October '07 Nevada Government—Shelley Berkley Column

Berkley Votes to Override President’s SCHIP Veto

Coverage for Nevada Kids at Risk as House Republican Leaders Join With Bush in Blocking Children’s Health Insurance Bill

CONGRESSWOMAN SHELLEY BERKLEY today [October 18, 2007] stood with Nevada families in need of healthcare coverage by voting to override President Bush’s veto of legislation that would extend the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The highly regarded program provides insurance coverage to more than 30,000 children locally through the Nevada Check Up Program.

“It is a sad day in America when President Bush and his Republican allies are willing to deny kids healthcare in order to score political points,” said Berkley. “Nevada has one of the highest rates of uninsured residents in the nation, and any cut in the amount of funding we receive under this program will mean fewer families taking part in Nevada Check Up. President Bush has put forward his own proposal, but under his plan, there is not enough funding to even continue coverage for those children who are enrolled today. If the President has his way, we would be forced to deny children a visit to the dentist or doctor because they would no longer be covered under Nevada Check Up.”

Berkley joined with a majority of the House in voting to lift the President’s veto, but the effort fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass the $35 billion SCHIP extension package.

“President Bush was wrong to veto this SCHIP bill in the first place, and now he has been joined in this effort by his allies who are out to exploit this issue for political gain at the expense of families in Nevada and across our nation,” said Berkley. “By joining with the President to block extension of the bipartisan SCHIP package, House Republicans have effectively blocked funding to continue medical and dental coverage for 30,000 children in Nevada.”

The Berkley-backed SCHIP bill opposed by Bush and Republican leaders in Congress also gives Nevada and others states the resources and incentives necessary to reach millions of uninsured children who are eligible for, but not enrolled in the program.

“Nevada Check Up is truly an investment in keeping our kids healthy and it ensures that boys and girls have access to regular medical and dental care. Parents should not have to live in fear that a sick child will not be able to see the doctor, and I voted to override the President’s veto in order to protect medical coverage for families in Las Vegas and across our State. This veto will also deny Nevada additional resources to help enroll the 70,000 children in the Silver State who are eligible for coverage, but are not taking part in the program,” said Berkley.

The SCHIP legislation backed by Berkley and opposed by President Bush has the support of the National Governors Association (NGA) and 270 organizations, including AARP, Families USA, National Partnership for Women and Families, Alliance for Retired Americans, American Nurses Association, Mental Health America, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Children’s Defense Fund, Catholic Charities, Easter Seals, and March of Dimes.

Berkley Hopeful Yucca Mountain Hearing Will Further Expose Dangers of Bush Nuke Dump Plan

Panel Will Hear Testimony on Nevada Day—10/31

CONGRESSWOMAN SHELLEY BERKLEY today [October 17, 2007] expressed her support for a U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Hearing that will examine the failed $80 billion Yucca Mountain project. Berkley is hopeful that the panel will focus on lingering scientific doubts about the site, transportation risks and a renewed White House push to double the amount of toxic radioactive waste that would be buried at the proposed dump.

“Nevada welcomes this hearing and the chance to turn the spotlight on the threat to families and the environment that Yucca Mountain represents, including unsafe radiation standards proposed by the Bush administration,” said Berkley. “While we recently learned about Yucca Mountain’s new $80 billion price tag and White House plans to double its size, continuing to focus on the dangers presented by this failed project will only strengthen Nevada’s case against the dump.”

“This hearing also comes as President Bush is ramping up his push for Congress to allow twice the amount of toxic radioactive garbage to be buried at Yucca Mountain—doubling the dump’s danger to Nevada families and to 50 million Americans living along transportation routes. These families will see an even greater number of high level waste shipments traveling past their homes and businesses under the Bush Yucca Mountain plan and that should only help to increase opposition nationally,” Berkley said.

Berkley noted that the hearing will take place on October 31, the day that Nevada was admitted to the Union as the nation’s 36th state.

“Nevada’s flag reads Battle Born and we will keep fighting Yucca Mountain and those—like President Bush—who want to see the Silver State turned into the nation’s nuclear garbage dump,” said Berkley.

