In This Week's Edition of E-News ...

Farm Bill Fails

Committee Takes Up Murphy Bill To Strengthen Disease Reporting Requirements at VA

Pancreatic Cancer Survivors Discuss Importance of NIH Research

Bridgeville Resident Attends Frederick Douglass Statue Dedication

Advocates For Disabled Discuss Need For Adaptive Housing

Local Agency Helping Unemployed Learn New Skills

Rep. Murphy Honors PA Trolley Museum on 50 Years of Streetcar History

Murphy Congratulates Congressional Award Gold Medalist on Community Service

Farm Bill Fails

The House of Representatives defeated legislation on Thursday to overhaul federal agriculture and nutrition programs. With failure to pass legislation out of the House, no reforms to food stamps or farm subsidies will be enacted, costing taxpayers billions of dollars in waste, fraud, and abuse over the next decade.

The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R. 1947) cut $40 billion in spending and reformed federal nutrition programs by guaranteeing only those who qualify for nutrition assistance could receive it. It included new anti-fraud requirements to stop lottery winners and those with hidden assets from participating in the SNAP program (formerly known as food stamps). The bill also required a verification process on the immigration status of food-stamp applicants to ensure illegal aliens and undocumented persons are not enrolled.

“We need to fix our broken agriculture and nutrition-assistance programs,” said Rep. Murphy after the vote. “It’s not a perfect bill; no bill is. Now we are stuck with New Deal-era policies that include government price controls on crops, more food-stamp fraud, and benefits for non-citizens.”  

After considering more than 100 amendments to the underlying bill, the legislation failed by a vote of 195 to 234. The House adopted an amendment with Rep. Murphy’s support to require able-bodied childless adults on food stamps to seek employment, similar to the successful 1996 welfare-to-work law. Murphy also supported an amendment to allow states to drug test those who receive food stamps.

“Numerous congressional audits, hearings, and investigations have revealed agriculture programs are spinning out of control, have quadrupled in cost, and often scammed. In a time of dwindling resources, the bill would have targeted needed resources to put these programs back on track, guaranteeing that those who qualify for nutrition assistance receive it,” said Murphy.

Since the reform effort failed to pass, beginning this October agriculture policy reverts back to laws written during the time of the great Depression, which are expected to cost consumers and federal taxpayers billions. There will be government price controls on certain crops and restrictions on farming and dairy production, resulting in higher prices for milk and corn. Since the bill failed, global agricultural companies will continue receiving billions in taxpayer subsidies. The practice, called “direct payments,” allows farmers to collect federal tax dollars for crops they neither planted nor harvested.

The bill also contained a provision so dairy farmers – like those in Southwestern Pennsylvania – can produce and sell milk to meet market demand without government supply restrictions that artificially increase prices for consumers.

“The reforms to the dairy program will allow small dairy farmers in Southwestern Pennsylvania to grow, compete, and succeed in a market dominated by international corporations,” said Rep. Murphy. “The failure of this bill means we don’t move forward on much-needed reforms to policies that waste taxpayer money and drive up the price of food and milk. If we want to continue to be the leader in a global market, we can’t rely on price controls and agriculture policies developed a half-century ago,” said Rep. Murphy.

While a lobbyist with the International Dairy Foods Association mocked to a National Journal reporter, “Current law doesn’t hurt us that much,” and proceeded to hold an ice cream “victory celebration” for the international diary industry, under current policy, taxpayers will continue to pay more for dairy products because of government subsidies and price controls.

Murphy also voted for an amendment to repeal a sugar-to-ethanol program in which the federal government buys sugar then sell it at a loss to biofuel producers. The amendment repealed trade restrictions and price supports that cost consumers billions of dollars every year, but failed. US sugar policies are in dire need of reform, as the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Monday the federal excess sugar-purchasing plan will cost taxpayers an estimated $38 million this year.

Thousands of constituents responded to Congressman Murphy’s Key Vote Alert on the Farm Bill sent out before the floor vote. More than 80 percent of respondents favored passage of the reforms in the legislation, rather than maintain the costly, broken system.

To share your thoughts on the Farm Bill, click here.

