inspectors General of key agencies to conduct a retroactive review of the President's surveillance program and authorize them to investigate and audit surveillance authorized in this bill, requires that additional data on surveillance be submitted to the Congress in semi-annual reports, and sunsets the bill in four and a half years.

 

The bill also grants the telecommunication companies immunity from civil liability, provided a federal district court determines that the Attorney General's certification that immunity applies is supported by substantial evidence. Though many in the Senate Democratic caucus do not support immunity for telecommunications companies, Democrats worked in a bipartisan manner and did not block the bill from being considered. The legislation is an improvement over previous versions of the bill and a vast improvement over the PAA; the immunity provision is conditional and does not apply to the government or government officials; and the legislation would sunset at the end of 2012, which will ensure that FISA will be revisited during the next Administration.

 

On July 9, 2008, the bill passed the Senate on a vote of 69-28, and was signed into law by the President on July 10 (P.L. 110-261).

 

See the DPC Legislative Bulletin for S. 6304, the FISA Amendments Act of 2008for more information on this issue.

 

Democrats led the way toward implementing key 9/11 Commission recommendations.Congressional Democrats' first priority is to protect our nation from further terrorist attack. After years of inadequate action on critical homeland security needs, the 110th Congress passed H.R. 1, the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-53) by the President in early August 2007. This law will make America more secure by giving our first responders the tools they need to keep us safe; making it more difficult for potential terrorists to travel into our country; advancing efforts to secure our rail, air, and mass transit systems; and improving intelligence and information sharing between state, local, and federal law enforcement. The new law will also enhance the existing Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board to ensure government adherence to civil liberties guidelines.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, The Bush Administration Has Not Made America More Secure From Terrorism, for more information on this issue.

 

The Democratic-led Senate passed national security legislation to improve our capacity to track nuclear material.Most experts argue that nuclear material falling into the hands of a terrorist presents the gravest threat to the United States. On September 26, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed legislation that will enhance the capacity of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to track down illicit nuclear and radiological weapons. The bill, S. 2631, the Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Act, would require DHS to create a National Nuclear Forensics Expertise Development Program to identify the source of nuclear material when it is intercepted or used in an attack. It calls on the Department to establish a new program within its Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) to provide assessments, planning, and exercises related to nuclear forensics and to coordinate with other relevant agencies. The bill also would create an academic program to encourage research and study related to nuclear forensics. The legislation authorizes $90 million to fund the program for Fiscal Years 2009 - 2011.

 

Democrats approved important reforms that will strengthen the nation's economy and security. In July, the Democratic-led Congress presented H.R. 556, the Foreign Investment and National Security Act of 2007,to the President for his signature, which he signed into law (P.L. 110-49) on July 26, 2007. The measure implements important reforms to ensure that there is a comprehensive and transparent process for assessing the national security implications of foreign investments in the United States. The new law strengthens the role of the Director of National Intelligence, makes the process more accountable to Congress and the public, and provides for a review and investigation, if warranted, of transactions covered by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States to determine its effects on national security. This lawrepresents long-overdue, balanced reform that will strengthen our nation's security and provide a more predictable process that enhances our security and encourages job-creating foreign investment in the United States.

 

The Senate unanimously approved a Democratic initiative to enhance compliance with U.S. sanctions law. On June 26, 2007, the Senate unanimously approved S. 1612, the International Emergency Economic Powers Enhancement Act, whichwould increase penalties on violators of U.S. sanctions law. The bill was passed by the House on October 2 and was signed into law on October 16 (P.L. 110-96). Under the bill, individuals who have invested in a country or terrorist organization designated by the President as a major threat to the United States-such as Iran or Sudan-would be subject to significant fines.

 

Democratic Congress extended a program to help American businesses and workers recover from terrorist attacks. In November 2007,the Democratic-led Senate unanimously approved the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 2761). On December 18, the House agreed to the Senate-passed version, and the President signed the bill into law (P.L.110-160) on December 26. This legislation extends for seven years a program that was originally passed by Congress and signed into law after the terrorist attacks of September 11th to provide a federal backstop against catastrophic losses in the property and casualty insurance marketplace associated with massive terrorism damages. Without this extension, the program was scheduled to expire at the end of 2007. Large and small businesses, labor unions, manufacturers, builders, lenders, universities, hospitals, as well as insurers, have all voiced their support for this initiative to stabilize the market and ensure the availability of affordable insurance against terrorist attacks.

 

The Senate passed a bill to prohibit the recruitment of child soldiers.On September 25, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed the House amendments to S. 2135, the Child Soldiers Accountability Act of 2007, which would impose a fine and/or 20-year prison term for recruiting, enlisting, or conscripting a child under 15 years of age into an armed force or group or into active combat hostilities. The legislation also expands jurisdiction for prosecuting U.S. nationals and aliens who violate the Act. The bill also directs the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to develop regulations to deny asylum or withholding of removal of aliens who have been found to recruit or use child soldiers. The bill was sent to the President on September 8.

 

The Senate passed legislation to assist 9/11 families in resolving legal claims from that tragic day. In the wake of 9/11, survivors and the families of those who did not survive had many tough choices to make, including legal ones, in addition to dealing with their grief. One of those decisions was whether to participate in the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund. Many chose to opt out of the fund and bring civil suits instead, and Congress required that victims and families bring those suits in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, however, this meant that they could only subpoena testimony and documents within 100 miles of that court. The unintended result was that many parties were legally barred from securing much-needed documents and testimony for their cases. In October, the Senate voted unanimously to fix this problem by passing S. 2106, the Procedural Fairness for September 11^th Victims Act, which will give nationwide subpoena power to all parties-victims, families, and defendants-when litigating 9/11 claims. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-113) on November 8, 2007.

 

The Democrat-led Senate passed legislation to expand 911 capabilities. On June 16, 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 3403,New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act, as amended, which provides 911 service for Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers. Few government programs have been as successful as nor have saved more lives than the 911 program, but as with any program that has been in existence for thirty years, the program must be updated from time to time to reflect changes in usage. The program has already been updated to include E911 service, which allows people using wireline phones to have their number and location automatically transmitted, and that service was updated again when people began using wireless phones. Now, with the advent and increased use of VoIP, which allows calls to be placed over the internet, Congress has updated the program again to meet the needs of the modern caller. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-283) on July 23, 2008.

Fighting Crime and Injustice Across the Nation and Around the World (top)

 

Senate Democrats are working to restore federal funding to state and local law enforcement programs. For years local law enforcement officers across the country have warned that funding cuts to state and local law enforcement programs at a time when law enforcement agencies are already stretched-thin by increasing homeland security responsibilities and national guard deployments would lead to fewer cops on the street, fewer resources for traditional crime fighting, and, eventually, an increase in violent crime. President Bush and Congressional Republicans, however, ignored their warning in favor of drastic funding cuts to critical law enforcement programs, including the COPS program and the Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program. In 2005, the country reaped the consequences of that failed fiscal policy when the nation's violent crime rate increased significantly for the first time in nearly 15 years and then increased again in 2006.

 

Democrats are committed to reversing the nation's violent crime trend by funding the law enforcement programs that keep our nation safe from crime both foreign and domestic. In addition to funding included in the 2007 Continuing Resolution and the 2008 Consolidated Appropriations Act, the Senate passed S. 231, a bill to authorize the appropriations for the Byrne/JAG program through Fiscal Year 2012. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-294) on July 30, 2008.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Senate Democrats Are Still Committed to Investing in Law Enforcement and Safeguarding the Nation from Crime, for more information on this issue.

 

Democrats armed law enforcement with the tools needed to find and prosecute rapists. In September 2008, Congress passed H.R. 5057, the Debbie Smith Reauthorization Act of 2008. This critical bill will extend through 2014 programs that help eliminate the nationwide backlog of rape kits; standardize evidence collection so that it can be included in state and national databases; and bolster DNA testing of criminal and crime scene evidence. It is estimated that 40 percent of unsolved rape cases could be solved if DNA evidence and database cross-referencing were available. The Justice Department believes there are at least 221,000 rape kits currently not being processed. This reauthorization ensures that efforts to effectively and quickly investigate rape cases and prosecute rapists will be strenthened.

 

The Senate passed legislation to improve criminal background checks for gun purchases. H.R. 2640, the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which the President later signed into law (P.L. 110-180). The law is designed to improve the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), the country's foremost background check system for gun purchases. Drafted in response to the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech this past year, the bill makes clear that only correct records will be incorporated into the NICS system and that incorrect records will be promptly removed from the national system. The bill also contains provisions to direct Federal and State agencies to establish relief from disabilities programs through which individuals who have overcome a disqualifying mental illness or disability may reclaim their right to purchase or possess a firearm. Moreover, the legislation creates a legal regime where the reporting of disqualifying mental health records on both the State and Federal level will be improved; requires Federal agencies to report mental health and other disqualifying records into NICS; creates new incentives for States to report mental health and other disqualifying records; and provides States support to meet the goals outlined in the measure.

 

The Democratic-led Senate refuses to sit idle as methamphetamine abuse spreads across our nation. As far too many American families know, methamphetamine (meth) is a highly addictive, debilitating, and deadly drug that has ruined the lives of millions of Americans in 2007 alone. Beyond negatively impacting users and their families, meth abuse and production pose significant threats to communities, especially rural and tribal communities, and the environment. Congressional Democrats have renewed our longstanding commitment to employing innovative and comprehensive strategies to combat methamphetamine abuse by introducing several measures in the 110^thCongress.

