Wednesday, October 17, 2001
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Wednesday, October 17, 2001 |
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Medicare, terrorism bills pass Congress By MAC COLLINGS Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2001 (H.R. 2768) On Oct. 11, the House Committee on Ways and Means passed the Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2001 (H.R. 2768), which I supported. Increasingly, doctors and other health care providers are faced with more regulations and paperwork under Medicare. As a result, providers are spending increasing amounts of time filling out required forms and decreasing amounts of time caring for patients. Instead of continuing to struggle with burdensome regulations and paperwork, some doctors are choosing to withdraw from the Medicare program altogether, forcing their senior patients to either find a new doctor or pay for their medical expenses out of their own pockets. The Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform Act of 2001 addresses these issues by decreasing the regulatory burden placed on providers by the Medicare program. H.R. 2768 takes sensible steps to educate providers and clarify Medicare processes and provider rights. It also protects efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in Medicare. While much work remains to be done in reforming Medicare, this legislation takes an important first step by relieving providers of the current regulatory burden and freeing time so that providers can offer their patients the care they need. House passes Labor, HHS, Education appropriations bill for 2002 Throughout my service in Congress, I have supported common-sense education policies. I firmly believe that we must shift resources from a bloated Washington bureaucracy to states, parents, teachers, and schools so that they may provide their children with the education they need and deserve. In fact, with that in mind, I became an original cosponsor of President George W. Bush's plan for education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (H.R. 1). H.R. 1 was passed by the House of Representatives May 23. The Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3061) that the House passed Oct. 11, with my support, will fund H.R. 1, among other important initiatives. In fact, it includes $975 million for what I believe is the most important component of the president's proposal, the Reading First Program. In addition to the education funding to support H.R. 1, this appropriations bill provides adequate funding for healthcare initiatives, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Bioterrorism Preparedness to be utilized by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Office of Emergency Preparedness. Letter to National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice supporting general aviation Following the horrible attacks Sept. 11 many general aviation pilots and airport operators in Georgia contacted our congressional offices. Their concern remains the prohibition to operate general aviation aircraft inside Class B Airspace. This prohibition was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in conjunction with the National Security Council. Although I appreciate the current increased state of security throughout our nation, it has become clear over the past month that general aviation plays an integral role in our nation's and state's transportation system, economy, and way of life. In fact, throughout the Atlanta Metropolitan Area there are approximately 2,230 general aviation aircraft and nearly 7,000 pilots, based out of 17 airports that have been impacted by this "ground hold." In response to the many phone calls, letters, e-mails, and faxes from my constituents, I sent a letter to Dr. Condoleeza Rice, the National Security Advisor to the President. I also have contacted the Honorable Norman Minetta, the Secretary of Transportation, and Ms. Jane Garvey, the Administrator of the FAA. I have asked for the rationale behind the prohibition and an expected time table for lifting this ban. In addition, I have asked that they consider decreasing the size of the Class B Airspace to allow airplane operators to move their planes to other facilities where they may be able to utilize them. I thank those who brought this important issue to my attention and pledge to continue working for a reasonable solution. Letter supporting the right to own surplus military equipment I joined with several colleagues to express my concerns with language in the 2002 Defense Authorization Act. The section of the bill with which I am concerned would make it a crime for any person to be in possession of military equipment formerly owned by the U.S. Department of Defense, including aircraft, vehicles, radios, collectible firearms, and other items. In addition, the bill would allow these items to be confiscated from their current owners, and be demilitarized (destroyed). The overwhelming majority of these surplus military items have been legally obtained and are now displayed and demonstrated by military history museums, including the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation & Flying Museum. The primary purpose of these museums is to educate and reconnect the American people with the U.S. military by telling the story of America's proud and distinguished past. These surplus military items no longer represent a threat to our national security. The language is not included in the House version of the bill, but it is included in the Senate version of the legislation. