November '09 Nevada Government—Shelley Berkley Column

Berkley Votes To Extend Unemployment Benefits, Expand Homebuyer Tax Credit
** Jobless Nevadans Will See 20 Weeks of Additional Aid **

(November 5, 2009—Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today voted to extend unemployment benefits through early next year and to enhance and expand the homebuyer tax credit. The legislation passed the House on a vote of 403 to 12.

“These payments allow Valley families to keep food on the table and to pay the rent while they continue to search for work, and this extension guarantees these vital benefits will be in place for another 20 weeks,” said Berkley. “This is a helping hand for our friends, neighbors and loved ones who are still struggling to find work and by acting now, we will make sure they do not lose their unemployment benefits before the end of the year.”

The package approved by the House provides 20 additional weeks of emergency unemployment compensation for Nevadans at a time when the Silver State’s unemployment rate remains above 13%.

The bill also extends the $8,000 first-time homebuyer tax credit through April 30, 2010 and provides a $6,500 credit to new purchasers who have lived in their current residence for five years or more.

“Nevada’s housing market is in a slump, but through extension of the $8,000 credit for first time buyers we can help stimulate more local home and condo sales. We are also expanding the program to give Nevadans who have lived in their current residence for five years or more a $6,500 credit toward the purchase of a new home or condominium. Together, these tax credits will open the door to home ownership for even more families in Las Vegas and that will boost our local economy at the same time,” said Berkley.

Berkley Votes to Speed Action on Credit Card Reform Package
Legislation Would Allow Limited Number of Consumer Provisions to Take Effect Prior to Scheduled 2010 Implementation Date
(November 4, 2009—Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today voted to speed implementation of protections for consumers in Nevada and nationwide against unfair practices by the credit card industry. The Credit CARD Act would move up the start date for reforms passed earlier this year that limit certain actions by credit card companies, including interest rate hikes on existing balances and double-cycle billing.

“Unfortunately we have seen too many families in Nevada and across the nation being harmed as a result of unfair and unethical tactics used by the credit card industry. This bill moves up implementation of a limited number of protections that have already been approved to this year, instead of waiting until 2010. Speeding up this process will protect consumers who are already being targeted by companies seeking to squeeze their customers for bigger profits before reforms are in place,” said Berkley.

The Expedited CARD Reform for Consumers Act would authorize critical credit card reforms already approved by Congress to take effect before February 22, 2010. The changes would be made immediately once the President signs the new bill into law. The original legislation includes crucial measures that protect consumers from unfair interest rate hikes on existing balances, double-cycle billing and due-date gimmicks. The common-sense reforms in this bill will bring transparency and fairness to the credit card industry and will provide customers with the information they need to make smart financial decisions.

SUPPORT FOR AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT
AARP ENDORSES AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

Today, AARP announced support for the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Excerpt from AARP news release announcing endorsement of the legislation:

“We started this debate more than two years ago with the twin goals of making coverage affordable to our younger members and protecting Medicare for seniors,” said AARP CEO Barry Rand. “We’ve read the Affordable Health Care for America Act and we can say with confidence that it meets those goals with improved benefits for people in Medicare and needed health insurance market reforms to help ensure every American can purchase affordable health coverage.”

Today’s endorsement marks the first time in this legislative battle that AARP has put its full weight behind a comprehensive health care reform package. In the coming days, AARP will be educating its nearly 40 million members about the health care reform package through its publications, paid advertising and more than 5 million calls and e-mails to its grassroots activists.

THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

Today, the American Medical Association—the largest medical association of doctors in the nation—announced support for the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Excerpts from the American Medical Association letter announcing support for health insurance reform legislation:

Expanding coverage: H.R. 3962 will raise the percentage of legal, non-elderly residents with insurance coverage from 83 percent to 96 percent.

Insurance market reforms: The legislation eliminates pre-existing condition exclusions and lifetime limits on total spending, does not allow insurers to vary premiums based on health status, and expands choice and access to coverage for those who are self-insured or employed by small businesses.

