Category: Massachusetts
Committee Focuses on Derivatives, not Consumer Financial Protection agency
AGENCY
New Bedford Standard-Times
Ayesha Aleem
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 13, 2009
WASHINGTON—Ever since Wall Street collapsed last year, dragging down major banks and many homeowners with it, the House Financial Services Committee has been working on legislation to establish a consumer financial protection agency. On Wednesday, however, the committee temporarily turned its attention to another area of financial reform—the arcane subject of financial derivatives.
The committee, chaired by Rep. Barney Frank, met on Wednesday to discuss amendments that would impose new rules on derivatives—financial instruments based on another asset. The asset itself is not traded, only the derivative based on that asset.
A futures contract, for example, is an agreement to buy or sell the underlying asset at some future time. So is a credit default swap, the kind of instrument that contributed to last year’s financial meltdown and required a major federal bailout of American International Group, the principal seller of such instruments.
Frank wants new rules governing capital, margins, transparency, record-keeping and reporting of over-the-counter derivatives. For transactions between financial institutions, Frank proposes that they be traded on an exchange.
As for the consumer financial protection agency, as its name suggests, it would set rules aimed at providing greater protection to consumers against financial exploitation.
The rules would also extend to regulation of mortgages, credit and debit cards, installment loans and other products that financial institutions issue.
Frank recently proposed to change the proposed agency’s oversight panel to consist mostly of top bank regulators. This has been negatively interpreted by some who view these regulators as instrumental in the financial crisis. However, Frank said in a telephone interview, consumers would be suitably represented.
Rep. Spencer Bachus of Alabama, the committee’s senior Republican, called the legislation a form of “government bureaucracy” at Wednesday’s hearing. But Frank has reiterated the need for regulation to avert financial turbulence as experienced during this past year.
“The only innovations that thrive are those that attract people’s money in a free-enterprise society,” Frank said in a statement earlier this year. “But there are periods when innovation reaches critical mass, when there is such a combination of new things, it often means that with new technology combined with new ideas, that the existing regulatory framework is left behind. And the role of the public sector is to come up with regulations that allow society the benefit of those innovations in the private sector while curtailing some of the abuses.”
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McGovern Sends Beetle Money Request to USDA
BEETLE BRIEF
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/08/09
WASHINGTON—U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, sent a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Thomas J. Vilsack on Thursday requesting an additional $30 million in emergency funding to help eradicate the Asian longhorned beetle from central Massachusetts, according to a spokesman in Mr. McGovern’s office.
The letter was signed by all 12 members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation, and comes one day after Congress approved $13.3 million in beetle eradication aid for fiscal year 2010 as part of a larger agriculture appropriations bill.
“We are concerned that more funding is required to properly eradicate the beetle in Central Massachusetts,” reads the letter, which notes that the region received $24.5 million in emergency aid in the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30.
Since the first discovery of the destructive beetle in Worcester, the letter says the infested area has expanded to 66 square miles—though in September, the state Department of Conservation and Recreation said the area was up to 74 square miles. Michael Mershon, spokesman for Mr. McGovern, said the discrepancy is because the letter began circulating in August, before the change.
“The beetle expands pretty rapidly… [The area size] has been amended seven times,” he said.
The letter also calls attention to the ice storm last winter that “complicated the eradication effort and made the challenging task of [Asian longhorned beetle] eradication even more difficult due to debris removal.”
U.S. Agriculture Department spokeswoman Rhonda J. Santos in Worcester said she was unable to speculate on the likelihood of the request being granted.
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Massachusetts is Seventh best in State Health Care
MASS. HEALTH
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/07/09
WASHINGTON—Massachusetts placed seventh in a national state-by-state ranking of health care quality by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.
The rankings, made public Thursday, were broken down according to access to health care, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and costs, equity, and healthy lives of citizens.
Nationwide, the study found wide variations in health care quality among the states and reported that insurance coverage and affordability is a growing concern.
