News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel, House Dems Fight Back Against DHS Separating Families at the Border

  Congressman Eliot Engel today joined Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal and 106 of his Democratic colleagues in urging the Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to restrict the Department of Homeland Security’s ability to separate families at the border.

The letter urges appropriators to make it clear that no funds for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security may be used to support family separation as a means of deterring future migration. The letter also urges appropriators to restore funding for the Family Case Management Program that provided asylum-seeking parents and their children with legal counsel and connected them to community resources. The letter can be found here.

“These families come to the U.S. seeking refuge, often from violence and environmental disaster in their home countries,” Engel said. “Tearing families apart is cruel, unnecessary, and contradicts the most basic American values. If the Administration won’t do the right thing, then Congress must act to force their hand. Our country is better than this.”

Engel Votes NO on Latest Trump Cuts

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel voted against H.R. 3, a bill to cancel federal spending already approved by Congress.

The bill contains approximately $15 billion in cuts, proposed by the Trump Administration, targeting the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), flood prevention measures, clean energy investments, intercity passenger rail improvements, and other federal supports.

“The same Republican Congress that exploded the deficit with their tax scam just months ago is now willing to sacrifice critical supports for working families, continuing to stack the deck for the wealthy and well-connected against American families who play by the rules,” Engel said. “Children will be among the victims of this political gambit, as H.R. 3 cuts the CHIP contingency fund by almost 80 percent. This fund exists to ensure states can care for children if an unexpected event, like a natural disaster, causes a spike in CHIP enrollment. It also makes damaging cuts to programs that improve our infrastructure, protect our communities, and prepare our economy for the future.

“These cuts are short-sighted and cruel, and their intent is utterly transparent. If Republicans are so concerned about the state of federal spending, perhaps they shouldn’t have blown a trillion-dollar hole in the deficit with the GOP tax scam. I voted No on that irresponsible bill, and I voted No on this one.”

ENGEL STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S G7 RUSSIA COMMENTS

“The United States helped establish and lead the G7 in pursuit of a peaceful and prosperous world. While the other G7 democracies continue to uphold those values, President Trump has isolated the United States, weakened American influence, and alienated our closest allies. So it’s hardly a surprise he’s now looking to the leader he seems to admire most: Vladimir Putin. One of the priorities for the G7 is addressing foreign interference in elections. While Russia may have ‘unique expertise’ in this area, Moscow’s aims don’t align with those of the G7 democracies.

“The G8 became the G7 precisely because of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and the war Russia is waging in eastern Ukraine. Since then, Putin has pressed ahead with his destructive efforts to undermine western unity. With Donald Trump’s reckless trade policy and affinity for Moscow, the American President sadly appears to be Mr. Putin’s willing partner.”

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

ENGEL STATEMENT ON TILLERSON’S RUSSIA COMMENTS

   Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement regarding Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s comments that stopping Russia’s meddling in the 2018 election will be “very difficult”:

“It boggles my mind to hear Secretary Tillerson say it’s ‘very difficult’ to prevent another attack on our democracy when, after more than a year, this Administration hasn’t even tried. Congress overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan sanctions bill giving the Trump White House strong tools to punish those responsible for meddling in our 2016 election. Those tools have sat on the shelf. The utter failure to hold Russia accountable almost suggests that this Administration would be fine with Russian interference in the upcoming election. I’m not fine with it, and the American people aren’t fine with it. If President Trump won’t act, it falls to Congress to take responsibility and protect our democracy.”

Engel Speaks Out, Votes Against Anti-Consumer Menu Labeling Bill

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today offered the following remarks on the House Floor in opposition to H.R. 772, the deceptively titled “Common Sense Nutrition Disclosure Act”, a bill that sounds like it would serve the people but in actuality works against the interest of consumers:

“I rise in opposition to this bill.

“In today’s world, when technology allows us to constantly be logged into the workplace, it is understandable that Americans often find themselves seeking more convenient meals outside the home. But dining out shouldn’t mean sacrificing nutrition. I believe Americans should have all the tools necessary to make informed choices about what they eat, and what they feed their families.

