Bipartisan, Bicameral Anti-Semitism Awareness Act Introduced

Co-Introduced by U.S. Reps. Roskam, Deutch, Collins, Nadler and Sens. Scott, Casey

 U.S. Representatives Peter J. Roskam (R-IL), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Doug Collins (R-GA), and Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) and U.S. Senators Tim Scott (R-SC) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the rising tide of anti-Semitism in schools and on college campuses across the nation. The "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act" directs the Department of Education (DOE) to use a widely-accepted definition of anti-Semitism when determining if incidents of harassment or discrimination that are potentially in violation of U.S. anti-discrimination law were motivated by anti-Semitism.

According to recent reports, anti-Semitic attacks on college campuses have risen sharply in recent years. Unfortunately, the Department lacks firm guidance on how to define anti-Semitism. By codifying the definition of anti-Semitism adopted by the U.S. State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, this legislation will enable the DOE to protect students from the most insidious and modern forms of anti-Semitism.

This legislation would not diminish or infringe upon any individual’s First Amendment rights or school's academic freedom. Rather, it provides the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights with a guideline for determining whether cases that already rise to the level of actionable discrimination were motivated by anti-Jewish animus.

Text of the legislation can be accessed here. A fact sheet on the legislation can be found here.

“There is no place for anti-Semitism or religious discrimination on our college campuses," said Rep. Roskam. "Across the nation, we’re witnessing a significant rise in Jewish students being targeted and harassed for no reason other than their identity. In Illinois, anti-Semitic incidents have nearly doubled in recent years. With numerous incidences of anti-Semitic vandalism, propaganda and cases of harassment surfacing across Illinois’ universities, we must stand together against hate. This legislation would ensure that the Department of Education is properly able to identify all forms of anti-Semitic incidences when investigating illegal discrimination on campus. Like all other students, Jewish students have the right to feel safe on campus. With this legislation, Congress can play an important role in this effort."

“I’ve heard far too many stories from Jewish students of the anti-Semitism they face in schools and on college campuses every day," Rep. Deutch said. "Jewish students, like students of any religion, should not live in fear of attacks because of their religion. They shouldn’t have to fear wearing Judaic symbols or expressing their support for Israel. As we work to combat all forms of discrimination and hate, Congress must act to protect Jewish students on campus, and this legislation would help the Education Department stem this troubling trend.”

“As many college campuses continue to be sites of anti-Semitic harassment, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act offers the Department of Education an effective tool for investigating whether prohibited bigoted actions have become a barrier to learning. This bill upholds First Amendment freedoms and supports students’ access to higher learning free from anti-Semitic abuse, and I thank Congressman Roskam for introducing this important legislation,” said Rep. Collins.

“With the disturbing rise in anti-Semitism and other forms of discrimination on college campuses, the Department of Education must have all the tools it needs to identify harassment and discrimination of any kind,” said Rep. Nadler, Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. “All students deserve to feel safe and secure on their college campus no matter their race, gender, sexual orientation, or religion. The informational guidelines provided for in this legislation will help the Department by providing a deeper understanding of the full scope of potential discrimination and harassment against Jewish students.”

“With recent reports showing a significant increase in anti-Semitism on college campuses across America, it is essential that the Department of Education has a clear and concise definition of what constitutes anti-Semitism,” Senator Scott said. “I want to thank our bipartisan group of colleagues for working across the aisle on this important bill to give the Department of Education an important tool in the fight against hatred, harassment and discrimination.”

“The rise of religiously-motivated hate crimes and religious discrimination across our country is unacceptable," Senator Casey said. “This legislation will help the Department of Education investigate incidents of discrimination motivated by anti-Semitism in our schools, which should be safe environments for students from all backgrounds. I’m proud to work on this bipartisan legislation, which aims to combat anti-Semitism while preserving freedom of speech.”

