Trump budget proposal eliminates funding for legal services 

BOSTON- Senate President Stan Rosenberg, Senator Sal DiDomenico and Senator Will Brownsberger have sent a letter to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation urging them to fight against the Trump Administration’s proposed elimination of funding for Legal Services.

Last year, 23,000 low-income and elderly people in Massachusetts got help at Legal Services with foreclosures and evictions, domestic violence, illegal debt collection, veterans’ benefits, homelessness, immigration, and more.  Even with the current resources allocated, the State was not able to meet the demand for legal aid.

“Eliminating funding for Legal Services is short sighted and disproportionately harms those who cannot afford legal counsel including veterans and the elderly,” said Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst).  “Massachusetts is not a place where we can make up the loss of federal funds.  Justice delayed is justice denied.”

“Legal Services Corporation has helped to ensure equity under the law for low and moderate income individuals throughout the nation for decades,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett), Chairman on the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs. “If implemented, these cuts would strip protections for thousands of people in the Commonwealth, from victims of domestic violence to our veterans and senior citizens. With this proposal, the President has created an unprecedented danger for the future of our civil justice system.”

“Cuts to Legal Services will deny those most in need of access to our justice system and will have a profound impact on our state budget.  Legal Services funding should be a priority for all us who believe the values of taking care of our most vulnerable residents,” said Senator Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary.

According to the letter, elimination of funding from the Federal government would result in a $5 million decrease in funding from $45 million budget.  This 11% cut would result in over 2,500 people losing access to legal aid.

The letter asks the members “to speak out, to stand up, and to hold everyone accountable who supports this unconscionable budget proposal.”  The Trump full budget proposal will be released in May and Congress will debate funding levels in the coming months. 

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Proposed Cuts would devastate biotech sector, medical breakthroughs, and patient care

BOSTON-Massachusetts Senate President Stan Rosenberg and Senator Sal DiDomenico, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs, sent a letter to the Massachusetts Congressional delegation expressing their concern over the proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). 

The Trump Administration has outlined a budget proposal with a 19% cut to NIH which, combined with other proposed budget cuts and the proposed changes to the Affordable Care Act, would result in a loss of billions of dollars in federal funding to Massachusetts by 2020.  These cuts would eviscerate the Massachusetts innovation economy and our healthcare system. 

“Massachusetts is a worldwide leader in medical and biotech research.  The proposed cuts to NIH will devastate not only our research institutions but also our biotech companies while putting the brakes on innovation and medical breakthroughs,” said Senate President Rosenberg (D-Amherst).  “We encourage our delegation to hold the line on these cuts.  The Massachusetts Senate stands ready to work with them to prevent these dangerous short-sighted cuts from becoming law.” 

“These cuts to the National Institutes of Health would have a severe and disproportionate impact on the Massachusetts economy, threatening thousands of jobs and critical medical research,” said Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett). “Massachusetts is home to the world’s leading universities, hospitals, and research facilities, which rely on NIH funding to continue discovering cures and therapies for patients. These cuts would have devastating ramifications for patients throughout the nation and across the globe, which is why it is so important that we work with our Congressional Delegation to ensure that this reckless proposal does not move forward.”

“Any proposed cuts to NIH funding are not only bad for our local economy here in Massachusetts, but more importantly, would have devastating impacts for patients all across the world. Growth in research is what leads us to breakthrough therapies and much-needed cures for patients,” said Robert K. Coughlin, President and CEO of MassBio.

Massachusetts received over $2.5 billion in NIH grants last year and each dollar generates approximately $2.30 in economic activity.   According to MassBio, the total annual economic impact from NIH dollars is $6,005,780,036 and the NIH supports 29,552 jobs in Massachusetts.   

If the proposed NIH cuts are adopted Massachusetts could lose as much as $488,784,343.  The Senators finished the letter by offering assistance to the delegation as well as acknowledging the fight they have on their hands in supporting federal programs. 

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Senator to Serve as Vice Chairman of Senate Ways & Means and Chairman of Intergovernmental Affairs Committee 

BOSTON – Senator Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett) was recently appointed by Senate President Stan Rosenberg (D-Amherst) to once again serve as Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. The Senator has also been newly tapped to serve as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.  In addition to his Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship, the Senator will continue to hold a key position on the Senate President’s Leadership team.

Senator DiDomenico has also been appointed to the following committees for the 2017-2018 legislative session: 

Joint Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses

Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure

Joint Committee on Financial Services

Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development

Senate Committee on Ethics 

“I am honored to have once again been appointed to a key leadership role in the Senate, and I greatly appreciate the Senate President’s confidence in me.  It is has been a great privilege to serve as the Vice Chairman of Senate Ways & Means, and I am thrilled to now also serve as Chairman of Intergovernmental Affairs and on five important committees that will help set the policy agenda for our Senate session.  I look forward to continue working with Senate President Rosenberg, Senate Ways & Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka, and the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation on the issues that are not only important to my constituents, but to the residents of the Commonwealth as a whole.”

"Senator DiDomenico's knowledge of the budget and the importance of federal funds to our state provides an excellent resource to both the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and Committee on Intergovernmental Relations. He will serve the Senate proudly in both of these roles,” said Senate President Rosenberg.

The Senate Ways & Means Committee is responsible for creating the Senate Fiscal Budget each year and for vetting legislation on important policy issues before they are brought before the full Senate for their passage.  Senator DiDomenico will also have a seat on the Conference Committee that will negotiate the Legislature’s final budget.  This will be the Senator’s second session serving in this post as Vice Chairman.

The Senate Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs is charged with identifying federal funding opportunities for the Commonwealth and fostering a strong partnership between the Legislature and the federal government.  This important position will complement the Senator’s work on the Ways & Means Committee as he continues to work with his colleagues to identify key sources of revenue to improve lives in the Commonwealth.  He will also be working with the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C. and visiting our nation’s capital to build on past successes as we look to the future.

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