In The News
Congressman John Sarbanes (D-Md.) recently introduced the Primary Care Physician Reentry Act, which would tackle America’s shortage of primary care physicians by supporting programs that retrain doctors to work in health centers that serve veterans, local communities and schools.
Rep. John Sarbanes reintroduced a measure aimed at combating the shortage of primary care physicians by supporting programs that retrain doctors who have left the profession. Participating doctors would be retrained and credentialed to work at VA medical centers, community health centers and school-based health centers.
The biggest campaign finance rider under discussion would relax limits on coordination between political parties and their candidates. Progressive groups and Democratic lawmakers, as well as conservatives in the House Freedom Caucus, are fighting the language.
Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., who has been leading the effort against the rider, said if enacted the provision would allow big-money donors a new avenue — through the party committees — to give large sums to help their favored candidates.
A letter from 110 House Democrats to House and Senate party leaders last week urged them not to include the provision about the party committees in the omnibus.
"This change would be a travesty," said the letter spearheaded by Reps. John Sarbanes of Maryland and Ted Deutch of Florida. "This change in the law would only further surrender the party apparatus to the influence of millionaires and billionaires."
In a letter sent to leaders in both House and Senate late Thursday, 115 House Democrats said that “such a change to the current rules governing political party spending would greatly increase the power of a select group of wealthy donors who are capable of contributing large sums to the political parties.”
Urging the leaders to reject McConnell’s idea, the letter -- circulated by Reps. Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) and John Sarbanes (D-Md.) -- said that including the measure in the year-end bill “would only further surrender the party apparatus to the influence of millionaires and billionaires.”
Reps. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) and Ted Deutch (D-Fla.) are circulating a letter among Democrats calling on congressional leaders to oppose the inclusion of a provision that would allow political parties to spend unlimited money on coordinated expenditures with candidates. The letter, which will be sent to McConnell, along with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), has 113 signatures so far.
Sarbanes says his bill would give people the feeling their voice matters and help to restore faith in government. “People can see themselves in it,” he told the editorial board.
That’s an important goal for any political reform. Congressional Republicans should allow a full discussion of this proposal.
Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) suggested that Congress give small-dollar donors “some real power” in elections through matching donations.
“We’ve proposed legislation, the Government By the People Act, that’s one of many efforts that would give small donors out there, everyday citizens, some real power again in their democracy – matching funds would come in behind small donations –and allow candidates to run a viable competitive campaign by turning in the direction of everyday citizens instead of feeling like they have to go to the sort of deep-pocketed sources of funding,” he said at a “Make It In America: What’s Next?” forum on Capitol Hill.
Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes is hosting a workshop to provide senior citizens with information about Social Security and Medicare.
The workshop is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at the Pikesville Public Library in Pikesville.
It will offer seniors a chance to meet one on one with the congressman’s caseworkers to discuss individual benefit issues.
By making citizen-owned elections a viable alternative to our current big-money system, we can help congressional candidates spend more time with their constituents and less time with the insider crowd.