Capitol Roundup: Casey releases report saying corporations are charging women more for same products

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Scranton, Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Subcommittee on Children & Families, this week released a study detailing how corporate greed has disproportionately harmed the budgets of women.

“The Pink Tax: How Companies Tack Extra Costs on Women in the Age of Greedflation” is a continuation of Sen. Casey’s investigation into how corporate greed is squeezing families’ budgets and builds on Casey’s vision to hold these companies accountable and put money back in the pockets of American families.

“From personal care products to car insurance to school supplies, corporate CEOs are pink-taxing women and girls on products and services they need,” Casey said. “It’s clear that corporations have been making it harder for American women to save and get ahead financially.”

In August 2016, Casey requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) undertake a study of gender-based price discrimination in the market for goods and services, seeking to shine a light on why price disparities exist and why they tend to be burdensome for women.

Since November 2023, Casey has been investigating corporate price gouging and other actions by big corporations that have squeezed the budgets of American families and contributed to the increase in inflation. In February, the New York Times featured Senator Casey’s investigation into shrinkflation.

In November, Chairman Casey released the first report in his greedflation series, “Greedflation: How Corporations Are Making Record Profits on the Backs of American Families,” detailing how big corporations are using inflation as cover to raise prices and rake in record profits at the expense of middle-class American families and laying out Senator Casey’s vision to hold greedy corporations accountable. Corporate executives claim they’ve “earned the right” to raise prices and that their products “are worth paying a little bit more for.”

In February 2024, Casey introduced legislation to protect American families from greedflation by banning grossly excessive price increases and crack down on corporate price gouging. The same month, Casey also introduced the Shrinkflation Prevention Act, which empowers the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general to crack down on corporations that deceive consumers by selling smaller sizes of their products without lowering the prices.

This month, Senator Casey sent a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Director Rohit Chopra in support of the CFPB’s proposed rule to crack down on excessive overdraft banking penalties. In February, Senator Casey sent a letter to Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Lina Khan in support of FTC’s proposal to eliminate junk fees across the market.

Meuser introduces bill to combat squatting by illegal immigrants

U.S. rep. Dan Meuser, R-Dallas, this week introduced H.R. 7959 — the Safeguarding Homes from Illegal Entry, Living, and Dwelling (SHIELD) Act.

The legislation would make trespassing a deportable offense for illegal aliens, as well as deem the migrant permanently inadmissible for entry into the United States.

Meuser said this legislation has become “glaringly necessary” due to the recent surge in cases of illegal aliens squatting in American homes, particularly after a Venezuelan TikToker urged fellow migrants to exploit adverse possession laws in American states.

Just last week, Homeland Security officials arrested eight illegal immigrants on drug and gun possession charges who had been squatting in a Bronx, NY, home. Also last week, federal agents arrested three migrants squatting and dealing drugs in a home in the Bronx.

“The dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrants squatting in American homes is yet another example of how the disastrous situation at our southern border is impacting communities across the country,” Meuser said. “This legislation will serve as a deterrent to illegal aliens contemplating violating the homes and properties of American citizens. It will force migrants to think twice before attempting to trespass on or unlawfully possess an American’s property. The SHIELD Act ensures illegal immigrants are held accountable for squatting via deportation and permanent inadmissibility into the United States.”

This legislation comes on the heels of the House’s passage of H.R. 6976 — the Protect Our Communities from DUIs Act — which makes driving under the influence a deportable and inadmissible offense. H.R. 6976 passed in the House on Feb. 1, 2024, by a margin of 274 to 150, with significant bipartisan support.

Pa. transit, business leaders highlight importance of public transit to economy

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Secretary Mike Carroll this week joined Pennsylvania Public Transportation Association Executive Director Shawna Jones, South Central Transit Authority Executive Director Greg Downing, and Pennsylvania business leaders at the PPTA’s annual conference to highlight public transit’s contributions to our economy and how Gov. Josh Shapiro’s budget proposal supports those contributions.

The Governor’s budget proposes an additional $282.8 million investment for transit – the first of its kind in over a decade. This would be achieved with an additional 1.75% of the Pennsylvania Sales Tax being deposited into the Public Transportation Trust Fund.

“Public transit doesn’t just get seniors to medical appointments and bring people to work — the overall industry making the products and vehicles transit providers need is an important part of Pennsylvania’s economy,” Carroll said.

According to PPTA data, association members procured $2.5 billion in goods and services from Pennsylvania companies from 2018-2023.

“Transit means business and jobs for Pennsylvanians. Transit agencies across PA employ 17,000 people directly,” Jones said. “Our procurement of goods and services also supports jobs in Pennsylvania. And beyond creating jobs, public transportation provides others access to jobs, which also contributes to Pennsylvania’s economy. In all we do, transit means business.”

On average, 64% of the people who use fixed-route services say that they have no alternate means of transportation.

Public transportation services are available in every county in Pennsylvania, including:

• Shared ride service in all 67 counties.

• Fixed route bus service in 49 counties.

• Fixed route rail service in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

More information on public transit and alternative transportation options like ride-sharing, biking, and walking, is available on PennDOT’s website.

State to invest $1.8M to improve care for pregnant women and babies

The Department of Health kicked off Black Maternal Health Week (April 11-17) by announcing that community-based organizations can apply for grants to help address maternal health concerns across the Commonwealth through the creation of regional coalitions.

Pennsylvania is making up to $1.8 million available from the current budget for these efforts.

Maternal health is a concern nationally, with the rate of pregnancy-associated deaths on the rise in recent years.

In Pennsylvania, there are 83 pregnancy-associated deaths per 100,000 live births. In 2020, 107 Pennsylvanians lost their lives during pregnancy, delivery, or within one year postpartum. Black women are nearly two times more likely to die during pregnancy or in the first year after a pregnancy than white women.

“The tragic reality is that maternal mortality is far too common, and disproportionately impacts Black women and their families,” said Acting Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “That is why the Shapiro Administration is committed to addressing this health equity issue through the formation of regional coalitions to move the Maternal Mortality Review Committee recommendations into action in their own local communities to help save lives.”

The overall goal of this funding is to enable community-based organizations to develop and lead regional coalitions that will select and implement recommendations from the 2024 Pennsylvania Maternal Mortality Review Committee (MMRC) report, to improve maternal health at the local level.

Funding for the grants comes from the current year’s budget, where Gov. Josh Shapiro secured $2.3 million to study and implement recommendations from the MMRC for preventing maternal mortality.

The 2024-25 proposed budget doubles down on that work by investing an additional $2.7 million to address and prevent maternal mortality, especially among Black mothers. The newly-launched Division of Maternal Health Services within the Department of Health’s Bureau of Family Health will support the administration of the MMRC and the implementation of grant funding.

The anticipated grant agreement term for the Regional Maternal Health Coalitions is July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2027, subject to the availability of funding.

An optional online pre-application conference will be held on April 15 at 11 a.m.

Applications must be received no later than 1:30 p.m. on April 30.