Committee Takes Up Murphy Bill To Strengthen Disease Reporting Requirements at VA

Rep. Murphy joined the efforts of leadership on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee (HVAC) this week to pass legislation requiring veterans’ hospitals to report cases of infectious diseases to state and local public health agencies. Murphy is a cosponsor of the Infectious Disease Reporting Act (H.R. 1792), the subject of an HVAC hearing on Wednesday. The legislative work is the result of a congressional investigation into the operational and leadership failures that caused an outbreak of the deadly and preventable Legionnaires’ disease outbreak at the Pittsburgh VA Hospital.

“For the health and safety of our veterans, and all those who work in the facility to serve them, the VA must follow the same disease- and infection-reporting requirements every other hospital in Pennsylvania must abide by,” said Rep. Murphy. “This legislation will do just that by mandating VA hospitals notify public health agencies of a potentially deadly disease outbreak. While this bill can’t change what’s happened in the past at the Pittsburgh VA and bring back those who lost their lives, it will help ensure this kind of tragedy never happens again.”

Under current state law, UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, which sits just a few hundred feet from the Pittsburgh VA Medical Center in Oakland, is required to report infectious diseases to local and state public health agencies while the VA federal hospital is not. Under the proposed bill, a VA facility would face fines and civil lawsuits for failure to comply with state reporting laws. You can read the text of the bill here.

Once a case of an infectious disease like Legionnaires’ is reported to the state, the incident is then relayed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is an expert public health organization capable of identifying potential disease outbreaks and implementing response strategies. The Pittsburgh VA has struggled to control Legionella bacteria since 2007 with tests in September of that year showing severe levels of the bug. However, the VA in Pittsburgh only called the CDC in October 2012 after several deaths. Murphy said investigators are continuing to review the failures that led to the problems at the Pittsburgh hospital.

Murphy also is working with the bill’s author, Rep. Mike Coffman (CO-6), to combine H.R. 1792 with similar legislation introduced in the House by Murphy and Rep. Mike Doyle, the Veterans Administration Disease Reporting and Oversight Act.

To share your thoughts on veterans issues, click here.

Pancreatic Cancer Survivors Discuss Importance of NIH Research

Dennis Cronin, left, of South Fayette, and Don Furko, right, of Penn Township, talk about pancreatic cancer treatment and research.

Pancreatic cancer is the most difficult to detect and has the highest mortality rate. The statistics are gloomy: 97 percent of those with pancreatic cancer will die within five years of diagnosis. But hope is on the horizon. Recent enactment of the Recalcitrant Cancer Research Act is spurring important advances. On Tuesday, Southwestern Pennsylvanian families impacted by pancreatic cancer visited Congressman Murphy to thank him for his support and efforts to ensure the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health follows through on its responsibilities under the new law.

South Fayette resident Dennis Cronin, pictured on left, came to Washington to share his personal story. Dennis has beaten the odds and lived for three years after successful treatment for pancreatic cancer. He asked the Congressman to continue fighting for pancreatic cancer research, referring to how his children, who also attended the meeting, are at greater risk of the diagnosis.

Bridgeville Resident Attends Frederick Douglass Statue Dedication

Rep. Murphy is joined by Bridgeville's Winnie Love on the day of the Douglass statue dedication.

Winnie Love, a small business owner and leader in the First Baptist Church of Bridgeville, was a guest of Rep. Murphy’s for the dedication of the Frederick Douglass statue in Emancipation Hall inside the U.S. Capitol this week. Born a slave in 1818, Douglass learned to read and write from his master’s wife. After escaping to Massachusetts, he became one of the nation’s most influential abolitionists and a frequent visitor to President Lincoln at the White House. Douglass’ likeness joins sculptures of other African-American leaders inside the Capitol: Martin Luther King, Jr., Sojourner Truth, and Rosa Parks.

Advocates For Disabled Discuss Need For Adaptive Housing

With Kathleen Kleinmann, center, and Madonna Long.

Those with spinal cord injuries can have a difficult time finding suitable housing. Appliances and shelves must be accessible, and even small lips on the floor between rooms can put the disabled at a higher risk of injury. In Southwestern Pennsylvania, advocates like Madonna Young in Greensburg and Kathleen Kleinmann, chief executive officer of the Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living, work with housing developers and county housing authorities to ensure residences are available for paraplegics who want to live in the

community rather than a nursing home. This week, both Ms. Kleinmann and Ms. Young came to Washington as members of the United Spinal Association to discuss issues with access to housing, as well as strengthening Medicare’s policies on access to wheelchairs. Finding the right wheelchair for a person with a spinal cord injury can be a complex process. Medicare will only reimburse for a basic wheelchair, forcing paraplegics who could live at home with just a slightly more advanced wheelchair into an institution. Not only does this policy do a disservice to the disabled, but it can end up costing taxpayers who must foot the bill for the person’s room and board at a nursing home.