“Menu labeling gives Americans those tools, and we’ve been making progress towards more transparent labeling for consumers. This bill, H.R. 772, would undo that progress. It delays much needed transparency and will cause confusion for both consumers and businesses, many of which have already started implementing existing menu labeling requirements. Let’s not turn back the clock.

“Menu labeling is both a vital public health tool and an important consumer protection. I urge my colleagues to vote NO, and I yield back the balance of my time.”

Congressman Engel later voted NO on the bill.

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel: GOP Tax Plan a Scam, Disastrous for New Yorkers

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on the House’s passage of H.R. 1, the Republican overhaul of the tax code:

“This morning, I took to the House floor to once again raise my strong objection to the disastrous tax reform package the GOP has been pushing. In my remarks, I mentioned how someone near and dear to me once said the Republican Party is the party of rich men and women, and the Democratic Party is the party of working men and women. Nothing proves that more than this tax bill scam today.

“The tax bill the GOP just passed, without a single Democratic vote, is one of the worst bills I have ever seen brought to the floor of the House. It raises taxes on millions of middle-class families, eliminates key deductions for state and local income and sales tax, and adds trillions to the debt. All this to give tax cuts to America’s wealthiest families and corporations. This bill will also decimate Medicaid and Medicare, which in turn will create new deficits for these programs, leading to more calls from the right for their privatization.

“New York already sends more money to Washington than it gets back. Residents in New York rely heavily on state and local income and sales tax deductions to level the playing field and provide extra tax relief. These deductions don’t just help the wealthy—they allow folks in the middle class to reduce their tax burden, own homes, and increase their purchasing power. But, if this tax plan becomes law, those deductions would either be eliminated completely or heavily reduced, and New Yorkers would be devastated.

“In addition, the process by which this bill was written was just as disappointing as the final product. House Republicans once again took to writing a huge piece of legislation behind closed doors, without any input from Democrats. And considering what this bill will do to explode the deficit, I’m not sure how any House Republican who voted in favor if it can call themselves ‘fiscally responsible.’

“Thanks to this bill, the middle-class will be directly paying for an upper-class and big corporation tax cut. No fair minded elected official could support that. Hopefully the Senate will scrap this disaster so we can go back to the drawing board and write a bill that treats middle-class taxpayers fairly.”

Engel, Energy & Commerce Dems Call for FCC to Reconsider Proposed Changes to Lifeline Program

   Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, joined 22 of Energy and Commerce Democratic colleagues on Wednesday in writing to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai asking that he reconsider proposed changes to the Lifeline program.

The FCC is scheduled to consider proposed changes which would risk cutting off over 7 million Americans from accessing a mobile connection and prevent nearly three-quarters of the Lifeline program’s current providers from participating.

“This is a vital program that millions of Americans rely on for mobile connections,” Engel said. “Lifeline isn’t just some moniker. The individuals who utilize this program truly view it as critical to their way of life. House Energy and Commerce Dems understand this, which is why we are taking action to urge Chairman Pai to maintain the Lifeline program as it currently stands.”

The letter was cosigned by Congresswoman Matsui, in addition to Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Representatives Mike Doyle (D-PA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Eliot Engel (D-NY), Gene Green (D-TX), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), G.K. Butterfield (D-NC), Kathy Castor (D-FL), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Yvette Clarke (D-NY), David Loebsack (D-IA), Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Joseph Kennedy, III (D-MA), Tony Cárdenas (D-CA), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), and Debbie Dingell (D-MI).

The full text of the letter can be found below and a PDF copy can be found here.

November 15, 2017

The Honorable Ajit V. Pai

Chairman

Federal Communications Commission

445 12th Street SW

Washington, DC 20554

Dear Chairman Pai:

        

   Now more than ever, the wake of this year’s natural disasters has shown the critical importance that a mobile connection – a literal lifeline – can play in getting Americans back on their feet. We are concerned that proposed changes to the Lifeline program could potentially strand millions of struggling families with no way to connect. With that in mind, we ask that you reconsider these proposals and instead focus the Commission’s efforts on ways to help these Americans now, when they need it most.

