Latest news with #WaysandMeansCommittee
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Mass. Senate eyes bill to ban students from having cell phones during school day
Related : Advertisement The prohibition would include devices like cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, and Bluetooth headphones, according to the draft bill. The Massachusetts legislation would require schools to prohibit physical access to devices like phones and smartwatches, and have those policies in place before the start of the 2026-27 school year. It also directs the state's K-12 education department to provide guidance to the schools and districts guidance on the creation of such policies. The proposal includes several exemptions for students who need access to personal electronic devices, including as part of a student's special education plan, accommodations to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, English language learners, during emergencies, and issues related to 'school and student health and safety,' according to language of the bill. It also requires schools to have a method for parents and guardians to contact students during the school day, or for a student to reach their parent or guardian. Advertisement The measure approved by the legislature's Joint Committee on Education has the support of Senate President Karen Spilka. In a joint statement with Senator Jason M. Lewis, the senate chair of the committee, Spilka and Lewis hailed the vote. 'The cell phone is one of the most distracting devices ever created. Overwhelming evidence shows us that cell phones are major barriers to student growth and achievement in the classroom, and they make it harder for our talented educators to teach,' they said in the joint statement. The bill now moves to the Senate's Ways and Means Committee, though lawmakers did not say when the legislation may come up for a full Senate vote. House Speaker Ron Mariano, himself a former teacher, did not respond to a question Tuesday on whether he'd support a school cell phone ban. Nearly three quarters of US high school teachers said cell phones distract students and cause a major problem for classrooms, The Massachusetts Teachers Association, state Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, and state Attorney General Andrea Campbell have all supported banning students from having cell phones in classrooms. Part of the concern over in-classroom use of cell phones is the access social media platforms. Health officials like former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy have warned heavy social media use by young people is associated with 'significant mental health harms.' As of May, a majority of states have imposed measures that ban or restrict students from using cellphones in schools, or recommend schools create their own policies, Advertisement Ten states — Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Virginia — have imposed a full ban on cell phones during the school day, while seven more prohibit phones during class time. And last month, In Massachusetts, school districts in places like Newton, Brockton, Fall River, Methuen, and Ipswich have rules in place restricting students from cell phones. In a previous interview, Jonathan Mitchell, the principal of Ipswich High School, said a cell phone ban launched last fall changed the school for the better. At Ipswich, students who bring their phones to the high school have to turn their phones over to teachers at the start of the day and retrieve them when classes end. Students talk to each other more often, the cafeteria is louder, and fewer teens have their faces looking at cell phone screens, he said. 'It's hard to quantify with data, but it appears to have had a positive impact on school culture,' Mitchell said. Follow him on Bluesky at He can also be reached on Signal at john_hilliard.70 or email him at
Politico
04-07-2025
- Health
- Politico
Megabill hits health care for immigrants, including legal ones, hard
Chapman added that Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis' support for Trump's crackdown has already discouraged patients from seeking care at the community health centers, even though they typically do not ask about immigration status. 'If my status was not clearly defined, I would be concerned about signing anything,' he added. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), vice chair of the Ways and Means Committee, told POLITICO the megabill 'ensures that federal health care dollars are prioritized for American citizens.' Buchanan led a letter with 11 members of the Florida Republican House delegation supporting the megabill. Under fiscal pressure, blue states, including Minnesota and Illinois, have moved to roll back health care access for undocumented immigrants, who are not eligible for any federally subsidized health care programs. Last week, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, approved a state budget that will scale back free health care for undocumented immigrants. One of the hardest-hit states from the megabill restrictions on immigrants will be New York, which is one of three states that have enacted a basic health program allowed under the Affordable Care Act known as the Essential Plan. The Essential Plan offers low-cost health insurance for New Yorkers earning up to 250 percent above the federal poverty line and is funded by federal dollars that would otherwise be used for ACA tax credits. The GOP megabill will strip coverage for half a million immigrants covered by the plan and shift the cost to New York. The state must pick up the tab because of a 2001 state court decision that requires it to cover immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid due to their immigration status. The state's hospital lobby, the Greater New York Hospital Association, believes the provisions as a whole will cost New York $3 billion annually and leave 225,000 immigrant New Yorkers uninsured. 'The downstream impacts are not just on immigrants,' said Elisabeth Wynn, executive vice president at the New York hospital group. 'We don't close services for a particular insurance category, those get closed for all.' Earlier this month, five Republican House members from New York wrote a letter to Senate Finance Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) urging a two- to three-year delay to the immigrant restrictions, warning an 'abrupt elimination…will have drastically disruptive consequences for New York's healthcare system.' The bill will exclude lawfully present immigrants earning below the federal poverty level from the Obamacare marketplace starting next year. Marketplace restrictions for lawfully present immigrants earning above the poverty level will start in 2027.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion - Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history
