Following a warning that terrorists may be smuggling bomb materials to blow up Baltimore tunnels, Congressman Cummings applauded federal, state and local officials for successfully containing the threat on Oct. 18. At the same time, Congressman Cummings continued to push the Bush Administration and congressional leaders to direct additional funding to port and tunnel security.

“The threat we confronted emphasized again how vulnerable our tunnels are to acts of terrorism. In light of the recent incident, I stress the need to increase the security on our nation’s highway and rail tunnels. We must also direct additional resources to securing our ports, since only 5 percent of the 9 million containers entering our country each year are physically inspected,” Congressman Cummings said.

Congressman Cummings serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee which oversees the safety of our nation’s transportation infrastructure.

Earlier this year, Congressman Cummings offered an amendment to The Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, H.R. 1817, that would have required the Department of Homeland Security to assess the security and safety of tunnels.

“Since tunnel safety does not seem to be a priority for this Administration or for the Republican leaders in Congress, the House Committee on Rules did not allow my amendment to be considered on the House floor when H.R. 1817 was debated,” Congressman Cummings noted.

In the amendment, Congressman Cummings called for the federal government to conduct comprehensive assessments of the perimeter and structural security of highway tunnels, and of railroad and rail transit tunnels along all major rail corridors. These assessments would involve the development of a comprehensive strategy to ensure the security of our entire transportation network.

“While a potential attack was intercepted in Baltimore, we should not continue to make the security of our tunnels and ports a game of chance,” Congressman Cummings said. “We should devote real resources and planning to securing our nation's critical infrastructure and waterway points of entry.”

On Oct. 19, Congressman Cummings challenged participants in the 23rd Annual Washington G-2 Reports Lab Institute Conference to support regulatory measures that he proposed to improve the accuracy and integrity of our nation's medical laboratory testing system.

Congressman Cummings has been active in addressing the issue of laboratory testing following well-publicized lab testing problems at three medical labs in the Baltimore region. In one instance, a breakdown in oversight led to invalid HIV and hepatitis test results for thousands of patients.

"Virtually every American undergoes medical testing in the course of receiving the care that we need," Congressman Cummings said. "Public trust that our medical test results are as accurate as they can be is a cornerstone of health care in this country.”

As Ranking Member of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, Congressman Cummings called for and was granted two congressional hearings in 2004 to examine lab test inaccuracies. Congressman Cummings has also sponsored laboratory reform legislation-- the Clinical Laboratory Compliance Improvement Act of 2005 (H.R. 686) -- after the hearings revealed weaknesses in the current system for ensuring compliance with federal clinical laboratory standards.

"I am convinced that this legislation would improve accuracy and reliability in medical testing," Congressman Cummings said. "It would also provide necessary federal protection for employees who report laboratory problems to their superiors or regulatory entities."

In addition, Congressman Cummings has been in close consultation on these issues with one of the major private accrediting bodies - the College of American Pathologists (CAP), successfully urging the organization to strengthen its accreditation regime.

In fact, during the conference, Congressman Cummings announced that beginning in January 2006, the CAP has agreed to implement unannounced inspections to be conducted within a six-month window prior to a laboratory's inspection anniversary date. The CAP is also seeking to better protect those who provide critical information to regulators about laboratory issues by establishing a toll-free hotline for complaints from employees of its accredited laboratories, requiring each lab to adopt a written policy for investigation of all complaints, requiring reasonable efforts to notify employees of their right to provide information that is relevant to oversight; and adopting a policy for the revocation of CAP accreditation if "whistle-blowers" are threatened or harassed.

The CAP has also implemented improved protocols for the communication and sharing of complaint information among agencies with oversight responsibility.

Taken together, these measures are designed to strengthen public confidence in this nation's medical testing laboratories.

Thomas M. Sodeman, President of the College of American Pathologists, said, "Congressman Cummings deserves significant credit for his leadership on laboratory quality, his effort to probe and understand the problems at Maryland General Hospital, and for his work with the laboratory community to avert similar events in the future. Today, the public can take solace in the fact that important changes in the laboratory oversight process are being made that will help to ensure accurate laboratory results and patient safety. The CAP looks forward to collaborating with Congressman Cummings in the future on this important laboratory quality issue.”

“I am hopeful that this is just the beginning of a sea-change in the vigor with which the medical laboratory system polices itself," Congressman Cummings declared.

The Lab Institute is the largest and most prestigious conference of its kind for the lab, pathology and diagnostic sectors. Leaders in government, academia, and the laboratory industry provide critical information, actionable strategies and practical, cost-savings solutions to improve the effectiveness of laboratory operations across the country.

On Monday, October 17, Congressman Cummings received official notification from the United States Army that Specialist Samuel M. Boswell, Specialist Bernard L. Ceo, and Specialist Brian R. Conner, who served with the 243rd Engineer Company of the Maryland National Guard, were killed in Iraq during the preceding week.