Even when it is not an emergency, the FCC’s Lifeline program is essential every day for millions of Americans who need it to find work, to manage their health, to do their homework, to interact with government, or to simply stay connected with their families. First established in 1985, members of the Reagan Administration noted the goal of the program was not to increase telephone penetration. The aim of both Congress and the Administration was to help low-income Americans through difficult times in their lives. Today, Lifeline remains the only program targeted towards making communications services most affordable for these families, and it has become part of this century’s safety net. 

We therefore urge you to consider this history and Congressional direction of the Lifeline program. We are concerned that these proposals would have the effect of converting the only means-tested program that helps low income Americans afford phone service into a duplicative version of existing FCC deployment programs. As you know, non-facilities based providers make up nearly 70 percent of the program.

Without those carriers, over 7.3 million Americans would be simply cut off. Importantly, this risks growing the digital divide and decreasing both access and affordability of these services. Nearly three quarters of the customers who already depend on the program rely on these carriers for their mobile connection.

We are also concerned by the proposal to overturn recent safeguards imposed on the program in favor of an arbitrary cap, despite expert testimony before our committee that has demonstrated that a cap is not an effective mechanism to achieve the goal of curbing any waste, fraud, and abuse that exists in the program.  Instead, recently adopted safeguards are more likely to be effective without penalizing otherwise qualified recipients. For example, an arbitrary cap would eliminate the safeguards that ensure those living in veterans’ homes, women’s shelters, or group homes can enroll in the program.

Congress has specifically rejected efforts to cap or end Lifeline’s current structure multiple times. Last Congress, the House carefully considered three bills that closely match your proposals—H.R. 4884, H.R. 266, and H.R. 5525.  Yet, after being considered before either the House Energy and Commerce Committee or the broader House of Representatives, Congress instead chose to not move forward with these measures in favor of the FCC’s existing steps to better oversee the program. We urge you to uphold that congressional policy choice.

The National Verifier has the potential to be the Commission’s most important tool towards reducing waste, fraud, and abuse in the program. The 2016 Lifeline Order establishes a minimum benchmark of 25 states or territories by December 2018 and full implementation a year after that. The National Verifier will further improve the program’s integrity as well as our shared goal of ensuring Lifeline is an efficient, effective, and fiscally responsible program. Indeed, the Government Accountability Office testified the National Verifier will resolve most remaining issues. We therefore ask that the Commission fully implement and evaluate the 2016 reforms to the program, including the creation of the National Verifier, before taking further action.

           

Finally, it is regrettable that you did not mention these proposals at the October 25 Oversight Hearing before this Committee despite several questions about the Lifeline program. Public confidence requires transparency between this committee and those it oversees, yet you chose to avoid telling us that you planned to release this proposal within hours after the hearing concluded, leaving the impression that you are trying to evade congressional oversight. To restore public trust and allow Congress to exercise its oversight responsibility, we therefore ask that you do not take any final actions on your plan—on tribal lands or anywhere in the country—until you have another opportunity to testify before our committee on the impacts of this proposal.

For these reasons, we urge the FCC to immediately reconsider its proposal to set aside the Lifeline program as appropriate under the law.

News From Congressman Eliot L. Enge

Engel Leads NY Delegation Letter to Speaker Ryan Calling for Support of Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, led the New York Delegation Democrats in a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan calling on him to establish a Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention.

“The victims and families of the most recent mass shooting in Las Vegas deserve more than our thoughts and prayers,” said Congressman Engel. “They deserve to live in a country that is free from gun violence. There have been more mass shootings than there have been days so far in 2017, yet Republicans in Congress refuse to respond. Congress has a duty to protect the lives of Americans. Today, I’m joining all the Democrats in the New York Delegation to call on Speaker Ryan to address this crisis.”

All 18 House Democrats from New York signed the letter. A copy of the letter is attached and full text can be found below:

October 5, 2017

The Honorable Paul Ryan

Speaker of the House

H-232, United States Capitol

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Speaker Ryan,

As members of the New York State delegation, we write to express our dismay at the unrelenting episodes of gun violence that continue to plague our nation. It is long past time that we, as elected representatives of the people, put aside special interests and take affirmative steps to protect our fellow citizens from becoming the next victims of this ongoing tale of American heartbreak. 

