Bill to Go to President Obama for Final Signature

Washington, DC – In an effort led by Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore), the House today passed a bill that would designate the U.S. Postal Service located at 630 Northeast Killingsworth Ave. in Northeast Portland as the “Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Post Office.” The bill was supported by every member of the Oregon delegation in both the House and the Senate.  

The bill is the result of a community effort led by local letter carriers Jamie Partridge and Isham Harris. In 2007, Mr. Partridge and Mr. Harris collected employee signatures supporting the renaming, as well as letters of support from the Piedmont and Concordia Neighborhood Associations, and the Sabin Community Association. 

Following is a statement from Congressman Blumenauer:

“I am proud to send this bill to President Obama on behalf of Isham Harris and Jamie Partridge, two dedicated Portland carriers who spearheaded this effort. Naming the post office after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will serve as a daily reminder of his work and the work that continues to make America a more just nation. For me, it is an honor to finish the grassroots effort that began two years ago and send this legislation to the President.”

Congressman Blumenauer and Jin Zidell, author and founder of the Blue Planet Run Project, visited area schools to discuss the importance of providing clean drinking water throughout the world. Congressman Blumenauer introduced the Senator Paul Simon Water for the World Act , legislation that would help provide up to 100 million people with clean drinking water by 2015, earlier this year.

Congressman Blumenauer and Mr. Zidell answer questions at Sunnyside Environmental Middle School

We owe much to our veterans for their sacrifices, and on this Veterans Day I want to recognize them for their dedication to our nation. This Congress has taken important strides on behalf of our past and present service members, from expanding funding for veterans education and medical benefits to providing compensation for the hardship of stop-loss orders. To learn more, visit my veterans’ e-newsletter .

Following is a statement from Rep. Blumenauer:

"Tonight I voted for every Oregonian who has faced bankruptcy when they've lost their care or has been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Tonight, I voted to protect every Oregonian who has health insurance but sees their costs rising every year.

"Passage of the Affordable Health Care for America Act marks the most important single step in 100 years in addressing the health care needs of American families.  For the first time, the US government has dealt comprehensively with the entire health care system.  

"I'm pleased we were successful in the incorporation of major reforms, improving care for all Americans while strengthening the position of Oregon medical care providers.

"This critical milestone, while historic, signals more hard work ahead to get the bill to the President's desk.  I will work to strengthen the reforms while fighting to lower costs to make health care more affordable for families and the federal treasury.

"We must then be prepared to keep working to implement this sweeping change.  But tonight we should all pause to celebrate this moment in history."

Visit Rep. Blumenauer's website for more information on the Affordable Health Care for Americans Act.

Will Vote Against Amendment to Ban Abortion Coverage in Health Care Exchange

Bill Helps High Schoolers Bike and Walk Safely to School

Washington, DC – Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) today introduced the Safe Routes to High Schools Act, H.R. 4021, which would expand the popular Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) program to include high schools.  SRTS works with parents, schools, community leaders and local, state, and federal governments to improve kids’ health by enabling them to walk and bike to class. Projects aim to improve safety, reduce traffic and air pollution and encourage active ways of getting to school by implementing education programs, small scale infrastructure projects – such as bike lanes, sidewalks, cross walks, and bike racks – and other programs to make biking and walking to school safer, easier and more accessible for students.

“We develop our exercise habits at an early age,” said Congressman Blumenauer. “Of any group, high school students suffer the highest rates of obesity. By taking simple steps to encourage biking and walking to school, we help foster lifelong healthy habits. The Safe Routes to Schools program has proven successful, and by extending it to high schools we can encourage adolescents to begin and maintain physically active habits. At a time when people are working to save where they can, improving community livability gives a boost to kids’ heart rates and parents’ budgets.”

The Safe Routes to Schools program has over 4,500 programs across the country, despite not currently including high schools. High school students represent a population most likely to suffer from high rates of obesity and also most in need of flexible, independent, and low-cost transportation choices, especially in troubling economic times.

Obesity rates for children between the ages of 12 and 19 have more than tripled in the past fifteen years, with 17.6% of high school age children now classified as obese. This has a profound impact on the long term health of our nation, as 80% of obese children become obese adults, putting them at a higher risk for diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and other chronic health conditions, and placing an increased long-term burden on our healthcare system.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that children be active for at least 60 minutes five times a week, but statistics show that activity levels drop rapidly as students head into their high school years. Increasing opportunities for adolescents to be physically active will help combat the rise in teenage obesity.

 ###

Media Contact: Erin Allweiss
202-225-4813 Office
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The language unveiled today is a combination of three House bills passed by the Education and Labor Committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee, on which Blumenauer serves.

Following is a statement from Rep. Blumenauer:

“In Oregon, where 270 people lose their health care every day, inaction on health insurance reform has never been an option. Today we have laid the foundation for serious and necessary change. This bill will not only cover those without insurance, but it will lead to better, more affordable care for all Americans. After years of hard work, we have a health care bill that is stronger than I anticipated, and I will do all I can to keep it intact as we go through the legislative dance of negotiating with the Senate.”

Facts on the Affordable Health Care for America Act

-    Addresses Medicare geographic inequities  - an issue Blumenauer has been leading the charge on to make sure that states providing high quality, efficient care are not penalized.  The health insurance reform bill will establish two studies to be conducted by the independent and respected Institute of Medicine, to improve geographic inequities and improve quality care. The recommendations from both studies are schedule to be implemented prior to 2013, when enrollment for the public plan begins. The first study will evaluate and make necessary corrections to the current geographic adjustments to physician payments.  The second study will provide recommendations on changing the Medicare payment system to reward efficient delivery of high quality, evidence–based, patient centered care. 

-    Advance Care Planning  – this Blumenauer provision will help families better prepare and understand their loved ones’ preferences for end of life care so they are not confronted with these difficult medical decisions in the midst of an emergency. The provision extends Medicare coverage to cover the cost of patients voluntarily speaking with their doctors about their values and preferences regarding end-of-life care.

-    New Health Insurance Exchange (starting in 2013) - creates a transparent and functional marketplace for individuals and small employers to comparison shop among private and public insurers, including new health insurance co-ops.

-    A Public Option - This will be one of the many choices of health insurance within the Health Insurance Exchange, and it will be a new choice – operating on a level playing field – that is subject to the same reforms and protections as other private plans.

-    Meets President Obama’s cost test of $900 billion for coverage - the legislation’s coverage cost will be $894 billion over 10 years, fully paid for.

-    Cuts the deficit - the legislation cuts the deficit by about $30 billion in the first ten-years (2010 – 2019).   CBO has indicated that in the period of 2016-2019, savings and revenues will grow significantly faster than coverage costs. 

-    Reins in wasteful Medicare costs while improving benefits for seniors - the legislation reduces annual growth in Medicare expenditures by 1.3 percentage points per year.

-    Expands health coverage - the legislation expands health insurance coverage to 36 million Americans, which helps guarantee that 96 percent of Americans will be covered.

Bill Summary

See side-by-side comparison on changes from HR 3200.

Read the full text of the Affordable Health Care for America Act

Information on Oregon Health Care Needs

Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore) and other members of the Quality Care Coalition announced an agreement that will address Medicare geographic inequities as part of insurance reform. Blumenauer has been leading the charge to make sure that states providing high quality, efficient care are not penalized.  This includes Portland, Oregon where – according to the latest figures – federal spending for a Medicare enrollee averages $7,000, while an enrollee in Miami, Florida averages $17,000.