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Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones has spearheaded initiatives that reflect the needs of her constituents. As a former judge and prosecutor, Rep. Tubbs Jones believes that all people should have equal access to homeownership, equal access to affordable healthcare, equal access to business capital, equal access to quality education and other issues relevant to the Eleventh Congressional District of Ohio. Rep. Tubbs Jones' untiring service in the 106th, 107th and 108th sessions of Congress, illustrates her commitment to her constituency. Please click on the links below to see updates on the various issues that the Congresswoman has been addressing in Congress. Events / Election Reform / Labor Issues / Housing / Civil Rights / Steel / Military-Defense-Veterans / Small Business / Homeland Security / Education / Health / Transportation Events
The following are recent events of Congresswoman Tubbs Jones January 2005
February 2005
March 2005
April 2005
May 2005
June 2005
Election ReformRep. Tubbs Jones believes Americans of every ethnic, political and religious background deserve the equal right to vote and have that vote counted fairly and accurately. In the 107th Congress, she joined with her colleague from Ohio , Rep. Bob Ney, to become an original cosponsor of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). This bill requires states to meet uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration requirements applicable to Federal elections as well as establish funding programs to ensure every American has an equal opportunity to vote. This bill passed the House and Senate with heavy bipartisan support and was signed into law by the president October 29, 2002 . In the 108th Congress, Rep. Tubbs Jones has supported additional legislation to prevent voter fraud and increase the effectiveness of HAVA: H.R. 2239 : To amend HAVA to require a voter-verified permanent record or hardcopy of a vote cast through touch-screen terminals. H.R. 1550 : To amend HAVA to require states to permit individuals to register to vote at polling places on the date of an election as well as obtain absentee ballots for an election for any reason. H.Res. 793 : Condemning all efforts to suppress and intimidate voters in the United States and reaffirming that the right to vote is a fundamental right of all eligible U.S. citizens. Rep. Tubbs Jones has also co-signed a letter to appropriators urging full funding of HAVA. On Sept. 27, 2004 , Rep. Tubbs Jones joined with Ohio Democrats in filing a lawsuit against Ohio Sec. of State Kenneth Blackwell, seeking to block Blackwell's Sept. 16 instruction that provisional ballots are not to be given to voters who appear at the wrong precinct on Election Day. (Cuyahoga County Officials overturned Blackwell's rules on Oct. 4, stating they will give provisional ballots to every voter who asks for one on Election Day). On Oct. 7, Rep. Tubbs Jones joined members of the Congressional Black Caucus for a hearing on election preparedness. Labor IssuesThe U.S. economy is still recovering from the hard-hitting recession of 2001. Nationwide, three million Americans and counting have lost jobs since the Bush administration took office. In October 2004, the share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) going to wages and salaries dropped for an unprecedented 14th straight quarter. In the current period, the share of GDP going to wages and salaries fell from 49.5 percent in the first quarter of 2001 to 45.4 percent today, a dramatic reduction of 4.1 percentage points. An examination of other recoveries since the end of World War II confirms that job growth of about 300,000 per month is average for a recovery. The economy added jobs for the first time since the March 2001 recession in Sept. 2003. Some 67,000 jobs were created that month; in October 2003, another 88,000 jobs were created. Since then, there were only two months in which the economy produced 300,000 a month. In fact, job growth has staggered at 148,000 per month since November 2003, half of the 300,000 average. With a deficit of one million jobs, it is clear there remains a long journey ahead on the road to recovery. To this end, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones has supported a series of initiatives to help people succeed in finding jobs and bring about prosperity to America 's workforce. Expanding Oversight over EEOC Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones has worked to expand Congressional intervention into the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) effort to privatize and consolidate their national call centers. On Sept. 17, 2004 . EEOC approved a plan to set up a contractor-operated national customer service center on a two-year trial basis. EEOC officials awarded the $4.9 million contract to Pearson Government Solutions, an Arlington, Va.-based company. If the center works out, agency officials could extend the agreement for up to three more years. These centers handle complex inquiries of legality and equal rights protections that need to be handled by qualified and capable personnel. Under the new proposal, tenured staff could be replaced with temporary employees, less equipped to resolve calls in a timely manner. Dual attention was also given to a study from the National Academy of Public Administration, which recommended closing 41 of EEOC's 51 offices, the Cleveland office among them. In lieu of the catastrophic employment losses suffered over the past four years, particularly in the manufacturing industry, Ohioans cannot risk the loss of additional high-class jobs. In June 2004, Rep. Tubbs Jones authorized a letter to the House Commerce, Justice, State and Judiciary Appropriations Committee leadership, urging them not to fund any workforce repositioning effort by the EEOC