Tonight between 6 and 7 I'm going to the floor to talk about gas prices with some friends from the 30 Somethings, you can watch us on CSPAN. Before that I wanted to give you an idea of whats on my mind.

Many Congressional Republicans blindly voted for or supported Bush’s party line on energy policies that were written by oil company lobbyists under the cover of darkness in the Vice President’s office. Now they want you to believe that the Democratic majority, which has been in office for a year and a half, is responsible for the rise in gas prices?

This Congress has an actual plan to overturn the failed policies of the past. We are taking both short-term steps to try and bring down gas prices, and long-term steps toward ending our dependence on foreign oil. Misleading Congressional Republican attacks on this Congress’ record are a distraction from the hard work that needs to be done to help Americans at the pump. It’s time for them to step up and become partners in the solution, rather than play political games on an issue that strikes to the heart of our national security.

The new argument will tell us that opening up new areas for oil and natural gas development is the way to solve our problems. I oppose it for the following reasons:

(1)    There are 68 million acres onshore and offshore in the U.S. that are leased by oil companies—open to drilling and actually under lease—but not developed.

(2)    80 percent of the oil available on the Outer Continental Shelf is already open for leasing—but the oil companies haven't decided it’s worth their money to drill there.

(3)    Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge wouldn’t yield any oil for 10 years—and then would only save the consumer 1.8 cents per gallon in 2030.

(4)    Although oil drilling technology has improved since the infamous Santa Barbara oil spill disaster in 1969 , drilling on the OCS still presents serious environmental risks, and should not be undertaken unless all other alternatives have been exhausted.

(5)    All told, the U.S. has only 1.6 percent of world's known oil supply anyway.  But every day, Americans use a quarter of the world’s daily oil consumption.  The bottom line is, we CAN'T drill our way out of this problem.  Even if we could immediately access all of the U.S. reserves, it would amount to a mere drop in the bucket when compared to long-term needs.

Also, this was me earlier today on a local radio show talking about this problem.

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Trying out the Fuel-Cell Vehicle

Here in Congress, my colleagues and I have been working hard to push the Green-based initiative on behalf of the American people. Even within our halls, we’ve launched a program called "Green the Capitol". This program sets us to be the World’s first carbon neutral legislative body, reducing our energy consumption by 50percent in a 10-year time frame, reduce waste by using only completely compostable items, and that’s only a few to mention.

Outside our walls, just a few weeks ago, the House passed H.R. 6049 (The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act) to not only extend, but also expand tax incentives for renewable energy, retain and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs. The bill also closes loopholes allowing U.S. corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas.

Keeping in the spirit of “going green”, I had an opportunity to check out GM’s new Fuel-Cell Vehicle, based on the Chevrolet Equinox. This car produced zero emissions, using NO gasoline. It also had quite a bit of pickup, with an ability to go up to 100mph. There was very little noise from the engine, and the drive was fantastic. The unfortunate part is that these cars will be hard to come by until production meets demand, plus the fact that there aren't a whole lot of stations to recharge these cars. I'm very excited, however, to see how this technology will positively impact the auto industry as years go by.

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Reflections from Memorial Day

Yesterday I had an opportunity to participate with local veterans in three different events in my District. The morning started off at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Trumbull County Veterans Memorial in Warren. The memorial will honor our brave men and woman who from our community who have fought honorably for our country. I then attended a flag presentation with the American Legion at the Campbell Memorial High School. Finally I finished at VFW Post 6488 & Ladies Auxiliary in Youngstown, where I spoke and honored former Mahoning County Coroner Dr. Nathan Belinky, who survived one of the most brutal events of World War II, the Bataan Death March.          

Last week was a good week in Congress to reflect on how our nation can give back to those men and women who put everything on the line for us. We came to an agreement on a $1.3 billion tax relief package for military families which included allowing service members in combat to get the Earned Income Tax Credit. The measure also expanded veterans’ homeownership opportunities and provided foreclosure relief for those returning home from the field. We also passed a series of measures to address the health care needs of veterans and provide a cost-of-living adjustment for service-connected disability compensation rates for veterans, among others.  Since last January, Speaker Pelosi and the new majority have committed ourselves to being the most veteran friendly Congress in a generation. We believe that, “supporting our troops,” isn’t just some slogan; it is a commitment to ensure they have the tools and training they need in the field, but also every opportunity to succeed in civilian life when they come home.

A New GI Bill for the 21st Century

The New GI Bill for the 21st Century: Passed by the House and Senate:

Restores a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans – on a par with the educational benefits available after World War II.

Makes Iraq and Afghanistan veterans a part of an American economic recovery, just as the veterans of World War II helped grow and strengthen the American middle class.  

Makes military service more attractive and improves the quality of military recruits as we work to strengthen and rebuild our military stretched thin by the Iraq War.

Broadly supported by all major veterans’ organizations, including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Largest Increase in Veterans Health Care in History

FY 2009 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 312, S.Con.Res. 70; PASSED BY HOUSE & SENATE & FINAL AGREEMENT will be voted on in June)

Provides blueprint for another historic veterans’ budget increase – 11 percent above last year and $3.3 billion more than the President’s budget.

Invests $39 billion more over 5 years than the President’s budget.

Rejects President’s plan for $2.3 billion in new enrollment fees and drug co-payments increases on 1 million veterans.

Strongly supported by major veterans organizations, including the American Legion, the Independent Budget (AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States), and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Key increases include:

Medical services, administration, facilities and research -- 28 percent ($8 billion) increase

Non-recurring maintenance at VA facilities to prevent a Walter Reed-like tragedy – 240 percent ($600 million) increase

Substance Abuse – 20 percent ($70 million) increase

Homeless veterans – 104 percent ($66 million) increase

Focusing on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury

Required the VA to spend at least $2.9 billion on mental health care – 32 percent more than in FY06.

Added $100 million in the Iraq supplemental (5/07) for mental health care.

Strengthened polytrauma centers providing care for those with multiple injuries and related psychological impairments and functional disability, such as TBI and amputations.

Required that current level I polytrauma centers and the centers of excellence for Mental Health and PTSD will be fully staffed and operational in FY2008

Focusing serious attention on the nearly 400,000 claims backlog by hiring additional claims processors

Added 3,100 new VA claims processors -- 400 new hires funded through the FY 2007 Joint Resolution, 800 new hires in the FY 2008 Iraq Supplemental, and 1,800 new hires in the FY 2008 Omnibus.

With new processors, VA projects 11 percent (84,528) more claims will be processed in 2008 compared to 2006.

Supporting our rural veterans who live far from VA facilities

Increased the travel reimbursement from 11 cents/mile to 28.5 cents/mile. (First increase since 1979, when gas was 95 cents/gallon.)

