The Serrano Report, Vol. IX, #15

On Capitol Hill

Serrano Votes Against Bloated Defense Budget

On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the fiscal year 2013 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill by a vote of 326-90. The bill includes $518 billion in base funding and an additional $88 billion for the war in Afghanistan and other overseas operations. Congressman Serrano joined 78 other Democrats and 11 Republicans in voting against the measure. Serrano voted against the measure, despite an amendment that reduced funding by $1 billion dollars, because the bill did not sufficiently cut spending for defense and continued funding the war in Afghanistan at a time when other parts of the government are facing severe reductions.

In addition to the successful amendment to reduce the bill by $1 billion, Serrano supported a number of failed amendments that would have further reduced funding in the bill and ended the war in Afghanistan. "We must recognize that in tough times we must weigh our choices carefully," said Serrano. "We cannot stop investing in America while continuing to pursue endless wars overseas."

The bill will now move to the Senate for its consideration, although the President has threatened to veto the bill if its spending level is not reduced.

Serrano Opposes Healthcare Repeal, Again

Last week, as he voted against another Republican effort to repeal President Obama’s health care reform package, Congressman Serrano expressed his disappointment and disgust at the ongoing, politically-motivated campaign to overturn the historic law.

“Today’s vote is a slap in the face of the American people,” said Congressman Serrano. “They are suffering from the effects of a weak economic recovery, and need help with jobs. Rather than addressing economic problems, which polls show is the top priority of the American people, Republicans have yet again voted to repeal Obamacare. It seems that they are so motivated by their partisan rage at Obamacare that they cannot believe that the law is here to stay, and cannot admit that it’s time to move on to more pressing issues.

“The American people are already seeing the positive benefits of the new law. As we move forward they will see more and more benefits. For instance, they will be guaranteed by law that they won’t lose insurance coverage right when they need it most. Nor will they be prevented from getting insurance due to pre-existing conditions. Both these protections will relieve people of the fear that medical catastrophes will become financial nightmares. These benefits are real, and repealing the law would take them away.”

According to House Democratic experts, over the past two years, Americans have already seen the positive impact of new patient protections as:

• Up to 17 million children are no longer denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
• 6.6 million young people have obtained insurance through their parents’ plans.
• 5.3 million seniors have already saved $3.7 billion on prescription drugs.
• 105 million Americans no longer face lifetime limits on their insurance coverage.

“With statistics like these, you can understand why repealing the law is such a bad idea,” added Serrano. “It’s time for Republicans to stop their futile quest to undo Obamacare and begin to work with Democrats to create jobs. We know that is what the American people want us to do.”

In the Bronx

Serrano Announces Grant for Bronx Community Health Network

Last Friday, Congressman Serrano announced that the Bronx Community Health Network (BCHN) would be the recipient of more than $1 million in federal funding for their ongoing efforts to prevent, treat, and manage HIV/AIDS in the Bronx.

“The work the Bronx Community Health Network carries out in the fight against HIV and AIDS is exemplary and deserving of the support that our government is giving to it,” said Congressman Serrano. “Their model, which treats the whole patient, is the way medicine should be practiced. It is particularly important in the cases where people have HIV/AIDS. They need more comprehensive care than others might in order to successfully manage their disease. Through management of existing infections and education of those not infected, BCHN is doing extremely important work to roll back the spread of this deadly disease. This grant will empower them to continue that vital work.”

“Care of patients with HIV/AIDS and prevention of infection in people who are at high risk of developing HIV/AIDs is an essential part of the BCHN mission,” said Dr. Jay Izes, Chief Medical Officer of the Bronx Community Health Network. “This competitive grant renewal reflects HRSA’s evaluation of the innovative, patient-centered care that we provide.”

“We are privileged to play a part in preventing the spread of the virus by educating our community and keeping healthy those who are already living with HIV/AIDS,” said Eleanor Larrier, MPH, who is CEO of Bronx Community Health Network.

The $1.043 million grant was issued by the Health Resources and Services Administration under Title 3 of the Ryan White Act. Congressman Serrano worked for reauthorization of the deeply important Ryan White Act, which funds most of the HIV/AIDS-specific health care and prevention in the nation.

“We must continue to fight HIV/AIDS in the community, the nation, and the world,” added Serrano. “We know that the best prevention methods are education and treatment, and BCHN is carrying out those tasks with distinction. I am very pleased to help announce this award, because I know that it will save lives in our community. And ultimately that is what the fight against HIV/AIDS is about: saving lives.”

Serrano Attends Ground Breaking for New Housing Development

On Monday, Congressman Serrano joined Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr., representatives from the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development, community leaders and others for the ground breaking celebration for the Maple Mesa Project in the Bronx.  The construction of two new buildings will create 59 affordable rental units in the Morrisania and Concourse neighborhoods. "This new project continues the ongoing growth of our borough," said Serrano. "We need to have more affordable housing so that the Bronx remains accessible to all families."

Serrano and Diaz along with other attendees at the ground breaking

Grant

Rape Prevention Grant

Deadline: August 17, 2012

The Centers for Disease Control recently announced the availability of funding to prevent sexual violence by building sustainable partnerships for prevention. A successful application should have a plan for raising awareness about sexual violence and generating educational programs and materials about how to reduce the incidence of such violence. State and local departments of health and their agents are encouraged to apply.

Please visit grants.gov for more information about this opportunity.

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