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D.C. and District Talk

· House Rejects Bill to Reinstate Draft
On Wednesday I joined with my colleagues in the House of Representatives in overwhelmingly rejecting a bill sponsored by Rep. Charles Rangel (D – NY) which would require that all young persons in the United States, including women, perform a period of military service or a period of civilian service in furtherance of national defense and homeland security.

This puts an end to the Internet rumors and other irresponsible reports of an impending draft. I was one of 402 Representatives to vote against the bill; only two voted for it.

The recent call for additional combat capability in Iraq and Afghanistan to conduct the global war on terror has fueled misconceptions that the United States will need to reinstate the draft to perform its military missions.

There is only one reason that would justify conscription: if the military were unable to recruit enough volunteers to meet its personnel needs. This is not the case. Needed military personnel strength increases can be achieved through the existing recruitment and retention system.

No one in the Bush Administration, at the Department of Defense, or at the Selective Service System is advocating the reinstatement of the draft in any form. Currently, we have an experienced, trained, resilient, and disciplined all-volunteer force who wants to serve in the U.S. military and I will cast my votes to keep it that way.

Constituent Corner

· No Child Left Behind Teacher Workshops

During this past summer, the U.S. Department of Education hosted several teacher workshops throughout the country. Workshop sessions featured some of the best teachers sharing research-based practices that they have successfully applied in the classroom to close the achievement gap and help all children excel. Due to positive feedback from these workshops and tremendous demand, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige has decided to provide additional workshops this fall.

Two workshops will focus on effective math instruction and two on reading. The schedule is as follows:

+ Oct. 9 - Bentonville, Ark., Northwest Community College - Math

+ Oct. 16 - Wheeling, W.V., Bethany College Conference Center - Reading

+ Oct. 23 - Redmond, Wash., Marriott Town Center - Math

+ Nov. 6 - Madison, Wis., University of Wisconsin - Reading

These workshops are designed for teachers in grades K-8. In addition to reading or math, sessions will feature topics such as school leadership, differentiated instruction and the use of data to inform decision-making. Principals are welcome to attend along with their teachers.

Attendance is free and breakfast and lunch will be provided. The day-long sessions will begin at 8 a.m. and conclude at 3:45 p.m.

Spaces are limited! Register now at: http://www.teacherquality.us/TeacherToTeacher/Workshops.asp.

These teacher workshops are part of the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative.

For more information on the many ways the Teacher-to-Teacher Initiative is benefiting teachers, please visit www.ed.gov/teacherinitiative.

· Broadband Loan Workshops

The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) will conduct two new workshops around the country to spur interest in the Rural Broadband Access Loan and Loan Guarantee Program. The workshop in our area will be held October 21st. Following are the details for each:

October 21:

8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Louis Marriott West

660 Maryville Centre Drive

St. Louis, MO

To register: raymond.homer@mo.usda.gov

Information: 573-876-0976

Administrator Hilda Gay Legg and RUS staff will present the latest information on the program. Staff and general field representatives also will be on hand for one-on-one meetings the day after each workshop until noon.

· New Emergency Grant for Health Insurance

I would like to announce a national emergency grant of $2.8 million from the United States Department of Labor for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) to cover Illinois workers who are eligible for health insurance under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act.

This emergency funding will fill in the gap for approximately 3,178 Illinoisans who are waiting to become eligible for the Health Coverage Tax Credit (HCTC) Program. I am pleased that President Bush and the Department of Labor have acted quickly to aid these workers who have suffered trade-affected job losses.

Such workers often face a gap period waiting 1-3 months for the Internal Revenue Service to enroll, process and pay a candidate’s first payment under the HCTC program.

More information is available from Ray Parrack of DCEO, 620 East Adams Street, Springfield, IL 62701, Phone: 217-558-2420.

· Gallatin District Receives Safe School Grants

I am pleased to announce a grant of $946,681 from the United States Department of Education to the Gallatin County School District through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Grants Program.

To gain the federal funding, the district had to submit a plan focusing on six elements: a safe school environment; alcohol and other drugs and violence prevention and early intervention programs; school and community mental health preventive and treatment intervention services; early childhood psychosocial and emotional development programs; supporting and connecting schools and communities; and safe school policies.

This program, which started in 1999, is a result of collaboration between the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services and Justice. It promotes healthy childhood development and the prevention of violence and alcohol and drug abuse. As a former teacher, I am especially proud to help bring this grant to the Gallatin County School District.

· New Federal Funding for 19th District

I am happy to announce funding from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) for two projects in Southern Illinois that will help retain more than 1,500 jobs in the region.

This is terrific news for Southern Illinois. Although the economy is recovering nationally, this region has lagged behind. I am proud we can bring federal dollars here to help the area economy.

The DRA is providing $105,000 to the village of Galatia for road upgrade and water line replacement to American Coal Company. It will make available $1,703,200 in other funding for a total project cost of $1,808,200. It is estimated the project will allow 829 jobs to be retained.

The Saline Valley Conservancy District is receiving $51,000 from the DRA for a new water well to meet industrial demand. The grant makes available $386,500 in other funding for a total cost of $437,500. The project is predicted to retain 696 jobs and improve the standard of living for 300 households.

The Delta Regional Authority is a federal-state partnership that serves a 240-county/parish area in an eight-state region. The DRA was created to stimulate economic development and foster partnerships that will have a positive impact on the region’s economy while relieving severe and chronic economic distress.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Wednesday, October 13, Dora Rohan of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Carrollton and Brighton. In Carrollton, she will be at the City Council Chambers on 621 South Main Street from 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. In Brighton, she will be in the Municipal Building Auditorium on 206 South Main from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Appointments are not necessary, so feel free to drop by at any time. For more information, please visit my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.htm. I hope you stop in to see us!

Legislative Week in Review

· Both the House and the Senate will most likely be in session through this weekend and possibly next week. The following bills are what Congress has voted on so far this week:

o H.R. 2929 - Securely Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act
SPY ACT

o H.R. 4520 - American Jobs Creation Act of 2004

o H.R. 10 - 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act

o H.R. 918 - Patient Navigator, Outreach, and Chronic Disease Prevention Act

For more information on the Roll Call votes on these bills please visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/rollcallvotes.html.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· The House’s schedule is undetermined at this time. It is possible we will be in session at the beginning of next week if we do not get our business completed this weekend.

· Want to know more? Keep an eye on http://thomas.loc.gov/. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Tonight is the 2nd Presidential Debate

Don’t forget to tune into the second Presidential debate tonight at 8:00 p.m.! With only 25 days until Election Day it is important for everyone to gain a better knowledge of their candidates so we can all make informed decisions. For more information on the debate process please visit The Commission on Presidential Debates’ website at http://www.debates.org/.

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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