Trump Administration Faces Lawsuit over Transgender Military Ban

Washington, D.C. - October 18, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The Trump Administration has moved to have one of four different lawsuits dismissed so far. ABC has reported that the "DOJ argues that because the policy has not been fully implemented and none of the plaintiffs 'face a current or imminent threat of injury during the interim period while the policy is being studied,' it should be dismissed."

The National Center for Transgender Equality and seven other transgender advocacy organizations have filed an amicus brief in a lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender service members.

Under the policy tweeted by President Trump in July and formalized in August, the Pentagon must develop a plan to begin purging transgender service members from the military by March 2018. The eight plaintiffs of Doe v. Trump allege that the ban violates their constitutional guarantees of equal protection and due process.

NCTE argues in the brief that President Trump’s ban is the result of anti-transgender animus. Rather than being based on facts and legitimate government interests, the ban serves only to harm and disparage a vulnerable population for no reason other than who they are. The brief demonstrates that this attack on transgender people is part of a clear pattern of hostility and discrimination by the Trump administration, which has gone out of its way to dismantle civil rights protections for transgender people and promote anti-transgender bias and misinformation.

NCTE Executive Director Mara Keisling issued the following statement:

NCTE is proud to support the plaintiffs in this case. They represent thousands of qualified service members who are set to be purged from the military simply because of who they are. President Trump’s efforts to ban transgender people from serving in the military serves no legitimate purpose. Unfortunately, this is what we have come to expect from the Discrimination Administration. The President’s decision must not stand.

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Five transgender members of the U.S. military including Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans sued President Donald Trump on Wednesday, challenging his ban on transgender people serving in the armed forces.
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White House slams decision to block travel ban

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- The White House released this statement after a Hawaii Judge blocked implementation of Trump's latest travel ban:

"Today’s dangerously flawed district court order undercuts the President’s efforts to keep the American people safe and enforce minimum security standards for entry into the United States. The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the President’s lawful action. The proclamation restricting travel was issued after an extensive worldwide security review by the Secretary of Homeland Security, and following consultation by the President with members of the Cabinet, including the Secretaries of Homeland Security, State, and Defense and the Attorney General. The entry restrictions in the proclamation apply to countries based on their inability or unwillingness to share critical information necessary to safely vet applications, as well as a threat assessment related to terrorism, instability, and other grave national security concerns. These restrictions are vital to ensuring that foreign nations comply with the minimum security standards required for the integrity of our immigration system and the security of our Nation. We are therefore confident that the Judiciary will ultimately uphold the President’s lawful and necessary action and swiftly restore its vital protections for the safety of the American people. "

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Representatives Smith and Jayapal Call for Reforms to Deeply Flawed Immigration Detention System

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Adam Smith (WA-09) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) convened local stakeholders in support of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act to dramatically reform the injustices in our current immigration detention system. At present, the detention system is driven by private, for-profit corporations that benefit from increased detention efforts, like The GEO Group which operates the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. This bill moves to end the use of private facilities; repeal mandatory detention; and restore due process, oversight, accountability and transparency to the immigration detention system.

“We must fix the injustices in our broken immigration detention system,” said Congressman Adam Smith. “As the Trump administration continues to push a misguided and dangerous immigration agenda, we need to ensure fair treatment and due process for immigrants and refugees faced with detention. This legislation will address some of the worst failings of our immigration policy, and restore integrity and humanity to immigration proceedings.”

“The high moral cost of our inhumane immigration detention system is reprehensible. Large, private corporations operating detention centers are profiting off the suffering of men, women and children. We need an overhaul,” said Congresswoman Jayapal. “It’s clear that the Trump administration is dismantling the few protections in place for detained immigrants even as he ramps up enforcement against parents and vulnerable populations. This bill addresses the most egregious problems with our immigration detention system. It’s Congress’ responsibility to step up and pass this bill.”

In addition to repealing mandatory detention, a policy that often results in arbitrary and indefinite detention, the legislation creates a meaningful inspection process at detention facilities to ensure they meet the government’s own standards. The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish legally enforceable civil detention standards in line with those adopted by the American Bar Association. With disturbing track records of abuse and neglect, DHS has a responsibility to ensure that facilities are held accountable for the humane treatment of those awaiting immigration proceedings.

