The job of the U.S. Congress is a never-ending one. After putting to bed the heated debate to transform the nation’s health care system, Congress switches gears and looks ahead to its list of immediate to dos:
1. Tackle the country’s financial problems
2. Create jobs
3. Enforce climate laws that will curb carbon emissions and create clean energy systems
4. Reform immigration policy
5. Give equal rights to the LGBT community by such things as repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act
…and that’s just to name a few.
Well Congress is not the only group with a never-ending agenda. All of us on the outskirts are keeping up the momentum as well and refocusing attention to ensure the voices of the people in America are heard and the policies they demand are passed. However, some conservative, religious and right-wing groups, like those that fought tooth and nail trying to kill the health care bill, have the same old agenda that is never-ending: Block everything on the President’s to do list and spread fear through this nation like wild fire, no matter what the issue.
Such is the case now with the rights of the LGBT community. The Employee Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is a bill that is expected to be voted on in the House very soon, and is aimed at protecting the LGBT community from employment discrimination. This legislation is so important because in 29 states it is still legal for employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation. Ending discrimination, however, is apparently something Americans should be afraid of according to some groups.
Immediately, the same type of fear-mongering ads we saw against health care reform just a few months ago have reappeared to attack ENDA. Two very different issues, yes, and some different groups, but all the qualities are very similar: fear, fear and more fear, nothing substantial to say, and no proof of knowledge on the legislation at hand. Check out this Family Research Council ad to fight ENDA:
Is it me or did that video tell you a whole lot of nothing? There was no elaboration on comments like those from Marcia, the licensed counselor, who insinuated that religious people would lose their job from this legislation. There was plenty of terrifying music and telling, ominous statements, but with nothing to back them up. Maybe in the detailed documentary there is more elaboration, like Marcia explaining that people losing their jobs would only be those not willing to comply with federal law because they are insistent on illegally discriminating against employees and justifying their actions on the basis of personal religious beliefs. So if I own a company and I decide that all people with green eyes are evil, then I fire and abstain from hiring all green-eyed people, and defend my ridiculous actions by saying that those green-eyed monsters do not fall in line with my personal religious beliefs, I cannot act surprised if I lose my job by not complying with federal non-discrimination laws. But who needs explanations or details, that’s not the point. The point is that we should be afraid, very afraid.
Have no doubt, these ad campaigns will continue and grow larger among groups like these in the coming months. But we all have to remember to check the facts and not fall for the same old fear-based obstruction. The progressive agenda is one that aims to secure rights for all to have fair access to jobs, health care, education, clean air, a chance to serve your country and marry your partner of the same sex or not. I don’t think that’s anything to be scared of.
So you’re under 26, your uninsured, maybe about to get kicked off your school’s insurance at graduation or you just got laid off from your new job and its employer provided insurance – no worries, with health care reform you can go back on your parents’ insurance plan (or stay on it) up to age 26. How will all of this work? And when does it kick in? Check out these FAQs and other resources on how health care reform impacts young people:
FAQs on Staying on Your Parents’ Plan up to age 26
One of the greatest provisions for young people in the health care bill is the ability to stay on your parents’ insurance plan until age 26. However, some people have questions about how that will work or whether it will cost their parents’ more money. But it’s actually pretty simple. Check out some frequently asked questions:
Q. Who is eligible for the age 26 provision?
The age 26 provision is eligible for young adults whose parents have insurance plans that provide dependent coverage for children (which most plans do). The health care reform bill requires any group health plan or plan in the individual market that provides dependent coverage for children to continue to make that coverage available up to age 26.
Q. When will this provision take effect?
Young adults under the age of 26 will be able to take advantage of this provision as of September 2010, six months after the enactment of the legislation (March 23, 2010).
Q. How much will this cost my parents?
Parents will simply be paying as they did when young people were on their plans previously, at a family plan rate. However, there may be slight rate increases for family plans due to the extra years in coverage.
Q. Does it matter what state I live in?
Many states have their own laws for dependent coverage so you should look to see what rules your state has. (State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) – To get information on dependent coverage laws in your state.). The new federal law establishes a minimum level of dependent coverage up to your 26th birthday. If your state law requires more coverage than the federal law, it is likely that the state law will still apply.
According to this survey by the Higher Education Research Institute, college freshmen surpass the general population in support of gay marriage by quite a large gap: 65% of college freshman compared to 39% of the general population support same-sex marriage. And this leap in support also branches across the conservative student population. Check out this piece on Change.org:
Even far right frosh support same-sex marriage at a greater rate than those far right conservatives out there in the working world — 24% to 14% to be exact, or as exact as a research poll can be.