Massachusetts was first among all states in access, and made the top 10 in all other areas except avoidable hospital use and costs, where it came in at a startling 33. That number is up three from 2007, when the first Commonwealth Fund report appeared. Massachusetts was ranked eighth overall in the 2007 report, and has improved or stayed near the same in most areas.
“In Massachusetts, you see an intense effort to improve,” said Cathy Schoen, senior vice president of the Commonwealth Fund. “Every time we do this report, there’s a lot of scrutiny on getting the numbers right because Massachusetts would like to be number one in all the indicators, not just one.”
Robert Klugman, chief quality officer at UMass Memorial Medical Center, said some of the hospital usage numbers in the report might be skewed by demographics.
“Some of that data is not really reflective of reality,” he said. “There’s definitely room for improvement, but that particular area is a little bit skewed. We have some world-class academic organizations that tend to attract some of the sickest people not only from the state but from the region. There’s an educational cost factor as well in educating the next generation of new doctors and testing new technologies. That makes it difficult to compare apples and oranges.”
Despite the blemish in avoidable hospital use and costs, Toni McGuire, president and CEO of the Great Brook Valley Health Center in Worcester, said there is a lot to be proud of in Massachusetts.
“The best care comes through coordination with the patient as a partner,” she said. “We have really good primary care doctors, which is maybe why our numbers are so high. Where we fall short is where primary care doctors get paid. That’s it. It’s really managing the patient, keeping them informed and doing it in a way that works with the entire system of care—and that means making sure you can recoup your costs.”
Jean C. Sullivan, director of the Center for Health Law and Economics at UMass Medical School, said she was concerned about the slight drop in rankings on equity measures.
“While still relatively high, at seventh overall, this rank is a drop from the first-in-the- nation ranking in 2007,” she said. “It appears that those who remain uninsured in this state are having increasing difficulty getting preventive care and seeing a doctor. Massachusetts health care leaders know that primary care capacity must be addressed and have taken effective steps in that direction; for example, the significant increase in class size at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.”
Jennifer Kritz, spokesman for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services, noted that she had not yet reviewed the full report but added that the state is taking measures to improve health care quality.
“Massachusetts now leads the nation in insurance coverage, and we have also seen improved access to medical and dental care,” she said. “A state commission recently issued recommendations for reforming how we pay for health care. Instead of our current ‘fee-for-service’ system—which rewards more care but not necessarily the right care — the commission endorsed a ‘global payment’ model that prioritizes coordinated, efficient and effective patient care and will ensure the long-term sustainability of reform.”
Neighboring New England states made a good showing in the report as well, with Vermont ranked first overall, and Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island all in the top 25 percent. Mississippi came in last of all the states.
The goal of the study was to examine how states have done and spur action across the country, Ms. Schoen of the Commonwealth Fund said. “Where you live matters… and it shouldn’t,” she said.
Karen Davis, Commonwealth Fund president, added that this report should act as further evidence in support of national health reform and noted that despite the battles in Congress over different versions of a bill, all versions contain some basic overlap in certain areas.
“The cost of not acting is too high,” she said. “This report definitely underscores the urgent need for action on health reform. The proposals pending in Congress would vastly improve health insurance coverage.”
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that supports independent research on health policy reform and performance.
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To Tweet or not to Tweet: A Question for Politicians
Twitter
New Bedford Standard-Times
Ayesha Aleem
Boston University Washington News Service
Oct. 7, 2009
WASHINGTON – Rep. Barney Frank doesn’t use Twitter. And he doesn’t intend on turning to the microblogging Web site anytime soon, either.
“I’m not that interested in what people had for lunch. Or if they couldn’t get their shoes on in the morning,” Frank said.
But the 4th District Democrat has a Facebook page with more than 9,000 supporters.
