Capitol
Connection: September 9 to September 16, 2006
A
Weekly Update from Congress
Published:
September 16, 2006
Remembering
the Heroes of September 11th
This
week, Congress paused and remembered the heroes of September 11,
2001. Congressman Miller supported the passage of H. Res.
994, a resolution honoring all those who lost their lives that
day, commending our military, and vowing to continue to fight
against terror. He called on Congress to continue working
aggressively to prevent further attacks on American soil.
In the coming weeks, Congress will work to pass measures to prevent
terrorist activities by disrupting terrorist financing, securing
our borders and critical infrastructure, and improving terrorist
surveillance.
Strengthening
our Borders Against Illegal Immigration
By
Building a Fence… Yesterday, the House passed H.R. 6061,
the Secure Fence Act, a bill co-authored by Congressman Miller.
This bill mandates that the Department of Homeland Security obtain
control of all borders and ports through enhanced Border Patrol
operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology
along the southwest border, including the construction of over
700 miles of reinforced fencing. This mandate was originally included
in H.R. 4437, the tough immigration and border security bill the
House passed in December. The Secure Fence Act was introduced
separately to put border security on a fast-track through the
Senate to ensure it can become law as soon as possible.
By
Supporting Our Border Patrol… In response to the prosecution
of two Border Patrol agents that pursued an illegal immigrant
in Texas, Congressman Miller this week sent a letter to Attorney
General Gonzales asking him to delay sentencing of the two officers
and reopen their case. To help prevent incidents like this in
the future, H.R. 6061 included a provision requiring the Department
of Homeland Security to provide border personnel all necessary
authority to stop fleeing vehicles.
Ensuring
Our Gas and Oil Pipelines Are Safe
Last
Friday, 43,000 gallons of gas oil, a flammable substance used
to make gasoline, spilled from a BP pipeline into a pumping station
at the Port of Long Beach. While the spill was unusually large,
it did not reach harbor waters. To ensure pipeline safety, the
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday heard
testimony from BP officials and government regulators about new
proposals for strict and rigorous safety requirements. Congressman
Miller, who sits on the Committee, will continue to work to ensure
the pipelines that run through our communities are safe.
Deadline
Approaching for U.S. Military Academy Applications
Graduating
high school students interested in attending a U.S. service academy
for the 2007/2008 academic school year must submit their application
to Congressman Miller by November 1, 2006. Residents of
California's 42nd Congressional District must have a formal recommendation
from Congressman Miller to apply to four of the U.S. service academies,
including the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the
U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
These institutions prepare college-age Americans to be officers
of the United States uniformed services. Upon graduation,
service academy graduates are commissioned as officers in the
active components of the military or the merchant marine for a
minimum of five years. For more information about the schools,
how to prepare and how to apply, visit www.house.gov/garymiller/appointments.html.
