Americans worry most about their lack of work. When family members gather around the kitchen table at night, all too many agonize about whether they will have a job tomorrow, and how they'll make their mortgage and pay their bills. The last thing Americans need is another burden on their shoulders. This is why we should put an immediate end to the bickering, pass an increase to the debt ceiling and then immediately refocus our attention on job creation. It is our moral responsibility as lawmakers to stay at the negotiating table until we address these challenges.

Over 20 years ago, President Reagan said: "The full consequences of a default - or even the serious prospect of default - by the United States are impossible to predict and awesome to contemplate. Denigration of the full faith and credit of the United States would have substantial effects on the domestic financial markets and the value of the dollar." That's why presidents and Congress have always acted responsibly and raised the debt ceiling when necessary to pay America's debts, including seven times under President George W. Bush and 17 times under President Reagan.

President Obama has demonstrated a sincere willingness to compromise by bringing Republicans and Democrats to the table, even when his own party thought he was going too far and giving away too much. The President did what he believes is in the best interest of the American people. Like his predecessors before him, he understands the vital necessity of raising the debt ceiling.

Failing a "grand deal," Congress should immediately pass a clean increase of the debt ceiling to pay our bills. The vote would ensure that our nation pays its obligations -- giving Americans and investors the confidence that the full faith and credit of the United States still means something. But more importantly, it would provide the President and the Congress an opportunity to truly focus its attention on job creation and reigning in our long term debt.

We all understand that our nation's long-term debt must be addressed in order to retain stability in our financial markets and our household economies. That's why Democrats have offered up serious proposals that include trillions of dollars in strategic cuts, but also provide for the revenues we'll need to invest in the future. The Republican plan to simply "cut our way to prosperity," will not work.

Democrats have a plan to create a cutting-edge economy that works for everyone and puts America ahead of the competition. We want to grow innovation to jumpstart new industries like clean energy; rebuild economic infrastructure like roads, bridges and ports; and provide education and job training to help middle class people get good jobs. It is time for true leadership on jobs.

As leaders, we owe it to the American people to end the political posturing, address the crisis facing our nation, and then remain at the negotiating table to focus on the top priorities for American families: jobs and fiscal security. In doing so, we will relieve countless households of the heavy burden of unemployment, and finally restore dignity to the American people and to ourselves.

Before Medicare, nearly half of American seniors were forced to go without coverage because insurance companies were reluctant to insure them -- making the chances of having health insurance as a senior the same as getting tails on a coin flip.

Today marks the 45th anniversary of the implementation of Medicare. Thanks to Medicare nearly all American seniors now have health care coverage. Additionally, Medicare played a role in dropping the rate of poverty among seniors by nearly 75 percent.

Yet as we celebrate this anniversary, Republicans are willing to risk all of the progress we've made. This year, House Republicans voted to end Medicare, reduce benefits, and increase health care costs for seniors. Their plan puts the burden of cutting the deficit on the backs of American seniors to protect tax giveaways for big oil and companies that ship U.S. jobs overseas.

Here are five important things to know about the GOP plan to end Medicare:

1. The GOP plan for Medicare is to end it:
Americans count on the guaranteed benefits they paid for under Medicare. The GOP plan ends that guaranteed benefit and replaces it with a limited payment that goes directly to health insurance companies. The payment only covers a portion of health care costs, leaving seniors and their families on their own to cover the rest.

2. An average 40-year-old would need to save $350,000 more to pay for health care under the GOP plan:
Think health care costs are already high? Under the GOP plan, private insurance costs to seniors would skyrocket. For example, according the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR), a 40-year-old would need to save almost $350,000 more before retiring just to pay for the increased costs under the GOP plan.

3. Out-of-pocket costs would skyrocket:
The GOP plan would more than double out-of-pocket costs for seniors. This means that in 2022 a typical 65 year-old would pay an additional $6,000 a year for health care.

4. It shifts costs to seniors:
Under the GOP plan, the size of each senior's voucher would increase each year, but not by enough to cover the increase in the cost of health care. This means that over time the vouchers would cover less and less of seniors' health care costs, leaving seniors on their own to pay for the rest.