Individuals held in our immigration detention system are subject to civil law, but are often held in conditions identical to prisons. In many cases, detained people are simply awaiting their day in court. To correct the persistent failures of due process, the legislation requires the government to show probable cause to detain people, and implements a special rule for primary caregivers and vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and people with serious medical and mental health issues.

“The immigrant detention and prison industrial complex breaks down the mental, emotional, and psychosocial development of our communities in various ways. I saw this firsthand when my family member was detained. I believe the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act provides transformative provisions that we have been working toward, to move the immigrant rights movement forward,” said Yvette Maganya, a OneAmerica youth leader and the niece of a survivor of the Northwest Detention Center. “I’ve seen the toll detention conditions have in our community. Our communities are being jailed in inhumane conditions with no accountability. Often they are jailed not because of what they did, but to fulfill cruel, arbitrary quotas. It is wrong to jail immigrants indefinitely with no accountability or oversight. This is why we need the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act.”

“We are grateful for the leadership of Representatives Smith and Jayapal in ensuring that the rights and dignity of all peoples are respected. NWIRP supports the ‘Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2017’ that they have introduced and see it as a critical step toward making our immigration detention system more humane and more consistent with fundamental American values,” said Jorge L. Barón of Northwest Immigrant Rights Project.

“The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is a crucial piece of legislation that introduces a wave of accountability that we desperately need. This officially puts the Federal government on notice that we will no longer tolerate the rampant disregard for human life,” said Victoria Mena of Colectiva Legal del Pueblo.

“Today, we’re facing an extremist expansion of our immigration detention system, which makes the Dignity for Detained Immigrants bill even more imperative. We have continually seen the ways in which conditions in the detention center and the traumatic experience of being detained deters people from fighting their cases. We stand in strong support of this important piece of legislation that sets a new, humane vision to reform our flawed immigration detention system,” said Roxana Norouzi of immigrant rights organization OneAmerica.

The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is cosponsored by 60 members of Congress: John Conyers Jr. (MI-13), John Lewis (GA-5), Louise Slaughter (NY-25), Jose Serrano (NY-15), Maxine Waters (CA-43), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Luis V. Gutiérrez (IL-4), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Bobby Rush (IL-1), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-7), Lloyd Doggett (TX-35), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Zoe Lofgren (CA-19), Elijah E. Cummings (MD-7), Earl Blumenauer (OR-3), Danny K. Davis (IL-7), James P. McGovern (MA-2), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Jan Schakowsky (IL-9), Betty McCollum (MN-4), Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3), Gwen Moore (WI-4), Steve Cohen (TN-9), Keith Ellison (MN-5), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson Jr. (GA-4), André Carson (IN-7), Chellie Pingree (ME-1), Jared Polis (CO-2), Mike Quigley (IL-5), Judy Chu (CA-27), Ted Deutch (FL-22), Bill Foster (IL-11), David N. Cicilline (RI-1), Suzan DelBene (WA-1), Donald M. Payne Jr. (NJ-10), Colleen Hanabusa (HI-1), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-4), Mark Pocan (WI-2), Mark Takano (CA-41), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Katherine Clark (MA-5), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Ruben Gallego (AZ-7), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), Ted Lieu (CA-33), Kathleen M. Rice (NY-4), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Dwight Evans (PA-2), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Jamie Raskin (MD-8), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34).

The legislation is also supported by 52 civil society organizations: American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Asian Americans Advancing Justice - AAJC, Asian Pacific Institute on Gender-Based Violence, Capital Area Immigrants' Rights Coalition, Center for Community Change, The Center for Victims of Torture, Church Council of Greater Seattle, Church World Service, Colectiva Legal del Pueblo, Columbia Legal Services, Community Initiatives for Visiting Immigrants in Confinement (CIVIC), DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Democracy for America, Detention Watch Network, Entre Hermanos, FIRM, Grassroots Leadership, Human Rights First, Human Rights Watch, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Immigrant Legal Resource Center, Immigration Equality Action Fund, Indivisible Vashon, Just Detention International, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service, Make the Road CT, Make the Road New York, Make the Road NJ, MoveOn.org Civic Action, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF), National Center for Transgender Equality, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Immigration Law Center, National Korean American Service & Education Consortium (NAKASEC), National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, National Network to End Domestic Violence, Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, OneAmerica, Our Revolution, Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC), Southern Poverty Law Center, Tacoma Migrant Justice, Tahirih Justice Center, United We Dream, Wallingford Indivisible, Washington Community Action Network, Washington Defender Association, The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, Women’s Refugee Commission, 21 Progress, Asian Counseling and Referral Service.

