Message to Constituents
U.S. Congressman Elijah E. Cummings

Representing the 7th U.S. Congressional District of Maryland
http://www.mail.house.gov/cummings
2235 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4741 (tel.) (202) 225-3178 (fax)

September 29, 2005

Dear Constituent:

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress

^{I. Announcements}

^{Now Open: New Howard County Office: Congressman Cummings has opened a new office in Howard County. The office is located at the Ellicott Mills Station Post Office, 8267 Main St., Room 102, Ellicott City, MD, 21043. The phone number is (410) 465-8259 and the fax (410) 465-8740.}

^{Sat. Oct. 1, 2005, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM: With Ownership, Wealth (WOW) event for first-time homebuyers. Pikesville Hilton, 1726 Reisterstown Rd., Pikesville, MD. The purpose of WOW is to increase home ownership in the African American community.}

^{Mon. Oct. 3, 2005, 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM: Congressman Cummings to host a seminar on entrepreneurship at Morgan State University, Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center Recital Hall, 2201 Argonne Drive, Baltimore, MD.}

^{Tues. Oct. 6, 2005, 7:30 PM: Cummings-Cardin Town Hall on Lessons Learned from Hurricane Katrina. Clarence "Du" Burns Arena, Boston Street and Ellwood Avenue, Baltimore, MD.}

^{Tues. Nov. 1, 2005, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM: How to Pay for College Seminar at the Baltimore National College Fair; Baltimore Convention Center, 1 West Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21201.}

^{As an outspoken critic of the federal response to Hurricane Katrina, Congressman Cummings was disappointed with the testimony of former Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Michael Brown before Congress on Sept. 27.}

^{“While many authorities often cite the hard lessons that they have learned in the aftermath of a major emergency, Michael Brown’s testimony demonstrates he has blurred hindsight,” Congressman Cummings said. “Despite extensive coverage and scrutiny of the government’s response to a Hurricane that has resulted in more than 1,000 deaths and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents, Mr. Brown has failed to identify or admit any specific lessons that could be learned from this experience or could inform our response to future disasters.”}

^{Congressman Cummings observed that Brown did not show the least bit of empathy toward those who lost loved ones or those who were left in New Orleans and other affected areas because they did not have the means to evacuate. Brown also focused on bureaucratic mistakes, instead of discussing better ways to help save lives.}

^{For example, Brown said, ‘My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday (Aug. 27) that Louisiana was dysfunctional.”}

^{Appalled by this statement, Congressman Cummings said, “Mr. Brown continues to blame state and local officials, many of whom were storm victims themselves, while denying the primary role of the federal government in helping its own citizens survive a catastrophe.”}

^{During the Sept. 27 hearing, Mr. Brown claimed that the federal government’s role during hurricanes is to mainly coordinate logistics. Yet, during the hearing, he appeared completely clueless as to how thousands of emergency ready-to-eat meals failed to reach evacuees who were at the New Orleans Superdome or other shelters, Congressman Cummings observed.}

^{“He also did not have insight on how emergency communications could have been improved, despite the fact that the critical importance of establishing interoperable communications systems in a disaster area was a central lesson learned from 9/11,” Congressman Cummings said. “The American people deserve a FEMA Director who at least has the humility to have 20/20 hindsight and who refuses to let politics trump his perception of reality.”}

^{Congressman Cummings said that Mr. Brown’s resignation and his replacement with Mr. R. David Paulison was an excellent first step toward improving the management of FEMA.}

^{“As we move forward, we must commit ourselves to understanding and learning the many lessons that our response to Hurricane Katrina can teach us about planning for emergency situations. At a minimum, this means that we must commit ourselves to conducting a truly independent and bi-partisan investigation that will uncover the entire truth of this terrible situation - rather than protect political agendas,” Congressman Cummings said.}

^{He added, “We can answer the cries of the thousands who so needlessly suffered only if we understand and acknowledge how they came to be left in harm’s way - and only if we commit ourselves to doing whatever it takes to ensure that our fellow citizens will never again be left to beg on rooftops for food, water, and a way to safety.”}

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^{On Sept. 22, Congressman Cummings joined 184 of his colleagues in voting against the final passage of the School Readiness Act of 2005 (H.R. 2123) because it contained a controversial provision (the Boehner amendment) that would allow federally-funded employment discrimination in Head Start.}

