Author: Joe Donnelly

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly reminded his constituents that he is in the process of reading through the Affordable Health Care for America Act before he decides how he will vote.

“Now that we have a final healthcare reform bill, I am reading it in its entirety and weighing it against concerns, criticisms, and ideas that have been shared with me over the past months. I spent a lot of time traveling around north central Indiana to listen to the opinions of as many folks as possible.  I understand that this legislation will affect every Hoosier, which is why it’s so important to me to get it right. After I finish reading the bill, I will make my decision as to whether to support the bill.

“As I read through the bill, I will be looking to make sure that it meets my requirements that I’ve stated before:
•    not force people to give up the insurance they have, if they like it;
•    not add to the national debt;
•    make health insurance more affordable for the uninsured;
•    increase competition in the health insurance market, possibly, in part, by setting up a public plan;
•    lower the costs of health insurance that are squeezing families and small businesses; and
•    prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage to those who suffer from serious illnesses.

“I invite anyone who would like to express an opinion to contact my office. I also want to remind folks that the bill is available to the public at Thomas.loc.gov or by clicking here.”

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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly voted to extend by five months the first-time homebuyer tax credit. The extension includes language similar to that in legislation recently drafted by Donnelly, allowing first-time homebuyers to claim the $8,000 tax credit as long as they are in a binding contract by April 30, 2010 and close on the house within 60 days of that date.

“The first-time homebuyers tax credit has boosted the housing market and helped make possible the dream of homeownership for many Americans,” Donnelly said. “Extending this tax credit is a common-sense way to continue to strengthen our housing market and, in turn, our economy. The concept from my bill that was included in this bill will allow thousands of homebuyers who enter into contracts ahead of the deadline to receive the credit even if they are unable to close before that same deadline.”

Donnelly introduced The First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Guarantee Act last month to make sure that, in the event that the tax credit was not extended, first-time homebuyers would be able to claim their tax credit as long as they were in a contract by November 30, 2009. The original tax credit stipulated that homebuyers had to close on a house by that date.

In addition to the extension, the legislation also includes a new $6,500 tax credit for current homeowners buying a new primary residence, as long as they have lived in their current primary residences for five consecutive years. It also expands the credit by increasing the income cap by 50,000 for individuals and $75,000 for married couples to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

The legislation also extends unemployment insurance by an additional 20 weeks for workers in states like Indiana with unemployment levels over 8.5 percent.

The legislation will now go to the president for his signature.

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Washington, D.C.–Today Congressman Joe Donnelly announced his support for a pro-life amendment to the Affordable Health Care for America Act that would explicitly prohibit federal funds from being used to support abortions.  The bipartisan proposal strengthening the bill’s prohibitions on funding for abortion was negotiated by Representatives Bart Stupak of Michigan, Brad Ellsworth of Indiana, Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania and other pro-life members, and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and approved for floor consideration by the House Rules Committee. 

“I am pro-life and have always opposed any federal funding for a procedure which deeply divides our nation.   I have always said we need real health reform that secures accessible and affordable care for both those who have insurance and those who do not.  Ultimately, I believe meaningful reform is about honoring the sanctity of human life—ensuring decency in care for both the living and the unborn.  With that in mind, I have worked with my pro-life colleagues for weeks to get a stronger anti-abortion amendment added to the bill.  On September 28, I joined pro-life colleagues from both sides of the aisle in sending a letter to the Speaker of the House asking for a vote on the Stupak amendment, and today we will have that vote.  I urge my colleagues in the House to support the Stupak-Ellsworth-Pitts-Smith-Kaptur-Dahlkemper Amendment.”

The amendment to the underlying bill, H.R. 3962, would apply traditional prohibitions on federal funding for abortions, commonly known as the “Hyde Amendment,” to new initiatives created by the Affordable Health Care for America Act.  Named after late pro-life Illinois Congressman Henry Hyde, the amendment has been renewed every year since 1976 by Congress and prevents annually-appropriated federal funds from being used to support or provide abortions.  Specifically, the new pro-life amendment would permanently apply the Hyde prohibitions to both the public option insurance plan that would be created by H.R. 3962 and also private insurers who participate in the new insurance exchange. 

