[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 26, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H348-H350]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EMERGENCY AID TO AMERICAN SURVIVORS OF THE HAITI EARTHQUAKE ACT
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 2949) to amend section 1113 of the Social Security Act to
provide authority for increased fiscal year 2010 payments for temporary
assistance to United States citizens returned from foreign countries,
to provide necessary funding to avoid shortfalls in the Medicare cost-
sharing program for low-income qualifying individuals, and for other
purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 2949
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Emergency Aid to American
Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake Act''.
SEC. 2. INCREASE IN AGGREGATE PAYMENTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2010
FOR TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE TO UNITED STATES
CITIZENS RETURNED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES.
Section 1113(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1313(d)) is amended by striking ``September, 30, 2003'' and
all that follows and inserting ``September 30, 2009, except
that, in the case of fiscal year 2010, the total amount of
such assistance provided during that fiscal year shall not
exceed $25,000,000.''.
SEC. 3. QI PROGRAM FUNDING.
Section 1933(g)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396u-3(g)(2)) is amended--
(1) in subparagraph (M), by striking ``$412,500,000'' and
inserting ``$462,500,000''; and
(2) in subparagraph (N), by striking ``$150,000,000'' and
inserting ``$165,000,000''.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION OF MEDICAID IMPROVEMENT FUND.
Section 1941(b)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C.
1396w-1(b)(1)(A)) is amended by striking ``$100,000,000'' and
inserting ``$10,000,000''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. McDermott) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ginny
Brown-Waite) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Washington.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) be allowed to control 10
minutes of the time for debate on this bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
General Leave
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend
their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 2949.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Washington?
There was no objection.
Mr. McDERMOTT. Madam Speaker, 2 weeks ago, the largest earthquake
ever recorded in Haiti wreaked havoc throughout the country.
Some of those affected by the devastation in Haiti are U.S. citizens
who are now being evacuated back to the United States. We need to act
today to continue a program that helps these Americans get back home.
The Repatriation Program provides assistance to U.S. citizens
evacuating foreign countries due to a crisis by helping them secure and
pay for connecting flights, temporary lodging, food, and medical
assistance. Recipients of this assistance are expected to reimburse the
government for such aid, unless repayment poses a significant hardship.
This program has an annual funding cap of only $1 million, which is
far short of the funding needed to help all the U.S. citizens returning
home. There were roughly 45,000 Americans living in Haiti when the
earthquake hit, and over 14,000 have already been evacuated.
The bill before us increases the program's funding cap to $25 million
for this year so that it can continue to serve U.S. citizens returning
from Haiti.
It is worth noting that we have raised this program's annual funding
cap in response to past international crises. Most recently, in 2006,
Congress responded to a request from the Bush administration to
increase the program's funding to help Americans evacuating Lebanon.
As sent over by the Senate, this bill also continues funding for
another group of needy Americans, low-income senior citizens. A program
known as QI that now helps Medicare beneficiaries with their part B
premiums if their income is only slightly above the poverty line
requires additional funding in order to continue to provide assistance
to every State throughout the rest of the year. This legislation
provides the necessary funding to address this shortfall and to ensure
the program continues to operate.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that the cost of both of
these provisions is fully offset by a reduction in the Medicaid
Improvement Fund, which provides additional funding to HHS for program
management.
In short, this bill helps people in great need of assistance without
raising the deficit.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this effort to help
Americans evacuating from Haiti and to continue assistance to Medicare
beneficiaries.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
I rise in support of this Senate bill, S. 2949. As Representative
McDermott described, it will provide assistance to thousands of
Americans returning from Haiti following the devastating January 12
earthquake there.
Let me reiterate that we are helping American citizens with this
legislation.
The bill, entitled Emergency Aid to American Survivors of the Haiti
Earthquake Act, will ensure that State and local governments and
charitable agencies on the ground in Florida, for example, and
elsewhere have the resources to do exactly that.
Funding for those local efforts is provided through the Repatriation
Program administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. Each year, that program provides temporary assistance in the
form of loans to U.S. citizens and their dependents arriving in the
U.S. following an emergency. By law, currently the program is capped at
$1 million per year.
This bill, which passed the Senate last night, temporarily increases
that cap for 2010. As the legislation makes clear, and the
Congressional Budget Office score confirms, this increase is entirely
paid for by reducing spending in other areas. It does not raise the
national debt.
This is similar to how Congress responded when demand for
repatriation assistance swelled following the American evacuation of
Lebanon in 2006. Congress stepped in to provide for the additional
funds that were needed and paid for that additional funding through
savings. That is the right approach. And, frankly, my constituents
[[Page H349]]
would like to see this balanced budget approach applied across the
board, not just to the smallest items.
