Updated 030210: from SEN. HARKIN for March, 2010

Harkin Announces More Than $925,000 for Housing and Economic Assistance in Iowa

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that a total of $930,884 will be coming to cities and housing authorities across Iowa from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher - Family Self Sufficiency Program. The program is intended to promote the development of local strategies to coordinate the use of assistance under the Housing Choice Voucher Programs with public and private resources to enable participating families to achieve economic independence and self- sufficiency. Harkin is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which funds housing initiatives.

“During these tough economic times it is important that we provide the resources to ensure that Iowans are not without housing and the means to support themselves,” said Harkin. “Today’s funding comes from unique programs that work to help Iowans who have hit a bump in the road become economically independent and provide a roof for their families.”

The recipients and their funding levels are:

Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority (Grimes) - $56,959
City of Cedar Rapids - $136,000
City of Des Moines, Municipal Housing Agency - $131,656
City of Dubuque - $46,472
City of Sioux City Housing Authority - $65,558
Eastern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (Dubuque) - $66,307
Iowa City Housing Authority - $120,515
Mid Iowa Regional Housing Authority (Fort Dodge) - $46,589
Municipal Housing Agency of Council Bluffs - $48,194
Municipal Housing Agency of the City of Fort Dodge - $34,027
Muscatine Municipal Housing Agency - $54,791
Region XII Regional Housing Authority (Carroll) - $45,400
Southern Iowa Regional Housing Authority (Creston) - $43,416
Waterloo Housing Authority - $35,000

032610

Harkin: All Iowans Stand to Benefit From Comprehensive Health Care Reform

Education reconciliation provisions increase college affordability

Washington, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today released the following statement detailing the benefits Iowans stand to gain from the comprehensive health reform bill passed earlier this week: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and The Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, passed today by the U.S. Senate. Once the reconciliation piece is approved by the U.S. House and signed into law by the President, Iowans will see a number of benefits illustrated below. Earlier this week, the President signed The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law. Harkin is Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

“The legislation passed by Congress this week looks to the future and means big things for Iowa’s working families,” said Harkin. “Comprehensive health reform eliminates the practice of denying coverage because of a pre-existing condition, lets kids stay on their parents insurance until age 26, provides tax relief for small businesses and provides a historic investment in prevention and wellness to change our current ‘sick care system’ into genuine health care.

“The second proposal, passed today by the Senate, builds on the strength of comprehensive reform and includes provisions that boost college affordability. For Middle Class families, one of the biggest challenges comes when their children reach college age. The questions around the kitchen table are: How do we pay for college? And, in a couple years, our child will be too old to stay on the family’s health insurance plan; what are we going to do?” continued Harkin. “This bill addresses these challenges head-on. It allows adult children to stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until age 26. And it increases the maximum Pell Grant for college students from $5,550 in 2010 to $5,975 by 2017. Starting in 2013, the grant will be indexed to the Consumer Price Index for five years. Make no mistake, there is a lot at stake for America’s Middle Class families in this reconciliation bill – both in terms of health care security, and in terms of access to an affordable college education.”

Key Benefits for Iowa in the Health Reform Legislation

Provide tax credits for up to 48,600 Iowa small businesses to help make coverage more affordable.
Health reform will ensure that the 302,000 uninsured Iowans and 171,000 Iowans who purchase health insurance through the individual market have access to affordable health insurance options through state-based health insurance exchanges.
Prohibit insurance companies from excluding coverage of pre-existing conditions for the 713,155 children in Iowa, starting this year.
Close the “donut hole” and improve other Medicare benefits for 505,000 Iowa seniors.
Each year, 89,700 Iowa seniors hit the Medicare Part D “donut hole.” Starting this year, seniors who hit this gap in their prescription drug coverage will receive a $250 check, and the “donut hole” will be completely closed by 2020.
Reduce family health insurance premiums by $1,350 - $1,930 for the same benefits, as compared to what they would be without health reform by 2016.
Starting this year, 300,466 young adults in Iowa will be able to remain covered by their parent’s insurance policy until age 26.
Create 5,600 - 9,000 jobs by reducing health care costs for employers.
Provide more federal funding for 83 Community Health Centers in Iowa.
Health reform will provide immediate access to quality, affordable health insurance for as many as 33,497 uninsured Iowans who are unable to obtain health insurance because of a pre-existing condition.

032510

With President’s Signature, Comprehensive Health Reform And Harkin-Led Prevention Investments Become Law

National menu labeling effort will also take effect soon

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today issued the following statement after President Obama signed into law The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Senate-passed comprehensive health reform measure approved by the House earlier this week. Harkin, as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, was on hand at the White House to witness the bill signing.

“It’s been a long debate and a hard-fought battle, but today, the hundred year struggle to provide affordable, quality health care coverage is over. In signing this bill into law, President Obama today rewrote history, and in doing so, made access to health care available to millions of Americans. I’ve been on hand for a number of White House bill signings, but witnessing this particular event has been one of the most poignant of my career,” said Harkin.

