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D.C. and District Talk

· American Ports

This week, House Leadership has taken steps to block the sale of United States ports to a United Arab Emirates government owned corporation.

Speaker Hastert stated, “We believe that the United States should not allow a government-run company to be running American ports.” House Appropriations Chairman Lewis offered an amendment, which was added to the supplemental spending bill, which will block the purchase of these ports.

Today, Dubai Ports World said that they would fully transfer the U.S. operation of P&O Operations North America to a United States entity. This means that an American entity would run and manage the ports.

This situation seems to be evolving daily, and I assure you that I will stay on top of it to ensure that the safety of America is at the forefront of our agenda.

For more information on this, please visit the House Appropriations Committee at http://appropriations.house.gov.

· Patriot Act

This week, the House of Representatives passed S. 2271, the Patriot Act, which passed the Senate on March 1, 2006. The President signed the Patriot Act into law on March 9th.

As you may know, this bill provides law enforcement with many needed tools in the war on terror, as well as new provisions to help fight our methamphetamine problem that is sweeping the nation.

The dangers of meth have infiltrated southern Illinois. We must send a strong message to criminals and make the production of this horrible drug more difficult. Provisions included in this bill will include:

o Restricting the sale of over-the-counter medicines used in the production of meth;

o Require exporters and importers to report on the traffic of drugs possibly used to produce meth; and

o Toughen the penalties for meth traffickers, smugglers, and producers.

With regard to the sales restrictions, cold medicines used to manufacture meth will be required to be sold from behind the pharmacy counter or kept in a locked cabinet; limit sales to 3.6 grams per day or 9 grams per month; require an ID and signature log when purchasing these drugs; and impose restrictions on mail and Internet orders.

We must continue to keep our fellow Americans safe, and the Patriot Act will continue to be a great tool in providing for the needs of our law enforcement and national defense agencies.

For more information on S. 2271, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov.

· Belarus Elections

On March 8, the House of Representatives took up an important piece of legislation involving the quickly approaching elections in Belarus.

I was happy to be the sponsor of H.Res. 673, expressing the support of the House of Representatives for the people of Belarus and their efforts to conduct a free and fair presidential election on March 19, 2006.

Belarus is currently ruled by the last dictator in Europe. He uses fear and intimidation to suppress the rights of the people, even using Soviet-style policies, such as a return of the KGB and journalist restrictions.

This resolution calls for fully transparent election including access by election observers and full participation by opposition parties.

We have just received word of potential harassment of opposition activists by the government. For the people of Belarus, I pray for the success of the ‘denim revolution’.

Freedom is the most important element of a democracy, and freedom is spreading throughout the world. My work with the Baltics encouraged my interest in this region, and I know that a democratic Belarus will be better for Europe and the world.

For more information please visit www.rferl.org/specials/belarus_votes.

Constituent Corner

· National Agriculture Day

March 16, 2006, we will celebrate National Agriculture Day.

This is a day that we can all set aside to increase our understanding of the vital role that agriculture plays in our lives. It is a time for understanding the production, the safety and availability of products, the affect on the economy, and many career opportunities that agriculture provides.

For more information, please visit www.agday.org.

· Poison Prevention Month

The month of March is also known as Poison Prevention Month.

Research from the Home Safety Council shows that the second leading cause of home-injury related death is poison. Despite this fact, the majority of American families are not taking the steps needed to lessen the chance, nor are they prepared should any poison exposure occur.

I encourage everyone to visit www.homesafetycouncil.com/safety_guide/sg_poison_w001.aspx for more information on how to be best prepared and even make your homes safer.

· SBA Disaster Loans

The United States Small Business Administration has just announced that Alexander County will be included in the disaster declaration for the drought that occurred January 1, 2005.

This will make federal disaster loans available, through the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, to small businesses that were economically impacted throughout the State of Illinois

For more information on these loans, please visit www.sba.gov/disaster.

· Scenic Byway Grants

I am pleased to announce three National Scenic Byways Program grants through the U.S. Department of Transportation. Receiving funding are the Ohio River Scenic Byway (two grants) and the Historic National Road (Route 40).

The Historic National Road project will receive $25,000 for continued implementation of the corridor management and interpretive plan. The plan is the local tool used to coordinate and organize activities along the byway, including marketing and promotions for visitors.

The Ohio River Scenic Byway also received $25,000 for continuation of its plan. In addition, $80,000 has been allocated for the Metropolis/Massac County Mural Project along Ferry and Market Streets in Metropolis. These funds will be used to create six murals on buildings along the byway. A brochure will be produced to promote the byway and the murals.

We have many historic roads in southern Illinois that have unique stories to tell. These scenic byways enable the communities to partner in garnering tourists to these sites.

For more information on these grants, please visit www.dot.gov.

· Rural Development Grant

I am happy to announce funding through the United States Department of Agriculture to the Southeastern Illinois College Foundation. The SIC Foundation will receive a $20,000 loan Rural Business Enterprise Grant through Rural Development.

The funds will be used to replace kitchen equipment in the child study center, which trains students to be child care professionals. This grant will create two new jobs, while assisting four area businesses.

For more information on these grants, please visit www.usda.gov.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Thursday, March 16, 2006, Ruth Buettner of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Salem and Odin. In Salem, she will be in the Salem City Hall at 101 South Broadway from 11:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. In Odin, she will be in the Odin Community Center at 108 East Kirkwood from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 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!

Website Theme

Each month, my website has a new theme to share interesting facts and helpful information. This month, the theme is “Income Tax Season”.

You may find my website at www.house.gov/shimkus.

Legislative Week in Review

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

o H.R. 4472 – Children’s Safety and Violent Crime Reduction Act of 2005 (Rep. Sensenbrenner – House Judiciary)

o H.R. 2829 – Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2005 (Rep. Souder – House Government Reform)

o H.R. 4167 – National Uniformity for Food Act (Rep. Rogers – House Energy and Commerce)

· 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 session from Tuesday through Thursday of next week.

o Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Hurricane Recovery, 2006

o H.R. 1606 – Online Freedom of Speech Act (Rep. Hensarling – House Administration)

· 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?

· Where’s My Refund?

The IRS has new program enhancements that will allow you to trace your refund online if you have not received your check within 28 days from the original IRS mailing date. It may also be possible to change or correct your mailing address if you check was returned to the IRS for any reason.

For more information, please visit https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp.

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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