Supreme Court sides with employers over employees in decision Ginsburg called "egregiously wrong"

Employers in the United States received a win from the Supreme Court on Monday, as the court ruled in favor of arbitration clauses that force employees to settle disputes through individual arbitration, rather than through joint legal proceedings such as class action and collective lawsuits. The court ruled 5-4 in Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, which sought to determine whether arbitration clauses in employment contracts can be legally enforced. Though the Federal Arbitration Act stipulates that arbitration contracts are “valid, irrevocable and enforceable,” the plaintiffs argued the law conflicted with the National Labor Relations Act, which guarantees workers “the right ... to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection.”

 

In his opinion for the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch argued that the two laws are not in conflict with each other, making arbitration clauses legally valid. He wrote it would be up to policymakers, not the courts, to change the law.

 

Monday’s ruling was hotly contested by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who wrote in her dissenting opinion that the majority decision was “egregiously wrong.”

 

The court’s ruling will have wide-ranging effects for employees. According to the Economic Policy Institute, 24.7 million American workers — 23.1% of all private-sector nonunion employees — have employment contracts that contain the class-action waivers at the heart of Monday’s decision.

 

CityLab noted the policies particularly affect working-class employees, and policies banning class-action suits are in place at such high-profile companies as Wells Fargo, Time Warner Cable, T.G.I. Friday’s, Olive Garden, Target, Macy’s and Amazon.

 

Read more here.

The fourth fatal mass school shooting of 2018 claimed 10 lives today in Santa Fe, Texas

"I’ve always felt it would eventually happen here"

Reproduced from a Pew Research Center report. Chart: Axios Visuals. This was originally included in a story published on April 18. The fourth fatal mass school shooting of 2018 claimed 10 lives today in Santa Fe, Texas. Why it matters: This keeps happening. Details: Nine students and a teacher were killed at Santa Fe High School, located 30 miles southeast of Houston. Another 10 were wounded, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a press conference. Explosive devices were found on and around campus, Santa Fe Independent School District police chief Walter Braun said today. A 17-year old suspect is in custody. He had written about wanting to commit suicide, Abbott said, but instead gave himself up. A shotgun and .38 caliber revolver were recovered from the shooter, Abbott said. Those guns were owned by the suspect's father, who obtained them legally. The big picture: Today's teens are increasingly worried about mass shootings at their schools. And they're starting to expect the worst. As Santa Fe student Paige Curry told local TV station ABC-13: Reporter: "Was there a part of you that was like, 'This isn’t real. This could not happen at my school?'" Curry: "There wasn’t." Reporter: "Why so?" Curry: "It’s been happening everywhere. I’ve always felt it would eventually happen here too." Go deeper: The 10 deadliest mass school shootings since Columbine. Source Axios.com

Deutch, FL Dems ask Gov. Scott to Reduce Healthcare Costs & Expand Coverage for Floridians

Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) led Florida Democratic Members of Congress in a letter to Governor Rick Scott urging him to take concrete steps to expand healthcare coverage and reduce costs for Floridians.

In the coming weeks, health insurance companies are expected to announce their premium rates for Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans in Florida. This letter is a response to repeated attempts by President Trump and Congressional Republicans to sabotage the ACA and our country's healthcare system, including by cutting the open enrollment period in half and repealing the individual mandate.

These changes already have had devastating consequences. As the members state in the letter, “According to the latest data from Gallup, 3.2 million fewer people across the country had health insurance coverage during the first year of the Trump Administration, relative to 2016.”

Health policy experts predict that the resulting uncertainty and instability will lead to higher premiums, but the state has tools available to protect Floridians. The members warn, “[o]ur neighbors could see premiums increase by 16.9 percent and over 600,000 Floridians could be uninsured or underinsured all due to the sabotage.”