On December 12, 2007, the Senate passed H.R. 365, the Methamphetamine Remediation Research Act of 2007, a bill to address the environmental dangers of meth production. According to the Partnership for a Drug Free America, for every pound of meth that is produced, five to six pounds of hazardous, toxic waste is generated. Meth cooks often dump that waste -- the evidence of their crime -- into local waterways, woods, or other areas exposed the public. Moreover, these labs are not easily cleaned, poisonous vapors and residue from the cooking process settle into insulation, ceilings, and carpets and require costly, specialized Hazmat scrubs to repair the site. H.R. 365 requires the EPA to establish voluntary guidelines for the decontamination and remediation of former meth labs. The bill also requires the NIST to support a research program to develop new technologies and procedures to better detect meth. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-143) on December 21, 2007.

In September 2008, the Senate passed the S. 1276, the Methamphetamine Production Prevention Act of 2008. The bill will better enable pharmacies to use electronic logbook systems to monitor sales of methamphetamine precursor chemicals and identify individuals who are illegally stockpiling those chemicals.

On February 11, 2008, the Senate also passedS. 2071, the Combat Methamphetamine Enhancement Act of 2007,which would enhance regulation requirements for sellers and persons dealing in certain listed chemicals used to produce meth. The bill would require all retail sellers of these products to submit self-certifications of compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and create a civil penalty for the negligent failure to do so. The Attorney General would be required to develop and make public a list of all self-certified individuals on the Drug Enforcement Administration's website. The bill would then prohibit distributors from selling meth-producing products to persons not listed.

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Senate Democrats Are Committed to Combating Methamphetamine Abuse Across the Nation, for more information on this issue.

The 110^thCongress passed legislation to strengthen the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and protect children from online predators.On May 20, 2008, the Senate passed the Protecting Our Children Comes First Act by unanimous consent. This bill will increase federal funding to help locate missing children, assist their families, and codify already existing, successful activities of the Center. This bill is critical to improving the Center's ability to protect children in the Internet age. Since 1998, reports to Center's CyberTipline have jumped from 3,500 to 110,000. On June 3, 2008, the President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-240).

In September 2008, the Senate passed S. 1738, theProtect our Children Act,which will streamline the protection and investigation of child exploitation cases by establishing a Special Counsel for Child Exploitation Prevention within the Department of Justice. The legislation will also create an Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to combine the tools and insights of state, local, and federal law enforcement to combat the increasing problem child exploitation on the Internet and put offenders behind bars. The bill was cleared for the White House on September 27.

 

Also on May 20, the Senate passed S. 431, the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators Act of 2008, which will require convicted sex offenders to include their e-mail, instant message address, or other Internet identifier in the National Sex Offender Registry. The bill will impose a fine and up to 10 years imprisonment for failing to include this information. The bill will require the Attorney General to maintain a system to allow commercial social networking sites to cross-check their user databases with the Internet identifiers included in the registry. The bill would also amend the federal criminal code to impose a fine and up to 20 years imprisonment for age misrepresentation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual conduct with a minor. The bill was cleared for the White House on September 30.

 

Congressional Democrats closed a loophole that would prevent pornographers from escaping punishment. In September 2008, the Senate passed H.R. 4120, the Effective Child Pornography Prosecution Act. The bill will close a jurisdictional loophole that allowed a Kansas man who was convicted of possessing child pornography to escape punishment. The legislation will expand definitions used in crimes of child sexual exploitation and child pornography to cover those offenses to the full extent of Congress's Commerce Clause powers.

 

Democrats helped children threatened by drug abuse in their home. On September 24, 2008, Congress passed H.R. 1199, the Drug Endangered Children Act of 2007. This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants designated to improve coordination among law enforcement, prosecutors, child protection services, social service agencies, and health care providers to help transition drug endangered children into safe residential environments.

 

Congress passed legislation to assist states in caring for runaway and homeless youth.In September 2008, the Democratic-led 110^thCongress passed the Runaway and Homeless Youth Protection Act to reauthorize and increase authorization levels for the programs under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) through the year 2013. This legislation ensures the continuation and improvement of the Basic Center Program (BCP), which provides grants to states to provide housing and crisis services for runaway and homeless youth and their families; the Transitional Living Program (TLP), which provides longer-term housing to homeless youth between the ages of 16 and 21; and the Sexual Abuse Prevention/Street Outreach grant program, which targets youth susceptible to engaging in high-risk behaviors while living on the street.

 

The legislation also requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop performance standards for RHYA direct service grantees, require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to evaluate the grant-making process for these programs under HHS, require HHS to conduct an incidence study on the prevalence of the runaway and homeless youth population, and authorize HHS to conduct a public information campaign to raise awareness of the unaccompanied youth population and their service and support needs.

 

The Senate passed legislation to target those who sell drugs illegally online. On April 1, 2008, the Senate passed the S. 980, the RyanHaight Online Pharmacy Consumer Protection Act of 2008, a bipartisan bill to amend theControlled Substances Act to prohibit the delivery, distribution, or dispensing of controlled substances over the Internet without a valid prescription. The bill would enhance penalties for and further aid law enforcement in prosecuting those who sell drugs illegally online. While Democrats recognize the importance of the internet in providing greater access to convenient and affordable medicine, illegal online pharmacies pose a threat to legitimate patients as well as enable illegal drug abuse. Eliminating these rogue pharmacies is a key battle in the war on drug abuse, one that Republicans and Democrats alike are committed to winning.

 

The Senate passed a bill to combat gang violence across the country. On September 21, 2007, the Senate passed S. 456, the Gang Abatement and Prevention Act of 2007. This bipartisan, comprehensive legislation would provide more than $1 billion in funding for gang prevention, intervention, and suppression programs, as well as create tough federal penalties to deter and punish members of illegal street gangs. Included in this allocation is $411.5 million in funding over five years for newly designated "High Intensity" Gang Activity Areas, gang protection block grants, and mentoring and after-school programs, all of which will focus on prevention and intervention efforts. The bill would also authorize $100 million over five years to expand crime control grants to state and local governments to better enable them to investigate and prosecute more cases against gangs and violent criminals, and allocate $100 for the expansion of the Project Safe Neighborhood, which will focus on preventing violence and gun crimes by gang members. The bill would further authorize $270 million over three years for witness protection efforts and increases penalties for interfering with witnesses. The bill would also establish new federal crimes, including making it illegal to recruit members for a criminal street gang.

 

Democrat-led Senate passed legislation to fight identity theft and cyber crime. As the number of Americans using the Internet to conduct business transactions increases so do the incidents of internet crime. In 2006, more than 200,000 Internet fraud crimes alone were reported to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. These crimes wreak havoc on their victims, ruining finances and lives. S. 2168, the Identity Theft Enforcement and Restitution Act of 2007, would assist the victims and aid in the prosecution and punishment of perpetrators of identity theft and cyber crimes, including spyware crimes. The bill would:

 

•Allow victims to seek restitution for the loss of time and money spent restoring credit;

•Close loopholes to ensure identity thieves who impersonate businesses to steal sensitive data can be prosecuted under federal identity theft laws;

•Extend federal jurisdiction over intrastate identity theft crimes;

•Establish a misdemeanor charge for unauthorized access to a computer where the damage is less than $5,000;

•Make it a felony to employ spyware or key-loggers to damage ten or more computers, regardless of damage amount;

•Make it a crime to threaten to steal or release information from a computer; and

•Enhance the ability of federal prosecutors to combat cyber crime by adding civil and criminal forfeiture to the list of crimes that can be used to prosecute offenders.

 

The Democratic-led Congress passed legislation to adequately address the needs of mentally-ill prisoners. For years, mental health and criminal justice professionals have sought to raise awareness about the large numbers of mentally ill Americans who are incarcerated, some there unnecessarily, in our nation's prisons. A 1999 study by the Department of Justice estimated that 16 percent of people incarcerated in prisons and jails in the United States -- more than 300,000 people -- suffer from mental illnesses.The lack of universal health care has made it difficult for many Americans to access mental health care services when needed. Moreover, the stigma, lack of education, and lack of funding associated with mental illness often make it difficult for the criminal justice system to adequately and appropriately respond to the needs of the mentally ill.

 

In September 2008, Congress passed the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Reauthorization and Improvement Act. The bill will enable state and local governments to apply for funding for mental health courts in an effort to divert qualified offenders from prison to receive treatment; provide specialized training for criminal justice and mental health system personnel; partner with local treatment programs that serve individuals with mental illness; and provide mental health treatment for those in or released from prison.

 

The Democratic-controlled Congress enacted a law to rehabilitate ex-offenders in an effort to reduce recidivism and rebuild families and communities. The United States currently imprisons more than two million people, more than any other industrialized nation. Ninety-five percent of those prisoners are eventually released, which means that approximately 650,000 offenders are released back into the civilian population each year. Having had virtually no rehabilitation inside the prison walls and virtually no transitional assistance outside the prison walls, offenders return to their families, neighborhoods, and troubles often worse-off than before, but now with the added stigma of being and ex-offender, physical and mental health problems generated or exacerbated in jail, the continued lack of education, and the inability to find a job. As a result, two out of three ex-offenders find themselves committing and being rearrested for new crimes within the first three years of their release; youth offenders are at an even greater risk of recidivism.

 

Given the toll that incarceration has on families and communities, especially those that are already vulnerable, given the 40,000 per year in taxpayer dollars it costs to house prisoners, and given the economic and social impact that crime has on the country as a whole, a bipartisan group of Representatives and Senators worked to pass the Second Chance Act of 2007. This comprehensive and landmark bill authorizes a series of federal grant programs and initiatives aimed at rehabilitating inmates and transitioning ex-offenders into lawful and productive citizens. In providing ex-offenders a second chance at life, the nation also benefits via reduced recidivism, saved imprisonment costs, stronger families, and safer communities. On April 9, 2008, the President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-199).