So, these kids have just been shipped off to a new place, full of new people, new ideas and new experiences, and they’re learning how to incorporate all of that into their world view while still maintaining some sense of themselves. And that, somehow, makes them more open to varying forms of human relationships. Huh. When I put it that way, they kind of sound like a decent barometer of the next generation’s views toward same-sex marriage.
* The below statement was originally posted here by Katie Andriulli, CP Communications Manager
WASHINGTON, DC — Campus Progress Senior Advocacy Associate Pedro de la Torre III released the following statement today in response to the final passage of HR 4872, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act.
“Today Congress took action to eliminate an inefficient and corrupt student loan system and finally put the interests of students over banks. Young people overwhelmingly support health care and student aid reform, and are heartened to see that the change they voted for has become a reality.”
Campus Progress has fought hard over the past year to support these vital reforms on behalf of young people. Last summer we launched a campaign, Students Over Banks (studentsoverbanks.org), to educate young people about proposed reforms of the student aid system and to provide them with opportunities and resources to take action. The campaign also featured print and online advertising, and a video ad which aired on CNN, MSNBC, and during Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report.” Additionally, we published numerous hard-hitting articles and fact sheets debunking loan industry claims.
We also worked with the United States Student Association, US PIRG, and the Campaign for College Affordability to organize 50 national groups to sign a letter of support for reform, host events, organize days of action, and send tens of thousands of emails, faxes, petition signatures, and tweets to Congress.
To support health care reform, we published numerous articles examining the impact reform would have on young people, and worked as part of the Y.I. Want Change coalition to raise awareness of these issues in the public sphere. Through coordinated action campaigns, events, and lobby days, our coalition mobilized 40,000 young people to take action demanding Congress pass reform. We also had a strong and consistent presence on Capitol Hill, and at rallies, town halls and campus events across the country.
See more on the win in student loan reform here. See more on the win in health care reform here.
The nation’s focus today is on the historic moment that took place as the President signed the health care reform bill into law. The moment in which, as Obama said, “health care reform is no longer an unmet promise. It is the law of the land.”
This is significant for all the uninsured, for all those struggling with health care costs and for this economy. But I want to make today about the activists; those that have been fighting for progressive change from day one. I want to make this day, particularly, about the young activists.
Tens of thousands of young people were first inspired to get involved in the work leading up to the 2008 election because they identified with the message of hope and the desire for change. These young organizers worked tirelessly, put in 20 hour days for months, moved across the country – were plopped down into unknown (and undecided) territory- and fought tooth and nail, through ugly rhetoric about their leader, to get Obama elected.
On November 4, it was a proud and tearful day for most. But for many of these young organizers, as they watched their personal hard work culminate into the moment when the newly elected President took the stage, it was a life changing moment. In 2009, Washington DC, Congress, the Administration, and so many non-profit advocacy and service groups saw an influx of young faces, freshly inspired by their experience working for change and dedicated to continuing that work post-campaign. Organizing For America, the campaign’s continuing organizing arm now based out of the DNC, picked up many of the organizers and delved right into the health care fight.
Throughout this entire debate, young organizers, volunteers and students made calls, sent letters to Congress, joined countless rallies and held their signs defiantly across from the teabaggers. Despite the media leaving young people out or casting them to the side as “young invincibles” who don’t care about health care, young activists took to the streets or tweeted the latest action they just took online to support health care. Some lobbied their representatives and many expressed their frustration with the losses in the debate, such as the public option or women’s rights. But through it all, young activists kept fighting and just like the old campaign days, they stuck in there. As Obama said today,
“..it was your work, your commitment, your unyielding hope that made this victory possible. When the special interests deployed an army of lobbyists, an onslaught of negative ads, to preserve the status quo, you didn’t give up. You hit the phones and you took to the streets. You mobilized and you organized. You turned up the pressure and you kept up the fight.”
And today, many of them were able to watch their President sign into law a bill that realizes their original desire for change. (A bill that as our Vice President Joe Biden stated perfectly “is a big fucking deal.”)
Last night, while the capital city quieted down after a long weekend of marches against the war and rallies in support of immigration reform, members of the House were in the Capitol casting their votes on a historic piece of legislation.
