“Unfortunately, Secretary Solis chose not to directly answer my question regarding a construction project in New Hampshire that DOL identified as high priority, but then mysteriously canceled the job when they found firms were not bidding because it was subject to a PLA. Rather, the Secretary responded that job creation was not the goal. She said, `First and foremost we must keep costs down,’” Thompson explained.
Project Labor Agreements, when they are made part of the bidding process, require that companies that bid on a contract with the federal government must have union workers, pay union scale and include union collective bargaining agreements. The Obama Administration contends PLAs control cost factors, and the President put forth an Executive Order encouraging PLAs, however in areas like New Hampshire this removes about 90% of the eligible firms from bidding.
Thompson reminded the Committee that a project for the Rockview State Correctional Institution in Benner Township in his district, had a PLA imposed by the Pennsylvania Department of General Services. “It kept a number of firms in the region from bidding on the project and those that did bid were so high that General Services was forced to remove the PLA. This job is now on hold too.”
Thompson described the New Hampshire ordeal in further detail, “Last September, DOL issued a solicitation for construction of a Job Corps Center in New Hampshire that the Department declared was `urgently needed.’ Without explanation, the Department attempted to impose a Project Labor Agreement. After a local small business filed a protest against the PLA, the Department cancelled the solicitation, and has not re-issued it.
Thompson asked Solis, “Why did the Department cancel the entire solicitation of an `urgently needed’ project in the face of the bid protest instead of simply removing the PLA?”
Solis answered that in many instances PLAs have actually helped to reduce costs and that it is appropriate that the Department look for ways to keep costs down. She did not answer the question about New Hampshire.
Committee Chairman George Miller, D-CA, asked that Solis answer Thompson’s question in writing at a later date.
“This is not an ‘us vs. them’ scenario, this is about American jobs. Contract decisions for the federal government should not be based on politics,” said Thompson. “True competition will provide the lowest cost, union or not. In this economic crisis, we need to maximize the job creation in this country. And while I commend the Secretary for acknowledging the need to mitigate costs, the Secretary of Labor should be making sure jobs are maximized, rather than catering to unions.”
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Bailets was Assistant Secretary of Treasury and Manager of Financial Reporting and Systems at the Turnpike Commission from February 1998 to July 2008 when he was moved to another job. Then in November 2008 he was laid off by the PTC for what he claims was a wrongful termination for bringing potential fraud to the attention of his superiors.
“While this is an ongoing civil suit, there are criminal elements in the complaint that are very serious and need to be looked at further,” said Thompson.
Thompson wrote to Corbett: “Prior to his dismissal for alleged budgetary reasons, the complaint reads that Bailets had previously discovered and reported a discounting scheme being engaged in by the largest commercial EZPass Customers. Bailets claims organizations would act as suppliers of transponders to service smaller organizations not privy to the 20% volume discount on toll charges.”
The Bailets complaint states “that despite the loss of potentially millions of dollars in toll revenue (which could have relieved budgetary pressure), no action was taken to further investigate or correct this situation.”
Bailets also claims that billable hours were duplicated for a Turnpike contractor. The contract involved more than $82 million, yet Bailets was told to “not make waves.”
Thompson’s letter concluded, “As the Commonwealth continues to face fiscal pressures, particularly when it comes to highway and infrastructure funding, the citizens of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and motorists using the Pennsylvania Turnpike deserve to know that their toll dollars are not being squandered on political patronage and personal gain.”
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“One of the greatest pleasures of my position is the honor of nominating outstanding young men and women to the service academies,” said Thomspon. “Anthony excels in everything he attempts and will be a huge asset to the Academy and an exemplary officer.”
Rombold is number 1 in his 2010 class at Clarion-Limestone Junior Senior High School with a grade point average of 4.18. He is the senior class president, lettered in varsity football for three years, is a member of the National Honor Society and is an Eagle Scout.
No stranger to work, Rombold has spent 27 hours a week washing and detailing cars at Clarion Ford Mercury. He is a member JROTC and of the Civil Air Patrol. His list of accomplishments includes being a power lifter, and an Archery Club member, being part of Envirothon, an environmental trivia competition, being president of Sensations, the school show choir, and teaching vacation Bible school. He has been an altar server and was named one of the “top ten teens” by Faith: The Magazine of the Catholic Diocese of Erie.
“Anthony is a patriotic young man with a desire to serve his country,” said Thompson. “He has made excellence a goal in everything he attempts and I am looking forward to hearing great things from him in the future.”
