U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL-13th) Weekly E-Newsletter
March 10, 2008
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In this Week's E-Newsletter:
- This Week in Congress
- Week in Review
- Featured Story
- From the Press Desk
- In Her Own Words
- In the News
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This Week in Congress:
Congress meets this week for legislative business, including possible consideration of:
H.Res. 895 – A resolution establishing within the House of Representatives an Office of Congressional Ethics
H.Con.Res. __ – Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2009
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Week in Review:
Monday, March 3, 2008 through Friday, March 7, 2008
Congress met last week for legislative business, including consideration of:
H. Res. 1007 – A resolution expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to those affected by the devastating shooting incident of February 14, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois. Passed the House by voice vote. Rep. Biggert is an original cosponsor of this resolution.
H. R. 1424 – The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007. This bill would require group health care plans to provide coverage for the treatment of mental health disorders comparable to that provided for physical health conditions. Included in H.R. 1424 was H.R. 493, the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2007 (GINA), which would prevent discrimination in health insurance and employment decisions on the basis of a genetic test. Rep. Biggert is the lead Republican cosponsor of H.R. 493. Rep. Biggert voted yes. Passed the House by a vote of 268 to 148.
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Featured Story – A Home Away From Home:
Judy visits with Michelle Kish at the CoACH Care Center for medically fragile children
Naperville, IL – On February 29th, Biggert visited patients at the non-profit Coordinating Action for Children’s Health (CoACH) Care center in Naperville. The center provides a caring, home-like alternative to hospitalization for children with special healthcare needs. They also provide training and coordination services to help families and loved ones care for medically fragile children.
Judy poses for a snapshot with staff, patients, and family members at the CoACH Center in Naperville
“It’s wonderful that our community has a place where kids with serious health conditions can get full-time care without feeling like they are in a hospital,” said Biggert. “Parents have told me they don’t know what they would do without the help of the compassionate staff of CoACH House.”
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From the Press Desk:
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Biggert Bill to Renew Homeless Youth Programs
Introduces bill expanding outreach efforts for homeless and runaway kids
Washington, DC – U.S. Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) and John Yarmuth (D-KY-03) today are introducing the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act, which will reauthorize and strengthen federal runaway and homeless youth programs that are set to expire this year.
“At some point each year, one to three million kids find themselves on their own,” said Biggert, the lead Republican cosponsor of the bill. “Local shelters like Naperville Community Outreach and Aunt Martha’s rely on federal support to keep these kids safe and off the streets. By building on our efforts, we can reunite families and put more kids back on the path to a happy, productive future.”
To read more, click here.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Biggert Aims to Boost U.S. Competitiveness
Joins American scientists in fight for investment in research and development
Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Judy Biggert (R-IL-13) today joined Rep. Rush Holt (D-NJ-12) and leaders of the U.S. scientific community at a press conference to discuss the importance of federally-sponsored research to American competitiveness. The event was hosted by the Science-Engineering-Technology (SET) Working Group to cap off its annual “Congressional Visits Day.” During their trip, over 250 scientists, engineers and students met with lawmakers to highlight the impact of recent cuts to key science and technology programs during fiscal year 2008 (FY08) and to advocate for increased funding in FY09.
“All too often, amidst heated political debates, bipartisan priorities can be drowned out or neglected,” said Biggert who co-chairs the Congressional R&D; Caucus with Holt. “Unfortunately, that was exactly the case last year with respect to federal support of basic science research.”
Particularly troubling, noted Biggert, were cuts to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, which funds research in the basic physical sciences at facilities like Illinois’ Argonne National Laboratory and Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.
To read more, click here.
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In Her Own Words:
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Floor Statement of Rep. Judy Biggert
H. Res. 1007, a resolution expressing the condolences of the House to those affected by the devastating shooting incident of February 14, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1007 to pay final respects and express the condolences of the House for those affected by the devastating shooting incident on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois on February 14, 2008.
On that dark Valentine’s Day, five students lost their lives, and 17 others were injured.
Those five who were taken from their families are:
20 year old Gayle Dubowski, of Carol Stream;
20 year old Catalina 'Cati' Garcia, of Cicero;
32 year old Julianna Gehant, of Mendota;
19 year old Ryanne Mace, of Carpentersville; and
20 year old Daniel Parmenter, of Westchester.
The wounds suffered that day have been felt deeply by those families that lost loved ones, but the entire nation shares in their pain.
To read more, click here.
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In the News:
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
CongressNow
By Brandon Stumbo
Staff Writer
Lawmakers, Scientists Urge Larger Federal Commitment to Science
Reps. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and Judy Biggert (R-Ill.) joined with a number of prominent scientists today at a news conference urging Congress not to short-fund key science agencies.
Biggert said the research community is dissatisfied with the 2008 omnibus appropriation package, which she said left many programs wanting for funds. Some of these programs include NASA and the National Science Foundation.
Holt asserted that while only 4 percent of the American workforce is made up of scientists and researchers, their productivity creates jobs that impact more than 96 percent of the workforce. He added that the recent economic stimulus package might not have been necessary if research had been properly funded in the last few decades.
“Research and development is where we should be putting our money,” Holt said.
Dr. Russell Lefevre, a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers was among the speakers from the scientific and research community who said they are concerned about the competitiveness of U.S. research and development on the global scale.
“Research is an investment, not an expense,” Lefevre said.
Speakers also expressed concerns that a lack of funding is discouraging the younger generation from pursuing careers in research and the hard sciences.
“This is sending a message not only to the international community … but also to our young people … that we are not going to properly fund them,” Biggert said.
Dr. John Geissman of the American Geophysical Union and graduate students representing the higher education community, emphasized how a lack of funding could threaten the future of their disciplines.
“The attractiveness of research is waning,” said Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduate student Al Swiston.
According to Geissman, students are abandoning research fields because the outlook for funding is far from certain. Geissman described the current funding situation as the “worst of times.”
Biggert did interject a sense of optimism about the future of scientific research.
“Fortunately, we have the opportunity to stop the ‘brain drain’ and put America back in the lead when it comes to research and development,” Biggert said.
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