THIS IS ALL ON TOP OF LAST YEAR’S VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS WHICH PROVIDED THE SINGLE LARGEST INCREASE IN THE VA’S HISTORY

FY 2008 Budget Resolution (S.Con.Res. 21; COMPLETED)

Provides blueprint for the largest veterans’ budget increase in history – more than $6 billion above 2007.

Invests $32 billion more over 5 years than the President’s budget.

Rejects President’s plan for new enrollment fees and drug co-payment increases on 1 million vets.

Addressing the Serious Challenges in Military/VA Care

FY 2009 Iraq Supplemental (H.R. 2642; PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

Provides $2.2 billion over the President’s request to fully fund military quality of life initiatives – including funding for military hospital construction, BRAC requirements, and military child care centers.

Prevents Walter Reed type problems by providing military hospitals with an additional $982 million over the President’s request for military hospitals.

Provides an additional $939 million over the President’s request to meet Base Realignment and Adjustment Commission (BRAC) requirements – funding improvements at military bases, benefiting our military families, as certain bases are realigned and closed.

Provides an additional $210 million for military child care centers.  In his State of the Union, President Bush called for additional funding for military child care centers, but neglected to include it in his budget.  

FY 2009 DOD Authorization -- Improve Health Care for Our Troops & Military Retirees (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Preserves health benefits by rejecting the increased premiums and co-pays in TRICARE and TRICARE retail pharmacy program for service members and retirees, which were proposed by the President.   This will save beneficiaries $1.2 billion in health care costs.

Strengthens military preventative care, with allowances for individuals who seek preventive health services and co-payments waivers for preventive services for TRICARE beneficiaries.

Establishes a Hearing Loss Center of Excellence and addresses the critical nursing shortage in our military.

Wounded Warrior Assistance Act (PL 110-181)

Takes the first steps to address the problems brought to light at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Improves outpatient medical care for wounded service members at military health care facilities;

Begins restoring integrity and efficiency to disability evaluations and cutting bureaucratic red-tape; and

Improves the transition of wounded service members from the Armed Forces to the VA system.

FY 2008 DOD Upgrade Military Health Care for our Troops & Military Retirees (PL 110-181)

Prohibits fee increases in TRICARE and its pharmacy program for service members and retirees.

Restores 2,300 medical personnel and fully funds military health facility maintenance.

DOD Appropriations for FY 2008 (PL 110-116)

Provides $66 million for wounded warrior assistance.

Directs the Defense Department to improve health information sharing with the VA through electronic medical records and to implement all Army IG recommendations on the disability system.

Focusing on Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Extends VA health care access for troops who served in combat in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities—5 years after discharge instead of 2 years.  PTSD may have delayed onset. (PL 110-181)

Ensures proper screening and appropriate treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq War. (PL 110-181)

Requires a comprehensive VA program to reduce suicides among veterans, with suicide prevention counselors at medical facilities, 24-hour mental health care for at risk veterans, and an outreach program for veterans to promote mental health.  At least 1,000 veterans commit suicide each year and one out of five suicides in America is a veteran.  (PL 110-110; Rep. Boswell)

Requires the VA to provide the full continuum of care for substance use disorders at every VA medical center, as nearly 50,000 veterans from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom who have accessed VA health care have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. (H.R. 5554; PASSED HOUSE)

Authorizes major VA medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2009. (H.R. 5856; PASSED HOUSE)

Requires the VA to reimburse veterans receiving emergency treatment in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.  (H.R. 3819; PASSED HOUSE; Rep. Space)

Restoring Accountability through Aggressive Oversight

Congress has conducted a series of hearings on the significant problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center care and broader systemic problems identified throughout the Defense Department medical care system.  These hearings also have examined the gaps in VA health care and the challenges facing both health care systems.

The Veterans Affairs Committee has held hearings on the disability backlogs and rating system, as well as on the truth about the problem of veterans’ suicides, which either the VA has not adequately attempted to determine or has attempted to obfuscate and minimize.

Democrats held hearings on the $3.8 million in bonuses that were given out to senior budget officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs – some of which totaled more than half a million dollars.

Supporting our Troops, Veterans & Their Families

2008 Pay Raise for the Troops (PL 110-181)

Provides all service members a pay raise of 3.5 percent – 0.5 percent more than the President’s budget  – as well as special pay and bonuses to combat troops.   The Administration opposed this increase, calling it “unnecessary.”

2009 Pay Raise for the Troops (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Provides all service members a pay raise of 3.9 percent – 0.5 percent more than the President’s budget  – as well as special pay and bonuses to combat troops, putting $8.3 billion in military paychecks of over the next five years.   The Administration opposes this increase, calling it “unnecessary.”

FY 2009 DOD Authorization – Other Provisions for Troops (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Takes steps to expand suicide prevention in the Armed Forces.  The National Institute of Mental Health’s director projects military suicides and mortality related to psychiatric problems could “trump combat deaths.”

Establishes a Career Intermission Pilot Program, which allows a service member to be released from active duty for up to three years to focus on professional goals outside the military.

FY 2009 DOD Authorization -- Improve Family Support for Military Families (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Authorizes $3.2 billion to support and expand quality housing for all service members and their families.

Authorizes $15 million, beyond the President’s request, to expand family support programs.

Authorizes $50 million to help local educational agencies providing support to our military children.

Authorizes DOD to pay a portion of a second family separation allowance when both military parents are deployed simultaneously, and tuition assistance for military spouses training for transferable careers.

Military Family Tax Relief  (H.R. 6081; PASSED HOUSE, SENATE, and HEADED TO PRESIDENT’S DESK)

Provides $1.3 billion in tax relief for military families to respond to the economic hardships caused by extended military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Makes tax relief permanent for service members receiving combat pay under the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Offers small businesses a tax incentive to pay their National Guard and Reserve employees called up for active duty so that these troops do not suffer a pay cut.

Makes thousands of veterans eligible for low-interest home loans and ensures that more military families are able to receive Recovery Rebates.

Preserving the American Dream for Our Nation’s Veterans (H.R. 3221, PASSED BY HOUSE AND SENATE)

Increases VA Home Loan limit, as was done in the stimulus package, for high-cost housing areas so that veterans have more homeownership opportunities.

Helps returning soldiers avoid foreclosure by lengthening the time a lender must wait before starting foreclosure, from three months to one year after a soldier returns from service.

Protects disabled veterans in bankruptcy from discrimination in governmental mortgage loan programs.

FY 2009 Cost of Living Increase for Disabled Veterans (H.R. 5826, sponsored by Rep. Ciro Rodriguez; PASSED HOUSE)

Provides a cost of living increase for veterans’ disability benefits and to dependency and indemnity compensation for veterans’ families. The cost-of-living increase is based on the cost-of-living adjustment made annually for Social Security payments.

