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(2009) HR 2 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization and Expansion
Outcome: Bill Passed (289/139)
Summary: -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance under CHIP for pregnant women whose income is at least 185 percent of their state's poverty level or at least 200 percent of the poverty level for children under 19 years of age (Sec. 111).
-Phases out coverage of non-pregnant childless adults by prohibiting the approval or renewal of waivers after September 30, 2009, unless a state requests a one year extension (Sec. 112).
-Limits the matching rate given to states that cover children whose family income exceeds 300% of the poverty line (Sec. 114).
-Expands coverage to children of legal immigrants and pregnant legal immigrants (Sec. 211).
-Increases the federal excise taxes on tobacco products, including raising the cigarette tax by $0.61 to $1 per pack, in order to fund CHIP (Sec. 701). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2008) HR 7060 Renewable Energy Credits and Other Business and Individual Credits
Outcome: Bill Passed (257/166)
Summary: - Extends tax credits for wind facilities until January 1, 2010, and credits for qualified biomass, geothermal or solar, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, hydropower, and marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy facilities until October 1, 2011 (Sec. 101, 102).
- Extends residential energy efficient property credits for solar electric, solar water heating, and fuel cell property expenditures until December 31, 2016 (Sec. 104).
- Extends the residential energy efficient property credit allowable against the alternative minimum tax to the taxable year starting in 2007 (Sec. 104).
- Reduces the maximum income tax deduction allowed for domestic production of oil and gas (Sec. 401).
- Extends the business research credit through December 31, 2009 (Sec. 221).
- Extends tax deductions for college tuition payments through the taxable year ending December 31, 2009 (Sec. 202).
- Allows a base credit of $3,000 for plug-in electric motor vehicles, with up to an additional $2,000 for vehicles drawing propulsion energy from a battery of 5 or more kilowatt hours of capacity (Sec. 124).
- Encourages bicycle commuting by allowing tax-free reimbursements to cover expenses such as the purchase of a bicycle and maintenance if the bicycle is regularly used to travel between the employee's residence and place of employment (Sec. 126).
- Extends the Federal Unemployment Tax Act surtax that employers pay with respect to individuals they employ through 2010 (Sec. 404).
- Extends tax credits for solar energy property until January 1, 2017 and credits for fuel cell and microturbine property until December 31, 2016 (Sec. 103). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2008) HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP)
Outcome: Veto Override Failed (260/152)
Summary: -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance for targeted low-income pregnant women if the minimum eligibility level is at least 185 percent of the poverty level or at least 200 percent of the poverty level for children under 19 years of age (Sec. 111).
-Prohibits the approval, extension, or renewal of CHIP waivers to parents of targeted low-income children and nonpregnant childless adults (Sec. 112).
-Prohibits payments for providing child heath assistance for children whose family income would exceed 300 percent of the poverty line unless a waiver is granted by the state (Sec. 114).
-Appropriates $100.00 million through 2012 for outreach and enrollment grant programs designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children in CHIP (Sec. 201).
-Requires states to submit the names and social security numbers of children eligible for CHIP and to make a "reasonable effort" to address any inconsistencies in social security numbers and the declaration of citizenship or nationality while continuing to provide medical assistance until the problem is resolved, and allows state programs to enter an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security to provide for the electronic submission of documents (Sec. 211).
-Appropriates $25.00 million from the U.S. Treasury Department for programs designed to reduce child obesity (Sec. 401).
-Restates that Federal payments for Medicaid or CHIP cannot be made to people who are not legal residents (Sec. 605).
-Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]).
-Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]).
-Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]).
-Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]).
-Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Outcome: Veto Override Failed (277/141)
Summary: -Provides that Iraqi and Afghan immigrants who are granted special immigrant status are eligible for up to six months of resettlement assistance and entitlement programs available to refugees (Sec. 525).
-Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to implement a totalization agreement between the Social Security programs of the United States and Mexico (Sec. 526).