His paternal grandparents are Fred and Erla Rombold of Sharon and maternal grandparents were the late Mario and Laura Ann Gigliotti of Punxsutawney.
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Thompson is a member of the Education and Labor Committee. The Committee Republicans put together the forum to examine actions taken and promises made by the Administration to reward special interests at the expense of American workers and our struggling economy.
On November 20, 2009, Committee Republicans wrote Chairman George Miller (D-CA) and requested that Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis testify before Congress on staggering unemployment rates, erroneous job data reported on the stimulus package, and the President’s agenda for addressing these issues. Since her confirmation in February 2009, Solis has not appeared before the Education and Labor Committee.
The minority Committee members have not received a response. Yet, unemployment remains in double digits.
Thompson had an opportunity to ask questions on project labor agreements (PLA) of witness Stephen Worth, president and chief executive officer of Worth and Company from Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Also among the witnesses were former Secretary of Labor, Elaine Chao and Steve Forbes, editor-in-chief of Forbes Magazine.
“Recently there was a project for Rockview State Correctional Institution in Benner Township. The Pennsylvania Department of General Services opened the project for bids this past June, but made it subject to a project labor agreement,”(PLA) said Thompson. “It turns out this PLA kept a few hundred firms in the region from bidding on the project and the bids ended up coming in so high General Services was forced to remove the PLA. Proponents of these PLAs claim they do not bar merit shops from bidding on government contracts. Do you believe merit shops are at a disadvantage?”
Worth responded: “In my experience, the company could, technically bid on a project with a PLA, but that would cause us to not use our workers. What makes Worth and Company so great is the people we employ. Without them a contract would be unreasonable. My thought is to let everyone compete on level ground; it’s fairer to the taxpayer.”
One of the first Executive Orders implemented by President Obama was the use of project labor agreement for federal construction projects. On February 6, 2009, he authorized executive agencies of the federal government to require every contractor on a large-scale construction project to negotiate or become a party to a PLA on federal projects over $25 million.
“PLAs close the playing field in an attempt to support union only contracts. There is nothing wrong with unions, but when you exclude the 80 percent of contractors that are not union shops and make it next to impossible for them to bid on a project, that’s discrimination and empowers politics over common sense policy,” said Thompson.
In this time of economic uncertainty and staggering unemployment the Administration continues to reward special interests over empowering commonsense and fairness.
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“Article I, Section 9 of the Constitution states that no money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but by appropriations made by law. The federal government is funded through 12 appropriations measures that contain various programs that accept requests for funds through members of Congress. While the process of directed spending by the Congress often draws scrutiny, I am promoting an open and transparent process and will conduct a review of each project on a competitive basis,” said Thompson.
“In the rural communities across the Fifth District of Pennsylvania, small towns and municipalities often do not have the resources to pursue federal grants. This process allows our communities to get a leg up and put forth projects that consist of strong partnerships among local, state, and private stakeholders from communities with a demonstrated need,” added Thompson.
Submitting a request does not guarantee that funding will be provided. There are many requests received and from year-to-year only a small percentage of those requests make it through the legislative process. Given the increased competition for project funding in this tight fiscal environment, applicants will need to make arrangements to brief the Congressman and/or his staff on the proposal and supply letters of support from the local community.
The application period will remain open through 5 pm on Tuesday, February 16, 2010.
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Thompson told the House: “Exactly one month ago today the Pennsylvania State University Women’s volleyball team staged a stunning come-from-behind victory against the University of Texas lady Longhorns and took home their third consecutive NCAA national championship.”
He explained their record of a 102-match winning streak that began in September 2007. It is the longest Division I women’s winning streak and the second longest in NCAA history. The team won 65 consecutive Big Ten matches.
The resolution H. Res. 1015 reads:
“Resolved, That the House of Representatives congratulates the Penn State women’s volleyball team and the university’s athletes, coaches, faculty, students, and alumni on the winning of the 2009 NCAA Division I women’s volleyball championship; and recognizes Penn State for its recognized excellence as an institution of higher learning.”
In addition to the resolution, Thompson and the entire Pennsylvania congressional delegation along with Penn State alum Frank Wolf, R-VA, signed a letter to President Obama requesting that he and the First Lady host this remarkable team at the White House to commemorate the Lady Lions’ unprecedented achievement and Coach Russ Rose’s 1001st career win.