Votes on both the pro-life amendment and final passage of H.R. 3962 are expected today.       

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Washington, D.C.–On Saturday, November 7, I joined the House of Representatives in passing America’s Affordable Health Choices Act, legislation that will strengthen our health care system by extending coverage to millions of Americans who do not have it, making insurance more affordable for those who do, and not adding to the national debt.

Health care spending comprises almost one-fifth of our economy, and will be an even greater burden on businesses and families in the future unless fundamental improvements are made. A recent report by the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation predicts that in just ten years, the average family plan will cost $30,000 per year. This bill is designed to make health insurance more affordable and secure for all Americans.

If you have health coverage and like it, the new bill will not force you to change your plan or your doctor. The goal is to protect the doctor-patient relationship and the doctor’s decision-making ability, which is critical to effective health care. For those who do not have coverage, the bill creates a national marketplace of competing insurance plans, offering minimum benefits, as well as a limited public plan for the uninsured and small businesses. Since 2000, premiums have more than doubled, including for most small businesses. These rising premiums have become one of the largest cost concerns for our small businesses, and the goal of this bill is to foster greater competition among insurers and lower premiums.

As hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers know, having health care one day doesn’t necessarily mean you will have it the next. Under our current system, if you lose your job, you often lose your access to affordable health care as well. By creating the new marketplace and providing affordability credits, working- and middle-class families will be guaranteed access to affordable insurance policies that provide a good standard of care regardless of their job status.

This legislation also strengthens care for seniors by immediately improving Medicare and curtailing age discrimination by insurers. The bill will help close Medicare’s “donut hole” gap in prescription drug coverage for seniors, and for those seniors in the “donut hole”, the bill will cut in half the price of name-brand drugs. It also caps the premiums private insurance companies can charge older Americans because of their age.

For years, many people with diabetes, arthritis, and other conditions have been turned down for health insurance. The Affordable Health Care for America Act would finally prohibit insurers from denying coverage for “pre-existing conditions.” This bill also prevents illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded insurance. As a pro-life member of Congress, I want to also state that this legislation prohibits any federal funds from being used to pay for abortion-related services.

Even though it is important to make health care more secure and to lower health care costs, it is just as important to ensure this reform is accomplished in a way that reduces our deficit. The legislation passed by the House of Representatives has been judged by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office to reduce the deficit by $110 billion over the next ten years. I will continue to work nonstop to reduce the deficit even further, as there is nothing more important to our nation’s future than creating jobs and reducing the deficit.

This legislation is not perfect, and I am working hard to make it better. It will not become law until merged with legislation from the United States Senate. As the process moves forward, I will continue to advocate for a final bill to include additional cost reductions that would reduce our deficit even further.

I know this is a big decision, but if reform fails, out-of-pocket spending will continue to rise, more Americans will go without health care, more businesses will drop their coverage, and long-term government spending on Medicare and Medicaid is guaranteed to grow until the programs are no longer solvent. In fact, at our current rate of spending, Medicare is expected to run out of money by 2017. Our families, seniors, and businesses can no longer afford to shoulder the costs of the status quo.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas about how to improve this legislation before it becomes law, give my office a call. It would be great to hear your ideas. It is a privilege to serve as your Representative.

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South Bend, IN—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly honored our nation’s veterans in a ceremony at the Center for History in which he presented medals to fifteen veterans who reside in north central Indiana.

“America’s brave veterans have made unparalleled sacrifices for our country,” said Donnelly. “On this Veterans Day, we honor their service and pledge to fulfill our duty to provide earned benefits to these courageous men and women. I am proud to present fifteen brave men with medals to display but a token of our gratitude for their valiant service to our nation.”

Veterans and their families are reminded to contact Congressman Donnelly’s district office at (574)288-2780 if they are missing any of their earned medals.

The following veterans received medals:

Clifford Dipert of Kingsbury served in the U.S. Army during WWII from 1943 to 1946. He has earned the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, and WWII Honorable Service Lapel Button.

Frank Farkas of South Bend was involved in the invasion of the Philippines, the invasion of Okinawa, and was his company’s bugler during his time in the U.S. Army from April 1943 until January 1946. He has earned the Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, WWII Victory Medal, Philippine Liberation Ribbon, and WWII Honorable Service Lapel Button.

