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· Meth Legislation

Unfortunately, rural Illinois has become a hotbed for the production and use of Methamphetamine. I am happy to announce that H.R. 3889, the Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act, was passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee this week.

This bill includes the regulation of the chemical ingredients that go into making meth. It also includes many deterrents, such as holding those convicted of meth production liable for the cost of cleaning up the toxic mess left behind. This mess is dangerous to law enforcement and those living nearby. Additionally, this legislation authorizes additional grants to state law enforcement agencies to combat meth and increase penalties for possession of the substance.

For more information regarding H.R. 3889, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov.

· Deficit Reduction Act

The problem of government entitlement spending is not something new to any of us. These programs are gradually taking over our national budget. Just 10 years ago, entitlement spending was 49 percent, in 2005 it is 54 percent, and in 10 more years it will be more than 62 percent of our entire budget.

That is why, this week, we have passed H.R. 4241, the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. This bill confronts the problem of overgrowth in spending through many reforms to programs in need. When we find problems, we must work to extinguish them before they get out of hand. This bill brings more accountability to those programs, while continuing growth to accommodate the real needs of the people of our nation.

For more information on the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, please visit the House Budget Committee website, www.house.gov/budget.

Constituent Corner

· Illinois CREP

Signup for the current Illinois Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) began on Monday November 14 and will go until Friday, November 25. This is the first year since the 2001 signup.

The State of Illinois has approved $10 million for this program, which is matched by $4 in federal funds per $1 of state funds. This will allow $40 million in federal funds to come to the state of Illinois.

For more information on Illinois CREP, please visit www.fsa.usda.gov/il or http://dnr.state.il.us.

· Lincolnland Legends

Illinois Dollars for Scholars has announced a new award program, Lincolnland Legends. This provides juniors and seniors in high school a chance to honor the people who motivate them, as well as possibly win college scholarships.

To nominate their motivator to become a Lincolnland Legend, they should think of who has made a difference in their lives. The individual nominated this year must fall into the category of government/military and must be living and have been born in, lived in, or currently reside in our Congressional District, Illinois’ 19th District. I encourage young adults to thank those people who have made a difference in their lives.

For more information on the Lincolnland Legends, please visit www.dollarsforscholars.org.

· Housing Grant

I am happy to announce that Madison County has been given funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The county will receive $42,973 in American Dream Downpayment Initiative funds. This money is meant to promote homeownership by providing downpayment and closing cost assistance. They will also receive $134,927 in Emergency Shelter Funds to assist local homeless shelters; $1,159,517 in HOME funds, which are used to expand the supply of affordable housing; and $3,497,526 in Community Development Block Grant funds, which are used to provide decent housing in a suitable living environment and expanding economic opportunities.

For more information on this funding, please visit www.hud.gov.

· National Family Caregivers Month

This month we celebrate National Family Caregivers Month. This month we recognize the challenges that face family caregivers. We work to draw attention to the work that these members of our community who care for a chronically ill, aged, or disabled loved one.

For more information on National Family Caregivers Month, please visit www.thefamilycaregiver.org.

· National Hospice/Palliative Care Month

November we also celebrate National Hospice/Palliative Care Month. This month we thank the hospices and palliative caregivers. Palliative caregivers work to improve the quality of a person’s life in the last phases of life. It includes, but is not limited to, easing pain in the last days of the lives of our loved ones.

For more information on National Hospice/Palliative Care Month, you may visit www.nhpco.org/i4a/pages/Index.cfm?pageID=4689.

Legislative Week in Review

· The following bills were passed by the House of Representatives this week:

o H.R. 856 – Federal Youth Coordination Act (Rep. Tom Osborne – House Education and the Workforce)

o H.R. 1790 – Child Medication Safety Act of 2005 (Rep. John Kline – House Education and the Workforce)

o H.R. 4241 – Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Rep. Jim Nussle – House Budget)

· To keep up to date on legislation as it moves through the legislative process please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in recess until the week of December 5, 2005.

· Keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site for upcoming legislation: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Thanksgiving

George Washington declared a National Day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1789. In the upcoming years, many states continued to celebrate the holiday; however it wasn’t celebrated as a nation. Sarah Josepha Hale spent 30 years requesting that governors and presidents make Thanksgiving Day a national holiday.

Finally, in 1863, President Lincoln issued a White House proclamation setting the last Thursday in November as a special day of thanksgiving. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt moved Thanksgiving Day one week sooner. Two years later, since some states continued to use the old day, it was changed back. Thanksgiving Day is now celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November.

For more on Thanksgiving, such as travel tips, recipes, and how to send thanks to our military, please visit http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/Thanksgiving.shtml.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Next week there will be no newsletter. Look for my next newsletter the week following Thanksgiving.

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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