This week the House passed the annual Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill.  This bills funds programs for our military families and veterans through fiscal year 2009.  I am proud to have supported this bill.

As a veteran I believe the commitment we make to our brave military men and women is not only important but truly sacred.  In fact, in every meeting I have with veterans my commitment to them only grows stronger.  We have an obligation to provide proper living conditions for our troops and proper care for our veterans.

The injuries that veterans are coming home with require our immediate attention.  The bill Congress just passed provides yet another major increase in veterans’ health programs, which will go a long way towards dealing with the problems our new veterans’ are experiencing, like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Oakland County is home to over 45,000 veterans.  These courageous heroes are the best of the best among us, and they deserve the very best we can offer them.

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I was proud to speak on the House floor today in support of a higher education bill that will help Oakland County’s students get a great college education. I was especially proud because this bill included my Henry Ford Scholarship program. The program will provide $5,000 scholarships each year to eligible students who are studying emerging sectors careers - math, science, engineering, technology and/or health care.

There’s no question that the rising cost of college, paired with our struggling Michigan economy, is putting a squeeze on families throughout Oakland County and the country. I’m confident that these scholarships will help send more of our kids to college and help ensure that the next generation is well-prepared for the high-tech jobs of tomorrow.

You can learn more about the scholarship program here.

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Today the House passed a bill that is important to all of us, because it will help protect our children and families. It’s something I strongly believe in and I was proud to support the bill.

No doubt you’ve been concerned, as I have been, about the safety of Chinese-made products. Whether its toys, pet food, or something else, we all want to be 100% sure products we buy are safe for our families. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is the federal agency in charge of making sure products we buy are safe. The bill passed today gives them better and stronger oversight to ensure the things we are buying are safe. It still needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the President, but today marks a good day for families.

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Summertime in Oakland County means our roads are filled with those orange barrels, signifying road construction. And there’s no doubt that our roads need the repairs. But to fix our roads, we need money. In fact, I cosponsored a bill that will ensure Michigan gets an additional $245 million for road repairs. I am pleased to say the House passed this bill earlier this week and now the Senate is considering it.

I will continue to fight for Michigan and Oakland County road funding. The health of our roads in southeast Michigan is critically important to economic growth. If roads are not in good condition, it is a hindrance toward retaining business and attracting new business.

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The Summer Olympics are right around the corner and I know we will all be cheering our athletes. But I also want to take a moment to make note that this weekend the Special Olympics will celebrate its fortieth anniversary. This organization has changed the lives for thousands and helped families all around the world. This morning I spoke on the House floor about the Special Olympics and their impact in Oakland County. Please take a moment to read my speech.

“I rise today to commemorate an organization that has contributed to our community in a unique and inspiring way for 40 years. The Special Olympics is a beacon of opportunity and support for people with intellectual disabilities, providing training and athletic competition in over 180 countries.

Michigan’s 9th district is no exception – we have been blessed with a dedicated and vigilant local organization here that has established a successful program with amazing results. More than 400 athletes participated in this year’s Oakland County Spring Games this past May, including Charles Howard of Farmington and Jaime Bonneau of Clarkston, who have been selected to compete in the World Games in 2009. I extend to them my best wishes in their respective competitions.

On the 40th anniversary of this extraordinary organization, I wish to honor them for their efforts and their contributions to our community and our nation.

Thank you.”

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As we all prepare for our Memorial Day weekends, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on those who cannot be with us and with their families. Today there are over one-and-a-half million men and women serving in defense of this country and the freedoms we hold so dearly. They come from all across this land, including many from here in Oakland County, and we disperse them all across the globe. It is because of these brave young souls that we can live in the land of the free.

It is because of brave young men and women that, despite whatever feelings one might have toward today’s conflicts, we can all be proud of what our military men and women are doing on our behalf overseas. Our troops truly represent the very best of what America has to offer, and I for one simply could not be more proud to call them my fellow citizens. They give of themselves everyday so that we can carry on our lives as normal here at home. The burdens are large, and their sacrifices are great. Our thanks is the very least we can offer, but I know firsthand that it means more to them than we could ever imagine.

It is because of their sacrifices, their valor, their bravery, their compassion and their strength that this country remains the beacon of hope and freedom that she has been since her inception some 232 years ago. This Memorial Day, we honor the memory and praise the sacrifices of those we’ve lost throughout the years. Their last full measure of devotion is what affords the ability to live and prosper in the land of the free.

