Package Provides Tax Incentives for Employers to Put Nevadans Back to Work
March 04, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today voted in favor of H.R. 2847, the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act. The legislation was approved on a vote of 217 to 201.
“Providing a payroll tax holiday for businesses will encourage the hiring of new workers and the $1,000 income tax credit will mean employees stay on the job. Small businesses that receive these incentives will expand, and that will mean the need to hire more workers. This legislation also extends the Highway Trust Fund and makes it easier for Nevada and other states to borrow for school construction, energy projects and other infrastructure investments,” said Berkley.
Berkley spoke this afternoon from the House floor in support of the bill’s passage. Video of Berkley’s remarks can be viewed below:
“Nevada is experiencing unprecedented economic challenges and an unemployment rate of well over 13%. It is essential that this Congress pursue policies and programs that will spur long term economic growth and create the jobs that the people of Las Vegas and across the U.S so desperately need,” she said. “This legislation is a positive step in that direction. Incentives such as the payroll tax holiday, a tax credit for retaining workers, and the extension of enhanced expensing for small businesses will all help create conditions for increased hiring and retention of new employees. In addition, the extension for funding for highways and other surface transportation projects will provide employment both today and in the future by continuing the infrastructure investments that are critical to long term economic growth. And finally, the direct payment option for certain tax credit bond programs will enable the Clark County School District—which I represent—to increase school construction and continue to fund essential projects. Nevada and the nation need the jobs and other support provided by this bill,” said Berkley.
The HIRE Act includes a payroll tax holiday for businesses that hire unemployed workers and an income tax credit of $1,000 for businesses that retain these employees. It also includes tax cuts to help small businesses invest, expand, and hire more workers, provisions to make it easier for states to take up infrastructure projects such as school construction and energy retrofitting, and an extension of the Highway Trust Fund that allows for billions of dollars in infrastructure development around the country.
Berkley Attends White House Signing Ceremony For Travel Promotion Act
Law Will Help Create New Tourism Jobs in Nevada, Nationwide
March 4, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today joined President Barack Obama, Nevada Senator Harry Reid and Congresswoman Dina Titus at a White House ceremony in the Oval Office to mark the Travel Promotion Act being signed into law.
“Las Vegas is a truly global destination and any effort to promote foreign travel to the U.S. will mean more business for our local economy and more jobs for Nevadans,” said Berkley. “Tourism means business nationwide and this bill is vital for our economy. Last year the U.S. lost nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs. The Travel Promotion Act will help bring back those jobs and put Americans back to work as a result of the increased tourism it will create,” said Berkley.
Independent economists have reported that every dollar spent through the Travel Promotion Act will create three dollars in increased revenue as a result of added jobs and economic growth from increased tourism to our country.
The law creates a non-profit corporation led by federal, state, and travel industry representatives that will develop and implement a nationally coordinated travel promotion program.
Energy Department To Yank Yucca Mountain License Application
President’s Blue Ribbon Panel sets First Meeting to Find Alternatives to Failed Nevada Nuclear Waste Dump
March 3, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today praised the Department of Energy for moving to permanently withdraw from consideration the license application for the failed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump. The motion seeking to pull the license from consideration is expected to be filed with nuclear regulators later this afternoon. The move is one more step toward permanently dismantling the proposed dump located 90 minutes outside Las Vegas following President Obama’s declaration that he was terminating the project.
“Permanently pulling the license application is a critical step in dismantling Yucca Mountain once and for all so that this threat never haunts Nevada families again,” said Berkley. “Nevadans are finally seeing the end to a 30-year effort to drive a nuclear ‘square peg’ into a $100 billion ‘round hole’ in the Nevada desert.”
The move seeking permission to pull the license application for the proposed dump follows the announcement earlier today that the President’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future will meet for the first time on March 25th and 26th in Washington, D.C.
“President Obama pledged to Nevadans that he would end efforts to turn our State into a radioactive garbage dump and now his Blue Ribbon Commission will begin its work to find an alternative to Yucca Mountain,” said Berkley. “Whether it was earthquakes or other flaws at the site, the danger from waste shipments across the U.S. or its budget busting price tag -- President Obama was 100% right to dump Yucca Mountain,” said Berkley.
Along with calling on the industry and its allies to support the panel’s mission of finding an alternative to Yucca Mountain, Berkley is also challenging supporters of the dump to explain their calls for continued wasteful spending on the doomed project.