“I have placed telephone calls to Specialist Boswell's father, Mr. Anthony L. Boswell; Specialist Ceo's parents, Mr. Fred Ceo and Mrs. Rosemarie T. Ceo; and Specialist Brian R. Conner's mother, Mrs. Hortense P. Conner,” Congressman Cummings said. “I called to offer my condolences at this time of their loss.”

He added, “As a father myself, I understand that the honor and gratitude that each of these young men has earned will not - and can not - lessen the anguish that their families must now be feeling. These tragic deaths and mourning families are a personal reality that we must confront. These deaths remind us that sacrifice is never truly shared.”

Congressman Cummings then urged for an exit strategy with regards to the war in Iraq.

“When the Congress was asked to give President Bush the authority to wage war in Iraq, I knew that a day would come when I would be called to look into the eyes of grieving parents and be asked to help them find meaning in their loss,” he said. “Neither the President nor his Administration had convinced me at that time that their was an imminent danger to our country that was sufficient to justify the sacrifice of so many American lives. That is why I could not vote to give President Bush the authority to wage this war.”

However, Congressman Cummings emphasized that he stands completely behind the troops and has supported legislation to provide them with all the equipment and resources that they need to complete their mission in Iraq.

Now, more than two and a half years later, Congressman Cummings continues to urge the House Leadership to work with the Bush Administration to find a way to bring the troops home.

“By the end of this year, the Iraqis should have their constitution and government in operation. That is not the reason that we went to war - but, nevertheless, it would give some meaning to our soldiers' sacrifice,” Congressman Cummings said. “Equally important, the deaths that we mourn this week remind us that it is time for a clear and reasoned strategy to begin bringing our brave young people home. Then, perhaps, all of the families who have sacrificed so much because of the war in Iraq can begin to heal the wounds that they have been forced to endure.”

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Congressman Cummings helped mark the 125th anniversary of the Salvation Army’s charge into the Baltimore region by joining the organization in unveiling a commemorative plaque at the Cross Street Market in Baltimore, the exact location where the Salvation Army’s work commenced on October 17, 1880.

In the Greater Baltimore Area, the Salvation Army provides assistance to tens of thousands annually through programs such as its Booth House Emergency Shelter for Women, Children and Families, Feedmore (a mobile feeding unit for the homeless), and Emergency Family Service Centers that provide rent/utility assistance, as well as emergency food and clothing.

“Over the years, the Salvation Army has become a symbol of hope in communities worldwide. I am honored to join in thanking the Salvation Army for its service to our community,” Congressman Cummings said. “The Salvation Army helps us realize the universal dream of justice, liberty and opportunity for all human beings.”

Congressman Cummings joined University of Maryland - Baltimore (UMB) President David Ramsey, state and local officials, and business and community leaders to open Building One, the first of 10 buildings planned for the UMB Biotechnology Park.

The event also marked the groundbreaking of Building Two, which is set to open in the spring of 2007.

Leveraging Baltimore’s dominant position in academic health science research and development, the BioPark will help the state accelerate its drive to become an international leader in the bioscience industry.

The UMB BioPark is being built on 10 acres of land in the 800 and 900 blocks of West Baltimore Street in the community of Poppleton. Shin Nippon Biomedical Laboratories (SNBL), the BioPark’s largest private company, is investing $20 million to establish a clinical pharmacology center. Other tenants include Harbor Bank of Maryland, Alba Therapeutics and Miles & Stockbridge law firm.

Congressman Cummings helped to secure $2 million for the project through the landmark federal transportation legislation, SAFETEA-LU, which passed this summer. The federal funding will improve the safety and appearance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., which will facilitate the integration of the UMB BioPark with the main campus of the UMB.

“Along with the UMB BioTech project, we are going to turn MLK Boulevard into a gateway to prosperity and growth so the residents of Baltimore can gain true access to opportunity,” Congressman Cummings said.

While expanding Maryland’s bioscience industry, the UMB BioPark will create 2,500 jobs and $300 million in capital investment.

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Congressman Cummings joined state and local officials in Baltimore to announce federal and private funding to support innovative drug treatment services for people recovering from addiction. The “Threshold to Recovery” program will be administered by Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems, Inc.

The funding will help three existing programs, Dee’s Place, Recovery in Community, and Penn North Community Center, to collaborate and expand to fill gaps in the traditional drug treatment system. Serving East Baltimore, West Baltimore, and Southwest Baltimore, the three sites will form a network of Threshold Centers. The program will offer all-night continuous 12-step meetings, as well as holistic therapies such as acupuncture, Tai Chi and stress management. People’s Community Health Centers will provide medical services and some mental health support.

“Community-designed and community-grown programs like these are an essential part of the battle against addiction,” Congressman Cummings said. “Communities have to take on the job of continuous support for recovery.”

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