Military Reservists and Veterans Small Business Reauthorization (PL 110-186; Rep. Altmire)

Expands small business opportunities for veterans while helping military reservists keep their businesses afloat during and after deployment.

Some 4 million veterans-owned small businesses, making up about 14 percent of such enterprises – but the share of small business loans going to veterans from the largest federal program has dropped since 2001.

Strengthens relief to small businesses employing National Guard or Reserve troops.

Family Medical Leave for Families of Soldiers Wounded in Combat. (PL 110-181)

Provides 6 months of unpaid, job-protected leave to the spouse, parent, child, or next of kin of service members (including members of the reserve) who suffer from a service-connected injury or illness.

Recommended by the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors, chaired by former Senator Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala, as 21 percent of active duty service members have family members or friends who gave up their job to act as a caregiver or to be with them while they recovered from injuries.

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Yesterday, I was surfing around a couple of well known blogs and I found a great piece on the failure of the Congress to address the energy crisis. The thrust of the post was that Congress isn’t doing enough. I agree, we need to do more but at the same token you have to break ground on a construction site before you build the building. We’ve barely scratched the surface on what needs to be done to combat the rising cost of fuel, or our dependence on oil, but since taking Congress we have done ten times more than our counterparts.  House Democrats have been leading the effort to help deliver gas price relief and encourage the use of renewable energy.

Congress took decisive action last week to bring down the price of gas, passing legislation to suspend the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through the end of the year.  After initially opposing the proposal, the President announced Friday he will comply and signed the bill into law this week. From day one, this Congress has been fighting to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, bring down record gas prices, and launch a cleaner, smarter energy future for America that lowers costs and creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs.

Below is a list of bills we’ve worked on to reduce fuel prices and build a clean energy infrastructure:

Enacted legislation to increase oil supply by temporarily suspending the fill of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation’s crude oil stockpile. (H.R. 6022)

Gave the Federal Trade Commission new authority to crack down on people manipulating wholesale energy markets to keep prices high. - Energy Independence and Security Act. (H.R. 6)

Approved the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act (H.R. 6074) to hold the OPEC monopoly accountable for price fixing that flouts the free market and artificially drives up the cost of crude oil.

Passed the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 1252) to investigate price gouging by retailers who may be using the cover of high prices to unfairly inflate their rates even further.

Enacted the landmark Energy Independence and Security Act (H.R. 6) that raised vehicle fuel efficiency for the first time in 32 years and increased the renewable fuels standard.

Passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Act (H.R. 5351) to end unnecessary subsidies to oil companies making record profits and invest in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Approved the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act (H.R. 6049) to renew and expand tax incentives for renewable energy.

Passed the Food and Energy Security Act (H.R. 2419) that promotes the development of biofuels, including those from non-corn sources.

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There are a TON of new grant notifications I want to encourage everyone to apply for.

The following grant opportunity postings were made on the Grants.gov Find Opportunities service:

USDOJ

United States Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

SMART

SMART FY 2008 Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management (CASOM) Training and Technical Assistance Program Modification 6

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41677

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

Competitive Training Grants Program (CTGP) Modification 2 http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41700

DOT

U.S. Department of Transportation

DOT/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Standardized Field Sobriety Testing/Drug Evaluation and Classification Program Database Integration Grant

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41703

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

FY 2008 Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program (HSTAP) Modification 1

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41704

NARA

National Archives and Records Administration Historical Editing Fellowships Grant http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41710

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The synopsis for this grant opportunity is detailed below, following this paragraph. This synopsis contains all of the updates to this document that have been posted as of 05/16/2008 . If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.

If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails . The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.

Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.

Document Type:	Modification to Previous  Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number:	DHS-08-NPD-068-1895
Opportunity Category:	Discretionary
Posted Date:	May 16, 2008
Creation Date:	May 19, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications:	Jun 09, 2008
Current Closing Date for Applications:	Jun 09, 2008
Archive Date:	Jul 09, 2008
Funding Instrument Type:	Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity:	Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification)
Category Explanation:	Homeland Security – Preparedness
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$27,202,000
Award Ceiling:
Award Floor:
CFDA Number:	97.068  --  Competitive Training Grants
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:	No

Eligible Applicants

Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
 

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Agency Name

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

Description

The CTGP awards funds to competitively selected applicants to develop and deliver innovative training programs addressing high priority national homeland security training needs. Training should be national in scope and designed for and delivered to appropriate State and local personnel with Homeland Security related responsibilities.

Link to Full Announcement

www.fema.gov/grants

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

Jan Carey
Branch Chief
FEMA, National Preparedness Directorate, Training and Exercise Integration Division/Training Operations
202-786-9481
Jan.Carey@dhs.gov

Synopsis Modification History

The following files represent the modifications to this synopsis with the changes noted within the documents. The list of files is arranged from newest to oldest with the newest file representing the current synopsis. Changed sections from the previous document are shown in a light grey background.

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Today, the House will consider H.R. 6081, the Heroes Earning Assistance and Relief Tax Act (HEART Act). This measure makes some tax relief and home ownership opportunities we passed for veterans earlier in the 110th Congress permanent. We will also be considering 10 other veterans’ bills, including bills to address the health care needs of our veterans, authorize major veterans’ medical facility construction projects, and provide a cost-of-living adjustment for service-connected disability compensation rates for veterans, among others.

There is nothing more important than to take care of those who have sacrificed for our country. Every day, I work along with my colleagues to push these initiatives for our Nation’s servicemen and women. In addition to the above noted, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Leadership are fighting for a landmark plan to establish a 21^st century GI Education bill and a pay raise for our troops that exceeds the President’s request. All this progress comes shortly after we enacted the largest veterans’ health care funding increase in the 77-year history of the VA. I’m looking forward to joining my colleagues in making lives easier for those who put their lives at risk every day.

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NOTIFICATION OF GRANT GUIDANCE RELEASE

To:                  Members of Congress

From:             Federal Emergency Management Agency

Subject:          Fiscal Year 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program

Date:               May 12, 2008

Pages:             1

Comments:

This serves as notification that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is releasing grant guidance and application materials under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program (SAFER).  The application period will open on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT and will close on Friday, June 27, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.   In the interim, the SAFER Guidance and application materials are currently available for review at www.firegrantssupport.com.

Background:

The focus of the SAFER program is to provide assistance to fire departments to increase the number of frontline firefighters. The goal is for fire departments to increase their staffing and deployment capabilities and to ultimately attain 24-hour staffing, thus assuring that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER grants support two specific activities: (1) the hiring of firefighters, and (2) the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The grants pay a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters over the 5-year award performance period. 