In Florida, 1.7 million people are enrolled in coverage through the ACA exchange, and nine out of ten received financial help to reduce their monthly premiums. To expand access and reduce costs for Floridians, the Members of Congress highlight six actions Governor Scott can take:

Protect state residents by limiting the sale of sub-par junk insurance plans. Boost coverage (and lower costs) by increasing outreach, enrollment and marketing. Strengthen state oversight of the individual market to improve plan participation and lower costs. Protect consumers by ensuring their health plan provides essential health benefits, like hospital care or prescription drugs. Use existing Affordable Care Act authority to craft a reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums. Broaden the insurance risk pool by passing a state-level-policy designed to boost enrollment.

The members close their letter with the following message for Governor Rick Scott:

“Republicans in Washington have proven to be incapable of crafting a replacement for the ACA that would increase coverage and lower costs for Florida families and they remain unwilling to seriously engage in bipartisan improvements to the ACA. For the sake of our constituents, we urge you to take action to mitigate the impact of their harmful actions and inability to solve the problems that exist in our insurance markets today. We stand ready to work with you and thank you for your consideration.”

The letter was co-signed by Senator Bill Nelson and Reps. Castor, Wilson, Soto, Hastings, Lawson, Wasserman Schultz, Crist, Demings, Frankel, and Murphy.

The signed letter can be accessed here, and the text of the letter can be viewed below.




Dear Governor Scott,

We are very concerned that the Republicans in Congress and the Trump Administration continue to sabotage affordable health care for Florida families and that such sabotage likely will result in increases in health insurances premiums in coming months. We urge you to work with us to protect Florida families from the escalating health insurance costs and reduce out of pocket health care costs.

Over 1.7 million Floridians are enrolled in Marketplace health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – more than any other state so the sabotage has a larger and more serious impact on Florida than anywhere else in the United States. Since the passage of the ACA, Republicans have worked on a national and state level to eliminate the law despite the fact that millions have received comprehensive health coverage through the ACA and enjoy new consumer protections such as the end to discrimination based upon preexisting conditions and coverage of children to age 26.

While public outrage last year over the Republican plan to weaken the ACA, Medicare and Medicaid helped defeat the outright dismantling of health care in America as we know it, the Trump Administration and other Republican efforts have been implemented to depress enrollment and raise premiums and out of pocket costs for working families. The Trump Administration cut funding for Marketplace advertising by 90 percent, slashed in-person assistance through the navigator program and increased premiums for working families by unilaterally refusing to pay 2017 cost-sharing reductions. These actions have had devastating consequences for working families. According to the latest data from Gallup, 3.2 million fewer people across the country had health insurance coverage during the first year of the Trump Administration, relative to 2016.

Furthermore, according to a recent analysis conducted by the Urban Institute, the elimination of the individual mandate and the Administration’s push for “junk” health insurance plans will further destabilize the individual market and raise costs for Florida families. The analysis estimates that our neighbors could see premiums increase by 16.9 percent and over 600,000 Floridians could be uninsured or underinsured all due to the sabotage. [1] This is counterproductive and wrong for Florida families.

In the face of such intentional efforts to inflict higher costs on Floridians by President Trump and the Republican-led Congress, we are calling on you to work with us to protect Floridians’ access to health care. We understand that you do not have a great track record on standing up for health care access and affordability for Florida families, but certainly you must be sensitive to the fact that so many will be faced with crushing health care costs and that action now is required.

There are a number of actions at the state level that you can take to help increase health coverage and improve the affordability of care for families that will mitigate the harm and higher costs facilitated by Republicans in Washington. We urge you to work to implement some or all of these options to help ensure stability and lower costs for our neighbors. Six potential options are listed below:

Protect state residents by limiting the sale of sub-par junk insurance plans.

