EC from DC - July 5, 2013

This week I joined Kansas City Police Chief Darryl Forte and General Manager of Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, Mark Huffer, to announce a major benchmark for the high-tech, crime-fighting ShotSpotter system. I was honored to secure funding for this system, which became operational in parts of Kansas City last October. It is an additional weapon in the arsenal of law enforcement to fight crime and assist victims. And it is working exactly as the department and I had hoped.

Chief Forte reported that officers have recovered more than a dozen weapons, drugs, hundreds of shell casings and more than a hundred live rounds as a direct result of ShotSpotter. Officers located a gunshot victim within moments of the injury due to ShotSpotter, apprehended the suspect, and got a full confession. There have been numerous, ancillary cases built with the help of the technology, that have led to additional arrests and ongoing cases. One of the other huge benefits the Chief outlined is the community policing aspect. He says officers are now in the communities, on the ground, immediately following any gunfire. Some of the instances are situations, where before, the police might not have even been called. They are developing strong relationships with area residents, and that is resulting in more trust within the community and more communication. Something he feels has been absent for way too long.

My hope for ShotSpotter has always been that it would have this profound impact on fighting crime, prosecuting cases and helping victims as quickly as possible. With these numbers and success stories, I intend to work to secure additional dollars to continue to expand the coverage area of this technology.

Below are some key benefits of the system:

• Instant, Accurate Situational Awareness – Precise gunfire incident information enables informed decisions for faster emergency response while also improving situational intelligence and increasing first responder safety.
• Enhanced Forensics Analysis & Crime Analysis – Detailed forensic data and intelligence improves the investigative process leading to more thorough investigations and enhanced prosecutions for gun-related crime.
• Incident Expert Qualification – A highly trained team of gunfire acoustic experts at the SST Operations Center review and qualify all incidents immediately and pass valuable, actionable gunfire incident data to 9-1-1 dispatch centers and mobile police units enabling accurate and reliable data.
• Long-Term Crime Deterrence – Awareness of all gunfire incidents and cumulative data enables proactive crime analysis and strategic deterrence.

Millions throughout the country dreaded this past Monday, July 1st. And they pleaded with Congress not to let student loan rates double. But the day came, without action on the part of Congress, and it has happened. Students taking out a federal loan will pay 6.8% on those loans, instead of 3.4%. That means students will pay an average of $1,000 more each year in loan repayment.

Already, Americans owe more than $1 trillion in student loans. Hardworking families throughout Missouri's Fifth District deserve better than this. The lack of action from Congress is putting a college education out of reach for millions of students, undermining our economy, and weakening our middle class. I do not understand how Congress can act overnight to bail out the nation's big banks, but when it comes to making sure young people and students across the country are able to stay in the classroom – we can't work together. I think this is Washington dysfunction at its worst.

The cost of college has jumped almost 30% in the last decade. And now, the loan increase is expected to double for 7.4 million students. For the first time in our country's history, student loan debt has surpassed credit card debt.

Last week I asked you to share with me some of your thoughts on the impact of this. I heard from so many of you. Some asking how a huge debt, that will take years to pay off, will benefit them? Some telling me you won't be able to go back to school in the fall at all. Some feeling like they are simply being punished for trying to better their lives, by a Congress that can't agree on anything.

I am angry, but have not given up hope. I have cosponsored HR 1595, the Student Loan Relief Act of 2013. It would freeze the interest rate on these loans at 3.4% for the next two years. It's still unclear whether we will get to vote on this legislation when we return from recess. I will continue to keep you updated on the progress of HR 1595, and all other aspects of this critical issue.

Last week I joined Health & Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for a Veterans Town Hall in Independence. We wanted to discuss healthcare, and answer any and all questions veterans, their families, and others have about changes and benefits. It was a big crowd and a wonderful opportunity to address concerns and issues. Below is a piece the Secretary and I wrote following the Town Hall.

Strengthening Our Commitment to Veterans' Health

by Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver
Posted July 3, 2013

As Americans gather together to celebrate our nation's independence, we wanted to share how honored we are to have recently met with more than 200 veterans and their families in Independence, Missouri. We thanked them for their service and sacrifice. And we had the chance to share how we're honoring our commitment to our veterans by strengthening our commitment to their health care.

That starts with the Affordable Care Act, which builds on the health care options already in place – including the high-quality, comprehensive VA health care system – to give veterans and their families even more choices and more security.

We made it clear that if you use Department of Veterans Affairs health care today, the health care law is not going to change that. There are no new requirements or fees. Nothing in the health care law changes access to VA benefits.

And for the many veterans and their families who rely on Medicare or an employer health plan, the only change is new benefits and stronger protections. For example, 6 million people on Medicare with high prescription drug costs are now saving an average of more than $600 a year on their medications. And many parents can now keep their children on their private plans up to age 26.

These kinds of benefits are already in effect. So if you're one of those veterans who already has private or government coverage that you like, the law is already working for you. But we also know some veterans buy their own coverage and more than 1.3 million veterans and more than 950,000 spouses and children of veterans have no health insurance at all. And while most uninsured veterans are eligible for VA health care, some are not.

It's for people who need new coverage options like them that the health care law created a new Health Insurance Marketplace. Beginning October 1, the Marketplace will open for enrollment in every state, for coverage starting in January 2014. It will give veterans and their families – and all other eligible Americans – a whole new way to shop for private health insurance.

They will have a single place to visit online at HealthCare.gov, with simple, easy-to-understand information that helps them make apples-to-apples comparisons of health plans. All plans in the Marketplace must cover an essential set of benefits, including hospital visits, doctor visits, prescription drugs, and mental health services. Discrimination based on gender or pre-existing conditions, like diabetes, cancer, or PTSD, will be outlawed. And many veterans' families will qualify for a break on their monthly premiums.

What this law means, simply, is more choices and more security for veterans and their families. But just because these new resources are available doesn't mean veterans and their families know about them.

Americans can visit HealthCare.gov right now to get information, checklists, and other materials to help prepare for coverage this fall, including information for military and veteran families. They can also call a toll-free call center at 1-800-318-2596 that's open 24/7 to provide information and answer questions in 150 languages.

As a nation, our highest obligation is ensuring our service members, veterans, and their families get the care and benefits they so clearly earned. That means making sure they can take full advantage of new benefits, protections, and coverage options in the Affordable Care Act.

I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting with 7th grader Gabrielle Lord this week. Gabrielle is headed to Washington next week after being chosen to take part in the Junior National Young Leaders Conference (JrHYLC). She was chosen because of her exceptional leadership skills, and the conference is meant to inspire young people to continue developing those talents. Young students, like Gabrielle, are indeed, the future of our country. She, and the other 250 outstanding middle school students chosen from across the country, will participate in educational activities and presentations. I shared with her my hope that she will also get some time just to take in the beautiful scenery in our nation's capital, and experience the history, while looking forward to her very bright future.