LOEBSACK RENEWS CALL FOR EXTENSION OF PAYROLL TAX FOR WORKING IOWANS
February 06, 2012 ~ 0 CommentsCONGRESSMAN DAVE LOEBSACK TODAY ONCE AGAIN CALLED ON THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE TO WORK WITH THE HOUSE AND SENATE PANEL THAT WAS ASSEMBLED TO EXTEND THE PAYROLL TAX CUT FOR WORKING IOWANS FOR THE FULL YEAR. IN DECEMBER, THE HOUSE LEADERSHIP WOULD NOT AGREE TO A FULL YEAR EXTENSION, AND INSTEAD PASSED A TWO MONTH PATCH. IN ORDER TO PREVENT 160 MILLION AMERICANS FROM GETTING A TAX HIKE ON MARCH 1ST, A COMPROMISE MUST BE REACHED.
LOEBSACK WAS ONE OF ONLY SIX MEMBERS IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WHO BUCKED BOTH PARTIES’ LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORTED BOTH HIS PREFERRED PLAN AND WAS WILLING TO COMPROMISE ON A SECOND PLAN.
PRESIDENT OBAMA’S PLAN TO PUT VETERANS BACK TO WORK
February 06, 2012 ~ 0 CommentsIN HIS STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS, PRESIDENT OBAMA CALLED FOR A NEW VETERANS JOB CORPSINITIATIVE TO HELP OUR RETURNING VETERANS FIND PATHWAYS TO CIVILIAN EMPLOYMENT. THE ADMINISTRATION’S NEW VETERAN EMPLOYMENT INITIATIVES, COUPLED WITH THE WORK THAT PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS ALREADY ACCOMPLISHED IN CREATING EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS, WILL HELP PUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF VETERANS BACK TO WORK.
THE PRESIDENT WILL ANNOUNCE $166 MILLION IN 2012 COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING SERVICES (COPS) HIRING GRANT FUNDING AND $320 MILLION IN 2012 STAFFING FOR ADEQUATE FIRE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (SAFER) GRANTS. THE PRESIDENT WILL ALSO ANNOUNCE THAT PREFERENCE FOR THESE GRANTS WILL NOW BE GIVEN TO COMMUNITIES THAT RECRUIT AND HIRE POST-9/11 VETERANS TO SERVE AS POLICE OFFICERS AND FIREFIGHTERS.
SINCE TAKING OFFICE, PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS TAKEN KEY STEPS TO SUPPORT VETERANS IN DEVELOPING SKILLS AND FINDING WORK. IN NOVEMBER 2011, THE PRESIDENT SIGNED INTO LAW TWO NEW TAX CREDITS FOR HIRING VETERANS, BOTH OF WHICH WERE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE AMERICAN JOBS ACT. THE RETURNING HEROES TAX CREDIT PROVIDES AN INCENTIVE OF UP TO $5,600 FOR FIRMS TO HIRE UNEMPLOYED VETERANS AND THE WOUNDED WARRIOR TAX CREDIT DOUBLED THE EXISTING TAX CREDIT FOR LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED VETERANS WITH SERVICE-CONNECTED DISABILITIES TO $9,600.
HEALTH CARE REFORM LAW SAVES $2.1 BILLION FOR 3.6 MILLION AMERICANS WITH MEDICARE
February 06, 2012 ~ 0 CommentsNEARLY 3.6 MILLION PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE SAVED $2.1 BILLION ON THEIR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS IN 2011 THANKS TO THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT ACCORDING TO DATA ISSUED TODAY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS). SAVINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE WILL INCREASE OVER TIME. ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT ISSUED TODAY FROM HHS, THE AVERAGE PERSON WITH MEDICARE WILL SAVE NEARLY $4,200 BY 2021 BECAUSE OF THE NEW LAW.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT PROVIDES A 50 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON BRAND-NAME PRESCRIPTION DRUGS AND THIS YEAR, A 14% DISCOUNT ON GENERICS. LAST YEAR, IT PROVIDED A SEVEN PERCENT DISCOUNT ON COVERED GENERIC MEDICATIONS FOR PEOPLE WHO HIT THE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE GAP KNOWN AS THE DONUT HOLE, WITH 2,814,646 BENEFICIARIES RECEIVING $32.1 MILLION IN SAVINGS ON GENERICS.