The delegation wrote: “It would be a wonderful honor for them to have the opportunity to meet with you and the First Lady and a fitting reward for all that they have accomplished.”
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The meeting, held in U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson’s office on Capitol Hill, included the Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez and Dana Gresham, Assistant Secretary for Government Affairs at the Department. Representatives Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Erie, Chris Carney, D-Dimock , and Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, were also in the meeting.
“The tolling threat alone has cast a cloud over future economic decisions by business and industry for our area,” Thompson told LaHood. “If you approve the tolling of I-80, already turned down twice, you will effectively reroute prosperity around Pennsylvania.”
Dahlkemper reminded the Secretary of a meeting with Pennsylvania state legislators who told stories of their constituents afraid to move forward until the tolling decision is made. “Our rural area can’t handle another blow to the economy,” said Dahlkemper.
Thompson also reminded the Secretary that this decision could double the scope and size of the corruption laden Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.
LaHood said he had talked to Kanjorski a while back at a chance meeting in an airport and that the Representative had told him how important this decision was and had made a strong case.
None of the other representatives from the Department spoke in the meeting. Although the Members were assured that they would get a “heads up” before the decision comes out.
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“Military service is the highest level of volunteerism and a commitment by both the candidate and his or her family,” said Thompson. “When young men and women of Alec’s stature apply to the military academies, it gives me confidence that the future of our military is in capable hands. The education, leadership training, and skills that he will learn at the Naval Academy will prepare him for a distinguished military career and assure his success in other endeavors.”
McGlaughlin, who ranks 16th out of his class of 706 at the Senior High School in the State College Area School District, has a grade point average of 4.66 and won the Principals’ Award in grades 9 and 10 for straight A’s in every semester.
He was the first volunteer mentor in a new program called S.H.O.E.S., Students Helping Others to Excel and Succeed, and he was part of a program of student ambassadors who welcome and assist new students in transition to high school. McGlaughlin also served as a representative from the junior class and attended a United States Naval Academy Summer Seminar.
McGlaughlin excelled in sports lettering in football in grades 9 through 12 and in baseball in grades 10 through 12 and also played basketball.
“This is a young man who is looking forward to the academic, physical and emotional challenges of the academy and his future as a naval officer,” said Thompson.
McGlaughlin’s paternal grandparents are Ron and Crystal McGlaughlin of Huntingdon, and maternal grandparents are Carmen and Bernice Terrizzi of State College.
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Thompson was joined by five other Pennsylvania Congressmen in making the nomination: Jim Gerlach, R-Chester Springs, Joe Pitts, R-Kennett Square, Bill Shuster, R-Hollidaysburg,Todd Platts, R-York County, and Charles Dent, R-Allentown.
“This is truly great news that Pennsylvania’s dairy farmers will have a seat at the table when suggestions and ideas are presented to the Secretary of Agriculture on dairy issues,” said Thompson. “Dairy farmers are still not earning the profit they deserve and many small farms across the country are still struggling to stay in business.”
“Erick Coolidge is a longtime dairy producer –a fourth generation dairy farmer with nearly 45 years of experience in the industry both on and off the farm. He currently is a Tioga County Commissioner. He has served in various capacities in many agriculture and dairy organizations in Pennsylvania and he will be a valuable asset to the Advisory Committee,” said Thompson.
According to the USDA, the purpose of the new committee is to review the issues of farm milk price volatility and dairy farmer profitability and to provide suggestions and ideas to Secretary Vilsack on how USDA can best address these issues to meet the dairy industry’s needs.
Coolidge will serve a 2-year term as part of the 15-member group representing industry, producers and their organizations, consumers, academia, retailers and state agencies involved in dairy.
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“Eleven representatives and two Commonwealth senators made the trip to Washington, despite the fact that they were in session in Harrisburg, in order to let the people who will make the decision on advancing the application for tolling I-80, know just how much this topic means to them and the people they represent,” said Thompson.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Thompson told the Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, Greg Nadeau, that there are two ways to make this decision. “It can be made under the rule of law, or it can be made based on politics. I hope you follow the intent of the law in your decision.”
On November 19th, Thompson and his House of Representatives colleagues met with FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez to voice their opposition to the tolling plan. Additionally, on December 10th, Thompson wrote to Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood requesting that he reject Pennsylvania’s third attempt at tolling Interstate 80 and to use his discretion to deny subsequent attempts to toll the highway.
