A Letter and Attachment from Congressman Albio Sires re Health Care Reform

Dear Assemblyman Green,

As you are aware, on March 21, 2010 the US House of Representatives passed historic legislation H.R. 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. With the needs of the 13th Congressional District in mind, I was honored to be one of the 218 Members of Congress to help pass this piece of legislation in support of health care reform.

I have enclosed a press release that was issued from my office on March 22, 2010 on the passage of H.R. 3590.

If you should have any questions please feel free to contact Erica Daughtrey or Raul Morales Jr. in my Jersey City office at 201-222-2828.

Sincerely,

Albio Sires
Member of Congress

Press Release
Sires Makes a Historic Vite to Provide Affordable Health Care for New Jerseyans

This bill will provide health insurance coverage for 109,500 uninsured residents in the 13th District

Washington, D.C.- Today, Congressman Sires joined his colleagues in passing H.R. 3590 health care reform by a vote of 219-212 to provide quality affordable health care for Americans and control the long-term growth of health care costs. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that this legislation will expand health care coverage to 95 percent of all Americans, including an additional 32 million people, while reducing the deficit by $138 billion oer the next 10 years.

"Wth the needs of the 13th District in mind, I cast my vote in support of health care reform today," expressed Congressman Sires. "This bill would expand health care coverage to the 23 percent of individuals currently residing in my district without health insurance and improve the health coverage of the 326,000 residents currently covered, as well as protect 900 families in the 13th District from bankruptcy due to unaffordable health care."

This bill will:

- Immediately begin to hold insurance companies accountable by prohibiting them from dropping coverage when one gets sick and ban them from denying coverage to children with pre-existing condiions.

-Additonally, beginning this year, young adults will be able to remain on their parents' health policies until they turn 26 and Americans who are uninsured because of pre-existing conditions will be able to buy affordable coverage through a temporary high-risk pool.

-In the coming months, seniors will also see relief from high prescription prices with a $250 rebate for Medicare beneficiaries who hit the donut hole and preventative services and immunizations will be free under Medicare right away.

-Furthermore, once signed into law, small businesses that provide coverage to their employees will be eligible for a tax credit of up to 35 percent of premiums.

In the subsequent years further requirements will be placed on insurers to prohibit them from denying or cancelling coverage for any American based on their health status and bans will be place on annual and life-time limits.

Additionally, federal subsidies will be provided to low and middle class families to assist in purchasing health care;

-the Medicare Part D donut hole will be phased out over time;

-and a system of state-run health insurance exchanges will be created where individuals and small businesses can shop and compare prices and benefits of a variety of health care plans.

Finally, along with various investments in prevention, wellness, and the health care workforce, the solvency of Medicare will be extended by at least nine years, which will assist in improving the program for the more than 72,00 beneficiaries in the 13th District alone.

Rahway Action Meeting, March 31st, 7:30pm

A letter from Rahway citizens that I encourage my Rahway and Linden constituents in particular, to read and get involved with. Thanks.

Dear Assemblyman Green:

As you are aware the storm on Saturday, March 13, 2010, left a trail of damages to property throughout our state. Since Rahway is a river community the city was hard hit, especially those of us who are residents living along the South Branch of the Rahway River in the 4th Ward.

In the 4th Ward we have come to describe this storm as one of the worst in over a decade, almost reminiscent of the flooding in the days before the Levy was constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers over 30 years ago. We are extremely alarmed by the abnormal rush of 3 to 6 feet of water upon our streets and homes in the span of less than an hour, this coupled with the fact that a downed tree across East Lake Avenue left many homes without power for their sump pumps, lights, furnaces, and telephones and blocked the only possible escape route for many residents.

We are concerned that flood gates were erected across Hazelwood Avenue, concerned about the questionable condition of the pumping stations along the levy, concerned about the city's plan for safety and evacuation of the residents, and concerned about what financial assistance is available to the residents to recover their tremendous losses such as cars, furnaces, water heaters, appliances, furniture, and more. We have many questions and we want answers. Therefore, we are requesting your presence at an Action Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 31, 2010, at 7:30PM at Progressive Baptist Church, 1085 Main Street, Rahway, NJ.