IN 2011, THE 3.6 MILLION AMERICANS WHO HIT THE DONUT HOLE SAVED AN AVERAGE OF $604 ON THE COST OF THEIR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. DATA ALSO SHOW THAT WOMEN ESPECIALLY BENEFITTED FROM THE LAW’S PROVISION WITH 2.05 MILLION WOMEN SAVING $1.2 BILLION ON THEIR PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
BY 2020, THE DONUT HOLE WILL BE CLOSED COMPLETELY. THE NEW REPORT RELEASED TODAY BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FINDS THAT THIS PROVISION AND OTHER FEATURES OF THE HEALTH REFORM LAW WILL GENERATE SUBSTANTIAL SAVINGS FOR PEOPLE WITH MEDICARE. TYPICAL MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES WILL SAVE AN AVERAGE OF NEARLY $4,200 FROM 2011 TO 2021. PEOPLE WITH HIGH PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS COULD SAVE AS MUCH AS $16,000.
THE SAVINGS ARE A PRODUCT OF PROVISIONS IN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND OTHER COST TRENDS THAT:
• DECREASE PRESCRIPTION DRUG COSTS FOR SENIORS
• MAKE PREVENTIVE SERVICES LIKE MAMMOGRAMS FREE FOR EVERYONE IN MEDICARE
• REDUCE GROWTH IN PART B PREMIUMS (FOR PHYSICIAN SERVICES)
• REDUCE GROWTH IN COST-SHARING UNDER BOTH PARTS A (HOSPITAL CARE) AND PART B.
THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS COME ONE DAY AFTER HHS ANNOUNCED THAT IN 2012, MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PREMIUMS HAVE FALLEN BY SEVEN PERCENT ON AVERAGE AND ENROLLMENT HAS RISEN BY ABOUT 10 PERCENT SINCE LAST YEAR.
CONGRESSMAN LOEBSACK PRAISES MOVEMENT OF LEGISLATION TO BAN INSIDER TRADING
February 06, 2012 ~ 0 CommentsCONGRESSMAN DAVE LOEBSACK PRAISED THE MOVEMENT OF LEGISLATION TO BAN INSIDER TRADING IN HOUSE AFTER IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT THE HOUSE MAJORITY WOULD ALLOW THE VOTE BANNING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM MAKING A PROFIT ON NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION. LOEBSACK HAS TAKEN MULTIPLE ACTIONS TO FORCE THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS BILL SINCE HE BECAME THE FOURTH PERSON IN CONGRESS TO CO-SPONSOR THE HOUSE VERSION OF THE STOCK ACT. THE LEGISLATION CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 280 BIPARTISAN CO-SPONSORS.
LOEBSACK IS ALSO A COSPONSOR OF LEGISLATION, THE RESTORING ETHICAL STANDARDS, TRANSPARENCY, AND RESPONSIBILITY IN CONGRESSIONAL TRADING (RESTRICT) ACT, THAT WOULD GO ONE STEP FURTHER IN PREVENTING INSIDER TRADING. THE RESTRICT ACT WOULD REQUIRE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO PLACE ALL OF THEIR STOCKS AND OTHER SECURITIES IN A BLIND TRUST, GIVING A THIRD PARTY THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MANAGING ASSETS AND PROHIBITING MEMBERS OF CONGRESS FROM HAVING ANY INFLUENCE OVER BUYING, TRADING, AND SELLING DECISIONS.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
February 06, 2012 ~ 0 CommentsIN 1926, U.S. HISTORIAN CARTER WOODSON GREATED “NEGRO HISTORY WEEK,” WHICH TRANSFORMED INTO BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN 1976. SINCE THEN, IT HAS BEEN CELEBRATED ANNUALLY EVERY FEBRUARY. FEBRUARY IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT ENCOMPASSED THE BIRTHDAYS OF BOTH ABRAHAM LINCOLN AND FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
THIS YEAR’S THEME IS “BLACK WOMEN IN AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY” AND HONORS AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND THE COUNTLESS ROLES THEY PLAYED IN THE SHAPING OF OUR NATION. THE THEME WAS CHOSEN BY THE ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LIFE AND HISTORY.