Patient-physician decision making: Expanded coverage and choice will empower patient and physician decision making. H.R. 3962 is consistent with our principles of pluralism, freedom of choice, freedom of physician practice, and universal access.

Investments in quality, prevention, and wellness: The legislation provides additional resources to achieve these goals and, importantly, treats quality improvement as an investment in our nation’s health care system.

AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY SUPPORTS AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR AMERICA ACT

House Health Care Reform Legislation Would Dramatically Improve the Health Care System for People With Cancer

WASHINGTON, D.C. – November 5, 2009 – The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) today announced its support of proposed health care legislation that will be debated this week in the U.S. House of Representatives. In a letter to House leaders, ACS CAN, the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, said the proposed legislation has the potential to take the fight against cancer in this country to a new level.

“This legislation represents an exceptional opportunity to advance our mission of reducing suffering and death related to cancer,” said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of ACS CAN. “We have the potential to transform our nation’s health care system in a fundamental way that begins the process of making adequate and affordable health care accessible to all Americans.”

The House bill takes a number of steps to improve health care for cancer patients and their families by refocusing the system to emphasize prevention, ending the practice of denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions, limiting the cost burden on families by providing care that covers more and costs less and emphasizing patients’ quality of life.

“If enacted, this bill could have immediate and lasting benefits for millions of people with cancer and other life-threatening chronic diseases,” said Daniel E. Smith, president of ACS CAN. “Getting a cancer diagnosis would no longer put families at risk of being denied or getting priced out of lifesaving coverage.”

The American Cancer Society and ACS CAN believe more than 60 percent of all cancer deaths could be avoided through more effective use of existing scientific knowledge. The House bill proposes a significant investment in cancer prevention and early detection by requiring coverage for cancer screenings including mammography, colonoscopy and Pap tests, as well as for tobacco cessation programs in both public and private plans at little or no cost to patients. The bill also calls for an investment of $34 billion over five years in a new Public Health Investment Fund for community health centers, primary care training and prevention and wellness research.

The bill makes significant progress in providing adequate, affordable coverage to the uninsured and the underinsured by expanding access to Medicaid for those earning up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level, providing subsidies for the purchase of insurance to people earning up to 400 percent of poverty, reducing or eliminating cost sharing for cancer screenings and implementing insurance market reforms that eliminate annual and lifetime benefit caps and limit patient out-of-pocket expenses.

ACS CAN has not weighed in on the financing of any health care reform proposal except to support an increase in the federal tobacco tax as a way to help pay for reform and save lives. Therefore, ACS CAN takes no position on the revenue provisions of the House bill.

“As the leading voice of patients in the debate, we continue to call on Congress to put aside politics and pass health care reform that will save lives this year,” said Robert E. Youle, a cancer survivor and volunteer chair of ACS CAN’s Board of Directors. “The status quo is too costly for cancer patients, who often are forced not only to fight for their lives, but also for their life savings.”

A recent survey by National Public Radio, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health found that the American Cancer Society is the most trusted among all the interest groups involved in the health care reform debate. Seventy-four percent of those surveyed said they trust the Society to recommend the right thing for the country when it comes to health care reform.

ACS CAN volunteers across the country have been holding rallies and other events to let their Members of Congress know how important health care reform is to cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones. ACS CAN volunteers have also made more than 70,000 calls to lawmakers since June, and nearly 2,000 calls a day are expected into congressional offices in coming weeks in support of meaningful health care reform.

Cancer is many different chronic and acute diseases affecting people of all ages. As such, cancer patients and survivors interact extensively with every aspect of our nation’s health care system—from prevention, diagnosis and treatment through survivorship and end of life. Armed with this knowledge and understanding, over the past two years the Society and ACS CAN have chosen to view health care through the “cancer lens” and worked to illustrate the overwhelming need for reform.

For more information about ACS CAN’s efforts in support of health care reform, visit www.acscan.org.

ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.