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Pro-Choice Caucus Leaders Blast Trump Administration for Preventing Refugees from Accessing Legally-Allowed Reproductive Health Services

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY, 25th) and Congresswoman Diana Degette (D-CO, 1st), co-chairs of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, have blasted the Trump administration for moving to prevent refugees in federal shelters from accessing safe and legal reproductive health services even in cases of rape and incest. The federal government is currently forcing a refugee in Texas to continue her pregnancy despite the fact that she has adhered to all state and federal laws while trying to access abortion services.

“The law is clear. The federal government is required to provide reproductive health services, including abortion services, to refugees in federal shelters. More than 65 million people were displaced around the globe last year alone, with many women and girls escaping unconscionable circumstances in their home countries. They should not reach American soil only to find the administration ignoring the law. That is exactly what’s happening right now in Texas, where a refugee that has met all legal requirements for an abortion under state and federal law is being held against her will in a federal shelter and forced to continue with her pregnancy. That is despite the fact that no federal funds would be used to pay for the abortion she is seeking. The administration should follow the law and allow refugees access to the reproductive health care the law requires,” said Slaughter.

“My heart goes out to this refugee, detained in Texas and trapped by the Trump administration’s increasingly draconian and cruel efforts to block reproductive rights. It is unacceptable that Trump administration officials subjected her to egregious delays in obtaining care, including requiring her to visit an anti-choice ‘crisis pregnancy center’ where she was urged to continue her pregnancy. These federal officials had no legal right to block her access to an abortion. Their unconscionable actions must be challenged on behalf of the individual in question and others who could face similar situations,” said DeGette.

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The Trump administration and congressional Republicans have taken actively hostile stances against both immigrant and refugee communities as well as reproductive rights. President Donald Trump has signed two executive orders, currently held up in court, which block the entry of immigrants into the United States from six predominantly Muslim countries and prevent refugees in general from entering the country.1 In addition to blocking the entry of refugees, these executive orders also attempted to reduce the refugee admissions target for the current fiscal year from 110,000, set in 2016, to 50,000—the lowest number ever set in a presidential determination since the enactment of the Refugee Act of 1980.2 On World Refugee Day, it is critical that we examine the ways in which refugees can feasibly access the resources that they need to live healthy, sustainable lives once resettled. Refugees face many intersectional threats from the Trump administration, and refugee communities would be significantly harmed by many of the administration’s proposed actions.
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Immediate Reauthorization of Children's Health Insurance Program Urged

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman David Scott (D-GA, 13th) called for Congress to take immediate action and implement a 5 year reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which expired September 30. CHIP provides health care for 8.9 million children across the U.S, including over 130,000 kids covered through Georgia’s CHIP program, PeachCare for Kids.

“With the House currently in recess for 10 days, no vote on CHIP reauthorization has been scheduled in the House or Senate and 17 days have already passed since Congress let CHIP funding lapse. If Congress continues to fail to do its job and not reauthorize PeachCare funding right away, thousands of children in Georgia will lose access to the vital care they need to grow up and stay healthy. Georgia has the 4th highest number of uninsured children in the country. It is estimated that Georgia will run out of PeachCare funding at the beginning of 2018. Congress should be working to ensure that all children who are eligible for CHIP health care get covered, not squabbling while millions of families wait in fear that the program will end due to Congressional inaction. I call on all of my colleagues in Congress to continue the last two decades of bipartisan support for CHIP and reauthorize it for an additional 5 years. Don’t pull the rug out from under working families! Don’t let partisan squabbling jeopardize the health of millions of children! Let’s do our job, so that the thousands of families in Georgia with PeachCare can rest easy knowing that if their child gets sick, they can get the care they need.”

The Children’s Health Insurance Program is a partnership between the federal government and states that has helped ensure access to health care for children and pregnant mothers from low-income working families across the United States. Without reauthorization, states will be unable to maintain the current level of access to health coverage for children in low-income families. Thousands of working families in Georgia will be forced to make difficult decisions, as PeachCare primarily covers families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, but still can’t afford to purchase coverage in the private market.