Local Agency Helping Unemployed Learn New Skills

It’s been said that the best way to judge the success of a government program is not by counting the number of people receiving benefits, but by the number of people who no longer need them. By that measure, the Washington Greene County Job Training Agency is an ongoing success.

The agency, along with the Southwest Corner Workforce Investment Board (WIB), partners with private employers to identify gaps in the skills of the local workforce, finding opportunities

Southwest Corner WIB members, from left, Neil Bassi, David Suski, Myra Bernhart, Linda Bell.

for apprenticeships and on-the-job paid training. In addition to helping the unemployed enroll in a retraining program like learning a technical trade, the agency also helps many obtain their general equivalency degree (GED) or hone their job-seeking and resume-writing skills.

Two years out from completing a program through the Washington Greene Job Training Agency, more than 80 percent of participants are still gainfully employed.

On Friday, Rep. Murphy met with the agency to discuss new legislation meant to strengthen federal job-training programs. Agency President Dave Suski said he was moved to tears to have the Congressman visit their office and discuss strategies for helping the unemployed learn skills and find new jobs.

Representatives from the agency shared ideas with Congressman Murphy on where the federal government can reduce duplication. Currently, the Agency and WIB must operate two separate locations, maintain two separate boards, spending scarce resources on overhead instead of helping the unemployed find work.

The House has passed the SKILLS Act with Rep. Murphy’s support to eliminate that kind of redundancy. The House legislation gives local business leaders a voice in identifying the gaps in the workforce so the unemployed learn the skills companies are looking for. The bill also calls for more accountability so those who are enrolled in job-training programs complete them.

The Senate is considering passing a similar reauthorization of federal job-training programs. If passed, the chambers would go to a conference committee, where the differences between the two measures will be ironed out.

To share your thoughts on job-training programs, click here.

Rep. Murphy Honors PA Trolley Museum on 50 Years of Streetcar History

This week Rep. Murphy presented a proclamation to the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum in Washington, PA to recognize the institution’s 50th anniversary. Rep. Murphy was invited by

Bob Jordan of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum shows Rep. Murphy restored streetcars on display.

Scott Becker, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, to participate in the Friday ceremony. On Saturday and Sunday the museum is hosting its 50th Anniversary Weekend events highlighting Pittsburgh’s streetcar past. On Saturday, June 22, they are hosting “All the Streetcars you Desire,” featuring a variety of trolley parades showcasing the historic streetcars of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum. On Sunday, June 23, the museum will host its classic car show. Both days will offer museum-goers an opportunity to enjoy trolley rides, tours of the displays, food vendors, and children’s areas.

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum lets visitors experience the Trolley Era firsthand by riding its restored streetcars on a scenic four-mile ride. The museum collection includes historic streetcars from Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and even the famous “Streetcar Named Desire” from New Orleans. The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum also attracts visitors to Washington County, contributing to SWPA’s local economic growth.

To share your thoughts on local museum and educational sites, click here.

Murphy Congratulates Congressional Award Gold Medalist on Community Service

Rep. Murphy with Congressional Gold Medal winner Valerie Poutous.

Congressman Murphy welcomed Bethel Park High School Junior Valerie Poutous to Washington on Wednesday for a special ceremony to honor winners of the Congressional Award Gold Medal. Established in 1979 by Congress yet funded privately, the Congressional Award program will receive 300 of the nation’s most outstanding youth. More than 50,000 applied for the award, which is meant to encourage young people “to learn the value of service, personal development, fitness, and citizenship through character-forming experiences that shape tomorrow’s leaders and our country’s future.”

Valerie is an active volunteer for her church, St. Thomas More in Bethel Park, and has participated in three mission trips to the Appalachian region to build and repair homes for families. She also arranged an expedition trip to Zhanjiang, China, visiting the orphanage where she was born.

“By committing to personal growth and working to make our community a better place to live, Valerie’s a role model to young men and women. She’s most deserving of the Congressional Award and I know she will continue to inspire others who also want to serve their country and community,” said Murphy.

The award is nonpartisan and is not paid for at taxpayer expense.