Social networking tools are not just the preserve of college students anymore. Increasingly, Web sites such as Facebook and Twitter have turned into an effective means for politicians to reach out to their constituents.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., has an extensive Facebook page, an active Twitter account and a blog that he keeps current.
“I like the way the social media has opened up communication to and from elected leaders,” Kerry said in a statement. “I can get a great feel for a wide variety of opinions by reading the responses to blog posts or following the messages I get on Twitter and Facebook.”
For example, here’s a recent tweet from Kerry’s Twitter: “Gearing up for Wednesday. Barbara Boxer and I to introduce Senate climate change bill then. Much more to come.”
Rep. Richard Neal, D-2nd, doesn’t use either Twitter or Facebook, while the Web page for the campaign of Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-5th, has widgets for a Facebook, Flickr and MySpace presence, as well as video clips of campaign events. Widgets are small tabs of information that users can host on their Web sites using HTML code.
However, Tsongas’s Facebook page has restricted privacy, which requires a person’s request to be accepted before gaining access to the profile page. The Web page was created more than two years ago with these settings, but there is a possibility of changing it to a public page, said John Noble, press secretary for Tsongas, in an e-mail message.
Frank’s Facebook page was originally set up by Facebook when the Web site created pages for members of Congress, said Harry Gural, press secretary for Frank. But Frank’s staff has since taken over administrative rights to the Web page and is in charge of its content, which they update about once or twice a week. Frank has also been a contributing writer for The Huffington Post, an online publication.
“Facebook is an important way of reaching out to people who are interested in the issues but who haven’t participated in traditional political ways,” Frank said in a telephone interview. The visual elements of these tools are valuable communication, he said.
The congressman has an interesting opinion about Twitter. “I do not regard 140 characters [the limit imposed on a tweet] a useful way to convey things. Twitter did play an important role in the Iranian revolution, where they were being oppressed. I think if you aren’t being oppressed, you should not restrict yourself to 140 characters.”
Frank does have an unofficial Twitter page that he said he was unaware of. He said it constituted “dishonesty, deception, forgery” and was “very anti-democratic” that someone would attribute statements to him that he never made.
“It’s outrageous. It’s not just unfair to me; it’s most unfair to the readers,” he said. “I don’t want people to think it came from me.”
Not everyone in the Massachusetts delegation is enthusiastic about online tools. Democratic Rep. James McGovern, D-3rd, for example, is slightly more elusive. He maintains only a public Facebook page that his fans and supporters can be a part of. Currently, the site hosts more that 1,700 members and is updated approximately once a week. McGovern’s page differs from Frank’s in that it is mostly supporters, not McGovern, who post to it. i.
“We send out e-mails, we have an e-newsletter that goes out to people, we make phone calls” to reach out to people, said Michael Mershon, press secretary for McGovern. “But Twitter and a blog is just not something he’s interested in.” Elaborating, Mershon added, “They are a new and instantaneous way of communicating with people. It’s important to do as much as we can without being distracted by the bells and whistles and don’t ignore people who communicate using more traditional methods.”
Rep. John Olver, D-1st, has a modest Facebook following of less than 300 supporters and no Twitter presence. Neal’s office could not be reached for a comment.
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Immigration Detention Dystem Changes Announced by Secretary Napolitano
IMMIGRATION REPORTS
New Bedford Standard Times
Burcu Karakas
Boston University Washington News Service
October 06, 2009
WASHINGTON – New initiatives to enhance the security and efficiency of the immigration detention system were introduced by Department of Homeland Security officials Tuesday.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said the aim was to “update the entire immigration system.”
John Morton, the assistant secretary for immigration and customs enforcement, said the department wants to create an “efficient and effective detention system.”
The management of all Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts will be centralized and the department will accelerate efforts to create an online system for families and attorneys to locate detainees, Napolitano said.
She also said medical care in every facility will be enhanced from the time the individual first enters detention. Morton said the changes are not based on individual cases of detainee abuse but rather focused on the entire detention system.