For my part, I wish we were cutting funds in the bloated State
Department budget to pay for this emergency. As I am sure my colleagues
would agree, Congress should be looking for ways to save taxpayer
dollars all the time, not just when new spending emergency needs come
up. Unfortunately, since we are acting on a Senate bill, these concerns
will have to wait for another day.
Before I yield, I would like to note the special importance this bill
has for the State of Florida. Since so many of our returning citizens
are arriving through my home State, I truly appreciate my colleagues
supporting this bill and making sure that State and local agencies have
the resources that they need to respond to this emergency.
The State Department suggests that there were approximately 45,000
U.S. citizens in Haiti and that they were there when the earthquake
hit. As of yesterday, some 14,000 had already returned to the United
States. I commend all the workers in Florida and across the country,
whether with State or local government agencies, the Red Cross, our
Armed Forces, or other agencies who are helping fellow citizens as they
travel to their final destinations in the United States.
The House and Senate are to be commended for acting very quickly on
this legislation. Passing the Emergency Aid to American Survivors of
the Haiti Earthquake Act today is important to thousands of Americans
who have been displaced and who need a helping hand to return home. I
encourage support for this bill.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I rise in strong support of the Emergency Aid to American Survivors
of the Haiti Earthquake Act, or S. 2949, which passed the Senate last
night with bipartisan support.
As my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee have explained, this
bill provides $25 million to enable the Secretary of HHS to reimburse
States for the costs of providing temporary assistance to U.S. citizens
who have returned from the catastrophe in Haiti without available
resources.
I want to focus on the portion of the bill that provides temporary
assistance for low-income Medicare beneficiaries under what is known as
the Medicaid QI program.
Currently, Medicaid pays the Medicare part B premiums for low-income
Medicare beneficiaries with incomes between 120 percent and 135 percent
of the Federal poverty level. That translates to an income of between
$13,000 and $14,600 per year.
Now, the monthly part B premium is $96.40 per month, or $1,157 per
year. And this is 8 percent to 9 percent of the income of these low-
income, elderly, and disabled Medicare beneficiaries. Obviously, having
Medicaid pay this premium makes Medicare much more affordable for these
people and eases their financial struggles.
This Medicaid payment comes from a fixed amount of funding for the
QIs that is allocated among the States. According to the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services, that fund is about $65 million short
for this calendar year 2010. When the fund runs out, States have the
option of continuing to pay the part B premiums for this population
with their own funds or simply stopping new enrollment.
One State, Arizona, has already announced that it is capping its QI
program this week in response to an estimated $2.8 million shortfall in
its allotment. The State is going to give public notice and then deny
all new Arizona applications. This will affect approximately 175
Medicare beneficiaries in Arizona each month.
While no other State has yet to stop enrollment, there are 21 States
in addition to Arizona that have projected shortfalls in their QI
funding. That includes Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi,
Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South
Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Vermont.
By filling this $65 million national QI funding shortfall for this
calendar year, this bill will allow Arizona to uncap its QI program and
help the other 21 States avoid capping theirs. Tens of thousands of
low-income Medicare beneficiaries all over the country will be able to
receive assistance with their part B premiums.
Madam Speaker, let me stress that this bill is fully paid for. It
withdraws $90 million from the Medicaid Improvement Fund to offset both
the cost of the temporary assistance for U.S. citizens returning from
Haiti and the cost of funding the QI program shortfall. In fact, CBO
estimates that the legislation will actually reduce the deficit by $14
million. So I think overall this is very good legislation, very helpful
to the States, and certainly significant for those who are returning
from Haiti. And I would urge my colleagues to suspend the rules and
pass S. 2949.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. This legislation will ensure that
American citizens returning from the devastation in Haiti in the days
ahead will receive the same help and support as those who have already
arrived and gotten their way home. It also will ensure that the many
individuals hard at work assisting their fellow citizens will get the
resources they need to continue these important efforts. I would ask my
colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.
Mr. McDERMOTT. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from New York (Mr. Rangel).
Mr. RANGEL. I want to thank my colleagues, and especially Dr.
McDermott, for bringing this piece of legislation to the floor to give
some assistance to American citizens who found themselves in Haiti
during this tragedy. This comes under the Social Security system, and
I'm glad that Dr. McDermott was able to bring it to the floor.
I have never been more proud of the Congress, my country, and,
indeed, citizens throughout the world for rallying to the cause of
these young people.
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S.
