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D.C. and District Talk

View from my seat of President Bush and the first family during the swearing in.

· President Bush Sworn in for Second Term
I was honored to have attended at the Inauguration of President Bush and Vice President Cheney yesterday. In his speech the President Bush outlined his goals for his second term which included keeping America safe by promoting liberty worldwide, establishing an ownership society here at home, and improving our educational institutions for our children. I am looking forward to hearing more on the President’s initiatives during the State of the Union address on Wednesday, February 2nd.

For more information on the Inauguration including a full text and video of the President’s speech please visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/inaugural.

Constituent Corner

· Flooding in the 19th District

Recently I toured the flooded areas in the 19th Congressional District this week. This past Tuesday I accompanied the St. Louis District US Army Corps of Engineers on a helicopter tour of Lake Shelbyville, Carlyle Lake, and the rest of the Kaskaskia River Basin.

Today, I went on another tour with the Louisville District US Army Corps of Engineers. We visited the flooded Southern Illinois Counties along the Wabash and Ohio River that the State of Illinois declared a disaster yesterday.

I plan to ask President Bush to begin the process of determining if the area declared by Illinois can be eligible for a federal disaster declaration. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the flooding and it is my hope that we can get them the needed assistance as soon as possible and will continue to work here in Washington to ensure that happens.

· Strasburg Receives Fire Grant

I am pleased to announce that a new firefighting vehicle is on the way to Strasburg. Funding for the vehicle comes from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration.

The Strasburg Fire Protection District will receive $144,000 from the federal government, with the district providing a 10-percent match for the one-time grant.

As a cosponsor of the FIRE Act legislation that started these firefighters grants, I am pleased that local fire departments have been successful in obtaining federal funds. We have held seminars for fire districts to make sure that they file quality applications in order to improve their success in obtaining a grant.

Tragedies make us realize the importance of having trained personnel respond to accidents and disaster situations. I congratulate the chief and the firefighters for their efforts to maintain the safety of area residents. I hope these funds will make their jobs both safer and easier and our lives safer, too.

For more information on the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program please visit http://www.firegrantsupport.com.

· Time to Reapply for the Circuit Breaker Program

Now is the time to reapply for the Circuit Breaker Program. This important program provides grants to senior citizens and persons with disabilities, administers the Pharmaceutical Assistance Program that provides prescription medicines for seniors and disabled adults, and enrolls individuals in the new SeniorCare program that provides expanded prescription coverage to eligible seniors. They also provide grants for property tax relief and a $54 discount on license plates.

Last year, the Circuit Breaker Pharmaceutical Assistance Program was moved from the Department of Revenue (IdoR) to Illinois Department on Aging (IdoA). Participants may now get help at their local Senior Health Assistance Program (SHAP) office. Applications and requirements for enrollment can be found at http://www.state.il.us/aging/1rx/cbrx/cbrx-main.htm.

For more information or assistance, please visit the IdoA website at www.state.il.us/aging or call the IdoA Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8699.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session Tuesday and Wednesday of next week. I currently do not have information on what legislation will be brought to the floor, but please visit http://www.majoritywhip.gov/whipnotice.asp for this info as soon as it becomes available.

· Want to know more? 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?

· Send an Email to Our Troops Overseas

Dear Abby has set up a website that allows people to send emails of support to our troops serving overseas. Just a few words of encouragement is a great reminder of how much we are thinking about all of our soldiers who are fighting for the greater good abroad right now. Please visit http://anyservicemember.navy.mil to send a message today!

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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