Congressman Mike Ross, Fourth Congressional District of Arkansas



Volume 5, Issue 50,
December 22, 2005
Weekly Newsletter



 



 
MIKE'S WEEKLY MESSAGE


 
109th Congress First Session Wrap Up


 
On Monday morning, around 6:00 a.m., the United States House of Representatives completed the legislative business of the first session of the 109th Congress by approving the budget reconciliation conference report.   The legislation cut nearly $40 billion from important programs, including $12.7 billion to federal student loans programs, $6.9 billion to Medicaid—the health insurance program for the poor, disabled, and elderly—and $6.4 billion to Medicare.  These cuts do not reflect the priorities or values of Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District, and I voted against them.  Throughout the week, weekend, and into Monday morning, the House of Representatives voted and approved a number of important pieces of legislation, including the reauthorization of the USA PATRIOT Act, funding for Americas’ troops serving us in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world and protecting and strengthening American borders.  I also voted to support H Res 579, legislation to signify that the United States House of Representatives believes that the treasured symbols and traditions of Christmas should be protected for those who celebrate Christmas.

I voted to support H.R. 3199, the USA PATRIOT Act.  First signed into law on the heels of 9-11, this legislation would make permanent many of the provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act set to expire this year and strikes a delicate balance between protecting the rights and civil liberties of American citizens while enabling the government to crack down on suspected terrorists.  This legislation enhances the ability of federal authorities to conduct criminal and intelligence investigations, bars and expels foreign terrorists from the United States, separates terrorists from their financial support, punishes terrorist acts, and addresses the needs of terrorist victims.  Since the USA PATRIOT Act was enacted in 2001, providing law enforcement the resources they need to combat terrorism, there has not been a single terrorist attack on American soil. 

I also voted in support of H.R. 1815, the Fiscal Year 2006 Defense Appropriations bill which allocates $435.5 billion for defense programs, including $50 billion in emergency spending for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Additionally, this legislation provides $1.3 billion in emergency funding for National Guard and Reserve equipment.  The Defense Appropriations bill includes a provision that bans cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of prisoners and would establish the Army Field Manual as the standard for military interrogations. 

Included in the Defense Appropriations Conference Report was a provision to provide for an additional $29 billion for relief and recovery efforts for the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, in addition to the $62.3 billion Congress allocated earlier this year.  Also included in this bill is language to allow oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).  Ultimately, drilling in ANWR will increase domestic oil and gas production, thereby reducing our dependency on foreign oil.  80 percent of the income from initial petroleum leasing and development in ANWR will establish a Gulf Coast Recovery Fund to provide financial assistance for recovery and rebuilding efforts in the devastated Gulf Coast.  This legislation also provides $2 billion for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and mandates an additional $2 billion from initial ANWR petroleum leasing. 

Finally, I voted to strengthen and protect American borders by supporting the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act, H.R. 4437.  This bill controls the flow of immigration into the United States by taking steps to tighten border controls and provides all employers with a reliable method of determining whether job applicants are legally eligible to work.  This legislation also increases physical barriers and incorporates widespread, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in order to ensure coverage of the entire border, authorizes 1,000 new, full-time port of entry inspectors over the next four years, and the training of 1,500 additional K-9 units over the next five years.

As the first session of the 109th Congress draws to a close and with the holiday season upon us, I ask that you join me in praying for our men and women in uniform serving abroad and for their families here at home.  When Congress returns to the nation’s capital in January, I will be there each and every step of the way, fighting for the solutions that will be the most beneficial to the citizens of Arkansas's Fourth Congressional District.   I wish you and your family a very safe holiday season and a happy New Year.



 



 
AR Lawmakers Secure Millions for Guard and Local Industries 
Bill Expected to be Sent to President by Week’s End



 
U.S. Senators Mark Pryor and Blanche Lincoln, along with Representatives Marion Berry (D-1st), Vic Snyder (D-2nd), John Boozman (R-3rd), and Mike Ross (D-4th), today announced final passage of the Fiscal Year 2006 Department of Defense (DOD) Appropriations Bill.  The bill includes significant funding for Arkansas’ military instillations, research institutions and defense contractors. 
Delegation members said that the $453.5 billion defense appropriations bill includes funding for military personnel, operations and maintenance and equipment procurement.  In addition, $50 billion is allotted to finance the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for the first part of fiscal 2006. 

“Arkansas is home to vital military installations, as well as a growing, cutting edge research and development industry that will bring our nation’s defense capabilities to new levels,” Pryor said. “The projects in this bill reflect a year of hard work to secure funding that supports our national defense, our troops in the field and Arkansas’ defense industry.” 

"Our communities and industries in Arkansas have long played an important role in building a strong national defense," Lincoln said. "In today’s war on terror, our military must have every resource they need to provide for our country’s long-term stability. I am extremely proud of our state’s significant contribution to America’s national security." 

