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Services to Fourth District residents (January 1 - November 14, 2008): VA/Military cases completed: 339 |
Promoting Clemson ICAR to a national audience:
Bringing the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) to Greenville:
Personal Touches:
Helping Veterans:
Local projects:
Transportation:
Accelerating the drive to a hydrogen economy
Launched the House Hydrogen Caucus with several other members of Congress to support the transition to a hydrogen economy and the following goals:
H-Prize Act
H-Prize -- an entrepreneurial challenge and incentive to attract the best and brightest minds to solve the outstanding problems related to moving to a new form of energy.
The H-Prize is a monetary reward to innovators who conquer the technical science challenges of moving to a hydrogen economy. Science breakthroughs in storage, production, utilization, and distribution will receive $1 million. Up to four awards would be made every other year. A successful prototype use of hydrogen can expect a $4 million award, and the grand prize would be a significant cash reward.
Innovation isn’t restricted by timelines. Prizes are the most non-governmental way for government to act, paying only for results that achieve the goal.
We envision teams of public-private partnerships, universities, start-ups and garage inventors to take the H-Prize challenge: Americans can’t resist winning.
Rep. Inglis first introduced the H-Prize in 2006 after careful consultation with experts from industry, academia and venture capitalists. Reps. Lipinski and Inglis re-introduced the bill in 2007 after input from the Senate Energy Committee and the Department of Energy. The H-Prize was signed into law on December 19, 2007 as part of H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007.
The Department of Energy is currently searching for a private non-profit to administer the H-Prize competition.
Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) Legislation
Using CFLs in place of incandescent bulbs could save the federal government millions of dollars per year. CFLs use approximately 75% less energy, last 8-10 times longer, and can save up to $74 (depending on energy costs and type of bulb). The federal government has an estimated 3 million light bulbs that could be replaced.
Reps. Dan Lipinski (D-IL) and Bob Inglis (R-SC) introduced the BRIGHT Energy Savings Act of 2007 (H.R. 1705) on March 27, 2007 and gathered a total of 85 cosponsors. The BRIGHT Act would have the federal government take the lead by requiring that burned out incandescent bulbs had to be replaced with more energy-efficient lighting, such as CFL. The legislation was also included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (H.R. 6) , which passed the House 314-100 (219 Democrats and 95 Republicans voting yes, 4 Democrats and 96 Republicans voting no) and was signed into law by Presdient Bush on December 19, 2007).
Lawmakers back energy-friendly light bulbs at federal facilities
Joint Sub-Committee Hearings on Hydrogen Economy - July 20, 2005
Continued to oppose mandatory minimums
Continued to oppose mandatory minimums and support the current sentencing guidelines offered by the federal sentencing commission. Organized a meeting between Republican members of the Judiciary Committee and former Attorney General Ed Meese to discuss the downsides of mandatory minimums from a conservative perspective.
Transparency in Health Care pricing - Lipinski Bill introduction
Introduced bipartisan Hospital Price Reporting and Disclosure Act (HR 3139) to give Americans the ability to make informed health care decisions for themselves and their families. The bill would require every hospital to provide consumers with the billed charges (not the insurance negotiated prices) for the most commonly used procedures and medications. Specifically, the bill would require hospitals to report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) twice a year, the amount they charge for the twenty-five most commonly performed inpatient procedures, the twenty-five most commonly performed outpatient procedures, and the fifty most frequently administered medications. The Department of Health and Human Services would then be required to post this information on the Internet in a concise, user-friendly format.
Opposed excessive spending in Katrina Education Bill
Offered an amendment to reform the Family Education Reimbursement Act of 2005 (FERA). FERA would have created voucher-like accounts to help schools pay for the cost of educating Katrina evacuees. My amendment would ensure that federal reimbursement was directed toward those schools that shouldered a disproportionate share of the burden. Because the amendment was not accepted, I was unable to support the bill. In the end, I helped defeat FERA, but not because I have a problem with vouchers. I actually think that school choice is a great idea when it is done by states, because the states have primary responsibility for education. Federal disaster assistance shouldn’t replace private charity. When the federal government reimburses private entities for charitable acts, the muscles of charity atrophy. We should be encouraging Americans to flex those muscles, not lean on the federal government. I am a believer in school choice. I’m also a believer in private initiative, limited government, and the state’s responsibility to educate its own children. FERA was the wrong way to help students displaced by the hurricanes.
CAFTA
Inglis was among a group of five textile region representatives along with several textile company officials who successfully pressed the Administration to alter the impact of the agreement on Upstate textile companies. Inglis gave full credit to Rob Portman, a colleague from his first freshman class, who was U.S. Trade Representative.
"From the very beginning some textile executives and textile trade organizations told the Administration that it had to close the door on China with binding commitments from the CAFTA countries before we could support it," Inglis said.
China was the main focus, he said. With the loopholes closed, CAFTA is a western Hemisphere strategic alliance that can allow textile companies to compete with China.
The USTR completed the agreement after the CAFTA signatories passed legislation to incorporate the changes. The changes will be enforced at the border starting in mid-May, 2008.