Spectator NZ

Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last week, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed the bipartisan Equal Pay for Team USA Act, led by U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), along with Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.). The legislation would ensure equal pay for all Americans who represent the United States in global athletic competitions, like the World Cup and Olympics, regardless of gender. The bill must now pass the House.

“When American athletes compete on the world stage, they represent our great nation, our people, and our values. It is only right that the women competing for the United States in global athletic competitions receive the same kind of pay and benefits as their male counterparts. This is an issue we can address together, not as Democrats and Republicans, but as Americans, and I’m proud to join Senator Cantwell in pushing to get this legislation across the finish line,” Senator Capito said.

“The Equal Pay for Team USA Act requires the U.S. Olympic Committee and the governing bodies to provide the same pay, medical care, and coverage of expenses to U.S. athletes regardless of gender – or risk decertification,” Senator Cantwell said. “By passing the bill out of the Senate, we’re sending a message to all the young girls who dream of a future in sports – you will get equal pay for your success. I will continue to push the House to get this finally passed into law.”

“The joy of sports depends on an even playing field, but our athletes shouldn’t have to fight to get the same pay for the same work,” Senator Klobuchar said. “That’s why I’m proud to have worked on the bipartisan Equal Pay for Team USA Act. With this bill, we have a chance to walk the walk and show the world that the U.S. values all of our athletes. There’s no reason any athlete with ‘U-S-A’ written on their uniform should bring home a smaller paycheck just because of their gender.”

“The female athletes that compete under the American flag on the global stage have worked and trained just as hard as their male counterparts, and should be compensated equally. In my home state of Wyoming, proudly known as the Equality State, we have a long history of trailblazing equality among men and women. I am proud to join Senators Cantwell, Capito, and Klobuchar to ensure equality for our female athletes and I am pleased to see this legislation one step closer to becoming law,” Senator Lummis said.

“U.S. women have been at the forefront of the modern Olympic and Paralympic movements for more than 120 years. Female Olympians and Paralympians have trained, excelled, and inspired generations of girls. The Equal Pay for Team USA Act will build upon the USOPC’s established commitment to parity in its support of female and male athletes competing on behalf of the United States, and it will help America continue to lead in advancing equality and opportunity in international sport,” Sarah Hirshland, CEO of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee said.

“At U.S. Soccer, we’re immensely proud of the work we did with our Women’s and Men’s National Teams to achieve equal pay. The U.S. Senate has sent a clear message that this is the standard for all national teams in all sports and it underscores the importance of working with our athletes to achieve equal pay including equalizing international prize money,” Cindy Parlow Cone, President of the U.S. Soccer Federation said.

Currently, men and women can be, and in many cases are, paid differently for representing Team USA in the same sport. In 2019, when the world-champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (USWNT) sued for equal pay, Sens. Cantwell and Capito teamed up to introduce a bipartisan bill that amplified the chorus of voices demanding equal pay for Team USA.

In September, Senators Capito and Cantwell joined leaders of U.S. Soccer, USWNT, the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team (USMNT) and Seattle OL Reign player Megan Rapinoe, for the signing of historic Collective Bargaining Agreements, which guarantee players are paid equally.

BACKGROUND:

The bipartisan S.2333 Equal Pay for Team USA Act would require that all athletes representing the United States in global amateur athletic competitions receive equal compensation and benefits in their sport, regardless of gender. It also would require equal payment for medical care, travel and expenses. 

The bill applies to 50 different sports’ national governing bodies, and it requires the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to conduct oversight and the USOPC and national governing bodies to report on compliance with the legislation.

Senators Capito and Cantwell reintroduced the bipartisan legislation in July 2021 and it passed the Senate Commerce Committee on June 22, 2022, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of Title IX. The legislation now waits for passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.  

 Organizations Supporting the Equal Pay for Team USA Act include:

1.  Alliance of Social Workers in Sports

2.  American Volleyball Coaches Association

3.  Athlete Ally

4.  Center for Sport, Peace & Society – University of Tennessee

5.  Champion Women

6.  Equality League

7.  Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media

8.  National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association

9.  National Organization for Women

10.  National Women’s Law Center

11.  Sports Fans Coalition

12.  The Female Quotient

13.  The Tucker Center – University of Minnesota

14.  Trajectory Women

15.  UltraViolet

16.  UN Women

17.  US Olympic and Paralympic Committee

18.  US Soccer

19.  US Squash

20.  USA Curling

21.  USA Volleyball

22.  USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

23.  Voice in Sport

24.  Washington Spirit Women’s Soccer Team

25.  West Virginia University Women’s Soccer Team

26.  Women Win

27.  Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association

28.  Women’s Sports Foundation

29.  Wrestle Like a Girl

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Source: United States Senator for Colorado Michael Bennet

Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet joined U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) to introduce the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Location Act, bipartisan legislation to ensure that the Women’s Suffrage National Monument is located on the National Mall. This bill builds on Bennet’s 2019 bill authorizing the Women’s Suffrage National Monument, which became law in 2020. In 1893, Colorado became the first state to extend the right to vote to women by popular referendum.