Funding Information:

The Department will award approximately $165 million in SAFER grants.

Contact Information:

For additional information, please visit the above Internet address or contact Chris Rizzuto at 202-786-9450, Andrew White at 202-786-9452, or Todd Sharpe at 202-646-3408.   

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I have been trying hard to figure out ways to do something, anything, on gas prices. That is why I decided to  become a co-sponsor on H.R. 5473, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act. The bill is an attempt to force the President to stop diverting oil to the strategic Petroleum Reserve and move it straight to the market which will bring down the price of gas. While we try everything we can here in Washington, I know that you struggle every day back home with the realities of rising gas prices, rising food prices, rising heating and electricity bills, without seeing your wages rise the same way. One of the small things I can do  to help, right now,  is help you make some informed consumer choices. Thats why I've decided to post gas prices from around the district here on my website. These prices represent the lowest prices over the last 24 hour period in our community according to gasbuddy.com.

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http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot5508.htm

DOT News Digest

Friday, April 18, 2008

U.S. DOT Seeks Innovative Research Proposals from Small Businesses to Solve Multimodal Transportation Challenges.  The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) announced the first of two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program solicitations for 2008, inviting small businesses to submit innovative research proposals that address high priority national transportation goals.  RITA has set a new strategic direction for the program this year, with a heightened emphasis on proposals that would provide cost-effective, multi-modal solutions to the nation’s most pressing transportation challenges in areas such as bridge condition monitoring technology and data collection, hazardous materials tracking and incident response, adaptive traffic signal control, and rail, motorcycle and pedestrian safety research.  The SBIR program is administered by RITA’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.  Proposals are due by June 3, 2008.  The solicitation is available online at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/current.html.

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Magnificent Mass. The music was extraordinary. I loved the multicultural

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Here are a few photos of the Pope's arrival and the procession. It's a beautiful day...will check in in a bit, the Pope is about to speak.

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I'm at National's stadium and I thought I'd share a few pictures with you! This is the view from my seat.

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Splendid day. Perfect DC weather.  Lots of interesting memories from Mt. Carmel. The Knights of Columbus are here.  The Pope and President both talked of peace. Let's hope our country's policies match the inspiration of the Holy Father and the words of our President.

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I'm currently at the White House at the official welcoming ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI and the crowd just finished wishing the Pope a "Happy Birthday."  We also just finished a beautiful rendition of "The Lord's Prayer."  Below are a few pictures of where I am in relation to the Pope right now!

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With all the money that President Bush has asked for, how is it possible that he could have such terrible priorities. If we were to enact his budget, Ohio would take a huge hit on Assistance to Fire Grants. These grants help local fire departments obtain equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources needed to protect our emergency personnel and residents from fire and other incidents. Under the new budget, Ohio would be receiving a cut in these grants by a severe $24,018,000, which would equate to the loss of about 267 grants.

Every year, the number of fire related injuries goes up, while the funding necessary to fight and protect goes down. Nationally, departments nationwide will operate by $465 million below the level needed to maintain the services they are offering now, and even the services now are not as adequate as they could be.

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Here's a fun fact: President Bush’s defense plan calls for $1.2 million to be spent per second, while millions of dollars are being cut from crucial programs in his new budget. Our kids, our police officers, our teachers and middle class families are all supposed to do without while the President rewards defense contractors with huge sweetheart deals. That's just not the America I think any of us want to live in anymore. Yet. his rhetoric is now all about "fiscal responsibility" and he has chosen to take that stand on earmarks. I've said it before, we are not going to sit by and be lectured to by a guy who has created the single highest deficits in the history of our country. Oh but wait, there's more, The President has littered the bill with executive earmarks, how about that for hypocracy.

The President requested $894,000 for an air traffic control tower in Kalamazoo, Mich., $3 million for a forest conservation project in Minnesota, and $6.5 million for research in Wyoming on the “fundamental properties of asphalt.” He sought $12 million for a parachute repair shop at the American air base in Aviano, Italy, $2.1 million for a neutrino detector at the South Pole and $28 million for General Electric and Siemens to do research on hydrogen-fuel turbines. The President has yet again shown he has no intention of working with us.

Meanwhile, Ohioans are faced with cuts toward crucial programs. The Byrne Justice Assistance Grants are a great example. In the Bush Budget, a decrease of about $5.5 million dollars will be pushed toward this program, resulting in the loss of 122 police officers. The grants provide funding to states and local law enforcement agencies for crime prevention, law enforcement, prosection, drug treatment, corrections, and performance improvement. As a result of budget cuts made by President Bush to this program in past years, violent crime has increased in both of the last two years he did so. I will continue to specify the harming details of the Bush Budget as the week continues. See the chart below.

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President Bush unveiled his Budget for the 2009 Fiscal Year budget, and the results are what we expected from this Administration. The analysis of his budget is a failure for the American people and a failure for Ohio. The projected 2008 deficit will be $410 billion, the second largest in history, and the 2009 deficit is projected to $407 billion, which will be the third largest.

It is clear that the President doesn’t value healthcare for our grandparents judging by the drastic cuts he wants to make in Medicare. He doesn’t value keeping home heating affordable for our working poor because of his drastic cuts to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and clearly the President doesn’t value the safety and security of our children because of his cuts to the Community Oriented Policing Services program which would be eliminated completely. I suppose the only values that this President does stand for are ensuring no bid contracts get to his friends and the richest 1f Americans enjoy tax cuts at the expense of the middle class. Look below at these numbers which show just how badly our state will be affected.

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Yesterday, I mentioned that there were key small business provisions in the Economic Stimulus Package and wanted to take a few moments to talk more about them. As it stands right now, small business will be eligible for tax cuts that would encourage investments in new equipment. In addition, there would be immediate tax relief for all businesses to invest in new plants and equipment by speeding up depreciation provisions. Essentially this means that your firm can write off an additional 50 percent for investments purchased in 2008. I believe this will help small businesses operate smoothly through this rough patch and will also provide some incentives to invest in growth. After all, the ability to write off taxes on capital investments strongly encourages the purchase of new equipment, which has a direct, almost immediate effect on the economy.

Senators Kerry and Snowe are working on the Senate end to add tax provisions that would increase the amount small businesses can expense. They also want to allow companies that are losing money to apply 2006 and 2007 losses to tax returns from profitable years dating back to 2001 and 2002 which would potentially yield immediate tax refunds and free up some much needed cash. I’m not yet sure how the Senate version of the bill will be received here in the House or by the President, but it’s very good to know that both chambers are moving quickly towards a final bill so we can bring some much needed relief to American families.