Charles Graham of South Bend served in the U.S. Army from July 1951 to July 1953 in the 12th Infantry, 7th Division. He has earned the National Defense Service Medal.

Ernest Huskey of South Bend served in the U.S. Army from December 1951 until May 1972, during which he served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He has earned the National Defense Service Medal with Bronze Star, Korean Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, Vietnam Service Medal with three Bronze Service Stars, United Nations Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, Expert Badge with Carbine Bar, and Sharpshooter Badge with Rifle Bar.

George Kline of South Bend served in the U.S. Army during WWII. He has earned the Good Conduct Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with four Bronze Stars, WWII Victory Medal, and Honorable Service Lapel Button.

Russell E. Laycoax of Knox served in the U.S. Army during WWII and was a member of “Darby’s Rangers”.  He was a prisoner of war and a Purple Heart medal recipient. He has also earned the Bronze Star Medal, POW Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with three Bronze Stars, WWII Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Expert Infantryman Badge, and WWII Honorable Service Lapel Button. 

William J. Long of Elkhart served in the Army in Iraq and Afghanistan during the Global War on Terrorism from April 2003 to February 2004 and is currently serving with the Indiana National Guard.  During his time in the U.S. Army, he earned the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with Bronze Service Star, Iraq Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Stephen S. Marozsan of South Bend served during WWII in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946. He has earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Discharge Button, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin.

Bernard S. Nelson of LaPorte served during WWII in the U.S. Navy from August 1944 to June 1946. He has earned the American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Navy Occupation Service Medal, Discharge Button, and Honorable Service Lapel Pin.

Ross A. Portolese of Mishawaka served in the Army Air Corps over Europe in WWII from 1943 to 1945. He has earned the Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, WWII Victory Medal, and WWII Honorable Service Lapel Pin.

William B. Reasor IV of South Bend served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He has earned the Air Medal and Numeral 30, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with Silver Star attachment, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon with 1960 Device, Marksman Badge and Rifle Bar, and Army Aviator Basic Badge.

Frederick Starke of Elkhart served in the U.S. Army. He has earned the Good Conduct Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Luke Stigler of South Bend served during the Global War on Terrorism in Iraq and sustained injuries after encountering a land mine.  For wounds received as a result of this hostile action, he has earned the Purple Heart.

Ronald A. Thomas of Argos served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He has earned the Purple Heart with two Bronze Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, and Marksman Badge with Rifle Bar.

Roy C. Watt of South Bend served in the U.S. Navy from 1978 until 1984. He has earned the Humanitarian Service Medal and an Honorable Discharge.
 

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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly voted for the Tax Extenders Act of 2009, which would extend tax cuts that are scheduled to end soon for millions of middle-class families and small businesses. The bill passed the House by a vote of 241 to 181.

“Creating jobs and helping our middle-class families and small businesses are two of my top priorities,” said Donnelly. “During these challenging economic times, we must do everything we can to provide relief to struggling Hoosier families and businesses. By providing nearly $31 billion in tax relief, we are helping to create jobs and strengthen our local economy.”

H.R. 4213 would extend 40 tax provisions that are set to expire at the end of 2009. Among these provisions is one that would provide up to 30 million homeowners with property tax relief by extending the standard deduction for property taxes, allowing homeowners who do not itemize their tax returns to claim up to $500 per individual and $1,000 per joint filing. In 2008, Donnelly helped author a similar property tax bill that became law.

In addition, the bill would provide for the extension of the popular research and development (R&D) tax credit, encouraging businesses to increase investments in technology and create more high-tech jobs for the twenty-first century.  Approximately 70 percent or more of the benefits of the R&D tax credit are attributable to the salaries of workers performing U.S.-based research, and the credit stimulates American-made innovation.

Also included in the bill is an extension of the “above-the-line” deduction for qualified education expenses up to $4,000, an extension of a law that allows teachers to deduct up to $250 of their personal, out-of-pocket classroom expenses, and an extension of a tax law to allow certain business and restaurant owners to speed up the depreciation of property improvements so that they can reinvest in their business and hire workers.

The legislation was supported by the United States Chamber of Commerce and the American Farm Bureau. It is now pending before the Senate.