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Reach Every Mother and Child Act Introduced in the House

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman David G. Reichert (R-WA, 8th), Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Congressman Daniel Donovan (R-NY) introduced the Reach Every Mother and Child Act (H.R. 4402), a bold, bipartisan legislative initiative to accelerate the reduction of preventable maternal, newborn and childhood deaths worldwide.

“We have made incredible progress in improving maternal care and reducing preventable child deaths around the globe,” said Rep. Reichert. “But better is not good enough. The Reach Act will give the world’s most in-need families the tools and resources to climb their way out of extreme poverty, reduce infant mortality, and focus on building their communities. With a continued focus on reaching more mothers and children, we can save countless lives and strengthen security and stability across the globe.”

Rep. McCollum said, “Despite significant progress in improving global access to quality health services for mothers, children, and newborns, hundreds of thousands of women continue to die each year of preventable pregnancy and childbirth related causes. Millions of children don’t live to see their fifth birthday. Continued U.S. leadership is essential, and the Reach Act will coordinate resources and strategies that will achieve our goal of ending preventable maternal and child deaths within a generation. I am proud to build on our government’s strong, bipartisan legacy of leadership by partnering with Rep. Dave Reichert, Rep. Barbara Lee, and Rep. Dan Donovan on this important legislation.”

“While we’ve made tremendous strides in reducing the maternal and child mortality rate, more work remains. We can and must continue to make progress is ending these tragic, preventable and unnecessary deaths,” said Rep. Barbara Lee. “The REACH Act is a lifesaving bill that will uplift the most vulnerable and create a healthier, safer and more stable world for everyone.”

Rep. Donovan said, “Progress has been made in helping mothers and children across the globe access the health services they need, but too many preventable deaths still occur. Regardless of ideology, I think we can all agree that no child anywhere should die of something as simple as diarrhea. The United States has been a leader in helping the most vulnerable and those living in poverty for years. This bipartisan legislation allows our nation to build on that work and continue to be a shining example to the world.”

This legislation has already won the support of more than 20 non-governmental organizations (NGO) including RESULTS, World Vision, and Save the Children Action Network.

“The Reach Act represents the kind of ambition we need to help countries reach the end of preventable maternal and child deaths,” said Dr. Joanne Carter, Executive Director of RESULTS and RESULTS Educational Fund. “Following the leadership of Reps. Reichert, McCollum, Lee, and Donovan, Congress has the chance to help make sure every mother and child is reached with quality services, regardless of who she is or where she lives.”

“I am grateful to Rep. Reichert, Rep. McCollum, Rep. Lee and Rep. Donovan for their work across party lines to prioritize the health and survival of mothers and children around the world,” said Mark Shriver, president of Save the Children Action Network. “This is a bold initiative that will ensure our government is as effective as possible as we work toward ending preventable deaths around the world. As a result, we will help create a more stable world.”

“The Reach Every Mother and Child Act provides a critical opportunity for the US Government to strengthen its commitment in serving the global poor,” added World Vision CEO Rich Stearns. “This legislation will ensure that proven cost-effective and life-saving health interventions will be scaled up in the developing world, in order to end preventable maternal and child deaths in our lifetime.”

According to experts, nearly 300,000 women die annually from pregnancy and childbirth complications. Malnutrition also contributes to approximately 45 percent of deaths among children under the age of five, totaling more than 3 million mostly preventable deaths each year. Furthermore, about one million newborns die on their very first day of life from causes that are almost entirely preventable.

The Reach Act is the House companion bill to the Reach Every Mother and Child Act (S. 1730) introduced by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Christopher Coons (D-DE)

The legislation would:

Coordinate U.S. government strategy to end preventable maternal, newborn, and childhood deaths globally within a generation;

Require targets to be set, tracked, and reported;

Focus on the poorest and most vulnerable populations while recognizing the unique needs within different countries and communities;

Improve coordination amongst agencies and foreign governments, civil society, and international organizations;

Encourage USAID to use pay-for-outcome financing arrangements; and

Accelerate partner country progress toward self-sustainability.

Sandra G. Hassink, MD, FAAP, president, American Academy of Pediatrics had this to say:

"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) applauds the U.S. Senate for introducing the bipartisan Reach Every Mother and Child Act today. Every child needs the best possible opportunity to survive and thrive, and as its name implies, the bill takes important steps to do just that.