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Yesterday, I joined with collegues on both sides of the aisle to pas the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act (It passed with a vote of 385-85!). This economic stimulus package means real results for 4.8 million households in the state of Ohio, granting tax rebates of up to $1200 per couple, plus $300 per child, which could be seen as early as mid-May of this year. There’s no doubt in my mind that this bill will help, even just a bit, the many families in our community that are struggling to get by. The legislation will also give great tax breaks to small business on capital improvements and equipment. I urge all of our small businesses to take advantage of them. 

While this bill will be beneficial in the short term, we need to keep working to ensure a permanent road to economic stability and prosperity for every American, not just the privileged few. We are faced, currently, with enormous employment problems, off-the-chart health care costs, predatory lending practices from mortgage companies deceiving good people, and unfair trade agreements. It will take more than this stimulus package to cure those issues, and I’m counting on the President to step up and encourage the same bipartisan attitude that passed this bill in House to do the same to remedy these issues, as well. Hopefully, the need for this package will have sent that signal that things are beginning to get serious, and we need decisive action immediately.

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Last night, the President made his final State of the Union speech. As expected, he did not offer any constructive solutions to move the country forward, and used the same rhetoric we’ve been so used to hearing from this Administration. He continues to offer solutions that would benefit only the richest Americans, while proposals to help the middle class failed to make it at speech time. If he was truly ready to help the American people, he would be protecting them from losing their homes in the mortgage crisis, keeping good jobs from moving overseas and creating new jobs, and signing crucial legislation which would cover 10 million children with healthcare. The President spent one paragraph on the mortgage crisis, one paragraph on healthcare and two paragraphs on education. That doesn't sound like the sort of commitment we need.

With respects to foreign policy, the President offered his typical “safer now, then before” pitch, with imageries back to 9/11 and how his Administration has kept our borders safer from terrorist attack. There was no strategy or time table to look forward to, and offered no solution “until the enemy has been defeated”. Beyond that, the American people were presented with a series of repackaged ideas from the President’s speeches past speeches. Last year’s proposal for tax breaks for individual health insurance was framed last night as “consumer choice, not government control”, which would push us further away from ensuring all Americans have access to quality healthcare.  

The rhetoric established by the President made it clear that we, as Democrats in Congress, have our work cut out for us. At the top of the list will be a quick, but not permanent, fix to give a little relief to our American families during our time of economic stress.

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President Bush will be giving his final State of the Union address this evening, but before he does I wanted to take an opportunity to talk about some key points Congressional Democrats will be focusing on this evening. Last year, Congress had some remarkable accomplishments in 2007. We implemented the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, made the largest investment in education since the GI bill, increased the minimum wage, and successfully pushed through legislation to take care of our veterans who have done an excellent job in taking care of us.

This evening, we are hoping that President Bush will discuss plans to effectively work through bipartisanship to move the country forward. The American people are being squeezed at all ends right now, wages haven’t meaningfully increased in years, the mortgage crisis threatens home ownership, the price of gas and groceries are moving ever higher and job growth has been anemic. I believe the economic stimulus package will provide quick results, although not permanent, to give aid to our aching middle class. In the long term, we need to address the sub-prime lending crisis and tackle the banking practices that allowed this to happen in the first place. I doubt we will, but I’d certainly like to hear an effective plan on the direction of Iraq, though I’m not holding my breath.

His thoughts on health care reform would be helpful, and I’d certainly love to hear him explain his veto on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program which would provide healthcare for 10 million children. Regardless, although we might not see any surprises, we are hoping to see glimpses of compromise this evening as the President take the podium before the joint-session this evening.

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I wanted to cross post this great blog written by Richard Trumka, the Secretary Treasurer of the AFL-CIO.

The blog was originally posted at

http://blog.thehill.com/2007/11/01/chinese-currency-manipulation-puts-stranglehold-on-middle-class/#more-4614

Chinese Currency Manipulation Puts Stranglehold on Middle Class November 1st, 2007

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The College Cost Reduction act is now law! And some friends of mine at the Education and Labor Committee have created a pretty funny video about the best parts about it. I've included the video in the full blog post, all you have to do is hit "View Full Blog Post" to see it. In the meantime...here is a little info on what the new law does.

Under the legislation, the maximum value of the Pell Grant scholarship will increase by $1,090 over the next five years, reaching $5,400 by 2012, up from $4,050 in 2006 – thus restoring the purchasing power of the Pell Grant scholarship. Some students will see an immediate boost of almost $500 in their Pell Grant scholarship in the 2008-2009 school year alone. Roughly 5.5 million low- and moderate-income students would benefit from this increase.

The bill will also cut interest rates in half on need-based student loans, from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent, over the next four years. Once fully phased-in, this will save the typical student borrower – with $13,800 in need-based student loan debt – $4,400 over the life of the loan. About 6.8 million students take out need-based loans each year.

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On this, the 6th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, I would just like to remind everyone to take a moment and pray for peace today.

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Let me be very clear...the CHAMP act and State Child Health Insurance Program would cover 11 million children. 11 million. Think about that. Think about the diseases we could prevent, the quality of life we could create, and the healthy, long lives we'd be able to ensure. Why then, is a small fringe group of Republicans blocking our ability to reauthorize it?

Petty, partisan games. Thats the only answer that I can come up with. I appreciate that not all Republicans are trying to block a vote on children's health insurance, but unfortunately the House Republican Caucus appears to have been taken captive by a fringe element within their party which doesn't seem to care much about our children. Moreover, this right-wing fringe views the important work of this body as a mere game. This behavior is irresponsible, irrational and inexcusable. We owe the American people more than that.

That's why since JANUARY,  the Democratic majority in the House has passed the first minimum wage increase in 10 years, the largest single increase in veterans funding in the history of the Veterans Affairs system, the largest expansion of college aid since the GI Bill, provided funds for 3,000 new border patrol agents, repealed $14 billion in subsidies to big oil companies and committed funds for 50,000 new police officers on the street. We are also committed to complete work on key legislation before the August recess which would fund the Department of Defense, pass an innovated farm bill which would raise food stamps for the first time in 11 years and an energy bill that invests in alternative fuels.

The right-wing fringe on the other side doesn't want us to do anything. They feel they will gain more from selling out America's children for political gain. They'd rather not fund the Department of Defense and place servicemen and women at risk than let us do our job. They'd rather stonewall and slow the process down then try and fix our energy and pollution problems.

Well, we have important work to do on behalf of the American people and we are going to get it done. If the fringe on the other side wants to pick up their toys and go home, fine, but we owe the American people more than that.

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I’d like to share some video with you from the floor, but first I want to explain whats happening. We are still debating the Labor-HHS Appropriations bill and I wanted to let you know what this fight is really about. This fight is about priorities. The fringe members who are fighting the investments we are trying to make in America want you to believe we are going to raise your taxes. They are still trying to scare you. The reality is this is about priorities.