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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Donnelly voted for the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009, which passed the House by a vote of 223 to 202. The legislation would ensure that Wall Street and big banks are held accountable while protecting consumers and investors. Also included in the bill are three amendments that Donnelly authored.

“For too long, Wall Street and big banks exploited loopholes and ignored growing problems at the expense of hard-working Hoosiers and Americans. Compounding the problem was an insufficient patchwork of government regulators who missed the warning signs leading up to the economic crisis. Those days are over,” Donnelly said. “This legislation puts in place rational rules so that the hard work of our families and small businesses is never again put in jeopardy by those who put greed ahead of integrity.”

Included in the financial regulatory reform package is:

•  Protection for north central Indiana families and small businesses by ensuring that bank loans, mortgages, and credit cards are fair, affordable, understandable, and transparent through the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency.
• A stop to predatory lending practices that occurred during the subprime lending frenzy.
• An end to “too big to fail” financial firms before risky and irresponsible behavior threatens to bring down the entire economy and hurt hard-working Hoosiers.
• Ruling out future taxpayer bailouts with new procedures to unwind failing companies that pose the greatest risk – paid for by the financial industry and not our hard-earned tax dollars.
• Tough new rules on the riskiest financial practices like credit default swaps and derivatives that were previously unregulated and abused by companies like AIG in risky and complex bets.
• Tougher enforcement and oversight, which includes:

More enforcement power and funding for the Securities and Exchange Commission, including requiring registration of hedge funds and private equity funds;

Enhanced oversight and transparency for credit rating agencies, whose undeserved seals of approval gave way to excessively risky practices that led to a financial collapse;

Addressing egregious executive compensation, allowing a ‘say on pay’ for shareholders, requiring independent directors on compensation committees, and limiting bank executive risky pay practices that jeopardize banks’ safety and soundness.

In addition to these reforms, three amendments offered by Donnelly while the bill was still in the House Financial Services Committee were included in the final bill. The first amendment ensures that an office created within the Securities Exchange Commission to regulate credit rating agencies is given the necessary staff and broad rulemaking authority needed to perform its duties properly. 

In addition, Donnelly offered an amendment that will prevent the FDIC from being used in the future to purchase equity shares of troubled banks during a rescue attempt and, instead, ensure that the FDIC is used only to protect customers’ savings and smoothly resolve failing banks.

Finally, Donnelly offered an amendment to clarify that manufactured housing retailers are not subject to the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency’s authority.  Manufactured housing sellers did not participate in the kind of predatory lending that other mortgage originators did.  The amendment will ensure that MH retailers who act in their traditional capacity of selling homes will not face an undue burden that could increase costs for consumers. 

The legislation is now pending before the Senate.

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Washington, D.C. – Congressman Joe Donnelly recently nominated 19 area students to receive admission into the United States Service academies for the class of 2014. Donnelly based his nominations on outstanding academic achievement, leadership skills, and commitment to a career in the Armed Forces.

• Matthew Arnold of Granger, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  He is a graduate of Marian High School and attends Purdue University.
• Evan Baker of Granger, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point and the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  He attends Penn High School.
• Alex Bowman of South Bend, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  He is a graduate John Adams High School and attends Manchester College.
• Daniel Brown of La Porte, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis, the Military Academy at West Point, and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.  He attends La Porte High School.
• Alexander Canacci of Culver, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point.  He attends Culver Academies.
• Nathan Cockerill of Granger, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  He attends Prairie Christian Academy.
• Meghan Czarnecki of South Bend, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  She attends Saint Joseph’s High School.
• Nolan Dieter of South Bend, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point and the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.  He attends George Washington High School.
• Gage Egierski of Mishawaka, nominated to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and the Military Academy at West Point.  He attends Plymouth High School.
• Robert Fontenot of South Bend, nominated to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  He attends Saint Joseph’s High School.
• Katherine Gross of La Porte, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point.  She attends La Porte High School.
• Jason Intagliata of Hanna, nominated to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  He attends South Central High School.
• Margaux Jarka of Rolling Prairie, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point.  She attends New Prairie High School.
• Jared Jennings of Logansport, nominated to the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.  He attends Logansport High School.
• Alexander Kish of South Bend, nominated to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and the Military Academy at West Point.  He attends George Washington High School.
• Charles Logue of South Bend, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point.  He attends Saint Joseph’s High School.
• William Mikula of La Porte, nominated to the Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point.  He graduated from La Porte High School.
• Alexandria Rodgers of Kokomo, nominated to the Military Academy at West Point.  She attends the Culver Academies.
• Kari Scobey of Plymouth, nominated to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and the Naval Academy at Annapolis.  She attends Sand Creek High School in Colorado Springs, where her father is currently stationed.

