The Serrano Report, Vol. IX, #7
On Capitol Hill
Serrano Talks with Bronx Students
On Wednesday, Congressman Serrano met with two groups of students from the Bronx, first with students from Fordham University and later with the robotics team from the Morris High School Campus, who were in Washington for a robotics competition. Serrano spoke with both groups of students about issues of concern to the students and about the current challenges facing Congress. "It is always such a pleasure to meet with such bright students from the Bronx," said Serrano. "Their hard work and knowledgeable questions were very encouraging."
Serrano with the Fordham students after their meeting
Serrano with the robotics team from the Morris High School Campus
Serrano Questions ONDCP
On Tuesday, during a hearing before the Financial Services Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, Congressman Serrano questioned Gil Kerlikowske, the head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy about the agency's oversight of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) grant program. The funding is supposed to go to reducing drug trafficking, but recent press reports about the NYPD's program of spying on Muslims showed that the NYPD had used money intended for combating drugs for their spying program.
"We fight to give HIDTA money to fight the war on drugs and its being used for something else...it's this part that troubles me," said Serrano during the hearing. "Why would you take away money to fight the drug issue in communities like mine...with all that other [anti-terrorism] money available?"
Serrano repeatedly expressed concern that taking money intended for drug efforts and using it for other purposes undermined efforts to get sufficient funding to reduce drug trafficking. During the hearing, he also questioned Kerlikowske about how much oversight ONDCP had over the funding, expressing doubt about whether they knew where all the money they were giving out was going. He asked Kerlikowske how he could be sure where the money was going, since his agency had not known about NYPD's diversion of the funding to other purposes.
Links to video of the full hearing can be found on the Appropriations Committee website (hearing begins at the 40 minute mark of part I).
Serrano Discusses Budget at Treasury Hearing
On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner testified before the Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee. The hearing dealt with the Department of the Treasury's budget request for the coming fiscal year and touched on a number of issues related to the federal budget.
"The Treasury Department has played an important role in our burgeoning economic recovery," said Serrano. "From helping small businesses, to expanding economic development in underserved areas, to providing assistance to taxpayers, the Treasury Department provides tangible benefits to all Americans."
During the hearing, Serrano discussed a number of issues with Secretary Geithner, including the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which helps to expand economic development opportunities in underserved areas. The CDFI Fund has helped spur development of numerous projects in the Bronx, and while serving as Chairman of the subcommittee, Congressman Serrano more than tripled the budget for the program.
Although the hearing was mostly concerned with the budget request of the Department of the Treasury, Serrano grew frustrated as some members of the Republican party attempted to turn the hearing into a referendum on who was to blame for the current debt level.
"Some members on the other side of the aisle have short memories. When President Clinton left office, our nation had a huge budget surplus. President Bush, aided by Republicans in Congress, squandered that surplus by showering tax cuts on the richest Americans and by starting a war over weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. There seem to be a lot of people here blaming President Obama for problems that their party created."
Links to video of the full hearing can be found at the Appropriations Committee website (the hearing begins at approximately 17 minutes into part I).
Bronx Latina Leader Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez Honored
On Tuesday, the Imagen Foundation honored Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez for her contributions to the community during the foundation's Latina Leaders Celebration. Congressman Serrano had nominated her for the award based on her leadership of Urban Health Plan, a growing network of community health centers in the Bronx.
“Paloma is the essence of a strong Bronx leader, who is dedicated to improving health care access in her community,” said Serrano. “It was an easy decision to nominate her for this award, because her vision for a Bronx where no one lacks access to health care services is so important, and she has done so much to bring it to reality. As a direct result of her efforts, there are fewer people suffering from health issues in the Bronx.
“The successes of Urban Health Plan are not just limited to expanding access. Paloma has led the organization to attack specific problems that people in the Bronx suffer in disproportionate numbers. For instance, several years ago, UHP began to take on the high rates of asthma in our community. Their work brought down emergency room visits significantly, and led to a marked increase in quality of life for the people who had been so fearful of a bad asthma attack. This model of an all-out effort to reduce the serious problem of asthma in the Bronx has been used as an example around the nation.
“I am so gratified that Paloma received this award. She deserves it, and she deserves all the praise that comes along with it. The Bronx has health problems, like any community, but it also has a special person in Paloma who is offering quality solutions to those health issues. Not every community has a leader like her, and the people of the Bronx are very lucky to have her working on their behalf every day.”
Serrano with Paloma Izquierdo-Hernandez at the awards ceremony
Grant
Jóvenes en Acción Grant
Deadline: May 17, 2012
The Office of Citizen Exchanges in the State Department recently announced the availability of funding to design exchange programs for Mexican high school students. The program would need to provide a four or five week summer exchange program in the United States that focused on civic education, youth leadership, and that facilitated the implementation of service projects when the students returned home. Public and private non-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.
For more information about this grant, please read the announcement (PDF) on the State Department's website.
For more information about other federal grants please visit grants.gov.