We are sure you are aware that the residents of the 4th Ward have experienced repeated losses due to flooding that dates back more than fifty years. We feel it is about time that our government officials step up to the plate and put an end to this suffering and environmental injustice occurring in our community. Please give us confidence in your concern for your constituents by being present for this Action Meeting on March 31, 2010.

Yours truly,
John Drummer, Rahway resident
Jimmy Proctor, Progressive Baptist Church, Rahway NJ
Gwen T. Samuels, Rahway resident
On Behalf of the 4th Ward March 13, Committee

Census 2010 Awareness Push: Legislators in the 22nd District Announced Town Hall Meeting

Linden -- Democratic Legislators from New Jersey's 22nd District today announced that they will hold a town hall meeting on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 7 PM at the Rahway City Council Chambers to raise awareness of the national 2010 Census among their constituents. Senator Nicholas Scutari, Assemblywoman Linda Stender and Assemblyman Jerry Green stressed the importance of ensuring a precise count of residents both in the district and throughout the State as a whole.

"The need for an accurate count of the residents in our district and in our state has never been greater," Senator Scutari said. "It is imperative that New Jersey residents receive aid from all possible sources in these tough economic times. There are over 210 federal domestic assistance programs whose funding depends on the Census' ability to obtain an accurate count. Total participation is key to ensuring that residents receive our fair share of annual federal aid."

Some residents of New Jersey have in the past been unable or unwilling to participate in census activities. As a result some communities may not have been accurately counted in the past. Assemblyman Green stressed the importance of every household in the state participating in the census.

"People need to realize that we are in this together. The time has come for the residents in our district who are historically uncounted due to lack of participation in Census activities to take charge of their collective destinies," Green said. It is only fair to the residents of the 22nd District that they receive all possible benefit from federal stimulus monies that will be disbursed as a result of this Census. By standing up and being counted we will show that we will not remain silent on issues of great importance to our district and our State."

Assemblywoman Stender further underscored the importance of accurate counting for New Jersey residents in the Census and highlighted some key areas where federal funding is most needed.

"In 2008 over $20 billion was allocated to metropolitan areas for housing assitance," Stender said. "With roughly $400 billion in annual federal distributions for programs in the areas of housing, education, transportation, and health and senior services the importance of increased participation in this census cannot be overstated. I and my fellow legislators in the district see it as our personal mission to aid our constituents in every way to ensure that the much deserved and needed assistance is obtained."

Straightening Out this Freeholder Fiasco

I have been reading Dan Damon’s blog for the past couple of days, and the reason why I have not responded earlier was the fact I was meeting with local elected officials, community leaders, and county officials dealing with Rayland Van Blake and what is best for Plainfield. , making sure Plainfield has a representative for the Freeholder Board.

I would like to begin by telling those watching as this issue unfolds, that Dan Damon with his misinformation, did more harm to Rayland Van Blake, than anyone else. Three years ago when I supported Rayland for Freeholder, we went before the screening committee of Union County to get the endorsement to run on the Freeholder slate. Some local chairpersons voiced their concerns about him as a councilperson, but I reassured them that he had a lot of potential, and that by giving him a chance, he would gain their support as well as get the job done.

Some chairpersons and Freeholders felt that that was not the case. With that, there was the possibility that he would not receive that same support he did three years ago. I have met with elected officials within the City to bring this concern to their attention, as well as prepare to support another candidate if the City did not support Rayland. I would say 80% of the people I have talked to were more concerned with Plainfield having a candidate on the ballot this year. The only time the issue with Linden came up was when people felt that Plainfield could not come up with a solid candidate. The issue was that any disorganization on the slate could hurt the entire ticket.

So we all agreed on Linda Carter as an alternative. At no time did I or other leaders in the City of Plainfield, not stand up for the City. When the County agreed they could support Linda Carter, we all agreed so.

Unfortunately, the information the blogs have been receiving is not true. I made it clear to Rayland that if he could get a majority vote from the municipal chairs in Union County, then I would have no problem being the swing vote for him.

So today, I am calling all 20 chairs in support of Linda Carter being put on the County Democratic slate for Freeholder this year.