Thompson said he thought the meeting was an important and powerful opportunity for the FHWA to hear from 11 state representatives who represent 60,000 people each and the two senators, who represent almost 250,000 people each in the Commonwealth. Joining the delegation from Harrisburg were U.S. Representatives Thompson, Paul Kanjorski, D-Nanticoke, Kathy Dahlkemper, D-Erie.
A separate meeting, set up by FHWA for any elected official, who wanted to voice their opinions on the tolling of I-80 did not take place because no one attended.
Each of the legislators had an opportunity to speak during the more than hour-long session. They addressed varying points, from the current economic constraints along the corridor and how tolling would exacerbate those problems, to the cloud tolling places over future economic development, to the questionable and troublesome history of corruption at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, the lawmakers denounced the efficacy of this current application.
Rep. Matt Gabler, R-Treasure Lake, told the group that businesses in his district have said that if I-80 tolls had been in existence they would never have located in the district. He also expressed deep concern with the integrity of the Turnpike Commission.
Rep. Scott Hutchison, R-Venango, told the FHWA that his area has never recovered from the recession of the 1980s. But he said that the growth that has come has been near the Interstate. “If you take that away, we have almost nothing.”
An aide to Lt. Gov. Joe Scarnatti, R-Brockway, a de facto member of the Turnpike Commission, read a letter objecting to the application to toll I-80.
Nadeau told the lawmakers that the FHWA would complete their review of the application “judiciously and expeditiously.” But he would not provide a timeframe. He said the review was being conducted by a number of offices in his agency and the Department of Transportation.
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The measure, H.R. 4309, the Small Business Start-up Savings Accounts Act of 2009, would amend the tax code to allow individuals to place up to $10,000 in pre-tax income into an account annually, to be later used for small business start-up expenses. The amount in the account could not exceed $150,000 and an individual’s income could not exceed $150,000 per year in order for them to participate. The individual, in time, could withdraw the money with no penalty, if the purpose was for creating a small business. Otherwise, if the individual does not start up a small business venture, the amount is subject to the capital gains tax rate.
“Anything that will provide an incentive for small business start-up and the job creation that follows is a good thing,” said Thompson. “I believe these accounts can be the starting point for an individual to pursue his or her entrepreneurial dreams. This is a type of smart-government economic stimulus that doesn’t add to the deficit and continues to foster the forward thinking that has made America so great. This is a real win-win scenario for everyone,” added Thompson.
“Small businesses create anywhere from 60-80% of American jobs, yet there is not currently a method for these entrepreneurs to effectively save the money to create their own company,” Bright said. “The bill will help Americans save up to create their dream business and in turn, add jobs to our workforce. This is a smart and innovative way to create jobs while giving entrepreneurs peace of mind that they won’t have to dip into traditional savings or retirement accounts to finance start-up costs. I would like to thank my friend and colleague Congressman Thompson for introducing this legislation with me, as well as Senator Pryor for his work in the Senate.”
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“I’ve been confident all along in the State’s ability to take care of the environment in the Allegheny National Forest—confidence in the local industry and the citizens of the four-county area, who have been exceptional stewards of the environment for decades.
“The local stakeholders have taken care of the Forest for 86 years with the State Department of Environmental Protection providing some of the best enforcement in the Nation. It looks as if the Judge agreed the Commonwealth does not need outside environmental groups to come in and tell them how to do things.
“This ruling allows companies to bring their employees back to work and plan for the future. The decision by the U.S. Forest Service to stop permitting—and, by extension, drilling, for so-called `environmental reasons’ was wrong from the start and did irreversible harm to the local economy.
“This decision is a victory for state’s rights and for local control. It allows drilling to commence and stops the need for those who own drilling rights to prepare a National Environmental Policy Act study as a precondition to the exercise of private oil and gas rights in the ANF.
“This also is a victory for the hard-working people of northwest and north central Pennsylvania, who anxiously have been waiting for the opportunity to go back to work in the Forest they love, and where they have supported their families for several generations.”
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Thompson reminded the Secretary: “Tolling existing Interstate capacity will do nothing more than cripple an already ailing economy. This is why I was so pleased to learn that during your Senate Confirmation hearing on January 21st, 2009, you expressed similar reservations to tolling existing interstate capacity.”
Thompson explains in the letter that the law governing the Interstate Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Pilot Program (ISRRPP) stipulates that tolling can only be used as a last resort for a state.