that would go towards the establishment of a privatized customer service center and/or close offices. This letter was signed by 101 of her Democratic colleagues. With bipartisan support, the Committee responded in kind by inserting language in the fiscal 2005 bill “prohibiting the Commission from taking further action to implement workforce repositioning, restructuring, or reorganization unless the Committees on Appropriations have been notified in advance of such proposals.” Additionally, the EEOC is required to submit quarterly status reports on projected and actual spending levels for repositioning, agency spending and staffing levels. The language was retained in the final Omnibus Appropriations bill, signed into law by the president on Dec. 8, 2004 . This language will prove to be a crucial step in enhancing correspondence between Congress and the EEOC so these respective parties can work collectively towards implementing measures that work in the best interests of EEOC employees and the constituents they serve. Overtime Pay The Bush administration has now complimented its wealthy-tilted tax cuts with a pay cut for America 's workforce. On August 23, 2004 , the administration instituted a new overtime policy, which would deny overtime to an estimated six million workers. In the 1st session of the 108th Congress, Rep. Tubbs Jones was among the majority of Members who led a bipartisan motion to instruct conferees to accept provisions in the Fiscal 2004 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill to preserve overtime pay for employees who work over 40 hours. It passed the House 221-203 and the Senate 54-45. Despite this strong support, the Harkin amendment to protect overtime pay was removed by Congressional Leadership under a veto threat from the Bush administration and wedged into an Omnibus Appropriations bill. In the 2nd session, Rep. Tubbs Jones joined her colleagues in supporting the Obey amendment to the Fiscal 2005 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill, which would have rescinded the administration's overtime rules. Once again, the leadership went against the will of the majority and dropped the language before it could clear the White House. First responders such as paramedics, firefighters, nurses and military service personnel would be among those affected by the administration's proposal. The average nurse's day encompasses 12-20 hours of straight work. A police officer's overtime pay ranges from 20-30 percent of their total income. Overtime pay is vital to the structure of America 's families. With the absence of overtime protections, employers are more likely to force employees to work longer hours. No overtime pay will equal less time for husbands, wives and children to be together. It means less money for bill payments, food and childcare among other essentials of family stability. Unemployment Benefits For the second year in a row, Congress failed to act without extending unemployment benefits. At the time Congress adjourned in December 2003, the latest figures showed the unemployment rate at 5.9 percent. When Congress first enacted the Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation program in March 2002, the unemployment rate was 5.7 percent. This marks the first time an extended benefits program has ended when the unemployment rate was higher than it was when it started. In Dec. 2003, Rep. Tubbs Jones joined her Democratic colleagues in making three distinct attempts to bring this crucial legislation to the floor before Congress adjourned for the year: 10/29/03 : A petition is signed by 200 Members of Congress that would have allowed immediate consideration of H.R. 3244, a bill to extend unemployment benefits to displaced workers and make additional improvements to the unemployment insurance system. 11/21/03 : 104 Members of Congress co-signed a letter to House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert urging the House of Representatives to pass legislation to extend unemployment benefits before our adjournment. 12/8/03 : On the House's final day in session, the majority passed a motion on the previous question preventing Members from considering any further legislation for the year. Rep. Tubbs Jones and House Democrats opposed this motion, fighting to push unemployment benefits quite literally to the very end. Since the program's expiration through October 2004, a record three million jobless workers have exhausted their regular benefits, gone without federal aid and received neither a paycheck nor an unemployment check. In Ohio , 91,600 people had exhausted their benefits during this time frame. The three million jobless workers exhausting their regular benefits and going without federal aid from late December through mid-October is higher than the number of such exhaustees in any other period of comparable length on record. It is unfortunate that these resounding calls on behalf of the unemployed masses apparently fell on deaf ears. When the trumpet sounds to demand aid for workers in Ohio 's 11th District, your representative will always stand up for you. Additional job-related legislation the Congresswoman has supported in the 108th Congress include: H.R. 965: To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide for an increase in the Federal minimum wage. H.R.1192: To provide for livable wages for Federal Government workers and workers hired under Federal contracts. H.R.1677: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to protect pension benefits of employees in defined benefit plans and to direct the Secretary of the Treasury to enforce the age discrimination requirements of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. H.R.3285: To prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. H.R.3619 : To amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish an efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts, and for other purposes. HousingServing in her second term as the Housing Task Force of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Tubbs Jones remains an active proponent for housing programs and opportunities. In the 108th Congress, the Congresswoman continues to be vocal on the issue of housing as she is in frequent contact with Mel Martinez, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development about the importance of government housing programs. Since she arrived in Congress, Congresswoman Tubbs Jones has been a strong supporter of the successful Section 8 housing program. Unfortunately, President Bush's FY 2005 budget under-funded Section 8 by more than $1.6 billion. To counter such deep cuts, the Congresswoman, along with other members of Congress, sent a letter to the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing and Urban Development advocating for the restoration of the $1.6 billion. Fortunately for the 2 million households that benefit from the Section 8 program, the Omnibus Appropriations bill, which the Congresswoman supported and the House of Representatives passed on November 20, 2004 , restored almost all of the $1.6 billion. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones also continues to support of the work performed by religious charities with government aid under existing federal law, particularly with regard to HUD programs. Many of these charities provide social services for people in public housing and do an excellent job helping people without practicing discrimination or attempting to use government funds to inculcate a particular religious belief. Rep. Tubbs Jones continues to support adequate funding for these charitable organizations. In both the 107th and 108th Congresses, Rep. Tubbs Jones introduced the "Predatory Lending Protection Act." This bill would regulate the practice of predatory lending, where many potential homebuyers enter into mortgage agreements under terms that become financially crippling and often result in foreclosures. This legislation would set a threshold limit for mortgage rates, require financial literacy training for people who are in talks with mortgage brokers to purchase a home, prohibit undisclosed or poorly defined fees associated with a mortgage, and eliminate the requirement that many mortgage disputes be settled through arbitration rather than through courts. Further, it would impose stiff penalties for brokers who violate the provisions of the bill. Other housing legislation the Congresswoman has co-sponsored includes: H.R.839 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an income tax credit for the provision of homeownership and community development, and for other purposes. H.R.1077 : To reauthorize the HOPE VI program for revitalization of severely distressed public housing, and for other purposes. H.R.1102 : To establish the National Affordable Housing Trust Fund in the Treasury of the United States to provide for the development, rehabilitation, and preservation of decent, safe, and affordable housing for low-income families. H.R.1132 : To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit to promote homeownership among low-income individuals. H.R.1357 : To establish a program to assist homeowners experiencing unavoidable, temporary difficulty making payments on mortgages insured under the National Housing Act. CivilRights
On April 1, 2003 , the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Grutter v. Bollinger, more commonly known as the University of Michigan Affirmative Action case. Rep. Tubbs Jones supports the practice of the University of Michigan in using a scoring mechanism that accounts for an applicant's race as part of the admissions decision-making process. As a sign of her support, the Congresswoman joined two amicus curiae, or "Friend of the Court" briefs along with other Members of Congress that were submitted to the Court. The Congresswoman feels that civil rights are one of the bedrocks of our nation and has been active in voicing her opinions on other civil rights issues, both domestically and internationally. Also, Rep. Tubbs Jones letters to foreign leaders request that they comply with internationally recognized standards of human rights, which includes a letter to the Chinese President Hu Jin Tao protesting the upcoming execution of Tibetan political prisoners. Legislation that Rep. Tubbs Jones supports includes: H.CON.RES.26 , which condemns the punishment of execution by stoning as a gross violation of human rights, in response to the tragic announcement that a court in Nigeria had condemned an unwed mother to be stoned to death as punishment. Other civil rights/human rights legislation she has co-signed include: H.CON.RES.36 : Encouraging the people of the United States to honor and celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and commending Abraham Lincoln's efforts to end slavery. H.CON.RES.47 : Acknowledging African descendants of the transatlantic slave trade in all of the Americas with an emphasis on those descendants in Latin America and the Caribbean , recognizing the injustices suffered by these African descendants, and recommending that the United States and the international community work to improve the situation of Afro-descendant communities in Latin America and the Caribbean . H.CON.RES.78 : Expressing the need to reengage Congress and the Administration regarding the social conditions and need for poverty reduction in Haiti , and for other purposes. H.CON.RES.83 : Honoring the victims of the Cambodian genocide that took place from April 1975 to January 1979 H.RES.137 : Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that changes to Title IX athletics policies contradict the spirit of athletic equality and gender parity and should not be implemented, and that Title IX should be kept intact.
