February 26, 2009 - Volume VI Edition III

Dear Neighbor,

Even
though this session of Congress is less than two months old, already a
number of important new bills have been passed and signed into law. In
the last e-Newsletter, I told of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and
the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act.

But
the big news since then is the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,
signed by President Obama in Denver, CO last week. A full article below
outlines its benefits to the nation and to New York.

Also
passed was a delay in the switch to digital television signals,
scheduled to take effect on February 17. It will now take effect June
12, allowing more time for those who get their television signals
over-the-air to obtain converter boxes for their sets. Older TVs
without a coverter box will not work after the switch, and the program
to provide discounts for these converter boxes was underfunded by
previous Congresses and ran out of coupons, risking the prospect of
millions of televisions being rendered dark.

As I
write, the President has just addressed a Joint Session of Congress,
outlining his plan for the Federal budget and deficit reduction-- and
his detailed budget will be released shortly. Clearly, the economic
tasks we’re facing are enormous and interconnected. Cleaning up the
crisis created by eight years of irresponsible deregulation, fiscal
mismanagement, and the expenses of two wars is going to take some time.

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act signed into law

Last
week, barely a month after being sworn in, the President signed into
law the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Colorado.

The
current economic crisis requires bold solutions that address the
enormity of our economic woes, and the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Plan will do just that. It will blunt the effects of the
recession and help families in need, it will create millions of jobs
and make key infrastructure investments in our future.

It
will help the nation and will be especially helpful to New York, as
funds flow for a coordinated range of benefits and projects, including:

* Expansion of unemployment benefits and job training programs
* Almost doubling aid to NY for Medicaid, at a time when Medicaid health care rolls are expanding
* Increased food stamp benefits
* Aid for mass transit infrastructure and to begin the transition to a clean energy economy

The
most recent unemployment numbers as outlined by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics before a hearing of my Joint Economic Committee tells a
story of accelerating economic decline. Of the 3.6 million jobs lost
since the recession started in December 2007, over half of those jobs
have been lost in the past three months! And in New York State, the
unemployment rate of 7% is double what it was a year ago.

Clearly, this crisis required bold action, and that's what the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act aims to deliver.

9/11 Health Bill Reintroduced in Congress

Together
with Reps. Jerrold Nadler, Peter King, and Michael McMahon, I have
reintroduced legislation to address the health crisis caused by the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

H.R.
847, "The 9/11 Health and Compensation Act," would provide medical
monitoring and treatment for those exposed to toxins released by the
collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The bill would also provide
compensation for economic losses due to illnesses or injuries caused by
the attacks.

Thousands lost their lives in
the 9/11 attacks, but in the years that followed thousands more lost
their health after being exposed to the toxins at ground zero. These
include New York firefighters, EMTs and police, construction workers,
clean-up workers, residents, area workers, and school children, among
others. What's more, 10,000 people came together at Ground Zero,
travelled from every state to help with the aftermath. Many are now
sick and others are very concerned about their health.

Their
illnesses include respiratory and gastrointestinal system conditions
such as asthma, interstitial lung disease, chronic cough and
gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and mental health conditions
such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

This
bill provides proper care to those who are suffering and demonstrates
that America will not abandon its first responders and all those
affected. I thank Speaker Pelosi and my colleagues in the New York
delegation for their dedication to fulfilling America's moral
responsibility to care for those who were harmed by the terrorist
attacks on our nation.

The previous version
of the bill was set to be considered by the House last fall but because
of the financial crisis and other factors, it had to be delayed. I'm
hopeful that the bill will have strong bipartisan support when it is
voted on by the House in the coming months.

Carole King joins me in supporting the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act

Pop
music legend Carole King joined me as I announced the introduction of
the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA). NREPA would
protect some of America's most beautiful and ecologically important
lands while saving taxpayers' money and creating jobs.

Many
of America's most precious natural resources and wildlife are found in
the Northern Rockies. NREPA would help protect those resources by
drawing wilderness boundaries according to science, not politics--
protecting entire ecosystems. NREPA would also help reduce global
warming by protecting the corridors through which vulnerable wildlife
can migrate to cooler areas. As my friend Carole King put it, "NREPA
protects land and water belonging to all Americans, mitigates the
effects of global warming on species, saves taxpayers millions of
dollars and creates jobs. If not now, when?"

Grizzly
bears, caribou, elk, bison, wolves, bull trout and salmon still thrive
in the Northern Rockies. The bill seeks to safeguard both these species
and the lands on which they live. The Northern Rockies is the only
place in the lower 48 states where native species and wildlife are
protected on lands that are virtually unchanged since Lewis and Clark
saw them.

TARP Transparency Reporting Act introduced

Every
day we open the paper or turn on the television to hear yet another
escapade on the part of financial institutions receiving federal funds.
That's why I've introduced HR 1095, the TARP Transparency Reporting
Act, which would

* Prohibit firms
receiving economic assistance from Treasury or emergency loans from the
Federal Reserve from using such funds for lobbying expenditures or
political contributions;

* Require that
firms receiving assistance provide detailed, publicly available
quarterly reports to Treasury outlining how federal funds have been
used;

* Establish corporate governance
standards to ensure that firms receiving federal assistance do not
waste money on unnecessary expenditures; and,

*
Create penalties of at least $100,000 per violation for firms that fail
to meet the corporate governance standards established in the bill.

As
U.S. taxpayers have put an ever increasing amount on the line to
backstop struggling financial institutions, Congress must ensure that
those funds are spent wisely. This legislation provides a solution to
help assure confidence in economic stabilization efforts.

Bill introduced to name L.I.C. Post Office after former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro

I've
introduced legislation (H.R. 774) to name the Long Island City Main
Post Office after former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro. In 1984,
Ferraro strode into history as the first female vice-presidential
candidate on a national party ticket. In the House, Ferraro served on
the Post Office and Civil Service Committee, among other committee
assignments.

The Main
Post Office is located at 46-02 21st Street in Long Island City,
Queens, in the district Ferraro represented with distinction in the
U.S. House of Representatives.

Geraldine
Ferraro is a great New Yorker and an inspiration to me and millions of
Americans. Thousands of Congresswoman Ferraro's former constituents use
the Main Post Office every week, and I know they'll be delighted to
have an important neighborhood institution named in her honor.

Geraldine
Ferraro has been an extraordinary figure in American history – a true
trailblazer, role model, and leader. I'm privileged to help recognize
her accomplishments and legacy.

Please feel free to share this email with anyone who may be interested
in these issues.  As always, I appreciate your comments and invite you
to write to me through my website.

Sincerely,

CAROLYN B. MALONEY
Member of Congress

P.S. Please do not respond to this unattended email account, but instead click here if you would like to send me a message. I look forward to hearing from you!