BLUMENTHAL, GRASSLEY, CASEY URGE HHS, CMS TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO MEDICAID COVERAGE FOR FORMER FOSTER YOUTH
(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.) today urged the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve access to Medicaid coverage for eligible former foster youth. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), young people who emancipated from foster care are eligible for Medicaid coverage up to age 26 – parity for former foster youth and other young adults who are eligible for coverage on their parents health plans until the same age. Unfortunately, many former foster youth are either unaware that they qualify for Medicaid coverage under this provision, or are unable to easily access this coverage.
To improve access to coverage, the senators urged HHS to:
- Collect and disseminate best practices to state child welfare agencies and state Medicaid agencies, particularly best methods used to effectively enroll young adults in traditional Medicaid programs;
- Clarify that the ACA requires states to enroll eligible former foster youth in traditional Medicaid programs, even in states that are not participating in Medicaid expansion;
- Consider deploying resources to ensure information about the Medicaid pathway is publicized directly to foster youth and institutions and networks that interact directly with teens and young adults.
The senators wrote: “Many current and former foster youth face extreme obstacles to success that include physical and mental health issues, as well as economic and housing instability. Multiple studies have found that between 35 and 60 percent of foster youth have at least one chronic or acute health condition that requires immediate and sustained treatment. These challenges can be compounded once they age out of care, and are further complicated by frequent moves that make it difficult for states to locate them and make them aware of the benefits available to them.”
The full text of the letter below, and a pdf copy is available for download here.
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Committee Passes Bill Restricting ISIS’ Ability to Profit from Antiquities Sales
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley today praised unanimous committee passage of a bill substantially similar to a bill he co-sponsored to restrict the ability of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to profit from the sale of looted antiquities.
“We need to destroy ISIS rather than support its funding,” Grassley said. “This bill will help by restricting the import of items to the United States. It’s a small but important step in hampering the ability of ISIS terrorists to profit from the sale of looted antiquities.”
The Committee on Foreign Relations passed a measure that gives the federal government the authority to impose import restrictions on Syrian antiquities, waiving the provisions of current law that require a request from the country of origin. The bill is similar to the Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act that Grassley and Sens. Bob Casey and David Perdue introduced last year. The committee-passed bill is based on a partner bill passed by the House of Representatives.
Grassley’s statement submitted to the committee record follows here.
Statement of Senator Charles E. Grassley
Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act
Business Meeting of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
January 28, 2016
Chairman Corker, Ranking Member Cardin, Members of the Committee:
I’d like to thank this Committee for taking up the “Protect and Preserve International Cultural Property Act.” This bill is critically important to ensure that the Administration has the authority to impose import restrictions on antiquities from Syria, which is a key source of funding for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
I joined Senator Casey and Senator Perdue to introduce a Senate companion to the House bill that would place trade restrictions against the importation of looted archeological and ethnological materials. It’s a similar measure to one that I won enactment of in 2003 when Iraq’s antiquities were being looted.
The brutal and barbaric acts carried out by ISIS are beyond comprehension. The senseless and inhumane brutality these individuals carried out against innocents is truly shocking and disgraceful. ISIS has executed thousands, including women and children. Many more have been kidnapped, enslaved, abused and raped.
ISIS is also destroying and selling the archeological heritage that has survived for thousands of years. It’s reprehensible that there are people engaged in a black market to buy these artifacts, thereby underwriting this brutal Islamist militant group.
The chaos and disorder in Syria and Iraq have opened the door to opportunists who wish to enrich themselves in dealing with stolen and looted antiquities. The least we can do, here in Congress, is shut down the U.S. market for these artifacts. Americans should not be underwriting brutality.
We need to put an end to the destruction and looting of irreplaceable artifacts and historical records like those from the Mosul Museum, Nineveh, and Nimrud. These objects are a material record of humanity.
We need to destroy ISIS rather than support its funding. This bill will help by restricting the import of items to the United States. It’s a small but important step in hampering the ability of ISIS terrorists to profit from the sale of looted antiquities.
I strongly support this bill and encourage members of this committee to support it as well. Thank you.
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Whistleblower Protection Amendment Earns Unanimous Support in Judiciary Committee
WASHINGTON – The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday unanimously approved an amendment coauthored by Chairman Chuck Grassley and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy to ensure that companies cannot intimidate whistleblowers by threatening them with lawsuits for trade secret theft.
Leahy and Grassley have long worked together to strengthen whistleblower protections. Their amendment, which was added to the bipartisan Defend Trade Secrets Act, protects whistleblowers who share confidential information in the course of reporting suspected illegal activity to law enforcement or when filing a lawsuit, provided they do so under seal.
“Too often, individuals who come forward to report wrongdoing in the workplace are punished for simply telling the truth. The amendment I championed with Senator Leahy ensures that these whistleblowers won’t be slapped with allegations of trade secret theft when responsibly exposing misconduct. It’s another way we can prevent retaliation and even encourage people to speak out when they witness violations of the law,” Chairman Grassley said.
“Whistleblowers serve an essential role in ensuring accountability. It is important that whistleblowers have strong and effective avenues to come forward without fear of intimidation or retaliation. The amendment I authored with Senator Grassley takes another important step in our bipartisan efforts to protect whistleblowers and promote accountability,” Ranking Member Leahy said.
The amendment is supported by the Government Accountability Project and the Project on Government Oversight.
The Defend Trade Secrets Act, coauthored by Senators Orrin Hatch and Chris Coons, was unanimously approved by the committee. Results and a webcast of Thursday’s executive business meeting can be found online.
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