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July 12, 1999 Vol.1, No. 13 This Week in Washington…
Tanned, Rested, the Senate Tackles Managed Care - Or Not? Senate recess ends today with members returning for several days of debate on managed care reform. Democrats forced debate by stalling on the Agriculture Appropriations bill last month, but look for further procedural maneuvering. The Leadership will begin the discussion with the democratic version of the bill (S. 1344), but Senate procedure permits Majority Leader Lott to introduce the final amendment - likely to be the Republican version of the bill (S. 326) - thereby "erasing" the Democratic initiative. The two biggest issues of contention are the scope of each measure (S. 1344 covers nearly 161 million uninsured; S. 326 about 48 million) and whether patients can sue under state laws if they have been harmed when a plan denies coverage (S. 1344). A JCPA resolution passed last fall endorsed the concepts embodied in S. 1344 which ensures adequate, affordable, accessible health care coverage, consistent with JCPA's Health Care Principles. Foreign Relations in the House: The State Department Authorization bill (HR 1211) is likely to come to the House floor late this week which would represent enactment of the first Authorization bill in several years. The House Appropriations subcommittee on Foreign Operations is set to consider the bill that provides foreign aid funds for FY 2000 on Wednesday, and serious cuts may be necessary if the final version only includes the $10.4 billion initially suggested. The timing of the first state visit of Israeli PM Ehud Barak may have an interesting impact on these discussions. What Kind of Education Will ESAs Save? The House Ways and Means Committee will meet this week to consider a large tax cut proposal likely to include expansion of education savings accounts (ESAs) for use in elementary and secondary education at a cost of $4 billion over ten years. Tax subsidies will be of little assistance to the 90% of American children in public schools. A letter to Committee members circulated by the National Coalition for Public Education and signed by the JCPA notes that subsidies do nothing to address the critical problems facing public education today, but will instead help wealthier families defray the costs of private school tuition. A Busy White House: Many of the issues near and dear to the JCPA will be the focus of activity in and around the White House this week. Meetings today include discussion of the Hate Crimes Protection Act with Attorney General Janet Reno, as well as a bipartisan meeting with members of Congress to discuss the budget. The White House is also gearing up for its meetings later this week with Israel PM Ehud Barak. RLPA Is Coming! Sometime mid week, the full House is finally expected to consider the Religious Liberty Protection Act (HR 1691). Members of Congress received letters from the JCPA last week urging adoption of the legislation. This Week in New York…
Fifth Anniversary Marked: A rally commemorating the fifth anniversary of the still-unsolved bombing of the AMIA building in Buenos Aires will take place outside the Argentine Consulate in New York City on Monday, July 19th at 12 noon. The rally is sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, and all area CRCs are encouraged to participate.
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