(WASHINGTON, DC) – The House of Representatives spent the first days of the 110th Congress focusing on efforts that Congressman Dennis Moore (Third District – Kansas) has championed, including: ensuring that the 9-11 Commission’s recommendations are fully implemented; allowing Medicare to negotiate lower drug prices for beneficiaries; reinstating Pay-As-You-Go budget rules; and requiring greater transparency in the earmarking process. All of these measures received bipartisan support in the House.

“The American people have shown that they want us to bridge the partisan divide and put forth good ideas that will move our country forward,” Moore said. “These bills are about doing what’s right for the American people and for our country. When it comes to the safety and health of our citizens, there’s no room for partisanship.”

During the first week of the 110th Congress, the House passed the following:

9-11 Commission Recommendations Implementation – a bill to substantially improve our homeland security by significantly increasing the share of state homeland security grants provided on the basis of risk, creating a stand-alone grant program for interoperable communications for first responders, phasing in a requirement of 100% inspection of air cargo over the next 3 years, and requiring, within five years, 100% scanning of U.S.-bound shipping containers. Last year, the bipartisan 9/11 Commissioners gave Congress and the Administration a number of poor grades on implementing the Commission’s recommendations, including 5 Fs, 12 Ds and 2 Incompletes. Moore has consistently called for full implementation of all recommendations, including increased congressional oversight of homeland security efforts.

Medicare Negotiation Authority – a bill requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to negotiate a group discount for lower pharmaceutical prices on behalf of 43 million Medicare beneficiaries. Under the bill, the Secretary of HHS has discretion on how to best implement the negotiating authority and achieve the greatest price discounts, and is required to report to Congress on the program every six months. Moore has been a tireless advocate for giving Medicare negotiating authority since his legislation, the Medicare’s Equitable Drugs for Seniors (MEDS) Act, was introduced in January 2004. Moore’s bill, which he introduced with Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson (Eighth District -- Missouri), garnered the bipartisan support of over 165 cosponsors in both the 108th and 109th Congress.

Pay-As-You-Go Budget Rules – a measure to reinstate the PAYGO rule, which simply means that any bill, amendment or conference report affecting entitlement spending considered in the House must be revenue neutral. This is an important first step toward reversing current budget deficits and returning fiscal discipline to our budget process. As the newly elected Policy Co-Chair of the Blue Dog Coalition, Moore has been a leading advocate for reinstating the PAYGO rule, which was in effect from 1990 – 2002.

Earmark and Ethics Reform – new House rules requiring Members to disclose their earmark requests and certify that they (and their spouses) have no personal financial interest in the request. The rules also require committees to publish lists of the earmarks, along with their sponsors, contained in measures brought to the House floor for consideration. These lists will be available to the public. In September 2006, Moore introduced a similar measure, in order to bring greater transparency and accountability to the earmarking process.

“As Congress continues its work, there will be differences of opinion on how to address our country’s needs,” Moore said. “I believe, however, that if we treat each other with civility and respect, we can effectively address the concerns we all have and make our country an even better and safer place to live.”

The Medicare negotiation and 9-11 Commission Implementation bills are now awaiting consideration by the Senate.