This weekend in Las Vegas, one man ended the lives of at least 59 people and injured another 527. This horrific act broke the record for deadliest mass shooting in our country’s history, a record that was previously set less than a year and a half ago in Orlando. Once again, families have lost loved ones and those that were injured will face a lifetime of challenges.

In the wake of yet another deadly mass shooting, Congress must not abdicate its duty to protect and defend the American people. On average 90 Americans lose their lives to gun violence every day and another 151 are treated for a gun assault in an emergency room. In 2016, guns were responsible for 371 homicides and over 10,000 violent crimes in New York.

New York has some of the strongest gun laws in the nation. But gun violence still threatens the safety of our communities and law enforcement because of easy access to firearms in states with weaker gun laws. This is an epidemic that we must address as a nation.

The debate over gun control is polarizing, but it is both possible and necessary to craft safety measures that reduce gun deaths while respecting the Second Amendment.  A sensible first step towards that end is to consider and pass Representative Mike Thompson’s resolution establishing a Select Committee on Gun Violence (H. Res. 367). This resolution would establish a bipartisan Select Committee to investigate and report on the causes of mass shootings, methods to improve background checks on firearm purchases, connections between access to firearms and dangerously mentally ill individuals, federal penalties for the trafficking of firearms, loopholes that allow domestic abusers to access firearms, links between firearms and suicide, the effects of gun violence on public health, the correlation between state gun violence prevention laws and the incidence of gun violence, the importance of accurate information on gun violence, the implementation of gun violence prevention laws, and the rates of gun violence in large metropolitan areas.

As Members of Congress, we are obligated to investigate and debate the challenges that our country faces, no matter how controversial. After hundreds of thousands of gun deaths in this country, it is time to act.

Sincerely,

Eliot L. Engel

Joe Crowley

Brian Higgins

Gregory Meeks

Hakeem Jeffries

Yvette Clarke

Nita Lowey

Louise M. Slaughter

Jerrold Nadler

Carolyn B. Maloney

Adriano Espaillat

Thomas R. Suozzi

Nydia M. Velazquez

Grace Meng

Jose Serrano

Paul D. Tonko

Kathleen Rice

Sean Patrick Maloney

Members of Congress

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Engel Denounces Trump For Rolling Back Contraception Coverage

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel issued the following statement on President Trump’s decision to allow employers to omit coverage for contraception from their workers’ plans:

“The Affordable Care Act increased access to affordable birth control for millions of American women. Under the ACA, insurers are required to cover birth control at no cost. We cannot roll back this progress. But that’s exactly what President Trump’s shameful new interim final rule will do.

“This interim final rule gives bosses, health plans, and schools veto power over women's health care choices by refusing to cover birth control. Curtailing access to birth control means curtailing women's ability to control their own health and bodies. It also means jeopardizing their health and economic well being.

“House Republicans continually vote to ban abortion and defund Planned Parenthood, and today’s decision by the President is just another example of the GOP’s ongoing war on women.

“Women and couples use contraceptives to have healthier pregnancies, to plan their families, and to treat conditions like endometriosis. Birth control is health care. This rule is just the latest move by the Administration and Republican-controlled Congress to roll back health care—and my fellow Democrats and I are going to fight back.”

NEWS FROM Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Calls Senate Plans to Sidestep Regular Process for Trumpcare "Outrageous and Hypocritical”

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding Senate consideration of the American Health Care Act, known as Trumpcare:

“The policies included in Trumpcare are utterly devastating. But similarly unconscionable was the process by which House Republicans pushed this bill forward – a process that, stunningly, Senate Republicans appears poised to mirror.

“House Republicans passed Trumpcare without a single hearing, robbing Americans of the chance to hear testimony and analysis from expert witnesses. The bill bypassed every relevant subcommittee, moving straight to full Committee votes. And the final text was hidden from view until less than 24 hours before the House voted to pass it. That vote took place without an up-to-date readout from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office – i.e., without a complete understanding of what Trumpcare will cost and how it will affect our constituents.