"The AAP's mission to advance the health needs of children knows no borders, and neither does our advocacy. Pediatricians are leading efforts with partners in the U.S. government and across the globe to help end preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths within a generation. This legislation is an important step forward in that effort.

"One of the bill's notable achievements is making permanent the position of maternal and child health coordinator at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which ensures that maternal and child health will be prioritized and coordinated across the agency's programs. The Academy fought hard to make sure marginalized and vulnerable populations were included, and that special attention was paid to recognizing the unique needs of infants and children within different countries and communities.

"The Academy thanks the bill's co-sponsors, Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) for their leadership and urges both chambers to advance this important legislation without delay. There is no more important investment in the future health and stability of our world than saving the lives of mothers and children."

Save the Children has voiced its support in a recent press release, where they stated that "Since 1990, the world has reduced mortality rates for children under 5 by more than one half. This is one of the greatest success stories in international development.

The U.S. has led an international effort to provide developing countries the tools to care for their children – often with simple, proven and inexpensive interventions that address leading causes of death, such as diarrhea and pneumonia.

Building on those gains, in 2014 the U.S. declared ending preventable child and maternal deaths around the world a national priority.

Despite this Progress…
16,000 children die each day from preventable and treatable causes such as pneumonia, diarrhea, and malaria. A number of these children are excluded- growing up in the hardest to reach areas.

Almost one million newborns die on the day they are born; and close to two million newborns die in their first week after birth. And, malnutrition is an underlying cause for 45 percent of deaths among children under the age of 5. This amounts to three million children’s lives lost each year.

The Reach Every Mother and Child Act Would Save More Lives."

World Vision Advocacy is asking supporters to contact their members of Congress to show support for the bill with a help page (click HERE)

ICE Detains Immigrant while Interviewing for Lawful Permanent Residency

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, offered a statement of support for Melecio Andazola-Morales, a constituent, today. On Thursday, October 12, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained Andazola-Morales while he was attending an interview to seek lawful permanent residency. ICE is holding him in detention in Aurora.

“Another productive member of our community - a dedicated employee and a father of four U.S. citizen children – was detained aggressively, and torn from his family as the latest victim of our arbitrary and inhumane immigration system. Melecio Andazola-Morales has lived and worked in the U.S. for nearly 20 years, working to provide for his four young U.S. citizen children and caring for his ailing mother. He is a valuable, productive member of our community who was in the process of pursuing lawful status in the U.S. when he was baited into an enforcement trap by local immigration officials. He should be released from detention immediately and afforded meaningful due process protections in presenting his case before an immigration judge,” said Polis.

Polis has been a consummate champion for fixing our broken immigration system to align with American values since joining Congress. In October 2013, he introduced the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, a bill that would have improved national security, streamlined our country’s guest worker system, and created a pathway to citizenship for millions of undocumented individuals. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill would have reduced the deficit by nearly $200 billion over ten years. The Senate companion of this landmark bill passed in June 2013 and was widely heralded as one of the most significant attempts at comprehensive immigration reform in decades. He is also the co-chair of the Congressional Mexico Friendship Caucus.

Prior to serving in Congress, Polis founded The New America School - a network of charter schools in several states serving new immigrants and English-language learners.

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National Flood Insurance Bailout

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Steve Pearce (R-NM, 2nd) released the following statement after voting against a House Amendment to Senate Amendment to H.R. 2266, the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Requirements Act. This amendment allows the federal government to borrow money to provide additional funds for emergency relief while bailing out the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP):

“Around the nation, individuals and families are working to recover and rebuild from disastrous hurricanes, and thousands more continue to be impacted by devastating wildfires in California. Congress has the responsibility to aid in the recovery by providing emergency disaster funding – no one can disagree with this charge or with the need. If the amendment simply ensured the communities hardest hit have the money needed to recover, I would have easily supported it, as I did a couple weeks ago for the last emergency aid funding bill. However, yesterday’s action was an attempt to play politics with emergency relief funds and ignore billions of dollars in federal debt.

After each hurricane season, the NFIP continues to dive deeper into debt with no foreseeable avenue to solvency. Following both Katrina and Sandy, the federal government was forced to expand the NFIP’s borrowing authority by billions. Superstorm Sandy increased the authority by $9 billion alone. Reverting to debt forgiveness now is not the solution, fundamental changes to the program are the only option.

