Dear Friends,
I
often tell people that what I like most about being a member
of Congress is the opportunity to meet with so many of the
great people of Eastern Washington. There are amazing people
out there who have done wonderful things and I wish everyone
else could hear these positive stories. Perhaps that is why
I am so excited for the month of August when I will have the
opportunity to travel throughout Eastern Washington and
hear directly from the people. During the month I will be
meeting with my advisory committees, holding small business
roundtables and attending numerous other public events and
ceremonies.
The
August District Work period allows me to come home and travel
around Eastern Washington. It provides the opportunity to
inform everyone about what is being accomplished in Congress
and listen to the top concerns and priorities of those in
Eastern Washington. Below you will find a calendar of events
for the month of August. I look forward to seeing you soon
at a town near you!
Best regards,
Cathy
Legislative Update
Before Congress
left town for the summer, we made significant progress on
issues important to Eastern Washington:
Health
Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005
H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology Promotion Act of 2005 expands the use of electronic medical records to improve care and reduce errors. McMorris, along with Adam Smith, passed an amendment to this legislation that would expand the use of health IT for Medicaid patients with chronic disease. Read below for more information.
Estate Tax and Extension of Tax Relief Act of 2006
H.R. 5970, Estate Tax and Extension
of Tax Relief Act of 2006 includes numerous tax extenders
that are beneficial for Eastern Washington. In addition to
permanently repealing the estate tax, it includes a state
sales tax deduction for Washington state. In 2004, the
deduction was utilized by over 925,000 Washington taxpayers,
who were able to keep more than $500 million of their hard
earned dollars. The legislation also includes a research and
development tax credit to help our businesses stay competitive.
Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act
H.R. 4761 The Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act expands America’s energy resources by permitting expanded oil and gas exploration in the deep seas on the outer-continental shelf (OCS). According to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, America’s OCS contains 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 86 billion barrels of oil. By comparison, the U.S. consumes 23 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and imports 4.5 billion barrels of oil per year. The U.S. currently sends over $300 billion overseas every year to import energy, accounting for one-third of our annual trade deficit. Technological innovations will ensure that deep sea energy production is safe. Any energy exploration resulting from this bill would be conducted under current environmental regulations to protect and enhance our natural resources.
Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006
H.R.
9, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott
King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act
of 2006, renews expiring provisions of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was passed to ensure
that minority residents of states with a long history of discrimination
could exercise their right to vote. The reauthorization the
House passed today renews expiring provisions for 25 years
and updates the act by eliminating outdated provisions.
The United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement
H.R. 5684 The United States-Oman Free Trade Agreement removes tariffs and increases trade with the Persian Gulf region. In Washington state one in three jobs is linked to trade. In 2005, the State’s exports to Oman exceeded $67 million. Transportation and aeronautics is the top export, followed by computers and electronics, machinery and agricultural products.
Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006
McMorris is a cosponsor of H.R. 4472 the Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 that helps keep children safe from sexual predators by improving sex offender registration and enforcing stricter penalties. Specifically, the bill improves the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Program to ensure that sex offenders register – and keep current – where they reside, work, and attend school; creates the Dru Sjodin National Sex Offender Public Website to search for sex offender information in each community; requires states to notify each other when sex offenders move from one state to another; and increases penalties for using the Internet for the sexual exploitation of children. The President recently signed this bill into law.
Secretary
Nicholson Announces the Walla Walla VA Facility will Remain
Open
Veterans Affairs Secretary James
Nicholson recently visited Walla Walla, per McMorris’ invitation,
and announced that the Jonathan
M. Wainwright Memorial Veterans Affairs Medical Center
will continue to provide health care services to over 64,000
regional veterans.
McMorris top priority has been
to ensure that our veterans have access to health care in
Walla, and believes this is a positive first step. The announcement
that care will not only remain in Walla Walla, but will be
enhanced, is good news for the thousands of veterans that
the facility serves. This marks
the end of the most important portion of the CARES process.
McMorris will continue to work with members of the Northwest delegation and the community to provide quality care to our veterans. She will carefully monitor developments of the new VA facility and obtain full details about the proposal and their impact on the community. She recently sent a letter to Secretary Nicholson asking for briefings every three months regarding the progress of the facility.
Resources
Committee Passes Endangered Species Transparency Bill
The
Resources Committee recently voted to support the Endangered
Species Compliance and Transparency Act. This bipartisan
legislation, sponsored by McMorris, requires Power Marketing
Administrations to list direct and indirect cost estimates
associated with Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance.
In the Pacific Northwest, communities
depend on dams to provide low cost renewable power. The Bonneville
Power Administration provides 40% of the electricity in the
region. Yet ESA costs related to endangered salmon have risen
considerably over the last several years due to federal court-mandates
and other compliance programs. In 2004, one mandated spill
cost the federal government $75 million in lost hydropower
generation in the Pacific Northwest. These added costs are
passed directly on to the consumer, whether the fish efforts
they fund are cost-effective or not. According to the Washington
Post, Judge Redden’s 2004 mandated summer spill amounted to
spending $3.85 million for each Chinook salmon it saved.
McMorris recently held a Water
and Power Subcommittee field hearing in Pasco that focused
on contributing factors to rising energy costs. At the hearing
we heard from numerous witnesses, representing both businesses
and community groups and federal agencies, on the need to
keep our region’s energy rates low. The hearing clearly illustrated
the need to find a balance between the multipurpose use of
our rivers and protecting the salmon.
The legislation has 21 co-sponsors and is supported by the American Farm Bureau, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, American Public Power Association, National Water Resources Association, Family Farm Alliance, and National Endangered Species Act Reform Coalition.
McMorris
Passes Health IT Amendment to Reduce Costs and Improve Health
Care
Congresswoman
McMorris, along with Congressman Adam Smith, passed a bipartisan
amendment to H.R. 4157, the Health Information Technology
Promotion Act of 2005. The amendment, originally introduced
as the Medicaid Access Project through Information Technology,
allows for the creation of a demonstration project that
will provide a more efficient and effective system for managing
disease by using health information technology on disease
management for the Medicaid population.
