The Serrano Report, Vol. VII, #24
On Capitol Hill
Serrano Speaks out for Immigration Reform
This morning, Congressman Serrano welcomed the Antorcha Guadalupana International Run to Washington, and spoke at a press conference they held in support of immigration reform and the DREAM Act. The run is a 3,133 mile relay from the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico to New York City aimed at promoting friendship and understanding across the border dividing our two countries. Serrano assured the runners that along with the other Hispanic Members of Congress, he will continue fighting for both the DREAM Act and comprehensive immigration reform. He paid tribute to their running saying “the fight for immigration reform is like a long running race, and the way to win is to keep on running regardless of what stumbling blocks are thrown in the way.”
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Serrano speaking at the press conference |
House Democrats Extend Middle-Class Tax Cuts
On Thursday, the House passed a bill to extend tax cuts for all Americans who make less than $250,000. The bill, H.R. 4853, passed by a vote of 234-188.
“This legislation will ensure that we don’t raise taxes on those who can least afford it,” said Serrano. “H.R. 4853 will help Bronx families by preserving important tax benefits while also helping our nation reduce our budget deficit. This was the most morally and fiscally responsible vote.”
“I have little doubt that Republicans in the Senate will attempt to block this legislation from moving forward in an effort to preserve lower tax rates for millionaires," said Serrano. "They claim that not extending these low tax rates would hurt the economic recovery, but in fact, these tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans led us to our current budgetary predicament, by turning an enormous budget surplus into a large budget deficit. More importantly, these tax cuts for upper income Americans did nothing to prevent millions of jobs from being lost. Republicans speak about fiscal responsibility and job creation, but attempting to strong-arm a tax cut extension for our richest Americans that would do nothing for our economy and would greatly increase our budget deficit benefits neither.”
The bill extends tax relief to 97 percent of American families and small businesses, including for all families making less than $250,000 a year. It also extends several tax credits important to families, including the child tax credit and marriage penalty relief. It also extends various tax benefits from small businesses. The legislation now moves on to the Senate for their consideration.
On Thursday, the House passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) by a vote of 264-157. The primary goals of this legislation are to combat childhood hunger and childhood obesity across the nation. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years, and the USDA reports that more than 16 million children live in homes where hunger is an ongoing issue. This legislation well help families, communities, schools, and child care providers face these serious challenges.
Among many changes and improvements this legislation will provide an additional 6 cents per meal in federal reimbursement for school lunches to school districts that comply with federal nutrition standards. The bill will also extend the electronic benefit system as the method of receiving benefits for WIC participants everywhere in the country. For school lunches, the bill will significantly reduce the amount of high-calorie junk food available by implementing a science-based food nutrition standard for all food sold on school grounds.
"I am proud that I supported this long overdue legislation," said Serrano. "This bill brings much needed changes to the way schools feed our children by making sure that they have nutritious, healthy food when they are at school. Although I support all these new changes I continue to disagree with the way this legislation used future cuts to the SNAP food stamp program to help pay for it. However, the president has assured congress that he will work to restore these cuts. I am confident he shares our concerns and that these cuts will be restored."
Serrano Commemorates World AIDS Day
Congressman Serrano commemorated World AIDS Day on Wednesday by issuing the following statement:
“Today we spend time remembering those that have succumbed to AIDS and vow to redouble our efforts to fight against new infections and to find a cure. Over time, we have made much progress towards understanding and controlling this terrible disease, but we lost many good people along the way. In their memory we continue to fight to end this epidemic.
“Over the past several years, I have had the distinct honor of fighting a successful battle to ensure funding for syringe exchange programs. We started with the District of Columbia—where a city wracked by an AIDS epidemic had been prevented from using its own funds to support syringe exchange. We changed that shameful policy and then began the battle to allow federal funding for syringe exchange programs across the nation. The federal government had been prevented since the 1990s from spending money on syringe exchange. We won the battle to free up that funding last year, and federal support is starting to flow. These two struggles—which I was proud to lead—have led to reductions in HIV infection rates. As we await a cure from scientists, these sorts of actions are among the best tools we have to battle HIV/AIDS.
“Another battle that we fight on an ongoing basis is to reduce the stigma associated with HIV/AIDS. There are many people in New York who are living with a positive diagnosis, and it is our job to ensure that their lives are as normal as possible. We know that no one would choose to become infected, and therefore we cannot judge people for their infection. We must support and help them as they battle to treat this disease.
“There is much more work to be done to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic both here and abroad, but with simple, effective steps, we can reduce its impact and ensure that we do not needlessly lose more people while we wait for the cure. Every life is precious and we have lost too many already.”
In the Bronx
Nonprofit Technical Assistance Event
WHO: Office of Congressman Serrano, Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, The New York Community Trust, Cause Effective
WHEN: Friday, December 10th, 9am – 11:30am
WHERE: Hostos Community College, Building C, Center for the Arts, Repertory Theater, 450 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY
WHAT: On Friday, December 10th, the Office of Congressman Serrano will co-sponsor an event at Hostos Community College for nonprofit organizations entitled “Maximizing Individual Giving”. The event will bring together leading professionals in the nonprofit and foundation communities for an informational workshop designed to build capacity for local community based organizations.
Grant Opportunities
HUD Capital Repairs Grant
Application Deadline: November 29, 2011
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently announced the availability of funding for private nonprofit developers to make emergency capital repairs in buildings with elderly tenants. The Emergency Capital Repair Program is designed to improve the physical conditions in eligible buildings where a threat exists to the health, safety, and quality of life of the tenants. Private 501(c)(3) not-for-profit housing developers are encouraged to apply.
To learn more about this opportunity, please click here.
For information on other government grants, please go to: www.grants.gov.