2949: The ``Emergency Aid to American Survivors of the Haiti Earthquake
Act.'' This bill would provide up to $25 million in Fiscal Year 2010
for a Department of Health and Human Services program which repatriates
U.S. citizens from foreign countries. This assistance is vital to
Americans who were living in Haiti when the earthquake struck as well
as the families of those displaced who are now faced with the
unexpected responsibility of supporting their repatriating relatives.
This repatriation assistance provides temporary assistance to
citizens and their dependents who are identified by the Department of
State as needing to return from a foreign country to the U.S. but who
do not have the resources to do so.
As you know, on Tuesday, January 12th, a massive, 7.0 magnitude
earthquake struck Haiti near the capital of Port-au-Prince. There is
still no official estimate of death or destruction but the damage to
buildings is extensive and the number of injured or dead is estimated
to be in the hundreds of thousands.
The full dimensions of the disaster are still unfolding, but Haiti's
Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive told CNN that he believes there are
well over 100,000 dead, and leading senator Youri Latortue estimated
the number at possibly as high as 500,000, according the Associated
Press.
America is responding, and will continue to respond with immediate
humanitarian assistance to help the people of this struggling island
nation rebuild their livelihoods. I send my condolences to the people
and government of Haiti as they grieve once again in the aftermath of a
natural disaster. As Haiti's neighbor, I believe it is the United
States' responsibility to help Haiti recover, and build the capacity to
mitigate against future disasters.
America and her allies have already initiated a comprehensive,
interagency response to the earthquake. The State Department,
Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Coast Guard,
USAID--all worked overnight to ensure critical resources were
positioned to support the response and recovery effort, including
efforts to find and assist American citizens in Haiti.
Within days of last week's devastating earthquake, U.S. Southern
Command deployed a team of 30 people to Haiti to support U.S. relief
efforts in the aftermath of one of the largest natural disasters in the
western hemisphere. The team included U.S. military engineers,
operational planners, and a command and control group and communication
specialists arriving on two C-130 Hercules aircraft. Since, there has
been a tremendous interagency response with support and partnering with
U.S. Embassy personnel as well as Haitian, United Nations and
international officials
[[Page H350]]
to assess the situation and facilitate follow-on U.S. military support.
Our friends in the international community must also be commended for
their efforts. The United Nations is releasing $10 million from its
emergency funds. The European Commission has approved =3 million ($4.37
million) with more funds likely. Countless other nations, from Germany
to China to Israel to Mexico have also pledged support. I commend each
of these nations for coming to our neighboring nation in dire need of
assistance.
Many of my constituents have asked what they can do to help, or how
they can find their loved ones. Those who are interested in helping
immediately can text `HAITI' to `90999' and a donation of $10 will be
made automatically to the Red Cross for relief efforts. The donation
will be charged to your cell phone bill.
The outpouring of support and funding from the American people was
both instant and sustained. According to the Washington Post, the text
messaging effort raised $5 million in its first day, breaking the
previous one-day record of about $450,000. Text-message donations
continue to play a larger-than-expected role in the push for earthquake
relief in Haiti. As of late Sunday, the American Red Cross said that it
had collected pledges of about $103 million, including $22 million
through the text donation program. Each donor should be proud of their
contribution to help their brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Financially, 2009 was not an easy year for many Americans. Although
thousands of jobs were created and we are back on the road to economic
recovery, Americans lived on tighter budgets than usual. This
legislation passed today will allow those Americans who have generously
donated money to Haiti to receive their tax break this year instead of
next year.
In January of 2005, Congress enacted this type of relief for
individuals that made charitable contributions to victims of the Indian
Ocean tsunami that occurred in late December of 2004. That bill (H.R.
241 in the 109th Congress) passed the House of Representatives without
objection and subsequently passed the Senate by unanimous consent. I
hope that this legislation, like our response to the 2004 tsunami, will
encourage Americans to contribute more money to Haiti. As Haiti starts
on its long recovery, every dollar is critically important. Americans
have responded in great numbers, and I am proud to represent such a
compassionate and generous nation.
Americans are not only giving their money, they are also giving their
time and expertise as well. This weekend, I arranged for a team of
seven doctors, six nurses, two techs, and two search and rescue
volunteers to fly to Haiti and provide immediate humanitarian support.
This team led by Dr. Richard Toussaint from Forest Park Medical Center
in Dallas Texas arrived in Haiti just after noon on Saturday. From
there, the doctors made their way to Hospital Sacre-Couer where, in
roughly two days, they performed about 70 amputations, surgically
treated about 150 patients, and saw about 600 patients total. I commend
this team of medical personnel for their selfless actions and
willingness to spend their own time and money to come to the aid of
people they had never met.
