Senator Obama directly sponsored 2 bills and co-sponsored 4 others directly related to helping the victims of Hurricane Katrina (and in some instances Hurricane Rita, as well). Here those bills are: 1) Hurricane Katrina recovery (2319), sponsor OBAMA, introduced Feb 16, 2006. Link Brief Summary: Created an officer to make certain that funds for Hurricane Katrina recovery activities were spent efficiently and effectively. Establishes a National Family Locator System and ensures that each state's homeland security plan provides information regarding evacuating individuals with special needs. Directs: (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a volunteer corps to provide an adequate supply of health professionals in an emergency; and (2) the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a database of health professionals to increase preparedness for federal emergencies. Requires the HHS Secretary to make grants: (1) for constructing, modernizing, or repairing health facilities damaged by Hurricane Katrina; and (2) to assist individuals and specified entities in communities in affected areas that disproportionately experience health disparities. Authorizes appropriations for disaster relief in Katrina-affected areas through community development assistance programs. Authorizes the appropriate federal banking agency and the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) to forbear from taking any action otherwise required with respect to certain undercapitalized insured depository institutions or credit unions that are not significantly or critically undercapitalized and whose capital or net worth were reduced as a direct result of Hurricane Katrina. Establishes a goal that procurement recovery at least 30% of contracts be awarded to local businesses in Katrina-affected areas for 2006-2007, and at least 40% of the workers performing the recovery work be local residents. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to reduce the income threshold, and increase the percentage of earned income, used to calculate the refundable portion of the child tax credit. Allows certain taxpayers who maintained a primary residence in Alabama, Louisiana, or Mississippi an increase in the refundable portion of the child tax credit. Link Full text of the bill:
Link
Unfortunately, for those suffering in the aftermath of Katrina, this ball was not passed into law.
2. Emergency Relief (S1637)
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-1637
Emergency relief--
This bill (9/8/05) was sponsored by Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senator Obama was one of the bill's co-sponsors.
This is another very good bill that did not pass into law.
Condensed Summary: Temporary Medicaid Disaster Relief Act of 2005 - Allows states to provide medical assistance to Hurricane Katrina survivors under a state Medicaid plan without regard to eligibility requirements.
Provides for grants to local educational agencies and states with a large influx of displaced students due to Hurricane Katrina.
Requires the Secretary of Education to: (1) authorize higher education institutions to waive federal financial aid requirements for students affected by Hurricane Katrina; and (2) make payments to institutions for financial aid for such students.
Helping to House the Victims of Hurricane Katrina Act of 2005 - Amends the United States Housing Act of 1937 to require the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to provide temporary rental assistance to individuals and families affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Hurricane Emergency Limitation on Payments (HELP) Act of 2005 - Prohibits certain penalties against a person affected by Hurricane Katrina for failing to make timely payments on a federal financial obligation. Allows the President to provide mortgage or rental payments to people affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to require the President to provide appropriate benefit assistance to any individual unemployed as a result of a major disaster.
Provides tax relief to taxpayers affected by Hurricane Katrina, including disregarding a specified period in determining the tax liability of such taxpayers and excluding certain withdrawals from retirement plans from gross income.
Hurricane Katrina Food Assistance Relief Act of 2005 - Amends the Food Stamp Act of 1977 to provide expedited and increased food stamp benefits for households in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Delays the changes to bankruptcy law for residents of a declared major disaster area in connection with Hurricane Katrina.
The last provision especially SHOULD have become law-- what were the nay-voters thinking?
Here is the full text of this law:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-1637
3. Bankruptcy relief and community protection (S 1647)
This very good bill, sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold, and 18 other Senators, including Senator Obama, also did not pass into law. This bill was proposed on September 8, 2005.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-1647
Here is the summary of this bill:
Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005 - Applies the provisions of federal bankruptcy law, as in effect on August 29, 2005, to any case commenced (except under chapter 12) during the 12-month period beginning on October 17, 2005, (the effective date of the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act of 2005 (BAPCPA)) by a debtor: (1) who on August 29, 2005, resided in any area declared by the President as a major disaster related to Hurricane Katrina; and (2) whose financial condition is materially adversely affected by such disaster.