“I am most encouraged that with this reform, we will begin to recreate America as a genuine wellness society – a society focused on healthful lifestyles and preventing the chronic diseases that take such a toll on our bodies and our budgets. And make no mistake, this bill doesn’t just tinker around the edges; it changes the paradigm.”

The Prevention and Public Health title of The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act creates incentives to prevent chronic disease and rein in costs across the full health care spectrum. At the federal level, creating a new inter-agency council to develop a national health strategy, creating a dedicated funding stream to support these efforts; at the clinical level with doctor training and coverage of preventive services and the elimination of co-pays and deductibles for these services; and at the grassroots level with grants for community initiatives that will support more walkable communities, healthier schools and increased access to nutritious foods in safe environments.

The legislation also includes a bipartisan compromise brokered by Harkin and others to provide mandatory disclosure of calories on menus and menu boards to help reduce rising obesity rates by enabling Americans to make healthier food choices. The compromise combines key elements of the Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and the Labeling Education and Nutrition (LEAN) Act, sponsored by Senators Tom Carper (D-DE) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK).

“A critical component of the just passed federal menu labeling is that the nutrition information is right on the menu or menu board next to the name of the menu item, rather than in a pamphlet or in tiny print on a poster, so that consumers can see it when they are making ordering decisions,” concluded Harkin. “It’s a common-sense approach that’s also a step toward good public health.”

Prevention and wellness provisions of the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will:

Provide $15 billion in mandatory spending to support prevention and wellness activities.
Eliminate cost sharing on recommended preventive services delivered by Medicare and all insurance plans available in the Health Insurance Exchange.
Support two independent, advisory task forces — the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) and the Task Force on Community Preventive Services (TFCPS) — to strengthen and coordinate these bodies’ efforts to conduct rigorous, systematic reviews of existing science and recommend the adoption of proven and effective services.
Support investments in the science of prevention to further expand the base of information available for evaluation by the task forces.
Provide coverage under Medicare, with no co-payment or deductible, for an annual wellness visit that includes a comprehensive health risk assessment and a 5-10 year personalized prevention plan.
Deliver clinical preventive services by covering 100% of the cost of USPSTF-recommended preventive services for Medicare beneficiaries, providing enhanced federal Medicaid matching funds to states who offer USPSTF-recommended services, requiring coverage of tobacco cessation services for pregnant women in Medicaid and by making clinical preventive services a required benefit of insurance available in the Health Insurance Exchange.
Deliver community preventive services by investing in state, territorial and local public health infrastructure and by providing grants to implement recommended services.
Require chain restaurants to put calorie counts directly on their menus and to make other nutritional information available so that consumers can make informed choices about what they eat.

032310

Harkin Announces Nearly $85,000 To Help Iowans With Disabilities

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that the South Central Iowa Independent Living Center in Oskaloosa received $84,176 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. These funds, which can be spent over the next five years, will allow the Center for Independent Living to provide advocacy, peer support, independent living skills training and other essential services to individuals with disabilities in the Oskaloosa area. Harkin worked to secure these funds through his role as a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, which wrote much of the Recovery Act.

“These funds will help provide critical support services to individuals with disabilities in the Oskaloosa area and help them realize the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act – full participation, equal opportunity, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency,” said Harkin. “I applaud the funding and I am sure that it will be used to benefit as many individuals with disabilities as possible.”

One of the purposes of the ARAA funds is to help serve unserved and underserved populations of individuals with disabilities, so that they too can benefit from these independent living services, regardless of where they reside. In addition, Centers for Independent Living are instrumental, on a national basis, in helping individuals with significant disabilities access home and community based services which allow them to return to or remain in their communities, rather than in a more restrictive setting.

March 24

Harkin Announces Over $8.3 Million To Advance The Use Of Health Information Technology In Iowa

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that $8,375,000 is coming to the Iowa Department of Public Health to help establish health information exchanges (HIE) that advance health information technology (health IT). This is part of a $2 billion national effort by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to achieve widespread meaningful use of health IT and provide use of an electronic health record for every U.S. citizen by the year 2014.

“It is important that we take steps to ensure that doctors and medical experts have access to the most up to date medical tools and resources. Providing funding for a health information exchange and electronic health records allows medical professionals to share information and keep records to help ensure that patients receive accurate and quality medical attention,” said Harkin. “In addition to improving the quality of medical care, these investments will lower health care costs and create jobs in the health care sector.”

Today’s funding comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act). Harkin helped secure this funding as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which wrote much of the Recovery Act. Harkin is also Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee that funds the Department of Health and Human Services.

031510

Harkin Announces Over $5.3 Million for 58 School Modernization Projects Across Iowa

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced the recipients of this year’s ‘Harkin School Grants’. The Iowa Department of Education has selected 58 schools to receive $5,361,576 in federal funds to modernize and improve their facilities. Specifically, 47 Iowa schools of all sizes will receive $1,876,551 to improve and upgrade fire safety and 11 schools will receive $3,485,025 for projects such as replacing old buildings, updating facilities and improving energy efficiency.

