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Barbara Mikulski on Welfare & Poverty
Democratic Sr Senator (MD)
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Help middle class stay there; help others get there
The most important first step, Mikulski told her colleagues, was to clearly articulate their organizing principles. "The campaign themes that brought you here, such as 'a proven leader' or 'a voice for change' are not organizing principles," she
explained. "They won't help you decide which staff positions you need to fill first, or how to respond to constituent mail. Organizing principles define your overall goals or objectives as a senator. They should reflect your values, concerns, and
strengths.BAM'S PRINCIPLES- I am not only the senator from Maryland, but also the senator FOR Maryland.
- We must be committed to looking out for the day-to-day needs of Marylanders and the long-range needs of America.
- My economic purpose is
to help those who are middle class stay there, and to give those who are not middle class the chance to get there.
- Our constituents have a right to know, to be heard, and to be represented.
Source: Nine and Counting, by Catherine Whitney, p.120-121
, Jul 25, 2000
Voted YES on instituting National Service as a new social invention.
Congressional Summary:Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act: Adds to National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) purposes:- providing year-round opportunities in service-learning;
- involving program participants in emergency and disaster preparedness, relief, and recovery;
- increasing service opportunities for retiring professionals;
- encouraging service by individuals age 55 or older and continued service by national service alumni;
- focusing national service on the areas of national need.
Proponent's argument to vote Yes:Sen. BARBARA MIKULSKI (D, MD): [In developing national service over many years] we were not in the business of creating another new social program. What we were in the business of was creating a new social invention. What do I mean by that? In our country, we are known for our technological inventions. But also often overlooked, and sometimes undervalued, is our social inventions.
We created national service to let young people find opportunity to be of service and also to make an important contribution. But not all was rosy. In 2003, when I was the ranking member on the appropriations subcommittee funding national service, they created a debacle. One of their most colossal errors was that they enrolled over 20,000 volunteers and could not afford to pay for it. That is how sloppy they were in their accounting. I called them the "Enron of nonprofits."
And they worked on it. But all that is history. We are going to expand AmeriCorps activity into specialized corps. One, an education corps; another, a health futures corps; another, a veterans corps; and another called opportunity corps. These are not outside of AmeriCorps. They will be subsets because we find this is where compelling human need is and at the same time offers great opportunity for volunteers to do it.
Opponent's argument to vote No:No senators spoke against the amendment.
Reference: Serve America Act/GIVE Act;
Bill H.R. 1388
; vote number 2009-S115
on Mar 26, 2009
Voted YES on welfare block grants.
Replacement of federal welfare guarantee with block grants to the states.
Status: Conf Rpt Agreed to Y)78; N)21; NV)1
Reference: Conference Report on H.R. 3734;
Bill H.R. 3734
; vote number 1996-262
on Aug 1, 1996
Voted YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps.
Vote to not allow states the option of getting food stamp funds as a block grant administered by the state, rather than as a federal program, if they meet certain criteria.
Reference:
Bill S 1956
; vote number 1996-218
on Jul 23, 1996
Voted NO on allowing state welfare waivers.
Vote on a procedural motion to allow consideration of an amendment to express the Sense of Congress that the president should approve the waivers requested by states that want to implement welfare reform.
Reference:
Bill S.1956
; vote number 1996-208
on Jul 19, 1996
Voted YES on welfare overhaul.
Approval of an overhaul on the federal welfare system.
Status: Bill Passed Y)87; N)12; NV)1
Reference: Contract w/ America (Welfare Refm);
Bill H.R. 4
; vote number 1995-443
on Sep 19, 1995
Tax credits to promote home ownership in distressed areas.
Mikulski co-sponsored the Community Development Homeownership Tax Credit Act
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to permit a community homeownership tax credit based upon an applicable percentage of each qualified residence's eligible basis. Makes such credit available to residences (including factory built homes) located:
- in a census tract with a median gross income not exceeding 80 percent of the greater area or statewide median gross income;
- in a rural area;
- on an Indian reservation; or
- in an area of chronic economic distress.
Prohibits a buyer's income from exceeding 80 percent (70 percent for families of less than three) of the area gross median income and requires owner occupancy.
Source: Bill sponsored by 45 Senators 03-S875 on Apr 10, 2003
Page last updated: Aug 22, 2017