The Republicans’ misplaced priorities gave more tax cuts for the wealthy, more giveaways to the big oil companies, and more record deficits.

Republicans voted to protect more than $5 billion in oil industry giveaways.

In most recent Republican tax bill, most middle-class families will receive less than $30, while the average tax cut for millionaires is about $65,000.

Republicans turned President Clinton’s projected 10-year $5.6 billion surplus into a nearly $3 trillion deficit.

America has borrowed more than $1 trillion for foreign governments and investors over the last five years, slightly more than the total we borrowed in the first 211 years. [Treasury Department]

Interest payments are growing faster than all other items in the Bush Administration budget.

America’s total debt has climbed by more than 50 percent to more than $8 trillion.

The income for middle-class families has dropped $1,669 or nearly 4 percent under the Bush Administration.  [CPS, 8/05]

Republicans are crowing about the economy, while millions of American families are living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to make ends meet, and going deeper in debt.

Now let me show you what the Labor-HHS bill does.

Invests another  $3.3B for student aid

Increases the maximum Pell award by $650 to $4,700

Helps over 5.5M low- and middle-income students

Invests additional  $1B for No Child Left Behind programs

Provides $800M for special education grants

Adds $1.3B to improve healthcare access

Serves an additional 1M uninsured Americans by providing $200M for community health centers

Need I say more? As always, hit "View full posting" for the video.

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Today I took to the floor to discuss the ongoing debate over the Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill. I went down there with one message...STOP trying to divide us.

Most members on the other side of the aisle are fine with this bill. It was carefully constructed, passed through the sub-committee and I have said over and over how much I applaud the Ranking Member for his efforts in making this a bill America can be proud of. Yet there are some members on the other side, a fringe element that is BLINDLY devoted to President Bush, who are fighting the investments we are trying to make. Suddenly, after racking up trillions of dollars in record deficits, these fringe members are trying to divide us, and scare us with talk of a fictional tax increase.

I am asking those members, PLEASE, stop trying to divide us. This is America and we help one another. By pitting Texas against New York, and Illinois against Arizona all you do is prevent us from solving some of the critical problems facing our nation right now. Stop trying to divide us. If we begin divesting in this country's future the way President Bush and his fringe element wants us to, we are going to end up with the kind of future no one wants. As always, click view full posting to see video.

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Today we began debating the Labor, Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill which passed unanimously out of Committee. This Bi-partisan bill contains important projects that will strengthen America and its ability to compete in the global economy. The bill was carfully constructed around a concept: How will the county look over the next ten years?

We cut 41 low priority programs saving $1.1 billion below FY2007 and refocused our priorities around programs and proposals that would strengthen America. We increased Pell Grants so more low- and middle-income students can afford higher education. We increased funding to Child Care Block Grants and Head Start so our children can get the child care they need and a leg up on learning the skills they will need to succeed in school.

We gave more money to the National Institutes of Health so they can start critical research into diseases and as a result, the NIH will be able to support another 545 new and competing research grants over last year, which is actually 1,262 more than the President's funding level would allow!

We provided money to low-income families who can't afford home heating, more money to Community Services such as emergency food assistance and adult literacy classes and money for job training and worker protection so everyone who wants a job can get a job.

Here is a video from the floor talking about the bill. Expect some more video soon as the debate continues! As always, click to read the full post to see the video!

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You know, over the past two weeks we've heard a lot of members on the other side of the aisle talk about "earmarks" and demagogue on the issue. The fact of the matter is, the beauty of the federal government has always been their ability to set a national agenda but then ALSO be able to reach down into communities that need help and provide it.

The Appropriations Committee is in charge of seeing that communities around the nation recieve the federally targeted investments they need to grow and prosper. Federal money created the Interstate Highway System and made the desert southwest bloom. Here is a video of me defending the Appropriations bill currently being debated on the floor.

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Last night, the 30-Something working group was joined by my friend, Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Congressman John Lason (CT-01). The topic was the War in Iraq and I once again called for an immediate withdrawl and redeployment of troops in Iraq. Here is a video clip of the two of us on the floor last night.

As always, click "View full posting" to see the video.

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Our friends on the other side of the aisle are claiming that our balanced budget will result in the largest tax increase in U.S. history. That is just a completely false claim. Here is a clip of me from the floor responding to them on their charge. As usual, click "view full posting" to see the video.

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Good morning!

The Hill newspaper ran an op-ed I wrote today about the use of countervailing duties against countries that are unfairly hurting our manufacturing sector. You can read the full op-ed here. This is an extremely important issue to me having seen what the loss of jobs and wages has done to my community. Also, I explain it a little in a video shot in my office. Click "Read full post" to see the video here!

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Last week the Appropriations Committee, of which I am a member, passed the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropirations Bill which contains the single largest increase in the history of the VA system. I made a statement on it's passage and wanted to share it with you! Click full posting to view the statement!

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I would like to announce a Grant has been awarded to the Portage County Regional Airport Authority for the installation of weather reporting equipment. The Federal Aviation Administration is awarding the airport $279,000 for the project which will go towards acquiring land for the development and then install an automated observation system to allow pilots to access current weather at the airport. Congratulations to the airport for this award! You can read more about it below!

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 I have some good news to report! Yesterday, the House Appropriations Committee which I sit on passed the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The bill includes historic increases in the Veterans Affairs budget that will go to ensuring our troops and veterans have a first class health care system.

One of the most important things the bill does is it sets aside $43.2 billion which will help provide medical services (including mental health and substance abuse assistance) to veterans as well as help to improve VA facilities. This year’s bill represents a $6.7 billion increase over last year’s appropriations bill, and it also exceeds the President’s request for veterans’ care by $3.8 billion.

The bill contains some important new progams, such as setting aside $600 million to ensure that veterans with mental health difficulties and post-traumatic stress disorder receive the care they need. Additionally, the bill allocates $130 million to assist homeless veterans. This crucial increase will allow us to help 2,300 more homeless veterans than last year.

We also gave a $76.5 million increase in the Inspector General’s budget. This new money will help reverse the decline in the Inspector General’s staffing that we have seen over the last three years. Our bill will allow the Inspector General to hire 50 new people to ensure that the money we've invested in the program is spent wisely.

I am proud of this bill because it echos my strong belief that supporting our troops doesn't just end when they come home. We always need to ensure that the men and women who put their lives on the line for this country are taken care of when they need it the most.

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Today I sent a letter to President Bush asking for his personal assurance that Ohio National Guard Troops being activated receive the training and equipment they need before he sends those troops into harms way.  Here is a copy of the letter.

