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House to Act on Unemployment Insurance Extension
The House of Representatives will debate legislation this week to help unemployed workers in hard-hit states who have exhausted their unemployment benefits. The legislation [H.R. 3548] would provide an additional 13 weeks of benefits to people in states with unemployment rates above 8.5 percent. Rep. Levin is a cosponsor of the legislation, which is fully paid for. If Congress does not act, an estimated 1.5 million people will exhaust their benefits by the end of the year. The House is expected to take up H.R. 3548 on Tuesday, September 22.
House Approves Bill to Overhaul College Lending
On September 17, the House voted 253 to 171 to adopt legislation [H.R. 3221] to make college more affordable for millions of Americans. The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act will raise the maximum Pell Grant award, simplify the student financial aid application process, and begin the community college initiative President Obama proposed while at Macomb Community College. The legislation saves taxpayers $87 billion by ending wasteful subsidies to private lenders and invests those savings in community colleges and college students. Even with the additional investments in education, the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the measure will save taxpayers $10 billion over ten years.
“This bill makes college more affordable for Michigan families and prepares our students and workers for the 21st Century,” said Rep. Levin, who cosponsored the legislation. “Additionally, these reforms end wasteful subsidies, making student aid more efficient and lowering the overall cost of the program to taxpayers.”
For more information on the House-passed bill, click here.
House Passes Advanced Vehicles Act to Spur Next Generation of Cars and Trucks
On September 16, the House approved the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act [H.R. 3246] on a bipartisan vote of 312 to 114. The legislation calls for $2.9 billion over five years to develop hybrid or fully-electrified vehicle propulsion systems, hydrogen fuel cells, engine energy efficiency technologies, waste heat recovery systems, friction and wear reduction technologies, and other technologies. The bill also specifies that up to $200 million per year be devoted to research and development projects devoted to advanced technology for medium and heavy duty trucks.
“A full partnership between the federal government and the domestic auto industry is vital to develop the cars and trucks of the future and build them here in the United States,” said Rep. Levin. “As consumers traded in their vehicles under the CARS program they demonstrated the demand for cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles. We must ensure that the United States leads the way in developing the cars of the future.” For more information, click here.
The Week Ahead
The House of Representatives will debate legislation [H.R. 3548] to extend federal unemployment benefits to workers in hard-hit states. The House is also expected to take up a Continuing Resolution to continue funding for federal agencies for one month to give Congress additional time to complete work on the regular funding bills for fiscal year 2010, which begins October 1. The House will also debate the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area Act [H.R. 324]
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