The Serrano Report, Vol. X, #13

On Capitol Hill

Serrano Excoriates Republicans on Budget

On Tuesday, Congressman Serrano criticized Republican plans to severely cut funding for large swaths of government that provide vital services to the American people. As Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Serrano expressed particular concern for the proposed funding level of $16.9 billion for that bill.

“This funding allocation would be a joke, if the consequences weren't so serious for the American people” said Congressman Serrano. “Rather than make you laugh, it just makes you shake your head at the devastating impact of this Republican proposal. Cutting agencies by more than 30 percent from FY2010 has nothing to do with good government or responsible stewardship of the government. It means mass layoffs, huge service gaps for the American people, and essentially shuttering large parts of the government.”

"There is no reasonable way to find these savings without eviscerating entire agencies. You could close the doors at the SEC, the FTC, the CPSC, the SBA, and the EAC, and still not have enough cuts to make this number work. The other alternative would be an across-the-board cut to 15 percent below sequestration levels- which would further devastate efforts to protect American consumers, prevent abuses on Wall Street, and help our small businesses. There is just no way to make this funding level work.

“Consider this: In fiscal year 2013, after taking sequestration into account the agencies under this jurisdiction are funded at $19.8 billion. With furloughs and drastic cuts already taking place at that level, what possible outcomes other than mass layoffs and shuttering huge segments of these agencies could reasonably be expected? Nothing in this allocation is reasonable, and none of the decisions that it forces are grounded in an understanding of the needs of the American people.

“This is a shameful way to treat the American people. They expect straight shooting from their leaders, and this is the opposite. No one can believe that this funding level makes any sense, and there’s no reason to pretend to craft a bill based on them. The American people deserve better.”

The funding level proposed by the Republican majority for the Financial Services subcommittee is almost $3 billion less than the funding level in fiscal year 2013, and almost $7.2 billion less than in fiscal year 2010.  The funding level is also almost $6.5 billion below the President's fiscal year 2014 request.

Serrano Attends Meeting with CFPB Head

On Wednesday, Congressman Serrano, along with other members of the Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittee, met with Richard Cordray, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).  The CFPB was created in 2010 in the wake of the financial meltdown, and is tasked with protecting consumers from financial abuses and scams.  

“This is one of our nation’s most important agencies,” said Serrano.  “We need a strong advocate for consumers to prevent unfair, illegal, and abusive practices in a wide range of financial areas.  The CFPB is a new agency, but it has already taken important steps in ensuring transparency in financial transactions, and ensuring accountability among financial entities like banks and credit card companies.”  

The CFPB has numerous resources to help consumers understand their financial rights, and to submit complaints.  If you are having a problem with your mortgage, credit card, bank, or student loan, you can contact the CFPB, and if it is able, the agency will help you to resolve your issue.  To contact the CFPB about these areas, please visit its complaint page or call (855) 411-2372 for assistance in either English or Spanish. For more information about the agency, please visit its website.  You can also visit a Spanish language version of the website here.

In the Bronx

Serrano Comments on Sheridan Expressway Plan

Congressman Serrano joined South Bronx residents and community groups this week as they responded to City proposals for the future of the Sheridan Expressway. Residents and community groups organized a press conference the day after a public meeting where the planning team presented draft recommendations for the future of the Sheridan Expressway and Hunts Point.

“From the beginning, the community has been clear in their desire for positive changes going forward for the Sheridan Expressway,” said Serrano, who helped obtain funding for the study. “While the study was not perfect, I stand with the community in saying that some positive aspects have come out of this re-visioning and process. We know that all stakeholders agree that any changes must help pedestrians, must reduce truck traffic, and must increase community access to new and existing green spaces. I applaud the dedication of so many groups and individuals who believe that a better Bronx is possible and who do not accept the status quo.”

The community groups said that a “particularly important idea for moving trucks off of local streets and supporting Bronx businesses put forward in the Community Vision was the creation of a direct connection into and out of the Hunts Point Peninsula from the elevated Bruckner Expressway through the construction of four ramps.” The City only recommended the creation of two ramps that connect to the east, although it did recommended closing the Sheridan on-ramps at Hunts Point Avenue and the off-ramp at Whitlock Avenue. These changes would help reduce truck traffic on local streets—a key goal of the community and Serrano.

Though the City decided not to study the full removal of the Sheridan, which the community and Serrano had advocated for, many of the recommended changes would improve pedestrian access to existing Bronx River park facilities and allow for the creation of new green space. These recommended changes were “positive” and “needed” according to Serrano.

“I look forward to the implementation of the positive changes that the community desires. This is their neighborhood and their parkland. They deserve to access it and to ensure the redesigned Sheridan works for them. I will continue to closely monitor this situation and advocate for the community,” Serrano added.

Serrano Commends PCB Settlement

This week Congressman Serrano applauded the settlement that was announced in a lawsuit that New York Lawyers for the Public Interest and New York Communities for Change had pursued in order to force the New York City Department of Education to speed up its replacement of PCB-laden fixtures in schools. Under the terms of the settlement, the City will complete the removal and remediation of the toxic fixtures within five years. Serrano along with Congressional colleagues Representatives Joe Crowley and Jerry Nadler has led efforts to address the issue since the first reports of PCBs in New York City schools in 2007.

“The 10-year timeframe that the City had proposed for cleaning up these toxic chemicals was contemptible, but today’s settlement will finally move the clean up process forward in an expeditious manner,” said Serrano. “We’ve said all along that no child should be exposed to PCBs during their school days. Joe Crowley, Jerry Nadler and I did all we could to solve this problem from the federal level. In the end, it took a determined group of parents and a crack legal team to break the logjam that the City had created. I applaud everyone involved and know that many parents will sleep better tonight knowing that their children will be safe from chemicals at school.”

Serrano, Crowley and Nadler have jointly led efforts to help schools in New York City and throughout the country fund the cleanup of PCBs, particularly through efforts to allow school modernization and renovation funds to be used for cleaning up PCBs. In 2009, Crowley and Serrano secured language in the FY2010 Interior Appropriations Bill that instructed the EPA to study and issue recommendations for cleaning up PCB contamination in schools and in August 2011, called on the EPA for an update on these instructions to address the danger of PCBs in schools. The Members also led a New York City congressional delegation letter to the EPA asking the agency to increase oversight of New York City testing and remediation of schools for PCBs.

Grant

Career Development Grant for Cancer Researchers

Deadline: June 7, 2013

The Department of the Army recently announced the availability of funding to support career development among cancer researchers. The funding is to encourage mentorship of young researchers who are doing innovative work in the area of cancer research by pairing them with a more experienced researcher. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

Please visit the Army's website (PDF) for more detailed information.

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