I’m proud to support them in every way I can, from supporting increased funding and more safety equipment for those fighting today to supporting a better education and healthcare systems for our veterans. It’s the very least our government can do for those who have done so much for all of us.

I hope you’ll join me in honoring the memory of those lost and in honoring our veterans and active duty service men and women at a Memorial Day event in your area.

I also want to alert all my constituents to a great project the Library of Congress has spearheaded for some time. The Veterans History Project is an ongoing project that allows veterans to record their stories from their service and have those stories archived as an official part of U.S. history. There are over 45,000 veterans in the 9th District, including myself, and all of them have a story to tell. I encourage everyone who reads this to tell a veteran about this project and encourage them to participate in it. The stories of our veterans deserve to be remembered. This is a great way to accomplish this. Here is a link to the Library of Congress’s website on the project

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I am pleased to announce today that I voted in favor of legislation that will ensure students have continued access to the federal student loan program.  As you may know, the recent credit crunch has caused many private lenders to stop offering federal student loans.  Currently, students borrow nearly $85 billion a year to pay for their college education.  With the rising cost of college tuition students must have access to these loans. 

The legislation that passed the House of Representatives today with my strong support will ensure students have no trouble accessing federal loans during the peak time when student borrowing begins.  The Senate has passed this legislation as well and President George W. Bush will be signing the bill into law in the near future.

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As I’m sure you have, I’ve been reading and watching all the news about the pending merger between Northwest, our Michigan airline, and Delta. To me (and to the editors of the News and the Freep) this looks like good news for Michigan airline travelers and for Michigan’s economy.

Delta has indicated that one major bonus of acquiring Northwest is gaining the Detroit hub. I couldn’t agree more. We have a great airport that continues to win awards and praise.

All indications are that this merger will mean more flight options and improved services for fliers. It also means additional investment and jobs coming from the airline to the metro area. So long as the companies maintain their promise to merge by addition and not subtraction, this is undoubtedly a win for Michigan.

The devil is always in the details, which I will be watching closely, but for now, all indications are that this is good news.

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Last Friday I had the pleasure of meeting with Isabelle Yamin.  This extraordinary constituent of mine won the Oakland County Gardener of the Year honor at the Oakland County Fair last summer.  What is even more amazing is the fact that at the age of eight, Isabelle was among the youngest of the nearly fifty competitors.  The Gardener of the Year competition is open each year to Oakland County youths between the ages of eight and eighteen who enter their homegrown produce in the Oakland County 4H Fair.  The winner is selected based on their performance in several gardening categories.  Isabelle tends a plot every year at Bower’s Farm, part of the Bloomfield Hills School District.  I am proud of Isabelle’s accomplishments, and encourage her to continue her unique and wholesome hobby.  See pictures here.

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This morning I had the good fortune of speaking at Automation Alley’s State of the Alley annual meeting and I’m pleased to report good news. Automation Alley, with the mission of bringing “together businesses, educators, and government to help entrepreneurs accelerate the commercialization of new technologies and services,” had another strong year. It now has 850 members, growing nearly 20%. More than 5,000 people used Automation Alley’s facility last year and more than 100 events were offered.

I am encouraged by Automation Alley’s success. Michigan’s economy is going through a change, but the automotive industry will always be part of our lives. According to Automation Alley, advanced automotive remains the cornerstone of the region’s technology When the auto industry struggles, we feel it. That is why we have to continue helping it through its transition. Automation Alley is playing a large role by working to expand Michigan’s manufacturing presence overseas, leading trade missions to Central Europe and India. These trade missions have resulted in more than $126 million new contracts for Michigan businesses and created nearly 90 new jobs.

At the same time, we have to recognize new emerging sectors and new technologies, such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, and military research and development. These growing sectors now account for over 21% of southeast Michigan’s technology industry. We must find ways to foster their development. Again, Automation Alley is leading the way. For the third year in a row, research and development spending by Automation Alley universities topped $1 billion. This represents 72% of all university research and development expenditures made by Michigan universities.

I was extremely pleased to help secure funding for Automation Alley’s Diminishing Manufacturing Source and Materials Center. This project will research and develop a new process to address outdated military systems. This is the type of cutting-edge technology we need in Michigan.

We will get Michigan’s economy turned around and Automation Alley will be a key reason why.

2007 Technology Industry Report

2007 Annual Meeting Report

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