March '09 Nevada Government - Dina Titus column

Titus Statement on Nevada’s Unemployment Rate

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District released the following statement on reports that Nevada’s unemployment rate reached 10.1 percent in February.

“Since this economic recession began in December of 2007, Nevada has endured record foreclosures and an unemployment rate that has now hit double digits. This Congress inherited a deep economic crisis that will not turn around over night. We have already taken critical steps to put our nation on the path to recovery and will continue to make this our top priority.

“We passed a recovery package that will create millions of jobs across the country, including 34,000 jobs in Nevada. As part of one of the largest tax cuts in history, 95 percent of Americans will receive a tax cut. And we invested in critical needs such as aging infrastructure and education programs that are threatened by deep budget cuts.

“This important legislation marked the beginning of our efforts to fix our economy, and I stand committed to working to take Nevada and our nation in a new direction.”

Titus Statement on White House

Announcement on Veterans’ Health Care

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District released the following statement commending the White House’s decision to drop the consideration of a proposal that would authorize the VA to bill private insurance companies for treating veterans’ injuries and medical conditions related to military service. Titus and nearly 70 other House Members sent a letter to President Obama this morning opposing the proposal.

“It is our solemn duty to care for the brave men and women who have sacrificed for the safety and security of our nation. Just as they have stood up for us, it is our responsibility as elected officials to stand up for them. I am pleased that the White House has heard the call from veterans across the country and Members of Congress and announced that the VA will continue to cover the cost of care for our veterans. Our veterans and military retirees deserve nothing less and I will fight to ensure they get the benefits they have earned for their service to our nation.”

Titus Amendment to Create National Service Reserve Corps Passes With Broad Bipartisan Support

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District joined with Congressman Tom Perriello of Virginia to offer an amendment to the GIVE Act that would create a National Service Reserve Corps and help launch a new era of national service. The amendment passed with a strong bipartisan vote of 339 to 93. Below are Titus’ remarks as delivered on House floor.

“I rise today in support of this amendment which will create a National Service Reserve Corps. In recent years we have watched with broken hearts when the aftermath of some natural disaster has left people homeless, jobless, and helpless. But we have also felt, as we witnessed our fellow citizens rise to the occasion with perseverance and selflessness to assist those in need, a real hope for the future. Many wonderful Americans, including Members of this body, have reached into their hearts and their pockets to help, to serve, to work, and to give.

“The creation of a National Service Reserve Corps will make sure that those who are most eager to serve, and already have the training that communities need, can be deployed quickly and effectively.

“Our amendment will create a National Service Reserve Corps composed of alumni of AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs. These wonderful volunteers can be identified and called upon in times of natural disasters and emergencies to start the relief and rebuilding process post haste. The Corps members will not only have the valuable training and experience from their year of service, but they will also receive annual training sessions in emergency response.

“Our nation is facing numerous economic challenges and Nevada, my state, is one of the hardest hit. We have endured record foreclosures and an unemployment rate that is approaching double digits. Nevada AmeriCorps volunteers have been invaluable to our communities in need. Over 2,000 AmeriCorps members have served in 15 different programs. They have provided more than 2.5 million hours of service and have earned over $4.7 million in education credits. In 2007, AmeriCorps programs contributed over 25,000 hours of service to Nevada and members recruited over 3,300 community volunteers who then gave more than 23,000 hours of service.

“With public need rising all across the country, we must do all we can to shore up volunteer programs and to provide opportunities to those who want to be of service. By creating a National Service Reserve Corps, we will create an organized deployment system for those citizens who are ready to serve and trained to do so. We will also show volunteers, and anyone considering a year of national service, that we value their contribution, and will continue to honor it in years to come.

“I encourage my colleagues to support this amendment as well as final passage of the GIVE Act.”

Titus and Nearly 70 House Members Send Letter to President to Protect Veterans’ Health Care

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District joined with 67 other House Members to send a letter to President Obama today to express their opposition to a proposal that would authorize the VA to bill private insurance companies for treating veterans’ injuries and medical conditions related to military service.

Below is the text of the letter.

March 18, 2009

The Honorable Barack Obama

President of the United States

The White House

Washington, DC

Dear Mr. President,

We first want to take this opportunity to thank you for the clear commitment your administration’s budget outline makes to our nation’s veterans. The proposed 10 percent increase in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for next fiscal year is truly historic. We believe the 2010 budget will ensure the VA never again faces the chronic under-funding that prevented countless veterans from receiving the health benefits they have earned.

While we strongly support your plans to increase funding for the VA by $25 billion over the next five years, it is with equal conviction that we oppose the proposal to bill veterans’ private health insurance plans for care and treatment of service-connected injuries or disabilities.

We do not give our veterans health care - they earn it – and it would be unacceptable for the VA to ask our veterans to pay for the treatment of injuries received while serving our nation in uniform. That responsibility belongs to the VA, and it would be wrong to outsource the responsibility of covering the care of those veterans to private insurance companies.

Additionally, this proposal could harm our veterans and their families in unintended, yet very serious ways, jeopardizing their families’ health care and even negatively affecting veterans’ employment opportunities. Billing a veteran’s private health insurance for the treatment of service-connected injuries could lead to increased health care premiums, and could potentially discourage employers from hiring veterans.