-$13.63 billion for the Department of Labor, including $3.37 billion for training and employment services, $3.47 billion for state unemployment insurance and employment service operations, and $1.65 billion for the office of the Job Corps
-$480.03 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, including $30.01 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $401.41 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and $27.32 billion for the Administration for Children and Families
-$63.58 billion for the Department of Education, including $16.38 billion for student financial assistance, $15.93 billion for education for the disadvantaged, and $12.36 billion for special education
-$53.98 for related agencies, including $51.81 billion for the Social Security Administration, $1.35 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service, and $420.00 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting |
Walden's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 1429 Head Start Act of 2007
Outcome: Conference Report Adopted (381/36)
Summary: -Authorizes $7.35 billion for fiscal year 2008, $7.65 billion for fiscal year 2009, $8.00 billion for fiscal year 2010, and such funds as may be necessary for fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (Sec. 5).
-Allows Head Start programs to increase the number of participants by 35 percent by including participants whose families' incomes are between 100 and 130 percent of the poverty level, as long as children from families whose income is at or below the poverty level or who are homeless have priority for inclusion in the programs (Sec. 14).
-States that by 2013, at least 50 percent of Head Start teachers and education coordinators will have a baccalaureate or advanced degree in childhood education and all teaching assistants will have an associate's degree, and that by 2010, all teachers providing direct services to children and families participating in Early Head Start programs (which provide services for children from 0-3 years of age) located in Early Head Start centers have a minimum of a child development associate credential (Sec. 15, Sec. 19).
-Requires that all Head Start teachers attend 15 hours of professional development training per year (Sec. 19). |
Walden's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (274/141)
Summary: -Provides that Iraqi and Afghan immigrants who are granted special immigrant status are eligible for up to six months of resettlement assistance and entitlement programs available to refugees (Sec. 525).
-Prohibits funds in the bill from being used to implement a totalization agreement between the Social Security programs of the United States and Mexico (Sec. 526).
-$13.63 billion for the Department of Labor, including $3.37 billion for training and employment services, $3.47 billion for state unemployment insurance and employment service operations, and $1.65 billion for the office of the Job Corps
-$480.03 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, including $30.01 billion for the National Institutes of Health, $401.41 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and $27.32 billion for the Administration for Children and Families
-$63.58 billion for the Department of Education, including $16.38 billion for student financial assistance, $15.93 billion for education for the disadvantaged, and $12.36 billion for special education
-$53.98 for related agencies, including $51.81 billion for the Social Security Administration, $1.35 billion for the Corporation for National and Community Service, and $420.00 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting |
Walden's Vote
Y |
(2007) HR 3963 Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 (CHIP)
Outcome: Bill Passed (265/142)
Summary: -Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance for targeted low-income pregnant women if the minimum eligibility level is at least 185 percent of the poverty level or at least 200 percent of the poverty level for children under 19 years of age (Sec. 111).
-Prohibits the approval, extension, or renewal of CHIP waivers to parents of targeted low-income children and nonpregnant childless adults (Sec. 112).
-Prohibits payments for providing child heath assistance for children whose family income would exceed 300 percent of the poverty line unless a waiver is granted by the state (Sec. 114).
-Appropriates $100.00 million through 2012 for outreach and enrollment grant programs designed to increase the enrollment and participation of eligible children in CHIP (Sec. 201).
-Requires states to submit the names and social security numbers of children eligible for CHIP and to make a "reasonable effort" to address any inconsistencies in social security numbers and the declaration of citizenship or nationality while continuing to provide medical assistance until the problem is resolved, and allows state programs to enter an agreement with the Commissioner of Social Security to provide for the electronic submission of documents (Sec. 211).
-Appropriates $25.00 million from the U.S. Treasury Department for programs designed to reduce child obesity (Sec. 401).
-Restates that Federal payments for Medicaid or CHIP cannot be made to people who are not legal residents (Sec. 605).
-Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]).
-Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]).
-Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]).
-Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]).
-Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]).
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Walden's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization
Outcome: Veto Override Failed (273/156)
Summary: -Appropriates $9.13 billion for fiscal year 2008, $10.68 billion for fiscal year 2009, $11.85 billion for fiscal year 2010, and $13.75 billion for fiscal year 2011 for CHIP (Sec. 101).
-Creates an incentive pool for states whose CHIP enrollment numbers exceed baseline projections (Sec. 104).
-Prohibits the issuance of CHIP waivers to non-pregnant childless adults after passage, and terminates existing waivers on September 30, 2008 (Sec. 112).
-Allows a state to apply for Medicaid waivers to continue coverage for non-pregnant childless adults whose waivers have been terminated (Sec. 112).