The Trump Administration has further weakened consumer protections by allowing plans to be sold that do not meet basic benefit or financial protection standards. These junk plans would return patients to the days where only upon illness did they discover their plans imposed unreasonable limits on coverage and excluded vital benefits. In the past, consumers faced more than $100 million in unpaid claims when fly-by-night companies purporting to sell insurance became insolvent. In addition, expanding access to junk insurance plans negatively affects the risk pool in the ACA-compliant market, thereby increasing premiums for our neighbors. While the Trump Administration has detrimentally weakened federal regulations, strong state protections can prevent such plans from appearing in the state market to scam unknowing customers. For example, Florida could blunt the destabilizing effect of a proposed regulation on short-term limited duration plans by requiring that these plans comply with key consumer protections, or by limiting the duration of these plans and preventing renewals.[2] To help ensure Floridians are not harmed, you and Commissioner Altmaier should act pre-emptively to keep bad actors out of the insurance market.

Boost coverage (and lower costs) by increasing outreach, enrollment and marketing.

The Trump Administration has dramatically cut its commitment to outreach and enrollment efforts in Florida by slashing the budget for marketing and outreach and refusing to use funds designated for these purposes. Just this month the Administration kept up its attack on enrollment by striking the requirement that Navigators must maintain a physical presence in the service area. The Navigator initiatives in Florida have been so successful in part because the folks running these programs live and work in the areas they are assisting. This seems like a no-brainer and the policy reversed by the Administration should be reinstated for the benefit of Floridians.

With the lack of federal commitment, Florida should step up efforts to connect consumers to coverage and increase awareness of the Marketplace. We are fortunate to have so many knowledgeable groups who could help with the ground efforts, including marketing targeted at hard to reach groups. Our Navigators in Florida are leading the country in outreach and enrollment, but they could have enrolled even more of the 12 percent of Floridians lacking health coverage if they had sufficient support from the Administration or the State of Florida. In part due to these factors, awareness of the marketplaces and the available financial assistance to help pay for insurance remain very low, and younger and healthier consumers are more likely to remain uninsured without significant advertising campaigns. Investments in outreach, enrollment and marketing help ensure a diverse risk pool, bring premiums down for consumers and provide coverage for younger and healthier consumers who, despite the fact that they are a lower risk statistically, are not immune to disease and accident. For instance, Covered California estimates that its extensive investment in marketing and outreach has translated into 6-8 percent lower premiums.[3] Florida could request that federal funds currently not being used for their intended outreach purposes be sent to non-profit organizations, like Navigators, in our state with a successful track records. Thus expanding coverage and reducing premiums.

Strengthen state oversight of the individual market to improve plan participation and lower costs.

Like the current Administration, Florida has often not measured up to its responsibility to help lower costs for Floridians. The Legislature – with your concurrence – eliminated the power of the Insurance Commissioner to protect consumers and review and negotiate health insurance rates for two years. One way to strengthen state oversight is to encourage Florida’s Insurance Commissioner to work with plans to ensure that every rating area has a plan available and increase competition to reduce costs and increase choice. Demonstrating this commitment, making it clear that the Insurance Commissioner has the necessary authority and increasing communication with issuers at the state level has the potential to reverse the Administration’s ongoing efforts to sabotage the individual market.

Protect consumers by ensuring their health plan provides essential health benefits, like hospital care or prescription drugs.

While Congressional Republican legislative attempts to undermine critical health benefits like maternity care and prescription drugs have not succeeded to date, the Administration is considering steps that would allow plans to charge more for certain life-saving benefits or allow plans to exclude certain needed items from coverage altogether. States and localities have the opportunity to demonstrate the importance of these essential health benefits and ensure equal access to needed care by passing their own requirements to protect residents and bolster the intent of current law and regulations.

Use existing Affordable Care Act authority to craft a reinsurance program to reduce health insurance premiums.

A number of states have sought State Innovation waivers under Section 1332 of the ACA to create reinsurance funds to stabilize the individual market. These funds protect consumers from dramatic premium increases by paying claims above a certain limit or paying for claims for certain specific high-cost conditions. Removing these claims or conditions through reinsurance allows plans to reduce premiums for other consumers.

Broaden the insurance risk pool by passing a state-level policy designed to boost enrollment.

