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Scott Air Force Base
Scott Air Force Base (AFB) and the men and women at Scott play a critical role to our military mission world-wide and to our great nation. Scott is the largest employer south of Springfield and the 4th largest employer in the St Louis area. Scott brings about $2 billion annually to our economy and the men and women at the base are an integral part of our churches, schools, civic activities and communities.

Last year, we received good news concerning Scott. After 10 years and countless hours of planning and hard work on the part of many dedicated individuals, we were very pleased to see that the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission voted to keep Scott open and add additional missions. In fact, Scott is expected to gain almost 800 new jobs, receive 8 new KC-135R aircraft, add the Army Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and a Logistics Support Center.

Prior to the 2005 BRAC process, many changes were implemented that helped to build the case for retaining Scott. In 2003 we were successful in retaining the C-9 airplanes at Scott Air Force Base and the 932nd Airlift Wing. In addition to securing the funds to keep the planes and the 1,000 men and women of the 932nd, the Air Force completed a study that stated the 932nd is prepared to handle a variety of missions in the future.

We have secured the necessary funds to purchase three new C-40 airplanes to replace the C-9s for the 932nd at Scott. The men and women of the 932nd can continue to perform their various missions from Scott. The relocation of additional C-21s and the prospect of replacing the C-9s with new planes demonstrates the ability of Scott to take on new missions.

In addition to adding the C-40s and retaining the C-9s, I announced in 2004 that Scott will receive six additional C-21 aircraft, resulting in 16 additional jobs. The planes are being consolidated from other bases. The C-21s are used to provide passenger and cargo airlift over short ranges. They can also be configured to transport litters during medical evacuations.

These are the proposed additions and changes for Scott, based on the Department of Defense recommendations to the 2005 BRAC Committee.

The BRAC Commission report was passed into law in November, 2005.
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Medical Malpractice
Like many of you, I am concerned about the cost of medical malpractice insurance in our area. I have been in contact with President Bush, Speaker Hastert, and Governor Blagojevich concerning this issue and have also been working with my colleagues in Congress and in the state of Illinois. Here are links to letters that I wrote to President Bush and Speaker Dennis Hastert concerning this issue.

  Letter to President Bush - 1/4/05
  Letter to Speaker Hastert - 1/10/05
  Letter to Speaker Hastert - 1/16/03

I believe that the medical malpractice issue is best handled at the state level, as over half of the states have already passed legislation addressing it. Last year, the Illinois General Assembly passed legislation to address this issue and it was signed into law by Governor Blagojevich.

H.R. 5, legislation that would cap non-economic and punitive damage awards in medical malpractice cases, was passed by the House in July, 2005 and is now before the Senate. I voted against H.R. 5 because it is a caps-only bill that does not address medical malpractice reform in a comprehensive manner.  In addition, the Republican majority refused to allow any amendments to the bill.  I offered an amendment to the Rules Committee that simply called for public hearings of any proposed medical malpractice insurance rate increase of greater than 15%.  My amendment, like all Democratic amendments, was rejected and not allowed to be considered or voted on by the full House of Representatives. 

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Iraq
I voted against giving President Bush the authority to send our troops into Iraq because I was not convinced that Saddam Hussein presented an imminent or direct threat to the United States. In addition, I was concerned that the American taxpayers and soldiers would pay a very heavy price. The Congress did in fact give the authority to the President and President Bush sent troops into Iraq in March 2003.

The good news is that Saddam Hussein is out of power, the bad news is that over 2,500 U.S. soldiers have died, over 20,000 troops have been wounded and the cost to the American taxpayers in Iraq and Afghanistan is approaching $450 billion and is still costing $8.1 billion every month. We will continue to incur these heavy costs in the days, weeks, and months for many years to come. My goal is to continue to support our men and women serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other parts of the world, and I ask you to continue to keep them and their families in your daily thoughts and prayers.
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Federal Budget
The budget that President Bush has submitted for fiscal year 2007 calls for cuts in programs and reductions in services that will be felt in communities throughout our district. The President's budget proposal would:

The President's budget does increase funding for veterans' health care. However, the amount is $1 billion less than veterans' service organizations specify is needed.

A topic of debate has been the increasing federal deficit. The projected annual deficit for the current fiscal year is slightly over $300 billion. The war in Iraq and Afghanistan is approaching $450 billion, while at the same time, we are being told that the resources are not available for critical projects and programs in the United States. We continue to have tremendous needs here at home to support our veterans, educate our children and provide health care to those who need it most. I will continue to support robust defenses for the U.S. while pressing for more resources to address our many needs here at home.
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Transportation
The transportation bill passed both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Since the bills were different, a conference committee was appointed to craft a final version of the legislation and I was a member of the conference committee.
The conference report was approved by both Houses of Congress and signed into law by the President. This legislation provides a funding blueprint for road, bridge and transit spending over the next six years.

