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D.C. and District Talk

" Ricin Scare in U.S. Senate Office Buildings
As I'm sure many people heard, there was a trace amount of the dangerous chemical known as 'ricin' found in the personal office of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on February 3. As a precaution, the three Senate office buildings were closed to determine if any other offices were contaminated. Luckily, there were no injuries and the ricin was isolated in Senator Frist's office. All three Senate buildings were reopened today. Currently my office in Washington is not receiving any mail due to the investigation of the incident. I strongly encourage people to email me by using my web form at <http://www.house.gov/shimkus/emailme.htm> or to fax in their concerns to me at 202/225-5880. I would also like to remind everyone that photos or orginal-copy documents should never be mailed to my office in Washington. The process used in the biological testing of documents can destroy them, so please mail them to one of my district offices.

" President Delivers Remarks at 52nd Annual National Prayer Breakfast
We were honored to have President Bush attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. on Thursday. The power of prayer is an important part of my life and for many of us across the nation. It's good to get out and celebrate all that prayer can do for us. The President and First Lady Laura Bush both attended, along with many honored guests from around the world. For the full text and video of the President's remarks please visit <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040205-1.html>.

" President Announces Formation of Independent Commission on Intelligence Capabilities
This afternoon President Bush announced the formation of an independent commission, chaired by Virginia Governor and former Senator Chuck Robb and Judge Laurence Silberman, to look at American intelligence capabilities with relation to weapons of mass destruction. I fully support the creation of this commission and am anticipating the recommendations will help to ensure that our intelligence capabilities are strong. The members named to the commission so far are Senator John McCain; Lloyd Cutler, former White House Counsel to Presidents Carter and Clinton; Rick Levin, President of Yale University; Admiral Bill Studeman, the former Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency; Judge Pat Wald, a former judge on the D.C. Court of Appeals. The President has ordered all departments and agencies, including our intelligence agencies, to assist the commission's work. For full text and video of the speech please visit <http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/02/20040206-3.html>.

Constituent Corner

" Seminar on Grants for Fire Departments
I would like to take this opportunity to invite you and any of your other representatives of your department or fire protection district to the Fire Department and Fire Protection District Seminars hosted by the Illinois Fire Service Institute, the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts, and the United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Five seminars will be offered in my Congressional District, at the following times and locations:

o Thursday, February 12 at 6:30 p.m., Gateway Center, #1 Gateway Drive, Collinsville.
o Saturday, February 14 at 10:00 a.m., Knights of Columbus Hall, 1501 West Fayette, Effingham.
o Saturday, February 14 at 2:00 p.m., Salem Fire Protection District, 203 S. Broadway, Salem.
o Thursday, February 19 at 7:00 p.m., Pruett Building, 107 E. Church Street, Harrisburg.
o Monday, March 1 at 6:30 p.m., Office of the State Fire Marshal, 1035 Stevenson Drive, Springfield.

The main topic of each seminar will be the upcoming round of Assistance to Firefighter grants to be offered by FEMA. Last year represented the third year of the first federally funded grant program offered directly to firefighters. The response was immense. Even though last year we helped lead the fight to increase the amount dedicated to these grants to record highs, FEMA received thousands of applications, and many were not successful since there was not nearly enough money to cover all the requests. In response to this, we worked with President Bush to increase the funding to $760 million for the upcoming year.

At these seminars, you will be given tips on how to complete the grant application and advice on what types of projects were funded last year and how to work toward meeting the criteria set forth by FEMA. We applaud the Illinois Fire Service Institute, the Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts, and FEMA for offering to help Illinois Firefighters get their fair share of these grant dollars.

There is no need to pre-register for these seminars, so please feel free to come to any one that may be convenient for you. If you have any questions about the seminars, visit www.house.gov/shimkus or contact Rodney Davis in my Springfield office at 217/492-5090. I look forward to seeing your department represented at one of the workshops.

" Delta Regional Authority Announces 2004 Federal Grant Program
The Delta Regional Authority (DRA) is a federal-state partnership serving a 240-county/parish area in an eight-state region, including the 16 southern most counties in Illinois. Led by a Federal Co-Chairman and the governors of each participating state, the DRA is designed to remedy severe and chronic economic distress by stimulating economic development and fostering partnerships that will have a positive impact on the region's economy. The DRA will help economically distressed communities to leverage other federal and state programs which are focused on basic infrastructure development and transportation improvements, business development, and job training services. Last year, the DRA awarded over $3 million to 37 Southern Illinois communities to help with road projects, water projects and other community development projects. For more information on how your community can take advantage of these new grants please contact Howard Hemphill, grant program director, at 1-888-468-6872, ext. 25 or visit <http://www.dra.gov>.

" Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Open for Tours
February 12 will mark President Abraham Lincoln's birthday and I'm pleased to announce that there will be free tours open to the public of the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum on February 14. Originally the museum had hoped to conduct the tours on February 12, but due to the high demand they have been rescheduled for February 14. The library and museum will be open to tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and tours will begin at the library building on the southeast corner of Sixth and Jefferson streets in Springfield. Visitors are advised to dress according to the weather. The first 500 visitors will receive free souvenir hardhats with a special decal to commemorate the day. For more information please visit <http://www.alincoln-library.com/Apps/default.asp>.

" U.S. Department of Education Grant Season
Right now is the time to begin preparing to submit your proposals! There are several excellent resources to meet the needs of your community. The U.S. Department of Education Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives will help your organization with technical assistance on different grant programs that are listed on their website at <http://www.ed.gov/faithandcommunity>. By beginning preparations now, your can get a running start on upcoming competitions.

" Open Office Hours
As part of my ongoing effort to make myself as accessible to my constituents as possible, I will be holding Open Office Hours in several cities next week. I encourage you to drop by and share your problems and concerns with me. Appointments are not required, though they are appreciated in order to give me time to adequately address your concerns. If you would like to make one, please call (618) 344-3065.
Here is the location and time:
o Olney, Tuesday February 17, 2004 - On Tuesday, February 17, I will be in my Olney Office, located at 120 South Fair Street, from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
o Troy, Thursday February 19, 2004 - On Thrusday, February 19, I will be in the Troy City Council Chambers located at 116 East Market Street from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
o Harrisburg, Friday February 20, 2004 - On Friday, February 20, I will be in the Professional Development Room at Southeastern Illinois College, which is located at 3575 College Road, from 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

For more information on Open Office Hours, please visit my web page at <www.house.gov/shimkus/openoff.htm>. Hope you drop by and chat with me!

Legislative Week in Review

" House Passes Unemployment Benefits Extension
On February 4, 2004 I voted for a six-month extension for temporary federal unemployment insurance benefits and I will continue to urge my colleagues and President Bush to continue work on strengthening the safety net for those in need. This extension was included in an amendment to H.R. 3030 and this issue will now be a part of the conference between the House and Senate versions of the bill in order to resolve any differences. After the bill passes conference, Congress will still have to pass another appropriations bill to fund the 6 month extension. I hope the bill will get through the conference quickly so that we can enact this important legislation to get people the help they need to get by in difficult times. If you are seeking compensation, I would encourage you to visit
<http://govbenefits.gov/>. This is a free, confidential tool that helps you find government benefits, both federal and state, that you may be eligible to receive.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

" Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. Some of the legislation which will be considered includes:
o Government Continuity Bill - This would make sure the House could continue it's work in the event of an emergency that would result in the House not having a working majority
o Extension of Highway Reauthorization - This would extend the current highway projects while the House and Senate continue to work on a six year authorization bill.
o Pension Legislation - The House may also take up some legislation that would deal with the 30 year Treasury Issue.

" Want to know more? Keep an eye on the Committee Central web page at <http://www.gop.gov/committeecentral/docs/pubs/WeeklyFloorBriefing>. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

" February is American Heart Month
In celebration of "National Wear Red Day for Women," the American Heart Association and www.americanheart.org are going red! On Friday, February 6, we encourage everyone to wear red -- such as a red dress, shirt, hat or other item -- in support of all women who have been touched by cardiovascular disease. Heart disease and stroke are the number one and number three killers of women, and Illinois ranks 22nd highest in terms of death rates from stroke.

I have recently signed on as a cosponsor of the STOP Stroke Act, H.R. 3658. This bill would authorize funding for a national public information campaign, establish a grant program to help stoke patients receive access to quality care, and help train medical personnel in newly developed approaches for preventing and treating stroke. Click here for more information, <http://www.congress.gov> and type in HR 3658 to get all the updates.

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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