Welcome to the inaugural edition of The Word from Washington Newsletter! This monthly web publication will offer you an update on issues and events under development in Washington and in the District. This first edition also includes an update on issues from the first session of the 109th Congress including key votes, legislation and district activities.
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Latest News from Congressman Davis
U.S. Mine Safety
With more than 20 miners killed in U.S. mining accidents this year, increasing the safety of our nation’s mines is one of Congressman Davis’s top priorities. In February, the congressman met with 7th District miners to hear their concerns about how their workplace could be made safer. (related story)
Congressman Davis also testified March 16th before the House Education and Workforce Committee during a hearing on mine safety. (read testimony)
Alabama Church Fires
Nine churches were damaged or destroyed during a rash of arson fires in February, four of them in the 7th Congressional District. Congressman Davis visited each of the communities impacted and offered comfort and resources towards reconstruction. (related story)
Farmers Information Week
During the January recess, Congressman Davis visited with Alabama farmers to discuss issues important to that industry. In Marion, Davis spoke with farmers about the upcoming farm bill reauthorization and listened to recommendations on how to improve this important piece of legislation.
Later that week, Congressman Davis provided a briefing to more than 400 African American farmers at Tuskegee University concerning the lawsuit settlement with the USDA. In November, Davis introduced the African American Farmers Act of 2006, which, among other things, seeks to re-open the lawsuit to more than 66,000 farmers who were ruled not to have submitted their claims to the agreed settlement on time.
109th Congress First Session Summary
President Bush Signs Davis Cord Blood Stem Cell Bill
In May, the House overwhelmingly passed a bill sponsored by Congressman Davis that would provide federal funds to develop a national cord blood bank network. The Senate passed the bill in December, and President Bush signed the bill into law.
Cord blood stem cells, which are derived from the umbilical cords of newborn babies, have promising returns for treating ailments including Sickle Cell Anemia and other genetic blood related illnesses.
HOPE VI Amendment Saves National Housing Program
With a pending threat of elimination hanging over the program, Congressman Davis sponsored an amendment to restore funding to the national HOPE VI housing program as a part of this year’s treasury/transportation bill. The amendment restored some $60 million to the program, which had been targeted for zero funding by the White House. HOPE VI is a mixed income housing development program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development designed to provide residents with a chance to eventually become homeowners. Alabama has four HOPE VI projects either announced or under development including two in Birmingham, one in Tuscaloosa and one in Mobile.
$11M towards completion of Highway 80 in the Black Belt
Included in the highway transportation legislation passed in 2005 was $11 million secured by Congressman Davis for U.S. Highway 80. The funding will be used to continue the expansion of the road as a four-lane highway. This marks the largest single federal appropriation ever received for an interior highway in the Black Belt. Highway 80 connects Perry, Marengo, and Sumter Counties. As one of the main transportation arteries in the region, Highway 80 is vital to the economic development of West Alabama serving as the primary east-west corridor for this part of the state.
Tuscaloosa’s McKenzie Court Receives $20M HOPE VI Grant
Congressman Davis announced a $20 million HOPE VI restoration grant for the McKenzie Court housing community. The grant makes Tuscaloosa the fourth HOPE VI project recipient in the state. The plan calls for leveling the current development and replacing it with mixed income housing.
Instruments of Mercy Healthcare Initiative Sends Thousands In Medical Supplies to Black Belt
With an eye towards providing Black Belt health facilities with the medical equipment they need, Congressman Davis launched the Instruments of Mercy Black Belt healthcare initiative. The program takes requests from the Black Belt healthcare facilities and matches them with the excess inventory of seven participating hospitals in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. To date, more than 600 thousand dollars in equipment has been delivered to the Black Belt – a significant savings in out-of-pocket costs for these facilities.
Congressman Davis Tapped for Leadership Posts in ‘05
After just one term in Congress, colleagues on both sides of the aisle have recognized Congressman Davis as a talented rising star. He was appointed by Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer, the House Democratic Whip, as a member of the Senior Whip Team for the Democratic Caucus during the 109th Congress. Davis has also been selected as the co-chair of the New Democratic Caucus, a group of centrist Democratic House members, and as the Southern Regional co-chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Here at home, the congressman has served as the chair of the Healthcare Taskforce for Governor Bob Riley’s Black Belt Action Commission. The group has worked to bring needed healthcare services to the region, including eye exams and glasses for children, and also recommended changes to regulations that restricted construction of dialysis centers in rural communities.
Also from the first session…
· Townhall meetings on the new Medicare prescription drug program
· Updates on the status of the nation’s Social Security Program
· A Hurricane Katrina Business Workshop for businesses interested in reconstruction
From the Congressman
On Port Security…
"I am amazed that the greatest super power on earth would delegate a major part of its port security to a Third World country. It is also deeply disturbing that the outsourcing of vital security operations appears to have become standard operating procedure without Congress or most Americans even knowing it."
(Read more)
In Memoriam
In recent months we have seen the passing of several heroines from of the Civil Rights Movement. Below is a sample of thoughts from Congressman Davis on each of them.
On Rosa Parks…
"One day in late 1954, she resisted the order; she resisted the command to get up and to yield her seat. The world has never turned back from that moment. All of a sudden, people like my mother and grandmother were freed. But the interesting thing is that white Americans and white Montgomerians were freed as well, because, from that day forward, or maybe, more accurately, from the day that the movement succeeded and won concessions from the white power structure in Montgomery, we reached a point where people were free to sit together."
On Vivian Malone Jones…
"Vivian Malone Jones died too young last week at age 63. In prose, she was the first black American to earn a degree from the University of Alabama. In poetry, she was proof of the power of dignified commitment, and was a trailblazer to young black women my mother’s age, whose own dreams seemed more attainable when they contemplated her boldness."
On Coretta Scott King…
"For nearly four decades, Coretta King carried her husband’s legacy with such dignity. In a climate where the strategy is often to out shout the other side, Mrs. King epitomized that a quiet but powerful voice could still prevail."
Upcoming Events
March 21
Greene County Town Hall Meeting
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Greene County Courthouse
Eutaw
March 23
Center Point Town Hall Meeting
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Center Point City Hall
Center Point (Birmingham)
March 24 - 25
“Kids & Jobs” Youth Job Fair
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Boutwell Auditorium
Birmingham
March 25
Sallie Mae Paying For College Event
10:00 a.m. – Noon
Medical Forum Building, Room K
Birmingham
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