Portrait of Congressman Mike Ross
Representing the 4th District of Arkansas
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Volume 4, Issue 25,
January 31, 2003
Weekly Newsletter
 
 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE
 
Preserving the Choice
 
This week, many of us heard our President outline his priorities for our nation in his annual State of the Union Address.  I think he identified great needs that need to be met: the need for economic stability, a secure homeland, a more efficient source of fuel, a more compassionate nation – and especially the need to reform Medicare and provide prescription drug coverage for our seniors. 

I am pleased to see that prescription drug coverage has come under discussion once again, but I am disappointed in what the President is proposing – another benefit for big insurance companies and HMO’s, not a benefit for our seniors.  His proposed plan will force seniors out of Medicare and into private HMO’s in order to obtain coverage for the prescription drugs they need.  As the only pharmacy owner in Congress, I can tell you that this is not the way to properly provide for our seniors and their needs. 

Medicare is not a welfare program – seniors spend their whole lives working hard and paying into this system, they shouldn’t be told that they have to go to a certain doctor, or to a certain hospital to get what they need and deserve.  Prescription drug coverage should be a part of Medicare, seniors should be able to walk into a pharmacy of their choice and pull out their Medicare card, and be treated just like they do when they visit their doctor or their hospital. 

I have urged Congress to modernize Medicare since my first day at our nation’s Capitol, and I have repeatedly been told that such a plan is too expensive.  Well, for the $674 billion dollars the President has proposed to spend on tax cuts for the wealthy, we could afford to provide prescription drug coverage for all of America’s seniors for the next 10 years.  I think spending money on a program that benefits our greatest generation is money well spent, and I will continue fighting until our seniors’ prescription drug needs are met

Photo:  Congressman Ross speaks with seniors at his pharmacy in Prescott.
 

 
Pickering, Ross Introduce Bipartisan Bill 
to Protect U.S. Lumber Industry
Bill reforms trade laws to prevent
unfair “dumping” of imports 


 
Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.), Wednesday joined Rep. Chip Pickering (R – Miss.) in introducing the Pickering-Ross Duty Parity Act of 2003 before the U.S. House of Representatives.  The bill aims to mandate higher duties for products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico when unfair trade is found to occur.  The Congressmen chose to introduce their bill today in the hopes of opening a dialogue with Canadian government representatives who are in Washington, DC this week.

“I am pleased to have this opportunity to work with my Republican colleague on this very serious problem,” Ross said.  “The U.S. lumber industry is in crisis.  If current market conditions continue, many lumber manufacturers will not survive the next six months.  The Pickering-Ross bill will correct a misinterpretation and misapplication of our laws against unfair trade.  While the national debate over how to best fix our economy continues, there are things we can do now that can have a huge impact on industries in crisis.  I am committed to leveling the playing field whenever possible so that lumber mills in our district and across the country have an opportunity to compete and to survive.” 

“Our lumber mills continue to lose money and cut jobs due to subsidized Canadian lumber being dumped in the U.S,” Pickering said.  “If this continues, we stand to lose a major sector of our state economy.  Our legislation will give the Administration the authority to accurately account for all subsidies and level the playing field by imposing properly valued duties.  I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I support free trade, but only when it's fair.”

The legislation will have the effect of mandating higher duties for products entering the United States from Canada and Mexico when unfair trade is found to occur.  Currently, the U.S. Department of Commerce does not consider countervailing duties (CVD), the duties meant to offset subsidies, when calculating the amount of anti-dumping (AD) duties to impose.  The Pickering-Ross Act will mandate that CVD’s be counted when determining the AD, thus raising the level of duties.

Pickering added, “The European Union and Canada both use these same methods for calculating duties called for in the Pickering-Ross bill.  We shouldn't act any differently.” 

Pickering and Ross both serve on the House Agriculture Committee, and were instrumental in past efforts to implement duties against heavily subsidized Canadian lumber imports.
 

 
Ross Praises Vietamese Tariff Ruling as Victory
for Arkansas Catfish Farmers


 
Fourth District Rep. Mike Ross (D-Ark.) Tuesday announced a victory for Arkansas catfish producers following a ruling by the United States Commerce Department, which says Vietnamese catfish imported into the U.S. should face penalty tariffs as high as 64 percent.

“This ruling will have a tremendous impact on our local catfish farmers,” Ross said.  “They have fought hard to survive amidst a number of unfair Vietnamese trade practices.  As a member of the House Agriculture Committee, I have had a unique opportunity to play a significant role in helping our local catfish producers, and we’re not finished yet.”

Ross contacted the Department of Commerce and the U.S. International Trade Commission, voicing strong support for the antidumping petition filed in 2002 by the Catfish Farmers of America, seeking relief from unfairly traded fish imports of frozen basa and tra fillets from Vietnam.  He voted for the Disapproving Most Favored Nation Status for Vietnam (H.J.Res101) Resolution in protest of Vietnam flooding U.S. markets with the “so-called” catfish at prices that hurt Arkansas catfish farmers.  Ross was also instrumental in the passage of legislation in last year’s Farm Bill that prohibited imported Vietnamese basa and tra fillets from being labeled as “catfish.” 

“Last year, roughly 20 million pounds of Vietnamese frozen fillets were sold in the United States,” Ross said.  “A majority of those were labeled as ‘catfish,’ when they are not even of the same species.  The same amount in Delta farm-raised catfish represents $40 million dollars.  The catfish industry in the Delta is hurting, and imposing a tariff in addition to prohibiting Vietnamese exporters from mislabeling their fish will save jobs in Arkansas and throughout the Delta region.” 
 

 
Please Contact Mike at 
1-800-223-2220 or 
mike.ross@mail.house.gov
 
 
Contact Information Constituent Services Legislative Affairs News & Views Photo Gallery


   El Dorado: 870-881-0681  |  Prescott: 870-887-6787 


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