 

Democrats passed legislation to help the Justice Department investigate and prosecute unsolved murders from the civil rights area and unsolved missing children's cases. On September 24, 2008, the Congress passed H.R. 923, the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007. This landmark legislation renews the nation's commitment to achieving justice for those American heroes who lost theirlives in the pursuit of equality and justice for all. Named after Emmitt Till, the slain teenager who was killed in 1955, but whose murderer has never been brought to justice, the bill will create new cold case units at the Justice Department and FBI solely dedicated to investigating and prosecuting hundreds of pre-1970, unsolved murders involving violations of criminal civil rights statutes. According to FBI Director Mueller, many of these cases "were [never] fully investigated, were covered up, or were misidentified as accidental death or disappearance." With the passage of this legislation, the nation and the families of those slain will move that much closer to bringing to justice those who have escaped it for more than three decades, living under the same freedom they so callously denied their victims.

 

This bill also includes the Missing Child Cold Case Review Act, a critical measure that enables the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to pursue inactive case files by engaging the assistance and cooperation of the Inspectors General of federal law enforcement agencies. In the 110^th Congress, this bill passed the House on June 6, 2007. Overcoming more than a year of obstructionism by one Senate Republican, the bipartisan measure finally passed the Senate on September 24, 2008 and has been presented to the President for his signature.

 

The Democratic Congress passed a strong measure to aid in the effort to end the genocide in Sudan. In response to the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, the Democratic-led Senate unanimously approved S. 2271, the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Acton December 12, 2007. This legislation allows American investors, taxpayers, and pensioners to divest from businesses directly contributing to the violence and misery of hundreds of thousands of innocent Darfuris. S. 2271 permits states and localities to adopt measures for divesting from certain companies involved in Sudan. The measure also allows mutual fund and private pension fund managers to cut ties with these companies. It requires federal government contractors to certify that they are not involved in business in four key sectors of Sudan's economy and requires the Departments of State and the Treasury to report on the effectiveness of current Sudan sanctions. On December 18, the House unanimously passed the bill, and on December 31, the President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-174).

 

Democrats passed a bill to curb illicit drug trafficking.On September 25, 2008, the Democratic-led Senate passed a bipartisan measure, entitled the Trafficking Vessel Interdiction Act (S. 3598), to illegalize the operation of a semi-submersible vessel without nationality. These vessels have been increasingly used by drug smugglers to escape Coast Guard detection and pose a significant security risk to the United States. It is estimated that nearly 32 percent of all cocaine in the United States travels on one of these vessels from Columbia. S. 3598, which was passed by the House on September 29, will allow the Coast Guard or other federal authorities to arrest operators of these vessels under U.S. law if they do not have a nationality. International maritime law requires "exclusive flag State jurisdiction" for vessels in international waters. If a vessel does not have a flag State, which drug smugglers do not, the vessel is subject to the laws of the nation whose waters it is located.

 

The Senate, under Democratic leadership, passed legislation to ensure the safety of our courts and judicial officers. Recent violence against judges and their families, including the murders of United States District Judge Joan Lefkow's mother and husband in Chicago and the murders of Superior Court Judge Rowland W. Barnes, a court reporter, and a deputy in Atlanta, has heightened concerns about judicial security. In an effort to better protect witnesses and the officers and personnel who work in our courts, the 110^th Congress passed H.R. 660,the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007 on December 17, 2007. The bill was signed into law on January 7 (P.L. 110-177). The new law will improve court security by enhancing measures that protect judicial personnel, witnesses, and family members of judicial personnel; increasing funding for judicial security at the federal and state levels; and strengthening relevant criminal penalties. The Democratic-led Congress also passed, and the President signed, the Judicial Disclosure Responsibility Act (P.L. 110-24), which amended rules relating to judicial disclosure forms to better shield judges and their family from danger.

 

Democrats passed legislation that will better protect the attorney-client privilege.In recent years, the costs associated with discovery and the protection of privileged materials has skyrocketed to billions each year and countless hours, days, and years in court. The advent of e-mail has increased the number of documents that may contain privileged information and increased the likelihood of an inadvertent disclosure of privileged materials, which could result in a waiver of attorney client privilege for undisclosed, unrelated documents. On February 28, 2008, Senate Democrats passed S. 2450, a bipartisan bill that will modernize the Federal Rules of Evidence to reduce the likelihood of inadvertent waivers. The bill will provide that a disclosure only waives the attorney client privilege for undisclosed documents if the waiver is intentional; the disclosed and undisclosed communications or information concern the same subject matter; and fairness requires that both types of documents be consider jointly. The bill was signed into law on September 19 (P.L. 110-322).

 

Supporting, Honoring, and Caring for Our Troops and Veterans (top)

 

Under Democratic leadership, Congress has provided a cost of living increase to veterans. On October 18, 2007, Congress passed the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007, to provide a 2.3 percent cost of living increase for veterans in 2008. The bill was signed into law by the President on November 5, 2007 (P.L. 110-111). On July 30, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed S. 2617, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008, to provide for a cost of living increase for veterans for 2009. The bill will adjust veterans' disability benefits as well as dependency and indemnity compensation for veterans' surviving families to keep pace with inflation. This increase, effective December 1, 2008 is based upon changes to the Consumer Price Index, which is projected to be a 2.8 increase this year. S, 2617 was signed into law on September 24, 2008 (P.L. 110-324).

 

The Democratic-led Congress approved tax relief for America's military men and women. On March 22, 2008, the Senate unanimously approved H.R. 6081, theHeroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax Act of 2008 ("HEART Act"), which ensures that military families, including Peace Corps and AmeriCorps volunteers, are able to buy homes, save for the future, and meet day-to-day expenses. This bill will enable active duty military personnel to qualify for economic stimulus payments; ensure that combat pay can be considered earned income for the purposes of the Earned Income Tax Credit; permanently extend the provision that allows veterans to qualify for state-operated, tax-exempt mortgage revenue bond programs; modify retirement plan protections for reservists who have paid the ultimate price or are disabled while serving our country; and better protect employers who maintain the pay scale for employees who become active duty military.

 

The legislation will also extend the period for filing tax refund credit claims arising from Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability determinations; ensure that active-duty reservists are able to make penalty-free withdrawals from their retirement plans; and ensure fairer treatment of military families who depend on Supplemental Security Income payments. The HEART Act will permanently allow the Social Security Administration to disclose tax return information to the VA for purposes of determining eligibility for certain veteran's programs. This legislation reflects our nation's deepest gratitude for the outstanding and selfless service of America's servicemembers.

 

The legislation also includes a revenue provision to closes the off-shore tax loophole for federal contractors (often defense contractors) with respect to payroll taxes.The President signed this bill into law on June 17, 2008 (P.L. 110-245).

 

Senate Democrats passed comprehensive legislation to enhance health care services and programs for veterans and their families. On September 27, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed S. 2162, the Veterans' Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (as amended by the House of Representatives), which will significantly bolster VA health care, treatment and research efforts. It will provide improved treatment and care for veterans suffering from PTSD, substance use disorder, and chronic pain; require a review of the VA's residential mental health care facilities; create a critical research program on PTSD and substance use disorders; and fully authorize the VA to provide mental health services to veterans' families and create a new program to help veterans and their families transition to civilian life. Additionally, the bill will make critical improvements in other areas of veterans' health care. It will expand access to VA health care for veterans in rural areas; establish six VA Epilepsy Centers of Excellence; authorize major medical facility construction projects and medical facility leases; provide assistance for low-income and homeless veterans; and improve VA caregiver assistance.

 

The Democratic-led Senate passed a measure to strengthen veterans' suicide prevention initiatives.According to DoD, suicide rates in the Army are the highest they have been since the Vietnam War. Today, the suicide rate for Iraq war veterans is 35 percent higher than that of the general population. Democrats led the effort to advance a bipartisan initiative to address this growing problem. H.R. 327, the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act of 2007, will significantly improve mental health services for returning war veterans. Specifically, the measure will ensure 24-hour access to mental health care for veterans at risk for suicide; provide suicide prevention education for VA staff and medical personnel caring for veterans; create a family education program to address the mental health needs of veterans, and implement a veterans peer support program to program to augment mental health services and suicide prevention efforts. The President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-110) on November 5, 2007.

 

Democrats passed landmark legislation to care for wounded warriors.The neglect and mismanagement discovered at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center has highlighted the Bush Administration's failure to protect the well-being of our nation's veterans and service members. H.R. 1538, the Dignified Treatment of Wounded Warriors Act, will reverse the Administration's record of neglect, by providing a comprehensive plan to ensure the proper care of our wounded service members. The legislation will effectively improve military health care facilities, significantly enhance the treatment of mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI), fill in gaps in health insurance coverage, increase severance pay, and ensure a seamless transition from active duty to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The measure was included in the 2008 Defense Authorization bill, which was signed into law by the President on January 28, 2008.

 

Democrats advance legislation to protect military bonuses for wounded warriors.On December 14, 2007, the Senate unanimously adopted S. 2400, the Wounded Warrior Bonus Equity Act. The legislation would guarantee full payment of bonuses and incentives to veterans who have been medically discharged from service due to combat-related injuries. It would effectively close a loophole in the current law which has prevented some wounded veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan from receiving full enlistment bonuses. The legislation would also requires the Pentagon to conduct an audit of such cases dating back to 2001 and to restore their rightful payments.

 

Democrats advanced legislation to provide enhanced benefits and compensation to our nation's veterans.On September 16, 2008, the Democratic-led Senate passed S. 3023, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, by unanimous consent. The bill includes provisions to improve veterans' care by bolstering compensation, housing, labor and education, and insurance benefits for veterans. It will effectively improve the disability claims process, expand home loan opportunities as well as refinancing and mortgage options; increase access to the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims; and extend improved veterans' employments rights. The bill reflects Democrats' commitment to ensuring that veterans' benefits are considered a continuing cost of war. The bill was sent to the White House on September 27.