Passing a state level policy designed to boost enrollment which would both increase coverage and reduce premiums for consumers. After Massachusetts passed its own provisions that got all into the risk pool – especially young and healthy individuals – premiums decreased by double digits and coverage increased from 70 to 92 percent. The Congressional Budget Office projects that recent provisions in the Republican tax law that reduce broad participation in the insurance pools will result in 13 million people losing coverage and 10 percent higher premiums each year for those of us who have insurance. Measures at the state level to encourage participation in insurance pools would help insulate our constituents and yours - all Floridians (and their insurance premiums) - from these adverse effects that result from these national negative actions.

Republicans in Washington have proven to be incapable of crafting a replacement for the ACA that would increase coverage and lower costs for Florida families and they remain unwilling to seriously engage in bipartisan improvements to the ACA. For the sake of our constituents, we urge you to take action to mitigate the impact of their harmful actions and inability to solve the problems that exist in our insurance markets today. We stand ready to work with you and thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Deutch Calls for Hearing on Reports of Missing Michael Cohen Files in Treasury Database

 Today, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) wrote to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte requesting a hearing on reports by The New Yorker that certain suspicious activity reports (SARs) regarding financial transactions by President Trump’s personal attorney Michael Cohen are missing from the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) database.

Video of Congressman Deutch’s remarks to House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte can be viewed here.

Congressman Deutch's letter can be accessed here, and the text of the letter is available below.



Dear Chairman Goodlatte:

You have likely seen reports published last night by The New Yorker indicating that a law enforcement official believes that suspicious activity reports (SARs) related to transactions by Michael Cohen, President Trump’s personal attorney, are missing from the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) database. See attached.

The article indicates that searches of the database failed to return two previous suspicious activity reports referenced in a third suspicious activity report filed by First Republic Bank related to Michael Cohen’s account for Essential Consultants, LLC. The account was used for certain financial transactions including payment of $130,000 to Stephanie Clifford in October of 2016 in exchange for her agreement to withhold the story of her alleged affair with then-candidate Donald Trump.

The details of the first and second suspicious activity reports are unknown, but their absence from the FinCEN database is concerning and a matter that is rightly within the jurisdiction of this committee. Removing or restricting access to suspicious activity reports in the FinCEN database appears to be unusual:

Seven former government officials and other experts familiar with the Treasury Department’s FinCEN database expressed varying levels of concern about the missing reports. Some speculated that FinCEN may have restricted access to the reports due to the sensitivity of their content, which they said would be nearly unprecedented. One called the possibility “explosive.” A record-retention policy on fincen’s Web site notes that false documents or those “deemed highly sensitive” and “requiring strict limitations on access” may be transferred out of its master file. Nevertheless, a former prosecutor who spent years working with the FinCEN database said that she knew of no mechanism for restricting access to SARs.[1]

Accordingly, this committee should offer Secretary Mnuchin and other Treasury Department and Justice Department officials the opportunity to testify under oath regarding the policies and procedures related to the retention of, and access to, suspicious activity reports. This information is essential to our oversight role and will help to ensure that law enforcement agencies are able to conduct their work without interference.

In the article, the official who released the report is quoted, “We’ve accepted this as normal, and this is not normal.” It is also not normal for this committee to ignore its oversight obligations and fail to defend of the rule of law. Therefore, I respectfully urge you to schedule hearings to examine these issues as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

As Republicans Vote to Cut SNAP, Rep. Deutch Introduces Bill to Strengthen Food Aid Program

As the U.S. House of Representatives considers extreme cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of the Republicans’ Farm Bill, Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) introduced the “Food Security Improvement Act” to boost benefits that help hungry Americans feed their families.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) uses the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) to calculate SNAP benefits. The TFP makes many assumptions about food availability, food cost, and food preparation to estimate the minimal cost to provide a nutritious diet. But many of these assumptions don’t reflect the real challenges associated with poverty in the lives of Americans trying to feed their families. This legislation would replace the TFP with USDA’s Low Cost Food Plan for calculating benefits.

