The Serrano Report, Vol. VIII, #28
On Capitol Hill
Serrano Condemns Partisan Voting Changes
Last week, Congressman Serrano expressed concern over the impact of a variety of state level changes to the voter registration and voting processes. Along with 196 Democratic Members of the House, Serrano recently wrote to the chief elections officials of each state and urged them to put aside partisan considerations and to administer elections in a nonpartisan manner.
“We are now less than one year from the 2012 elections, and I am more worried than ever that people who meet all the legal requirements for voting will be unable to do so,” said Serrano. “This wave of restrictive voting legislation threatens to disenfranchise millions of Americans, in particular minorities, the elderly, young people, and the poor. The burdens being imposed on the right to vote are unjustified and unnecessary.
“Many of the restrictions recently put in place defy any logic other than a partisan agenda. For instance, there is no reason that any state should restrict early voting- a procedure that has been known to increase voter participation and decrease the cost of administering an election. There is no reason that a concealed handgun license is considered an appropriate ID, but a student identification card is not. These laws cannot be explained as anything other than an attempt to disenfranchise Americans who disagree with the political views of those who passed these bills.
“If there is one thing that we should all agree on, it is that we must ensure that every eligible American is able to register, vote, and have their vote counted. Our democracy is strengthened by greater participation in the voting process. Unfortunately, these laws do just the opposite. I hope over the next year that better sense will prevail- if not in the legislature, than in the courts, where many of these laws are being challenged.”
The text of the original letter, along with the names of all the signatories, can be found here.
Serrano Hosts NOAA Grant Ceremony
On Tuesday, Congressman Serrano, along with Congressman Chaka Fattah, Senator Barbara Mikulski, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), hosted the Educational Partnership Program (EPP) Cooperative Science Center Grant (CSC) Announcement Ceremony. NOAA established and continues to maintain CSCs at Minority Serving Institutions to advance collaborative research in areas of science in which NOAA is interested. There are 23 CSC affiliated institutions nationwide, including at CUNY City College and University of Puerto Rico, Mayagüez. Congressman Serrano has supported EPP since its creation 10 years ago and sits on the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees NOAA.
Serrano with (from left) Ruben Delgado, a professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore County; Jorge Gonzalez, a professor at CUNY City College; and Ruben Picon and Jonathan Munoz Barreto, doctoral students at City College CUNY. Gonzalez, Picon and Munoz Barreto all previously studied at the University of Puerto Rico Mayagüez
Serrano Speaks at CHCI Intern Graduation
On Wednesday evening, Congressman Serrano attended the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s (CHCI) Fall 2011 Internship Program Graduation Ceremony in the Library of Congress. The 16 students, including Congressman Serrano’s intern, Jonathan Justiniano, come from 10 different states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico. They all come from different academic institutions and 10 of them are the first generation in their families to attend college. Serrano addressed the audience and discussed how important it is to continue working to improve Latino communities across the nation.
Serrano Speaking at the graduation ceremony
In the Bronx
Serrano Meets with NYCHA
This week, Congressman Serrano had two opportunities to meet and talk with public housing residents and leaders. On Monday, Serrano hosted a meeting with members of the Bronx South District Council of Presidents (BSDCOP) of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). At the meeting Congressman Serrano made clear his continued support for public and subsidized housing for all New Yorkers who need it.
Then on Wednesday, Serrano addressed NYCHA’s Citywide Council of Presidents (CCOP), which represents more than 600,000 residents of public housing in New York City, at an event hosted by Congressman Edolphus Towns on behalf of the New York City Congressional Delegation. Serrano expressed his continued support of public housing and his appreciation for CCOP’s efforts in fighting against funding cuts to New York City public housing. CCOP was on Capitol Hill to meet with the co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, also known as the Super Committee, to request that public and assisted housing capital projects and operating subsidies be spared in the deficit reduction process, and to celebrate the defeat of a provision that would deny federal funding to 13,000 NYCHA housing units.
Serrano with BSDCOP Chairman John A. Johnson and President of the Mill Brook Houses Tenant Association, Pricella Jamerson
Grant
Healthcare Grants
Deadline: January 27, 2012
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation is inviting applicants to apply for the Healthcare Innovation Challenge. This initiative will fund applicants who propose compelling new models of service delivery/payment improvements that deliver better health, better health care, and lower costs through improved quality for Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees. Provider groups, health systems, payers and other private sector organizations, faith-based organizations, local governments, and public-private partnerships and for-profit organizations, are all encouraged to apply. In addition, certain organizations could be eligible to apply as conveners assembling and coordinating the efforts of a group of participants.
For more information about this grant please visit the Grant Solutions website.
For more information about other federal grants please visit grants.gov.