Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Conyers: Health Insurance Mergers Must Be Questioned

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) today released the following statement after the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial and Antitrust Law concluded a hearing that examined proposed health insurance mergers and the possible consequential impact on marketplace competition:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.
 “Currently, we already have highly concentrated health insurance markets as highlighted recently in an updated study by the American Medical Association (AMA).  Further consolidation of multi-billion dollar health insurance companies could result in higher premiums and reduced quality care.  Moreover, healthy competition in the marketplace also allows physicians to bargain for enhanced contract terms that relate to all angles of patient care and services. 
“Currently, we already have highly concentrated health insurance markets as highlighted recently in an updated

“In 2010, in my home state of Michigan, the U.S. Department of Justice challenged a potential merger by Blue Cross Blue Shield with an in-state health insurer claiming that the deal would greatly reduce competition for the people of Michigan that would have increased premiums across the board.

“As we have always seen in our economy, healthy competition in the marketplace ensures lower premiums and provides incentives to insurers to increase the quality of service and care, and pay physicians on time.  I encourage the Department of Justice to scrutinize these potential mergers carefully.”



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Friday, September 25, 2015

Congress Should Heed Pope Francis' Call to Answer the 'Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor'

By John Conyers
Dena of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.
This  summer, Pope Francis released one of the most important and eloquent works of our time: Laudato Si. A meditation on modern culture and our responsibilities to our creator and one another, it directly confronts the sin and injustice of continued environmental degradation and inaction on climate change.
Wednesday, Pope Francis delivered that urgent message directly to the American people. Speaking at the White House, he applauded President Obama for his work to repair our "common home" and he encouraged us to consider the world we leave our children and which we create for others.
A man of peace and a man of the poor, Pope Francis speaks out of obligation because to him our situation compels it. He recognizes that our planet "groans in travail" at the "sickness evident in the soil, in the water, in the air and in all forms of life." He reminds us that our climate, "a common good, belonging to all and meant for all" is imperiled by greenhouse gases. He sees our failure to consider the environmental threats to our most vulnerable brothers and sisters as pointing "to the loss of that sense of responsibility for our fellow men and women upon which all civil society is founded."
The pope uses reason matched to principle to point out a simple truth -- climate change is happening and it will hit the weakest the hardest because they lack the resources to prepare.
Examples of this inequity are abound. Drought in California makes produce more expensive, but it leads to famine in sub-Saharan Africa. Storm surges and flooding will destroy the coastal homes of the wealthy, but will kill those without transportation as it did in New Orleans' Lower 9th Ward. Wealthy countries with political and capital reserves remain stable during tough times, but resource shocks can drive developing nations to war and destruction. Extreme heatwaves are tolerable with air-conditioning, but are deadly without it. These challenges can drive migration that presents its own dangers.
As leader of a church with 1.25 billion members and two thousand years of institutional history, Pope Francis cannot remain silent -- many of those at greatest risk are part of his flock. But he is also worried about those whose disrespect for creation and preference for comfort over sacrifice drives climate change skepticism. He must make them hear too the "cry from the earth and cry from the poor."
That means calling upon the freest and strongest country in the world to account for its timid skepticism. Pope Francis' sternest reminder falls upon wealthy countries, like the United States, where our public moral and religious dialogue all too frequently ignores the inconvenient truth that our comfort and prosperity threatens lives at home and elsewhere.
Congress could do worse than to rise to Pope Francis' challenge and stand up for the most vulnerable in the face of fierce opposition by powerful interests. Because while we may not always see eye to eye with the Pope on matters of theology or public policy, America was founded, as President Ronald Reagan said, "a shining city upon a hill". If we truly believe that destiny -- in American exceptionalism itself -- then we have a duty to sacrifice and act exceptionally. As America's greatest theologian, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."
I am glad that Pope Francis has asked us directly to measure where we stand in these challenging times. His is a needed reminder and an act of good conscience. As he becomes the first Pontiff in history to address the United States Congress, I appreciate his wise counsel on the issues that our nation and the world must confront and I join millions of Americans in welcoming him to our nation.

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Floor Statement of the Honorable John Conyers, Jr. in Opposition to H.R. 348, the “Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2015"



            “Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to H.R. 348, the ‘Responsibly and Professionally Invigorating Development Act of 2015’ or so-called RAPID Act.  

            “H.R. 348 has many flaws.  Most critically, this measure could jeopardize public health and safety by prioritizing project approval over meaningful analysis that currently is required under the National Environmental Policy Act or NEPA. 