Authorizes the bankruptcy court to extend statutory deadlines governing debtor's submission of specified financial documentation if the debtor's status as a victim of a natural disaster necessitates such extension.
Expands debtor's non-abusive monthly expenses to include actual reasonably necessary expenses incurred as a result of being a victim of a natural disaster.
States that if the debtor is a victim of a natural disaster: (1) the presumption of bankruptcy abuse is inapplicable; and (2) the court may not dismiss or convert the case for either an individual (Chapter 7) or a business debtor (Chapter 11).
Authorizes the court to grant an extension of time to comply with bankruptcy deadlines if it finds that: (1) it is warranted by a natural disaster in the case of a small business debtor; and (2) the debtor's status as a victim of a natural disaster necessitates such extension in the case of a chapter 13 debtor capable of making periodic payments.
Amends the federal judicial code to permit a case in bankruptcy to be commenced in the district court for the district in which a person who is the victim of a natural disaster resides.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-1647&tab=summary
Here is the full text of this bill:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-1647
4. Working family tax relief (S2257)—this excellent bill, sponsored by Senator Obama, and co-sponsored by 3 others Senators, also did not become law.
Here is the summary:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2257&tab=summary
Hurricane Katrina Working Family Tax Relief Act of 2006 - Increases the refundable portion of the child tax credit in 2006 and 2007 for taxpayers who had a primary residence in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area on August 28, 2005.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-2257
This bill makes such common sense that it is hard to believe that there were enough no votes to defeat its passage!
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-2257
5. Fair wages for recovery workers (S1749):
Senator Ted Kennedy sponsored this bill on 9/21/05; Senator Obama and 35 other Senators sponsored this excellent bill. Yet, it, too, did not pass into law.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-1749
Fair Wages for Hurricane Katrina Recovery Workers Act - Reinstates the application of the wage requirements of the Davis-Bacon Act to all federal contracts in counties affected by Hurricane Katrina, notwithstanding the President's proclamation dated September 8, 2005, or any other provision of law.
So—please make a note of it—enough Senators voted AGAINST this bill to allow contractors to pay people in the Hurricane hit areas less than a Fair Wage. How does that make sense?
This bill was necessary because our President issued a proclamation shortly after Katrina in which he decided he could arbitrarily rewrite existing legislation to allow contractors (often hired with no bid) to hire people in the Hurricane hit areas in violation of prior laws that required a fair wage be paid. This is yet another example of our current Imperial President and the fact that too many of our GOP Senators are rubber-stamping throwing Article I of our Constitution into the trash bin.
For more on our Constitution:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/kimberlyk/gG583x
For more on the lockstep GOP Senators:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/kimberlyk/gGx7XJ
Apparently, here is the President’s and the Senators’ no-vote logic--The area is economically ravaged—so let’s go in a pay people less than a fair wage and see what happens. It won’t help the economic situation much, but we will have one desperate labor force in the hardest hit areas. AARGH! That is stupid! ENOUGH OF SUCH NONSENSE!!!!!! WE NEED SENATOR OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE!
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=s109-1749
6. Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment. This bill also did not pass into law, even though it was sponsored by a Republican, co-sponsored by Senator Kennedy, Senator Obama and Senator Coleman (also a Republican).
Gulf Coast Recovery and Disaster Preparedness Act of 2005 - Establishes the Gulf Coast Recovery and Disaster Preparedness Agency for the efficient and effective use of federal resources relating to the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.
Prohibits the Agency Director and other executive agency heads, except for professional services or in other specified circumstances, from entering into a contract, or awarding a grant, to procure disaster recovery services in connection with reconstruction efforts, unless the contract or grant requires that workers affected by the two hurricanes compose at least 30% of the workforce involved, including those employed by any indirect recipient of such contract or grant fiunds.
Establishes within the Agency the Gulf Coast Revitalization Authority, which shall develop a comprehensive plan for rebuilding and improving the public infrastructure of the hurricane-affected Gulf Coast region.
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