“American history has been a struggle between our highest ideals and our worst impulses, and between the promise of equality and the reality of inequality. This bipartisan legislation recognizes and commemorates our nation’s long journey toward securing equality for all,” said Bennet. “The National Mall has been the site of historic calls for progress, and this monument deserves this most dignified location in both our nation’s capital and our nation’s history.”

In 2020, Bennet passed his legislation to create the Women’s Suffrage National Monument on federal lands in Washington, D.C. Under current law, a specific act of Congress is required to place a new commemorative work or visitor center on the National Mall. Once completed, the monument will commemorate the women’s suffrage movement and the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote.

“Just over a century ago, the United States finally welcomed women into our democracy and extended to them its most fundamental right – the right to vote. But we know that this milestone was only accomplished through a decades-long fight led by women of all backgrounds joining arm and arm, including women of color who fought alongside their white counterparts even though many of whom were still denied the right to vote after the 19th Amendment was ratified,” said Baldwin. “I am honored to introduce this bipartisan legislation to ensure that the monument that honors the suffragettes and fight for women’s right to vote is housed in its rightful place for the world to see, the National Mall. The National Mall is home to memorials for those who fought for our freedom, Presidents who defined our country, and the seat of our government, and it is only fitting that it also houses the Women’s Suffrage National Monument. Wisconsin has been at the forefront of the fight for women’s rights and I am proud to be continuing this long and proud tradition.”

“Tennessee has played a critical role in the women’s suffrage fight since we became the 36th and final state needed to ratify the 19th Amendment – granting women the right to vote. I’m pleased to join Senator Baldwin in this bipartisan legislation that will ensure the Women’s Suffrage Monument is given its rightful place on the National Mall and honors the work of Susan B. Anthony and the trailblazers who fought ardently for future generations of women,” said Blackburn.

“The two-mile stretch of land that reaches from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial is known as the National Mall,” said Anna Laymon, Executive Director of the Women’s Suffrage National Monument Foundation. “Flanked by the White House, our national cultural institutions, and the halls of government, the National Mall is where ‘we the people’ showcase our history. It is the land that holds our national memory. And yet, walking the grounds of the National Mall today, you will encounter war memorials and monuments honoring civil rights heroes and past presidents. You will stand in awe of the giants who have earned their place in our national story. But you won’t see women. With the support of Congress, that is all about to change.”

The push for this monument originated in Loveland, Colorado, through a community-led effort. On the 100th anniversary of the Senate’s passage of the 19th Amendment, Bennet introduced bipartisan legislation to install a Colorado artist’s sculpture commemorating pioneers for women’s suffrage in the nation’s capital. The sculpture would feature Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Alice Paul, and Ida B. Wells, and would become the first outdoor monument to commemorate the women’s suffrage movement. In December 2020, this legislation passed the Senate after passing the House.

The text of the bill is available HERE.

Source: United States Senator for Oklahoma James Inhofe

U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) was presented with the “Wright Stuff Award” by President & CEO of Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) Eric Fanning. The award is in recognition of Inhofe’s major and measurable contributions to the United States aerospace and defense industry.

“It’s an honor to receive such a meaningful and generous gift of appreciation from the AIA,” said Inhofe. “I am blessed to have been able to work on so many aerospace issues and priorities throughout my years in office and even though I’ll be bailing out of this place soon, I have no plans to stop my work in aviation and defense. I trust that the AIA and others in Congress will carry on my legacy and continue fostering development and beneficial change for the aviation and aerospace community.”  

“On behalf of the 2.1 million employees working in the aerospace and defense industry, it’s an honor to present our ‘Wright Stuff Award’ to Senator Jim Inhofe for his decades of leadership and service,” AIA President & CEO Eric Fanning said. “Senator Inhofe will leave a legacy of unwavering support and dedication to investment in our military, our national security, and the U.S. defense industrial base that supports both.”

Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, Comptroller General of the Government Accountability Office (GAO), requesting an audit of health care providers under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. Following reports on similar programs, GAO uncovered potential fraud through improper payments causing an increase in the cost of the FEHB Program.

“GAO’s previous work on similar issues in the Medicare program and the Veterans Community Care program has uncovered a number of potentially ineligible providers, flagged weaknesses in provider vetting controls, and made valuable recommendations for improving program integrity and managing the potential risk to the care of Medicare enrollees and veterans, respectively, from ineligible providers,” explained the senators.

As the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the country, the FEHB Program covers more than eight million federal employees, retirees and family members at annual cost of more than $59 billion.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

December 12, 2022

 

The Honorable Gene L. Dodaro

Comptroller General of the United States

U.S. Government Accountability Office

 

Dear Comptroller General Dodaro:

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is currently reviewing various aspects of fraud-risk management practices regarding the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program. We request as a follow-on to that work, GAO perform an audit related to providers of health care services to members of the FEHB Program. GAO’s previous work on similar issues in the Medicare program and the Veterans Community Care program has uncovered a number of potentially ineligible providers, flagged weaknesses in provider vetting controls, and made valuable recommendations for improving program integrity and managing the potential risk to the care of Medicare enrollees and veterans, respectively, from ineligible providers. 

The FEHB Program is the largest employer-sponsored health insurance program in the country, covering more than eight million Federal employees, retirees, and family members at annual cost of over $59 billion.  The size and complexity of the FEHB Program heightens the risk of fraud and error. Accordingly, it is incumbent on lawmakers, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM)—which administers the FEHB program—and the health insurance carriers that provide health care services to FEHB members, to make safeguard taxpayer dollars. As such, we request that GAO:

1. Examine whether providers of health care services in the FEHB Program are deceased, excluded from participation in federal health care programs, have suspended or revoked medical licenses, or meet other relevant criteria for being inadmissible in the FEHB Program;
2. Examine the extent to which those involved in the FEHB Program (i.e., OPM, employing agencies, health insurance carriers) have controls in place, as appropriate, to identify and remove ineligible or potentially fraudulent health care service providers, and how these entities address specific fraud risks, such as the status of state licensure; and
3. Develop case study examples—if potentially ineligible providers are identified—to explain how these providers were initially approved or remained in the network. Such case studies would be complementary to the results of relevant data analyses and would help illustrate what can go wrong when ineligible or fraudulent providers are not identified and removed from the program.

Sincerely,

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Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

WASHINGTON — Due to severe weather, the mobile office hours scheduled for today in Rock County are postponed. U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s staff will be available to meet with constituents to provide assistance with a federal agency issue or other federal matters at the updated times and locations listed below.

Note: Staff-led mobile office hours are closed to press. Recording devices of any kind are not allowed. These restrictions are put in place for the privacy of our constituents.

Rock County Office Hours

Friday, December 16

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Beloit City Hall

100 State St., Beloit, WI 53511

 

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Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

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Source: United States Senator for Florida Marco Rubio

U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) applauded the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ passage of the READ Reauthorization Act of 2022 (H.R. 7240). The legislation reauthorizes, for five years, the Reinforcing Education Accountability in Development (READ) Act of 2017. Rubio and Durbin lead the companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.
 

• “This important bill will help make up for the learning loss caused by COVID-19 and advance educational opportunities for children worldwide. I welcome the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ unanimous passage of the bill. The full Senate should pass it immediately.” — Senator Rubio

 

• “Given the terrible learning loss around the world due to the COVID-19 pandemic and troubling backsliding on girls’ education in places such as Afghanistan, reauthorizing the READ Act couldn’t come at a more important time. Doing so will ensure U.S. development programs continue to focus on providing basic education around a sound, long-term strategy – one that includes making sure girls have access to schooling. I’m glad the Senate Foreign Relations Committee advanced this bill on a bipartisan basis and urge the full Senate to pass it before the end of the year.” — Senator Durbin

 
Background. The READ Act amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, and states that it shall be the policy of the United States to work with partner countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society organizations, including faith-based organizations, to promote quality basic education through programs and activities that:
 

1. Respond to the needs of developing countries to achieve improvements in literacy,
2. Strengthen education systems and expand access to safe learning, 
3. Promote education as a foundation for sustained economic growth, and
4. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of basic education programs in partner countries.

 
The U.S. House of Representatives previously passed the READ Reauthorization Act on September 20, 2022 as H.R. 7240, which was sponsored by Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Karen Bass (D-CA).