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Week of September 7th
LABOR DAY: On Monday, September 7, we celebrate Labor Day, the yearly national tribute to the contributions American workers have made to our nation great. On this day, I will be in Montgomery County participating in the Kensington Labor Day Parade at 10 a.m. and the Gaithersburg Labor Day Parade at 1 p.m.
HEALTH CARE: Health care reform legislation will be the top priority when the Senate returns from the August recess on September 8. While the House of Representatives has a proposed bill and the Senate HELP Committee has reported a bill, I am eager to see the bipartisan proposal from the Senate Finance Committee. Health care costs are rising much faster than wages and the top priority of any health care reform bill must be to bring down costs. America has the very best health care in the world, but we cannot afford our current health care system -- a system in which health care costs increased by 78 percent between 2001 and 2008 and in which last year we spent $2.4 trillion while failing to provide coverage to approximately 47 million Americans. I want to ensure that Americans are able to maintain their current health coverage, including their choice of doctors, but I also want to make sure that we expand health care coverage to all Americans.
CLIMATE CHANGE: As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), I will be deeply involved in crafting climate change legislation when the Senate returns from recess. The House bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, is a good start toward creating millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America's energy independence, and cut dangerous pollution. My colleagues and I on the Senate EPW Committee will build on the House efforts to develop a stronger, more effective bill. In the Senate, I also will continue to fight to ensure that a significant investment in public transportation is a key part of any bill. Public transportation is a cost-effective way to take thousands of cars off our roads, lessen global warming, improve air quality, and it can serve as the foundation of a new, more energy efficient economy.
UPCOMING MEDIA: On Tuesday (9/8) I will be live as a guest on the Fresh Voice Radio program on WJSS in Harford County at 4:30 p.m. to discuss health care reform. For those of you on the Eastern Shore this week, I also will be talking with Bill Reddish on WICO (1320AM) Thursday morning (9/10) at 8:00 a.m.
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