The department plans to submit to Congress this year a plan for alternatives to detention.
Also released Tuesday at a conference at the Brookings Institution was a report on immigration reform, prepared as a joint project of Brookings and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University.
The report, t “Breaking the Immigration Stalemate: From Deep Disagreements to Constructive Proposals,” proposes to reduce illegal immigration by linking workplace verification and legalization, reorient immigrant admissions criteria, rationalize temporary worker programs, establish an independent standing commission on immigration, engage cooperation with Mexico and promote assimilation and integration of new immigrants.
Noah Pickus, director of the Kenan Institute, focused on the importance of a “more intentional policy” in the integration process of immigrants.
“We don’t have any intentionality behind our policies,” he said. Pickus said values and principles should be used to connect immigrants to American history and create a commitment to American values.
Peter Skerry, a senior fellow at Brookings and a professor of political science at Boston College, emphasized the significance of “employment-based immigration,” which would limit the current family-sponsored immigration. He said 5 million people are waiting now to join their relatives as a result of the current system. This number can be reduced to 6,000, he said, by focusing on “nuclear family unification.”
Skerry said the report suggests changing temporary visas to non-renewable, five-year provisional visas, which would give immigrants the option of achieving permanent status.
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Bolton Woman Honored for Adoption and Foster-care Advocacy
ANGELS
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
10/01/09
WASHINGTON—The usually quiet, austere halls of the Russell Senate Office Building were filled with toothy smiles, bright pastel dresses and miniature suit-jackets as children and their families from across the country flocked to Washington for the annual Angels in Adoption award ceremony Wednesday afternoon.
Etta Lappen Davis, 58, of Bolton, was among Wednesday’s honorees, after being nominated by her daughter and selected by Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., for recognition for her work helping adoption programs gain accreditation.
Ms. Lappen Davis, who heads an independent consulting company, said, “My intent is to ensure that the organizations I’m working with do a better job, so that the kids are safer and receive better services because of the work I do.”
“Most of what I do is to assist organizations with regulatory compliance,” she added. “In Worcester, I have been involved with the Henry Lee Willis Center for many years. They achieved accreditation and are now working to get reaccredited.” The Willis Center coordinates many programs to help children and families in Worcester.
Angels in Adoption is a program of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, which gives members of Congress a chance to honor constituents who have done exemplary work in the adoption field.
Ms. Lappen Davis was one of 87 award recipients who came to Washington for the ceremony and the only honoree from central Massachusetts. The awards were presented by Kathleen Strottman, the institute’s executive director and a 1994 graduate of the College of the Holy Cross.
“Etta Davis has devoted her life to helping children find safe, loving homes and families,” Ms. Tsongas, who was not present at the ceremony, said in a statement. “After being asked by a constituent to nominate Etta for this award, I was pleased to learn of her extraordinary efforts to improve the lives of children from those who have worked closely with her. It is highly fitting that Etta is recognized with this award in honor of her many years of adoption and foster-care advocacy in Massachusetts and across the country.”
Ms. Lappen Davis, who started out as a music therapist for children with special needs and worked for Massachusetts as a licensing specialist for several years, “goes above and beyond” in both her work and personal life, said her daughter, Sarah Davis, 30. “It’s such a combination for her. It’s about her level of commitment as a human being.”
In her nominating letter, her daughter, who is a professional grant writer, wrote, “What makes my mother a true ‘angel’ goes much deeper than her impressive credentials and lifelong professional achievement. I have witnessed first-hand the multifaceted support she provides to two specific families—families that I believe have managed to stay intact due to her guidance, love and expertise. She spends countless hours counseling the parents, speaking with collaborative professionals, attending team meetings and being on call for moments of crisis.”
In Washington, Ms. Lappen Davis was joined by her daughter, who flew in from Pennsylvania, as well as her own mother, who flew in from Florida.