-Allows states to continue providing child health assistance to parents of eligible children under an existing waiver through 2012 and provides additional funding for states meeting certain outreach and coverage benchmarks (Sec. 112).
-Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance to targeted low-income pregnant women if they have a Medicaid eligibility level for pregnant women that is at least 185 percent above the poverty level, among other requirements (Sec. 111).
-Appropriates $100 million for grants to eligible private or public entities to conduct outreach efforts designed to increase CHIP enrollment among eligible children and sets aside 10 percent of the allocated money for the administration of a national CHIP enrollment campaign (Sec. 201).
-Permits states to verify citizenship or nationality as a requirement for inclusion in Medicaid and CHIP programs, and requires that no funds in this act may go towards payments for individuals who are not legal residents. (Sec. 211).
-Requires employers to allow 26 work weeks of leave for certain family members responsible for the care of a recovering member of the armed services, and forbids employers from denying the family member employment, promotion or benefits. (Sec. 621-622).
-Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]).
-Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]).
-Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]).
-Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]).
-Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 976 State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Reauthorization
Outcome: Concurrence Vote Passed (265/159)
Summary: -Appropriates $9.13 billion for fiscal year 2008, $10.68 billion for fiscal year 2009, $11.85 billion for fiscal year 2010, and $13.75 billion for fiscal year 2011 for CHIP (Sec. 101).
-Creates an incentive pool for states whose CHIP enrollment numbers exceed baseline projections (Sec. 104).
-Prohibits the issuance of CHIP waivers to non-pregnant childless adults after passage, and terminates existing waivers on September 30, 2008 (Sec. 112).
-Allows a state to apply for Medicaid waivers to continue coverage for non-pregnant childless adults whose waivers have been terminated (Sec. 112).
-Allows states to continue providing child health assistance to parents of eligible children under an existing waiver through 2012 and provides additional funding for states meeting certain outreach and coverage benchmarks (Sec. 112).
-Allows states to provide pregnancy-related assistance to targeted low-income pregnant women if they have a Medicaid eligibility level for pregnant women that is at least 185 percent above the poverty level, among other requirements (Sec. 111).
-Appropriates $100 million for grants to eligible private or public entities to conduct outreach efforts designed to increase CHIP enrollment among eligible children and sets aside 10 percent of the allocated money for the administration of a national CHIP enrollment campaign (Sec. 201).
-Permits states to verify citizenship or nationality as a requirement for inclusion in Medicaid and CHIP programs, and requires that no funds in this act may go towards payments for individuals who are not legal residents. (Sec. 211).
-Requires employers to allow 26 work weeks of leave for certain family members responsible for the care of a recovering member of the armed services, and forbids employers from denying the family member employment, promotion or benefits. (Sec. 621-622).
-Increases the tax on cigars from $1.828 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigars weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from 20.719 percent of the retail price to 52.988 percent of the retail price for cigars weighing more than three pounds per thousand, with a cap of $3.00 per cigar (Sec. 701 [a]).
-Increases the tax from $19.50 per thousand to $50.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds per thousand, and increases the tax from $40.95 per thousand to $105.00 per thousand for cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand (Sec. 701 [b]).
-Increases the taxes on cigarette paper from $0.0122 to $0.0313 per fifty papers and on cigarette tubes from $0.0244 to $0.0626 per fifty tubes (Sec. 701 [c-d]).
-Increases the taxes on snuff from $0.585 to $1.50 per pound and on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.50 per pound (Sec. 701 [e]).
-Increases the taxes on pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126 per pound and on roll-your-own-tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889 per pound (Sec. 701 [f-g]). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 3162 State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization
Outcome: Bill Passed (225/204)
Summary: - Requires state CHIP plans to provide a 12-month continuous eligibility option for low-income children whose family income is below 200% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2008 (Sec 115).
- Allows states the option of covering temporary and permanent documented immigrants under the states CHIP (Sec. 132).
- Prohibits coverage of undocumented immigrants (Sec. 135).
- Increases the tax on cigarettes from $19.50 to $42 per thousand on cigarettes weighing less than 3 pounds, and from $40.95 to $88.20 per thousand on cigarettes weighing more than 3 pounds (Sec. 1001 [a-b]).
- Increases the tax on cigars that weigh less than 3 pounds per thousand from $1.828 to $42 per thousand (Sec. 1001).