5. It increases the age of eligibility:
Hard working Americans who have paid into the Medicare system for decades on the guarantee that they would be able to enroll at 65 will be forced to wait an additional two years until the age of 67 to even get the limited voucher.

Democrats will continue to fight to protect and strengthen Medicare -- just as we have done continuously for the 45 years since we created it.

(The 5 Things To Know About the GOP Plan for Medicare was also cross-posted on the House Democrats blog.)

Starting today, insurers will be required to:

• Keep you covered when you get sick: Simple mistakes or typos will no longer be grounds for insurance companies to cancel your insurance.
• Cover kids with pre-existing conditions: Your kids can no longer be denied health coverage just because they have a pre-existing condition like hay fever, asthma, or previous sports injuries. This protection extends to all plans, except "grandfathered" plans in the individual market.
• Allow young adults to stay on their parents' plan up to age 26: Even if their first few jobs don't provide health benefits, your kids can still remain covered by your insurance.
• Remove lifetime limits: You will no longer need to worry about your health insurer limiting the amount of coverage available through their plan if you face an expensive medical condition. This will help Americans who develop chronic conditions from taking drastic measures to avoid medical bankruptcy.
• Phase out annual limits: Many plans include annual dollar limits on how much medical coverage can be obtained per year. On all non-"grandfathered" plans in the individual market, these limits will be phased out over the next three years.

For any insurance plan that goes into effect after September 23, 2010, your insurance company must:

• Pay for preventive care like mammograms and immunizations: Addressing problems before they start can help keep you healthier, and new insurance plans will now cover many preventative tests and immunizations without any copayment.
• Give you a better appeals process for insurance claims: Now you'll have a guaranteed and fair path to help you receive the benefits you paid for if insurance companies deny your claim.
• Let you choose your own doctor: Health reform makes it clear that you can choose any available participating primary care provider as your provider, and any available participating pediatrician to be your child's primary care provider.
• Provide easier access to OB-GYN services: Women will no longer be required to have a referral from a primary care provider before seeking coverage for obstetrical or gynecological (OB-GYN) care from a participating OB-GYN specialist.
• Allow you to use the nearest emergency room without penalty: If an emergency arises while you're away, you will no longer have to drive home to your in-network provider to receive in-network benefits.

Many other new benefits of the law have already taken effect, including rebate checks for seniors in the donut hole and tax credits for small businesses. Keep watching, as more rights, protections and benefits for Americans are on the way now through 2014.

To learn more about how health care reform is helping you, visit healthcare.gov.

(The 10 major new health reform benefits take effect today was also cross-posted on the House Democrats blog.)

For eight years, Wall Street played Russian roulette with America's future while Republicans in Congress and President Bush looked the other way.  This law ends bailouts for big Wall Street banks and protects consumers and the financial system from the damaging practices that got us into this mess.

Here are 10 ways the new law will help consumers like you:


1. Clear and Accurate Financial Information: A new consumer bureau will ensure American consumers get the clear, accurate information they need to shop for mortgages, credit cards, student loans, and other financial products, and protect them from hidden fees, abusive terms, unfair terms and deceptive practices.  
    
2. Access to Your Credit Score: Consumers will now have free access to their credit score, if their score negatively affects them in a financial transaction or a hiring decision.
    
3. End of Unfair Lending Practices: The financial incentives for subprime loans that encourage lenders to steer borrowers into more costly loans will be prohibited, along with the pre-payment penalties that trapped so many borrowers in unaffordable loans.
    
4. Consumer Hotline: Creates a national consumer complaint hotline so consumers will have, for the first time, a single, toll-free number to report problems with financial products and services.
    
5. Reduced Debit Card "Swipe Fees": Businesses can't be charged extra for debit card "swipe fees" beyond the cost of processing those transactions. This could save American small businesses billions of dollars each year, savings which can then be passed along to consumers in the form of lower prices.
    
6. Trusted Investment Advice: Brokers who offer investment advice will have to act in the best interests of consumers, not their own financial interests.
    
The law also includes several programs to help homeowners and those considering purchasing a home:


7. End of Mortgage Abuses: The law eliminates many of the hidden fees and abusive practices that trapped so many families with loans they could not afford to repay, resulting in record foreclosures.
    
