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D.C. and District Talk

· Visit to Iraq
My colleague Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL) and I were recently invited by the co-chairs of the Iraqi Women’s Caucus, Representative Kay Granger (R-TX) and Representative Ellen O. Tauscher (D-CA), on a trip to Amman, Jordan. The purpose of this trip was to observe and participate in the training of a group of Iraqi women candidates for the January 30th elections in Iraq.

We spent two full days discussing the different aspects of campaigning and the skills necessary to become a successful legislator. During the discussions, it became clear that the three major concerns were security, lack of infrastructure to conduct the election, and insufficient information about parties, candidates, and election procedures. The Iraqi women all expressed the need for a national dialogue between all parties in Iraq to address the challenges surrounding the political transition in Iraq, from power-sharing to addressing the needs of each group.

The make-up of the 20 participating Iraqi women candidates was diverse. Participants from most major parties were present as well as candidates from most religious and ethnic groups. Despite the end of Saddam Hussein’s brutal regime, a number of the women candidates continue to suffer under the current occupation and have been personally affected by the insurgency because of their willingness to participate in making Iraq a free democracy. Several candidates have been threatened, while some have had family members kidnapped and held hostage. In the worst cases, some candidates have had family members assassinated.

In our Declaration of Independence our Founding Fathers pledged…‘their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.’ These brave women are doing the same. We should honor and support their sacrifices. I look forward to working with these same women after the Iraqi elections and applaud their bravery and commitment to a free and prosperous Iraq.

Constituent Corner

· Fraudulent Disaster Relief Solicitations

This week the White House has issued a statement regarding emails that are circulating that solicit people for donations to the USA Freedom Corps for tsunami disaster relief. Please note that USA Freedom Corps is NOT soliciting direct donations in any form. USA Freedom Corps is merely providing information to visitors to its website regarding organizations that are providing aid to earthquake and tsunami victims so that visitors may contribute directly to those organizations. Please do not respond to e-mails soliciting donations that appear to be from USA Freedom Corps. Such emails are not authorized. Neither USA Freedom Corps, nor anyone acting with authority on its behalf, is sending these emails.

To make legitimate donations and see how you can help, please visit the official USA Freedom Corps website at http://www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

· New Emergency Food and Shelter Grants

I am pleased to announce that counties in the 19th district have been awarded almost $500,000 by the Emergency Food and Shelter (EFS) Program for Fiscal Year 2005.

The following counties completely or partially in the 19th District are receiving funds:

+ Clay, $8,489

+ Fayette, $15,472

+ Greene, $7,039

+ Jasper, $6,418

+ Jefferson, $21,852

+ Johnson, $6,926

+ Lawrence, $9,110

+ Madison, $152,496

+ Marion, $34,049

+ Massac, $6,870

+ Montgomery, $22,906

+ Richland, $9,562

+ Saline, $15,641

+ Sangamon, $100,058

+ Wabash, $7,755

+ Wayne, $8,564

+ White, $7,228

+ Williamson, $38,472

Additional jurisdictions may be selected at a later date by the EFS State Set-Aside Committee. The EFS National Board, chaired by the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and composed of representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities, USA; United Jewish Communities; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Salvation Army; and United Way of America, provides supplemental funding to shelters, soup kitchens, and food banks. One-month awards for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance are also available. The funds are used to help individuals and families with non-disaster, temporary emergency needs.

In each funded jurisdiction, a local board advertises the availability of the funds, establishes local priorities, selects local non-profit and government agencies to receive supplemental funding, and monitors program compliance.

Congress appropriated $153 million for the EFS Program for 2005. This funding will support social service agencies in more than 2,500 cities and counties across the country to help feed and shelter the nation’s hungry and homeless. I am pleased to see that many agencies in southern Illinois will be helped by this program. For more information on the EFS Program please visit http://www.fema.gov/rrr/efs.shtm.

· Soybean Rust Meetings Scheduled
The Illinois Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with University of Illinois Extension, has released a schedule of soybean rust informational and training sessions to be held through March 2005. The schedule incorporates events where a soybean rust update may be provided. Speakers will address the issues farmers and crops specialists will face in the upcoming season as well as educate them on scouting, identification, sampling and management practices.

Illinois Farm Bureau will be offering additional soybean rust informational meetings and updates in March and April, following return of IFB staff from a hands-on technical workshop in Brazil. Please check the IFB website for more information on this workshop when it becomes available.

The University of Illinois Extension Office, Illinois Soybean Association and The Illinois Farm Bureau will sponsor meetings on the soybean rust problem in the 19th district on January 20th in Collinsville, January 25th in Greenville, and February 7th in Hardin.

For more information please visit the Illinois Farm Bureau site at http://www.ilfb.org/default.asp and the University of Illinois Extension site at http://www.extension.uiuc.edu.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· The Inauguration will be held on Thursday January 20th. For more information on the role of Congress in the Inauguration please visit http://inaugural.senate.gov.

· Want to know more about the House of Representatives schedule? Keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Our Armed Services Play a Vital Role in the Inauguration

Military involvement in the presidential inauguration is a centuries-old tradition in which the armed forces celebrate democracy, honor the new commander in chief, and recognize civilian control of the military. This tradition marks more than 200 years of military participation - dating back to April 30, 1789, when members of the U.S. Army escorted George Washington to his swearing-in ceremony at Federal Hall in New York City.

For more information on the vital role of the military in this week’s festivities please visit the Joint Task-Force Armed Forces Inaugural Committee’s website at http://www.afic.army.mil/home.htm.

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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