FL Federation Legislative News
January 26, 2007
Well with the elections over and the new 110th Congress sworn in – it looks like a new day and, hopefully, a brighter one for both active and retired Federal Employees!
In Florida we have 5 new Congressional Representatives:
Congressional District 9 Gus Bilirakis (R)
Congressional District 11 Kathy Castor (D)
Congressional District 13 Vern Buchanan (R)
Congressional District 16 Tim Mahoney (D)
Congressional District 22 Ron Klein (D)
I had the opportunity yesterday to attend the swearing in ceremony and reception of Representative Ron Klein in West Palm Beach City Hall. The NARFE delegation attending this event with me were Herb Sicular, Ann Murray and Tony Torchia. Ann and Tony are constituents of Congressman Klein’s. I was able to speak with Congressman Klein during the reception and he is familar with the NARFE organization, as well as, some of our issues and stated he was willing and looking forward to working with us. I have a meeting with his District Director, Felica Goldstein at 10:00 am on February 7. Herb is also trying to set-up a meeting with Alcee Hastings, Congressional District 23 for the afternoon.
It looks like GPO/WEP is off and running, almost on the first day, of the new Congress!!! H. R. 82 was introduced on January 4, 2007 and already has 161 cosponsors. Our Florida cosponsors are:
Congressional District 2 Allen Boyd
Congressional District 10 C. W. Bill Young
Congressional District 19 Robert Wexler
Congressional District 21 Lincoln Diaz-Balart
PLEASE CALL these loyal Congressional Representatives and thank them for continuing to support the repeal of GPO/WEP!! Maybe this is the year that we will be able to get this bill through. Bill Thomas is no longer chairman of the Ways and Means Committee so let’s hope that these members are more sympathetic with our plight. It’s early and we still have almost 2 years to work on this one.
The Senate has also introduced their version of the GPO/WEP bill, it’s S. 206 and has 8 cosponsors at this time. It was introduced on January 9, 2007 and signed on January 12, 2007 by Senator Bill Nelson.
I read in the latest GEMS Legislative Update that our National office is working with Congress to draft the new Premium Conversion bills. Keep a look out for those to be introduced.
Because our GPO/WEP bill has, once again, been referred to the Ways and Means Committee I took a look at who was on the committee. Last year we had E. Clay Shaw on this committee, but there are no members on the Committee from the state of FL this year. The Chairman is Representative Charles B. Rangel (NY). Hopefully, since the NARFE NY Federation is so active we will have an ally in the chairman.
I thought it would also be interesting to take a look at the bills that have currently been referred to the House Ways and Means Committe, there 151, to see what we’re “up against”. I looked at the bills with the most cosponsors and here are the top 10:
H. R. 1 – Cosponsors: 205
To provide for the implementation of the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
H. R. 4 - Cosponsors: 198
To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries. NOTE: This bill has been sent to the Senate Finance Committee.
H. R. 6 - Cosponsors: 198
To reduce our Nation’s dependency on foreign oil by investing in clean, renewable, and alternative energy resources, promoting new emerging energy technologies, developing greater efficiency, and creating a Strategic Energy Efficiency and Renewables Reserve to invest in alternative energy, and for other purposes.
H. R. 82 - Cosponsors: 161
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions.
H. R. 493 - Cosponsors: 165
To prohibit discrimination on the basis of genetic information with respect to health insurance and employment.
H. R. 464 - Cosponsors: 73
To provide for the provision by hospitals receiving Federal funds through the Medicare Program or Medicaid Program of emergency contraceptives to women who are survivors of sexual assault.
H. R. 510 - Cosponsors: 68
To terminate the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
H. R. 670 - Cosponsors: 67
To promote the national security and stability of the United States economy by reducing the dependence of the United States on foreign oil through the use of alternative fuels and new vehicle technologies, and for other purposes.
H. R. 539 - Cosponsors: 66
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to Increase and extend the energy efficient commercial buildings deduction.