8. Emergency Mortgage Relief: Building on a successful Pennsylvania program, the law provides $1 billion for bridge loans to qualified unemployed homeowners with reasonable prospects for reemployment to help cover mortgage payments until they are reemployed.
    
9. Banks Must Disclose Risk of Mortgages: Lenders must disclose the maximum a consumer could pay on a variable rate mortgage, with a warning that payments will vary based on interest rate changes.
    
10. Expanded Consumer Protections for High-Cost Mortgages: The law expands the protections available under federal rules on high-cost loans -- lowering the interest rate and the points and fee triggers that define high cost loans.

10 Ways New Wall Street Reform Law Will Help You was also cross-posted to the House Democrats Blog

This morning, in a hearing with BP CEO Tony Hayward, Joe Barton, Republican Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, apologized to BP about the $20 billion accountability fund the White House had them establish to pay claims to the victims of the spill. He said,

"I think it is a tragedy of the first proportion that a private corporation can be subjected to what I would characterize as a shakedown, in this case a $20 billion shakedown."

A tragedy that BP should be held responsible for the damage they've done to our environment and our communities? Really?!?!?

Michelle Bachman, a Republican from Minnesota, called the fund a "redistribution of wealth fund." Yes - a redistribution of wealth from a rich oil company to American families whose livelihood and environment the company has put at risk. And, Congressman Tom Price of Georgia, the Chairman of the Republican Study Committee, also came down on the side of the BP.

Republicans even held a news conference to demand MORE offshore drilling as oil continues gushing into the Gulf.

Democrats are working to ensure an effective federal response that assists impacted communities and holds BP - not the taxpayer - accountable.

Democrats are on the side of the families living on the Gulf Coast who have faced more than their share of tragedy. 50 Democratic Members of Congress told BP to halt their dividend payments. Along with continued pressure from the White House, BP finally announced that they would suspend payouts to their shareholders for the year and create a $20 billion escrow fund instead to pay for the economic and environmental costs of the oil spill.

Cross-posted on the House Democrats Blog

Yes, participation in the 2010 census is vital and required by law.

By being counted, you're helping your community secure the resources and representation it needs and deserves.  Accurate data reflecting changes in your community are crucial in deciding how almost $450 billion in federal funding per year is allocated for projects like new hospitals, roads, job training centers, and schools.  That's more than $4 trillion over a 10-year period.  Census data also determine apportionment in the U.S. House of Representatives and state legislatures.

What happens if I don't respond? Will I be fined or punished in any way?

Although the law makes it a crime not to answer the decennial census, the American Community Survey and other mandatory censuses, and authorizes the courts to impose a fine of up to $5,000 for failure to respond, the Census Bureau views this approach as a last resort. Instead, the Bureau will make every effort to help all Americans respond to this simple questionnaire.

How do I obtain a census job?

The Census Bureau is recruiting temporary, part-time census takers for the 2010 census. These short-term jobs offer good pay, flexible hours, paid training, and reimbursement for authorized work-related expenses, such as mileage incurred while conducting census work.  Best of all, census takers work right in their own communities.

Most hiring will take place in April 2010 and most census takers will work for six to eight weeks, starting May 1 and continuing through June and possibly into early July, again depending on how quickly the door-to-door visits are completed in each area.  Job offers depend on several factors, such as the availability of work in your community, test score, language skills, veterans' preference, and the number of hours you are available to work each week.

To apply for a census job, call your Local Census Office and schedule an appointment to take the employment test. Use the Bureau's interactive map to find the local phone number of the nearest Local Census Office.

You may also call the Census Bureau's toll-free Jobs Line at 1-866-861-2010.  TTY users should call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339. You can also access the application materials at:  http://2010.census.gov/2010censusjobs/application-material/index.php.  There is a Practice Test on the website, as well.  Please bring your completed application, I-9 Form, and proper identification to your scheduled testing session.  Do not mail your application or I-9 Form. Applications must be submitted in person, on the day of your employment test.

How do I know my information is confidential?

By law, the Census Bureau cannot share respondents' answers with anyone, including the IRS, FBI, CIA, local authorities, or any other government agency.  All Census Bureau employees take an oath of nondisclosure and are sworn for life to protect the confidentiality of the data.  The penalty for unlawful disclosure is a fine of up to $250,000, imprisonment of up to 5 years, or both.