“However, between 2004 and 2007, $412 million in federal funding was diverted to mass transit and other accounts for use outside of building and maintaining the Commonwealth’s roads and bridges. Furthermore, a 2007 memo from FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) cited PennDOT’s lengthy history of transferring Interstate Maintenance (IM) funds to other Federal-aid programs, rescinding IM funds, and maintaining a balance of $312 million in unobligated IM funds, which could have otherwise been utilized for operations and maintenance of I-80.”
In explaining the letter Thompson said, “It’s clear that the application review must take into account the fact that at the time of Act 44’s passage, the state had about six times the annual cost for operations and maintenance funds for I-80 on hand. From the beginning the tolling scheme has been about funding other projects, not I-80’s needs. Secretary LaHood should take this into account and not allow the Turnpike Commission to continue to bankrupt the state and con their way into a program they clearly do not qualify for. I’ve urged the Secretary to follow the law as Congress intended – as a last resort – and deny the tolling application and put an end to further attempts.”
Thompson drew attention to the investigations that have been focused on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC). “One of the figures, a Pennsylvania General Assembly Senator, who played a key role in developing Act 44, has since been convicted and sentenced to prison. Additionally, the same investigation forced the firing of the PTC Chairman and resulted in his wife’s conviction on 45 counts of corruption for which she is currently serving a prison term. In Pennsylvania’s case, the I-80 tolling proposal served as a means of preventing the accountability and review that potential private investment in the Pennsylvania Turnpike would have required.
“Most recently, the PTC has been under investigation by the FBI regarding a highway widening project that came in $91 million over the original project bid. It has also been reported throughout the state that the PTC currently is being investigated by the Pennsylvania Attorney General for links between political donations and turnpike contracts.”
Thompson questioned the PTC decision to hire a former healthcare company, Provident Healthcare Coalition of Baton Rouge, LA, to perform the financial valuation for the submission to toll I-80. He asked, “Why did the PTC choose Provident Capital Advisors given their lack of credibility and no history of dealing with transportation infrastructure finance, when there are clearly a number of qualified firms that handle market-based analysis on a regular basis?”
The letter concludes: “The purpose of programs such as the ISRRPP is not to enable transportation officials to create questionable financial models under questionable circumstances, which result in increased debt and higher costs for the residents of Pennsylvania and those traveling within and through the state.”
Thompson then urged LaHood to reject the application, citing the two previous rejections, and to use his discretion as Secretary to deny any further applications.
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The Congressional Rural Caucus requested the meeting with the FCC Chairman because of the expressed concerns in a June 26th letter to the FCC regarding the creation of a National Broadband Plan. The commission had been tasked with creating the plan through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by February 17, 2010. The plan is to propose how to ensure every American has access to broadband.
“Pennsylvania’s 5th Congressional district is the most rural in the Commonwealth and just larger than the state of New Jersey,” Thompson told the Chairman. “There is much of my district where connectivity is limited—to say the least. The lack of broadband access for private and public sectors has far reaching consequences. It limits our opportunities for employment, reduces our quality of life, and stifles our potential for economic development.”
“New technologies in electronic medical records have the potential to make specialized medical care needs in rural America more accessible, regardless of geographical location, but these areas need to be wired first” added Thompson, a 28-year health care professional.
The June 26th letter to the FCC states “that basic broadband service is no longer a luxury, but a necessity and a national broadband plan should reflect this transformation is as fundamentally important as electricity and water.”
The Chairman told the Congressional Rural Caucus that he very much compares the need for broadband deployment to the electrification of America and that the FCC will continue outreach with the Caucus and its members as the National Broadband Plan is implemented over the coming months.
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The U.S. Forest Service has expressed their willingness to meet and discuss the TEIS with members of the public in private. There are three alternatives being considered by the Forest Service in the scoping process for oil and gas drilling on the Allegheny National Forest. The Forest Service staff announced they would hold individual meetings from Dec. 14th to the 17th for anyone interested in discussing the preliminary alternatives.
“Because the ANF plays such a pivotal role in Northwest Pennsylvania, I must ask that the Forest Service not abandon its policy of open, public meetings at this critical juncture and I make this request for several reasons,” wrote Thompson.
“The first is that while one-on-one meetings may be effective in communicating the Forest Service positions, it deprives the rest of the public the opportunity to hear your responses, along with the opportunity to learn the feelings and opinions of their fellow citizens. In this instance, public meetings are not simply about communicating data; they are also critical for giving people the opportunity to feel that their concerns are being heard, and that not only the Forest Service but the entire community has an opportunity to listen.”
