Congressman Mike Ross, Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas

Volume 4, Issue 23,
july 28, 2006
 
Weekly Newsletter
 
 
 
 

 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE
 
My Plan to Reduce Gas Prices and
Secure Our Borders Coming to a Town Near You
 
 
Arkansas’ Fourth Congressional District makes up 29 counties and 150 towns, comprised of 21,000 square miles that equals nearly half the land mass of the state of Arkansas.  The Fourth District is a diverse district.  It reaches into the Ozark National Forest and includes much of the Ouachita National Forest in the west, and it stretches all the way to the Delta region along the banks of the Mississippi River in the east.

 

As your U.S. Congressman who represents the Fourth District in the U.S. House of Representatives, I believe it is important to come home and listen to the people I have the privilege to represent in our nation’s capitol.  That’s why beginning next week, as part of Congress’ annual month-long summer work period, I will be traveling across Arkansas’ Fourth District conducting 22 town hall forums that will focus on my plan to reduce gas prices and to secure our borders.

 

These are two of the most important issues facing our nation today, and they’re two I hear the most about from Arkansans.  These are issues I believe we should be addressing right now in Congress, but unfortunately, due to the current leadership in Washington, they are missing from our agenda.  I believe that our nation is currently in an energy crisis that is crippling working families, farm families and suppressing economic growth. 

 

We must pass real solutions to rising gas prices today to put us on a real path toward energy independence for tomorrow.  Yet there’s no silver bullet.  Solving our energy crisis is going to take a multi-faceted approach consisting of alternative and renewable energy sources, increased domestic production, conservation, utilizing energy efficient technologies, and end-user participation.

 

On July 22nd and 23rd, as a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I led a delegation of Arkansas State Legislators including State Sen. Jimmy Jeffress (Dist. 24, Crossett), State Rep. Allen Maxwell (Dist. 10, Monticello) and State Rep. Scott Sullivan (Dist. 21, DeQueen), to a House Agriculture Committee Field Hearing in Marshall, Minnesota, that focused on Biofuels and the writing of the 2007 Farm Bill. This worthwhile hearing gave us the opportunity to learn more about alternative sources of fuel and provided us with a glimpse of what the state of Arkansas could become-- a national leader in the production of alternative fuels. 

 

Our two-day trip exposed us first-hand to numerous examples of alternative energy sources already in use in Minnesota-- examples I believe we could replicate in Arkansas and across this nation.  In fact, the production of biofuels in Arkansas, specifically ethanol and bio-diesel, would create exciting new markets for our state’s farmers.  

 

I look forward to sharing these observations at my 22 town hall forums across the district in August.  And I look forward to sharing my plan to enact common sense legislation now that would impact the price Americans pay at the pump.  In addition, I will share with constituents my plan to secure our borders, something that is of vital importance to all Americans, because our immigration system is broken and our borders desperately need to be secured.  The problem of illegal immigrants entering this country is severely threatening our economic well being and our national security.  Congress owes the American people real solutions to these critical issues.

 

I hope to see you in August and for more information on the town hall meeting nearest you, please contact my office at 1-800-223-2220 or visit my website at:  http://www.house.gov/ross/


 
 
 
Ross Announces 22 Town Hall Meetings Throughout
Fourth District in August
Community Meetings Will Focus on Ross’s Plan
to Reduce Gas Prices and Secure Our Borders

 

(Washington, D.C.) U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04) announced today he will host 22 town hall meetings on reducing gas prices and securing our borders across the Fourth District in August.

 “I believe it is important to come home and listen to the people I have the privilege to represent in our nation’s capitol,” said Rep. Mike Ross. “Gas prices and immigration are two of the most important issues facing our nation today, and they’re two I hear the most about from Arkansans. These are issues I believe we should be addressing right now in Congress, but unfortunately, due to the current leadership in Washington, they are missing from our agenda.”

 

Next week, Congress will begin its annual month-long summer work period. Throughout the month of August, Ross will be traveling across the Fourth District conducting town hall forums to discuss his plan to reduce gas prices and to secure our borders. Ross will host town hall meetings in: Rison, Lake Village, Hamburg, Camden, Magnolia, Texarkana, El Dorado, Waldron, Mt. Ida, Malvern, Arkadelphia, Fordyce, Hope,

Hot Springs, Pine Bluff, Hampton, Glenwood, DeQueen, Paris, Mena, Booneville and Star City. For details of each town hall meeting, please click here.