Dear President Bush:

I write today to follow up on the letter sent by Governor Ted Strickland on May 26, 2007 addressing the second alert order received by the Ohio National Guard in less than two months. I am disappointed that you have yet to respond to the concerns that the Governor stated, and I echo his request for an answer to these very basic questions.

I stand firm with the Governor and his request that you give personal assurances that every Ohio soldier will have the most up-to-date equipment for the mission they will be asked to perform. This includes body armor, up-armored humvees and other vehicles they need to operate effectively. I also stand firm with the Governor and his request that you give your personal assurances that every Ohio soldier be given appropriate training for their mission. The men and women of the 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team as well as 838^th Military Police Company based in Youngstown deserve to know that they are not being sent into an increasingly volatile situation without the equipment and training they need to stay as safe as possible in a forward operating area.

Although you and I have disagreed on the course of this war from the beginning, it is my sincere hope that we can, at the very least, find common ground on keeping our soldiers safe. In the four years that I have represented Ohio’s 17^th Congressional District, I have voted for billions of dollars in funds for equipment, training, and improved healthcare for our troops. I have voted to ensure that our Veterans Affairs system has the resources it needs to provide for the more than 25,000 wounded warriors that this misguided war has created and for monies to ensure that our troops are not left stranded in a hostile environment. Mr. President, giving us these assurances is the bare minimum you can do if supporting our troops is truly a priority for you.

Throughout his career, Governor Strickland has been a tireless advocate for the health and wellbeing of our troops, and I urge you to respond immediately to the Governor and me in our call to provide the citizens of Ohio with the guarantee that the Federal Government will honor their sacrifice and provide our troops with the training and equipment they need. Across the country, the National Guard is spread dangerously thin and readiness levels are at historic lows. It is my sincere hope that you will join with us to ensure that our men and women in uniform are protected, and that they are brought home as soon as possible.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Tim Ryan

Member of Congress

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First, let me thank you all once again for your kind words and support over the last week as we worked on the Food Stamp Challenge. Your recipes, ideas and comments were so overwhelming that even this morning on C-SPAN’s American Journal, we talked at length about how many people were energized by this experiment. I want you to know that we are 100 percent cmmitted to making some big changes in the program. As we get closer I will update you on our progress.

While I have your attention, I wanted to talk about another issue that I’ve been working on for the past two years that may be of some interest. My friend, Congressman Duncan Hunter, and I have been working on the Fair Currency Act of 2007, which would change the way we do business with China. I don’t want to get too technical here in the blog, but I would like to give you a little bit of background.

One of the reasons we have so many Chinese products here in America is because many times they can produce and ship their products to America for the same price as it costs us to buy the raw materials. The old argument has been, “Well, its because of the cheap labor,” and that has certainly played a part, but that’s not even close to the real reason. You see, China’s currency, the Yuan is artificially kept at a low price in order to create the trade imbalance. This is where things get a little “Economics 101”, so let me explain how this works:

The strength of a currency on the international markets is a reflection of how strong an economy is growing. You can read about it here. Therefore, as an economy grows, the currency of that country should become more valuable thus making it more expensive to export products abroad. China doesn’t allow its currency to get more expensive. Instead, they artificially fix the price of their currency to the U.S. Dollar so that they can take advantage of its relatively weak price and keep the flow of their imports hitting our shores.

The Ryan-Hunter bill which is currently moving through Congress would give the Department of the Treasury the tools they need to act against China and other countries that manipulate currency. It does three things: 1) It defines currency manipulation as a subsidy, which, according to the World Trade Organization, is illegal 2) It directs the Department of the Treasury to act on these illegal subsidies and 3) allows the Treasury to put a “countervailing duty” on imports in a specific sector of the economy from a nation that manipulates its currency.

Basically, its that third part that gives this bill teeth. There are some estimates which say that China’s Yuan is about 40 percent undervalued. What we would do is apply a duty, or a tax of as much as 40 percent on Chinese products in a specific industry in order to force China to revalue it. What would this mean to us?

There are some economists who believe that if we forced China to revalue its currency it could mean a boon for U.S. businesses and American workers. It would create jobs, investment and ultimately make American products more competitive on the global market. According to Professor Peter Morici from the University of Maryland, “On the positive side, more expensive Chinese goods could stimulate "a renaissance" in US manufacturing, notes Mr. Morici. An upturn in manufacturing would provide more well-paying jobs for Americans, boosting US living standards.”

When China joined the WTO a few years back, they agreed to play by the rules. While I’ve never been a big fan of the WTO, what it’s there for is to ensure a level playing field in international trade. When a country manipulates its currency, it isn’t playing by the rules fairly and that needs to be fixed. All we are asking is that the American worker and American companies have a chance to compete. You can find a list of manufacturers and labor groups supporting our bill here. Also, here are the over 100 co-sponsors, both Republican and Democrat that support the bill.

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In the wake of Peanut Butter-Gate, Fox News invited me on for a live interview to talk about the Food Stamp Challenge. Click on view full posting to check it out!

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Just wanted to share a recording of the Speech from Franklin Pierce. Just click on view entire posting and you'll be able to watch it!

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You aren’t going to believe this, but all I have left is cornmeal.

I was doing SO well! I had everything rationed out perfectly and knew that I was going to be able to stretch my food out until the end. That was of course, until the TSA decided to step in. So after giving a GREAT commencement speech (You’ll be able to see it later today when we post the video) to the graduating class of my old law school, Franklin Pierce, I was talking with students and faculty, and really enjoying myself. I guess I was enjoying the time a little TOO much because before you knew it the Dean of the school had to remind me that we were running late. Manchester airport is easily an hour away from Concord, NH so my buddie State Rep. Steve DeStephano and his family had to rush me down I-93 to get me to the plane in time. When I arrived I decided just to carry my bag on so I ran over to the security gate with my carry on. I step up to the metal detector, take my shoes off, place my bag through the scanner and come out the other side to the most dreaded words in travel, “Bag Check!”

I walk over to the table where the TSA agent put on rubber gloves and started unzipping my bag. At this point I had about 10 minutes to get to the gate and I was already kicking myself for getting to the airport so late because I was in the “B” group. Remember I’m 6’2, if I’m not “A” group, I usually get stuck sitting in between two people in the last row of the airplane with my knees up to my chest. As the agent sifted though my bag, I tried to recount what could possibly be in there that was threatening...my mouthwash? Toothpaste? Yeah, it was those two, but it was also my peanut butter and jelly.  

Sure enough the very nice TSA agent explained to me the 3-1-1 regulations for liquids. As a public service I’ve decided to link you to them. He politely put the peanut butter and jelly to the side, closed my bag and gave it back to me. I was too astonished to talk. I took my bag and walked towards the gate thinking about the 4 or maybe 5 meals that she had taken from me. What am I going to do now? It’s not like I can just go to Safeway and grab another jar. I have .33 cents and a bag of cornmeal to last today and tomorrow.

