---

Cub Scouts

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to the Cub Scouts of Pack 4303 at their Blue and Gold banquet, which was held at the Highland Evangelical United Church of Christ. I would like to congratulate them and all scouts on their accomplishments and their service to their communities. I encourage them to stay involved and continue in this great program.

D.C. and District Talk

· American Ports

I have heard much concern recently with regards to the sale of six seaports operating in U.S. cities.

A British firm, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., currently operates ports in Baltimore, Miami, New Jersey, New Orleans, New York, and Philadelphia. They plan to sell these operations to Dubai Ports World, a government-owned business from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A United States review by representatives of the Departments of Treasury, Defense, Justice, Commerce, State, and Homeland Security has already given their approval to the deal.

I share the concerns of many of you who are upset about the potential sale. While I do not yet know the details of this business transaction, I believe that Congressional oversight calls for us to hold hearings to make certain that proper protocol was followed and to ensure the safety of our nation.

The fact that both incoming and outgoing river traffic through New Orleans may be affected is also a concern that needs to be addressed.

I am currently working with the House leadership and my committee to address these issues.

For more information on this, please visit the website of the Clerk of the House of Representatives, http://clerk.house.gov.

Constituent Corner

· Summer Page Program

I would like to invite high school students to apply to be a House page in Washington, DC, this summer.

Pages work to assist in the day to day operations of the House of Representatives. This is an excellent opportunity for students to get first-hand experience with the legislative branch of our federal government. Students live in our nation’s capitol and get to witness history in the making.

To be qualified to serve as a page in Washington, applicants must be at least 16 years of age at the time of their appointment would begin and have a cumulative grade point average of a “B” (3.0/4.0 or 80/100) or better in the five major subjects: English, math, science, social studies, and foreign language. Electives are not counted in the GPA.

Students must apply for the summer before or after their junior year of high school. This year the summer sessions run June 12 – 30 and July 10 – 28. Applications for a separate school year program will be taken later this spring.

To obtain a summer page application, which contains additional information about this unique opportunity, please call my office at (618)252-8271. Completed applications must be returned to my office by March 31, and must be from individuals in the 19th Congressional District of Illinois.

We will then review our applications and submit two nominations to the Speaker of the House, where the final decision is made.

I encourage all eligible individuals to apply by calling (618)252-8271.

· Scholarship Opportunities

I have recently come across a website that provides a listing of scholarships for students and the general public.

Scholarship America is a group that is working to help find scholarships for those who are eligible. They have many listings which provide information to scholarships from stores, such as Kohl’s and Target, to groups such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs. Some of the application dates have come and gone; however, there are still many available.

Deadlines are approaching, so I would encourage all who are interested in scholarship opportunities to visit www.scholarshipamerica.org/students/scholarships.php.

· Scholarship for the Blind

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) has announced many scholarships that are available to those who are visually impaired.

To apply for these scholarships, one must be legally blind. They must send a personal letter to the committee members who are all successful blind college graduates. This letter must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation, a current transcript from all other postsecondary institutions attended, and a letter from a Federation state president or designee.

For more information on these scholarships, please visit www.nfb.org.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Thursday, March 2, 2006, Steve Tomaszewski of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Troy and Grantfork. In Troy, he will be in the Troy City Hall at 116 E. Market from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. In Grantfork, he will be in the Grantfork Villiage Hall at 205 Rock Street from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

For more information, please visit my web page at www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.shtml. I hope you stop in to see us!

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Friday of next week. Some of the legislation which will be considered includes:

o H.R. 4167 – National Uniformity for Food Act of 2005 (Rep. Mike Rogers – House Energy and Commerce) I am a co-sponsor of this legislation.

· 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?

· First African American Congressman

On February 25, 1870, Hiram Rhoades Revels, a Republican from Mississippi, became the first African American to be sworn in to the U.S. Congress. He was elected by the Mississippi legislature to fill the seat in the U.S. Senate that was once held by Jefferson Davis, who, at one time, was the president of the Confederacy.

It is important that we remember the contributions that this and many other African Americans have given to the United States and the world. We think of this as we celebrate Black History Month and continue to celebrate American History.

For more information on this election, please visit www.historychannel.com.

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This electronic newsletter is a weekly publication sent to all interested constituents. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please send a message to shimkus.il19@mail.house.gov and put UNSUBSCRIBE in the Subject Line, and we will remove you from the mailing list.

Please do not reply to this e-mail for any other reason; instead, visit http://www.house.gov/shimkus/emailme.shtml to contact me.