We know you are committed to expanding employment opportunities for veterans. Already this year, your administration and Congress have worked to create countless jobs for veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this proposal would undermine our efforts.

We urge you to take this proposal off the table, and let us instead focus on ensuring that our veterans receive the full care and benefits they have earned. The moral obligation our nation has to our veterans demands nothing less. We are happy to discuss these issues with you further as we move toward a final budget for the VA.

We would like to thank you again for your commitment to improving care for the men and women who have borne the battle, and who have sacrificed their health and well-being in serving their country. Thank you for your service to our nation.

Sincerely,

___________________________

Cosigners: Dina Titus; Glenn Nye; Anne Kirkpatrick; John Hall; Gabrielle Giffords; Diane Watson; Larry Kissel; Steve Kagen; Eric Massa; Bill Foster; Bart Stupak; Harry Teague; Dan Boren; Michael Arcuri; John Barrow; Jerry McNerney; Tom Perriello; Carol Shea-Porter; Travis Childers; Rob Wittman; Ben Lujan; Tom Rooney; Sanford Bishop; Ciro Rodriguez; Joe Sestak; Betsey Markey; Madeleine Bordallo; Suzanne Kosmas; Marion Barry; Alan Grayson; Harry Mitchell; Dennis Kucinich; Michael Michaud; John Dingell; William Delahunt; Ron Klein; Ben Chandler; Mazie Hirono; Betty Sutton; Robert Wexler; Rick Larson; Tim Bishop; John Boccieri; James Oberstar; Mary Jo Kilroy; Collin Peterson; Leonard Boswell; Lois Capps; Stephanie Herseth Sandlin; Daniel B. Maffei; Mike Honda; Debbie Halvorson; Michael McMahon; Mike McIntyre; Phil Hare; Charles Rangel; Lincoln Davis; Dennis Cardoza; Charlie Wilson; Bobby Bright; Gary Peters; Joe Courtney; Jim Himes; Jason Altmire; Peter Welch; Martin Heinrich; Parker Griffith; Mike Ross.

Congresswoman Titus Testifies on Budget Priorities

Congresswoman Dina Titus of Nevada’s Third District testified today at a Budget Committee hearing on important aspects of President Obama’s budget for Fiscal Year 2010. Titus discussed the critical investments in renewable energy, while expressing concern about some of the tax provisions that will effect housing and charitable giving. Below are her remarks as delivered.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to express my views on the President’s budget before your committee. During this time of economic uncertainty, it has never been more important than now to closely examine each and every dollar of federal spending. I appreciate the work you are doing to ensure that all points of view are considered throughout this budget process. While I am pleased by much of the President’s request, particularly the investments in clean energy technology, I have concerns about some of the tax provisions that are included in the budget outline.

“The President’s budget outline indicates important investments in the research, development and deployment of renewable energy technologies. I have heard from many of the businesses in my Congressional District that the credit crisis has caused the renewable energy industry to come to a screeching halt. I strongly supported provisions in the economic recovery package that will make it easier for solar, wind and other renewable industries to gain access to the capital necessary to deploy these new technologies at speed and scale.

“I am pleased now that the President’s budget builds on the recovery package and supports the loan guarantee program for innovative technologies, including renewable energy projects and transmission projects. I also strongly support investments in research, development and deployment of renewable energy technologies and investment in the electric grid, as outlined in the President’s request. And lastly, I applaud, and I applaud loudly, the President for scaling back the Yucca Mountain program. For years, Nevadans have fought against this disastrous plan to store nuclear waste in our backyard. Nevada is not a wasteland. The President’s budget is a significant step in the right direction.

“Now I recognize that we have to make difficult choices in order to reduce the deficit and improve the economy. However, I remain concerned about President Obama’s proposal to reduce the itemized deduction rate for families with incomes over $250,000. I am particularly concerned with the impact this provision could have on housing and charitable giving.

“The Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID) is an important incentive that encourages Americans all over the country to buy homes. Many consider the MID to be the single most important tax incentive facilitating home ownership in the United States. I am concerned that reducing the value of this incentive would lead to the further deterioration of the housing market. It has become evident over the past few years that the housing market is tied closely to the national economy as a whole. With the economy in its current state, we simply cannot afford to make changes to the tax code that could lead to a further decline in home prices. The housing market in Congressional District Three in Nevada – previously one of the fastest growing markets in the nation – is currently in shambles. Today, nearly 58.2 percent of Las Vegas homes have negative equity. We can’t afford to let prices drop any further by making it less attractive to buy a home.

“I am similarly concerned about the impact the proposal to reduce the itemized deduction rate could have on charitable giving. The tax deduction for charitable giving encourages Americans to make contributions to philanthropic organizations, many of which have been hard hit by the economic crisis. With so many people in need, the services many charities provide are in high demand. I believe that it is the wrong time to make changes to the tax code that could make charitable contributions less attractive.

“Thank you again, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to express my views about the President’s FY 2010 budget request. I have stated some of the things that I like and pointed out some of the things I have concerns about. I look forward to working with you all to ensure that Congress passes a responsible budget that puts our economy back on track.”