Additionally, I hosted a Houston-based Haiti relief effort called
``Texans helping Haitians'' with city leadership and the Haitian
community in the aftermath of this horrible disaster. Groups included
in the effort to provide supplies and medical assistance to Haiti were:
Texas Medical Center, Texas Dental Association, Search and Rescue
Organizations, the Haitian Multicultural Association, Haitian Caribbean
Organization of Texas, Caribbean Impact Foundation, and Haiti Counts.
We also helped coordinate the safe return of six Houston Rotarians
that were stranded in the mountains and we are now working with Office
of Foreign Disaster Assistance on the transport of orphans to awaiting
families here in the U.S. Our paramount duty is to protect Americans,
and this bill will do exactly that.
In addition to providing temporary assistance directly to
repatriates, the program also provides funds to States and other
vendors to cover the administrative costs of providing temporary
assistance to these individuals. This financial assistance is repayable
to the U.S. government, unless waived by the Secretary of Health and
Human Services.
Additionally, this legislation provides an additional $60 million in
funding for the Qualifying Individual (QI) program, which allows States
to fund the Medicare Part B premiums of near-poor seniors not eligible
for Medicaid.
The bill's Haiti funding and the increased QI funds are paid for
through transfers from the Medicaid Improvement Fund. The Medicaid
Improvement Fund is a program intended to improve the management of the
Medicaid program. The legislation cuts $90 million from that fund.
Medicare is a lifeline for Houston's seniors and this bill takes
crucial steps toward strengthening it and providing the highest quality
of care and benefits for our elderly.
In my home state of Texas, the need for a more efficient healthcare
is more prevalent now than ever. One in four Texans, about 5.7 million
people, or 24.5 percent of the state's population, has no health
insurance coverage. An estimated 1,339,550 Texas children--20.2 percent
of Texas children--are uninsured. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,
Texas has the nation's highest percentage of uninsured residents. This
poses consequences for every person, business and local government in
the state who bear extra costs to pay for uncompensated care. If
Medicare funding is allowed to be cut or capped, the number of
uninsured will grow dramatically.
Once again, I am devastated by the immeasurable tragedy that occurred
in Haiti. Along with my colleagues, I hope to visit Haiti in the near
future to meet with their leaders and see what the United States can do
to rebuild the shattered livelihoods. This bill will help two
categories of Americans with no cost to the taxpayers. I strongly
support this bill and urge my colleagues to join me in voting in favor
of it.
Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, it is difficult to comprehend
the depth of tragedy and sorrow that has visited the poor island of
Haiti. It is difficult to convey the depth of our sympathy and shock at
the catastrophe that has befallen the Haitian people.
Madam Speaker, the extent of the misery, destruction and death is
nearly beyond imagination. It surely puts our own national trials and
tribulations into perspective.
Our national unity in pursuing efforts to relieve the suffering of
the Haitian people has been tremendously encouraging, particularly as
this unity has sprung up amid the division and vitriol that have
plagued our national politics in recent months and years.
And while our efforts to bring aid to the Haitians must continue, and
will continue, our first priority, our first obligation, our first
solemn duty as Americans and members of the United States Congress is
to rescue and provide immediate relief to the American citizens in
Haiti who are victims of this tragic natural disaster.
I applaud Chairman Rangel in the House and Chairman Baucus in the
Senate for their swift and focused action. On short notice and in an
environment of uncertainty they have crafted a bill that will ensure
the U.S. government has the resources and authority it needs to provide
emergency aid to American survivors of this earthquake.
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2949.
Two weeks ago today, Haiti was devastated by its largest earthquake
in over two centuries.
The United States has been unparalleled in its efforts to assist
Haiti in the wake of this catastrophe and it only makes sense that we
would show the same compassion and generosity to the many Americans who
were victims of this tragic disaster.
As my colleagues have shared, this bill will provide important
temporary assistance to help U.S. citizens on a need basis as they
return from Haiti and re-establish themselves here in the U.S.
When the earthquake struck, there were an estimated 45,000 Americans
living in Haiti.
Since then, nearly 12,000 Americans have been evacuated.
This bill will help to cover the costs related to these
repatriations.
Again, I rise in support of this important measure and if I may,
would also like to take a moment to acknowledge the many Americans
whose lives were lost as well in the earthquake.
My most sincere thoughts and prayers go out to all of the family and
friends who lost loved ones that day.
Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE of Florida. I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. PALLONE. Madam Speaker, I have no additional speakers. I urge
passage of the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McDERMOTT. I urge the passage of S. 2949, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. McDermott) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 2949.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________