Oregon Watchdog: Smith Lists Top Priorities

OREGON U.S. SENATOR
GORDON SMITH
PRESS RELEASE: January 11, 2008
CONTACT: LINDSAY JACKSON, (202) 224-3753

Smith: Common Ground Key to Producing Results
Calls for action on kids healthcare, county payments, tax relief

January 11th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Oregon Senator Gordon Smith sees Democrats and Republicans finding common ground as the best way for Congress to approve funding for Oregon’s rural counties, extend tax relief and expand healthcare coverage for disadvantaged children, seniors and the uninsured – all priorities in the coming months.

“Congress needs to get back to the basics and get back to work. An end to partisanship and a return to partnership is the way to move forward on issues,” Smith said. “Better access to quality healthcare for the uninsured, tax relief, funding for our rural counties – these issues are too important to be bogged down in partisan gridlock.”

Top priorities include:

* Attaching the county payments safety net to any tax relief or funding bill being considered by Congress to ensure the greatest chance possible to approve an extension. Current funding will begin to run out this spring, forcing rural communities to cut support for schools, road maintenance and law enforcement officers.

* Permanently extending vital tax relief such as: a tax deduction for college tuition that saves 65,000 Oregon families $4,000 a year, tax credits that allow over 33,000 teachers in Oregon to defray the cost of classroom supplies paid for with personal money, and the extension of Research and Development tax incentives that encourage growth and competitiveness in Oregon’s thriving high-tech sector. The Senate Finance Committee is currently drafting legislation to extend this critical relief.

* Expanding health care for children of low-income families through the renewal of the State Children's Health Care Program (SCHIP). Senator Smith hopes the new program will extend coverage to 100,000 uninsured children in Oregon and 10 million nationwide. The reforms would also provide mental health coverage and prenatal care.

* Improving access to quality and affordable health insurance. Senator Smith is working on a bipartisan initiative that will help small businesses, where over half the nation’s uninsured are employed, gain access to affordable health coverage that will include the benefits that employees and their families want and need to stay healthy.

* Strengthening the quality of Medicare and identifying ways to achieve greater savings for seniors in Medicare’s prescription drug program. Senator Smith hopes to enact a number of legislative initiatives he has been working on to guarantee that low-income Medicare beneficiaries can access their medications. Senator Smith also will work to find a balanced solution to protect the future of the Medicare program while ensuring access to doctors for seniors.

Congress will reconvene for the second session of the 110th Congress later this month.
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