Introduction of this legislation coincides with consideration by the House of Representatives of the Republican “Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018” (H.R. 2), which would cut 2 million beneficiaries—including 23,000 military families—from SNAP, impose ineffective and damaging work requirements, and cut a total of $23 billion from the program.

Following introduction, Congressman Deutch issued this statement:

“House Republicans’ plan is cruel. SNAP was created as a response to the moral imperative to feed the hungry. But American families using SNAP benefits should not fear having to skip meals or run out of benefits before the end of the month. Contrary to the myths used to attack SNAP, benefits are modest, an average of just $1.40 per meal. Rather than making it more difficult for vulnerable Americans to feed their families, Congress should make improvements to the SNAP program so it better reflects the real challenges of poverty. This legislation will ensure that we continue to respond to the needs of those who need a little help putting food on their table.”

Deutch Slams Trump Admin. Move to Make Gun Exports Easier

Congressman Ted Deutch (FL-22) issued this statement after the Trump Administration proposed moving approval of some gun exports from the U.S. State Department to the U.S. Commerce Department, which would loosen restrictions and Congressional oversight of these weapons sales:

“Remember when Oliver North – now the head of the NRA – was caught illegally selling weapons to Iran? After only a few weeks of being the gun companies' point man in America, the Trump Administration is moving to make it easier for American gun manufacturers to sell weapons without Congressional oversight - weapons that could wind up in the hands of human rights abusers and dictators," said Congressman Deutch. "The President's action today will make it easier for gun companies to export gun violence around the world. Congress must act to block this proposed rule."

Pelosi Brings in $16.1 Million for House Democrats

HOUSE MINORITY LEADER NANCY PELOSI (D-CALIF.) BRINGS THE CONFIDENCE AND BRAVADO ... TWO THINGS YOU NEED TO LOOK AT...

-- BOSTON GLOBE: "She might be unpopular, but Pelosi doesn't plan on going anywhere,"by Liz Goodwin: "'We will win. I will run for speaker. I feel confident about it. And my members do, too,' Pelosi told a meeting of Globe reporters and editors. ...

"'It's important that it not be five white guys at the table, no offense,' Pelosi said, referring to the top two leadership spots in the House and Senate and the presidency. 'I have no intention of walking away from that table.'" http://bit.ly/2w6sNw3

-- ALSO ... PELOSI appeared at an event with NEW YORK GOV. ANDREW CUOMO Tuesday in New York. She introduced her fellow House colleagues thusly:

"Jerry Nadler is here. Jerry will be the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee which is the committee of jurisdiction for gun safety legislation. ... Carolyn Maloney is here, she will be Chairwoman of Joint Economic Committee for fairness in our economy. ... Nydia Velázquez is here, she will be the Chairman on the House Small Business Committee."

TO INTRODUCE LAWMAKERS AS THE NEXT CHAIRMEN OF SPECIFIC COMMITTEES -- as if the majority is all but won -- represents an extraordinarily level of confidence by Pelosi at the moment. Yes, it sure looks like Dems will take the majority in the House, but it's far from a sure thing. And most Democratic insiders -- including senior members of the House Democratic Caucus -- say Pelosi might need a sizeable majority in order for her to become speaker again.

WHY? Lots of Democrats have laid down their marker, saying they will not vote for her no matter what. This Globe interview is certain to begin another round of will-you-vote-for-Pelosi questions on the campaign trail. One needs 218 votes on the floor of the House to be speaker. Read Dave Weigel in Charlotte: "Pelosi says she'll run for speaker, as more swing-district Democrats look for alternative" https://wapo.st/2JIZzFy

PELOSI IS, UNDOUBTEDLY, one of the most skilled legislative tacticians in modern political history. She is also the strongest fundraiser in the caucus and is raising an enormous amount of money for her colleagues, which has and will buy her a lot of good will. Without Pelosi at the top of the caucus, there will most likely be "five white guys at the table," as she points out. This will resonate with many House Democrats.