 

“Our nation currently has an energy crisis that is crippling working families, farm families and suppressing economic growth,” said Ross.  “In addition, our immigration system is broken and our borders desperately need to be secured.  The leadership in Congress is doing nothing about either of these issues which severely threatens our economic well being and our national security."

Ross’ town hall community meetings are an open opportunity for residents to share feedback with Ross on issues of concern in a town hall setting. Ross will also share his plan to enact common sense legislation that would reduce the price Americans pay at the gas pump as well as his plan to secure our borders.

For more information on the town hall meeting nearest you, please contact Ross’ office at 1-800-223-2220 or visit the website at:  http://www.house.gov/ross/

 

 

###

 

 

 

 
 
Pryor, Ross Forcing FEMA’s Hand to Put 10,000 Homes to Good Use
 Provisions to Send Homes to Disaster Victims or
Non-Profits Passes Committee

 

(Washington, D.C.) Senator Mark Pryor and Congressman Mike Ross (AR-04) today announced the nearly 10,000 new and vacant manufactured homes in Hope, AR may finally be sent to disaster victims in the Gulf Coast, or be sold or donated to localities and non-profit organizations if two Senate amendments become law.

Pryor and Ross have been working together to cut red tape and put the thousands of unused manufactured homes to good use. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee this morning accepted two of Pryor’s amendments to force FEMA to stop stalling and instead start sending the vacant manufactured homes to where they are needed most. The provisions were incorporated into the Hurricane Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006, which passed the Committee unanimously.  

 

First, the Committee passed Pryor’s amendment that mirrors the Hope Housing Act of 2006, legislation he and Ross introduced in March to waive the FEMA regulation prohibiting manufactured homes from being located in floodplains. This one-time fix is only applicable to the manufactured homes built for evacuees of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The Arkansas members said although FEMA ordered the homes and has the ability to waive their self-imposed regulation, it has refused.

 

“FEMA is wrong to withhold these homes from families struggling to rebuild their lives and communities. It shouldn’t take an act of Congress to deliver these homes to the families they were built to help, but it has,” Pryor said. “The sooner this bill passes, the sooner hurricane evacuees will have a place to live where they can then begin to rebuild their lives, communities and local economies.  It’s been too long already.”

 

“I’m proud to have worked with Sen. Pryor to ensure the evacuees’ best interests are kept in mind as they try to put their lives back together,” Ross said. “There are still 9,933 new manufactured homes sitting in Hope, AR, that could be used by people in Louisiana and Mississippi who lost everything they owned in last year’s hurricanes. While it’s unfortunate it has taken months to cut the bureaucratic red tape so these trailers can finally be put to use, I’m pleased we are one step closer to this goal.”

 

Second, the Committee accepted Pryor’s amendment to allow FEMA to sell or donate leftover manufactured homes to localities and non-profit organizations that would use the homes for the public good. Currently, non-profits may only receive surplus homes from FEMA to house disaster victims. Under Pryor’s provision, the homes could be used by a non-profit for any purpose that serves the public good.  

 

 “If FEMA can’t place a home with a family, it should be allowed to sell or donate it to a charity that can put it to good use. Letting the homes sit and deteriorate at the airport should not be an option,” Pryor said.  

“Sen. Pryor’s amendment will provide much needed clarity for FEMA to better assist the victims of natural disasters, but at the same time will hold FEMA accountable to the American people by allowing the remaining manufactured homes not needed by storm victims to be put to good use,” Ross said.

 

Pryor said although he believes FEMA would function better as an independent, cabinet-level agency, he voted to pass the underlying legislation because it includes strong language to ensure FEMA has qualified leadership throughout the agency, adequate communication equipment and better coordination among local, regional and federal operations.  He said he is particularly pleased the legislation includes a requirement that FEMA identify and establish advance contracts for services and goods, such as manufactured homes. He added this system, used under former FEMA Director James Lee Witt, will cut down on the buying frenzy that occurs after disasters and prevent wasteful spending.

 

“We know FEMA can prepare and respond to catastrophes without wasting millions of taxpayer dollars,” Pryor said. “Moving FEMA out from under the Department of Homeland Security would bring positive reforms more efficiently, however, I do believe this legislation provides the agency with strict direction on better planning and response efforts.” 

 

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Please Contact Mike at 
1-800-223-2220  
mike.ross@mail.house.gov or
www.house.gov/ross

 

 

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