“To call this process ‘opaque’ would be an understatement. And yet the Senate plans to retrench even further.

“Reports indicate that the Senate version of Trumpcare will sidestep Committee review altogether – a step even more egregious than House Republicans’ truncated Committee process. Instead, Senate Republicans have convened a working group that will conduct its business completely out of public view, and without a single woman or Democrat.

“This is as outrageous as it is hypocritical. For nearly a decade, Republicans have relentlessly castigated the process by which the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted. Yet, over the course of 2009 and 2010, the House alone held 79 bipartisan hearings and markups on health insurance reform. Just in the Energy and Commerce Committee, on which I serve, Democrats adopted 24 Republicans amendments to the ACA. In contrast, on their first failed attempt in March, House Republicans adopted zero Democratic amendments to Trumpcare during our Committee’s single, 27-hour marathon markup.

“I had hoped that Trumpcare’s initial failure in March may have given pause to my Republican colleagues, who could have worked openly with Democrats to improve the ACA and build on its progress. But it appears that the GOP isn’t ready to work with Democrats, or to work to protect the American people.”

 ROSENSTEIN SHOULD APPOINT SPECIAL PROSECUTOR & RECUSE HIMSELF, and Renews Call for Sessions Resignation

“Reporting today makes clear that Attorney General Sessions and Deputy Attorney General Rosenstein offered their ‘recommendations’ for FBI Director Comey's dismissal to give President Trump a modest cover, while in fact, the President’s anger underlay his outrageous decision to fire the person investigating him. This acquiescence at the highest level of the Justice Department shows a remarkable lack of integrity, judgment, and independence.

“I renew my call for AG Sessions, who gave false testimony in his confirmation hearing, to step down. I also urge Deputy AG Rosenstein to request that a three-judge panel appoint a special prosecutor and then recuse himself from any investigations dealing with the Trump Administration. Their jobs are to enforce our laws, not give the President cover, and their actions leave them compromised and entangled in the President's scandal. 

“Furthermore, the Senate should postpone confirming any new Justice Department officials until a special prosecutor and an independent commission are in place to investigate the Trump-Russia Scandal. The President must not be allowed to entrust this issue to a hand-picked Trump insider. This week has already shown that his Administration puts his personal interests ahead of the rule of law.”

Engel Statement on President Signing Executive Order to Investigate Electoral Process

“Since the election and even prior, the President has perpetuated this unsubstantiated myth about voter fraud. Now he’s taken this myth to the next level with an Executive Order that creates a commission to investigate the electoral process. This is just the latest diversionary tactic the White House has deployed to draw attention away from the Trump campaign’s ties to Russia, which is the real story that requires serious investigation.”

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Opening Statement During ACA Repeal Mark-Up

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, offered the following opening statement during today’s mark-up of the Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Below is the statement as prepared for three-minute delivery (Committee Republicans reduced Members' time allotment from three minutes to one minute): 

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

“I had the privilege of sitting on this Committee when we passed the Affordable Care Act. We had an ambitious goal: to afford the American people more affordable, higher quality health care. It was a long road. And I’m sure I’m not the only one of my colleagues to look back on our efforts and ask, ‘How did we do?’

“Well, just looking at my own district, I think the numbers speak for themselves. Just in NY-16, more than 100,000 people have gained coverage through the Marketplace or the Medicaid expansion. In fact, every single Congressional district’s uninsured rate has dropped since the ACA went into effect. That’s true for Democratic and Republican districts alike.

“I had hoped that stakes like these might give pause to Republicans. Or, at the very least, that they’d engage in a process that gave Americans a real opportunity to understand their proposals and what they mean.

“But here we are.

“Republicans had seven years to lay out their promised ‘better way.’ Yet they chose to shield their repeal bill from public view, until just 40 hours before pushing that bill forward. I said ‘I’d hoped’ Republicans wouldn’t do it this way. But really, I didn’t actually believe they’d do it this way.