PELOSI'S comments come after a flurry of press coverage around potential leadership changes in the House. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat, said they should all retire if Dems don't take back the House. There has been buzz about Steny Hoyer of Maryland and Joe Crowley of New York.

-- BOSTON GLOBE'S SCOT LEHIGH: "As for Clyburn, whom 'she loves like a brother,' his remark apparently rankled, for she returned to it several times. Comments like his are 'a waste of time,' she said at one point. 'Maybe he's talking about his own plans,' she added at another." http://bit.ly/2HMk0kg

-- ONE NERDY CORRECTION: Carolyn Maloney won't be the chair of the JEC. That chairmanship switches back to the Senate next year no matter who is in charge. She might be vice chair, if Democrats take control.

NEW THIS MORNING ... THE NRCC is going to cut Pelosi's "We will win. I will run for speaker" remark into a video-based advertisement in the coming days. They think that the prospect of Pelosi returning to the speakership is enough to bring out Republican voters. Some Pelosi-aligned Democrats, of course, don't think that's right.

DEPT. OF REALLY GOOD TIMING ... YOU'RE INVITED ... Poliico will sit down with NANCY PELOSI on next Tuesday in D.C. Six months ahead of Election Day. We'll be sure to get into this and much more. RSVP  http://bit.ly/playbookpelosi

Source Politico Playbook

Turns Out it is Walmart's Low-wage workers on welfare not lazy blacks

Walmart's low-wage workers cost U.S. taxpayers an estimated $6.2 billion in public assistance including food stamps, Medicaid and subsidized housing, according to a report published to coincide with Tax Day, April 15.

Americans for Tax Fairness, a coalition of 400 national and state-level progressive groups, made this estimate using data from a 2013 study by Democratic Staff of the U.S. Committee on Education and the Workforce.

"The study estimated the cost to Wisconsin’s taxpayers of Walmart’s low wages and benefits, which often force workers to rely on various public assistance programs," reads the report, available in full here.

"It found that a single Walmart Supercenter cost taxpayers between $904,542 and $1.75 million per year, or between $3,015 and $5,815 on average for each of 300 workers."

Americans for Tax Fairness then took the mid-point of that range ($4,415) and multiplied it by Walmart’s approximately 1.4 million workers to come up with an estimate of the overall taxpayers' bill for the Bentonville, Ark.-based big box giant's staffers.

The report provides a state-by-state breakdown of these figures, as well as some context on the other side of the coin: Walmart's huge share of the nationwide SNAP, or food stamp, market.

"Walmart told analysts last year that the company has captured 18 percent of the SNAP market," it reads. "Using that figure, we estimate that the company accounted for $13.5 billion out of $76 billion in food stamp sales in 2013."

Walmart spokesperson Randy Hargrove described this week's report as "inaccurate and misleading," referring to its use of extrapolated data and adding that public assistance program eligibility requirements vary from state to state.

"More than 99 percent of our associates earn above minimum wage," he said. "In fact, the average hourly wage for our associates, both full and part-time, is an average of $11.83 per hour."

He said the company had no internal figures to share on the number of workers receiving public assistance.

"The bottom line is Walmart provides associates with more opportunities for career growth and greater economic security for their families than other companies in America," he said. "Our full and part-time workers get bonuses for store performance, access to a 401K-retirement plan, education and health benefits."

Hargrove added that the number of Walmart employees receiving Medicaid is similar to the percentage for other large retailers -- and comparable to the national average.

He pointed to a 2005 report by economist Jason Furman, now a White House adviser, describing Walmart's Medicaid enrollment as "a reflection of [its] enormous size."

Other large retail chains have been the focus of similar reports in recent months. In October, two studies released to coincide showed that American fast food industry outsourced a combined $7 billion in annual labor costs to taxpayers. McDonald's MCD +5.77% alone accounted for $1.2 billion of that outlay.

Yum Brands came in at a distant number two, with its Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC subsidiaries costing $648 million in benefits programs for workers each year.