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Titus, Berkley, and Heller Urge Support for |
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Education Waiver in
Letter to Secretary |
Members of Nevada’s
House Delegation, Congresswoman Dina Titus, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, and
Congressman Dean Heller, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Arne
Duncan urging him to support a waiver should the Governor request one for
education funding in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The waiver
would make Nevada eligible to receive education dollars through the State Fiscal
Stabilization Fund.
Below is the text of
the letter:
March 13, 2009
| The Honorable Arne Duncan |
| Secretary of Education |
| U.S.
Department of Education |
| 400 Maryland Avenue, SW |
| Washington, D.C. 20202 |
Dear Secretary Duncan,
It is
paramount that the residents of Nevada have full access to the State Fiscal
Stabilization Funds allocated under H.R. 1, The American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act. Therefore, we respectfully ask for your support when the
Governor requests a waiver for the maintenance-of-effort requirement.
As you
know, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stipulates that as part
of a state’s application for State Fiscal Stabilization Funds, it must provide
assurance that it will maintain the same level of support for elementary,
secondary and higher education in Fiscal Year 2009 through 2011 as it did in FY
2006.
Nevada
has been one of the states hardest hit by the recent economic downturn. Our
unemployment rate is at 9.4 percent– well above the national average. Nevada
also has the highest foreclosure rate and the highest rate of personal
bankruptcy filings in the nation. In short, the economic situation is
particularly grim for Nevadans. With state revenues lower than ever, the
Governor has proposed a budget for state programs of $6.17 billion – 9.3 percent
less than in 2007.
Such
staggering economic statistics extend to Nevada’s ability to fund education
programs in the state. In Fiscal Year 2006, the state spent $555.9 million on
higher education. In the Governor’s recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2010,
higher education is budgeted at only $424.3 million. At a time when the state
is already stretched so thin, a $131.6 million gap will be extremely difficult
to restore. While we certainly agree that states should be held accountable for
maintaining appropriate levels of funding for education programs on their own
balance sheets, we also know that it simply not an economic reality for states
facing the worst budget shortfalls, like Nevada.
Without
the waiver that The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grants you the
power to provide, Nevada will miss out on critical funding.
Nevada
students and their families are already experiencing the effects of tough
economic times to a greater degree than their peers around the nation. Now,
more than ever, Nevada needs assistance. We must invest in education now, both
to avoid further losses of jobs and revenue, and to ensure that we have a better
prepared workforce capable of filling the high-tech jobs of the 21st
century.
We
respectfully urge you to grant the state of Nevada a maintenance-of-effort
waiver so that Nevadans may receive their much-needed share of the State Fiscal
Stabilization Funds.
Sincerely,
Representative Dina
Titus Representative Shelley Berkley Representative Dean
Titus Applauds Obama Administration’s Plans to
Help Small Businesses
Congresswoman Dina Titus of
Nevada’s Third District applauded the Obama Administration’s plans to take
immediate action to help our nation’s small businesses. The latest step in the
President’s plan to stabilize financial markets will help get credit flowing
again and expand access to capital for small businesses.
“Small businesses are the
backbone of our economy and the engines of growth. With small businesses
accounting for 70 percent of all new jobs in the past decade, providing a strong
economic environment for them to grow and flourish will be critical to putting
people back to work and getting our economy back on track,” Congresswoman Titus
said. “President Obama’s plan will reduce the cost of small business loans
while providing tax incentives to encourage investments in small businesses.
The Consumer and Business Lending Initiative will help unfreeze credit markets
so that responsible business owners receive the financing they need to stay in
business and jumpstart our economy.”
Specifically, the Obama
Administration announced the following steps to unlock credit for small
businesses:
Jumpstart credit markets for
small businesses by purchasing up to $15 billion in securities;
Temporarily raise guarantees
up to 90 percent in SBA’s 7(a) loan program;
Temporarily eliminate certain
SBA loan fees to reduce the cost of capital;
New reporting requirements on
bank lending to small businesses and greater efforts to extend small business
loans; and
Issue guidance for an
expanded carryback provision on part of the Recovery Act’s comprehensive tax cut
package for small businesses.