 

Prior to this bill, in April 2008, the Senate passed S. 1315, theVeterans Benefits Enhancement Act of 2008. This bill will enhance life insurance programs for disabled veterans; provide increased benefits for education programs; improve housing programs for disabled service members; and modify pay and service requirements for judges of the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. Moreover, the bill will grant limited pension benefits to Filipino veterans who fought under U.S. command in World War II. This bill was passed by the House on September 22.

 

The Senate adopted legislation to expand benefits for veterans with service-related vision impairment and enhance VA burial and memorial benefits.On December 17, 2007, the Democratic-led Senate adopted H.R. 797, the Blinded Veterans Paired Organ Act of 2007. Under the VA's current eligibility requirements, some veterans who are legally blind have been prevented from receiving compensation. This legislation will modify the VA's strict standard to ensure that veterans with multiple disabilities that include vision impairment and veterans with service-connected blindness in one eye who later lose vision in the other are provided compensation. The bill also includes several provisions to improve burial and memorial benefits to veterans. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-157) by the President on December 26, 2007.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Senate Democrats' Commitment: Honoring the Service of Our Nation's Veterans, for more information on veterans' issues.

 

Under Democratic leadership, the Senate passed legislation to enhance support for veteran-owned businesses.On December 19, 2007, the Senate passed the Military Reservist and Veteran Small Business Reauthorization and Opportunity Act of 2007 by unanimous consent. The bill reauthorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) programs for veterans and reservists for two years and provide $4.4 million for Veterans Business Outreach Centers. It includes several additional provisions to expand technical and regulatory assistance and strengthen outreach programs to small businesses owned by veterans and military reservists. On February 14, 2008, the President signed this bill into law (P.L. 110-186).

 

The Democratic-led Senate passed legislation to protect the benefits of military "sole survivors."On August 1, 2008, the Senate unanimously passed H.R. 6580, the Hubbard Act, in order to correct current policy that unjustly penalizes military "sole survivors." The bipartisan bill will ensure that service members who voluntary separate under sole survivorship receive the same benefits and services provided to honorably discharged servicemen and women. It specifies that sole survivors will not be required to repay military bonuses and authorizes full separation pay, transitional health care coverage, certain educational benefits, entitlement to the Veterans Home Loan Guarantee Program, among other provisions. The President signed the bill into law on August 29, 2008 (P.L. 110-317).

 

The Senate, under Democratic leadership, passed unanimously legislation to streamline the citizenship process for military service members. On March 12, 2008, the Senate passed S. 2516, the KendellFrederick Citizenship Assistance Act, in honor of a fallen soldier who was a citizen of Trinidad but served in the U.S. Army. Spc. Frederick was killed when he left the base to process his citizenship application. At that time, he had been attempting to become a U.S. citizen for more than a year, but his application was delayed several times due to administrative red tape and miscommunication. His citizenship was eventually granted posthumously. In recognition of his service to our nation, Senate Democrats dedicated themselves to ensuring that no other soldier fighting enemies overseas on behalf of the United States should have to fight unnecessary administrative red tape to become a citizen. S. 2516, along with the House companion bill, demands better coordination between the military and immigration officials, including ensuring that fingerprint records for enlistment suffice as fingerprint records for naturalization and changes to DHS rules pertaining to naturalization procedures for military personnel be reflected in updated versions of applications, instructions and guidebooks. The legislation was signed into law (P.L. 110- 251) on June 26, 2008.

 

Moreover, in September, Congress took a further step toward this end by passing the S. 2840, theMilitary Personnel Citizenship Process Act, which will help expedite the citizenship applications for members of the Armed Forces, or by spouses or survivors of members, by creating a liaison with the FBI at the Homeland Security Department and setting processing deadlines. The bill was presented to the President on September 30, 2008.

 

Improving Health Care and Well Being (top)

Congress overwhelmingly approved legislation to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.Since the Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) was enacted in 1990, a series of court decisions narrowed the definition of who qualifies as an "individual with a disability," contrary to Congressional intent. By raising the threshold for an impairment to qualify as a disability, these court decisions have deprived individuals of the discrimination protections Congress intended to provide. That is why Congress overwhelmingly approved S. 3406, the ADA Amendments Act, which will remedy this problem and restore workplace protections to every American with a disability.The legislation clarifies which individuals will meet the definition of disabled, and specifies that mitigating measures, such as medication, may not be considered. The bill also provides guidance regarding what is a "major life activity" for purposes of establishing ADA protection. Perhaps most importantly, the legislation lowers the threshold for how limiting an individual's condition must be to qualify for ADA protections, and requires that the courts interpret the ADA broadly. With these changes, the ADA Amendments Act returns the focus of the ADA to where Congress intended it to be - on whether a person with a disability is being discriminated against. This legislation was signed into law on September 25 (P.L. 110-325).
 

Congress voted overwhelmingly to override President Bush's veto of critical Medicare legislation. Both the House and the Senate approved H.R. 6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act, by veto-proof majorities. Despite the overwhelming bi-partisan support for this bill, however, President Bush vetoed it. But while the President and his Republican allies in Congress fought to protect the health insurance industry, Democrats fought to protect seniors. That is why under Democratic leadership, Congress voted overwhelmingly to override the President's irresponsible veto of this bill, and on July 15, 2008, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Actbecame law (P.L. 110-275). This legislation prevents a 10.6 percent cut in payments to physicians who care for the 44 million American seniors in the Medicare program and the estimated 8.9 million beneficiaries in the military's TRICARE program. This legislation will also:
 

•Ensure seniors' access to the doctors they know and trust by preventing the otherwise pending 10 percent payment cut for physicians in Medicare;

•Ensure active-duty military personnel and military retirees access to the doctors they know and trust in TRICARE, where payments to physicians are based on Medicare payment rates;

•Guarantee enhanced Medicare preventive and mental health benefits, including providing for mental health parity in the Medicare program;

•Guarantee improvements in and extension of programs for low-income Medicare beneficiaries, including increasing the amount of assets that low-income beneficiaries can have and still qualify for financial assistance with Medicare costs;

•Guarantee improvements in Medicare for both health care providers and beneficiaries in rural America, including improving payments for sole community hospitals, critical access hospitals and ambulances; and

•Improve choice and access to health care providers for seniors in Medicare Private Fee-for-Service plans by requiring those plans to contract with doctors and hospitals to form provider networks -just like all other Medicare Advantage plans that serve Medicare beneficiaries.

 

Democrats passed critical legislation aimed at combating the global AIDS epidemic. On July 16, 2007, under Democratic leadership, the Senate passed the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008, by a vote of 80-16. The bipartisan bill authorizes $48 billion over Fiscal Years 2009 through 2013 for United States bilateral and multilateral programs to combat human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), tuberculosis (TB), and malaria. This legislation significantly bolsters the landmark public health program launched in 2003, known as the President's Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved millions of lives worldwide, contributed to increased stability in many at-risk countries, and led to improved relations between the United States and many countries in Africa and around the world. By nearly tripling the authorized funding for these initiatives over the next five years, the bill will markedly strengthen America's leadership in the fight against global AIDS, with the goals of preventing 12 million HIV infections; providing life-saving treatment for at least three million people; supporting the care for 12 million people who are living with HIV or AIDS, including five million orphans and children; helping countries ACHIEVE 80 percent access to counseling testing and treatment to prevent the transmission of HIV from mother to child; and assisting countries in expanding their health care workforce, with the target of training and retaining at least 140,000 new health care workers. These efforts, combined with expanded fights against malaria and TB will help save millions of lives. The bill (assigned H.R. 5501, but text of S. 2731) was agreed to in the House on July 24, 2008 and presented to the President for his signature on July 25.

 

Democrats passed much-needed, landmark legislation to modernize and improve health care services for Native Americans. On February 26, 2008, the Senate passed S. 1200, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act (IHCIA) Amendments of 2008, by a vote of 83 to 10. The passage of IHCIA comes after more than a decade of work by Democrats to improve health care services for Native peoples. The bill would:
 

•Establish objectives for minimizing the health disparities that exist between Indians and the rest of the U.S. population;

•Enhance the ability of the Indian Health Service (IHS) and tribal health programs to attract and retain qualified Indian health care professionals;

•Develop new mechanisms for completing health facilities and reducing the backlog in construction;

•Establish a continuum of care through integrated behavioral health programs to address the substance abuse problems and the social service and mental health needs of Indian people;

•Facilitate improved decision-making regarding program operations and priorities at the local tribal level in order to improve services to tribal populations;

•Enable Native Americans to use modern methods of health care delivery not currently available to them;

•Improve the efficiency of the IHS; and

 

•Facilitate participation in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP by eligible Indians and Indian health programs.

 

Congress, under the leadership of Democrats, is working to ensure health care coverage for children in need.The Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) has played a crucial role in helping to reduce the rate of uninsured low-income children over the past ten years. By every measure, CHIP is cost-effective, and has been shown to work well in meeting the basic health care needs of our nation's children. In September, the House and Senate overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan, bi-cameral agreement to invest significant new federal resources into the program and cover millions more low-income uninsured children who are eligible for the CHIP and Medicaid, but whose families cannot afford private insurance. But President Bush vetoed the legislation. Although the President's arguments against the legislation to renew CHIP are unfounded, Democrats and Republicans worked together to produce a revised CHIP reauthorization bill that addressed the issues raised by the President and those Republicans who opposed the original bill. In October 2007, Congress overwhelmingly approved this updated CHIP legislation, which -- like the CHIP legislation passed in September -- would cover nearly ten million low-income American children whose families cannot afford private insurance.