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Washington, D.C.—Today, Congressmen Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Fred Upton (R-MI) joined 50 of their colleagues in both the House and the Senate in signing onto a letter requesting swift action be taken to prevent Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes. The letter was sent today to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Assistant Secretary of the Army, Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, United States Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad W. Allen, and Director of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Sam D. Hamilton.

“Preserving our Great Lakes has always been a priority of mine,” Donnelly said. “Asian carp are a threat and could wreak havoc on Lake Michigan if they are not contained. Fred and I will continue to advocate for all common-sense measures aimed at protecting the lakes, the species indigenous to them, and the livelihoods of those employed in the fishing industry.”

“Joe and I are united in our efforts to preserve our treasured Great Lakes in this epic battle to keep the Asian carp out of Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes watershed,” said Upton.  “The $13.5 million in emergency funding is an important first step, but we are still in desperate need of long term solutions to keep the carp out of our beloved Great Lakes.  Failure is not an option.”

The letter is being sent on the heels of an announcement this past Monday by the Environmental Protection Agency that it has pledged $13.5 million in funding to prevent Asian carp from migrating farther toward the Great Lakes. The majority of the funding announced will be used to close conduits and shore up low-lying lands between the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal and adjacent waterways. It will also be used to perform more genetic testing to identify where the Asian carp are residing.

The letter that Donnelly and Upton signed onto asks the agencies to consider:

•    Implementing the recommendations of the Asian Carp Rapid Response Project.  This project is a federal/non-federal partnership of leading experts. 

•    Closing the O’Brien and Chicago Locks if there is reasonable certainty that Asian carp are above the barrier. 

•    Continuing the use of piscicides as a rapid response measure.

•    Creating a possible permanent hydrological separation between the Great Lakes and the Canal. 

•    Increasing the voltage of the electric dispersal barrier to prevent Asian carp of any size from crossing the barrier.

•    Drafting and approving the planned interim reports as part of the Efficacy Study, which was authorized under section 3061 of WRDA 2007, in order for the Corps of Engineers to take action to prevent Asian carp from bypassing the existing electric dispersal barrier project in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.

To read a copy of the letter, click here.

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Washington, D.C.–Today Congressman Joe Donnelly voted against H.R. 4314, a bill that, if signed into law, would raise the United States Government’s debt limit $290 billion to $12.394 trillion, allowing the government to deficit spend for approximately two more months.  The total amount of debt the government can issue is capped and can only be raised by an act of Congress.  Donnelly opposed the increase because it was not tied to strong deficit reduction tools currently being debated in Congress.  The House of Representatives passed the legislation by a vote of 218 to 213.

“We did not get into this situation over night.  We began this decade with our budget in surplus and now our national debt has grown to record levels.  I intend to be part of the solution, and I am committed to making the tough choices necessary to restore fiscal responsibility in our nation’s capital.  The Congress has tools available right now that could be combined with the debt limit increase to start forcing those tough choices.  I was disappointed that the creation of a debt commission or statutory Pay-As-You-Go legislation was not tied to the debt limit increase, and as a result, I did not vote to increase our debt ceiling.”

Donnelly, a fiscally conservative Blue Dog, is an original cosponsor of H.R. 1557, The SAFE Commission Act, which would create an independent bipartisan commission to recommend solutions for long-term fiscal problems facing the U.S. and require the Congress to take an up or down vote on its recommendations.  He is also an original cosponsor of H.R. 2920, The Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act.  The legislation would require all new government spending or new tax cuts be “paid for” so they do not add to our national debt.  Statutory Pay-As-You-Go was instrumental in turning deficits into surpluses in the 1990s.  The House has passed H.R. 2920 three times this year but the Senate has so far refused to support it.
 

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