“Those still backing the dump clearly want to see wasteful spending on this project continue at a time when our nation is facing a fiscal crisis. Maybe they forget there’s no magic money tree in Nevada that will pay for Yucca Mountain,” Berkley said. “The cost to build this $100 billion dump will be passed along to the families of nuclear states in the form of higher energy bills every month and to taxpayers in the form of lawsuit settlements. Ending Yucca Mountain will also end plans for decades of nuclear waste shipments across the U.S. -- each a potential terrorist target or accident waiting to happen,” said Berkley. “The time has also come for the nuclear industry to offer its own solutions to the nuclear waste issue that do not include any plan for dumping nuclear waste outside Las Vegas for the next one million years.”
The Blue Ribbon Commission, co-chaired by former Congressman Lee Hamilton and former National Security Advisor General Brent Scowcroft, will conduct a comprehensive review of policies for managing the back end of the nuclear fuel cycle and will provide recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the nation’s used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste. The Commission is made up of 15 members who have a range of expertise and experience in nuclear issues, including scientists, industry representatives, and respected former elected officials.
Berkley: $4.7 Million Recovery Act Grant Will Expand, Create Computer Centers Around Las Vegas Valley
Urban League and Local Partners Will Team to Increase Computer Access at Senior and Community Centers, Public Housing in Southern Nevada
March 2, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today praised a new $4.7 million Recovery Act grant that will expand computer access in Southern Nevada. The Clark County Urban League and its partners will use the funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce to create a total of 29 computer centers around Las Vegas. The facilities will offer computer classes, job training and certification programs, and community health programs through local partner organizations.
“These centers will increase computer access for southern Nevada residents, so they can search for employment opportunities and acquire new job skills, pay bills over the Internet or just keep in touch with family, friends and loved ones. This partnership brings together great local organizations, private business, service agencies and government entities. The result will be a total of 29 of these computer centers in the Valley, with a special focus on increasing access in senior centers, areas of high unemployment and public housing,” said Berkley.
Awarded under The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009—which Berkley supported in Congress—the $4.7 million grant funds expansion of the Access to Computer Technology and Instruction in Online Networking (ACTION) project. Funds will be used to expand the capacity of 14 public computer centers and to create 15 new computer centers in public housing developments and community and senior centers throughout the most economically disadvantaged communities in Clark County. Overall, the project expects to replace about 100 workstations and add more than 90 new ones, enabling the centers to increase the number of users to approximately 4,600 per week.
The 29 centers will offer computer classes, job training and certification programs, and community health programs through local partner organizations including: Las Vegas Metro Police, Area Health Centers, the City of Las Vegas, Clark County Health District, COX Communications, Desert Rose Adult High School, Clark County Housing Authority, Las Vegas-Clark County Urban League Young Professional and Guild, Lutheran Social Services and Skills 4 Kids.
Berkley: Republicans Abandon Military Families, Seniors As Nevadans Told They May Lose Access To Their Doctors
March 2, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – As Republican Senator Jim Bunning continues to block passage of key emergency legislation in Congress, Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today warned Nevadans about the potential loss of access to health care services as a result of cuts in payments to doctors who treat seniors and members of America’s military covered under TRICARE.
“I join Nevada military families, seniors and physicians in denouncing Republican delay tactics that have now allowed a 21% cut in Medicare payments to take effect. This political ploy threatens to limit the ability for these men and women and their families to see a doctor,” said Berkley. “I am appalled at the total disregard by Republicans for the health care needs of those in the military covered under TRICARE, and by the lack of concern being shown for seniors and others covered under Medicare. And I am stunned by the failure of Republicans to listen to America’s doctors who say this is bad for their patients,” Berkley said.
Berkley has joined the American Medical Association (AMA), AARP and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) in calling on Republican Senator Bunning to drop his chokehold on legislation that reverses the devastating 21% cut in Medicare payments to doctors that has now taken effect.
“The AMA is hearing directly from physicians, and seniors should be very concerned about how the Senate’s inaction will impact their ability to see a doctor,” said AMA President J. James Rohack, M.D. “Military families are also hurt as TRICARE ties its payment rates to Medicare.” (www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/physicians-sgr-medicare-cut.shtml).
