News

Pickering’s Mississippi E-Memo
Congressman Chip Pickering
Friday – October 27, 2006 - #66

PRESIDENT SIGNS VETERANS, ANTI-TERROR, BORDER SECURITY MEASURES: President George W. Bush has recently signed a number legislative reforms passed by Congress including the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2006 which provides a cost of living increase for the beneficiaries of veterans' disability compensation and dependency and indemnity compensation; the Military Commissions Act and the Secure Fence Act.

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 will preserve the tools needed to save American lives by allowing the CIA to continue its program for questioning key terrorist leaders providing us with successful intelligence to prevent future terrorist attacks. It will allow us to prosecute captured terrorists for war crimes through full and fair trials. (For more information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061017-1.html)

The Secure Fence Act uses physical barriers and 21st Century technology to help border patrol agents secure our border by: authorizes the construction of hundreds of miles of additional fencing along our Southern border; authorizes more vehicle barriers, checkpoints, and lighting to help prevent people from entering our country illegally; and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to increase the use of advanced technology like cameras, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles to reinforce our infrastructure at the border. (For more information: http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/10/20061026.html)

ECONOMIC GROWTH: The U.S. Department of Commerce announced the advance third quarter real gross domestic product (GDP) report today showing showed the American economy grew at an annual rate of 1.6 percent in the third quarter of 2006. Despite the correction in housing number, the economic fundamentals are strong. We have now had 20 straight quarters of uninterrupted economic growth. Since August 2003, more than 6.6 million jobs have been created--more jobs than all the other major industrialized countries combined. Energy prices are going down, and wages and consumer sentiment are going up. (For more information: http://www.commerce.gov)

RENEWABLE FUEL PUBLIC COMMENT: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing a national renewable fuel program (more commonly known as the Renewable Fuel Standard Program, or RFS program). The proposed program will be applicable for 2007 and later and is designed to encourage the blending of renewable fuels into our nation's motor vehicle fuel. Specifically, this rule proposes the renewable fuel standards, responsibilities of refiners and other fuel producers, a credit and trading system, compliance mechanisms, and recordkeeping and reporting requirements. The proposal also contains preliminary analyses of the economic and environmental impacts of the expanded use of renewable fuels. A renewable fuel is a motor vehicle fuel produced from plant or animal products or wastes, as opposed to fossil fuel sources. Renewable fuels would include ethanol, biodiesel and other motor vehicle fuels made from renewable sources. Under the proposal, both renewable fuels blended into conventional gasoline or diesel and those used in their neat (unblended) form as motor vehicle fuel would qualify. Comments on the proposal can be submitted until November 11, 2006. (For more information: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/renewablefuels)

CHIP PICKERING ONLINE NEWS:

Ethanol Plant coming to Mississippi (WLBT: 10/27)

Madison man to head Rural Development (Madison County Journal: 10/25)

Pickering on upcoming session, Medicare, Iraq (Meridian Star: 10/22)

Pickering: Meridian could expand auto, defense presence (Meridian Star: 10/21)

Adviser to Barbour to lead USDA’s rural development (AP: 10/20)

President names state director for USDA Rural Development (Clarion Ledger:10/19)

Pickering Praises Rounsaville Appointment (Release: 10/19)

RED CROSS EMOTIONAL SUPPORT LINE: The American Red Cross has established a free “Access to Care” phone line for those impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, or Wilma who need professional emotional support. Call the confidential, toll free, 24/7 line: 1-866-794-HOPE (that is 1—866-794-4673) or visit www.atcare.org online.

PICKERING STAFF: Visit www.house.gov/pickering/policy to get office contact information.

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