The $286.4 billion bill will result in a significant increase in highway spending for the State of Illinois over the next five years, an average of $309.15 million annually, or 33.4% per year over the current level of funding. 

I was successful in securing $150 million in funding for the new Mississippi River Bridge as part of this legislation.  The bridge project will receive $239 million in total funding, with Senators Durbin, Obama and Bond securing the other $89 million.  This funding was included in a section of the bill for projects of regional and national significance, or “mega-projects.”

In addition, total highway funding for Illinois will increase $309.15 million a year, or 33.4% per year over the current level of funding.  This is a substantial increase which will enable IDOT to address critical road and bridge projects in the state.
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Prescription Drugs
In November 2003, the U.S. Congress passed the Medicare reform plan supported by President Bush.

I voted against the legislation because it privatizes portions of the Medicare program for the first time in its history, does not guarantee the same benefits for all seniors, relies heavily on the insurance industry to provide benefits and does nothing to control the cost of prescription drugs. I believe that the new law is good for the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, and not so good for our seniors.

However, the legislation was passed and signed into law by President Bush. The enrollment period for the Prescription Drug Discount Card program ended on May 15. I cosponsored legislation that would extend the deadline to sign up for the new benefit beyond May 15 to December 31, 2006. This bill would also allow beneficiaries who make a mistake to switch plans once and protect beneficiaries from losing their employer-based coverage. This will provide some relief to our seniors, but we need to go farther and make the major changes to this bill that will make it operate more efficiently in the long run.
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Military Survivors' Benefits
For years, spouses of deceased career military retirees received 55% of the soldier's annual retirement pay until they turned 62, when they began receiving only 35%. I have cosponsored legislation, H.R. 548, which would retain the full 55% level, and Congress passed legislation last year to phase-out this reduction in benefits, increasing the level annually and restoring the full 55% level by March 2008. 
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Veterans Services and Marion VA Hospital Expansion
We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude, and that means making sure they have high quality medical care. Towards this goal, the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) program, an effort by the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) to offer a better level of service to our nation's veterans, is underway. Recommendations have been made on how to reconfigure existing facilities or add new ones to better reach every veteran and, as part of this process, the Marion VA Hospital has been recommended for expansion. New community based out-patient clinics that would improve access to health services to outlying areas in the Marion hospital's service area are on a VA implementation priority list. I will continue to follow its progress closely so that veterans in our region see the benefits of this program.
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FutureGen - Illinois Coal
I have led the Illinois delegation effort to locate FutureGen in Illinois. FutureGen is a 275-megawatt prototype power plant with emissions equal to those of natural gas. As soon as the project was announced in February 2003 by the federal government, I went to work holding forums to raise awareness of the project and encourage local support, working with the State of Illinois on developing a proposal to host the facility, holding meetings with DOE officials to express why Illinois should be selected as the project location and writing congressional leaders to secure funding for the project.  Recently, the entire Illinois and Indiana congressional delegations sent a letter urging Illinois to be selected to host FutureGen.

Earlier this year, the FutureGen Industrial Alliance formalized a request for proposals (RFP) to host the FutureGen project. In evaluating potential sites, the State of Illinois had to consider all conditions in the RFP, including those regarding seismic activity. The standards for seismic activity are so stringent that sites in Southern Illinois, due to our proximity to the New Madrid Fault, do not meet them, despite meeting all other criteria.

I am pleased that four Illinois sites are among those in contention for FutureGen. The Illinois and Indiana congressional delegations have made locating FutureGen in Illinois a top priority and we will continue to focus on it as the final sites are named this summer and the final site is selected in 2007. This project will benefit Illinois coal and help reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil.

In May, the House passed the Energy & Water Development Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 which included $54 million for the FutureGen clean coal power plant project.  In addition, another $203 million in clean coal funds is set aside exclusively for FutureGen in following years. The bill must still be considered by the Senate.

More than half the electricity used in the United States is generated from coal. While Illinois utilities typically use 12 million tons of Illinois coal each year, about 65% of Illinois coal is also sold to out-of-state utilities, boosting the economy in Illinois. Illinois' coal reserves contain more BTU's than the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait combined. The House of Representatives has twice passed provisions that I authored to provide tax incentives for new and improved clean-coal technologies as part of a national energy policy. This legislation will ensure that Illinois coal can be burned in an environmentally sound way.

In addition, H.R. 6, The Energy Policy Act of 2005, passed both houses of Congress and was signed into law by the President last year. This legislation includes several clean coal initiatives that I authored.  The bill also provides important tax incentives for the commercialization of clean coal technologies.   