"Thanks to a united effort by Arkansas' congressional delegation, we were able to secure millions of dollars to support the state's growing defense industry," said Berry. "These funds will not only improve existing military installations, but advance cutting edge research that will strengthen military effectiveness and keep our troops safe as they fight overseas." 

“These projects, being done right here in Arkansas, demonstrate the changing nature of warfare,” said Snyder. “We must keep our edge technologically not just in education, medicine or business, but also in war-fighting.” 

"I have spent the past few days in Iraq visiting Arkansas soldiers on the front lines," Boozman said.  "They deserve the best equipment money can buy and the funds in this bill will help them get it.  It will also fund projects aimed at using new technologies to protect our troops.  I am proud that many of those advancements are being made right here at home in Arkansas." 

“The funds secured in this Defense Spending Bill will positively impact military installations and military contractors who provide jobs and economic opportunities to Arkansas's working families,” said Ross.  “During a time of war, these funds are critical to homeland security and to ensuring our troops have the necessary tools to do their job safely and effectively.” 

The following Arkansas projects were included in the FY 2006 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill: 
 

Russellville, AR 

Mobile Medical Shelter - $4.1 million was secured for the design and manufacturing of a new generation of mobile medical shelters.  Modern and sterile shelters are critical resources to medics treating military wounded on the battlefield.  In a partnership agreement with the City of Russellville, the European Aeronautic Defense and Space (EADS) North America will develop two prototypes for a U.S. Army competition.  If the Army selects the EADS prototype and buys the mobile units, final assembly, testing and maintenance of the mobile medical shelter will take place in Russellville, AR. 

Pine Bluff, AR 

Pine Bluff Arsenal Data Equipment, Pine Bluff - $7 million was secured to modernize and expand the automatic data collection capabilities at the Pine Bluff Arsenal, as well as arsenals in Red River, TX, Anniston, AL and Rock Island, IL.  This technology will increase Army productivity  and enable the real-time tracking of manufacturing and distrbution of supplies, including chemical and biological protection equipment. 

Army Artillery - $2 million was secured to provide the military with illumination and smoke-producing artillery to support the war in Iraq.  Of this amount, $1 million will be used to procure M485 illumination rounds and $1 million will be used for M110 smoke-producing projectiles at the arsenal. 
 

Jonesboro, AR 

Standoff Sensor for Radionuclide Identification, Arkansas State University - $4 million was secured to invest in smart technologies, called Standoff Sensor for Radionuclide Identification, to detect nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.  ASU, The University of Hawaii, and Florida A&M will continue collaborative work to expedite results on promising sensor research for the early detection of chemical and biological threats most likely to be used by terrorists. 

Standoff Hazardous Agent Detection and Evaluation System (SHADES), Arkansas State University - $2 million was secured to assist ASU, in conjunction with industry, to further sampling and analysis technologies to detect ultra-low concentrations of weapons of mass destruction.  These technologies will include Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) samplers and unique Gas Chromatography (GC) and Laser Spectroscopy (LS) techniques. 

Wolverine Mountain Climbing Boots, Jonesboro - $1 million was secured to establish a U.S. production base for high-performance boots for use by all special operations warfighters from all services.  Finding an adequate supply for high performance boots in the U.S. will solve the problem of outmoded and inadequate boots, which has forced some unit leaders to purchase foreign-off-the-shelf items for their personnel while others have relied on personal gear, purchased at their own expense. 
 

Fayetteville, AR 

The Center for Ferroelectric Electronic-Photonic Nanodevices, University of Arkansas - $2 million was secured to continue the Center’s development of new revolutionary nano materials and breakthroughs in miniaturized electronic and photonic devices.  This work supports Army information and communication supremacy goals through ferroelectric and electronic-photonic nanodevices.  Nanotechnology is a newly emerging field of science where scientists and engineers are beginning to manipulate matter at the molecular and atomic level in order to develop materials and systems with revolutionary properties. 

The Logistics Institute, University of Arkansas - $1 million was secured to provide responsive cost-effective methodologies to ensure readiness and sustainability for military operations.  TLI will aid in the development and analysis of concepts and technologies in support of Sense and Respond Logistics (S&RL) to achieve the Air Force’s goals in deploying current and future weapons systems. 

Three-Dimensional Packaging, University of Arkansas - $2 million was secured for the Three-Dimensional packaging program, a consortium research effort between the University of Arkansas, the International Technology Center, North Carolina State University, and the University of Florida.  This is a third-year program working on 3-D microcircuit packages to help the military lower the size and weight and improve thermal and electrical performance of radio communications equipment. 

