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National
Key Vote
G.I. Bill Expansion and Other Domestic Provisions
Project Vote Smart's Synopsis:
Vote to adopt an amendment to HR 2642 that provides education funding for eligible members of the Armed Forces, extends unemployment compensation, establishes moratoria on certain actions regarding Medicaid, and appropriates funds for various domestic and international purposes.
Official Title of Legislation:
Third House Concurrence Amendment with HR 2642: The amendment expands the education benefits veterans receive under the GI bill and would impose a tax of 0.47% on modified adjusted gross incomes above $500,000 ($1,000,000 for joint incomes), a slight increase in the highest tax bracket, to offset the cost of the expansion. It extends unemployment benefits for workers who have exhausted their benefits by up to 13 weeks in every state as well as an additional 13 weeks in states with high unemployment rates. It places a moratorium on seven Medicaid regulations that would cut services to seniors, families, and those with disabilities as well as cut payments to safety net providers. These costs are offset through amendments to Medicaid asset verification provisions and Medicare physician assistance and quality initiative funds. The amendment provides $5.923 billion for the State Department, USAID and International Food Assistance, including $1.865 billion for international food and disaster assistance and $675 million for refugee assistance. The amendment provides $4.6 billion for military construction, including $939 million for BRAC, over $210 million for military child care centers, and $956 million for military hospitals. It provides $5.8 billion for efforts to strengthen New Orleans levees in FY 2009. It provides $178 million to the Bureau of Prisons for rising incarceration costs and a growing inmate population. It provides $210 million to address decennial census cost overruns. Finally, it requires companies that receive more than 80 percent of their revenue from the federal government to disclose the names and salaries of their top officers, and requires federal contractors to report violations of federal criminal law and over-payments on contracts over $5 million.
Highlights:
-Designates differing amounts of payments to be made to fund the higher education of individuals who have served on active duty in the Armed Forces beginning on or after September 11, 2001 based on factors such as length of active duty service and disabilities accrued, and specifies that these payments shall not exceed the cost of in-state tuition at the most expensive public university in the state in which the individual is enrolled (Sec. 3003).
-Requires the Secretary of Defense to match assistance given to members of the Armed Forces by institutions of higher learning to cover fees and expenses beyond what other provisions of this amendment provide (Sec. 3003).
-Finances payments to Armed Forces members receiving educational benefits under this amendment by levying a tax equal to 0.47 percent of income exceeding $500,000 for a single taxpayer other than a corporation or $1 million for a joint return (Sec. 7001).
-Qualifies unemployed individuals in participating states for emergency unemployment compensation if the individuals have exhausted all rights to regular compensation, have no rights to regular or extended compensation, or are not receiving compensation under the unemployment compensation law of Canada (Sec. 4001).
-Extends and expands moratoria relating to Medicaid through April 1, 2009, including cutting Medicaid reimbursements to health care providers, removing Medicaid reimbursements for graduate medical education programs, excluding certain social services related to families and children from being included in the Medicaid program, and restricting optional case management services, outpatient hospital services, or allowable provider taxes (Sec. 5001).
-Appropriates $25 million in 2009 and the same amount in each subsequent year for the purpose of reducing Medicaid fraud and abuse (Sec. 5001).
-Appropriates funds for military construction, veterans affairs, international affairs and other security-related matters, including $8.7 billion for the Department of State and foreign operations, $4.76 billion for military construction and veterans affairs, $1.25 billion for agriculture, and $229.3 million for commerce, justice, and science.
-Appropriates funds for domestic matters, including $5.76 billion for hurricane-related expenses for the greater New Orleans area, $210 million for periodic censuses and programs, $178 million for the federal prison system, and $110 million for state unemployment insurance and employment service operations.
Link to Legislation: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c110:hr2642:
House Passage: 06/15/2007 : Bill Passed 409 - 2 (Roll no. 498) Senate Passage With Amendment: 09/06/2007 : Bill Passed 92 - 1 (Record Vote Number 316)
NOTE: THIS IS A SUBSTITUTED BILL, MEANING THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORIGINAL BILL HAS BEEN REPLACED. House Concurrence Vote With Amendment: 05/15/2008 : Concurrence Vote Failed: 141 - 149 (Roll no. 328) House Concurrence Vote With Amendment: 05/15/2008 : Concurrence Vote Passed: 227 - 196 (Roll no. 329) House Concurrence Vote With Amendment: 05/15/2008 : Concurrence Vote Passed 256 - 166 (Roll no. 330) House Concurrence Vote With Amendment: 06/19/2008 : Concurrence Vote Passed: 416 - 12 (Roll no. 432) House Concurrence Vote: 06/19/2008 : Concurrence Vote Passed: 268 - 155 (Roll no. 431) Senate Concurrence Vote: 06/26/2008 : Concurrence Vote Passed: 92 - 6 (Record Vote Number 162) President Passage: 06/30/2008 : Signed Became Public Law Number 110-252
Sponsor: Rep. Edwards, Thomas (D-TX)
PVS provides summaries for each version of the bill selected as a key vote. The summary does not necessarily reflect the final version of the bill. For further status information, call the Voter's Research Hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART (1-888-868-3762).
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