U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN MARCIA FUDGE'S MARCH 6, 2013 NEWSLETTER FROM EMAIL:
DEAR FRIENDS,
I would like to take this opportunity to update you on two very important and timely issues confronting the 11th Congressional District and our nation. If you would like more information on these topics or any other federal issue or program, please call my district office at 216-522-4900, send me an email through the Contact Form on my website, http://www.fudge.house.gov/ or send a letter through the mail. The addresses for my district office in Warrensville Heights and in Washington are located at the bottom of this page.
Sincerely,
Automatic Spending Cuts (Sequestration)
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| At a recent meeting of SEIU Local 1199 in Cleveland, I answered questions about the impact of automatic budget cuts |
On Friday, March 1st, the federal government will begin to implement mandatory, across-the-board cuts to federal programs, known as sequestration. These cuts, totaling $85 billion, will harm Ohio families, our men and women in uniform and thwart efforts to grow our nation's economy. This is not the prescription to move our country forward. I fully support enacting a balanced approch of responsible cuts, increased revenues and growth with jobs. We must eliminate wasteful spending in the tax code that only serves the interests of Big Oil, big corporations and the wealthiest individuals. I have joined with my colleagues to call on the House Republican leadership to do what is right for our families, as well as the nation’s economy and security and take action this week on a balanced plan to avert these damaging and mindless spending cuts. Too much is at stake. With every passing day, the security of Ohio families, some of our most vulnerable citizens and the safety of our neighborhoods are in jeopardy.
I would like to emphasize that some programs are specifically exempt from sequestration. Benefits to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid recipients will not be reduced. Veterans benefits, Pell Grants, SNAP (food stamps) are also exempt. However thousands of other federal programs, including vital safety net programs and the Department of Defense will be mandated by law to make immediate and indiscriminate cuts. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has projected that the spending cuts could reduce U.S. economic growth in half and result in the loss of more than 700,000 jobs in 2013. The Obama Administration has prepared a state-by-state summary of the impact of sequestration.
Please click here for a summary of the impact of automatic cuts in Ohio
Restore our Neighborhoods Act of 2013 Introduced
Last week, I was pleased to introduce the Restore Our Neighborhoods Act of 2013* with my Ohio colleagues, Representatives Marcy Kaptur and Dave Joyce. This bill would authorize up to $4 billion in new bond allocation for states to help fund demolition. The tax credit bonds, essentially interest-free loans to states, can then be issued directly by the states or states can allow land banks to issue them. Proceeds from the sale of the bonds would fund demolition. The legislation would also free up funds in the Hardest Hit Fund Program for demolition purposes. Of $570 million allocated to Ohio, $300 million currently remains unused.
Our communities are still reeling from the housing crisis and cannot fix this problem alone. Other homeowners continue to suffer the consequences of lower property values and blight in their neighborhoods. Cleveland alone has more than 9,000 vacant and abandoned homes in need of demolition. I will work hard for this legislation to pass. It will not increase the federal budget deficit and more importantly, we know enhanced resources for demolition can be a powerful tool to rebuild neighborhoods. In Flint, Michigan, the community invested $3.5 million in bonds and preserved $112 million in property value. It’s time to put that model to work for Ohio and the rest of the nation.
Constituent Mailbag
"I was fighting Social Security for 3 years to get back payments and you got it done in two weeks. Your staff was terrific. I was a victim of stolen identity and Social Security kept finding reasons to hold up benefits that were rightly mine. I was extremely delighted to get the $22,000 I was owed. Thank you!"
Dan
Cleveland
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