“Second, the access of the media to public meetings is a critical and essential part of our history and its importance should not be underestimated,” Thompson wrote.
He also cited concerns from constituents who would like the policy of open meetings to continue, and concerns that public perception of additional changes in policy regarding the ANF without public meetings would be a negative one.
“As you well know, a growing number of the ANF community are already questioning U.S. Forest Service priorities and policy changes and feel that the Federal Government has breached its eight-decade-old agreement regarding timber harvesting and access to privately owned oil and gas resources. The lack of public meetings will only fuel these suspicions and I feel it is important that we do everything in our power, as government officials, to see that people have a transparent government with no hint of exclusivity or the blessing of predetermined policy decisions,” Thompson concluded.
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]]>“There are a trillion dollars of taxpayer funds out there, that have not helped the employment situation, but have contributed to massive debt our children and grandchildren will have to bear,” said Thompson. “I would like to see some accountability, especially when the unemployment numbers continue to rise.”
Thompson, who is a member of the Education and Labor Committee, joined all 19 Republican members of the Committee in sending the letter to Miller. The letter reads:
“This February, when the national unemployment rate was 7.6 percent, Congressional Democrats passed President Obama’s $787 billion stimulus plan. At that time, Administration officials promised the President’s stimulus bill would prevent unemployment from rising above 8 percent. Instead, just nine months later, the Department of Labor reports that unemployment has jumped to 10.2 percent and more than 2.8 million American jobs have been lost. Clearly something went wrong.”
The members also point to the list of jobs “created or saved” by the stimulus and calls into question the many errors on Recovery.gov, the Administration’s stimulus website that includes jobs attributed to Congressional Districts that do not exist.
Despite rising unemployment numbers and questionable accounting, the Secretary of Labor has not been before the House Education and Labor Committee since her confirmation in February 2009. “The Committee is tasked with oversight of the Department of Labor and we think some explaining is long overdue” said Thompson regarding the letter.
The letter concludes:
“Majority Leader Hoyer announced earlier this week that Democrats plan to move another stimulus bill through Congress by year’s end. Before another taxpayer dollar is spent, Congress must demand accountability for the failure of the $787 billion already appropriated under the Obama stimulus plan to stem the tide of rising unemployment.”
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Representatives Thompson, Kathy Dahlkemper, Paul Kanjorski and Chris Carney on November 3rd invited Administrator Mendez to meet with the delegation to explain the complicated process of evaluating the Turnpike’s application. The FHWA has turned down the state’s two previous applications.
The letter of invitation was sent to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who then asked Administrator Mendez to respond to the representatives.
“While we have been very public in our opposition to tolling Interstate 80, given the precedent setting nature of Pennsylvania’s proposal, we respectfully request that your key policy advisors and counsel be made available for a bipartisan briefing of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation on the process the Federal Highway Administration’s Tolling and Pricing team will use to determine the validity of the PTC/PennDOT application for tolling,” the letter reads.
Seven members of the 19-member delegation attended the meeting. They were Representatives Thompson, Dahlkemper, Kanjorski, Carney, Jim Gerlach, Bob Brady and Bill Shuster. Mendez told the group:
“We are not predisposed to one decision over another. Our intent is to follow the law the U.S. Congress put in front of us.”
The Administrator was asked if he had a timetable for a decision, he responded: “We don’t have a projected time frame. We must meet the intent of the law and the details. I have instructed our teams to expedite but to be deliberate. Don’t push too quickly and get the wrong answer.”
One of Mendez’s policy advisors explained that the application must show that “the only way the state could reconstruct or rehabilitate was through tolling.”
Kanjorski told Mendez that he did not think the state had exhausted all other possibilities.
Thompson will be keeping an open dialogue with the FHWA as this process moves forward. “Today’s meeting has only cracked the surface of this debate,” said Thompson.
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In preparation for the 2010 Decennial Census, the Bureau will be hiring as many as one million people across the country. Primary recruiting for census workers will take place throughout the fall and winter of 2009 with the bulk of hiring to occur in the spring of 2010.
“The Census Bureau is in need of competent and dedicated workers to carry out a successful count. Much is at stake in the 2010 Census. The only way that our communities can get our fair share of federal funding for the next decade is to have full participation in the 2010 Census. Please contact the Bureau if you are interested in applying for one of their positions,” said Thompson.
