Today the House of Representatives passed by a vote of 230 to 193 the Chemical and Water Security Act of 2009 (H.R. 2868).  The bill strengthens security at America's chemical plants and drinking water and wastewater facilities by establishing risk-based and reasonable security standards for these critical assets.  H.R. 2868 reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, which is slated to expire October 2010, and improves the program in many ways.  It also authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish similar security programs for drinking water and wastewater facilities.

Today Chairman Henry A. Waxman released the following statement in response to an open letter to Congress from 11 leading health economists regarding H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act:

Today Chairman Henry A. Waxman released a statement in response to Rep. Anthony Weiner's decision not to offer a single-payer amendment to the House Democratic health care legislation.

According to a new analysis by MIT Professor and CBO health advisor Dr. Jonathan Gruber, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) will lower premiums and improve coverage for individuals and families purchasing in the non-group market.  The MIT study estimates that an individual and a family of four would save from $470 and from $1,260, respectively, in health insurance premiums, even without subsidies.  The savings would be even greater for low- and middle- income individuals and families who qualify for affordability credits that can amount to thousands of dollars per year.