Last week, the House Republican majority passed what can only be called their 'Big Billionaire Bill' — a budget reconciliation measure that amounts to one the largest transfers of wealth in American history. This measure literally steals from the poor and the working class to give to the ultra-rich. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I know firsthand how this bill would take from working people and give to the ultra-wealthy. The consequences will be staggering if it becomes law. Republicans promised tax cuts for all. But under their bill, families making $30,000 or less will actually pay approximately $20 billion more in taxes cumulatively over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That's not even counting the impact of losing Medicaid or the higher cost of living caused by Trump's tariffs. Meanwhile, billionaires will pocket an average tax break of $255,000 a year. I grew up working class, working jobs at Target and Subway. Republicans want to make people like me believe that they're helping while raising taxes on them, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, and then telling them to have more babies. That's insulting. My Republican colleagues moved their second attempt at a House Budget Committee hearing to the dead of night — after a failed first try and following late-night markups in several committees the previous week. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, we spent nearly 30 hours grinding their agenda nearly to a halt, from Wednesday at 1 a.m. to to 11 p.m. in the Rules Committee and on the floor. The fact that they had to move their last hearing before it could move to the floor at 1 a.m. tells me they're ashamed of themselves. And they should be. Working families want billionaires to pay their fair share, not to lose their health care and nutrition programs for their kids. I hear it from Americans at town halls, on social media, and even at the grocery store. Millions across the country could lose Medicaid coverage: 3.4 million in California, 400,000 in North Carolina, 250,000 in Minnesota, 380,000 in Texas, 390,000 in Virginia, and 1.2 million in New York — moms, kids, and seniors who could be left without health care. These are real people in every district, many represented by Republicans who voted for this bill. Nearly half of new moms and their babies in California rely on Medicaid and could lose their care. Seniors who can't get enough coverage through Medicare will lose. Sons and daughters who can't afford their parents' nursing home care will lose. People in rural communities, where hospitals are already closing, will lose too. Republicans claim to be the party of families. But their bill makes it harder for working people to get by — harder to welcome a new child, get postpartum care, or afford basic medical needs. Worse, Republicans will make it harder for millions of families to afford groceries every month thanks to cuts to nutrition assistance programs. When billionaires can get richer at the expense of working families, what does that say about us as a nation? I fear America's promise of hope and opportunity will dim if this administration keeps pushing us to the point where no one sees a future here anymore. But I refuse to accept a future where America's greatness is measured by the size of its tax breaks for billionaires instead of the strength of our working families. I call on the Senate to reject this bill and protect the American Dream for everyone. Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, represents California's 34th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Only the Senate can stop the largest wealth transfer in US history
Last week, the House Republican majority passed what can only be called their 'Big Billionaire Bill' — a budget reconciliation measure that amounts to one the largest transfers of wealth in American history. This measure literally steals from the poor and the working class to give to the ultra-rich. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I know firsthand how this bill would take from working people and give to the ultra-wealthy. The consequences will be staggering if it becomes law. Republicans promised tax cuts for all. But under their bill, families making $30,000 or less will actually pay approximately $20 billion more in taxes cumulatively over the next decade, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation. That's not even counting the impact of losing Medicaid or the higher cost of living caused by Trump's tariffs. Meanwhile, billionaires will pocket an average tax break of $255,000 a year. I grew up working class, working jobs at Target and Subway. Republicans want to make people like me believe that they're helping while raising taxes on them, cutting Medicaid and SNAP, and then telling them to have more babies. That's insulting. My Republican colleagues moved their second attempt at a House Budget Committee hearing to the dead of night — after a failed first try and following late-night markups in several committees the previous week. Alongside my Democratic colleagues, we spent nearly 30 hours grinding their agenda nearly to a halt, from Wednesday at 1 a.m. to to 11 p.m. in the Rules Committee and on the floor. The fact that they had to move their last hearing before it could move to the