Despite the overwhelming support for this legislation and the promise it offers to our nation's children, President Bush vetoed it -- for the second time -- denying millions of our nation's most vulnerable children the care they need when they're sick, and the checkups they need to stay well. As a result of the President's actions, Congress was forced merely to extend the current CHIP program though March 31, 2009, thereby protecting coverage for currently-enrolled children, but not making any headway in reducing the number of uninsured children. Despite the President's vetoes of this critical legislation, 69 Senators, 43 governors, hundreds of organizations, and the vast majority of the American people continue to support the bipartisan CHIP reauthorization legislation.

See the DPC Fact Sheets entitled, President Bush Threatens to Veto Kids' Health Care...Again and Improving Children's Health Coverage is the Top Health Priority for a Bipartisan Majority in Congress. . .But President Bush Stands in the Way, for more information about this issue.

 

The 110^th Congress has succeeded in passing bipartisan legislation to protect all Americans from genetic discrimination. On May 19, 2008, the Democratic-led Congress sent to the President's desk H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). A version of this bill has been introduced, considered, and/or passed in at least one chamber of every Congress since the 103^rd Congress but has yet to make it to the President's desk, until now. On May 21, 2008, this bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-233).

 

GINA would establish strong protections against discrimination on the basis of genetic information by health insurance companies and employers (private and public) by:

 

•Prohibiting insurance enrollment restrictions and premium adjustment on the basis of genetic information or genetic services;

 

•Preventing health plans and insurers from requesting or requiring that an individual take a genetic test;

 

•Covering all health insurance programs, including ERISA, state-regulated plans, and the individual market;

 

•Prohibiting employers from discriminating against workers in hiring, compensation and other personnel decisions; and

 

•Prohibiting employers from collecting genetic information, save only to monitor the adverse effects of hazardous workplace exposures.

 

Scientists have completed the historic task of mapping the human genome, which has given physicians better tools to diagnose, prevent, and treat diseases. To fulfill the promise of this new knowledge, however, Americans need to be assured that their genetic information will not be used to discriminate against them.

 

Surveys reveal that the public's concern about the misuse of genetic information has led many to refrain from taking life-saving genetic tests and participating in critical genetic research. Moreover, the patchwork of existing state and federal laws are confusing to everyone -- insurers, employers, patients, and workers -- and inadequate to protect against genetic discrimination. GINA would ensure that genetic information is safeguarded and give Americans the confidence they need to take advantage of genetic services.

 

Legislation to help prevent childhood cancer has become law. Each year, over 12,000 American children are diagnosed with cancer, and more than 2,000 of them end up succumbing to this devastating disease. That is why Congress has approved H.R. 1553, the Caroline Pryce Walker Conquer Childhood Cancer Act of 2008, which expands research programs aimed at preventing childhood cancer. The legislation also creates a national registry to track pediatric cancer, thereby allowing researchers to contact patients quickly, enroll them in research studies, and follow up with them over time. This legislation will deliver much needed hope and support to children and their families who are battling cancer, and more resources for crucial pediatric cancer research programs. The President signed this legislation into law on July 29, 2008 (P.L. 110-285).

 

During the 110^thCongress, critical legislation to expand programs and funding to treat traumatic brain injuries has become law.On December 11, 2007, the Senate approved S. 793, legislation to reauthorize the Traumatic Brain Injury Act, to continue funding for a range of traumatic brain injury programs. The bill would reauthorize grants that have been assisting states in building or enhancing coordinating systems of community-based services and support for adults and children with traumatic brain injuries. Every year 1.5 million people in the United States sustain a traumatic brain injury, including approximately 475,000 children. This bill would provide assistance to the millions of adults and children in our nation who are facing an array of problems due to their injury. This legislation was signed into law on April 28, 2008 (P.L. 110-206).

 

Congress has approved legislation to improve health screenings for newborn children.While some newborn screening occurs in every state, fewer than half of all states screen for all 29 of the medical conditions recommended by the American College of Medical Genetics and the Department of Health and Human Services. On December 13, 2007, the Senate unanimously approved S. 1858, the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2007, which will educate parents and health care providers about newborn health screening; improve follow-up care for infants with an illness detected through newborn screening; and help states expand and improve their newborn screening programs. This legislation was signed into law on April 24, 2008 (P.L. 110-204).

 

The 110^thCongress worked in a bipartisan manner to ensure the availability of breast and cervical cancer screenings for low-income women. In April, 2007, the President signed into law (P.L.110-18), theNational Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program Reauthorization Act of 2007, which reauthorizes and increases funding for the program to subsidize mammography exams, pap tests, and other screening exams. The law will also allow some states to spend grant money on outreach programs to underserved women who may not otherwise know about the program.

 

Senate Democrats led the way toward creating a stronger Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by establishing a new and better direction for the safety of the drugs we take and the food we eat.On September 27, 2007, the President signed into law the Food and Drug Amendments Act of 2007, legislation that will reauthorize the successful drug and medical-device user-fee programs; greatly improve the FDA's oversight of drug safety; and provide important incentives for the development of drugs for children. The legislation provides over $400 million for the review of drugs and medical devices at FDA, and over $50 million for needed safety reforms to give the agency the tools it needs to do the job we are counting on it to do. To help patients, providers and researchers learn more and make better health care decisions, the legislation creates a public registry of clinical trials and their results. The bill helps preserve the integrity of scientific review by improving the FDA's safeguards against conflicts of interest. The bill also addresses misleading prescription drug ads by putting in place parameters for strong safety disclosures for direct-to-consumer ads, coupled with an effective enforcement mechanism. The legislation further ends the abuse of so-called "citizen petitions," still allowing ordinary citizens to submit petitions to the agency about drugs it is reviewing to protect public health, but precluding those who seek only to delay the entry onto the market of generic drugs from using the process to do so. By creating a registry and a requirement to report problems, the legislation also takes important first steps toward ensuring a safer food supply.

 

In this new era for the life sciences, Democrats have no doubt that medical advances will continue to bring immense benefits for our citizens. Thus, we are working to ensure that we have strong, vigilant public health watchdogs to guarantee that new drugs and medical devices are safe and beneficial, and that they actually reach the patients who urgently need them.

 

See the background and summary section of the DPC Legislative Bulletin entitled, S. 1082, the Food and Drug Administration Revitalization Act, for more information on this legislation.

 

The Senate unanimously approved mental health parity legislation.Mental illness is a pervasive and often devastating health problem that, fortunately, is often treatable. Yet many Americans do not receive necessary mental health services due to financial constraints, stigma, and other factors. To help reduce these barriers to care, the Democratic-led Senate approved the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, both as a stand alone bill (S. 558) and as part of the Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 and the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (EESA). This bipartisan legislation prohibits a group health plan that offers mental health coverage from imposing financial requirements or treatment limitations on mental health benefits that are more restrictive than the financial requirements or treatment limitations applied to the plan's medical and surgical benefits. While the legislation does not mandate that group health plans provide mental health coverage, it does not preempt states laws that require mental health benefits.

 

Senate Democrats passed landmark legislation to ban the use of asbestos.On Asbestos is used in a number of materials commonly found throughout homes and businesses like fire insulation, floor tiles, and textured paints. Exposure to asbestos fibers can accumulate in lungs that can cause cancer, mesothelima, and scarring of long tissues. On October 4, 2007, the Senate unanimously passed S. 742, the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007. The legislation will:

 

•Require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to ensure that asbestos products go out of circulation within two years of the bill becoming law;

 

•Allow researchers to expand the clearinghouse of information available to scientists;

 

•Strengthen the existing asbestos disease registry by enabling it to include information on patients with assorted types of asbestos-related diseases;

 

•Expand the treatment and research of asbestos-related diseases by creating a $50 million account to provide for the construction of treatment centers across the country; and

 

•Require the Administrator at the EPA to conduct a public education campaign with a wide range of public health groups to educate the public on the dangers of using asbestos-related projects in their homes and places of business.

 

Congress has approved legislation to strengthen the health care safety net that millions of Americans depend on.Congress has now cleared for signature by the White House H.R. 1343, the Health Care Safety Net Act of 2007, legislation to reauthorize and strengthen three programs which, together, provide a safety net that helps millions of Americans each year access needed health care services: the Community Health Centers program, the National Health Service Corps, and Rural Health Care Programs. This legislation will improve and increase resources for these programs, which enable safety net providers located in rural and urban areas throughout the country to offer health care services to millions of underserved and uninsured people.

 

Congress has approved legislation to help our nation's most disadvantaged children get a healthy start in life. The United States' infant mortality rate ranks 32nd out of 33 of the world's industrialized nations. To combat this problem, the Healthy Start program provides services to improve access to, and the quality of, health care for at-risk mothers and infants. That is why Congress approved S. 1760, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act of 2007, which will reauthorize the Healthy Start program for five years. This legislation is essential to helping our nation's most disadvantaged children survive infancy and start life healthy. This legislation has been presented to the President for signature.

 

Democrats are committed to expanding federally-funded embryonic stem cell research.Embryonic stem cells have the unique ability to develop into virtually every cell and tissue in the body, and stem cell research is giving hope to millions of people with debilitating diseases and disabilities who may one day benefit from embryonic stem cell therapies. Scientists report that the restrictions President Bush has imposed on the number of stem cell lines eligible for federally-funded research is hindering progress. In 2006, the President vetoed bipartisan legislation that would have expanded the number of embryonic stem cell lines eligible for federally-funded research.

 

Undeterred, Congress again passed legislation to expand the number of human embryonic stem cells eligible for federally-funded research. S. 5, the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, directs the Health and Human Services Secretary to conduct and support embryonic stem cell research, regardless of when the stem cells were derived, provided that: 1) the stem cells were derived from embryos donated from in vitro fertilization clinics, were created for fertility treatment, and are in excess of what was needed for those treatments; 2) the embryos would never be implanted in a woman and would otherwise be discarded; and 3) the individuals who donated embryos have provided their written informed consent and have not received any financial or other inducements for making the donation.

