The Serrano Report, Vol. VIII, #19

On Capitol Hill

Serrano Denounces 'Cut, Cap and Balance' Bill

This week, Congressman Serrano denounced a House Republican effort to impose an economically-devastating fiscal plan on the country through their so-called 'Cut, Cap and Balance' bill. Serrano called the ill-advised austerity package “a path to another recession” and the “wrong solution to our nation’s problems.”

“Our nation has run into fiscal problems for three reasons—none of which are addressed by the Republicans’ bill—they were primarily the Bush Tax Cuts, the foreign wars, and the recession,” said Congressman Serrano. “With the Republicans refusing to address the fiscally-disastrous tax cuts for the wealthy, refusing to end the costly foreign wars, and actively taking action that will make the economy weaker, we are left with few options but to denounce this backwards approach.”

“When the fiscal situation of the government was better, I warned that their spending on tax cuts and foreign wars would cause fiscal problems which they would then balance on the backs of social programs. I warned that my constituents, who work hard for their families, would be the victims of the wasteful, reckless Bush fiscal policies. But when the times were good, Republicans ignored these valid concerns—saying that ‘tax cuts pay for themselves’ and famously ‘deficits don’t matter.’ They were wrong and working families are suffering.

“Now we get the perverse reasoning that by cutting government jobs and spending, you will create jobs and revive the economy. This logic is so backwards as to be laughable. Good, stable government jobs and stimulus spending is precisely what the economy needs to begin to grow again.

“They claim that businesses need ‘confidence’ and tax incentives to begin hiring. The truth is that businesses first must have customers in order to need new employees. Big corporations are sitting on piles of cash, and tax incentives will do little to change their lack of customers. We can create demand in the economy through stimulus spending—not through severe fiscal austerity plans.

“My constituents never got the benefits of the Bush bubble. They worked the jobs that were available and paid taxes. They did their fair share. Now the jobs are evaporating, and the social safety net that they paid into during the better times is under severe threat.

“I will vote against this bill on behalf of my constituents, and the people like them across the nation. I am casting a vote for fairness and economic growth. I am casting a vote against the Bush policies that the Republicans’ are seeking to extend. I am voting for a better future for our children, despite what Republicans claim about the debt.

"Our nation became great by making investments in our people and infrastructure. It became great by creating a stable middle class and a robust social safety net. It became great through Americans supporting one another and paying their fair share of the taxes.  Today we watch as the Republicans continue to turn their backs on that history and continue their ideological push towards a ‘me-first’ economic system. I want no part of that bleak future, nor should our nation.”

Watch Serrano speak on the floor

In the Bronx

Serrano Announces $2 million in Health Grants in Bronx

On Monday, Congressman Serrano announced that several Bronx school-based health center programs had been awarded nearly $2 million from the federal government. The grants will allow the clinics to expand and serve more children at schools in the Bronx. The funding comes as part of the Affordable Care Act health care reform initiative.

The grantees are:

Morris Heights Health Center -- $499,880

Bronx Community Health Network Inc. -- $500,000

Montefiore Medical Center -- $477,723

Urban Health Plan Inc. -- $489,000

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, “school-based health centers improve the overall health and wellness of all children through health screenings, health promotion and disease prevention activities and enable children with acute or chronic illnesses to attend school.”

“Healthy kids can learn and grow and these grants will allow more kids in the Bronx to access needed health care services,” said Congressman Serrano. “These programs take the health care to the patients and ensure that there is no reason that an illness or a health problem goes untreated. I can’t think of a better way to improve the lives of Bronx kids than to ensure that they are healthy. And I also can’t think of a better way for our health care dollars to be spent. No one can argue that kids should miss school or suffer from illness simply because they don’t have access to health care.

“I applaud the four grantees for the work that they were already doing to qualify for these grants which will allow them to expand their reach. This funding is really a recognition that they are on the right path towards delivering care to our community. I am glad to see funding flowing into our neighborhoods for this purpose and I look forward to making more of these types of grant announcements in the future as the Affordable Care Act continues to be implemented.”

A full list of grantees is available on the HHS website.

Serrano Voices Support for NTEU

This week, Congressman Serrano voiced his support for the National Treasury Employees Union NTEU, as they held a rally expressing their pride in government and in the excellent work they perform on behalf of Americans every day.  The rally was held at 26 Federal Plaza, in front of hundreds of federal workers.

“Like you, I know that misinformation and unfair attacks have poisoned the public discourse about federal employees,” said Serrano in a statement read at the rally. “We know that in reality federal workers like you play a critical role in our government. You work hard every day to improve our country and that should not be forgotten. Above all, as people look for ways to address the financial problems our country faces, they cannot and should not balance the budget on the backs of hard-working federal employees.”

“Congressman Serrano has continuously stood with us in the fight to protect our jobs,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “The NTEU thanks the Congressman for his support and hard work on behalf of our members.”

Serrano, Crowley Respond to Lawsuit on PCBs in Schools

Congressmen Serrano and Joseph Crowley (Queens) responded to the lawsuit that New York Lawyers for the Public Interest filed in federal court today in order to force the New York City Department of Education to speed up its replacement of PCB-laden fixtures in schools. PCBs are a toxic chemical, and have been found to be present in both light fixtures and caulk in many of the City’s schools. Serrano and Crowley have been leaders on the issue since the first reports of PCBs in New York City schools in 2007.

“The timeframe that the DOE announced for cleaning up these toxic chemicals was outrageous, and this lawsuit could force swifter action,” said Congressman Serrano. “Surely we can all agree that no student should be exposed to PCBs—known to be dangerously toxic in a variety of ways—for years to come. If ever there was a problem that we know that we should spend money on, this is it. Since the news came that there were PCBs in the schools, I have been working to help find solutions. The bill I introduced with Joe Crowley during the last Congress was a step towards addressing this at the federal level. With Republicans in charge, the outlook is bleak for a nation-wide solution. But in the meantime, states and localities should be taking aggressive action to rid schools of these horrible chemicals. Our children cannot wait for the budget outlooks to be more positive—their health is at stake.”

“There is consensus that there is no room for PCBs in our children’s classrooms.  However, tackling a problem of this magnitude will require city, state and federal support. That is why Congressman Serrano and I introduced legislation to provide federal funding to help local officials shoulder the burden,” said Congressman Crowley. “Rep. Serrano and I will not only continue working to secure passage of this measure, but keep up our work to ensure the City moves forward with an effective cleanup plan. At the end of the day, we are all committed to making sure our children are absorbing knowledge in the classroom, and not dangerous chemicals.”

Grant

Health-Center Grants

Deadline: August 8, 2011

The US Department of Health and Human Services recently announced the availability of funding for Health Center Program grants. The purpose of these grants is to support a variety of community-based health centers that help to ensure access to health services for vulnerable populations throughout the United States and its territories. Targeting the nation's neediest populations and geographic areas, the Health Center Program currently funds more than 1,100 health centers that operate more than 8,100 service delivery sites around the country. State and local governments, and 501(c)(3) organizations are encouraged to apply

For more information about this grant please visit HHS's website.

For more information about other federal grants please visit grants.gov.