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House Approves Economic Stimulus Package
On January 29, the House voted 385 to 35 to approve a bipartisan stimulus package [H.R. 5140] to jumpstart the slowing economy. The goal of the $146 billion measure is to provide working Americans who are struggling in these difficult economic times with timely, targeted and temporary relief and to give our economy a shot in the arm.
If approved by the Senate, the economic package would provide a stimulus to the slowing economy, and put tax rebates in the hands of 117 million American families. Rebate checks could be sent as early as May. For households that qualify, the House-passed bill would provide tax relief of up to $600 per individual and $1,200 per married couple, plus an additional $300 per child.
Speaking in favor of the stimulus package, Rep. Levin urged that Congress also take action to extend unemployment benefits: “Yesterday, in this very place, the President said ‘our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty.’ For millions of people in this country, our economic difficulties are very, very certain, indeed.... In Michigan, 72 thousand people will exhaust their jobless benefits in the first half of this year. In the past, the extensions of unemployment benefits have come too late. The time for action on extension is here and now.”
To view Rep. Levin speaking on the House Floor Click Here.
The debate on the stimulus plan moves to the Senate next week, which is considering its own package. Ultimately, the House and Senate will have to agree on a final version of the stimulus plan and send it to the President.
Effort to Override Veto of Children’s Health Care Bill Falls Short
On January 23, the House of Representatives voted 260 to 152 to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill [H.R. 3963], which sought to provide health care coverage to an additional 3.8 million children. The House fell just 15 votes short of the two-thirds majority required to override a presidential veto.
To see how Members of the House voted, click here.
Speaking in support of the override, Rep. Levin said, “No American child should be without access to decent health care. This is especially true given the worsening economic conditions that are battering Michigan and every other state. Rising unemployment results in more American families losing their health insurance.”
For more information, click here.
Lawmakers Call on Homeland Security to Halt Misguided Border Crossing Policy
On January 24, a bipartisan group of 34 House lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to halt implementation of new requirements for border crossing documentation. While the Congress had earlier approved an extension until June 2009 to provide more time for effective implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, Secretary Chertoff decided that beginning on January 31, 2008, U.S. citizens must present photo identification, such as a driver’s license, and proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate.
The letter states, “These ill-conceived and unnecessarily cumbersome travel requirements will have a deleterious effect on our nation’s weakening economy and will adversely affect the economies of the border communities....”
To view the letter to Secretary Chertoff, click here.
Veterans History Project: Local Veterans Share Stories
The Southfield Veterans Commission is working to ensure that the stories of local veterans are included in the national Library of Congress Veterans History Project. To read about their efforts and learn how you can be involved, click here.
The Week Ahead
On January 28, President Bush delivered the annual State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress. On Tuesday, the House debated and approved H.R. 5140, the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act. The House also approved H.R. 1528, the New England National Scenic Trail Designation Act. The House is in recess for the balance of the week as Democratic lawmakers meet in Williamsburg, Virginia, for their annual issues conference.
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