 

On June 20, 2007, President Bush vetoed S. 5, for the second time, blocking legislation to advance research on embryonic stem cells. Both S. 5 and the legislation vetoed by the president in the last Congress were approved by bipartisan majorities in both the House and the Senate, with nearly universal support from Democrats. S. 5 has the support of the overwhelming majority of Americans, as well as major medical and scientific associations, research universities and institutions, and dozens of patient advocacy organizations. More than 100 million Americans suffer from diseases or conditions that could one day be treated with therapies derived from stem cell research. The President's veto is a devastating setback for them. That is why Democrats will continue to fight to expand the President's misguided policy.

 

See DPC Fact Sheets entitled, President Bush Blocks Legislation to Advance Stem Cell Research...Again and NIH Director Agrees that Federally Funded Scientists Should Have Access to New Embryonic Stem Cell Lines, for more information on this issue.

 

Democrats enacted a measure to better ensure the safety of our seniors. On August 1, 2007, the Senate unanimously approved S. 845, the Safety of Seniors Act of 2007. This legislation will authorize new programs to help prevent falls among older adults through public education, research and demonstration projects. Falls are the leading cause of injury deaths among persons over 65, and this bill will take significant steps towards preventing falls among our nations' seniors. The legislation was signed into law on April 24, 2008 (P.L. 110-202).

 

Democrats passed legislation to ensure disabled Americans have adequate access to transportation.In 1998, the Department of Transportation (DOT) adopted a rule requiring bus operators to accommodate individuals with disabilities. Nevertheless, widespread claims of non-compliance and outright discrimination against persons with disabilities by some bus operators, especially private companies without stations that use high-floor, over the baggage compartment buses (a.k.a "over-the-road" buses), still exist. On July 14, 2008, Congress enacted final passage of H.R. 3985, the Over-the-Road Bus Transportation Accessibility Act of 2007 to clarify the authority and responsibility of the DOT's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to consider compliance with DOT-Americans with Disability Act rules when issuing registrations to bus operators. The bill also requires the DOT and Department of Justice to identify specific roles and responsibilities between the two agencies for enforcing these rules. This legislation was

 

Congress has approved legislation to help treat and find a cure for ALS.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease,is a fatal, progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. More than 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, and as many as 30,000 Americans currently live with the disease. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure within two to five years from the time of diagnosis. The FDA has approved only one drug to treat symptoms. It works only 20 percent of the time and only extends life for a few months. There is no known cure for the disease, regardless of the cause.

 

A single national patient registry which collects and stores information on the prevalence and incidence of ALS does not exist in the United States today. The establishment of a national registry will help identify the incidence and prevalence of ALS in the United States and collect data, which are urgently needed for ALS research, disease management and the development of standards of care. That is why Congress has approved S. 1382, theALS Registry Act, legislation that will create a centralized registry -- to promote a better understanding of the disease, help to determine its causes, and significantly enhance the nation's efforts to find a treatment and cure. This legislation has been cleared for signature by the White House.
 

The Democratic-controlled Congress approved legislation to help combat Muscular Dystrophy.Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disease that results in progressive degeneration of skeletal muscles and other organs, notably the heart. Some 300,000 individuals in the United States are affected by the nine types of muscular dystrophy. That is why Congress has overwhelmingly approved H.R. 5265, the Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance Research and Education Amendments of 2008, legislation that will reauthorize, expand and intensify research to cure muscular dystrophy. The legislation has been sent to the President, who is expected to sign it into law.
 

Democrats have passed legislation to ensure college students have access to health coverage during medical leave.Michelle Morse, a 20-year-old college student, was forced to remain a full-time student under threat of losing her health insurance, despite being treated for advanced colon cancer. Congress has overwhelmingly approved H.R. 2851, known as "Michelle's Law," to prevent others from enduring the ordeal that Michelle Morse experienced. The legislation will ensure college students who receive health insurance as dependents under a parent's health plan may take up to twelve months of necessary medical lave from college with continued health insurance coverage. The legislation has been sent to the President for signature.
 

Democrats have passed legislation to provide information and support to pregnant women regarding prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions.Expectant mothers who are told that they are going to have a child with a condition such as Down syndrome, Spina Bifida, or Cystic Fibrosis, often do not have access toappropriate and accurate information. Congress has approved S. 1810, the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act, which will ensure that pregnant women facing a positive prenatal test result, or who deliver an infant with a postnatal condition, will be more likely to receive up-to-date, scientific information about the life expectancy, clinical course, intellectual and functional development, prenatal and postnatal treatment options, and referrals to support services. Additionally, the bill requires the Health and Human Services Secretary to make grants to entities to collect, synthesize, and disseminate evidenced-based information related to diagnosed conditions and make that information available to health providers and to coordinate access to new or existing support services. This legislation has been sent to the President for signature.

 

Congress has approved legislation to support the nation's poison control network.The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that in any given year there will be between three and five million poison exposures, sixty percent of which will involve children under the age of six. Poisoning is the second most common form of unintentional death in the United States and accounts for 285,000 hospitalizations. That is why Congress has approved S. 2932, the Poison Center Support, Enhancement and Awareness Act of 2008, which reauthorizes the poison center national toll-free hotline, national media campaign and state grant program - providing federal assistance to our nation's 61 poison control centers. This legislation is on its way to the President for signature.

The Democratic-controlled Congress has approved legislation to strengthen research into the environmental causes of breast cancer. Breast cancer will strike approximately one in eight American women, and a new case is diagnosed every 2 minutes. While progress has been made in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, we still do fully understand the cause of this devastating disease. H.R. 1157, the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act will implement a national strategy to study the possible connection between breast cancer and the environment, and would authorize up to $40 million per year in funding for research and related activities. Both the House and Senate have approved this legislation, which has been sent to the President for signature

Congress has approved legislation to help combat tuberculosis in the United States. Tuberculosis, a chronic bacterial infection, continues to be both a domestic and worldwide problem. One third of the world's population is infected and 1.7 million tuberculosis deaths are reported globally each year. The prevalence of international travel means that more Americans are vulnerable to TB infection. A major public health concern is the increase in the number of cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a form of the disease that is resistant to several of the standard therapeutic drugs. Recently, there has also been an increase in the number of cases of extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is resistant to four or more standard drugs. That is why Congress has overwhelmingly approved H.R. 1532, the Comprehensive Tuberculosis Elimination Act. This legislation will reauthorize our national TB elimination program to prevent the spread of TB in the U.S. This bill also invests in new drugs to combat TB. The legislation has been cleared for signature by the President.

 

Democrats have approved far-reaching child welfare reform legislation.Congress has overwhelmingly approved H.R. 6893, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, which will help hundreds of thousands of children by promoting permanent families for children in foster care; allowing more children to be cared for by their own relatives and in their own communities; and creating opportunities for older children who are transitioning out of the foster care system. Specifically, this legislation will:

 

•Allow federal financial assistance for grandparents and other relatives who become legal guardians of children for whom they have cared as foster parents, thereby potentially taking thousands of children out of the foster care system for good;

 

•Allow states to continue financial support for children in foster care up to the age of 21, and create opportunities for children aging out of foster care so they are able to pursue education or vocational training after the age of 18;

 

•Allow more Native American children to receive foster care in their own communities by providing Indian Tribes with the same direct access to federal funding for foster care and adoption services that states currently receive;

 

•Reauthorize and improve the Adoption Incentives program, which provides bonuses to states for increasing adoptions out of foster care, and allow more families to receive adoption assistance; and

 

•Improve oversight within the foster care system by requiring states to ensure the educational stability and coordination of health care needs of every foster child.

 

This legislation has been sent to the President for signature.

 

Expanding Educational Opportunities (top)

 

Congress passed a law to make college more affordable. Higher education is becoming more and more important to achieving the American dream, yet it is also becoming increasingly unaffordable and inaccessible. Democrats recognize that students and their families are struggling to cover the rising cost of college and have made college affordability a top priority. Thus, under Democratic leadership, Congress overwhelmingly approved the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which will increase access to higher education and direct federal dollars where they are most needed: to students.

 

This legislation will increase student aid for low- and middle-income students, providing over $20 billion in new student aid and benefits, the largest increase in student aid since the G.I. bill. The bill will also make student loan debt more manageable, forgive student loan debt for those who commit to public service, and reform the student loan system. Moreover, the legislation will provide benefits to students at no cost to taxpayers by reducing excessive lender subsidies and redirecting federal aid to students who need it most. The President signed this legislation into law (P.L. 110-84) on September 27, 2007.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, Democrats Send the President Landmark Legislation Calling for the Largest Increase in Student Aid Since the G.I. Bill, for information on this legislation.

 

Congress also approved legislation giving colleges incentives to rein in tuition increases and further expanding college access for low-income students.In addition to rising tuition, students and their families face an overly-complicated and confusing federal student aid application process, as well as a student loan industry that has been mired in conflicts of interest and corrupt lending practices. That is why Congress, building on the steps taken under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, has approved the Higher Education Opportunity Act. This legislation will reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 1965,strengthening many of its provisions and including new measures to address rising college costs and unethical practices in the student loan industry. The Higher Education Opportunity Act will hold colleges accountable for rising college costs by improving the availability and accuracy of information available to parents and students. The legislation will also simplify the financial aid process; expand grant aid for the neediest students; and reform the student loan system so that it serves the best interests of students, not banks. In response to the corruption uncovered by recent investigations of the student loan industry, the legislation will ensure that colleges are recommending lenders based on the best interest of students, not the self-interest of financial aid officers; prohibit payments, gifts, and other inducements from lenders to colleges and financial aid administrators that create conflicts of interest; and require colleges to establish and follow a code of conduct with respect to student loans. The Higher Education Opportunity Act was signed into law (P.L. 110-315) on August 14, 2008.