Berkley Calls for Quick House Action on Unemployment Extension
** Jobless Nevadans Will See 20 Weeks of Additional Aid **

(November 4, 2009—Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today called for swift passage of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that will extend unemployment benefits an additional 20 weeks in order to help jobless Nevada residents. The bill is being sent back to the House for approval following passage in the U.S. Senate.

“These payments allow Valley families to keep food on the table and to pay rent while they continue to search for work and this package will make sure these vital benefits are there for another 20 weeks,” said Berkley. “This is a helping hand for our friends, neighbors and loved ones who are still struggling to find work in Las Vegas and other parts of Nevada and we need to act now to make sure they do not lose their benefits before the end of the year.”

Without Congressional action, hundreds of thousands of workers will run out of unemployment benefits before year’s end. The legislation extends benefits at no cost to Nevada or other states covered under the bill.

Berkley spoke in September about the importance of these benefits to the jobless in Las Vegas and around the Silver State.

“The once recession-proof economy of my district of Las Vegas has not been spared from the effects of this downturn. In fact, Nevada has been hit harder than any other state by the foreclosure crisis and our unemployment rate has skyrocketed to 13.2%—the second highest in the nation. This legislation will bring much needed relief to many jobless Nevadans,” said Berkley in her floor statement.

Video of Berkley’s remarks can be viewed online at http://www.youtube.com/user/ShelleyBerkley.

Berkley Speaks From House Floor On Need For Health Care Bill To Help Las Vegas Families
** Voices Support for Ending Exclusions based on Pre-existing Conditions **
(November 3, 2009—Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today spoke from the House floor in support of legislation that will increase access to affordable health coverage for Nevadans and end the ability for insurers to exclude those with pre-existing medical conditions. The House is expected to vote on The Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) this week. Video of Congresswoman Berkley’s speech can be viewed at the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze4UzowMqD4.

Berkley Statement in Support of The Affordable Health Care for America Act

“I can’t stand here today and tell you that this legislation will solve every health care problem we face as a nation, but I can tell you this, that 460,000 Nevadans that have no health insurance at all.

“In my district alone, this bill will provide coverage for 163,000 of my fellow Nevadans. It’s not just the uninsured that will benefit. In Las Vegas, more than 200,000 households will receive credits to make insurance more affordable and over 16,000 small businesses will be provided with a tax credit to make it easier for them to provide coverage to their employees.

“The bill improves coverage for seniors by closing the doughnut hole, eliminating co-pays for preventative services and extending the solvency of Medicare for another five years.

“It eliminates pre-existing conditions as a reason to deny coverage. It lifts the lifetime limits for—I have 10-year-old children, juvenile diabetics [visiting] my office that have already exceeded their lifetime cap. This bill eliminates that. The current health care system is unsustainable.”

MIT Analysis Confirms that DEMOCRATIC HEALTH CARE BILL Will Deliver Substantial Savings

(November 3, 2009—Washington, D.C.) According to a new analysis by MIT Professor and CBO health advisor Dr. Jonathan Gruber, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) will lower premiums and improve coverage for individuals and families purchasing in the non-group market. The MIT study estimates that an individual and a family of four would save from $470 and from $1,260, respectively, in health insurance premiums, even without subsidies. The savings would be even greater for low- and middle- income individuals and families who qualify for affordability credits that can amount to thousands of dollars per year.

The MIT estimates are based on an analysis of the bill and the CBO report released yesterday which found that the premiums in the Exchange would be significantly lower than the premiums in the non-group market. The analysis noted that the savings are in addition to the more generous benefits that individuals and families will receive through the Exchange compared to the non-group market. Dr. Gruber also noted that the lower premiums are “in addition to all the other benefits that this legislation will deliver to those consumers—in particular the guarantee, unavailable in most states, that prices would not be raised or the policy revoked if they became ill.”