H.R.394 : To restore the Federal civil remedy for crimes of violence motivated by gender. Steel
Congresswoman Tubbs Jones recognizes the need for a strong domestic steel industry. As a Member of the Ways & Means committee, she has an opportunity to be closely involved in many of the trade related issues affecting steel producers. Though not a member of the sub-committee on trade, she was invited by Representative Phil Crane, the Chairman of the subcommittee, to attend a hearing with steel producing company executives, steel consuming executives, and economists to discuss the impact of President Bush's tariff policy on imported steel and the potential unintended consequences for steel consumers. In mid-February, the Rep. Tubbs Jones attended a hearing with the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Zoellick, where she emphasized to him her hopes for a "balanced" steel policy that would both revitalize and strengthen the domestic steel industry as well as be beneficial to the many small businesses that use steel products in their manufacturing processes. In addition to her concerns about the current state of the U.S. steel industry, the Congresswoman is also active in ensuring that retirees of steel companies are able to maintain their retirement pensions and health benefits. Although no specific legislation in the 108th Congress addresses this issue, the Congresswoman is in frequent contact with her colleagues, particularly Ben Cardin of Maryland , John Boehner of Ohio , and Ralph Regula of Ohio to develop a comprehensive plan addressing the concerns of former steel workers. In late March 2003, Rep. Tubbs Jones co-signed a letter, with other Members of the Congressional Steel Caucus, to President Bush urging him to make every effort to ensure that only U.S. produced steel will be used in reconstruction efforts after the Iraq conflict ends. Military/Defense/Veterans
On October 7, 2004 , Congresswoman Tubbs Jones signed a discharge petition on H.R. 4423, legislation to provide adequate funding for veterans. If successful, the petition would force a floor vote on the legislation, which the Republican leadership has not allowed. H.R. 4423 provides a $2.5 billion increase over the current Administration's budget for veterans’ health care for fiscal year 2005, which the bipartisan House Veterans’ Affairs Committee says is needed just to maintain the current level of veterans’ health care services. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones also supports H.R. 5244, the Comprehensive Assistance for Veterans Exposed to Traumatic Stressors Act of 2004. The legislation is a comprehensive measure that addresses Post-traumatic Stress Disorder from initial exposure to diagnosis and effective treatment of the condition. Among its key provisions, the bill 1) ensures active outreach programs for veterans returning from deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, 2) enhances the capacity and accessibility of a number of PTSD services within the VA health care system, 3) ensures that current VA PTSD patients may continue to receive services, and 4) builds broad-based educational systems to provide fundamental information about PTSD to front-line providers, including the case managers of veterans of the current deployments. Studies have shown that as many as 17% of the troops returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom have symptoms of a major mental health disorder, and Congress simply cannot afford to waste any time in responding to the mental health concerns of returning troops. The Congresswoman supports swift passage of H.R. 5244, which Democratic Illinois Congressman Lane Evans recently introduced on October 7, 2004 . Congresswoman Tubbs Jones supports H.R. 4248, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2004. The legislation increases the authorization level for the Department of Veterans Affairs' homeless grant and per diem program for Fiscal Year 2005 from $75 million to $99 million. The program provides competitive grants to community-based organizations that offer transitional housing and services for homeless veterans. The legislation also permanently authorizes VA’s sexual trauma counseling program. In 2003, VA reported that more than 31,000 males and 27,000 female veterans responded to relevant screenings, indicating unwanted sexual experiences had occurred during their military service time. H.R. 4248 passed the House of Representatives on October 7, 2004 , and the bill has been included in H.R. 3936, which awaits conference between both chambers of Congress. The Congresswoman strongly supports final passage of this important piece of legislation, which provides VA with the necessary resources to combat homelessness and is another step toward reaching the goal of ending homelessness among veterans. Also pertaining to the problem of homelessness amongst veterans, during the 107th Congress, the Congresswoman Tubbs Jones sponsored H.R. 936, the Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans Assistance Act. The bill, which became law on December 21, 2001, directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to 1) support the continuation within the Department of at least one center to monitor the structure, process, and