 

 

Under Democratic leadership, vital legislation to expand and improve Head Start has become law. For more than 40 years, Head Start has provided America's neediest children with cognitive, social-emotional, and academic skills, helping to prepare them for success in school. Studies show that at-risk children who have participated in Head Start programs are better prepared for school than their peers who have not had the benefit of Head Start. However, Head Start currently serves only about half of all eligible preschool children and fewer than five percent of eligible infants and toddlers.

 

On November 14, 2007, the Senate unanimously approved the conference report to accompany H.R. 1429, the Head Start for School Readiness Act, which will increase funding and expand access for the Head Start program to include additional low-income children up to 130 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill also takes important steps to expand Early Head Start (a component of Head Start that benefits infants and toddlers and their families) to serve and additional 8,000 low-income infants and toddlers over the next five years. To improve and expand the availability of quality early childhood education, the legislation would establish an Early Education and Care Council in each state to develop a coordinated and comprehensive system of early childhood education and development. The President signed this legislation into law (P.L. 110-134) on December 12.

 

Congress has also passed legislation to protect student borrowers from the turmoil in the U.S. credit markets. In recent months, problems in the mortgage market have made it difficult for some lenders who participate in the federal student loan program to secure the capital they need to finance college loans. To help ensure that that access to college loans is not jeopardized by turmoil in the credit markets, Congress passed the Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act. This legislation will increase the amount of federally-subsidized loans available to students and provide parents with improved access to low-cost federal loans. The legislation will also help students access low-cost federal loans by helping to stabilize the private student loan program and shoring up the existing "lender of last resort" program. In addition, by expanding eligibility for need-based financial aid, the legislation will decrease students' reliance on loans to pay for college. The bill was signed into law on May 5, 2008 (P.L. 110-227), and legislation to extend the Act for an additional year, through June 30, 2010, is now on its way to the President.

 

Demanding Transparency, Accountability, and Ethics in Washington (top)

 

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation to increase oversight of the executive branch.On April 23, 2008, the Senate passed S. 2324, the Inspector General Reform Act of 2007 by unanimous consent. The bill will increase government accountability and cut down on government waste, fraud and abuse by enhancing the independence and effectiveness of our country's system of federal inspector generals (IG). It will provide IGs greater autonomy over their budgets and make it more difficult for the executive branch to fire them. Additionally, the bill will establish an "integrity and efficiency council" to address IG issues across government agencies, develop standards for IGs, and identify and take corrective action against waste, fraud and abuse in federal programs.

 

The Senate passed legislation to protect federal whistleblowers. Recent congressional oversight hearings about government waste, fraud, and abuse, especially as it relates to the War in Iraq, have highlighted the importance of federal whistleblowers in holding the government accountable. On December 17, 2007, the Senate passed S. 274, the Federal Employees Disclosure Act of 2007, a bipartisan bill to strengthen the Whistleblower Protection Act to shield federal employees who uncover waste, fraud, abuse, or gross mismanagement, without restriction as to time, place, form, motive, context, or prior disclosure. These protections would include safeguards against the enforcement of nondisclosure policies, the retaliatory revocation of security clearances, and unnecessary investigations. The measure would give the Office of Special Counsel the ability to file amicus briefs in federal courts and codify and strengthen anti-gag rules. The legislation would also permit multi-circuit review for up to five-years, suspending the Federal Circuit's sole jurisdiction over federal whistleblower cases.

 

See the DPC oversight and accountability projecthomepage for more information on this issue.

 

The Democratic-led Congress passed comprehensive ethics and lobbying reform. In the last election, Americans sent a clear message that unethical and illegal behavior in government will no longer be tolerated. Democrats responded by making ethics reform their first priority in the 110^th Congress. In August 2007, Democrats delivered on that promise by achieving final passage of S. 1, the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act of 2007. The legislation will strengthen Senate rules regarding gifts and travel, slow the "revolving door" for former Senators and staff, enhance and better enforce lobbying disclosures, reduce "dead of night" changes to conference reports, require earmark transparency, and ban the pay-to-play K Street Project. When the President signed the bill into law (P.L. 110-81) on September 14, the 110th Congress, under Democratic leadership, accomplished what previous Republican congresses would not: enact the toughest, most sweeping ethics and lobbying reform in a generation.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet entitled, The Democratic-led, 110th Congress Delivered a Victory for the American People by Passing Ethics and Lobbying Reform, for background information on this legislation.

 

The Senate, under Democratic leadership, passed bipartisan legislation to increase transparency and accessibility in government.On December 17, 2007, the Senate enacted final passage of S. 2488, the Openness Promotes Effectiveness in our National Government Act (OPEN Government Act), which provides the first reforms to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) in over a decade. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-175) by the President on December 31, 2007.

 

FOIA was passed in 1966 to establish the public's presumptive right to access government documents. In recent years, however, concerns have been raised about the slowness with which FOIA requests are processed and answered. Some requests have been backlogged for years due to both bureaucratic red-tape and intentional delays. Under the Bush Administration, government agencies shifted the long-held presumption in favor of complying with requests to a presumption against complying with requests -- a policy change that has resulted in the frivolous denials of requests and conflicts directly with the spirit of FOIA.

 

TheOpen Government Act addresses the administrative and policy hurdles that have caused the FOIA backlog to balloon and would work to shine the light on government actions. The bill restores meaningful deadlines for agency action under FOIA; imposes penalties on federal agencies that fail to meet FOIA's 20-day statutory deadline; closes loopholes that would have limited public access to public records held by outside private contractors; creates a FOIA ombudsman to provide the public and agencies with a meaningful alternative to costly litigation; and gives agencies the tools they need to process FOIA requests in a timely manner.

 

See the DPC Oversight Highlights for the Week of March 12, 2007 for a summary of the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on FOIA.

 

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation to clean-up government contracting abuses. On November 7, 2007, the Senate passed by unanimous consent S. 680, the Accountability in Government Contracting Act of 2007. The bill would strengthen competition in federal contracting, add transparency to the process, and help curtail waste, fraud, and abuse of taxpayers' money by:

 

•Requiring more information in a contract's statement for orders over $5 million;

 

•Strengthening oversight and transparency of "sole source" contracting;

 

•Curtailing the practice of awarding contracts missing key terms, such as price, scope, or schedule;

 

•Limiting the award on an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity, single vendor contract valued at more than $100 million;

 

•Reining-in wasteful use of government purchase cards by seeking better analysis of purchase card use; and

 

•Placing a limit on the length of contracts awarded non-competitively under urgent and compelling circumstances.

 

The Senate unanimously passed legislation to prosecute those who steal from disaster victims. Two years after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita ravaged the Gulf Coast, much of the region's economy, infrastructure, and housing remains devastated. Failures of the insurance industry, increased crime, and the breakdown of many social services have made it difficult for long-time residents to return to and rebuild their homes and lives. Congress has devoted billions in resources and assistance to the region, but much, much more is needed. What the residents of the Gulf Coast -- and survivors of other disasters -- do not need are people defrauding the government of critical resources that would otherwise be used to help them restore their homes, businesses, schools, and hospitals. In 2006, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that fraud and abuse of disaster recovery funds resulted in the waste of $1 billion in disaster relief funds following Hurricane Katrina.

 

In December 2007, the Senate passed S. 863, the Emergency and Disaster Assistance Fraud Penalty Enhancement Act of 2007, a bipartisan bill to create a new crime of fraud in connection with major disaster or emergency benefits; increase criminal penalties for engaging in mail or wire fraud during and in relation to a major disaster or emergency; and direct the United States Sentencing Commission to develop guidelines to provide for increased penalties for persons convicted of disaster or emergency benefit fraud. The bill was signed into law on January 7, 2008 (P.L. 110-179).

 

The Senate passed bipartisan legislation to restore checks and balances to the appointment process for United States Attorneys and safeguard the integrity of our justice system. Last year's probe into the firing and hiring of U.S. Attorneys for allegedly political reasons has revealed excessively partisan, at best, and illegal, at worst, action by officials at the highest levels of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the White House. The Bush Administration has caused many to question the independence of U.S. Attorneysacross the nation and, in so doing, heightened concerns about the overall politicization of the Justice Department, especially the Civil Rights Division. Moreover, mismanagement and poor judgment by former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and other DOJ officials have the left the once revered agency in disarray.

 

In March 2007, the Senate took concrete steps to restore the effectiveness and legitimacy of the federal justice system by overwhelmingly passing the Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007, which ensures the Senate's role in the placement of U.S. Attorneys. Under a provision that was slipped into the USA Patriot Actreauthorization by Republicans in 2006, the appointment process for U.S. Attorneys was altered so that the Attorney General could appoint "interim" U.S. Attorneys indefinitely - thus completely avoiding the Senate confirmation process. The measure, now signed into law (P.L. 110-34), restores the process that existed for 20 years prior to the 2006 change and will require an interim appointment made by the Attorney General to expire after 120 days or when a permanent U.S. Attorney is nominated by the President and confirmed with the advice and consent of the Senate. After the 120 days, if a successor is not in place, the U.S. District Court will then appoint the U.S. Attorney. Returning to this effective, proven process ensures that the appropriate checks and balances are in place for the appointment of U.S. Attorneys.

 

As Judge Michael Mukasey continues his tenure as the new Attorney General, Democrats look forward to working with him through consultation and oversight to restore the Justice Department's reputation and ensure its unbridled commitment to enforcing the nation's laws, safeguarding the country from harm, and ensuring the civil rights of all Americans.

