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D.C. and District Talk

· Indecency Bill Passes House
Last week I voted in support of legislation that would raise the fine on broadcasters that air indecent material. I was a cosponsor of this legislation that passed by a large bipartisan margin, 389-38, on February 16th.

There have been several incidents over the past couple years that indicate that national radio and television broadcasters do not take our laws against indecency seriously. I firmly believe that we must protect our airwaves.

This legislation would raise the fine on broadcasters from $32,500 per violation to $500,000 per violation. Local network affiliates would not be subject to fines if they did not have advance knowledge of the broadcast.

The Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2005 now goes to the Senate for consideration. A separate Senate bill has been introduced, but it is slightly different. No timetable has been set for consideration in the Senate, but I would encourage my constituents to voice their opinions to our Illinois Senators to get this bill to the floor for a vote soon. You can contact them by using the information below:

Senator Dick Durbin

332 Dirksen Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-2152

202) 228-0400 fax

Email Web Form: http://durbin.senate.gov/sitepages/contact.htm

Senator Barack Obama

Dirksen Senate Office Building SD-B40

Washington, D.C. 20510

(202) 224-2854

(202) 228-5417 fax

Email Web Form: http://obama.senate.gov/contact

Constituent Corner

· New Federal Grant for Southeastern Illinois College Foundation

I am pleased to announce new funding has been granted through the Delta Regional Authority to Southeastern Illinois College Foundation. The college will receive $48,000 in U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development funds.

These funds will be used to establish a carpentry apprenticeship program at SIC. The funds will help pay for equipment and classroom materials as well as renovations necessary for shop space.

I believe this is a great way to help those seeking a new career and for local builders in need of quality workers. It will hopefully be a successful program that provides for the community for years to come.

For more information on SIC please visit http://www.sic.edu.

· New Grant for Cypress School

I am happy to announce new federal funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be given to the Cypress Elementary School District 64. The school district will receive $1,238,900 for relocation and construction costs.

The Cypress School was destroyed by a tornado in April 2002. Federal funding of more than $1.3 million was first approved in September 2002.

These additional funds reflect the actual costs of building a new school building. I remember visiting the school and seeing the destruction after the tornado hit. I am pleased that the school is eligible for this additional funding.

President Bush issued a disaster declaration May 21, 2002. FEMA’s Public Assistance Program provides 75 percent of the total project cost to the state; the Illinois Emergency Management Agency administers the funds.

For more information about the Cypress Elementary School, visit http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/il/1674/.

· IRS Details 2005 Free File Initiative

Taxpayers with access to a computer and the Internet may be eligible for free online tax preparation and free electronic filing through a partnership between the Internal Revenue Service and the Free File Alliance, a consortium of participating tax software companies.

Generally, eligibility will be based on income levels, age and/or state residency. For 2005, some companies are offering free services without restrictions. Each Free File Alliance member will set taxpayer eligibility requirements for its program. However, the IRS requires the Alliance, as a whole, to provide free services to at least 60 percent of the nation’s taxpayers.

The agency will provide a list of participating tax software companies on its Free File Web site that meet the IRS’s high standards for security and privacy. The IRS does not endorse any Free File Alliance company or product. The IRS also will manage the content of the Free File pages accessible at www.irs.gov.

The preparation and filing services are provided to eligible taxpayers at no charge. The IRS does not endorse any Free File Alliance company or product. Taxpayers are under no obligation to purchase any products such as advance refund loans. Taxpayers generally will receive their refund in half the time than filing on paper — even faster with direct deposit. Refunds from mailed paper returns can take up to six weeks.

To get more information please visit http://www.irs.gov/efile/article/0,,id=118991,00.html to get answers to important questions you might have before starting the Free File process.

· New Legislation to Call for More Preemptive Care in Medicare

In an effort to address a serious health risk for elderly Americans, I along with my colleagues Gene Green (D-TX), and Ron Lewis (R-KY) have introduced the Screening Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Very Efficiently (SAAAVE) Act (HR 827), an initiative that would direct Medicare to cover abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening. AAA is one of our nation’s most preventable but often neglected conditions taking approximately 15,000 American lives a year.

Through the national education and information campaign that the SAAAVE Act provides for, I believe we can increase awareness for both physicians and patients about this condition that takes so many lives each year. I look forward to working with my House colleagues to bring AAA screening to the forefront of discussions on preventive care for our seniors.

AAA is an abnormal expansion of the abdominal portion of the aorta, the largest artery in the body. This expansion can lead to an arterial rupture and cause severe internal bleeding. In occurrences in which the artery ruptures, the survival rate is less than 15 percent. It is estimated that between 5-7 percent of adults of the age of 60 have AAA; using 2000 census data, this means nearly 2.7 million Americans may have this life threatening condition.

AAA is one of the most preventable common causes of death because it is highly treatable and curable in 95 percent of men and women when detected before rupture occurs. Over the years, Medicare has evolved to include a number of preventive screening such as mammography and colorectal screening. However, aortic aneurysm screening is currently not covered by Medicare. I look forward to working my Representatives Green and Lewis to get this bill to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.

To keep up to date on H.R. 827 as it moves through the legislative process please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

· 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!

For more information on Troy, please visit http://www.ci.troy.il.us

For more information on Glen Carbon, please visit www.glen-carbon.il.us

For more information on Godfrey, please visit http://www.hometownlocator.com/City/Godfrey-Illinois.cfm

Legislative Week in Review

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

o H.J.Res. 18 – Recognizing the historic commitment of the U.S. to the recovery of and full accounting for Americans who are prisoners of war or in a missing status (Rep. Franks – Armed Services).

o H.Res. 91 – Honoring the life and legacy of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (Rep. Rahall – International Relations).

o H.R. 310 – Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act 2005 (Rep. Upton – Energy & Commerce)

o S. 5 – Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 (Sen. Grassley – Judiciary)

· 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 recess until March 1st.

· 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?

· You Can Track Your Tax Return Online!

Now on the IRS website they have a program set up that will tell you exactly when you will receive your tax return. The only information you need is your Social Security Number (or IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number), your filing status, (Single, Married Filing Joint Return, Married Filing Separate Return, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er)), and your refund amount and the website will tell you when you will receive your return.

It is important to remember that the quickest way to have your return processed and your refund issued is to file electronically. Your wait time will be cut in half - from six weeks to three.

To find out the status of your refund please visit http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=96596,00.html.

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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