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D.C. and District Talk

· New Legislation before the Energy and Commerce Committee
The Energy and Commerce Committee, of which I am a member, has been dealing with two different pieces of legislation that I believe will benefit my constituents in southern Illinois.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of legislation that would increase the penalties against television and radio stations that broadcast obscene, indecent, or profane material, H.R. 310, the Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005. This legislation was passed this week by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee.

We have numerous examples over the past few years where both radio and TV broadcasters have allowed indecent shows to air. There needs to be a way to send a message that our free airwaves are not the place for these kinds of shows.

The legislation would increase the penalties for broadcasting “obscene, indecent, or profane material” to a maximum of $500,000 per violation. The current fine is only $32,500. The legislation would also allow the Federal Communications Commission to force the broadcaster to air “public service announcements that serve the educational and informational needs of children.”

Additionally, if a broadcaster had three of more violations during their license term, the FCC could consider revoking that station’s license.

As a father, I understand the difficulty parents have in making sure their children are watching or listening to ‘clean’ entertainment. While cable stations are not under the same restrictions as over-the-air broadcasters, many over-the-year radio and television stations consistently push the limit. We are finally saying, enough is enough.

Also, in the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health we held the first hearing on the medical liability issue on February 10th.

The issue of medical liability reform is probably the most important issue facing my District. Over 160 doctors have left the metro-east area, additional doctors have left throughout southern Illinois, and there are no neurosurgeons handling trauma cases south of Springfield.

President Bush outlined his plan for addressing this issue when he visited the 19th district on January 5th. He is committed to medical liability reform this year – and I believe that the House and Senate should be, too.

In rural areas like my district, we already have ‘access-to-care’ problems strictly by nature. But when we hear the staggering news of physician resignations, it affects all aspects of life – not just health care.

To stay competitive in a global marketplace and keep jobs in America, we must ensure that our nation’s health care delivery system is fully intact. I believe that medical liability must be dealt with this year, and the fact that both President Bush and Governor Blagojevich mentioned medical liability in their recent State of the Union and State of the State speeches should indicate that we legislators need to act. I look forward to working with my colleagues in both the House and the Senate to pass significant legislation in the 109th Congress.

For more information on the House Energy and Commerce Committee please visit http://energycommerce.house.gov.

Constituent Corner

· Sandoval, Fairfield, Nashville Get Fire Grants

I am pleased to announce federal funding through the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to three fire departments in the 19th district. The Sandoval Fire Protection District, Fairfield Rural Fire Protection District, and Nashville Community Fire Protection District will receive money from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration.

The Sandoval Fire Protection District will be getting $189,000 for a new firefighting vehicle. The Fairfield Rural Fire Protection District is to receive $31,029 and the Nashville Community Fire Protection District $172,710, both for Operations and Firefighter Safety. That funding may be used for training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

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.

Tragedies make us realize the importance of having trained personnel respond to accidents and disaster situations. I congratulate the chiefs 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 United States Fire Administration please visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov.

· New Funding for Ethanol

I am happy to announce federal funding for the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center located on the campus of Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

Through the State Technologies Advancement Collaborative, the ethanol plant will receive $633,149 in federal funding as a result of an Energy Efficiency and Fossil Energy Science Solicitation. The local cost share is $886,725 bringing the total project cost to over $1.5 million.

This project will take over two years to complete, adding another research project to its credit. I am always glad to see the continued use of this facility, proving its value to our agricultural and energy sectors.

The project title is Utilizing the National Corn-to-Ethanol Pilot Plant to Develop a Predictive Model for Distillers Dried Grain for the Fuel Ethanol and Animal Feed Industries. The state, university, and other entities have already purchased $713,000 in computer hardware and software necessary to begin this project.

For more information on the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center please visit http://www.siue.edu/ETHANOL.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Thursday, March 10, Amy Weber of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Troy, Glen Carbon and Godfrey. In Troy, she will be in the Meeting Room of the Troy City Hall on 116 East Market Street from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. In Glen Carbon, she will be in the Council Chambers of the Glen Carbon City Hall on 151 North Main Street from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. In Godfrey, she will be in the Godfrey Village Hall Meeting Room on 6810 Godfrey Road from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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

Legislative Week in Review

· The following bills were passed by the House of Representatives this week:

o H.R. 418 – REAL ID Act of 2005 – A bill to establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, and to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence. (Rep. Sensenbrenner – Judiciary)

o H.Con.Res. 6 – Expressing the sense of the Congress that the Department of Defense should continue to exercise its statutory authority to support the activities of the Boy Scouts of America, in particular the periodic national and world Boy Scout Jamborees (Rep. Hefley – Armed Services).

o H.Con.Res. 26 – Honoring the Tuskegee Airmen for their bravery in fighting for our freedom in World War II, and for their contribution in creating an integrated United States Air Force (Rep. Rogers (AL) – Armed Services).

o H.Con.Res. 30 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (Rep. Lee – Energy & Commerce).

o H.Res. 46 – Supporting the goals and ideals of National Mentoring Month (Rep. Osborne – Education & the Workforce).

· To keep up to date on legislation as it moves through the legislative process please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. At this time information is not available 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?

· New Exhibition at the Smithsonian

An important new exhibit has opened at the American History Museum. It is called “The Price of Freedom: Americans at War” and it highlights how conflicts both at home and abroad have change the face of our country from the Revolutionary War to Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Smithsonian has set up a website that allows users to view parts of the exhibit at home. If you can’t make it out to Washington this website really highlights some of the important parts of the exhibit and demonstrates how our country has changed over the years and what we, as a country, have sacrificed to live in a free democracy. You can visit the site by clicking on the following link: http://americanhistory.si.edu/militaryhistory.

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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