 

See the DPC Legislative Bulletin entitled, S. 214, the Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act of 2007, for more information on this legislation.

Advancing Energy Independence, Improving Infrastructure, and Focusing on the Environment (top)

 

Democrats passed a law to replenish the Highway Trust fund. The Highway Trust Fund is the primary means of funding all of our highway construction and repair projects in every state.It is funded by taxes on gasoline and diesel. As high prices for those resources skyrocketed, Americans drove less and used more public transportation, which led to a reduction in the amount of money being deposited into the fund. While the U.S. is interested in encouraging less driving and more public transportation usage, the fund had dipped to such low levels that funding for highway investments were at risk and 380,000 jobs were being threatened. To avert job loss and keep infrastructure projects on track, Congress, at the request of the President, passed H.R. 6532 which replenished the Highway Trust Fund with $8 billion. The bill was signed into law on September 15, 2008 (P.L. 110-318).

 

The Democratic-led Congress passed legislation to increase the amount of fairly-priced petroleum on the market. On May 14, 2008, the House and Senate passed H.R. 6022 which requires the Secretary of Energy to suspend acquisition of petroleum for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through 2008, including through the direct purchase or royalty-in-kind contracts. Filling of the SPR takes 70,000 barrels of oil off the market each day and a temporary suspension could reduce gas prices by about five cents. The bill, however, allows the Secretary to resume filling if the price of petroleum falls to $75 per barrel. The Senate passed this provision as an amendment to the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act by a vote of 97 to 1. The bill was signed into law on May 19, 2008 (P.L. 110-232).

 

The Senate passed legislation to promote energy independence and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.On December 13, 2007, the Senate passed theEnergy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will help move the United States away from the Bush-Cheney energy policy -- a policy that has worked for big oil companies, helping them accumulate $600 billion in profits since 2001, but has failed the American people. The bill was signed into law (P.L. 110-140) on December 19.

 

The law:

 

•Raises fuel economy standards for automobiles for the first time in 25 years from 25 miles per gallon (MPG) to 35 MPG. By 2020, the new fuel economy standards are expected to save 1.1 million barrels of oil per day, remove 192 million metric tons of greenhouse gases from the air each year, and save American consumers up to $1,000;

 

•Raises the annual requirements for the amount of renewable fuels used in motor vehicles to 36 billion gallons by 2022. The law also makes a historic commitment to the development of cellulosic ethanol by requiring that the United States produce21 billion gallons of advanced biofuels, like cellulosic ethanol by 2022. This support for expanding ethanol, particularly cellulosic ethanol, is important because cellulosic ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent or more compared to regular gasoline;

 

•Makes the government a leader in cutting energy consumption and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by reducing petroleum usage by the federal government by 30 percent by 2015 and requiring that the federal government increase its purchases of renewable electricity to 10 percent by 2010 and 15 percent by 2015;

 

•Invests in carbon capture technology which "captures" or confines carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and sequesters them within the earth; and

 

•Enacts the most important energy efficiency increases in American history by enacting national efficiency standards for light bulbs. By approximately 2015, the new lighting standards alone are expected to save 65 billion kilowatt hours of electricity savings. That is the equivalent to the annual output of about 24 new coal power plants at 500 megawatts.

 

The law also creates incentives for small businesses to invest in green technologies, provides the resources to help entrepreneurs conduct energy audits, and ensures that the Bush Administration will implement an energy efficiency information program that Congress enacted two years ago.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet Bulletin entitled, The Democratic Energy Bill Will Promote Energy Independence, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and Deliver Savings to American Consumers, for more information on this issue.

The Senate passed legislation to ensure clean diesel engines. In June 2008, the Senate passedS. 2146, the Diesel Emissions Reductions Act of 2008, which helps to successfully implement the previously passed Diesel Emissions Reductions Act of 2005. The legislation helps correct a decision made by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that would have neglected to clean up old and dirty diesel engines already in use rather than just new diesel engines coming onto the market. This clarification is important because the decision by the EPA would have denied the possibility of cleaning up millions of diesel engines already on the road and reduced the chances that 100,000 lives could be saved between now and 2030. The legislation was signed into law (P.L. 110-255) on June 30, 2008.

 

Congress passed a new law to increase the safety, accountability, and efficiency of our highway systems. In the 109^th Congress, Congress passed and President Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which authorized funding for our nation's highways, transit, and highway safety programs through the end of Fiscal Year 2009. Since that time, drafting errors and certain legislative language have yielded unintended consequences that have frustrated the proper implementation of various infrastructure programs authorized in SAFETEA-LU. H.R. 1195, the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 corrects drafting errors, makes technical changes, and clarifies congressional intent. Given the current economic downtown, enacting this law was especially important because infrastructure investments stimulate the economy through job creation and reduced transportation costs. The President signed the bill into law on June 6, 2008 (P.L. 110-244).

 

Congress, under Democratic leadership, overrode the President Bush's veto of important, bipartisan legislation to improve water infrastructure. The House and Senate's override (361 to 54 and 79 to 14, respectively) of the President's veto of the Water Resources Development Act on November 9, 2007 will protect millions of Gulf Coast residents from catastrophic hurricanes and floods. The new law (P.L. 110-114)will also protect sensitive areas like the Florida Everglades and Mississippi River and improve water quality across the country. The act will:

 

•Improve hurricane protection for Louisiana and the Gulf Coast by authorizing activity that will restore coastal wetlands, give New Orleans increased hurricane protection and allow for a peer review process of construction work performed by the Army Corps of Engineers.

 

•Ensure levee safety by creating a national levee safety program that will allow inspections on the general condition of levees throughout the country.

 

•Continue the restoration for the Florida Everglades by authorizing projects to increasefreshwater flows into natural areas, avert the loss of wildlife habitat, and maintain the hydrologic balance of the region.

 

•Improve flood control for New Orleanians and other Louisiana Gulf Coast residents by giving it 100-year flood protection.

 

•Re-nourish and restore beaches that are damaged by storm surges which if not done can leave coastal communities at risk.

 

See the DPC Fact Sheet Bulletin entitled, Ten Reasons Democrats Have Overridden the President's Veto of the Water Resources Development Act, for more information on this issue.

 

The Senate passed the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 by a vote of 91-4. The bill, signed into law on May 8, 2008 (P.L. 110-229), creates the Wild Sky Wilderness area in Washington State by designating approximately 106,000 acres of national forest lands in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Wilderness designation provides the highest level of protection that the federal government can give to public lands. S. 2739 also contains many other provisions that would create new natural heritage areas, develop better water resources management, and improve national parks. S. 2739 was a compilation of 62 bipartisan bills reported by the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and packaged together for floor consideration. This step was necessary due to a Republican Senator's filibuster against advancing those non-controversial bills individually.

 

Securing a Sound Agricultural Future (top)

 

The Senate passed a landmark Farm Bill.On June 5, 2008, for the second time this year, the Senate passed (77 to 15) the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 ("the Farm Bill"), which includes provisions to invest $10.3 billion over ten years in food and nutrition programs, an additional $5.2 billion in conservation programs, millions of dollars in programs that stimulate regional and local food economies and a tax credit for cellulosic ethanol so that rural America can produce more clean, renewable energy. Though the president vetoed this legislation, the 110^th Congress, under the leadership of Democrats, overrode the President's veto 80 to 14 on June 18, allowing the bill to become law (P.L. 110-246).

 

The bill will provide:

 

•An extension of the farm safety net for five years until 2012;

 

•Financial certainty as rural America enters the upcoming planting season;

 

•A cost of living adjustment for food stamp (now called the Food and Nutrition Program) recipients to end the program's benefit erosion. This is important because since 2000 the number of Americans living in poverty has increased, from 31.5 million (11.3 percent) in 2000 to 36.4 million (12.3 percent) in 2006;

 

•Over the next ten years, $1 billion would be invested in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, which would allow three million low-income children to benefit from the program;

 

•The renamed Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) would focus on incentivizing new conservation, while simultaneously rewarding producers for achieving high levels of stewardship and addressing priority resource concerns in their area. The program would enroll nearly 115 million acres by 2017;

 

•$300 million in mandatory funding for payments to support the production of advanced biofuels, including biodiesel and cellulosic biofuels. The conference report would provide $320 million in mandatory funding for loan guarantees for commercial scale biorefineries for advanced biofuels. The legislation would reduce the 51 cents/gallon credit for ethanol by six cents in the year after which the 7.5 billion-gallon threshold established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005is reached. The conference repot includes a new, temporary production tax credit for up to $1.01 per gallon of cellulosic biofuel, availablethrough December 31, 2012;

 

•Program payments that are directly attributed to individuals rather than corporations and partnerships. The three-entity rule, which enabled a farmer effectively to receive twice the enacted payment limit would be eliminated. These changes would improve transparency and accountability; and

 

•New standards for farm commodity and disaster program benefit eligibility. To receive farm program benefits, an individual's non-farm income may not exceed $500,000. If farm income exceeds $750,000, an individual will no longer be eligible to receive direct payments. The legislation would establish a total payment cap for direct and counter-cyclical payments for a single farmer to $40,000 and $65,000 respectively.

 

The Senate passed legislation to assist the nation's food banks.On June 3, 2008, the Senate passed the S. 2420, Federal Food Donation Act of 2008. The bill, which was signed on June 20, 2008 (P.L. 110-247), amends FederalAcquisition Regulations to require that food service contracts over $25,000 donate any of their excess food, which is important because food banks and pantries all across the country are straining to keep their shelves stocked due to the increase in food requests and food costs. In recent years, the Federal Government has not done enough to help recover the millions of pounds of food from cafeterias, farms, research centers, and military bases that are wasted. This law would seize upon this squandered opportunity in an effort to ensure that families in all communities have enough to eat during these difficult economic times.

DPC