Congressman Mike Ross, Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas



Volume 5, Issue 42,
October 28, 2005
Weekly Newsletter



 



 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE


 
$8 Trillion National Debt


 
Recently, the nation’s debt reached an unprecedented milestone of $8 trillion.  As a member and Whip of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I am truly concerned about the financial path our country is taking.  Today we are $8 trillion in debt, and this debt is growing every day, every hour, every minute, and every second.  From 1998 to 2001, this nation had a balanced budget, and today, under the leadership of the Republican Congress and this Administration, our nation is faced with the largest budget deficit ever in our nation’s history for the fifth year in a row. 

This unprecedented and continually mounting debt is demonstrative of fiscal irresponsibility at its finest, and we absolutely must restore fiscal discipline and common sense to our nation’s government and its budget.  American families strive each and every month to live on a balanced budget at home, and I don’t think it’s asking too much to hold the government to these same standards. 

Our nation spends about $500 million each day simply paying the interest on the national debt.  This same money could be invested in jobs, education, healthcare, and our road needs across Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District.  As our national debt continues to climb, fewer opportunities will be available to cut taxes for our working families and for funding programs important to our children and seniors. 

Earlier this year, I joined the Blue Dog Coalition in offering a ‘12-Step Plan’ that would cure our nation’s addiction to deficit spending.  The ‘12-Step Plan’ requires that all federal agencies pass clean audits, requires a balanced budget, establishes ‘pay-as-you-go’ standards, and sets aside a rainy day fund to be used in the event of a natural disaster.  Our budget plan has received tremendous praise from many non-partisan watchdog groups across the country, and I hope this focus will eventually have an impact on the way the majority in Congress chooses to address our nation's budget needs.

In an effort to return fiscal responsibility to our nation's government, I am co-sponsoring H.R. 903, the Fiscal Honesty and Accountability Act of 2005.  This legislation would amend the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 and the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 to extend the discretionary spending caps and the pay-as-you-go requirement.

This majority in Congress is treating our nation’s budget like a credit card with no credit limit.  This is unacceptable.  As your Representative in the United States Congress and as a member of the fiscally conservative Blue Dog Coalition, I remain committed to returning fiscal discipline to our nation’s government and putting an end to deficit spending. 



 



 
Ross Offers Amendment to Lower High Cost of Medicine for Medicaid Recipients



 
(Washington, D.C.)  Late Thursday evening, U.S. Rep. Mike Ross (AR-04) offered an amendment in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce that would maintain prescription drug access to Medicaid beneficiaries, while reducing the high cost of medicine.  Medicaid is a health insurance program for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.  Ross’s amendment would calculate drug cost based on the ‘best price’ that the pharmaceutical companies pay either in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.  Such a reform would force pharmaceutical companies to offer the same low prices to Medicaid that they offer in foreign countries. 

While Democrats supported this important amendment, the measure failed on a party line vote of 19-27. 

“It is a shame the Republican leadership sided with the big drug companies and defeated this amendment that would have helped protect access of the poor, the disabled, and the elderly to medications they so desperately need,” said Ross.  “Instead, the Republicans have passed a bill that will not reduce healthcare costs and will increase co-payments for Medicaid beneficiaries.” 

Ross also spoke and voted against at least $10 billion in proposed cuts to Medicaid in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 

“The Republican leadership has proposed at least $10 billion in cuts to come directly from Medicaid, a program which provides critical health care services for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.  Recent numbers indicate that there are 717,000 Medicaid recipients in Arkansas, or one in five people.  Over half of Arkansas’s children are on Medicaid or have received Medicaid services this year.  Eight out of ten seniors in nursing homes are on Medicaid. 

“Today’s cuts will restrict access to necessary services and will ultimately lead to increased healthcare costs at both the state and federal levels.  Health conditions, when left untreated, lead to costly hospital visits.  These budget cuts well position our nation for higher future healthcare costs.

“Let me just say it’s about priorities: The Republican leadership wants $70 billion in tax cuts to benefit the wealthy while cutting $10 billion in healthcare for the poor, the disabled, and the elderly.” 

Ross was appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in January. 


 




 
Final Agriculture Spending Bill Set to Pass Congress
Measure Contains More Than $42 Million for Arkansas Projects



 
Washington – Members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation today announced that Congress is expected to finalize next week the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report which includes $42,378,929 million for various Arkansas projects. Following the Senate vote, the spending bill is expected to be signed into law by President Bush. 