floor at 1 a.m. tells me they're ashamed of themselves. And they should be. Working families want billionaires to pay their fair share, not to lose their health care and nutrition programs for their kids. I hear it from Americans at town halls, on social media, and even at the grocery store. Millions across the country could lose Medicaid coverage: 3.4 million in California, 400,000 in North Carolina, 250,000 in Minnesota, 380,000 in Texas, 390,000 in Virginia, and 1.2 million in New York — moms, kids, and seniors who could be left without health care. These are real people in every district, many represented by Republicans who voted for this bill. Nearly half of new moms and their babies in California rely on Medicaid and could lose their care. Seniors who can't get enough coverage through Medicare will lose. Sons and daughters who can't afford their parents' nursing home care will lose. People in rural communities, where hospitals are already closing, will lose too. Republicans claim to be the party of families. But their bill makes it harder for working people to get by — harder to welcome a new child, get postpartum care, or afford basic medical needs. Worse, Republicans will make it harder for millions of families to afford groceries every month thanks to cuts to nutrition assistance programs. When billionaires can get richer at the expense of working families, what does that say about us as a nation? I fear America's promise of hope and opportunity will dim if this administration keeps pushing us to the point where no one sees a future here anymore. But I refuse to accept a future where America's greatness is measured by the size of its tax breaks for billionaires instead of the strength of our working families. I call on the Senate to reject this bill and protect the American Dream for everyone. Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat, represents California's 34th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exploring a run for governor, Randy Feenstra touts work on Trump's 'big, beautiful bill'
SIOUX CENTER — As he explores a run for governor, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra touted his work on the federal tax and spending policy bill moving through Congress, saying he was a 'key author' of the legislation. 'I was very close to the administration on helping write this bill, not only the tax portion of it, but also the (agricultural) portion of it,' he said at his annual Feenstra Family Picnic in Sioux Center May 30. Feenstra, a Republican, recently voted with other members of his party to advance Republican President Donald Trump's sweeping budget bill. Feenstra sits on the House Agriculture Committee, which oversaw changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, including about $300 billion in spending cuts over the next ten years. He also serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee. Iowa's U.S. House Republicans have championed the bill's passage, but it's drawn the ire of Democrats who fear the cuts will harm those who lose access to benefits. "I'll tell you what, we're not going to hurt anybody," Feenstra told reporters. "I mean, what we did with SNAP is making sure that we're getting rid of waste and fraud. Sitting on the Ag Committee, we had a lot of discussions about this, and I want to tell you, anybody that's on SNAP will stay on SNAP unless you're an illegal." Speaking to the crowd, Feenstra aligned himself with Trump, who remains deeply popular among Iowa Republicans, particularly in this deeply conservative pocket of northwest Iowa. 'The bill reflects the mandates that Trump talked about in all of his stump speeches when he was running this campaign,' he said. It comes as Feenstra gears up for an expected gubernatorial run, during which he'll need to appeal to the deep-red voters expected to make up the Republican primary electorate. Feenstra announced May 13 he was forming an exploratory committee to weigh a run for governor, and he has aggressively made moves toward a formal campaign. He announced ahead of the event that his campaign had raised more than $3.2 million. And he recently launched a $400,000 advertising buy across the state, making him the first declared or potential candidate to air television ads. 'Randy is swiftly consolidating support for his exploratory bid for governor,' his campaign senior advisor Brian Dumas said in a statement. '… From President Trump's biggest donors in Iowa, coupled with those that have historically stood behind Governors Reynolds and Branstad, his coalition of support is broad and deep.' But Feenstra avoided talking about the prospect as he spoke to the crowd of supporters. Instead, he focused on his work in Congress and highlighted his commitment to advancing Trump's agenda. Lt. Gov. Chris Cournoyer introduced Feenstra, praising his 'workhorse' mentality. 'Randy led the fight to ban China from buying American farmland,' she said. 'He stood with President Trump every step of the way to secure our border and stand with our border patrol agents. … And most recently, as a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, he helped write President Trump's 'one big, beautiful bill.'' Cournoyer previously announced that she would run for state auditor in 2026, a position currently held by Democrat Rob Sand. 'We've got to get her to win,' Feenstra said. Sand announced May 12 he would mount a gubernatorial bid. Feenstra referenced his potential rival only briefly, saying that Sand is 'going on to other things' and opening up the auditor seat for Cournoyer. Feenstra was joined by U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who serves as chair of the House Judiciary Committee. Jordan has been a mainstay on the Iowa political speaking circuit, and he joined U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn a day earlier for an event in Des Moines. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at bpfann@ or 515-284-8244. Follow her on X at @brianneDMR. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Randy Feenstra highlights Trump ties as he explores run for governor