“We met up here yesterday,” said Ms. Davis. “We’re having a three-generation sleep-over.”
In the days leading up to Wednesday’s ceremony, all three family members met with members of Congress, toured the city and attended a reception at the State Department with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“I did not want to miss that,” said Ms. Lappen Davis, of the reception. “I really wanted to see Hillary.”
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“Thousands of People Come Together to Celebrate Books – How Great is That!”
NBF
New Bedford Standard-Times
Ayesha Aleem
Boston University Washington News Service
Sept. 26, 2009
WASHINGTON – Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, co-authors of “The Spiderwick Chronicles,” were two of the more than 70 writers and illustrators participating Saturday in the 9th annual National Book Festival.
“It’s the highlight of my life,” said DiTerlizzi, third-time attendee, about the festival. “This is on a crazy, huge, Lollapalooza scale. Thousands of people come together to celebrate books – how great is that!”
The book festival, hosted by the Library of Congress, is an annual event that invites authors to interact with readers through book signings, readings and question and answer sessions. Started in 2001 by first lady Laura Bush, the festival is held on the National Mall between the Capitol and the Washington Monument.
Black, of Amherst, and DiTerlizzi, who lives in western Massachusetts, were two of six Massachusetts authors participating in the festival, which drew more than 100,000 people. The others were Jeff Kinney, Mary Brigid Barrett, Julia Glass and Lois Lowry.
DiTerlizzi writes “imagination books,” by his own description, “because we need more of that, especially in books.” His books are mainly targeted to nine- to 11-year-olds, he said, although he has done picture books for younger children too.
“It was the time in my life that I became a reader,” DiTerlizzi said in a telephone interview. “This is when children are past the age of struggling to learn to read and now read because they enjoy it. To be part of that magic – what story will you tell that will make a child a reader – at a time when video games and outdoor activities are so interesting.”
DiTerlizzi’s latest book is the series finale of “Spiderwick,” about friction caused when a blended family comes together.
Holly Black explained in a telephone interview how fantasy books can be used to explore themes in reality. Anger, for example, is shameful and negative, she said. But it’s easier to talk about it differently, through fantasy, like as a werewolf. Once a month, it becomes a monster and hurts the people it loves. “I don’t think it’s escapist,” said Black of fantasy.
Jeff Kinney of Plainville posed with young readers for photographs and was particular he signed their books before speaking to the media. Originally from Fort Washington, Md., he was back is his “hometown,” he said, for his latest book, “The Wimpy Kid: Dog Days,” expected to be released in October.
Lois Lowry, who lives in Cambridge, is author of “The Giver” and a first-time festival attendee. She had been invited before but only came this year, she said. “I’m an ardent Democrat,” she said. “I had trouble coming during the Bush administration.”
Her latest book, “Crow Call,” which will be published next month, is “autobiographical,” she said. “It’s about a child, me, groping her way to get reacquainted with her father after he returns from war. In my case, it was World WarII.”
Lowry said she doesn’t have a message for her readers. “I try to tell a good story. There are probably messages within it. But the message is different for each reader.”
Opening speeches were given by James H. Billington, the Library of Congress librarian, and author John Grisham. Other authors at the festival included Judy Blume, Nicholas Sparks and Sabiha Al Khemir.
The book sales tent closed intermittently as organizers regulated the number of people inside. A throng of people gathered at the entrance to buy books before lining up to get their books signed by the author. Visitors formed long queues in front of the signing tables, camping patiently with backpacks and strollers.
But clearly the children were having the most fun. Costumed characters posed for photographs with the youngest visitors and activity tables with laptops and others with crayons and coloring books kept them busy. A carousel provided rides beside a cinnamon almonds stand. Barbequed fare was available on another side of the Mall. Even the rain, which surfaced in the afternoon, could not play spoilsport, with raincoats and umbrellas appearing quickly as families, individuals and avid readers celebrated the spirit of reading.