            “By giving the proponents of construction projects greater control over the environmental approval process, this bill is the equivalent of giving Wall Street the authority to write its own regulations for financial responsibility.


           
“The bill accomplishes this result in several respects.

            “To begin with, H.R. 348 – under the guise of streamlining the approval process – forecloses potentially critical input from federal, state, and local agencies as well as from members of the public to comment on environmentally-sensitive construction projects that are federally-funded or that require federal approval.

            “The bill also imposes hard and fast deadlines that may be unrealistic under certain circumstances.

            “Moreover, if an agency fails to meet these unrealistic deadlines, the bill simply declares that a project must be deemed approved, regardless of whether the agency has thoroughly assessed risks.


           
“As a result, H.R. 348 could allow projects that put public health and safety at risk to be approved before the safety review is completed.   

            “This failing of the bill, along with many others, explains why the Administration and the President’s Council on Environmental Quality, along with more than 40 respected environmental groups vigorously oppose this legislation.

            “These organizations include Public Citizen, the League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society.

            “Likewise, the Administration issued a strong veto threat.  Stating that the bill will “increase litigation, regulatory delays, and potentially force agencies to approve a project if the review and analysis cannot be completed before the proposed arbitrary deadlines,” the Administration warns that if H.R. 348 became law, it “would lead to more confusion and delay, limit public participation in the permitting process, and ultimately hamper economic growth.”        
           
“Another concern that I have with this bill – like other measures that we have considered – is that it is a flawed solution in search of an imaginary problem.  And, that is not just my opinion. 



            “The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, for instance, states that highway construction project delays based on environmental requirements stem not from the National Environmental Policy Act, but from ‘laws other than NEPA.’ 

            “In fact, CRS found that the primary source of approval delays for these projects ‘are more often tied to local/state and project-specific factors, primarily local/state agency priorities, project funding levels, local opposition to a project, project complexity, or late changes in project scope.’ 

            “Undoubtedly, the so-called RAPID Act will make the process less clear and less protective of public health and safety.

            “My final major concern with this bill is that – rather than streamlining the environmental review process – it will sow utter confusion. 

            “H.R. 348 does this by creating a separate, but only partly parallel environmental review process for construction projects, which will cause confusion, delay, and litigation.

            “As I noted at the outset, the changes to the  National Environmental Policy Act’s review process as contemplated by H.R. 348 apply only to certain construction projects.

            “The National Environmental Policy Act, on the other hand, applies to a broad panoply of federal actions, including fishing, hunting, and grazing permits, land management plans, Base Realignment and Closure activities, and treaties. 
           
“As a result of the bill, there could potentially be two different environmental review processes for the same project.  For instance, the bill’s requirements would apply to the construction of a nuclear reactor, but not to its decommissioning or to the transportation and storage of its spent fuel.

            “Rather than improving the environmental review process, this bill will complicate it and generate litigation.

            “But, more importantly, this bill is yet another effort by my friends on the other side of the aisle to undermine regulatory protections.   
           
            “As with all the other regulatory bills, this measure is a thinly disguised effort to hobble the ability of federal agencies to do the work that Congress requires them to do.  I strenuously oppose this seriously flawed bill and reserve the balance of my time.”

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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Conyers and Lofgren Issue Statement Regarding Syrian Refugee Crisis


Washington, D.C. – Today, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.) and House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), issued the following joint statement in response to a small announced increase– from 75,000 to 85,000 – in the refugee admissions levels for the next fiscal year:

Dean of the U.S. House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.
“The Administration is right to take action to increase resettlement of the world’s most vulnerable refugees.  We hope to work with the Administration to do more.  There are currently 12.2 million people in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, 7.6 million internally displaced persons, and 4 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries.  They are fleeing a war waged by the brutal Syrian regime on one hand and the barbarism of ISIS on the other.  For these refugees, safe haven in Europe, the United States, or other welcoming countries is their best and only hope. 

“In the 1980s, the United States resettled one million Vietnamese, at times taking in more than 10,000 per month.  During the 1990s, we accepted hundreds of thousands of religious and political refugees from the former Soviet Union.  Yet today, with more refugees, asylum-seekers, and internally displaced persons than at any time since World War II, the need for an historic response has never been greater.  Our commitment to resettle only 10,000 Syrian refugees falls short when weighed against our nation’s proud history protecting those fleeing violence and persecution.

