The Serrano Report

Op-Ed

THE SERRANO REPORT

House Passes Pay Fairness Bill

On Thursday, the House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1338, by a vote of 247 to 178. This bill would help to reduce the pay disparity between men and women by closing loopholes that have allowed employers to continue to underpay women years after the Congress passed the Equal Pay Act.

The bill gives women new tools to address these pay inequities. It would create a new grant program to improve the bargaining skills of young women to put them on a more equal footing when they negotiate compensation. It also requires the Department of Labor to reach out to employers to make them more aware of pay disparities and ways of eliminating discrimination in pay. In addition to these provisions the bill would remove a previous cap on the damages women could receive when they have been discriminated against.

"To have such disparity in pay is un-American," said Congressman Serrano after voting in favor of the measure. "This represents a major victory not just for women, but for all Americans. Although we have made tremendous strides towards equality in this nation we still have a long way to go. I'm proud to have cosponsored this legislation and I commend Representative Rosa DeLauro for championing such an important piece of legislation."

The bill will now be sent to the Senate, which is working on its own version of the bill.

House Passes Veterans Affairs and Military Construction Appropriations Bill

On Friday morning, the House passed its first appropriations bill for fiscal year 2009, a $119 billion measure to provide appropriations for the Department of Veterans Affairs and for military construction. The House voted 409-4 to pass the bill, H.R. 6599.

Among its provisions the bill provides increased funding for the Veterans Health Administration, including assistance for homeless vets, increased funding to address substance abuse and mental health issues, and an increase in funding for prosthetic research. In addition to these programs, the bill includes $5 billion to maintain and renovate existing facilities, and $1.9 billion for new construction of veterans facilities.

"Whatever your stance on the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is critical that we provide the best services for our brave men and women currently serving our country and those who have done so in the past," said Serrano after voting for the measure. "This bill continues the work this Congress has done to improve the health and well being of our servicemen and women. The priorities in this legislation show that we have recognized the importance of providing funding to help those who have served our country once they have completed their service and returned home."

The Senate is currently working on its own version of the Veterans Affairs and Military Construction bill for fiscal year 2009.
In the Bronx

"Shipwrecks, Doubloons, and Burial Pits"

Yesterday, Congressman Serrano's office hosted "Shipwrecks, Doubloons, and Burial Pits: An Archaeologist's View of South Bronx History", a briefing on recent archaeological finds and the history of the South Bronx waterfront. Mike Cohn, an archaeologist, local historian, and Kingsbridge resident, briefed residents and local businesspeople on the archaeological significance of the South Bronx and how to incorporate archaeological information into community planning.

Mr. Cohn is past president of the Metropolitan Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Society and spent 22 years as a senior instructor at the Brooklyn Children's Museum. He is the author of several books, including Black Men of the Sea, as well as studies of Viking explorers and Jewish life in Germany. He also wrote the forward to The Endless Search for the HMS Hussar, the definitive study of the efforts to locate and raise the British frigate, which capsized off the coastline of Port Morris in 1779.

Image: Mike Cohn speaking during the event
Mike Cohn speaking during the archaeology and Bronx history event

Grant Opportunities

Crime Reduction Grant

Application Deadline: September 9, 2008

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) recently announced the availability of funds to prevent, control and reduce violent crime, drug and criminal activity. The Weed and Seed initiative is a multi-agency partnership between community based organizations and law enforcement, including neighborhood police departments and the local U.S. Attorney's Office. The program is designed for neighborhoods where crime persists at high levels. Grant applicants should seek to improve the quality of life for residents by using existing community resources to address social and criminal problems. State and local governments, and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply.

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