Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, voted, along with a majority of his Democratic colleagues, to pass H.R. 4853, a bill extending tax relief for all Americans. The bill passed 234-188, with 231 Democrats voting to extend tax relief, while 168 Republicans voted against protecting Americans from the tax hikes created by Congressional Republicans in 2001.

 

“Republicans wrote an Ambush Tax in 2001, creating tax cuts which were not paid for and which exploded our deficit,” said Cummings. “They irresponsibly designed an ambush tax increase, without a care in the world for what the economy would look like in 2011. Today, Congress had the opportunity to protect all Americans by giving them continued tax relief on the first $250,000 of their income. I was  proud to vote for exactly that, and I question my Republican colleagues who have flip-flopped on this issue.

 

“First, in 2001, Republicans designed a tax increase for 2011. In recent interviews however, they have spoken about a desire not to raise taxes. Today, when given a chance to put their voting cards where their mouths were, they refused. Their actions speak and their words have gone silent. Make no mistake, Republicans voted today to raise taxes on all Americans.”

 

H.R. 4853 will provide permanent extension of tax cuts on all income for all Americans up to $250,000. It will also provide a two year extension of alternative minimum tax relief; permanent reduced capital gains and dividend tax relief; permanent extension of EGTRRA and ARRA improvements to child tax credit; permanent extension of PEP and Pease relief for middle-class taxpayers; permanent marriage penalty relief; permanent earned income tax credit simplification and increase; permanent extension of education tax incentives; and permanent extension of enhanced small business expensing.

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), a senior member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, joined his colleagues in voting for S. 3307, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The bipartisan legislation contains the most significant improvements to child nutrition programs in more than 30 years. It will provide $4.5 billion in new childhood nutrition benefits over the next 10 years.

 

“In the underserved communities in my District, I have seen the critical importance of good nutrition to the success of our children,” said Cummings. “When children are not studying on empty stomachs, they are more effective in the classroom. When a child gets a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients that is low in fat and sugar, that child can look forward to a more productive and healthier adulthood. When children are eating healthy, well-balanced meals, they are less likely to contribute to our national epidemic of obesity and diabetes. It is for these reasons, and because of the moral necessity of caring for our children and thus for our nation’s future, that I was proud to vote for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.”

 

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07), senior member of the Joint Economic Committee, will host a press conference Monday, to discuss new Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rules concerning mortgage modification scams, as well as his fifth Foreclosure Prevention Workshop, which will be on December 18th.

 

“These new FTC rules are critical to protecting those who are already in danger of losing everything,” said Cummings. “While we cannot prevent every foreclosure and eviction, we must try to protect those who are facing these troubling times from being ripped off by unscrupulous people who seek to profit on the misery of others.” 

Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (MD-07) and Senators Barbara Mikulski and Benjamin Cardin (both D-MD) were pleased Wednesday to see the Senate pass H.R. 5773, designating the Social Security Administration Operations Building, located at 401 Security Boulevard in Baltimore, Maryland as the `Robert M. Ball Federal Building'. H.R. 5773 passed the House in September.

 

“It was a privilege to sponsor this bill, to vote for it in the House and to see it move to the President’s desk,” said Cummings. “Bob Ball was a man who dedicated his career to defending and strengthening Social Security and who helped to expand the safety net for our nation’s seniors by aiding in the creation of Medicare. He was committed to the principle that Social Security was a contract between generations, ensuring that seniors could avoid poverty in their later years.  I cannot imagine a better tribute to such a man than that his name be permanently attached to the building where Social Security operates.”

 

Robert Ball was described by American Scholar magazine in 2005 as Social Security’s “biggest thinker, longest-serving commissioner and undisputed spiritual leader” and as “Social Security's chief advocate and defender.”

 

“Robert Ball was one of the unsung heroes of the 20th Century.  His commitment to ensuring the success of the Social Security program is unparalleled,” said Senator Cardin, who pushed for passage of the bill in the Senate.  “His skill and knowledge was also instrumental in the creation of Medicare.  It is most fitting that we name the Robert M. Ball Federal Building in honor of the man whose expertise and understanding of the Social Security program helped ensure that millions of seniors and disabled individuals would no longer live in poverty.”

 

“Social Security is a reliable, undeniable benefit. It is a lifelong benefit, an inflation-proof benefit, an earned benefit. Bob Ball committed his life to protecting and strengthening that benefit, and I can think of no better way to honor him than naming the Social Security building after him,” Senator Mikulski said.

Robert “Bob” Ball started working for the newly formed Social Security Board in 1939 as a field assistant in Newark, New Jersey.  In 1949, Mr. Ball was appointed Assistant Director of the Bureau of Old Age and Survivors Insurance.  He was subsequently promoted to Deputy Director and then Acting Director.