“The Administration cannot be alone in this effort.  Congress must also act to support resettlement, and we should also encourage private funding to support resettlement efforts.  Additionally, as Pope Francis has urged, now is the time for Churches, Parishes, and houses of worship across the country to volunteer and bring their resources to bear in helping global refugees.
“Just over 75 years ago, a ship called the St. Louis, carrying nearly a thousand Jews fleeing Nazi Germany, sailed so close to the United States that passengers could see the city lights of Miami.  But rather than welcome these refugees, the United States turned them away.  Many later died in concentration camps.  We should not repeat the mistake of rejecting those fleeing for their lives.  The United States has long been a symbol of freedom and hope for the World’s most vulnerable.  In today’s global refugee crisis, we must now act boldly to fulfill that promise.”

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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Original Motown Sound Engineer Michael Grace Honored in Detroit

Original Motown Sound Engineer Michael Grace Honored in Detroit

Michael Grace, one of Motown's original sound engineers is honored by the Motown Museum.

Having started his career recording the sounds of the likes of Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin out of his bathroom for acoustics, Michael was pivotal in crafting the sounds of Motown and spirit of Detroit we all love today.

Allee Willis
The Motown Museum
Detroit, Michigan
September 12, 2013 

I'm STILL on Cloud 9 after FINALLY getting into Motown after a lifetime of worshipping each and every note that ever spilled outta there. I spent countless afternoons of my youth sitting out on the front lawn in front of the little house that was Motown, watching the stars walk in and praying I could hear something seeping through the walls so I "knew" all the songs before they even came on the radio.

Through the years I have written songs and worked with some of the greatest Motown songwriters, like Lamont Dozier , Ashford & Simpson, and Leon Ware. As more and more Motown artists started singing on "The D", I realized it was imperative to finally penetrate the castle walls. This happened when Paul Riser, gifted Funk Brothertrombonist and arranger of classics like "My Girl" and "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", arranged for us to be the first folks to "record" in the studio since Motown closed its Detroit doors in 1972.  We brought our laptop studio into the Snakepit and recorded Paul, Ed Wolfrum and Michael Grace, the engineers who literally built the studio in the early 60's, and the family of legendary Motown bassistJames Jamerson. Thank you, Paul Riser, for putting this all together. It was a totally magic day and the stuff of dreams for me.

To learn more about "The D", the record, video, and feature length documentary go here. 


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Learn more: BEVERLY TRAN: Original Motown Sound Engineer Michael Grace Honored in Detroithttp://beverlytran.blogspot.com/2015/09/original-motown-sound-engineer-michael.html#ixzz3mVt2agpA
Stop Medicaid Fraud in Child Welfare 


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Monday, September 21, 2015

Senior Democrat Has A New Plan To Trim Unemployment

Rep. John Conyers wants to force the Federal Reserve to focus more on job growth.

<span class='image-component__caption' itemprop="caption">Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), accompanied by demonstrators with the umbrella group Fed Up, speaks outside of the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Conyers introduced legislation on Thursday require the Fed to target lower unemployment. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)</span>
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), accompanied by demonstrators with the umbrella group Fed Up, speaks outside of the Federal Reserve in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. Conyers introduced legislation on Thursday require the Fed;to target lower unemployment
 
The Federal Reserve may not have raised its benchmark interest rate on Thursday, but advocates of full employment still worry it could do so before the economy is ready.


Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), a senior House progressive, introduced a bill that same day that would make a future rate increase dependent on much lower unemployment than the U.S. is likely to achieve anytime soon.

Conyers’ proposed Full Employment Federal Reserve Act would obligate the Fed to define full employment as a maximum unemployment rate of 4 percent and “a labor market in which median wages are rising with worker productivity, job seekers can find work, and involuntary part-time work is at a minimum.” Short of meeting those criteria, the Fed would be unable to raise its influential interest rates.

“It is unacceptable for any branch of our government to take any action to slow our economy before all Americans have the opportunity to experience the jobs recovery and see meaningful wage growth,” Conyers said in a statement.

Conyers’ bill has six original co-sponsors -- all members of the Full Employment Caucus, a group of House members devoted to full employment policies. It has the backing of the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research, two Washington-based liberal think tanks.

Unemployment now is officially 5.1 percent, a level that falls within the Fed’s full employment target. The central bank is prepared to raise interest rates with this level of joblessness, but did not on Thursday because of concerns that an economic slowdown in China and a drop in oil prices will depress inflation. 

The Fed has a dual mandate to enact monetary policy that promotes both full employment and stable prices. The two-pronged mission, established by Congress in 1977, does not specify how the central bank should define those goals.