Space Photonics Intelligent Free Space Optical Satellite - $3 million was secured for product development and space qualification of the critical elements of the Free Space Communications Node, including high-speed multi-channel fiber optic transceivers, high-speed multi-channel free space laser communications transceivers, and intelligent and adaptive space communications networks.  This work supports the Air Force goal to improve the performance, reliability and security of its space communications capability.  Space Photonics in Fayetteville is a growing business supporting high-tech jobs in the Northwest region of Arkansas. 
 

Farmington, AR 

ZEUS Light Strike Vehicle Hybrid Electric Pilot - $1 million was secured for the development of a multi-purpose, internally transportable, off-road vehicle.  Cal-Zark is a company in Farmington that is working on the pilot project. 
 

Rogers, AR 

Machinery Control Surveillance System - $3.5 million was secured for Visions Technology of Rogers to procure a machinery control surveillance system to monitor mission-critical spaces aboard gas turbine ships.  The Naval Systems Command (NAVSEA) has identified the work of Visions Technology as important to the Navy’s mission, which demonstrates Visions’ rising stock as a provider of quality defense services. 

Arkansas National Guard 

Meteorological Measuring Set - $4.8 million will be divided among several states to support the procurement of a next generation artillery meteorological system. 

M-22 Automatic Chemical Agent Alarm – $11.2 million will be divided among several states to equip their guard units with chemical agent detection alarms.  The Army Guard has a requirement for over 19,000 such alarms and has only 231. 
 

Highland Park, Camden, AR 

Standard Missile Modifications - $3.75 million was secured to modernize the rocket motors on about half of the missiles that would otherwise expire by 2010 due to age.  As part of its ongoing Standard Missile Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), the Navy qualified a rocket motor regrain process that re-uses the major subcomponents thereby providing a new rocket motor at approximately 50% of the cost and in half the time required for a motor Standard Missile Improvements -- $1.3 million was secured to obtain new technologies to improve mature production weapons systems. This additional funding will continue the Navy’s FY05 effort to evaluate IM technology for inclusion on the Standard Missile in order to provide sailors with the safest weapon systems possible. 

Hydra-70 70 mm (2.75 inch) Rockets -$156.8 million was protected for the Hydra-70 rocket system used by Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Special Operations helicopters and Navy, Marine and Air Force jet aircraft.  The system is an effective area suppression weapon which has seen use most recently in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Hydra-70 family of rockets includes seven different tactical warheads that provide combat overmatch and ensure a near-term warfighting readiness posture for U.S. aviation assets including the Army’s AH-64 Apache, the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior, and the Marine Corps’ AH-1 Cobra.  Camden’s portion of the Hydra Rocket production supports 243 jobs. 

Tomahawk - $376.9 million was secured for special tooling and testing equipment to increase production capacity of the Tomahawk missile.  This was on the Navy’s Unfunded Priority List.  Camden’s portion of the Tomahawk Missile assembly supports 60 jobs. 

Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System - $124 million was secured to contract with Lockheed Martin Corporation to procure the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) for the U.S. Marine Corps.  Camden’s portion of the GMLRS development supports 85 jobs. 

Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile - $99.83 million was also secured for production of the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile, which is on the Navy’s Unfunded Priorities List.  Camden’s portion of the Sea Sparrow Missile assembly supports 50 jobs. 

PAC-3 Missiles - $489.7 million was protected to fund the Defense Department’s priority anti-tactical missile interceptor program, the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC).  It is designed to counter all threats armed with weapons of mass destruction.  Camden’s portion of the PAC-3 Missile production supports 460 jobs. 

HIMARS - $156.8 million was protected for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launcher program.  Camden’s portion of the HIMARS development supports 100 jobs. 

Aegis Missile Defense - $41 million was secured for the Aegis SM-3 development and deployment.  The system provides Navy Aegis Cruisers and Destroyers the capability to detect, track, intercept, and destroy short to intermediate range ballistic missiles.  Camden’s portion of the Aegis Missile assembly supports 50 jobs. 
 

Hot Springs, AR 

Vanadium Technology Partnership - $1.5 million was secured for the Vanadium Technology Program, which has made immense progress in finding beneficial commercial solutions for defense applications.  Currently, Vanadium is used in virtually every structural application in the military and continued funding for the program will advance practical applications.  Benefits to the Army include lighter, mobile systems, which improve airlift capability and decrease logistical support.  Stratcor, Inc. in Hot Springs manufactures vanadium products. 
 

Texarkana, AR 

Red River Data Equipment - $7 million was secured to modernize and expand the automatic data collection capabilities at the Red River Army Depot, as well as the Pine Bluff Arsenal and arsenals in Anniston, AL and Rock Island, IL.  This will reduce workload and better able the Army to track the manufacturing and distrbution of supplies, including chemical and biological protection equipment. 
 


 




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





 

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