- Increases the tax on cigars weighing more than 3 pounds per thousand from 20.719 percent to 40 percent of the sale price, limited to $1 a cigar (Sec. 1001 [c-d]).
- Increases the tax on chewing tobacco from $0.195 to $0.42 per pound (Sec. 1001 [h]).
- Dictates that federal payments for states for the fiscal year 2008 will be the greater of either the state projection of federal payments or the federal payment from 2007 multiplied by the allotment increase factor for per capita growth or child population growth (Sec. 101).
- Allows unused federal payments under the Social Security Act to be redistributed to address state shortfalls (Sec. 103).
- Requires state CHIP plans to cover dental care, federally qualified health centers, and rural health centers (Sec 121).
- Provides a 30-day grace period for premiums on state child health plans (Sec. 123).
- Extends states' optional coverage for children from age 19 to age 21 (Sec. 131).
- Provides states with the option to cover pregnant women as long as the income eligibility level is at least 185 percent of the federal poverty level (Sec. 133).
- Provides coverage for preventative services including prostate cancer screening tests, colorectal cancer screening tests, diabetes outpatient self management, glaucoma screening, medical nutrition therapy, physical examinations, cardiovascular screening blood tests, diabetes screenings, abdominal aneurysm screenings, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines, hepatitis B vaccine administration, mammography screenings, pap smears and pelvic exam screenings, and bone mass measurement (Sec. 201).
- Appropriates $300 million for fiscal years 2008-2010 to create the Center for Comparative Effectiveness Research to conduct, support, and synthesize research to determine the outcomes, effectiveness, and appropriateness of health care services (Sec. 904).
- Authorizes the appropriation of $50 billion for each of fiscal years 2008 and 2009 to provide abstinence education, mentoring, counseling, and adult supervision to promote abstinence from sexual activity (Sec. 910). |
Walden's Vote
N |
(2007) HR 3043 Appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Outcome: Bill Passed (276/140)
Summary: -Increases the maximum Pell Grant for which a college student is eligible from $4,310 during the 2007-2008 award year to $4,700 during the 2008-2009 award year [Title III].
-Prohibits funding in this Act from being used for the transportation of teachers or students in order to overcome a racial imbalance or carry out a racial desegregation plan in any school or school system [Title III (sec. 301)].
-Prohibits funding in this Act from being used to require a student to attend a school other than the school which is nearest to the student's home, except in the case of a student requiring special education [Title III (sec. 302)].
-Prohibits funding in this Act from being "used to prevent the implementation of programs of voluntary prayer and meditation in the public schools" [Title III (sec. 303)].
-Prohibits funds appropriated in this Act from being used to perform abortions or to provide health benefits coverage that includes the coverage of abortion [Title V (sec. 507)].
-Prohibits the expenditure of funds appropriated to the Department of Labor in the procurement of goods produced by forced or indentured child labor [Title I (sec. 102)].
-Requires the Secretary of Labor to issue a full monthly transit subsidy of at least $110 to each of its employees in the National Capital Region beginning September 30, 2007 [Title I (sec. 103)].
-Authorizes up to $20 million in grants to states "to address the gap in health care coverage faced by trade adjustment assistance participants and dislocated workers" [Title I (sec. 107)].
-Allows the Director of the National Institutes of Health and the Director of the Office of AIDS Research to transfer up to 3 percent of the total amount of funding among institutes for the purpose of research relating to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) [Title II (sec. 208)].
-$10.25 billion for the Department of Labor.
-$478.54 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services, including $29.65 billion for the National Institutes of Health and $400.98 billion for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
-$64.94 billion for the Department of Education, including $16 billion for education for the disadvantaged and $12.3 billion for special education.
-$43.76 billion for related agencies, including $41.80 billion for the Social Security Administration.
- $63.54 million to establish the Medicare rural hospital flexibility grants program, $35 million for grant adjustments for existing community health centers, and $310.91 million for voluntary family planning projects, not to be expended for abortions.
- $2.66 billion for low-income home energy assistance, $3.95 billion for child support enforcement and family support programs, $2.14 billion for child care assistance for low-income families, $6.96 billion to fund the Head Start Act through September 30, 2009, and $136.7 million to provide abstinence education. |
Walden's Vote
N |
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