Critics of the Fed, mostly liberal, have said top Fed officials have used this discretion in recent decades to prioritize concerns about excessive inflation over maximizing employment. The choice is essentially zero sumWhen the Fed increases interest rates to limit inflation, it does so by deliberately reducing economic demand, which reduces potential job growth. 

Long before the financial market volatility that began in late August, these economists and activists opposed an interest rate hike, saying the official unemployment rate fails to account for people working part time involuntarily, or those who have given up looking for work.

Progressive pressure on the Fed to prioritize full employment has escalated in the past year with the launch of the Fed Up campaign, a coalition of groups led by the Center for Popular Democracy. Fed Up has mobilized low-income workers and people of color to lobby Fed officials against an interest rate hike and to make the central bank more accountable to the broader public. 

Conyers joined Fed Up activists demonstrating on Thursday outside of the downtown Washington offices where Fed Chair Janet Yellen later held a press conference on the decision to maintain current interest rates.


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Thursday, September 17, 2015

Conyers and Full Employment Caucus Members Introduce Legislation to Strengthen Federal Reserve System’s Jobs Mandate


WASHINGTON–Today, Representative John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13), with support from 6 members of his Congressional Full Employment Caucus, introduced the “Full Employment Federal Reserve Act of 2015.” The bill instructs the Federal Reserve System to target a 4 percent unemployment rate and other indicators of a strong labor market before acting to slow the economy by raising interest rates.

Sean of the U.S House
of Representatives
John Conyers, Jr.
“My new legislation will help to ensure that Federal Reserve policymakers prioritize job creation and wage growth for workers above Wall Street jitters about possible inflation. It is unacceptable for any branch of our government to take any action to slow our economy before all Americans have the opportunity to experience the jobs recovery and see meaningful wage growth,” said Rep. Conyers.

Congress amended The Federal Reserve Act in 1977 to mandate that the Federal Reserve System promote the goals of “maximum employment” and “stable prices,” which became known as the “dual mandate.” As a result, Federal Reserve board members seek to determine what is the lowest unemployment rate consistent with stable inflation (known as the “nonaccelerating inflation rate of unemployment,” or NAIRU).

Rep. Conyers’ new legislation amends the Federal Reserve’s mandate to define “maximum employment” as “as an economy with an unemployment rate of not more than 4 percent,” in addition to “a labor market in which median wages are rising with worker productivity, job seekers can find work, and involuntary part-time work is at a minimum.”

The bill also replaces “stable prices” with “a stable rate of inflation,” to comport with the consensus among economists that some level of inflation is necessary and healthy.

"The Fed acted admirably to stem the damage done by the Great Recession and to spur recovery until now. But the job is far from finished—the economy remains far from genuine full-employment and this means that the Fed's mandate remains unfulfilled,” said economist Josh Bivens, Director of Research and Policy at the Economic Policy Institute.

While the headline unemployment rate has lowered to 5.1 percent, other indicators suggest a weaker job market. 6.5 million Americans are forced to work part-time because they can’t find full time work, a figure that is higher than at any time since the early 1990s. Another 3.5 million “missing workers” have given up searching for work due to poor job opportunities, and as a result are not included in the unemployment rate. Nominal wage growth, arguably the most important indicator of a strong labor market, remains stagnant.

"Congress gave the Fed a dual mandate to pursue full employment and price stability,” said economist Dean Baker, Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research. “In the last thirty five years it has not paid sufficient attention to the full employment part of this mandate. Specifying a 4.0 percent unemployment rate as a target, the same rate the economy sustained as a year-long average in 2000, should act to clarify the Fed's mission.”

Since the Great Recession, the American economy has consistently had an unemployment rate higher than the Federal Reserve’s NAIRU and an inflation rate below the Federal Reserve’s target. Overall, since 1980, the American economy has been operating at an unnecessarily high rate of unemployment70 percent of the time, according to estimates of the NAIRU by the Congressional Budget Office.

Conyers announced the legislation earlier today at a press conference hosted by the Fed Up Coalition, which urged the Federal Reserve not to prematurely raise interest rates, a view that has been echoed by former top economists for Presidents Clinton and Obama, Lawrence Summers and Gene Sperling, Nobel Prize winning economists Joe Stiglitz and Paul Krugman, the NY Times Editorial Board, thechief economist of the World Bank, and many others.

Original co-sponsors of the measure include Full Employment Caucus Co-Chairs Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), as well as Full Employment Caucus Members Keith Ellison (D-MN), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ).

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