“Like me, I think Republicans will look back on their work today and ask themselves, ‘How did we do?’ They gave Americans less than two days to evaluate a bill that will radically restructure the Medicaid program…shift trillions of dollars onto states, forcing them to ration care…and rip health coverage away from 30 million people.

“I think my Republican colleagues will also find that the numbers will speak for themselves.

Engel: GOP Not Waiting for CBO Score Shows Their Health Bill Won’t Work

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, offered the following statement during today’s mark-up of the Republican bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (as prepared for delivery):

“Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

“Republicans’ decision to charge ahead on this bill, less than two days after its introduction, is an affront to their constituents who are wondering how the bill would affect them. But it’s also an indication that they’re quite content to break one of the White House’s central promises: the promise to, quote, ‘come up with a new plan that's going to be better health care, for more people, at a lesser cost.’

“The mere fact that this markup is taking place shows that our Republican colleagues either aren’t concerned with providing health care for more people at a lesser cost, or they know they can’t do it. Why? Because the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has yet to determine how much this bill would cost, or how many Americans it would cover. Without that analysis, there is absolutely no reason to believe that this bill would achieve those goals. Because if it did, Republicans would have held this markup with a readout from CBO in-hand, ready and willing to show Americans how their repeal bill works for them.  

“Now, I’ve heard suggestions that CBO’s process is too lengthy, and that we can’t possibly wait to see a CBO analysis before moving forward.

Republicans have been promising a better way for seven years.

“I have never heard of a CBO analysis taking that long.

“If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle wish to move forward without knowing what their bill costs, or how many Americans it would cover, that is their prerogative. But perhaps it’s time to be upfront about it: they aren’t waiting for a CBO score, either because they aren’t concerned with giving better health care to more people at a lesser cost, or because they know that this bill can’t do it.

Local Advocates Rally Outside Rep. Engel’s Office to Say “Thank You” for Protecting Women’s Health

A group of local Planned Parenthood advocates rallied outside the Bronx district office of Congressman Eliot Engel on Tuesday to thank the Congressman for his continued efforts to protect and preserve women’s health and reproductive rights in Congress.

“I want to thank the individuals who came to my office yesterday sporting signs of support and encouragement—I am deeply humbled by the gesture” CongressmanEngel said. “The new Administration’s radical agenda has taken direct aim at women’s health, and in these uncertain times its more important than ever that we stand together to ensure our collective voices are heard. I find it ironic that as we celebrate International Women’s Day, during Women’s History Month, we are simultaneously watching the Republicans in Congress try to repeal the Affordable Care Act, which has provided vital care to millions of women across the country. We cannot allow the GOP to undo the progress we have made over the last 8 years and I intend to fight their repeal process tooth and nail in the coming days and weeks.

“There has been a tremendous amount of enthusiasm at the grassroots level since November and it’s pretty inspiring. I don’t think I’ve seen this much political activism in decades. We need to keep this momentum going and I will continue to do all I can to fight for the issues we hold dear down in Washington.”  

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Statement on Republican Plan to Force Radical Health Care Agenda Through the Energy & Commerce Committee

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding House Republicans’ plot to force their health care agenda through the Energy and Commerce Committee:

“New reports tell us that House Republicans plan to push their clandestine ‘replacement’ for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) through the Energy and Commerce Committee this week. As of today, neither the public nor a single Democratic member of the Committee has had an opportunity to even see the Republican bill – let alone assess the full impact it would have on the American people and our economy.

“Before enacting the ACA, Democrats held 79 hearings and markups over two years. In contrast, Republicans have chosen to hide their draft in a basement. If they were proud of their efforts, they’d be out there championing them. But that’s far from the case.

“It’s not hard to guess why. First, after seven years of promises, Republicans have been astoundingly incapable of forming a consensus within their own party as to how to act on the ACA. But, most importantly, the GOP is embarrassed to reveal just how inadequate their proposal is in comparison to the ACA’s achievements.

“Here are some successes just in NY-16 that Republicans are putting at risk:

·         78,700 individuals in the district who are covered by the ACA’s Medicaid expansion now stand to lose coverage if Republicans eliminate the expansion. In addition, 21,900 individuals who have purchased Marketplace coverage now stand to lose their coverage if the GOP dismantles the Marketplaces.