 

Ball was the architect of the 1950 amendments raising benefits and expanding Social Security coverage to more Americans, including such groups as the self-employed, and making it easier for these groups to begin to qualify for benefits. He also helped draft the legislation establishing Social Security disability benefits in 1956 and helped Congress secure its passage even though the Eisenhower administration opposed this change. In 1957, Ball helped Representative Aime Forand draft a bill that was essentially the forerunner of Medicare.  Ball continued to advocate for health insurance for seniors from that time until Medicare’s eventual passage in 1965. For this and his subsequent work supporting the implementation of the Medicare program, he is also known as the father of Medicare.

 

President John F. Kennedy appointed Robert M. Ball as Commissioner of Social Security in 1962, a post in which he diligently served longer than anyone else prior or since. A decade after his appointment, Mr. Ball helped develop the 1972 amendments that linked benefits to inflation, ensuring that Social Security would never fail to meet basic needs.

Rep Lee’s newly redesigned website contains new features such as:

 

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, released the following statement on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus in support of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act:

“With poverty and childhood obesity on the rise, this legislation achieves the twin goals of expanding the pool of needy children who are eligible for school nutrition programs while establishing healthier meal guidelines for American schools.

“It is unfortunate that in order to pass The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act it comes at the expense of future Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program funding. As more Americans slip into poverty and unemployment remains at painfully high levels, we should not have to choose between feeding poor children or their parents at a time that some in Congress argue for a $700 billion tax cut for the wealthiest Americans.

“We know that President Obama and the Congressional Black Caucus share the same concerns and have the same commitment to protect vital human needs programs, especially in these difficult economic times. President Obama has given us his guarantee that these cuts will be restored in the future and that he will reiterate his commitment to do so.”

 

Cummings Receives Coast Guard Award  

"And I would hope that my colleagues across the aisle, we've been talking about Pigford for years. If there is fraud, where is your proof? Madame Speaker, I say today that there is no fraud. The courts have put in every single hoop they can put in for black farmers to jump through. It is time for us to pay these people their just due. With that, I yield back." 

Congresswoman Lee Calls for Investigation of Voting Fraud Allegations in Haiti

Congresswoman Waters Calls on Ethics Committee to Reschedule Hearing Immediately

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) delivered the following statement outside the House Administration Committee room, where her ethics hearing originally scheduled for today was supposed to take place:

“Good morning and thank you for being here.

As you know, my hearing was scheduled for this morning at 9am, and I am here because I am, as I have always been, eager for my opportunity to have my day before the adjudicatory subcommittee. I am disappointed that the committee has chosen not to hold my hearing.

Since it has been canceled, I, like you, am looking for answers.

Ten days ago, the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct canceled the hearing that was scheduled for today and has not given me any indication on where or when the hearing will be rescheduled. The reason that was given by the committee, the discovery of so-called new evidence, is unacceptable and defies common logic. In fact, to call it a ‘reason’ is being too kind; it was nothing more than an excuse.

The truth is, the detailed and continuous analysis of committee rules and precedent, and the plain facts of this case established by me and my legal team, reveal only one thing: no benefit, no improper action, no failure to disclose, no one influenced, no case.

I have been denied basic due process.

-        The Office of Congressional Ethics referred their investigation to the Ethics Committee in August 2009 – almost one and a half years ago.
-        In October 2009, the Ethics Committee voted to empanel a subcommittee.
-        The Statement of Alleged Violation adopted by the subcommittee was transmitted to the full committee on June 15, more than five months ago.
-        The committee made the SAV public on August 2nd, 17 weeks ago.
-        The committee announced the hearing on October 7th, 53 days ago.
-        And then suddenly, 10 days ago, with no notice, and no real reason, they canceled it.

All of this is to say that the Ethics Committee had ample time to prepare their case against me. As I stated just 10 days ago, I believe this cancelation demonstrates in no uncertain terms the weakness of their case against me.

I had consistently called on the committee to schedule the hearing before the November elections and that request went unanswered. Ironically, the Republican Members of the committee shared my view, so much so that they were willing to break their own rules in order to share their frustration. Now they have seemed to reverse their course, and joined with the other members of the committee to delay the hearing.

Despite these setbacks, my legal team and I have acted in an open, transparent and accountable manner at every step along the way. We have participated fully in the Committee process, including the timely filing of motions -- some of which went unanswered -- and the exchange of documents. We are fully prepared for this hearing.  Despite this, the committee has again denied me my opportunity to be heard. This type of behavior, lack of decency and professional decorum would not be accepted in a court of law, and it should not be accepted in the United States House of Representatives, the body responsible for making the laws.

So my message to the committee is simple: schedule my hearing before the end of the session or tell me, my constituents, and the American public the real reason for this delay. There is no legal, rules-based or common sense reason to delay this hearing any longer. I want this issue resolved immediately, and I want my constituents to know that the person they re-elected with 80 percent of the vote on November 2nd is doing exactly what they sent her here to do: fight for them.”