Administration looking out for us
letter in Daily Local News, Thursday, July 29, 2010
I am so excited! President Obama signed the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and now Congress has passed the extension of unemployment for people in need. I am just in awe of how much Obama and this Congress have been able to accomplish to support and protect us middle-class folks. Cheers to all of them! Just think what they have passed and/or organized in a mere year and a half:
Wall Street reform designed to prevent another financial crash, simplify language on mortgages and loans so we can understand what we’re signing up for, and rein in the size of banks so there will be no more bailouts paid by the taxpayers.
The Health Care Reform Bill that will guarantee that almost all Americans have access to health care, also putting to rest the worries that you won’t be covered because of pre-existing conditions, and giving tax credits to businesses so they can buy insurance for their employees, and much more.
The Stimulus Bill that has prevented a depression, provided millions of jobs, and made possible thousands of infrastructure and transportation projects and environmental improvements in towns all over the U.S. We still need more jobs, but where would we have been without this?
The First-Time Homebuyer Credit Act giving eligible homebuyers a tax credit of $8,000.
The Nuclear Arms Reduction agreement with Russia, reducing our stockpiles by 30 percent (signed by president, not yet ratified by Senate).
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act improving health care for vets, providing services that prevent veterans from becoming homeless, and providing support for caregivers of seriously injured Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Funding for the Science and Technology and Environmental Research Agency.
Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act that protects against pay discrimination on the basis of sex, race, age, religion or disability.
Hate Crimes Prevention Act providing $5 million per year to state and local agencies to pay for prosecuting hate crimes and giving federal authorities greater ability to investigate hate crimes if local agencies choose not to do so.
Total restructuring of the Mineral Management Service, a scandal-plagued agency that collected money for oil leases yet failed to enforce safety regulations due to their close relationships with the oil companies.
Revision of the student loan system creating savings for students and their families.
Cancellation of the F-22 weapons system that was no longer needed, saving taxpayers many millions of dollars.
Handling of the horrendous BP disaster with as much skill, coordination, professionalism and openness as is humanly possible.
And these are just the major acts. You can find details at Whitehouse.gov.
My goodness, no administration for at least the last 50 years has gotten this much substantive work done! Check and see if your senators and congresspeople helped with these efforts and call them and thank them if they did. Put them back in office if they did so they can continue to solve our country’s problems with the people, not big corporations, in mind
A final note … all of the legislation listed above was passed in spite of almost universal no votes by Republicans and their lockstep efforts to defeat every one of these proposals.
Debby Kern
Chester County
Posted: July 29th, 2010 under National.
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