The bill for health care reform has been making its rounds through Congress for the past year, and the House made its final vote to pass reform last night, with 219 Democrats voting in favor of the legislation (34 Democrats voted no). The House passed not only the Senate health care bill which will become law by the stroke of Obama’s pen tomorrow, but they also voted on a “clean up” bill that includes budget-related provisions aimed at strengthening the original legislation. The “clean up” bill, or the reconciliation package, was passed with 220 votes. The only steps that remain now are for the President to sign the legislation and the Senate to pass the reconciliation bill too, which is expected by the end of this week.
The final passage of these bills is particularly significant for young Americans for two reasons; the first is that millions of young adults will be able to access health insurance through several affordable options (outlined below) and will no longer have to worry about losing or being denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. The second reason is one that may have easily been overlooked by many Americans following the health care debate. Just a couple weeks ago Congress inserted the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) into the reconciliation package that was passed last night. SAFRA is a bill that will eliminate wasteful subsidies given to student lenders and put that money – $67 billion to be precise- into the student aid system and increase Pell grants. Putting students over banks, basically. SAFRA passed the House last year and was on its way to being killed in the Senate until it was saved by being included in the reconciliation bill.
So in one vote, Democrats passed two pillars of reform.
What does all of this mean for you? Other than the historic step forward in reforming both our health care and education systems, young adults will benefit greatly and those benefits will kick in soon. Check out this statement from Campus Progress and the Y.I. Want Change Coalition for how this bill will impact young adults:
Immediate Health Care Benefits for Young Adults
90 Days After Passage (June 2010)
Access to insurance through a temporary “high-risk pool” for Americans who were denied coverage due to a pre-existing condition. This will benefit the 15 percent of young Americans who suffer from chronic conditions.
6 Months After Date of Passage (September 2010)
Allow young Americans to remain on their parents’ health insurance until their 26th birthday. Over 2 million previously uninsured young adults will benefit from this provision.
Prohibit health plans from dropping individuals’ coverage when they get sick.
Ban lifetime limits on covered benefits.
Prohibit restrictive annual limits on benefits (all annual limits banned by 2014).
Require pre-deductible preventive care services with no cost-sharing under all new plans (applies to all existing plans by 2018).
January 1, 2011
Require all plans to spend 80 percent (for small/individual plans) or 85 percent (for large group plans) of premiums on medical services. Those who fail to do so must submit rebates to consumers.
Benefits After Full Implementation (January 1, 2014)
Expand Medicaid to cover every American earning less than 133 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), providing coverage to 9 million currently uninsured young adults.
Provide tax credits for purchasing health insurance to individuals who lack employer-provided insurance and earn less than 400 percent of the FPL.
Ban denial of coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
Limit insurance companies to charging older adults no more than three times the insurance premiums of younger adults.
Establish state insurance exchanges to facilitate market competition and enforce minimum benefit standards.
Immediate College Affordability Benefits
500,000 students will not lose their Pell grants, and Pell grant awards would not be cut by 60% for the millions of other students in the program. Instead, the maximum Pell grant award would increase to $5,550.
All new federal student loans will be originated through the Direct Student Loan program, as opposed to the Federal Family Education Loan program, which offers large subsidies to banks that function as middlemen in the student loan process.
Students should notice little if any change to the process of getting a loan, or on the terms of the loans. When they enter repayment, however, their loans will not be sold off to other companies, and there will be greater oversight by the Department of Education over loan servicing.
The biggest benefit: this will save $61 billion over ten years, which funds most of the other benefits for students in the reconciliation bill.
Begin a five year $750 million investment into the College Access Challenge Grant.
Congress would begin its ten year $2.55 billion investment in minority serving institutions and historically black colleges and universities.
These benefits, however, are just the beginning of the kind of change young progressives hope to accomplish. Make no mistake, this bill suffered through endless industry lobbying efforts, political bickering and compromises, and the end result leaves out many issues that young Americans care about and fight for everyday. The fact is that this health care system still has a long way to go in terms of providing true universal coverage for all through a public option or a single-payer system, adequately including women’s rights, protecting the LGBTQ community, strengthening access for minority communities and undocumented immigrants and improving affordability for young and low-income adults. The passage of this bill is just the first step down that road, and one that advocates have been working for for decades. So while some might be disappointed with things lost throughout the long debate in this bill, take this minute to remember that there are millions of Americans that are sitting in their homes right now sighing with relief and happiness that they will now be able to afford college or finally buy health insurance after being denied all these years. Now we have a strong foundation for change that we can all continue to build on.
