A Look Back on the Successes of the 110th Congress (Sen. Blanche Lincoln)

[The Straight Story]

A Look Back on the Successes of the 110th Congress

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 03, 2007
Contact: Katie Laning [phone]

As Congress begins the August work period and Members travel back to their states and districts, I am planning to visit with constituents throughout Arkansas to discuss their priorities and the agenda in Congress for the rest of the year. Before looking forward, though, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has been accomplished thus far during this Congressional session.

Last November, the American people sent a clear signal when they went to the polls–they wanted a new direction for our country. No issue defined that election or currently consumes the hearts and minds of Arkansans more than Iraq. The status quo is no longer acceptable. Americans have indicated a willingness to change the course in Iraq, and I’ve considered many solutions to achieve that goal since day one of the 110th Congress.

While we continue to work toward that objective, it is important to note that the U.S. Senate has passed significant legislation during the first seven months of this Congress to address the needs of hardworking Americans.

First and foremost among these has been raising the minimum wage. Any parent who works 40 hours a week should not have to raise a family in poverty, and I’m proud that Congress has finally passed–and the President has signed–legislation that gives American workers the increase they deserve. The first phase of the minimum wage took effect on July 24. When the full $7.25 wage increase is implemented in 2009, it is expected that it will directly affect approximately 113,000 minimum wage workers in Arkansas, nearly 9.4 percent of the workforce in our state. As part of the minimum wage increase, I also authored a small business tax package that became law. This provision will assist small businesses by balancing their interests and giving them the tools to grow their business.

A secondary benefit of the minimum wage increase is that the added income will make it less likely these Americans will have to work more than one job. That translates into more time that parents will have to go to a PTA meeting, attend their child’s baseball game, take their children to church, or care for aging parents or a sick child. The fabric of our country is composed of hardworking families, and this investment will only strengthen the fibers that make up our great nation.

Congress is also working to fulfill our moral obligation to ensure our nation’s children receive the quality care they need for a healthy future. I am proud that the Senate passed legislation to preserve coverage for the 6.6 million children currently enrolled in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and to reach an estimated 3.2 million additional uninsured, low-income American children. Currently, there are approximately 65,000 of Arkansas’s children who receive coverage through this program, known as in our state as ARKids First. Passage of this legislation is a significant step to build upon this successful program, which has allowed us to greatly reduce the number of children who need health care coverage in Arkansas and across the country .

Congress also has provided billions of dollars for veterans’ health care. Our veterans have sacrificed so greatly on our behalf, and the least we can do as a grateful nation is to deliver the quality care and assistance that was promised to them. By not doing so, we risk our credibility as a nation with future servicemen and women. The budget agreement that the we passed earlier this year represents the largest increase ever for veterans’ health care. Special attention was paid to mental health issues that have not been adequately addressed in the past such as traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress disorder.

College access and affordability has also been made a top priority by this Congress. The Senate has committed $17 billion in additional funding for higher education – the largest increase for higher education since passage of the GI Bill. This legislation simplifies the financial aid process for low-income students, ensures that the student loan program treats students fairly, and provides more funding for the Pell Grant program that many students in Arkansas depend on to attend college.

I continue to hear from Arkansans about the high price of gas. The Senate has taken a major step forward to help control those prices by creating a modern day energy policy that will strengthen our economy and national security. By promoting the production of renewable fuels, we create opportunities to reduce our reliance on foreign oil while giving our producers in rural America another market for their products and creating good-paying jobs right here at home.

Congress also passed a pay raise for our troops, provided funding to help rebuild the Gulf Coast, and addressed agriculture disaster relief that the President has signed into law. We have also passed a fiscally responsible budget in both the House and Senate that places an emphasis on addressing the needs of hardworking Americans and passed the most sweeping ethics and lobbying reform bill in our nation’s history, paving the way towards a government that reflects its citizens’ values of honesty and transparency. Democrats are also making America safer by strengthening our borders, ensuring first responders have the tools they need to do their jobs, and enhancing security at our airports, ports and mass transit facilities.

We’ve achieved many successes already this year, but there is much more left to do. You can be certain that I will continue to fight for the priorities that are important to Arkansans, and I encourage you to make your concerns known as we pursue our agenda in the Senate.

http://lincoln.senate.gov/press_show.cfm?id=280496

[Robbien]

1. Stop posting this propaganda bullshit. We don't need any more of these statements

from the bullshits.