·         421,800 people with employer-sponsored health insurance are at risk of losing important consumer protections, like the prohibition on annual and lifetime limits.

·         371,000 people who now have health insurance that covers preventive services, like cancer screenings and flu shots, without any co-pays, coinsurance, or deductibles stand to lose this access if Republicans eliminate ACA provisions requiring health insurers to cover important preventive services without cost-sharing.

“These ramifications aren’t limited to the health care sector. Repeal would cause New York to lose 130,700 jobs in 2019 alone. The U.S. overall would lose 2.6 million jobs. In addition, repealing the ACA would shrink New York’s economic output by more than $89 billion from 2019 to 2023.

“And the outlook isn’t just grim for New York. In fact, every single Congressional district’s uninsured rate has dropped since the ACA went into effect – meaning, every Republican Member of Congress that votes to repeal is voting to erase gains in his or her own district.

“Given this bleak forecast, it’s no surprise that Republicans are hiding their bill from view. What is surprising, though, is the about-face Republican members have made since Congress considered the ACA.

“Members who once decried any negotiations they felt were hasty or opaque have been silent on their leadership’s refusal to share drafts publically. During the 111^thCongress, Democrats posted the original ACA text online a full month prior to the first committee markup – because that is the openness our constituents deserve.

“I joined my Democratic colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee in calling on Chairman Greg Walden to post the text of their repeal bill at least 30 days before moving to a markup. At a very minimum, Republicans ought to afford their colleagues – and their constituents – that courtesy.”

ENGEL STATEMENT ON NEW MUSLIM & REFUGEE BAN

  Representative Eliot L. Engel, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, today made the following statement:

“A bad policy that’s been polished by lawyers and spin doctors is still a bad policy, and the President’s new Muslim and refugee ban is just the same story on a different day. We all know what Trump advisor Rudy Giuliani admitted: this Administration is trying to keep as many Muslims as possible out of the country while scraping past legal muster. Any way you cut it, that’s discriminatory, dangerous, and unconstitutional.

“The Muslim and refugee ban won’t make us any safer. In fact, even the President’s own Homeland Security Department says that banning people based on their home country won’t stop terrorism and only harms our nation’s security. This ban will cut off avenues of cooperation with important partners in the fight against terrorism.  The very people we need to combat violent extremism live in the communities targeted by this ban’s discriminatory measures.

“The President should learn a lesson from America’s past. The United States is a country of immigrants and must remain a haven for those fleeing persecution.  Mr. Trump should listen to the thousands who flocked to our country’s airports to protest his first attempt at this ban. Slamming the door on people because of their religion violates our laws, betrays our values, and ignores our history.”

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel, Energy & Commerce Dems Introduce Bills to Improve Consumer Cybersecurity

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a leading Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announced the introduction today of his Interagency Cybersecurity Cooperation Act. The bill requires the FCC to create an interagency committee to review cybersecurity incidents, recommend investigations, and issue regular reports on the results of these investigations including relevant findings and policy recommendations.

“Following Russian tampering in last November’s election it is imperative that we redouble our efforts when it comes to cybersecurity,” said Congressman Engel.   “The bill I have authored, the Interagency Cybersecurity Cooperation Act, will require all agencies in the federal government to report cybersecurity incidents to the FCC, which will then recommend investigations and offer periodic reports on their findings to Congress.  This bill is critical to both national security and the preservation of our personal information.  Cybersecurity reforms like these must be a priority in this Congress.”

The Interagency Cybersecurity Cooperation Act is part of a slate of cybersecurity reforms introduced today by Democrats on the Communications and Technology Subcommittee, including the Cybersecurity Responsibility Act offered by Rep. Yvette Clarke of New York, and the Securing IoT Act, offered by Rep. Jerry McNerney of California.

“House Democrats are offering concrete ideas to protect our networks and our private information from bad actors,” Engel said. “If Republicans are willing to set aside partisan politics and cooperate, we can make real progress on cybersecurity.”