outcome of Department programs addressing homeless veterans; and 2) assign veterans receiving specified services provided in, or sponsored or coordinated by, the Department as being within the "complex care" category. On September 30, 2004 , the Congresswoman voted in favor of H.R. 4231, the Department of Veterans Affairs Nurse Recruitment and Retention Act. The legislation establishes a pilot program to improve the recruitment and retention of registered nurses within Department of Veterans Affairs health care system. On July 22, 2004 the Congresswoman voted in favor of H.R. 4175, the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act, which would provide a cost-of living increase to veterans receiving service-connected disability compensation payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs and survivors receiving Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. The percentage increase will be equal to that received by Social Security beneficiaries. The legislation also contains a provision adding osteoarthritis to the list of disabilities that are presumptively service-connected for veterans who are former Prisoners of War. The Congresswoman is a sponsor of H.R. 2318, the Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Act. The next generation of veterans is beginning to call on the Department of Veterans Affairs for its health care needs and yet the VA health care system lacks the resources to adequately address the large number of veterans who have already tried to obtain services. All veterans, regardless of income, have earned the right to high-quality health care services. By using a mandatory mechanism like the one H.R. 2318 proposes, the federal government would ensure the necessary funding that will eliminate the wide gap between demand and resources. The legislation would create an adequate and predictable funding stream for veterans’ health care by basing funding on the number of veterans enrolled for services and medical inflation for hospital-related services. Small Business
Small businesses are the #1 creators of jobs in this economy, but the President Bush's FY 2005 budget zeroed out funding for the Small Business Administration's flagship 7(a) loan program. Although 7(a) loans provide needed capital to small businesses and have a long history of success, the current Administration sought to make the program entirely fee-based. Converting 7(a) to a fee-based program would have added $10,000 in fees to a $150,000 loan. Congresswoman Tubbs Jones, along with her Democratic colleagues, sent a letter to the Speaker of the House and the House Appropriations Committee advocating that the 7(a) program be fully funded in the appropriations process. When the Congresswoman voted in support of the appropriations bill on July 8, 2004 , it included the requisite $79.1 million for the Small Businesses 7(a) loan program, the amount provided in 2003, to finance more than $13 billion in small business loans. Other legislation that the Congresswoman has supported in the 108th Congress that is related to small business include: H.R.132 : To create Federal advertising procurement opportunities for minority business concerns, and for other purposes.
Homeland Security
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 , the Office of Homeland Security was established within the Executive Office of the President by Executive Order 13228 on October 8, 2001 . On November 25, 2002 , Public Law 107-296, the Homeland Security Act of 2002 was signed into law, creating, among other things, a Cabinet-level Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security has three primary strategic objectives: to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States ; to reduce America 's vulnerability to terrorism; and to minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do occur. Detailed information about the Department of Homeland Security can be found at http://www.dhs.gov/ or http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland
Homeland Security Issues in the 11th Congressional District
Should a terrorist attack occur in Northeast Ohio , the fire and police departments of the municipal governments within the 11th Congressional District will be responsible for handling the emergencies and informing the public of important safety concerns. These "first responders" must be fully trained and equipped to handle that responsibility efficiently and safely. The Federal Government provides assistance to these first responders through a variety of training and grants programs. Some of these opportunities can be found at the Department of Homeland Security website listed above. For details on other Homeland Security programs, please review the information below. Training Programs
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/CERT/ This program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. CERT training includes disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, basic disaster medical operations, and light search and rescue operations. There is currently no CERT program in the Cleveland area. Coordination between local officials and community groups, a commitment of time and resources by all parties, is required to start a program.
Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) The CDP provides hands-on specialized training to state and local emergency responders in the management and remediation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) incidents. Located at the former home of the U.S. Army Chemical School, Fort McClellan , the CDP conducts live chemical agent training for the nation's civilian emergency response community. The training emergency responders receive at the CDP provides a valid method for ensuring high levels of confidence in equipment, procedures, and individual capabilities. The CDP offers two training courses of instruction: WMD HAZMAT Technician and WMD Incident Command. For additional information on this program contact the CDP at (256) 847-2132, or DicksonR@ojp.usdoj.gov International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) The IAFF, through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice/Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), has developed a training program to ensure the safety of the nation's emergency response community while protecting the general public by isolating and successfully terminating hazardous incidents. The course, Emergency Response to Terrorism: Operation, A Safe Response for Public Safety Personnel, takes a risk-based health and safety approach to potential Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD's) and their impact on first responders. The National Sheriff's Association (NSA) NSA delivers an executive level introductory training program for Sheriffs on domestic preparedness for WMD incidents. This course introduces and discusses the issues that a Sheriff will confront in responding to a WMD incident, and provides training on pre-incident collaborations/preparations that can be implemented to improve incident response. NSA conducts the Managing Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents: An Executive Level Program for Sheriff's. For additional information on this program contact NSA at willever@sheriffs.org For more information regarding ODP training programs, or to obtain a copy of the ODP Weapons of Mass Destruction Training Programs Course Catalog or contact ODP at (800) 368-6498. Technical Assistance
State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support HELPLINE 1-800-368-6498 Helpline is a non-emergency, toll-free, 1-800 number resource available for use by state and local emergency responders across the United States . The Helpline provides general information on all of the ODP' programs and information on the characteristics and control of WMD materials, defensive equipment, mitigation techniques, and available federal assets. Information is available on the following services through the Helpline: WMD Training; Centralized Scheduling Capability; WMD Exercises; Equipment Grants; NLD Domestic Preparedness Program; Technical Assistance; Domestic Preparedness Equipment Technical Assistance Program; and the Domestic Preparedness Support Information Clearinghouse. odphelpline@odp.org Domestic Preparedness Support Information Clearinghouse A virtual library of information and resources on domestic preparedness, counter terrorism, and WMD issues available to state and local jurisdictions. Its goal is to enhance the capacity and preparedness of state and local jurisdictions to respond to WMD domestic terrorism incidents through the use of a search and retrieval system which includes a variety of abstracts, publications, videos, articles, templates, models, samples, and links to other sites. Resources can be viewed on-line, downloaded, linked, or ordered through the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) Clearinghouse.
State of Ohio Homeland Security Programs The State of Ohio 's Security Task Force was established to develop a coordinated, comprehensive state strategy to address security issues. Comprised of numerous law enforcement, environmental, health, and other departments and organizations, the task force shares information and discusses issues affecting Ohio and is responsible for initiating steps to enhance the security and crisis response efforts of the state and its municipalities. The following links will take you to the departments and agencies that comprise the Security Task Force. Please visit these websites to learn more about the role each department and agency plays in the area of Homeland Security. The following departments and organizations comprise the State of Ohio Security Task Force : Ohio Department of Public Safety Office of the Attorney General Ohio Department of Health Ohio Department of Agriculture Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services Ohio Department of Administrative Services Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Ohio Department of Transportation Adjutant General State Fire Marshal Ohio State Highway Patrol Ohio Emergency Management Agency Ohio Emergency Medical Services Ohio Department of Mental Health Ohio Department of Insurance Ohio Community Service Council Ohio Department of Education Ohio Department of Natural Resources Ohio House of Representatives Education