President Signs Bill With $6.75 Million In Berkley Projects For Southern Nevada
Slashes Yucca Mountain Budget, Funds Blue Ribbon Panel on Alternatives to Failed Nevada Dump

(October 28, 2009—Washington, D.C.) President Obama today signed the FY 2010 energy and water spending package into law. The legislation contains more than $6.75 million in funding for Nevada projects secured by Congresswoman Shelley Berkley. In addition, the new law slashes the budget for Yucca Mountain and funds an expert panel that will be charged with looking at alternatives to burying waste 90 minutes outside Las Vegas.

“Nevadans have been fighting Yucca Mountain for decades and with the President’s signature on this new law, we are slashing the budget for this failed project to the bone. Keeping waste at existing locations is safe for the next 100 years and will allow an expert panel to revisit the question of how to deal with the legacy of this radioactive garbage created by nuclear power production. The time has also come for the nuclear industry to stop spending millions of dollars in pursuit of its dream of seeing Nevada turned into a toxic dumping ground. They need to call off the attack dogs and finally come to the table with a real solution to an issue created by their stubborn refusal to recognize Yucca Mountain’s laundry list of failures—including its budget-busting $100 billion price tag,” said Berkley.

Also included in the package are projects to enhance the Las Vegas Wash and protect water quality at Lake Mead.

“Lake Mead is the main source of the Valley’s drinking water supplies and we need to take steps to protect our water quality. This includes projects to help minimize the impact of storm water, treated wastewater and runoff from lawns, landscaping and Valley streets,” said Berkley. “The funding included in this bill will help address erosion, habitat loss and overall threats to Lake Mead’s water quality by improving conditions along the Las Vegas Wash. Long term management plans call for stabilizing the Wash, establishing wetlands in order to increase wildlife habitat and taking steps to help maintain water quality. The projects funded in this bill will help us to meet all three of these critical goals.”

The bill funds ongoing work to build a wastewater reclamation facility in North Las Vegas.

“Reclaiming wastewater is one more way we can maximize the Valley’s limited water resources. Funding in this bill will help cover construction costs for this North Las Vegas facility, which will reclaim up to 25 million gallons per day in wastewater,” said Berkley.

Berkley also secured $1.2 million for the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy for development of a photovoltaic solar system to help meet the school’s energy demands. The addition of the advanced regenerative fuel cell system will provide power to the Academy, while also creating a learning environment for students to explore renewable and alternative power sources such as solar, fuel cells and hydrogen.

An additional $750,000 will go to the Desert Research Institute (DRI) for a study on drought. This project focuses on creating a better understanding of the current and future use of water resources within the State of Nevada. The effort will utilize a dedicated supercomputer to look at various past, present and future Nevada water resources and to gauge the impacts of current drought conditions. DRI will also receive $500 million to expand and strengthen its renewable energy center.

Berkley FY 2010 Energy and Water Appropriations Projects

Lake Mead water quality and Las Vegas wash enhancements: $2.3 million

North Las Vegas water reclamation facility: $2 million

DRI water resources data project: $750,000

DRI renewable energy center: $500,000

Agassi Preparatory Academy alternative energy project: $1.2 million

Berkley Praises $138 Million in Federal Funding for NV Energy Smart Grid Technology

(October 27, 2009—Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today announced that NV Energy has been awarded $138 million in stimulus grant funding through the Department of Energy’s Smart Grid Investment program.

“Smart grid technology will enhance reliability even when desert temperatures soar and will help NV Energy better manage the power needs of the families and businesses it serves in Las Vegas and other Nevada communities,” said Berkley.

Earlier this year, Berkley wrote to Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu in support of the NV Energy project.

“Nevada experiences one of the most extreme weather fluctuations in the country. This makes it extremely difficult for the residents to manage their energy usage. The project proposed by NV Energy, “Advanced Service Delivery (ASD)” is a comprehensive integrated Smart Grid solution enabling effective, economic statewide grid management even on the hottest summer days. ASD will provide customers information to take ownership of their energy usage, reduce the utilities peak demand, and produce operational benefits,” said Berkley in a letter sent August 5, 2009.

The funds will be used to integrate smart grid technologies, including the installation of a network of 1.3 million smart meters, and will help boost distribution of power from solar and other forms of clean, renewable energy.