Engel On House Republicans Not Publicly Releasing Their ACA Repeal Draft

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement in response to reports that House Republicans will not publicly release their draft to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA):

“Earlier this week, we were told that the White House and Congressional Republicans would engage in an open process to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act with something, they promised, that would be much better.

“It turns out that their pie-in-the-sky promises aren’t limited just to policy, but to process as well. Rather than put their legislation through regular legislative procedures, Republicans have chosen to hide their draft in a basement, away from the eyes of their Democratic colleagues and – most importantly – their constituents.

“What’s more, they’re gearing up to advance the legislation next week. Not only have they denied Americans the chance to learn more about their plan through even a single substantive hearing – they are ramming it through before the Congressional Budget Office can assess its cost or even the number of Americans it would insure.

“House Democrats held 79 hearings and markups on the ACA, because Americans deserve better than a basement. I urge my Republican colleagues to come out of the shadows and take part in an open process – if not for the sake of transparency, then for the sake of our constituents.”

News From Congressman Eliot L. Engel

Engel Statement On MTA Plans to Expand Testing For Sleep Apnea  

Renews push for implementation of Positive Train Control on railways

Washington D.C.—Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement regarding MTA plans to expand testing for sleep apnea across all divisions:

“The MTA’s proposal to expand sleep apnea testing is a good step in helping to identify issues that may affect some of our engineers and conductors. Safety in our train system is paramount, and we should be doing all we can to ensure our passengers are at not at risk when utilizing rail travel. But what we really need to prevent future rail accidents is Positive Train Control (PTC).

“In 2008, the U.S. Congress passed legislation requiring PTC implementation, which I supported and voted to enact.  Today we are approaching a decade since that legislation was passed, and still railways in the busy Northeast Corridor are without this vital, lifesaving technology. According to the Federal Railroad Administration, PTC technology  is ‘capable of reliably and functionally preventing train-to-train collisions, over speed derailments, incursions into established work zone limits, and the movement of a train through a main line switch in the wrong position.’ As the tragic incidents of trail derailments continue to occur across the country, it is obvious that more could and should be done to improve rail safety. We need to upgrade our rail lines and retrofit all our trains with PTC technology, and we need to do it immediately.”

Rep. Engel Statement in Opposition of H.R. 7

  Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a member of the House Pro Choice Caucus, released the following statement on H.R. 7, No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which the House passed this afternoon:

“House Republicans have chosen once again to target women’s personal freedoms, just days after hundreds of thousands filled D.C.’s streets to defend them. The No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act, which I vehemently oppose and voted against, expands and makes permanent abortion coverage bans. As a result, women seeking abortions are cut off from care on account of where they get insurance or where they live. Policies like this are even more harmful for low-income families and women of color.

“Congress should not determine what is best for a woman’s health. As a proud participant in this weekend’s Women’s March, I regret that House Republicans have once again targeted women in this dangerous way.”

Rep. Engel on House Republicans’ Refusal to Act on Paris Climate Agreement

Congressman Eliot L. Engel, a top member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, offered an amendment to the Republican Authorization and Oversight Plan of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for the 115th Congress. The amendment would have required the Committee to consider actions needed to meet our obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. 

“The Republican plan for the new Congress says nothing about how our national energy policy should prevent or mitigate the effects of climate change,” Engel said.“My amendment would have added language to ensure that the Committee considers actions needed to meet our obligations under the Paris Agreement. Sadly, my suggested language was voted down, as partisan politics once again got in the way of protecting our environment and our children’s future.

“The Paris Agreement was a historic moment in the fight against climate change by establishing a strong global consensus to reduce carbon pollution and set the world on a path to a clean-energy future. We have an opportunity to implement policies that encourage American businesses to invest in new technologies and drive innovation, but my Republican colleagues remain singularly focused on the fossil fuel industry. To ignore such a large component of energy and climate policy is an enormous mistake.”

As President Trump and the Republican Party prepares to boost fossil fuel production, a new Pew Research Center poll finds that 65 percent of Americans would rather the U.S. focus on developing clean energy. 

The Engel amendment was defeated 21-30 on a party-line vote.