The Serrano Report, Vol. VIII, #10
On Capitol Hill
Serrano Opposes Continuing Resolution
On Thursday, Congressman Serrano voted against the 2011 Continuing Resolution because of the deep cuts to programs that support the underserved and working families. Although President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid successfully limited the worst of the Republican proposals, he remained concerned that the burden of the spending cuts in the legislation fell too heavily on hardworking American families. Despite Serrano's opposition to the bill, it passed the House by a vote of 260 - 167. The bill was also agreed to in the Senate by a vote of 81-19. The President is expected to sign the legislation into law later today, before the current continuing resolution expires.
click here to read Serrano's statement about the vote
Serrano Questions Kennedy, Breyer about Supreme Court
On Thursday, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee held its annual hearing on the Supreme Court's budget. This is one of the few formal opportunities for members of the legislative and judicial branches to interact with one another. Congressman Serrano serves as the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee, and helped welcome Supreme Court Justices Stephen Breyer and Anthony Kennedy to the hearing.
Serrano also had a chance to question the justices about issues affecting the Supreme Court and the Judiciary as a whole. Among other subjects, Serrano touched upon efforts to increase diversity among Supreme Court law clerks; the importance of security for federal judges; the impact of budget cuts on the Supreme Court's operations; and whether the Judicial Conference's Code of Judicial Ethics should be binding on members of the Supreme Court (the Code is not currently mandatory, although Supreme Court Justices voluntarily follow it).
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Serrano with Chairwoman Emerson and Justices Stephen Breyer (left) and Anthony Kennedy (right) |
Serrano Attends CHCI Graduation
On Thursday, Congressman Serrano attended the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) graduation ceremony for CHCI interns. The CHCI provides scholarships for college students to spend a semester working in a Member of Congress' office to learn about the legislative process.
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Serrano with CHCI Intern Anthony Leon, who has worked in Serrano's office since February |
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In the Bronx
Serrano Submits Testimony on PCB Contamination
On Wednesday, Congressman Serrano submitted testimony to the New York City Council at a hearing on PCB contamination in City schools. Serrano has been a leader in bringing attention to this issue and getting the EPA to work on it. He co-sponsored legislation with Congressman Joe Crowley in the last Congress to study and fund the cleanup of these horrible contaminants, which are proven to cause significant health problems for children who are exposed to them.
click here to read the full testimony
Serrano Denounces City Hall Deviation From Solid Waste Plan
On Wednesday, Congressman Serrano wrote to Mayor Michael Bloomberg urging he reconsider his plans to defund the Solid Waste Management Plan, a carefully negotiated proposal to make each Borough responsible for its solid waste processing. The Bronx currently handles a disproportionate share of the City’s solid waste, all of which is trucked through the Bronx and contributes to the extremely poor air quality. The Solid Waste Management Plan, which was reached in 2006 after lengthy negotiations between elected officials, city agencies, and environmental advocates, would better balance the load of the City’s waste between Boroughs, which would benefit the Bronx. The recent budget proposed by Mayor Bloomberg defunds this plan.
click here to read the full letter
Grant Opportunities
Violence Prevention Research Grant
Application Deadline: May 10, 2011
The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) recently announced the availability of funding to improve the response to technology-facilitated crimes against children. This program seeks to expand the understanding of how technology is used to commit crimes against young victims. Information gathered from this research may be used to inform policy and other responses to children at risk of exploitation. State and local governments, institutions of higher education, and 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organizations are encouraged to apply.
For more information about this opportunity, please visit the OJJDP website (PDF).
For information on other government grants, please go to: www.grants.gov.