I’ve been laughing about this all day, it’s one of those funny little “Murphy’s law” moments you have to take with a bit of humor. I’d like to thank the TSA for doing an exceptional job protecting our nation’s airports and allowing me to illustrate that not even Congressmen get any special treatment at the airport. Oh and thanks to Jerid Kurtz of buckeyestate blog for recording the speech up in New Hampshire!

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Well, I’m off to Concord, New Hampshire, where I’ll be delivering the commencement address at Franklin Pierce Law Center. I’m excited to talk to the graduates about some of the important issues facing our nation today. I’ll be sticking to the challenge while I’m there, I’m bringing along my pasta and sauce, as well as the last of my jelly, peanut butter, and bread. Keep the comments and questions coming; I’ll do another Q&A post on Monday.

Enjoy the weekend!

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Today I wanted to take another opportunity to thank all of you for your interest in the Food Stamp Challenge. I appreciate all of your comments and suggestions, and I wanted to take a moment to respond to some of them.

I’ve been asked to keep an update on my physical state. Well, as I’ve said, my energy levels are much lower than normal. We had votes until about 8:45 last night, and I was exhausted by the time my day came to an end. I’m finding harder to concentrate when I have to. As I mentioned on CNN this morning, the lack of nutritional value that comes from the food on this limited budget is especially detrimental to the kids who live on food stamps. The kids who go to school hungry and tired can’t learn as well as those with a full belly, which only serves to continue the cycle. I've probably lost 5 lbs. so far, I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow. I will tell you that I've already had to tighten my belt one loop.

Another issue that a lot of people have addressed is how I spent my $21.00. I really appreciate all your suggestions how to stretch the budget as far as possible. To be honest, during the hour and a half I was in the store, I was overwhelmed with the best way to spend the money. It was hard to see how I could fit in any amount of balanced food. I wasn't making good choices and I'm definitely seeing that now. What I will say though is that even with a few mistakes that I made, (I.E. not enough protein and the stew makings is a brilliant idea) it doesn't detract from the fact that making ends meet on this budget is a herculean effort. I appreciate very much the suggestions and I'm thinking about taking the recipies and food lists you have provided and posting them as an entry here so people can use it as a resource.

As several people have mentioned it the comments, a problem faced many across the country, especially the inner-city poor, are the lack of low-cost food stores in an easily accessible area. These people can’t afford to drive to a Wal-Mart in the suburbs for the bargains; they aren’t members of the warehouse club stores. If you are constrained to where you can walk or take public transportation, then you can only shop at the places in your neighborhood, and you are forced to pay whatever they charge. That is EXACTLY what I was doing. I had the option to head out to Costco or Shoppers and decided instead to replicate as close as possible the REAL experience of someone who can't afford a car and is constrained by public transportation. As you'll see when I publish the video blog I'm working on, we took the Metro out to the store.

Keep the questions and comments coming! I want to do another question and answer period on Monday!

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We got started early today...CNN wanted to interview me live on the Food Stamp Challenge. I will be doing another post this afternoon where I'm going to answer some of the questions and comments we've recieved over the past few days! In the meantime...here is the video of me on CNN this morning!

Click on Full Posting to see the video!

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Well its day two of the Food Stamp Challenge and I’ve been absolutely astounded and heartened by the amount of press that the Challenge has received. It’s wonderful that so many people across the country are thinking about hunger and poverty, two of the most important issues we face today. It’s my hope that my colleagues will see what we’re doing here and start to think about people on food assistance as humans and not just some statistic.

I’m feeling much better today. Yesterday, I didn’t eat anything at all until lunchtime, and that really took a lot out of me. So far today I’ve had some cottage cheese, a cup of coffee and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I think that now that my body has had some time to adjust, it’s a little easier, but my energy level is still noticeably lower than normal. I have some serious challenges ahead of me today. I’m expected to make an appearance at a reception on Capitol Hill and I need to pass by a dinner meeting at one of my favorite restaurants afterwards. I know I’ll be fine.

My biggest concern today is running out of food before the end of the week. One loaf of bread doesn’t make as many sandwiches as you’d think, and I’m running through my cottage cheese pretty fast as well. The budgeting was hard enough, rationing what I do have will present another challenge.

I want to take a moment to thank you all for your kind comments and support! For those of you who also responded asking about “John Amdor”, well he’s one of my intrepid interns who has been an integral part of my participation in the Food Stamp Challenge. He has my eternal gratitude for the $7.98 cents in savings that his Safeway Club Card gave me.

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Today I began the Food Stamp Challenge. I took the subway to Safeway, where I picked out the $21.00 of food that I’ll be living on for the next week. $20.66 bought me:

One bag of corn meal- $1.43

Two jars of strawberry preserves- $4.00

One jar of chunky peanut butter- $2.48

Two boxes of angel hair pasta- $1.54

One can of coffee- $2.50

Three jars of tomato sauce- $4.50

Two cartons of cottage cheese- $3.00

One loaf of wheat bread- $.89

One clove of garlic- $.32

Obviously, $21.00 doesn’t go too far, especially when it comes to variety. I'm starting to understand that living on such a tight budget doesn’t allow a person to get the balanced diet they need, I wasn't able to get much protein and produce was almost completely out of the question.

So far today I have eaten a quarter container of cottage cheese, one and a half peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and had one cup of coffee. It still amazes me that so many Americans live like this every day. I already notice a difference in my energy level. After only a day on this diet, I’m tired and hungry, but I’m looking forward to talking to people about my experience, and making people aware of the millions across the country who deal with this every day.

Oh! Here is a .pdf of my receipt.

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What a great day! Congress is clearly ready to act on currency manipulation and I look forward to being a part of the on going debate. Here is a video clip of some questions I asked of Mark Sobel, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Monetary and Financial Policy over at the Department of the Treasury. Click Congressman Tim Ryan's Blog above, then "View Full Posting" to see the video.

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Just wanted to let everyone know that you can watch the tri-partite hearing on China Currency ONLINE NOW. Go to http://waysandmeans.house.gov/hearings.asp?congress=18&order=eventdate&dir=asc and click on "Click here to view Committee Proceedings Live".

This is truely one of the most important issues of our time. We cannot allow our trade partners to create unfair advantages by playing games with the value of their currency. Thats why I have introduced the Fair Currency Act of 2007 with my friend Congressman Duncan Hunter. Anyway, I need to get over there because I've been invited to join the committee hearing and participate. Not sure what time I will speak but I'm going to make video available here later when I have it!

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