These are the clean coal provisions I was able to include in this legislation: 

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Prairie State Energy Campus
In January, 2005, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued the air permit needed for the coal-powered electric generating station and coal mine being planned on the western edge of Washington County. We have taken an active role in developing the Prairie State Energy Campus, holding informational meetings on the project. The campus is expected to provide 1,500 construction jobs, 450 permanent jobs and provide electricity for up to 1.5 million families. If the permit is finalized, operation is expected to begin in 2008 or 2009, pumping $93 million annually into the economy.

Recently, the U.S. Department of the Interior has declined to join environmental groups in appealing an air permit for the plant. A coalition of environmental groups filed the appeal with the U.S. EPA and a decision is pending.
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River Navigation
The House version of the Energy and Water Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2006 includes $1,189,000 for the Kaskaskia Navigation System and $90 million for the Olmsted Lock and Dam project. Both of these projects are critical to the regional and national economy and will help keep commerce flowing on our rivers. I will work to retain these funds in the final version of the bill, scheduled to be completed later this year.

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) was passed by the House in July, 2005 and is now before the Senate. WRDA authorizes water projects overseen by the Army Corps of Engineers, including $2 billion for construction of seven new locks on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers as well as several local projects.  The 1,200 foot locks will improve transportation times on the river, getting crops to market faster and more efficiently.  The bill also includes $1.58 billion for environmental restoration projects in the Midwest – the second largest such project in the nation. 

I co-authored WRDA as the ranking Democrat on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee last Congress. During the current session, I led the effort to defeat an amendment that would have slowed the lock and dam modernization.  The amendment was defeated by a vote of 105-315.

Flood Protection along the Mississippi is a major priority for eight of the 11 counties in the 12th Congressional District. As it is essential to the economic well-being of our entire region, I have worked to fight for flood control dollars on projects such as Evansville, Grand Tower, Olive Branch, Prairie du Rocher and Columbia. My commitment includes serving as a co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River Congressional Task Force as well as past President of the Lower Mississippi Valley Flood Control Association. I served as the Ranking Member of the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee in the 108th Congress and continue to serve on that subcommittee in the 109th Congress.
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MetroLink Light Rail has been a huge success for Illinois and the entire St. Louis region. I chaired the Committee that made the decision to move forward and construct light rail. Phase One came in under budget and on schedule at a cost of approximately $300 million, running from Lambert International Airport to East St. Louis. In May of 2001, the expansion from East St. Louis to Southwestern Illinois College opened, covering over 17 miles in St. Clair County and spurring other economic development projects. In June of 2003, the Shiloh/Scott station opened at Scott Air Force Base, making Scott one of the few bases in the nation that provides light rail transportation to its personnel. A final leg to MidAmerica Airport is being planned.
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Education
I have been a strong supporter of the HOPE Scholarship Program as well as working to increase funding for Pell Grants and to put 100,000 new teachers in the nation's classrooms. I have worked closely with area educators to understand their needs, which include additional construction funds to upgrade schools. I am also involved in helping local school districts reduce class size to improve learning. I voted for the No Child Left Behind Act to improve student performance, but believe the Act needs to be fully funded. I have cosponsored legislation that would allow local school districts to suspend penalties called for in the legislation for missing performance goals in any year that the bill is not fully funded.
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Crime
Police departments in the 12th Congressional District have received millions of dollars to hire almost 400 additional police officers. As a former police officer, I understand law enforcement and know that more police on our streets reduces crime. I have consistently worked to maintain the successful COPS program and I also took a leading role in securing congressional passage of the Violence Against Women Act. Since the 9/11 attacks, I have sought more funding for local first responders to keep our communities prepared for both local and national emergencies.
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Ethanol
Domestic ethanol production has enhanced rural development, reduced our dependence on foreign oil, improved air quality, and increased the value of corn. Illinois corn is used to produce 40% of the nation's ethanol. As one of the largest producers of corn, Illinois has much to gain from ethanol's presence and expansion in the market. In addition, the federal government has provided millions of dollars for the ethanol pilot plant at SIU-Edwardsville which is now operational.

The House of Representatives approved H.R. 6, the final version of national energy policy legislation that will double ethanol production. The national Renewable Fuel Standard for ethanol will reach 7.5 billion gallons annually by 2012, up from 3.7 billion gallons this year.  Illinois ranks second in corn production and currently produces over 800 million gallons of ethanol per year.  
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Congressman Costello-- Working For You

Scott Air Force Base
Medical Malpractice
Iraq
Federal Budget
Transportation
Military Survivors' Benefits
Veterans Issues and Marion VA     Hospital Expansion
FutureGen - Illinois Coal
Prairie State Energy Campus
River Navigation
MetroLink Light Rail
Education
Crime
Ethanol