For more about the health care bill, click here. For more on how the bill will affect you, click here.
On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi along with House Education and Labor Committee Chairman George Miller held a press conference where they discussed two of the biggest issues affecting today’s young people: health care and college affordability. In each of their talking points, the two lawmakers urged the need to pass health care reform and SAFRA (Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act) through a combined effort. “It is a perfect climate for us to pass a wonderful bill to expand opportunity to access health care and education in our country,” said Pelosi.
Behind the Speaker, stood several young people representing youth organizations such as Campus ProgressYoung Invincibles, Young Democrats, and USSA. As Pelosi stated in her opening remarks, “young adults have come to Capitol Hill from across the country to add their voices to their voices to the chorus of taking our country in a new direction.” These groups represent millions of young people who are uninsured and face high amounts of student debt.
The press conference also featured Samuel Bergh, a first generation college student who would not have the opportunity to attend college if it were not for Pell Grants, which are in danger of being lowered if SAFRA is not passed. Eric O’Connor, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin also shared his story, revealing that he had been denied health insurance due to a pre-existing condition. Samuel’s and Eric’s stories are a strong reminder of how both issues affect today’s young people. As Pelosi put it, both these bills are “about our young people, their opportunity, and the competitiveness of our country.”
* This post was written by CP Intern, Yosef Getachew
Health care reform is nearing its final stages, and key changes have occurred. Here are the updates of what’s going on in the health care debate this week.
Today’s Updates:
The biggest news this week for young Americans is the merging of health care reform and student aid reform into one bill. This reconciliation bill now represents two critical pillars of our future and two issues that brought young voters to the polls in 2008; health care reform and college affordability.
Student Aid Bill Could Attract Health Care Votes
Key Democrats are arguing that the health care bill would get more votes by attaching the Student Aid bill (SAFRA) to the legislative package. The student aid bill, which cuts private lenders out of the federal loan program, has already passed the House by 247 votes, 27 more votes than the health care bill received back in December. Since the student aid bill has been attached to the health care bill through the budget reconciliation process, more Democrats should be in favor of passing health care reform. This bill now has a double impact for our generation.
House May Pass Senate Health Care Bill Without Voting on it
Through a congressional process known as ‘self-executing rule,’ House Speaker Nancy Pelosi believes the House will be able to pass the senate health care bill without having members actually voting on it. Using this procedure, the House would essentially vote on a more popular package of amendments to the Senate bill, thereby ‘deeming’ the health care bill passed. Pelosi, along with House leadership believe that this process would protect lawmakers who are hesitant to show their support for the Senate bill.
Health Care Bill in Final Stages (Finally)
After a year-long push for health-care reform, the House Budget Committee reported out the health care reconciliation package yesterday, signifying that debate is at an end and the bill will be passed soon. Although the 216 votes necessary for the bill’s passage have not yet been secured, top Obama aides as well as House leadership are confident that that they will have enough votes to pass the bill.
House Leadership Walks Away from Making Deal with Stupak
Democrats are expecting Rep. Stupak and his group of pro-life democratic supporters to vote against the bill; but at this point, lawmakers are moving on from Stupak’s constant complaints.
*This post was written by CP Intern, Yosef Getachew
The push for health care reform is back on! Enjoy these semi-daily “Health on the Hill” updates to help keep track of this complex debate.
Today’s Updates – 3/8/10:
Stupak Amendment trying to make its way back into the health care debate
Although provisions have been made in the health care bill that prohibit funding for abortion, Rep. Stupak (D-MI) is still continuing to make unreasonable demands regarding the language on abortion in the Senate version of the health care bill, which is the version likely to be passed through the reconciliation process. In fact, Stupak along with at least eleven other house democrats are threatening to vote against the legislation if their demands are not met. However, the fact of the matter is that the final health care bill will not use tax payer dollars to fund abortions, making Stupak’s demands seem irrational.
Obama shifts health care focus onto insurance industry, sets deadline for reform passage
President Obama was in Philadelphia earlier this morning where he gave a speech criticizing the health insurance industry’s rising premiums and lack of coverage for millions of Americans. As the president continues his populist format in gaining support for health care reform, he hopes that Congress will be able to pass the health care bill by March 18, which would be before the congressional two-week Easter recess.
