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UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE—H.R. 3030—In December 2003, the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation (TEUC) program expired. The TEUC provided generally 13 weeks of federal unemployment benefits for workers who had exhausted their state benefits without finding new employment. By early 2004, the economy had lost more than 2.7 million private-sector jobs since Bush took office, more than 2 million jobless workers had been out of work for 27 or more weeks and about 90,00 workers a week were exhausting their state unemployment benefits. An amendment to H.R. 3030 that would provide an additional 13 weeks of federal unemployment benefits to replace the TEUC program passed Feb. 4, 2004, 227–179. Y=R; N=W (R: 39–179; D: 187–0; I: 1–0) |
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BUDGET—H. Con. Res. 393—President George W. Bush presented a budget that permanently locked in multitrillion-dollar tax breaks that mostly benefit the nation’s wealthiest. To finance these taxes cuts for millionaires and billionaires, the Republican budget resolution—which mirrored Bush’s proposal—inflated the record-high $477 billion U.S. deficit and by $120 billion shortchanged or cut funds for the domestic programs working families need most—from job creation to health care, transportation and education. It also accelerated the repeal of the estate tax and made permanent tax cuts—such as the estate tax repeal, the capital gains and dividend rate cuts and the reduction in marginal rates—that provide huge benefits to families with the highest incomes. The resolution passed March 25, 2004, 215–212. Y=W; N=R (R: 215–10; D: 0–201; I: 0–1) |
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TRANSPORTATION—H.R. 3550—According to a bipartisan group of state government officials, at least $318 billion was needed to meet the country’s transportation needs for the next six years. But the Bush administration had threatened to veto a Senate-passed measure that authorized the $318 billion although every $1 billion in transportation construction creates 47,500 jobs, according to a coalition of state transportation officials. A House bill to authorize $275 billion ($43 million less than the Senate figure) passed April 2, 2004, 357–65. Y=R; N=W (R: 162–59; D: 194–6; I: 1–0) |
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HEALTH CARE—H.R. 4281—Some 45 million Americans do not have health care coverage, but legislation that would allow small businesses to offer health insurance to their employees through “association health plans” does little to address the problem. These substandard plans would be exempt from state insurance regulations and, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would lead to premium increases for four in five already insured workers. The bill passed May 13, 2004, 252–162. Y=W; N=R (R: 215–0; D: 37–161; I: 0–1) |
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IMMIGRATION—H.R. 3722—The legislation would have denied hospitals and other health care providers reimbursement for uncompensated emergency care they provide to undocumented immigrants unless they report those immigrants to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Health care providers would have been required to transmit to DHS information including the patients’ financial data, identity of the employer and biometric information. The bill also would have narrowed the scope of emergency health services available to undocumented persons and make inability to pay medical expenses a basis for removal from the United States. The bill failed May 18, 2004, 88–331. Y=W; N=R (R: 86–133; D: 2–197; I: 0–1) |
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WORKPLACE SAFETY/ENFORCEMENT RULINGS—H.R. 2730—Under a 1991 Supreme Court decision, the Secretary of Labor has the authority to interpret and enforce Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards and rules. H.R. 2730 would overturn that ruling and say that deference should be given to the OSHA Review Commission rather than the Secretary of Labor in interpreting OSHA standards. Such a change would benefit employers over workers and stifle OSHA enforcement, according to workplace safety advocates. The bill passed May 18, 2004, 224–204. Y=W; N=R (R: 215–8; D: 9–195; I: 0–1) |
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WORKPLACE SAFETY/FEES—H.R. 2731—Workplaces with fewer than 100 employees make up almost 98 percent of private-sector establishments and have a higher rate of fatal occupational injuries than workplaces with more workers. But H.R. 2731 could result in less vigorous enforcement of the nation’s safety laws by reimbursing the legal fees of any small employer that prevails in any enforcement case or wins a challenge to an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard, regardless of whether OSHA’s actions were substantially justified. Under current law, those costs can only be recovered if the government’s action is ruled not substantially justified. The bill passed May 18, 2004, 233–194. Y=W; N=R (R: 217–5; D: 16–188; I: 0–1) |
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WORKFORCE INVESTMENT ACT—H.R. 444—Despite the worst job loss record since the Great Depression, the Bush administration backed legislation to cap at $3,000 the amount of job training and re-employment services available to unemployed workers. Many states now provide services that can be worth as much as $10,000 to unemployed workers. The Bush administration proposed “personal reemployment accounts” at the same time it was cutting funds for federal job training programs and refusing to extend the federal unemployment insurance program. The bill passed June 3, 2004; 213–203. Y=W; N=R (R: 213–4; D: 0–198; I: 0–1) |
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