The six members of the Arkansas Congressional Delegation who fought for the projects announced today are as follows: Senators Blanche Lincoln (D) and Mark Pryor (D), Representatives Marion Berry (D-1st), Vic Snyder (D-2nd), John Boozman (R-3rd), and Mike Ross (D-4th).

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report includes the following earmarks for Arkansas projects:

An increase of $150,000 over FY 2005 funding for Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center in Little Rock for expanded research on children’s nutrition and health from conception through adolescence, as well as continued funding for Sorghum Research and the Diet and Immune Function at Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (Total funding level estimated at $5.689 million).

An increase of $130,000 over FY 2005 funding for Agroforestry Research at the South Central Family Farm Research Center in Booneville, to expand cooperative research with the University of Missouri Agroforestry Center on plants. $50,000 of this increase will be used for expanded shiitake mushroom research in Shirley, Arkansas (Total funding level estimated at $5.098 million).

An increase of $125,000 over FY 2005 funding for Rice Research at the Dale Bumpers Rice Research Center in Stuttgart. (Total funding level estimated at $3.531 million).

An increase of $100,000 over FY 2005 funding for the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Initiative for planning and research to assess health and nutrition in the Delta Region over the next five years. This consortium consists of the Agricultural Research Service and six universities located in Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. (Total funding level estimated at $4.144 million). 

$3.5 million for the Delta Regional Authority. The Authority provides long-term coordination among federal, state, and local entities committed to economic development in the Lower Mississippi Delta region. $2 million of the funds are contained in the Rural Community Advancement Program for grants, and the remaining $1.5 million is contained in the Rural Development Loan Fund Program to provide loans. 

$4 million for the completion of Arkansas Research Laboratory at the National Center for Toxicological Research.

$1.432 million for Animal Science Food Safety Consortium for food safety research and education in Arkansas, Illinois, and Kansas. In Arkansas, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the University of Arkansas for Medical Science and Arkansas Children’s Hospital will participate.

$461,000 for the Center for Integrated Forest Management Strategies at the University of Arkansas at Monticello for forestry research and education activities.

$1.119 million for Institute for Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for food science and nutrition research and education.

$180,000 for Beef Producers Improvement at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for research and education on management techniques for the cattle industry.

$1.802 million for Geographic Information Systems. Arkansas is one of eight states that participates in this project.

$2.5 million to the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), located at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville. ATTRA is headquartered in Montana. Its national mission is to collect and provide cutting-edge research and production information and technical assistance to commercial producers, county extension agents, and others involved in information dissemination on organic and sustainable agriculture practices that are environmentally friendly and offer lower production costs.

$225,000 for the Ozark nutrient management project.

$125,000 for the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff Small Farm Outreach Wetland Management Center. 

$210,000 for the completion of the next phase of the Little Red River Irrigation Project in White County. 

$205,000 for the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for aquaculture research and education activities.

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report includes the following earmarks for Arkansas projects with funding to continue at FY 2005 levels: 

The National Center for Agricultural Law Research and Information at the Leflar School of Law at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville (Total funding level estimated at $502,000). 

Small Farms, South Central Family Farm Research Center in Booneville for Endophyte research (Total funding level estimated at $1.054 million).
 

Harry Dupree National Aquaculture Research Center in Stuttgart for research on the genetic improvement of hybrid striped bass. Arkansas leads the nation in raising hybrid striped bass, as well as in producing 80 percent of the nation’s baitfish and other food fish (Total funding level estimated at $4.433 million).

University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Aquaculture Systems Research Unit, for aquaculture research and education activities (Total funding level estimated at $943,929 overall). 

Poultry Production and Product Safety Research Unit at the University of Arkansas (Total funding level estimated at $1,225,000).

The FY 2006 Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report also includes the following projects: 

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Southeast Washington County Water Project for municipal water and waste disposal.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Agriculture Demonstration and Outreach Center in Arkansas.
 

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for Mill Creek, Arkansas.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for the Ozone Water Project, Arkansas.

The Agriculture Appropriations Conference Report recommends funding for downtown improvements in Bald Knob, Arkansas. 


 




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



 


 

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