In The News
Schwartz bill aims to aid college students
With college loan debt soaring past $1 trillion, Congresswoman Allyson Schwartz has introduced legislation to help students applying for college obtain better information on loans and avoid “unscrupulous” private lenders. The measure, which Schwartz, D-13, introduced with Tim Bishop, D-N.Y., and Jared Polis, D-Colo., requires schools to counsel students on financial aid options available to them, and requires private lenders to adopt steps to protect borrowers. “Federal loans are simply a better deal,” Schwartz said Wednesday in a speech on the House floor. “Private loans typically have...
Is There a ‘Doc Fix’ in the House?
The August recess is so close that members of Congress can almost smell the jet fuel that will take them home to summer vacations and the campaign trail. They are leaving plenty of work on the table—such as looming tax hikes and an automatic $1.2 trillion cut to government programs, including a 2 percent across-the-board hit to Medicare, which slowly starts in 2013. With the fiscal cliff approaching, it’s easy to forget the end-of-the-year Medicare “sequester” that Congress has to deal with on a regular basis. That perennial headache is known as the “doc fix,” Congress-speak for the series...
Pennsylvania lags in number of female legislators
HARRISBURG - Asked to describe her experience as a woman in the Capitol, longtime Philadelphia Democratic State Rep. Babette Josephs offered this: "Well, there's men, and there's more men. Anything else you'd like to know?" That about sums it up. Pennsylvania ranks between Mississippi and West Virginia in its low proportion of women in the state legislature. The state ranks 42d in the nation, with women holding 17 percent of Pennsylvania's legislative seats, according to the most recent numbers from the Rutgers University Center for American Women and...
Health care ruling yields a mixed reaction
U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — aka health care reform or Obamacare — and naturally was happy last week when the U.S. Supreme Court narrowly upheld the law. “This is really a win for the American people,” she said in a conference call with reporters on the afternoon of June 28, a few hours after the law was upheld. Schwartz (D-13th dist.) said it was “unfortunate” that some Republicans are still working to repeal the law. She accuses them of politicizing the matter.
Congresswoman wants to beef up ban on veterans discrimination
U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz last week introduced legislation to strengthen an existing law that prohibits workplace discrimination against veterans returning from service. Schwartz (D-13th dist.), in her fourth two-year term, unveiled the Servicemembers’ Access to Justice Act on June 21. Sen. Bob Casey introduced the act in the Senate on May 23. The Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 requires that employers promptly reinstate returning veterans to their civilian jobs. “The unemployment rate among veterans is ten percent in Montgomery County, and in...
Reaction comes quickly to Supreme Court's Ruling on heath care overhaul
The Supreme Court decision to uphold almost all the provisions of the Affordable Care Act — most importantly the requirement for all Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty — was lauded by hospitals, Democrats and Planned Parenthood. The region’s largest insurer, Independence Blue Cross, had a somewhat mixed reaction. And not surprisingly, Republicans in the nation’s Capitol called for repeal of the law. The 5-4 decision issues June 28, with Chief Justice John Roberts joining the four liberals on the bench, means that individuals will have to buy health insurance or pay a tax...
Local politicans react to health care ruling
U.S. Rep. Allyson Schwartz, R-13th District, called Thursday’s ruling by the Supreme Court to preserve the Affordable Care Act an important win for the American people. “This is a good day for all of us,” she said during a conference call from Washington, D.C. Schwartz called the decision upholding the legality of the law, as well as the its requirement that all citizens be required to purchase health care, enormously important in a very practical and meaningful way. She said the 5-4 decision will eventually allow all citizens to access meaningful and affordable health care. U.S. Sen....
Philadelphia-region reaction to the health care ruling
Gov. Corbett said he was "disappointed" in the ruling, but "respect for the law and for the process of the law - even when we disagree - is part of our democracy." He pledged to do "all we can to ensure the negative impact of this law affects the lives of Pennsylvanians as little as possible." "I think we can all agree there are Pennsylvanians who need our help. However, expanding government bureaucracy, government programs and government spending is not the answer." U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) was more muted in his comments on the ruling than...
Schwartz introduces legislation to help veterans combat job discrimination
U.S. Rep Allyson Schwartz, D-13th District, has introduced legislation intended to help veterans combat job discrimination. The Servicemembers’ Access to Justice Act strengthens the existing law that prohibits workplace discrimination against veterans returning from service, according information provided by Scwhartz’s office. The daughter of a Korean War veteran, Schwartz says the bill provides additional legal protection for a veteran who served in combat to come home to the same or equivalent job.
Federal grants will renovate aging SEPTA power substation, fix bridges and highways
The Philadelphia area will get $12.8 million in federal funding that was sought to help renovate an aging SEPTA power substation and repair 11 highway and railroad bridges. The grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation were announced Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey and U.S. Reps. Allyson Y. Schwartz and Chaka Fattah, all Pennsylvania Democrats.