The Department of Justice has also concluded that provisions of the USA Patriot Act that pertain to the gathering and sharing of information do not override federal confidentiality laws when it comes to the census.

Why am I being asked about my personal information, such as my sex, age, race, and whether or not I am a homeowner?

Census questions are determined in response to the data needs of federal, state, local, and tribal governments.  The Bureau asks questions that will help us obtain some basic information necessary for apportionment (determining how many representatives each state gets) and redistricting (determining the boundaries for congressional districts within a state, in accordance with the Voting Rights Act).  Additionally, census information is used in federal, state, and local programs to allocate hundreds of billions of dollars every year in funding.

Sex: Census data on gender are important because many federal programs must differentiate between males and females for funding, implementing and evaluating their programs.  For instance, laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women require census data on gender.  Also, sociologists, economists, and other researchers who analyze social and economic trends use the data.  The question has been asked since 1790.

Age: Federal, state, and local governments need data about age to interpret most social and economic characteristics, such as forecasting the number of people eligible for Social Security and Medicare benefits.  The data are widely used in planning and evaluating government programs and policies that provide funds or services for children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population.  The question has been asked since 1800.

Race and Hispanic origin: Race and Hispanic origin status (which is considered an ethnicity under federal guidelines) are key to implementing many federal laws and are needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act.  State governments use the data to determine congressional, state and local voting districts. Race data are also used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitor racial disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to plan and obtain funds for public services.  The question has been asked since 1790.

Homeownership: Homeownership rates serve as an indicator of the state of the nation's economy.  The data are used to administer housing programs and to inform planning decisions.  In addition, owner versus renter status gives the Census Bureau an important tool for evaluating the accuracy of the census and improving counting operations, because post-census analyses have consistently shown that renters are far more likely to be missed in the census than homeowners.  The question has been asked since 1890.

Why are illegal immigrants being counted?

The Census Bureau is mandated by the Constitution to count everyone who lives in this country, regardless of immigration or citizenship status.  Federal courts and Solicitors General from both Republican and Democratic Administrations have consistently upheld this interpretation of the Constitution's 'census clause.'  The person filling out the questionnaire should include information about all household members (including him/herself) who live and sleep at the address most of the time.

What does the 2010 census consist of?

The 2010 census form asks just 10 questions and comes in a package from the Census Bureau along with a postage-paid envelope.  Any request for census information from the Census Bureau will be clearly identified as coming from the U.S. Census Bureau and as OFFICIAL BUSINESS of the United States.

When is my census questionnaire due?

The Census Bureau asks people to mail back their forms by April 1, but there is plenty of time to do so.  Households that mail back a form by about April 19 will not be visited by a census taker when census workers start going door-to-door for non-response follow-ups.

If the Census Bureau does not receive the completed questionnaire by mail, beginning May 1, a census worker will visit your home to obtain the information.  All census takers carry official government badges marked with their name.  You may also ask them for a picture ID from another source to confirm their identity.  Some census workers might carry a "U.S. Census Bureau" bag.  

If you still are not certain about their identity, please call your Local Census Office or appropriate Regional Census Center toll-free number to confirm they're employed by the Census Bureau.  (Phone numbers for all of these offices are posted on the 2010 census website, 2010.census.gov.)  Most importantly, census takers will NEVER, under any circumstances, ask to enter your home.

What do I do if I don't receive a questionnaire?

Forty million households in low-responding census tracts are receiving replacement forms in the first two weeks of April.  You can determine if your home or community will receive a second form by visiting the CUNY Census 2010 Hard-to-Count Mapping Website at www.CensusHardToCountMaps.org.  If you do not receive a replacement form, you can call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance lines (starting April 12) at 1-866-872-6868.  (If you prefer a Spanish-speaking operator, then dial 1-866-928-2010).  

Census questionnaires are also available at "Be Counted" centers in your local community.  To find a nearby "Be Counted" center where you can pick up a form, visit http://2010.census.gov/2010census/take10map/ and:

• Click "Find a Questionnaire Assistance Center"
• Type in your Zip Code
• Click the blue and white push pins to see the day/hours of operation for the Questionnaire Assistance Center of your choice.