^{Specifically, the Boehner amendment abolishes long standing civil rights protections that ensure federally funded jobs in the Head Start program are not subject to discrimination.}

^{“The Boehner amendment needlessly dismantles the bipartisan spirit of the underlying bill in an attempt to rectify a nonexistent problem,” Congressman Cummings said. “For decades, faith-based organizations that provide Head Start services have ably met the needs of children, while adhering to the law protecting their 198,000 teachers and 1.4 million volunteers from employment discrimination. The Boehner amendment would repeal those protections allowing faith-based Head Start providers to establish a ‘religious test’ to dictate personnel decisions for positions funded with federal tax dollars.”}

^{He further noted that the Boehner amendment could allow discrimination on practically any basis. Those whose race, gender, or lifestyles are not aligned with a particular interpretation of faith could be prohibited from federally funded employment under the guise of preserving religious expression.}

^{“For instance, in deciding who gets hired and fired from Head Start, do we really want an individual’s position on contraception or creationism to be equally as relevant as their professional qualifications?” Congressman Cummings stated in a floor speech. “Head Start teachers should be judged by teaching ability, not their religious views.”}

^{He continued, “At a time when 37 million Americans endure the plight of poverty, Congress is tragically debating an amendment that would undermine a successful anti-poverty program. Head Start provides disadvantaged children with a genuine head start in life to outrun the clutches of limited opportunities.”}

^{Current law already supports the notion that faith-based organizations can use their own private funds to decide who they want to hire on the basis of religion. However, they simply cannot discriminate in hiring with American taxpayers’ dollars.}

^{“In this new century so rich with opportunities to right the wrongs of our past, Congress should be embracing our democratic values and putting the needs of our children ahead of partisan political interests,” Congressman Cummings said.}

^{Although the bill passed the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate.}

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^{Congressman Cummings Joins State, Local Officials in Renaming BWI}

^{Congressman Cummings joined Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich, Lt. Governor Michael Steele, State Delegate Emmett C. Burns, and other regional leaders on Sept. 27 at a ceremony to rename the Baltimore-Washington International Airport to the BWI-Thurgood Marshall Airport.}

^{“Today, we take a historic step toward adding the name of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to the official designation of BWI International Airport,” Congressman Cummings said.}

^{As a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Cummings noted that at least 20 major airports nationwide have been named or renamed to honor great Americans - and to emphasize that which is best about their cities and their states.}

^{“Now, Maryland is doing the same,” Congressman Cummings said. “We all take pride in the fact that we have so many reasons to call Maryland the ‘Free State.’ This great man from Maryland rose to national and international acclaim as a defender of liberty and opportunity for all. That is why, today, we can justifiably utilize Thurgood Marshall's name to welcome travelers from all over the world to this great Maryland gateway to our country.”}

^{Congressman Cummings also shared why Justice Marshall is his personal hero.}

^{“Justice Marshall grew up in Baltimore. He once lived on Druid Hill Avenue - not far from where I live today. But my connection to Justice Marshall is even more personal than the fact that we shared the same neighborhood,” Congressman Cummings said. “ “In 1935, Thurgood Marshall and other attorneys challenged the University of Maryland Law School's exclusionary policy in the Circuit Court for Baltimore City and won. As a result, I was able to attend the University of Maryland School of Law myself in 1973, become a lawyer, and today, represent my community in the Congress of the United States.”}

^{He concluded that adding Justice Marshall’s name to Maryland’s busiest airport would influence generations to come. “Throughout the world today, Justice Marshall's name is synonymous with freedom and opportunity for all people. And that is why there is no more appropriate symbol for this great air gateway to our ‘Free State.’”}

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^{IV. District Office Hours and Locations}

Baltimore Office
1010 Park Avenue, Suite 105
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 685-9199 and (410) 685-9399 fax
Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Catonsville Office
754 Frederick Road
Catonsville, Maryland 21228
(410) 719-8777 and (410) 455-0110 fax
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Howard County Office - Set to open on September 19, 2005
8267 Main Street, Room 102
Ellicott Mills Post Office
Ellicott City, MD 21043-8267
(410) 465-8259 and (410) 465-8740
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.