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure this provision is removed from the final bill. Budget Committee markup One of the committees on which I have had the pleasure of serving in the U.S. House of Representatives has been the Budget Committee. I will continue to stand firm in supporting a conservative, fiscally responsible budget process which supports the need to have a balanced budget, pay down the national debt, secure our nation against enemies, protect the long-term commitments we have made to our seniors, and return hard-earned tax dollars to the wage earners of this country. Because of the attacks of Sept. 11, the current downturn in the economy, and the war effort against terrorism, it was inconceivable that the Congress, during this time of crisis, could stay within the original boundaries of our budget resolution from earlier this year. However, we have worked hard to stay true to that intention. On Oct. 11, our Budget Committee drafted and passed by voice vote a resolution that will limit the discretionary budget authority to $686 billion. In addition, the bill requires President Bush to provide an analysis to the committee detailing the spending related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Working with the Department of Transportation on airport security Last week I spoke with Deputy Secretary of Transportation Michael Jackson about concerns with airline safety. In the conversation, I made several suggestions on how to use existing airline personnel to raise security standards by using the $4.5 billion cash infusion Congress gave to the airlines to retrain and reassign personnel to man x-ray stations and metal detectors. I also conveyed that many security checkpoints at the nation's airports are closed, because of staffing shortages, causing backups of passengers and bottleneck delays. In response to my concerns, Deputy Secretary Jackson outlined measures they have already taken to verify passenger identification at jetways on all flights originating from and terminating at Reagan National Airport and that those measures are imminent for all domestic flights. Jackson also mentioned that security personnel are conducting random magnetic wand checks at the boarding gates. We are pleased to see the responsiveness of the Department of Transportation to this serious concern and are encouraged that they have implemented common sense solutions to this challenge. We will continue to work with the various departments and agencies to see that the proper steps are taken to keep America's skies safe. PATRIOT Act of 2001 On Oct. 12, the House of Representatives passed the PATRIOT (Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001 (H.R. 2975). This legislation represents the collective efforts of the Administration and the Congress to address the threat of terrorism on American soil and around the world. In order to win the war on terrorism, our intelligence and law enforcement communities must have the modern tools needed to seek out terrorists and obstruct their attempts to murder innocent people. In addition, the bill increases the ability of our law enforcement officials to prosecute these evildoers and those who harbor them. As our military is seeking justice abroad, so must our law enforcement community be able to seek justice within our own borders. Among the PATRIOT Act's provisions, it eliminates the statute of limitations for terrorism offenses. In addition, the bill expands the wiretap and surveillance authority that can be used to capture and convict terrorists. It also allows the Immigration and Naturalization Service to detain a foreign national for up to seven days to establish identity and verify background information. This will help ensure that the INS is not forced to release a terrorist because there has not been adequate time to conduct a thorough investigation. The bill also addresses the concerns raised about protecting the civil rights that we value as Americans. The law would provide that the President can review the PATRIOT Act's effectiveness in three years and authorizes him to extend the sunset date for an additional two years giving the bill a provisional sunset of five years at which time Congress could review the law's effectiveness and decide whether or not it should be continued. Trade promotion authority On Tuesday, the Committee on Ways and Means reported the Trade Promotion Authority (H.R. 3005). This legislation provides President George Bush the authority to negotiate trade agreements with other nations on an expedited basis. This year's authorization bill contained several positions aimed at strengthening the role that Congress plays in this process. Specifically, the measure expands provisions requiring the President and his appointed negotiators to consult with Congress prior to entering into negotiations with foreign countries on trade issues. The measure calls for the creation of a new congressional oversight group tasked with reviewing proposed negotiating objectives and providing input prior and during negotiations. If Congress concludes that the President and his advisors have failed to consult, then the expedited procedures for approval of the proposed trade agreement would not apply. Additionally, I was able to add provisions to the bill affecting potential negotiations that deal with U.S. textile products. Specifically, the language would direct the President to work to open foreign markets to U.S. textiles and apparel. These competitive opportunities for U.S. goods include reducing tariffs on these products in major textile and apparel exporting countries to the same as, or lower than, those in the United States. Furthermore, my additional language expresses the negotiating objective of reducing or eliminating subsidies that decrease market opportunities for U.S. exports of textiles and apparel. Finally, my provision would create an objective of ensuring that countries that are members of the World Trade Organization immediately implement all of their obligations to provide effective market access for U.S. exports of textiles and apparel. This provision is critical for the textile and apparel industry to compete in a more open, equitable, and reciprocal market, while reducing distortions that decrease market opportunities for the United States textile industry.
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