LEGISLATIVE REPORT May 18, 2007

[Omaha Steve]

Below is the AFSCME weekly Legislative Report.

AFSCME LEGISLATIVE REPORT
May 18, 2007

Congress - The Week of May 14, 2007

In this issue:

* Congress Passes FY 2008 Budget Resolution
* Deal Announced on Immigration Reform in the Senate
* Transportation Workers Stage a Day of Action Rally in Washington, D.C.
* House Hearing on Child Welfare Highlights Inadequate Federal Funding Support for States
* Senate FAA Authorization Bill Includes Personnel Reform

Congress Passes FY 2008 Budget Resolution
On May 17, largely along party lines, both the House and Senate approved the fiscal year 2008 budget resolution, which sets parameters for spending and tax policy. The budget resolution (S.Con.Res. 21) takes an important step towards reversing six years of harmful cuts to a wide range of domestic programs administered by state and local governments. While President Bush proposed to cut almost $10 billion in yearly-appropriated, non-defense programs, Congress voted to increase funding by $13.5 billion, thus providing $23 billion more for these programs than the Bush budget.

The budget agreement allows up to $50 billion in new spending over five years for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to prevent current enrollees from losing their health coverage and to cover more uninsured children. It also identifies needed additional spending boosts for veterans’ programs, special education, No Child Left Behind, child care, Pell grants, and other pressing domestic needs.

On the tax side, the budget resolution assumes that President Bush’s tax cuts for the wealthy would be allowed to expire in 2010, including the tax cuts on stock dividends and capital gains, and rate cuts for those in the top tax brackets. It also assumes a two-year extension of middle-class tax breaks, including marriage penalty relief, the child tax credit, and the 10 percent tax bracket for low-income taxpayers.

The budget agreement reinstates a Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rule in the Senate, consistent with a rule instituted in the House earlier this year. The PAYGO rule prohibits the consideration of legislation that would cut taxes or increase entitlement spending unless the cost of such action is paid for by increases in other taxes or reductions in other entitlements. The PAYGO rule can be waived by a supermajority.

Congress will now begin consideration of the 12 annual spending bills it plans to complete before October 1st, the end of the fiscal year. President Bush has vowed to veto any spending bill that exceeds his proposed domestic spending limits.
(Fran Bernstein - [e-mail])

Deal Announced on Immigration Reform in the Senate
A bipartisan group of senators announced that they had reached a delicate compromise on what could be the biggest overhaul of immigration law in more than 40 years. The measure, which has the backing of the Bush Administration, would offer the nation's 12 million undocumented workers a route to legal status but would also bolster border patrols and enhance enforcement of rules for hiring aliens. In addition, a point system would be used to determine who would qualify for a green card - a permanent visa - in the future. Under the bill, points would be awarded based on education levels, work experience and English proficiency, as well as family ties. The point system would shift immigration preferences away from the extended families of citizens toward more skilled and educated workers. A number of unskilled parents would be allowed in, but that flow would be capped.

Under the deal, undocumented workers who crossed into the country before January 1, 2007 would be offered a temporary-residency permit while they await a new "Z Visa" that would allow them to live and work here lawfully. The head of an illegal-immigrant household would have eight years to return to his or her home country to apply for permanent legal residence for members of the household, but each Z Visa itself would be renewable indefinitely, as long as the holder passes a criminal background check, remains fully employed and pays a $5,000 fine, plus a paperwork-processing fee.

A separate, temporary-worker program would be established for 400,000 immigrants a year. Each temporary work visa would be good for two years and could be renewed up to three times, as long as the worker leaves the country for a year between renewals.

Organized labor, including AFSCME, immigration rights groups and some key Senate Democrats have already expressed deep reservations about aspects of the deal. AFSCME will be working with allies to reduce the size of the guest-worker program. Senators hope to bring the bill to the floor for debate and a vote next week before they leave for the Memorial Day holiday recess. House leaders have said that they would wait until the Senate completes action on immigration before considering a bill in that chamber.
(Marge Allen - [e-mail])

Transportation Workers Stage a Day of Action Rally in Washington, D.C.
AFSCME President Gerald W. McEntee addressed thousands of transportation workers who rallied near the Capitol under banners reading “Enough Is Enough." The rally, which brought together transportation workers in the public and private sectors, called for action on a pro-worker agenda that includes passing the Employee Free Choice Act, making quality health care affordable for all Americans, and defending good pensions and Social Security. Members of the House and Senate, including several presidential candidates, and other labor leaders addressed the workers and vowed to help elect more labor allies to the Congress and put a worker-friendly president in the White House.
(Marge Allen - [e-mail])

House Hearing on Child Welfare Highlights Inadequate Federal Funding for States
On May 15th, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support held a hearing on the challenges that state child welfare agencies face in serving children who have been abused or neglected. All of the panelists agreed that additional federal financial investments are required to ensure that all children are in safe homes and have the services and support they and their families need. A witness from the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) announced a new partnership - of which AFSCME is a member - to call on Congress to address these funding problems. Among the partnership’s proposals is a higher federal match rate to fund casework services. Other partners include the Child Welfare League of America, the Children’s Defense Fund, Voices for America’s Children, Catholic Charities USA, the Center for Law and Social Policy, and the National Child Abuse Coalition.
(Fran Bernstein - [e-mail])

Senate FAA Authorization Bill Includes Personnel Reform
On May 16th, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation approved a bill (S.1300) to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Introduced by Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-WV), the bill contains AFSCME-supported language to settle negotiation impasses through binding arbitration. This would replace the current impasse procedure which allows the FAA to unilaterally impose its own terms on employees after advising Congress of a bargaining impasse. The House will introduce its version of the bill soon and it will also include language to reform the FAA personnel system.
(Jayne Clancy - [e-mail])

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Cross posted in GDP.