H. R. 471 - Cosponsors: 53
To repeal the sunset of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 with respect to the expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs.
As you can see H. R. 82 is in the top 5!!!!! Another interesting part of looking at the top 10 bills is there are 2 other bills (H. R. 4 and H. R. 493) that will help us. Hopefully, by being in the top five we will get this bill out of committee this year! As the number of cosponsors goes up the order of these bills will change. That’s why it’s REALLY important that we stay in the top 5. The way to do that is to call your Congressional Representative and get them to cosponsor H. R. 82! There are only 4 Florida cosponsors at the present time, so we have 21 left to get. The ones that cosponsored last year and should again with just a telephone calls or visits are:
Congressional District 1 Jeff Miller
Congressional District 3 Corrine Brown
Congressional District 5 Ginny Brown-Waite
Congressional District 9 Gus Bilirakis (His father signed)
Congressional District 17 Kendrick Meek
Congressional District 18 Ileana Ros-Lehitnan
Congressional District 20 Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Congressional District 23 Alcee Hastings
If you are in any of these Congressional Districts – PLEASE call your Congressional Representative and ask them to cosponsor H. R. 82!!
I took the same type look at the current bills in the Senate Finance Committee, where GPO/WEP sat last Congress. There are currently 97 bills in the Committee for consideration. The top bills are:
S. 339 - (Companion bill to H. R. 670 above) Cosponsors: 24
A bill to promote the national security and stability of the United States economy by reducing the dependence of the United States on oil through the use of alternatie fuels and new technology, and for other purposes.
S. 401 - Cosponsors: 17
A bill to amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to eliminate funding shortfalls for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) for fiscal year 2007.
S. 335 - Cosponsors: 16
A bill to prohibit the Internal Revenue Service from using private debt collection companies, and for other purposes.
S. 6 - Cosponsors: 13
A bill to enhance the security of the United States by reducing the dependence of the United States on foreign and unsustainable energy sources and the risks of global warming, and for other purposes.
S. 3 - (Companion Bill H. R. 4 – Committee for Consideration) Cosponsors: 12
A bill to amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for fair prescription drug prices for Medicare beneficiaries.
H. R. 4 - (In the Senate Finance Committee for Consideration) Cosponsors: 198
To amend part D of title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to negotiate lower covered part D drug prices on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
S. 43 - Cosponsors: 12
A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to preserve and protect Social Security benefits of American workers and to help ensure greater congressional oversight of the Social Security system by requiring that both Houses of Congress approve a totalization agreement before the agreement, giving foreign workers Social Security benefits, can go into effect.
S. 170 - Cosponsors: 12
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the excise tax on telephone and other communications services.
S. 326 - Cosponsors: 12
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a special period of limitation when uniformed services retirement pay is reduced a result of award of disability compensation.
S. 155 - Cosponsors: 11
A bill to promote coal-to-liquid fuel activities.
S. 181 - Cosponsors: 9
A bill to provide permanent tax relief from the marriage penalty.
As you can see, in the Senate, with 8 cosponsors we didn’t even make the top 10. We only have two state Senators, and Senator Nelson has already cosponsored. That leaves Senator Mel Martinez, if we can get him to cosponsor the bill too. If you have friends in other states you need to contact them and urge them to call their Senators and get them to cosponsor S. 206!!
I know this has been a lengthy legislative update, but I hope it has been informative and has put GPO/WEP in prospective for you and given you a look at other bills in the committees.
If you have any questions or need more information, please e-mail or call me. My e-mail address is: Treva.Devers@narfefl.net and my telephone number is – (239) 945-4658 at home and (239) 699-7122 on my cell.
Best of luck to all of you at your annual district meetings!
Respectfully,
/s/
Treva M. Devers
Legislative Officer
FL Federation of Chapters
National Active and Retired Federal Employees
(NARFE) Association