Berkley Urges Bush Not To Oppose
National Renewable Energy Standards

Clean Power Provision Modeled After Current Nevada Law

ACCORDING TO PUBLISHED news reports today [October 16, 2007], President Bush is opposing efforts by Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Congressional Democrats to create a mandatory renewable portfolio standard (RPS) requiring that a percentage of all U.S. energy be generated by clean, renewable energy.

“The Bush administration sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposing a slate of provisions that could end up in a final energy bill. The House and Senate this week began informal talks to resolve differences between the measures passed in the two chambers…

“…The White House urged that the final bill not include a mandatory renewable portfolio standard, which is part of the House-passed bill (HR 3221).” (CQ, October 16, 2007)

Under Rep. Berkley’s own comprehensive energy package, The FREE Act, the U.S. would require generators to produce 20% of their output by 2020 through the use of renewable energy. The provision is modeled on the State of Nevada’s own RPS, which was put in place in 2001. (For more on The FREE Act see: berkley.house.gov.)

Berkley pushed for inclusion of a nationwide RPS as part of a comprehensive energy bill authored and passed by House Democrats earlier this year. President Bush is now threatening to veto any energy package that contains a mandatory RPS. Democrats are preparing to stand their ground and to challenge the President on the issue.

“One of the best ways to create a nationwide renewable energy marketplace is through an RPS that will encourage the production of more solar, wind and geothermal power. The White House is wrong to oppose the mandatory use of clean energy sources at a time when we need to be finding new ways to meet the power needs of America’s families while also protecting the environment and addressing climate change. The State of Nevada passed it own RPS years ago and we should look to the Silver State as a model of what can and should be done on a nationwide scale. The sun and wind are not owned by the Saudis or other nations hostile to the U.S. and renewable energy does not create toxic radioactive waste or pressure for this nuclear garbage to be dumped in Nevada. Clean energy is not a partisan issue, but in order to overcome the White House, we will need bipartisan support in Congress,” said Berkley.

CQ TODAY — ENERGY

Oct. 16, 2007

White House Pinpoints Veto Bait in Energy Package

By Avery Palmer, CQ Staff

Democrats are pressing ahead with energy legislation that could impose stringent new requirements for vehicle fuel economy and renewable energy, despite a new threat from the White House that such provisions would lead to a veto.

“We’re going to stay committed to our principles,” said Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “The goal is not to get a veto but to get a signature, but we’re not going to do that by shortchanging our objectives.”

The Bush administration sent a letter Monday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., opposing a slate of provisions that could end up in a final energy bill. The House and Senate this week began informal talks to resolve differences between the measures passed in the two chambers.

The White House urged that the final bill not include a mandatory renewable portfolio standard, which is part of the House-passed bill (HR 3221). The administration also wants to maintain separate fuel economy standards for cars and light trucks. The Senate-passed legislation (HR 6) would require auto manufacturers to boost the fleet average for both types of vehicles to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

The White House also signaled that it would oppose new taxes on “specific industries.” The House bill would reduce or eliminate existing tax benefits for oil and gas companies, while creating new tax credits for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

“In this context, we offer a basic framework for an energy bill that would not compel the president’s senior advisors to recommend a veto,” said the letter from Allan B. Hubbard, assistant to the president for economic policy and director of the National Economic Council.

House Democrats on Tuesday remained defiant, accusing the Bush administration of trying to protect oil companies.

”I invite the president to exercise his veto over this because I think the American public will actually be outraged,” said Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore.

Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., said that with oil prices at “$88 per barrel and climbing,” the administration’s letter “could not be more misplaced or more poorly timed.”

But the Democratic leadership is also facing pressure from within its own party for some changes to the legislation. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing for raising fuel economy standards along lines proposed in a House bill that would leave separate regulations in place for cars and light trucks, while raising overall fuel economy standards to between 32 and 35 mpg by 2022.

That bill (HR 2927) is sponsored by Reps. Baron P. Hill, D-Ind., and Lee Terry R-Neb.

Source: CQ Today