Instead of doing our job and reforming the program to an effective system that actually supports the American families who use it, Congress opted to forgive $16 billion of the NFIP’s debt. Bailing out NFIP without asking for vital changes only does a disservice to those families who rely on it in the worst of circumstances. To truly support our friends, families, and neighbors impacted by natural disaster we should ensure the insurance programs we have in place will actually work for them. Not just bail the program out and turn a blind eye."

This Amendment provides the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with $18.7 billion, $577 million for wildfire relief, $16 billion to bailout NFIP, and $1.3 billion for Disaster Nutrition Assistance to Puerto Rico.

On September 6, 2017, Rep. Pearce voted to pass emergency aid funding for the communities affected by Hurricane Harvey and, at the time, for the potential impacts of Hurricane Irma. On September 8, 2017, Rep. Pearce voted against the spending package that irresponsibly tacked on an extension of the debt limit and a Continuing Resolution to provide disaster relief funds for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

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Amendment to the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 Protecting Whistleblowers Fails to Pass House

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congressman Tom O’Halleran introduced an amendment to the Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017 to provide greater whistleblower protections to federal employees who disclose information on the improper use of aircrafts by government officials.

In a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives, Congressman Tom O’Halleran said, “I am proud that we are coming together to increase protections for whistleblowers at federal agencies, a long overdue effort. But, in light of recent reports and events that have revealed a disturbing pattern of improper use of tax dollars on air travel by senior federal officials, I believe we must go further.

“My amendment simply extends whistleblower protections that are created under the bill to federal employees who disclose information about travel, including improper use of aircraft,” continued O’Halleran. “Not only would this make it clear to agencies that any violation of laws, rules, or regulations concerning travel or government aircraft is unacceptable – it will also ensure those who come forward to expose any wrongdoing will have appropriate protection from retaliation.”

The amendment failed to pass the House of Representatives on a 190 to 232 vote.

Earlier this month, Rep. O’Halleran introduced the Taxpayers Don’t Incur Meaningless Expenses (Taxpayers DIME) Act. This bill would prevent government officials from using taxpayer money on private air travel that violates current rules. Additionally, the bill increases transparency and oversight of government travel and calls for the independent Office of Government Ethics (OGE) to report on ways to strengthen existing rules.

Seniors’ Security Act Re-introduced in the House

Washington, D.C. - October 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Following the announcement that Social Security recipients will receive a 2% cost-of-living increase next year, Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) has announced he is re-introducing the Seniors’ Security Act to help seniors who are struggling to pay their medical bills.

Norcross’ Seniors’ Security Act would ensure that cost-of-living increases don’t just get eaten up by rising health care costs. Specifically, the plan would create a “circuit breaker” of sorts, so seniors never pay more than 30 percent of their COLA into Medicare premiums. The Act also recalculates cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) so future changes would be based on the price of goods and services seniors actually buy, a formula known as Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E).

“This cost-of-living increase is good news for seniors, but not good enough as seniors continue to struggle with rising health care costs,” said Congressman Norcross. “Our seniors worked hard all their lives and paid into the system – they’ve earned the right to true peace of mind. Let’s make sensible changes so seniors can get a higher COLA and keep more of it.”

“Congressman Norcross’ legislation would require the Social Security Administration to base future cost-of-living adjustments on the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), which much more accurately reflects the cost of things retirees purchase, including health care. It would also limit Medicare premium increases,” said Richard Fiesta, Executive Director, Alliance for Retired Americans. “The bill will get seniors the COLA they earned and ensure it isn't immediately consumed by higher Medicare premiums.”

"For the tens of millions of families who depend on Social Security for all or most of their retirement income, this cost of living increase may not adequately cover expenses that rise faster than inflation including prescription drug, utility and housing costs," said Jo Ann Jenkins, CEO, AARP. "AARP continues our advocacy for bipartisan solutions to help ensure the long-term solvency of the program, as well as adequate benefits for recipients."

Since 2010, seniors have failed to receive a COLA increase three times – and last year the increase was a meager 0.3%. This year, higher 2018 premiums for Medicare Part B will hit older adults, including large numbers of low-income individuals who struggle to make ends meet. The expected increase is $300 next year.

Norcross added: “While others want to privatize and dismantle Social Security, I’m fighting to honor our commitments by keeping the system safe and secure for retirees and working Americans.”

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