Rep. Tubbs Jones introduced H.R. 734, Loan Forgiveness for Child Welfare Services who work for Child Protective Agencies. The child welfare workforce crisis is real and is already compromising the ability of the child welfare system to effectively provide essential services to its children and families. In addition, analysis of trends indicates that without immediate intervention, the situation will worsen over the next decade. Each year approximately 3 million reports of child abuse and neglect must be investigated. Of that number, 1 million reports are confirmed and require ongoing intervention. For this legislation, we currently have 35 cosponsors, and are working with local, Cleveland , and federal representatives from the National Association of Social Workers. In addition, we are working with the School Social Workers Association of America. Rep. Tubbs Jones is urging her colleagues to take steps towards creating access for more workers to enter the child welfare services field and to improve the salaries, working conditions, and training of workers who provide these critically important services to our nation's children. Over 500,000 children served in the child welfare system daily. This bill will establish a loan forgiveness demonstration program for social work professionals in the field of child welfare services. H.R. 1613 , College Fire Prevention Act of 2003 creates a demonstration incentive program within the Department of Education to promote installation of fire sprinkler systems, or other fire suppression or prevention technologies, in qualified higher education student housing. There are four fires a day in collegiate housing but fire suppression technology is present in only 35% of those fires. Chances of surviving a fire improve 97% when fire suppression technology is present. While all new college housing utilizes fire suppression technology, older housing facilities continue operating without such life-saving enhancements. Senator Edwards offered the Senate version of this legislation, S. 620. H.R. 1613 has 97 bipartisan cosponsors. We have also received endorsements from the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), National Association For Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAEOHE), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA), Congressional Fire Services Institute (CFSI), and the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA). A few states have provided limited funding to upgrade existing collegiate residential housing, however the current pace means it will take decades to protect all students. The College Fire Prevention Act of 2003 authorizes a five-year program of federal matching grants to install life-saving fire suppression technology in existing higher education housing. Health
Rep. Tubbs Jones has supported legislation that provides access to health care to all Americans. H.R. 1298 would provide $3 billion in each of FY2004 through FY2008 for HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria programs. Of this amount, up to $1 billion could be used for the Global Fund to Combat AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in FY2004. The measure also would require the Department of State to establish a Coordinator of U.S. Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally. The coordinator would be appointed by the President and would be responsible for oversight and coordination of all U.S. efforts to combat HIV/AIDS internationally. The $15 billion, five-year program to battle the AIDS epidemic in Africa was signed into law May 2003. Rep. Tubbs Jones also supports access of hospitals in urban communities. Urban hospitals provide a majority of the care to a city’s poor, low-income, sick, uninsured, and elderly patients across our nation. A large majority of these patients served are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or have no insurance at all. This creates great challenges for our urban hospitals. To sustain operation, urban hospitals depend on disproportionate share hospital payments (DSH), indirect medical education (IME) payments, bad debt, and wage index adjustments. Without adequate reimbursement in these areas, urban hospitals continue to operate in the red and face continued challenges in providing quality health care to its patients. Ensuring that Congress provides adequate reimbursement to urban safety net hospitals is crucial. We need to support our hospitals and work to find ways to strengthen our health care infrastructure. Rep. Tubbs Jones supports the Access to Hospitals Act of 2003, which amends Title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to repeal specified reductions after FY 2000 and thereby extend certain modifications to disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotments provided under the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000. It also increases the Medicaid DSH allotment for the District of Columbia . Transportation
H.R. 5028 , the Secure Air Show Act (SASA), was introduced as a new bill protecting our nation's air shows. Currently, Public Law 108-199 prohibits air shows to be held within a 3 NM (Nautical Miles) radius of a sports complex during a period of one hour before and one hour after the scheduled beginning of a game. H.R. 5028 will amend the current public law to allow a waiver or exemption of certain requirements for restricted airspace if security is not reduced. During Labor Day Weekend in September of 2004, the Cleveland National Air Show was rescheduled and dramatically revised to accommodate these rules. The interpretation of Public Law 108-199 will severely jeopardize the future of this historic event. Also, this year witnessed a drastic reduction of attendance from the usual 60,000 - 80,000 attendee's to 40,000; some of the lowest numbers in the 40 years of having this event. Air shows in St. Louis , Seattle , Chicago , Milwaukee , San Francisco , San Diego , and Tampa , among other cities, will also soon be affected if the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not given the power to review and administer waiver authority on a case-by-case basis. H.R. 5028, the Secure Air Space Act, will allow air shows to continue only through the Administrator of the FAA, in consultation with the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to ensure that the safety of an event is not compromised. H.R. 5028 enjoys bipartisan support and has been endorsed by The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), Helicopter Association International (HAI), and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA).
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