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Week of October 26th
CLEAN ENERGY: Climate change is a real problem impacting our communities and great treasures like the Chesapeake Bay faster than scientists had originally predicted. We need to act now and not just talk about these issues. Throughout this week, I will be participating in hearings of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, which is beginning consideration of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act. This bill takes concrete steps to help end our dependence on foreign oil, while creating clean energy American jobs. I am proud of the collaboration that went into this bill, which invests in renewable energy and transit, and providing support to states, communities and individuals who are coping with changes to our environment and our economy. American ingenuity will solve the problems of energy security and create American jobs, if given the right incentives. The Clean Energy Jobs and American Security Act does just that -- and without adding one penny to our deficit.
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE: On Monday, I will be in Baltimore to highlight the urgent need to pass the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act, a bill to extend Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits another 14 weeks to all states at or above an unemployment rate of 8.5 percent, including Maryland. The Senate is currently considering such a measure, while the House has passed legislation that would extend UI benefits only to states with employment 8.5 percent or more. The Maryland unemployment rate in September was 7.2 percent, but six Maryland jurisdictions have unemployment rates of 8.5 percent or higher. Unemployment benefits should not be tied to state boundaries, but to job status. Congress needs to pass the strongest possible unemployment insurance measure that will provide real help to Americans who - through no fault of their own - cannot find work.
HEALTH CARE FRAUD: On Wednesday, I will participate in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing to review current strategies for preventing health care fraud. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association estimates that fraud, waste, and abuse in the health care system amounts to at least three percent of total health care spending, or more than $60 billion per year. In May 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), an interagency effort to combat this type of fraud with the goal of reducing the costs of health care. This hearing will address the effectiveness of interagency action and potential legislation to prevent health care fraud.
US-EU REGIONAL SECURITY: As Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I will chair a hearing on Wednesday on advancing U.S. interests in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) countries. This hearing will feature three Assistant Secretaries from the Departments of State and Defense - a rarity among Congressional hearings. We will discuss American interests in the OSCE, the world's largest regional security organization, with Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs, Michael H. Posner, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, and Alexander Vershbow, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. The OSCE is an important venue for U.S. leadership on issues related to human rights and democracy. The hearing will allow us to examine these and other timely issues, including security arrangements in Europe, simmering tensions in the Caucasus region, developments in the Balkans and the OSCE engagement on Afghanistan.
UPCOMING TV: If you live in the Baltimore area, on Sunday, Nov. 1, I will be on WBAL-TV's Sunday Morning Show with Lisa Robinson and Kate Amara to discuss important issues before Congress. I look forward to giving an update on health care reform.
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