New York City Insider: Espaillat, Committee Advance Six Bills to Strengthen the Social Safety Net and Build Healthier Communities.

 

PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release March 17, 2022

Espaillat, Committee Advance Six Bills to Strengthen the Social Safety Net and Build Healthier Communities. Members of the House Committee on Education and Labor Passed a Slate of Legislation to Promote Welfare of Workers and Families Around the Nation.   WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) and members of the House Committee on Education and Labor advanced six bills that would strengthen the social safety net and build healthier communities for all Americans. "As a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor, I was proud of the legislative slate my colleagues and I put forth to ensure protections and benefits for families in communities around the nation," said Rep. Espaillat. "It is up to each of us to ensure workers, students, and families have the protections and safety assurances they deserve."  “Our responsibility for the general welfare of the nation is the provision for safe and enriching communities. Regrettably, far too many students, workers, and families do not have access to the protections, support, and benefits they need to stay safe and healthy,” said Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03). “Taken together, the six proposals we advanced today are essential to improving the lives and livelihoods of people across the country. We must fulfill our commitment to strengthening the social safety net and building safer communities for all.” The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2022 would help disabled miners access the compensation and benefits for black lung disease to which they are entitled. The Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2022 advanced out of Committee by a vote of 28-22, with 0 Republicans supporting the bill.  The Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022 is a bipartisan proposal that would strengthen the Community Services Block Grant program to help local organizations reduce poverty in their communities. The Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022 advanced out of Committee by a vote of 36-14, with 8 Republicans supporting the bill.  The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 is a bipartisan proposal that would help federal firefighters receive the benefits they deserve by providing these heroic workers with a presumption that certain illnesses are work-related. The Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 advanced out of Committee by a vote of 31-18, with 4 Republicans supporting the bill.  The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act would lay the groundwork necessary to provide uniform data on school shootings to parents, policymakers, and the American public. This bill also creates a definition for “school shooting” for the first time in federal law. The School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act advanced out of Committee by a vote of 27-21, with 0 Republicans supporting the bill.   The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2022 would help longshore and harbor workers diagnosed with COVID-19 access compensation and benefits. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2022 advanced out of Committee by a vote of 27-21, with 0 Republicans supporting the bill. The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act of 2022 is a bipartisan proposal that would expand federal employees’ access to workers’ compensation by restoring their choice of medical provider. The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act of 2022 advanced out of Committee by voice vote.   Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.