Health Care Rally on March 9
Heath Care for America NOW is hosting a rally in Washington DC tomorrow, March 9th. The insurance industry’s lobby front group is back in DC and protestors will gather at Dupont Circle and place a mass citizens’ arrest of the health insurance companies. Howard Dean has just announced that he will joint he protest as well! You can join virtually if you are not in DC. For more information about tomorrow’s health care rally, click here.
How health care reform could affect “young invincibles”
This article in Kaiser Health News touches on an issue we have been fighting hard for, to avoid “insurance in name only” for young adults. The provisions for Catastrophic plans in the Senate bill could still leave millions of young adults who would get only small subsidies, or none at all, without adequate coverage:
“This plan is insurance in name only,” a group called Y.I. Want Change said in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada. The coalition of liberal groups such as College Democrats of America, the youth arm of the Center for American Progress, and the Young Invincibles, wants emergency-room care and three primary-care doctor visits covered before the deductible is paid.
*This blog was written by CP Intern, Yosef Getachew
For more info on health care reform and young people, click here
Here are some of my favorite moments from today’s six-hour bipartisan meeting on health care reform:
Obama to McCain – “Let me make this point, because we aren’t campaigning anymore, the campaign is over”
I loved this line because it summed up the mood of the entire summit meeting. It seemed like everyone was campaigning for themselves instead of for the issue, and the President kept referencing that, especially when he and Senator McCain got into a back and forth during the cost containment portion of the discussion.
Rep. Barasso (R-WY) – paraphrasing ” Members of Congress should just have catastrophic care. Everyone gets care even if they don’t have insurance, and people with catastrophic insurance are the best consumers of health care because they really think about what care they need”
This was so false that it was comical. It just proved that the “party of no” is completely out of touch with the health care system and how it works. No, not everyone gets care if they don’t have insurance. In fact, according to the American Journal of Public Health, 45,000 people die every year because they are not receiving the care they need due to lack of insurance.
On the note of the Catastrophic plans, this topic came up in the cost discussion and particularly referred to the catastrophic coverage targeted at young adults and low-income adults (which are plans we have been fighting to improve). Rep. Barrosso’s line was so idiotic that it just proves how out of touch he is. Consumers of Catastrophic plans are not choosing them because they think they are the best plans and fall in line with what they need, they are choosing them because they usually have no choice and because it is the cheapest option – but they have barely any pre-deductible coverage. Which means they won’t cover any “regular” health needs that consumers have, like prescriptions or check-ups.
Actually, President Obama said it perfectly for us during the summit:
“Look, if I’m a self-employed person who right now can’t get coverage or can only buy the equivalent of Acme insurance that I had for my car — so I have some sort of high-deductible plan. It’s basically not health insurance; it’s house insurance. I’m going to — I’m buying that to protect me from some catastrophic situation; otherwise, I’m just paying out of pocket. I don’t go to the doctor. I don’t get preventive care. There are a whole bunch of things I just do without. But if I get hit by a truck, maybe I don’t go bankrupt. All right, so that’s what I’m purchasing right now.
What the Congressional Budget Office is saying is, is that if I now have the opportunity to actually buy a decent package inside the exchange that costs me about 10 to 13 percent more but is actually real insurance, then there are going to be a bunch of people who take advantage of that. So, yes, I’m paying 10 to 13 percent more, because instead of buying an apple, I’m getting an orange. They’re two different things.
..The way that this bill is structured uses a high-cost pool, a catastrophic pool, for people who can’t afford to buy that better insurance, but overall for a basic package — which, by the way, is a lot less generous than we give ourselves in Congress. So I’m amused when people say, let people have this not-so-good plan, let them have a high-deductible. But there would be a riot in Congress if we suddenly said, let’s have Congress have a high-deductible plan, because we all think it’s pretty important to provide coverage for our families. And the federal health insurance program has a minimum benefit that all of us take advantage of. And I haven’t seen any Republicans — or Democrats — in Congress suddenly say, “You know what, we should have more choices and not have to have this minimum benefit.”
Brilliant Mr. President, that’s what we have been arguing all along. Don’t leave young and low-income Americans out in the cold. Improve the plans and subsidies offered in the exchange pool so that we can be included. Otherwise, improve the Catastrophic plans to provide better coverage. It’s that simple.
Funding our Future is a campaign to pass a progressive federal budget for 2010 and ensure that our nation.s key economic choices invest in our education, spark reform of our health care system, and address climate change through cap and trade and clean energy investments. Click here for more info.
Health care reform is nearing its final stages, and key changes have occurred. Here are the updates of what’s going on in the health care debate this week.