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Titus Joins Lawmakers and Volunteers in Support of |
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GIVE Act and National Service |
Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District joined lawmakers and
approximately 50 volunteers today at a press conference on the steps of the
Capitol to urge the passage of the GIVE Act, legislation that will launch a new
era of national service. Titus and Congressman Tom Perriello of Virginia have
offered an amendment to the act to create a National Service Reserve Corps
that is expected to be debated on the House
floor today. Titus was joined by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader
Steny Hoyer, Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller, Congressman
Tom Perriello, Congressman Paul Tonko, and Captain Scott Quilty, program manager
of Survivor Corps.
Below
are Titus’ remarks as delivered.
“Thank
you very much, Mr. Chairman. I am humbled to stand before you today with the
people who have given so much – Captain, Tom, all these fabulous volunteers –
and that is why I am so proud to serve on this committee with Chairman Miller
and be a strong supporter of this bill.
“In
recent years, we have watched with heartbreak as natural disasters have
destroyed homes, left people jobless, homeless, and helpless. But every time,
there is a ray of hope and we get our spirits lifted as the volunteers turn
out. They give; they serve; they donate; they are always there. They don’t ask
what party you belong to, they just ask: ‘Do you need a hand?’ And that’s what
we do need and that’s what they provide.
“The
country is really hard hit, especially Nevada. We have the highest foreclosure
rate and high unemployment. We need all the help we can get. By passing this
bill we are saying to the volunteers: ‘We respect your work, we value your work,
we want to reward your work, and we thank you.’ But we also want to expand the
program so we can bring other volunteers into the fold and make this truly an
effort where everyone can give to the best of their abilities and we can all
benefit nationwide. Thank you so much.”
Titus Celebrates National
Women’s History Month
Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District spoke on the House floor in
support of H.Res. 211, a bill supporting the goals and ideals of National
Women’s History Month. Below are her remarks as delivered.
“Today I
rise in support of H.Res. 211 and National Women's History Month, which this
year celebrates women who are taking the lead to save our planet. Women have
played a critical role in the fight to protect the earth, as activists,
scientists and public servants.
“In
Nevada, many of the early environmental activists, like Tina Nappe, were women
inspired to act by their childhood experiences in the beautiful Silver State.
They have been joined by respected scientists such as Dr. Peg Rees, dedicated
to finding new ways to protect the desert for future generations.
“As
public servants, women have also made a significant contribution to saving our
planet. In the Nevada legislature, for example, our women members have been
ahead of their time, championing issues from renewable energy development, like
Shelia Leslie, to smart growth, like Chris Giunchigliani.
“These
many accomplishments are being documented, analyzed and disseminated to the
public by the Women’s Research Institute at the University of Nevada in Las
Vegas under the able direction of Dr. Joanne Goodwin.
“But
Women’s History Month is not only a month of remembrance of the important women
of our past; it is an inspiration for the next generation of women and a call
for them to continue the fight to leave this precious rock a better place for
our children than we found it.
“So,
thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you, especially, Ms. Woolsey, for offering
this important resolution that commemorates the 22nd Anniversary of
National Women’s History Month.”
Titus Floor Statement on AIG
Bonuses to Irresponsible Wall Street Executives
Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District spoke on the House floor
this morning (March
19, 2009) to
express her opposition to bonuses for AIG executives. Below are her remarks as
delivered.
“Mr.
Speaker, I rise today in outrage also over the recent news that AIG paid out
over $165 million dollars to executives, some of whom are no longer with the
company.
“Every
day in Southern Nevada, families face tough decisions about their economic
futures. Can they afford to stay in their home? Are they going to be able to
provide for their children’s future?
“I find
it insulting that the CEO of AIG said that his decision to give out these
bonuses was ‘difficult.’ ‘Difficult’ is trying to figure out how to keep a roof
over your head when you’ve lost your job. ‘Difficult’ is providing for your
children when your hours at work have been cut back.
“‘Difficult’ is not deciding if you are going to dole out hundreds of millions
of dollars to irresponsible Wall Street executives.
“So I
would urge Congress and the Administration to act quickly to recoup the
taxpayers’ money.”