Available positions include census takers who conduct personal interviews with respondents in their communities, crew leaders who train and supervise census takers, crew leader assistants, census clerks who perform administrative duties in local census offices and recruiting assistants who help spread the word in their communities about employment opportunities.
For most positions, hours vary and do not exceed 40 hours per week. However, working evenings and weekends may be required. Employment with the Bureau usually lasts five to 10 weeks.
For more information and to apply for a position, please call the Census Bureau’s toll-free Jobs Hotline at 1-866-861-2010. Additional information also can be found at http://2010censusjobs.gov.
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"As I read through the measure, which I promised to do - all 2,000-plus pages of it, I became increasingly disturbed by the level of control this measure will put in the hands of a new federal Health Choices Commissioner," said Thompson.
"I came to Washington to help address some of our health care problems and I believe that any changes should include better access, affordability, quality and patient choice. As a health care professional for almost 30 years, as I read through this bill, my conclusion was that the Pelosi bill actually made each of those things worse instead of better.
"This bill costs $1.3 trillion and imposes taxes on small businesses and individuals. It taxes medical equipment like wheelchairs, it cuts Medicare by some $500 billion and shifts many new people onto Medicaid rolls at a huge cost to state budgets," Thompson said.
"There is a section of the bill that addresses people most at-risk because they have pre-existing conditions. Section 101 of the bill establishes a $5 billion subsidy to help those who have a hard time qualifying for insurance. But when you read further in the bill you find out that the Secretary of Health and Human Services has the right to increase premiums on these people, decrease benefits and create waiting lists if there isn't enough money to cover everything. That sounds like rationing to me," Thompson said.
Another subject in the bill that doesn't work is SCHIP the State Children's Health Insurance Program that was modeled after Pennsylvania's Children's Health Insurance Program. The SCHIP measure passed the Congress and was signed into law in February by President Obama. Thompson voted for the measure. The Pelosi bill wipes out the Children's Health Insurance Program.
"What I don't understand is the Democrat leadership under Nancy Pelosi pushed SCHIP reauthorization in January. Yet with this vote the House is going to scrap the program to the detriment of Pennsylvania's most needy children. How is this better than the existing program?" Thompson asked.
"The measure I supported would have addressed medical liability tort reform, allowed small businesses that it would not kill jobs while it made healthcare more affordable," Thompson said. "The Congressional Budget Office looked at the bill I supported and wrote that it will lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses. But the majority voted it down by a vote of 258 to 176."
The amendment that would prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions passed by a vote of 240 to 194.
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“The American people are hurting, and you can hardly talk to anyone who doesn’t have a relative or friend out of work. We haven’t seen a level of unemployment like this since April of 1983,” Thompson explained. “More than 190,000 Americans lost their jobs in October."
Tomorrow the House of Representatives will vote on the Pelosi Health Care bill, which raises $150 billion in taxes from small businesses. It is small businesses who generate the majority of new jobs in this country and employ just over half of all private sector employees.
More than 2.8 million jobs have been lost since the stimulus was signed by the President. “I disagreed with the stimulus at the time it was passed and believed that the alternative economic recovery plan would have created twice the jobs at half the costs of the plan that passed,” Thompson said.
“I believe the majority is preparing to make another huge mistake. This bill is 2,000+ pages of tax hikes, red tape, and federal mandates,” said Thompson. “The $1.3 trillion measure is a stunning federal power grab – granting a new breed of federal super-bureaucrat the authority to reshape our health care system from the inside out. The new federal Health Choices Commissioner will have some 67 new authorities including: Assessing civil money penalties against QHBPs (qualified health benefit plans) for violating federal requirements, and suspending enrollment of individuals enrolled in QHBPs that violate federal requirements. Everyone must have exactly the same health care plan whether it is what you want or not.”
“This time around, I am again supporting an alternative measure. The Congressional Budget Office has looked at the bill I support and written that it will lower premiums by up to 10 percent and reduce the deficit by $68 billion over 10 years without imposing tax increases on families and small businesses. It addresses medical liability tort reform, allows small businesses to pool together to offer health care at lower prices and establishes Universal Access Programs to guarantee access to affordable care for those with pre-existing conditions. Perhaps its biggest asset is that it does not kill jobs while it is making healthcare more affordable,” Thompson said.
Thompson concluded, “At last count there were 79 Democrats still said to be in opposition to this bill. It will be interesting to see if backroom deals are cut overnight.”
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