Paul Kirk Sworn in as Interim Junior Senior
KIRK OATH
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
9/25/09
WASHINGTON—Paul G. Kirk Jr. was sworn in as interim Massachusetts senator Friday afternoon, just hours after a state judge blocked a Republican bid to stall the proceedings, and exactly one month after the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.
“It’s the highest honor in my life and I accept it with humility,” Mr. Kirk said after being sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden in the Senate chamber. The ceremony was attended by only a handful of other members of the Senate.
Moments after Mr. Biden said, “Congratulations, senator,” Mr. Kirk waved and gave a thumbs-up to his wife Gail, who was seated next to Victoria R. Kennedy, the late senator’s widow, in the family box in the gallery.
Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., hugged Mr. Kirk warmly after he took his oath, as did U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, D-R.I., Mr. Kennedy’s son, who stood with Senate Democratic Party Majority leader Harry M. Reid, D-Nev., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
Sen. Kennedy’s other children, Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and Kara Kennedy, and their stepbrother Curran Raclin, also were in the balcony.
The first senators to congratulate Mr. Kirk were Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
Since photography is not allowed on the Senate floor, the ceremony was reenacted afterwards in the old Senate chamber.
“As we were driving up I was contemplating the responsibility I was about to undertake, and the honor of being designated the voice of Sen. Kennedy’s constituents and the one from his state who will vote for his causes,” said Mr. Kirk after the reenactment. “Combine that with the love and friendship we had for each other…it’s almost overwhelming.”
Before being sworn in, Mr. Kirk’s first stop in Washington was at Arlington National Cemetery, where he paid his respects to the late Mr. Kennedy.
Mr. Kirk said he felt a “combination of emotions” in taking Mr. Kennedy’s place, including “a profound absence as a friend” and “a sense of humility.”
Mr. Kirk said he was not yet sure which committees he would serve on, but planned to meet with the leadership next week.
When asked whom he would support for the special election in January, Mr. Kirk said, “It was always Sen. Kennedy’s idea that the appointed person should not try to taint the playing field, and I intend to honor that.”
Mr. Kirk’s appointment to the Senate gives the Democrats the 60 votes that they need to defeat a filibuster when it comes to passing the highly controversial health-care bill.
“If they think there’s a role I can play, I’d love to,” Mr. Kirk said of his possible endorsement of the reforms.
He added that he hoped a bipartisan bill would be possible, and planned to get a better sense of the dialogue after being in Washington for a week or so.
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Vice President Biden Swears in New Massachusetts Senator
SWEARING IN
New Bedford Standard-Times
Ayesha Aleem
Boston University Washington News Service
Sept. 25, 2009
WASHINGTON – Paul Kirk was sworn in as interim Massachusetts senator by Vice President Joe Biden in the Capitol on Friday, one month after the death of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, whose position Kirk will be filling.
Kirk, who is a lawyer and chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum in Boston, will occupy the Senate seat only until a replacement is elected in a special election in January.
“This is the highest honor in my life,” the new senator said. Kirk said he wanted to participate in the health care reform bill but added, “I’m aware I’m the freshman in the class.”
Rep. Barney Frank in a telephone interview Friday afternoon called Kirk a “thoughtful, intelligent man who understands the way the political process works” and said Kirk will do a “perfect job” as interim senator.
“Obviously it’s only for a few months but it’s going to be a very critical few months,” Frank said. “Some of the most important decisions that could be made by the national government will be made in that time.”
Frank also said Kirk would be a “knowledgeable and effective advocate for the state and for the things that people in the state care about.”
Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., accompanied Kirk to the front of the Senate chamber where Vice President Joe Biden swore in Kirk, who placed his hand on a red Bible.
Approximately 300 people filled the visitors’ gallery. The ceremony was attended by Sen. Kennedy’s widow, Vicki Kennedy, who sat with other guests in a separate gallery box.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., sat with other officials on the Senate floor. A reenactment ceremony for press photographs was conducted in the old Senate chamber following the event.
