Congressman Mike Ross, Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas



Volume 5, Issue 11,
March 17, 2006
Weekly Newsletter



 



 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE


 
Iraq and Katrina Emergency Supplemental


 
This week, the U.S. House of Representatives debated and passed the largest emergency supplemental bill in our nation’s history.  I joined the majority of my colleagues and voted in support of $91.8 billion for continued military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and additional Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding. 

America is at war and we owe all the brave men and women who serve our country tremendous gratitude.  There is no way for us to properly thank them for putting their lives on the line to protect the freedoms we have at home while defending the right of others seeking democracy.  Our nation must remain united and steadfast in the support we provide our soldiers.  I will continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the proper equipment and training to get the job done and to bring them home safely. 

As an American, I support providing our military with the necessary resources, however, as an elected official sent to Washington to represent the hard-working people of the Fourth Congressional District who pay taxes, it is my duty to make sure that our federal government manages this money responsibly.  As whip of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I support accountability and honesty in our nation’s budget process.  Recently, the Blue Dog Coalition discovered a little known document complete with the signature of Treasury Secretary Snow entitled the, “Financial Report of the United States of America for 2005,” which uses accrual-based accounting.   This document, which is required by law, reports the financial status of the government applying the same accounting laws businesses must use to report their financial condition to regulators.  According to this report, our deficit was not $319 billion in 2005 as reported by the Office of Management and Budget using cash-based accounting.  As reported from the Secretary of the Treasury, John Snow, the 2005 deficit using accrual-based accounting was $760 billion, a staggering difference of $441 billion. 

Last month, President Bush submitted a budget to the United States Congress that blatantly disregards funding for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan beyond Fiscal Year 2007.   Yet, there is no indication that our mission there will be completed by this time.   I am deeply troubled by the continued deficit spending and the complete disregard for fiscally responsible policies. The President's proposed $2.7 trillion budget will decrease domestic spending, yet leave a massive $355 billion budget deficit for this fiscal year. 

Our nation’s budget must strive to accurately reflect the costs of conflicts abroad and restore honestly and accountability to our nation’s budget.  Emergency supplemental funding is considered separate from the annual budget process.  Unlike last fall’s devastating hurricane season, funding for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are not sudden expenses and should be funded accordingly in the annual budget.   The Blue Dogs have a ‘12-Point Plan’ for meaningful budget reform that will provide a balanced budget and allow us to get our fiscal house in order.  This plan sets forth sensible objectives such as supporting a constitutional amendment that would require a balanced budget every year, establishes ‘paygo’ standards -- meaning any new spending must be paid for by cuts in other programs or by new revenues -- and requires justification for  spending on earmarks.   As a member of the Blue Dog coalition, I will continue to fight for honesty and accountability in our nation’s fiscal house.



 



 
Ross Requests Pine Bluff Arsenal be a Location for a Government Owned Vaccine Production Facility



 
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)  U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04) Friday renewed his request that the Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of Health and Human Services Michael Leavitt develop a Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) vaccine production facility at the Pine Bluff Arsenal.  This repeated request comes on the heels of news reports which indicate a new anthrax vaccine has been delayed for at least a year due to testing failures and the contracted company may be forced to default on its government contract altogether.  Recent vaccine shortages and delays in health care providers receiving sufficient vaccines further support the necessity of government involvement in vaccine production to ensure the health and well being of American citizens.

As a result of a 1994 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study entitled, Economic Analysis for the Department of Defense Biological Warfare Defense Vaccine Production Facility, the Pine Bluff Arsenal was cited as a recommended location for a GOCO facility.

The text of the letter is below.
 
 

March 24, 2006

The Honorable Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary 
U.S. Department of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301

Dear Mr. Secretary:

I have sent numerous letters requesting that the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services develop a Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) vaccine production facility to ensure adequate vaccine quantities are available for our country’s citizens.   Given this year's flu season, the potential of additional outbreaks of other flu strains such as the Avian Flu, and the need to develop an anthrax vaccine, I again encourage you to pursue a GOCO vaccine production facility. 

Recent news reports indicate that an anthrax vaccine has been delayed for at least one year due to testing failures and the contracted company may be forced to default on its government contract.  These reports are further evidence that the United States needs to own vaccine production facilities to ensure that adequate vaccines are available for its citizens.  Government production of vaccines would prevent such instances from occurring. 

Last fall, I was contacted by various health care providers in my congressional district who had yet to receive their influenza vaccine supplies.  Patients, including those in the high risk category, did not receive vaccinations.  While the number of manufacturers producing flu vaccines increased from last year, shortages were rampant due to production and distribution problems.  Both President Bush and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary Michael Leavitt expressed serious concerns regarding vaccine supply for pending health threats, such as Avian Flu. 

I strongly believe the United States Government needs to own vaccine production facilities, and one of these facilities should be placed at the Pine Bluff Arsenal as was suggested in the 1994 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study entitled, Economic Analysis for the Department of Defense Biological Warfare Defense Vaccine Production Facility. 

Since its creation, the Pine Bluff Arsenal has hosted a wide range of sensitive and secure manufacturing and logistical missions including:  chemical weapons production and storage, binary weapons production, and chemical weapon demilitarization.  The six decades of chemical and biological defense expertise, combined with existing infrastructure and force protection features, creates an affordable and attractive location for the safe and secure production vaccines.  Finally, the Arsenal’s close proximity to an established biotechnology industry, including the Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicological Research (NCTR), ensures the availability of a qualified workforce.

Again, I respectfully request that you give full consideration to the Pine Bluff Arsenal with regards to a Government Owned, Contractor Operated (GOCO) vaccine production facility.  I thank you for your time and attention and look forward to your timely response on this important matter.
 
 

     Sincerely, 
 
 

     Mike Ross


 




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



 


 

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