Please also be aware that the Census Bureau is not delivering census forms to P.O. boxes.  Instead, it will be delivering forms to individual's physical addresses.  If you do not receive your census form by April 12, please call the number above or stop by a "Be Counted" center.  Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Be Counted sites will close after April 19.

I've gotten more than one piece of mail that appears to be a census form. How can I tell which one is real?

One possibility is that your address was also selected to be part of the American Community Survey.  The American Community Survey (ACS), which replaced the decennial census long form, provides communities with detailed population and housing characteristics every year instead of once every 10 years like the decennial census.  Households in the ACS sample must respond both to that survey and the 2010 census.  The 2010 census and the American Community Survey are both vitally important in ensuring that your community receives its fair share of government funding for education, transportation, neighborhood improvements, and much more.

Another possibility is that you've received a fraudulent form from organizations posing as the Census Bureau.  Please know that any request for census information from the Census Bureau will be clearly identified as coming from the U.S. Census Bureau and as OFFICIAL BUSINESS of the United States.  If you still are not certain about origin of the mail, please call your Local Census Office or appropriate Regional Census Center toll-free number to confirm.  (Phone numbers for all of these offices are posted on the 2010 census website, 2010.census.gov.)

(2010 Census: Answers to the Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions was also crossposted to the House Democratic Caucus blog.)

As you file your 2009 income taxes, you may qualify for a series of new tax cuts that were established through the Recovery Act. You could, for example, save money for attending college, making energy-saving home improvements, purchasing a home for the first time, or buying a new car.

Here are some of the new tax credits available through the Recovery Act that you may be eligible for:

• The Making Work Pay tax credit - Ninety-five percent of working families are already receiving the Recovery Act's Making Work Pay tax credit of $400 for an individual or $800 for married couples filing jointly in their 2009 paychecks - and will continue to see these benefits in 2010.
• Tax credits for college expenses - Families and students are eligible for up to $2,500 in tax savings under the American Opportunity Credit as well as enhanced benefits under 529 college savings plans, which help families and students pay for college expenses.
• The Homebuyers tax credit - Homebuyers can get a credit - up to $8,000 for first-time home buyers and up to $6,500 for upgrade homebuyers - for homes under contract by April 30, 2010 and purchased by June 30, 2010 under the Homebuyer tax credit. Over 1.7 million households have already taken advantage of the First Time Homebuyers tax credit.
• Tax credits for energy efficient renovations - Taxpayers are eligible for up to $1,500 in tax credits for making energy-efficient improvements to their homes, such as adding insulation and installing energy efficient windows.
• The vehicle sales tax deduction - Taxpayers can deduct the state and local sales taxes they paid for new vehicles purchased from Feb. 17, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009 under the vehicle sales tax deduction.
• Expanded family tax credits - Moderate income families with children may be eligible for an increase in the Earned Income Tax Credit and the additional Child Tax Credit.
• Tax-free unemployment benefits- Thanks to the Recovery Act, individuals who received unemployment insurance in 2009 do not have to pay taxes on the first $2,400 of such earnings.

To find out what tax cuts you may qualify for, check the White House online tax calculator.

(Crossposted on the House Democratic Caucus Blog)

• Prohibit pre-existing condition exclusions for children in all new plans;


• Provide immediate access to insurance for uninsured Americans who are uninsured because of a pre-existing condition through a temporary high-risk pool;


• Prohibit dropping people from coverage when they get sick in all individual plans;


• Lower seniors' prescription drug prices by beginning to close the donut hole;


• Offer tax credits to small businesses to purchase coverage;


• Eliminate lifetime limits and restrictive annual limits on benefits in all plans;


• Require plans to cover an enrollee's dependent children until age 26;


• Require new plans to cover preventive services and immunizations without cost-sharing;


• Ensure consumers have access to an effective internal and external appeals process to appeal new insurance plan decisions;


• Require premium rebates to enrollees from insurers with high administrative expenditures and require public disclosure of the percent of premiums applied to overhead costs.

By enacting these provisions right away, and others over time, we will be able to lower costs for everyone and give all Americans and small businesses more control over their health care choices.