Kirk graduated from Harvard College in 1960 and Harvard Law School in 1964. He is chairman and chief financial officer of Kirk & Associates, a business consulting firm in Boston.
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$10 Million Granted in Beetle Money; McGovern to Request $30 Million more
BEETLES
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Jessica Leving
Boston University Washington News Service
9/23/09
WASHINGTON—Massachusetts will receive $10 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to combat the tree-destroying Asian longhorned beetle in the next 12 months, and Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, said he plans to ask for approximately $30 million more in emergency funds.
“We want to go in there with an ideal number,” Mr. McGovern said in an interview Wednesday. “$40 million [total] sounds like a good number to me.”
The white-flecked black insect bores into hardwood trees and feeds on the tree’s nutrients. Ultimately the tree dies, denuding wide swaths of infected neighborhoods.
Agriculture Department spokeswoman Rhonda J. Santos confirmed Wednesday that $10 million of federal funds will “definitely” go toward the beetle eradication effort in Massachusetts in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, but added, “We cannot speculate on whether the congressman will get additional funds or not.”
Massachusetts, she said, received a sizable amount of federal aid in the current year “because it was an emergency program to start the effort.”
The invasive beetle species has led to the removal of some 25,000 trees in the Worcester area since their arrival in 2008.
Mr. McGovern said he is working on a letter to the Secretary of Agriculture and that more resources are needed.
Rick K. Sullivan, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, said of the battle to defeat the beetle in Worcester, “It is a robust program. It does need to be aggressive in terms of survey work and inoculation work, and there’s still significant tree removal that needs to happen over the next season.”
Mr. Sullivan praised Mr. McGovern’s efforts to obtain additional funds, and said if the money is not granted, the program will have to focus mainly on tree removal and survey work at the expense of chemical treatment and other preventive efforts.
“You have to make the budgets work with the numbers you ultimately are given,” he said, noting that “$40 million would allow us to do the tree removal and continue the aggressive surveying work not only on the ground but by climbing into the trees, which is much more effective [in preventing the spread of the beetle.] We could also do the chemical treatment and the awareness and education efforts. If you’ve got money, you can do all those things.”
Mr. McGovern said that most of the money would probably go to removing trees infested with the pest.
“Some money will go to replanting,” he said. “The urgent thing is to get rid of infested trees.”
Gary Rosen, chairman of the city council’s Public Health and Human Services Committee, agreed that cutting down infested trees was a major priority, but said that he hoped money would be appropriated for preventive chemical treatment of potential host trees that are not currently infested.
“I think the money will probably be used for taking down the infested trees, and we want to continue that process,” he said in an interview Wednesday.
“We also want to start a program in the spring where we use the pesticide imidacloprid in hardwood trees that are not infested to protect them from the beetles. I hope money would be used for that too. It’s an expensive chemical and an expensive process.”
Though Mr. Rosen called the money that Mr. McGovern hopes to attain “a good start,” he said the city is going to need a lot more than that to sufficiently protect all of the trees in the Worcester area.
“It’s never going to be enough,” he said. “The problem is so widespread. It’s beyond Worcester.... There will probably be several thousand more [infested] trees over the next year or two.”
District 1 Councilor Joffrey A. Smith added that the money “would definitely be a great help” and said that he hoped some of the funds would go toward rebuilding forests and replanting trees.
The city council Tuesday night unanimously voted to apply all future doses of imidacloprid through direct injection into the tree trunks, not by drenching soil near the tree. The injection process is costlier but more effective, Mr. Smith said.
“While it may take a little longer to do and require a little more manpower, it’s a more effective way,” he said.
Mr. Rosen said the injections are also less hazardous to the environment. He noted, however, that they require annual application, and said that “there has to be follow-up” in terms of additional federal funds over the next few years.
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