The legislation being blocked also includes a 30-day extension of unemployment insurance, help for unemployed workers in paying for health care (COBRA), small business loan guarantees, the highway bill and flood insurance.
“These men and women, who are in search of work and in need of this assistance, are our friends, neighbors and loved ones. They are scared about what will happen if their benefits expire and they can’t pay the rent or find the money for food needed to give a hungry child a meal. I hope those backing this effort to score cheap political points remember that it’s real people in Las Vegas and across our nation who Republicans are abandoning in a time of great need,” said Berkley.
The move also threatens to stop federal reimbursements to states for highway and transit projects, which could force layoffs of construction workers in the middle of the current economic crisis.
Berkley: Republican Games Leave Nevada Seniors, Military Families At Risk Of Losing Access To The Doctor
March 1, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today called on Republicans in Congress to stop supporting an effort to block legislation that protects payments to doctors who treat seniors and members of America’s military covered under TRICARE. Failure to pass the extension will leave residents in Las Vegas and nationwide facing the loss of unemployment benefits, COBRA and other critical assistance.
“The American Medical Association has called this Republican delay tactic ‘shocking’ because it could force physicians in Nevada and across the nation to limit the patients they see, including members of our armed forces and reserves covered under TRICARE and Valley seniors on Medicare,” said Berkley.
American Medical Association President J. James Rohack, M.D., declared last week that physicians will be forced to limit the number of patients they see under both Medicare and the TRICARE program for active-duty military and reserves as a result of Republican delays (See: www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/health-system-reform/sgr-medicare-cut.shtml).
The emergency legislation being blocked also includes a 30-day extension of unemployment insurance, help for unemployed workers in paying for health care (COBRA), small business loan guarantees, the highway bill, and flood insurance.
“These men and women, who are in search of work and in need of this assistance, are our friends, neighbors and loved ones. They are scared about what will happen if their benefits expire and they can’t pay the rent or find the money for food needed to give a hungry child a meal. I hope those backing this effort to score cheap political points remember that it’s real people in Las Vegas and across our nation who they are abandoning in a time of great need,” said Berkley.
Due to the Republican filibuster, nearly 1.2 million out-of-work Americans became ineligible for federal unemployment insurance today. Millions more will lose their unemployment insurance at the end of this month if Republican obstruction continues.
The move also threatens to stop federal reimbursements to states for highway and transit projects, which could force a halt in construction work and layoffs of construction workers in the middle of the current economic crisis.
Berkley Calls On Republicans To Stop Blocking Unemployment Benefit Extension
** GOP Tactics Also Leave Nevada Physicians Facing 21% Cut in Medicare Payments **
February 26, 2010 – Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today called on Republicans in Congress to stop blocking an extension of critical unemployment aid for Nevadans who face losing their benefits because of these political tactics. Medicare beneficiaries in Las Vegas and nationwide could see access to the doctor of their choice restricted if legislation is not passed to stop a drastic 21% cut in payments.
“With Nevada’s unemployment rate in double digits and families relying on these benefits to put food on the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this move will only punish those in our community who are already struggling,” said Berkley.
The package being delayed also temporarily blocks a devastating 21% cut in payments to doctors in Las Vegas and across the U.S. who treat Medicare patients.
“Nevadans covered under Medicare could find themselves unable to see the doctor if we do not put a stop to these drastic cuts. Unless we pass this legislation, seniors and other Nevadans could lose the ability to see the doctor of their choice,” said Berkley.
Key Provisions Summary of Temporary Extension Act of 2010 (H.R. 4691)
Extension of Unemployment Programs—Extends Federal Unemployment Programs, including the Emergency Unemployment Compensation Program, through April 05, 2010.
Extension of COBRA Assistance—Extends eligibility for 65% subsidy for COBRA premiums through end of March 2010 and includes technical improvements.
Extension of Medicare Physician Update—Extends current Medicare payment rates for physicians (preventing a 21% payment reduction) through end of March 2010.
Extension of Medicare Therapy Caps Exceptions—Extends exceptions process for beneficiary payment limits on outpatient therapy services through end of March 2010.
Extension of Surface Transportation Programs—Extends Surface Transportation Programs and related authority to make expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund through March 28, 2010.
Extension of National Flood Insurance Program—Extends provision through March 28, 2010.
Extension of Small Business Loan Guarantee Program—Extends program through March 28, 2010 and appropriates an additional $60 million for the program.
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