“If we expect our children to learn and be competitive in the global economy, we must provide them with safe and modern schools in which to thrive. This funding will allow for upgrades to improve the safety and quality of school infrastructure and help improve the quality of the learning done inside,” said Harkin. “I congratulate all of these schools on being chosen by the Iowa Department of Education for this year’s grants.”

This federal funding comes from pilot programs Harkin created in 1998 in his role as Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee that funds education initiatives. Since then, these grants have provided $134 million in federal dollars to the Iowa Department of Education to make competitive grants for school repair and construction. Because most of the funding required a local match, over $600 million has been leveraged for construction and repairs in over 300 Iowa school districts. For the first time in the history of the program, the competition gave preference to school districts that plan energy efficient projects.

“This program has shown to have very positive results in Iowa. It is my hope that this method of using a small infusion of federal dollars to leverage construction and repair funding becomes a national model to provide all children with safe, energy efficient school facilities that are conducive to world-class learning,” said Harkin.

031210

Harkin: Iowa to Receive More Than $127 Million in Additional Recovery Funds

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced today that Iowa is set to receive an additional $127,503,336 in funding through the Department of Education’s State Fiscal Stabilization Fund. The State Fiscal Stabilization Fund program is a one-time appropriation included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (the Recovery Act). Harkin helped secure this funding as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which wrote much of the Recovery Act.

“This funding could not come at a better time for our state and local governments,” Senator Harkin said. “The recession has punched holes in their budgets, putting the jobs of teachers and our kids’ education at risk. Communities can use this funding to keep schools open, kids learning and teachers on the job while the economy recovers and we get back on our feet.”

Last year, the first installment of Recovery Act State Fiscal Stabilization funding was used to keep 6,200 Iowa teachers in the classroom from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2009. Today’s funding represents the second installment, and will be used at the discretion of local school districts to keep their schools open and their programs functioning.

State Fiscal Stabilization funding is distributed directly to states to:

- Help stabilize state and local government budgets in order to minimize and avoid reductions in education and other essential public services.

- Help ensure that local educational agencies (LEAs) and public institutions of higher education (IHEs) have the resources to avert cuts and retain educational personnel and staff.

- Help support the modernization, renovation, and repair of school and college facilities.

- Help advance reforms, from early learning through post-secondary education, to benefit students and families.

031210

Harkin Announces More Than $6.9 Million in Federal Funding to Improve Iowa Airports

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) today announced that four Iowa airports will receive a total of $6,974,538 in federal funding from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration to fund improvements projects. Harkin is a senior member of the Senate Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee.

“With the busiest travel months approaching, we are reminded just how important it is to have safe, efficient and quality airports,” said Harkin. “This funding will help make critical maintenance and safety improvements to some of Iowa’s busier airports.”

Descriptions of the projects and funding levels follow.

Clinton Municipal Airport was awarded a grant of $755,527 for runway 03/21, for the improvement of a runway safety area.

Eastern Iowa Airport was awarded a grant of $5,302,311 for the rehabilitation of runway 9/27.

Perry Municipal Airport was awarded a grant of $61,700 to analyze potential changes for future growth of the airport.

Des Moines International Airport was awarded a grant of $855,000 to construct a runway to separate commercial and general air traffic.

031110

Harkin: Senate Breaks Logjam to Extend Unemployment, Health Insurance Benefits

Move will aid the nearly 1,000 Iowans per week losing unemployment benefits

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, today applauded Senate passage of a short-term extension of unemployment benefits and other crucial programs. The move came after a standoff with Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY), who has been blocking the chamber from voting to extend unemployment benefits and COBRA health insurance subsidies for unemployed workers, highway and transit programs, the compulsory copyright license used by satellite TV providers, the federal flood insurance program and to prevent immediate cuts in Medicare physician reimbursements for 30 days.

An estimated 1,000 Iowans per week were seeing their federal unemployment benefits expire as a result of the hold.

"This may have been a matter of political gamesmanship on the part of some in the minority party,” said Harkin. “But it was not a game for millions of Americans who, as of midnight Sunday had lost their unemployment compensation. It was not a game for those who lost their job recently and had to rely on COBRA health insurance coverage. For them, the obstruction of this bill was a personal and family crisis of the first magnitude.

“Unfortunately this is emblematic of the larger issue plaguing the Senate today: abuse of Senate procedure. We saw it in the fall when Senate Republicans filibustered a motion to proceed to a bill to extend unemployment compensation for nearly a month before we passed the bill overwhelmingly.

“Tonight we broke an unnecessary logjam to resume the flow of federal dollars and we look forward to providing a full extension of this critical funding.”

Harkin and other Senators are working on a package that is likely to include an extension of benefits through the end of the year for unemployment benefits as well as other important programs.

030310

(What Harkin fails to mention is that the Republicans were holding up the measure because no means of funding the program were included. - mr)

Information courtesy Sen. Harkin's office

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