June 30, 2006

Recent House Votes

This week the House considered H. R. 4973: the Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act. I voted YES. This bill seeks to stabilize the National Flood Insurance Program and increase available funds in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The National Flood Insurance program was established to provide property owners with access to flood insurance that private companies wouldn't offer. H.R. 4973 increases the flood coverage that a property owner can purchase and penalizes mortgage lenders who fail to inform customers that they must purchase flood insurance. The entire vote is recorded below:

The House also unanimously approved H.R. 889: the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act. This legislation has been stalled for months over a proposed wind farm off Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts. A proposed amendment that would have granted the governor of a state veto power over wind farms generated great controversy over its impact on the Massachusetts proposal. That amendment was modified and the legislation now grants the Coast Guard veto power over such projects only if officials have navigational safety concerns. I am pleased that the bill was modified before coming up for a final vote. There can and should be discussions over the size, scope and location of all wind farms but they are a viable energy alternative that must be a key component of our energy policy. I am also pleased that the wind farm language was modified because H.R. 889 is critical to the future of the Coast Guard. It provides funding to help the Coast Guard replace and upgrade their existing fleet which officials have identified as a critical need. It contains assistance for port security improvements and funding to help the Coast Guard repair bases damaged by Katrina. I voted YES, as did all of my voting House colleagues.

The House continued consideration of appropriations bills with H.R. 5672: the Science, State, Justice and Commerce Appropriations Act. The bill contains $3 million in funding for my legislation establishing a grant program for young witness assistance initiatives at the Department of Justice. Grants may be used to develop and administer a variety of witness assistance programs including counseling services for young witnesses dealing with the trauma of observing a violent crime, pre- and post-trial assistance, and educational services for young witnesses who are removed from or change their school for safety concerns. I first filed legislation to protect juvenile witnesses in 1999 after learning about a young boy forced into hiding when he told authorities about a crime he witnessed. We must support those who take a courageous stand against violent crime in their communities. This funding will help state and local officials establish effective programs and expand existing initiatives. I voted YES. The entire vote is recorded below:

New Website Feature

TWe recently added a section to our website that illustrates some of the immigration cases our office handles as part of ongoing constituent case work. We have changed detailed personal information in the interest of protecting privacy. If you are interested in reading about some of the cases, you may click here. One example of the types of cases we handle includes family reunification efforts. In one instance, a distraught husband called. His wife had just been accosted in a refugee camp by the man who assaulted her and left her for dead some years earlier during a brutal civil war. His faction was now out of power and this war criminal was claiming to be a refugee. My constituent had properly petitioned to bring his wife here. His application was approved the previous year and he was waiting patiently because he knew that refugee processing took a long time. He acted immediately, however, when he learned that his wife was in danger. My office got action within weeks, and his wife reached the United States safely.

General Casey and the War in Iraq

I found it very interesting to learn recently that General George W. Casey Jr., the top American commander in Iraq has drafted a plan to reduce our military presence there by the end of 2007, with the first reductions coming in September. As you may recall, two weeks ago, the House engaged in a contentious debate about the war in Iraq with Republicans characterizing Democratic calls for thoughtful withdrawal as "cut and run." Yet, General Casey is suggesting a plan that is very similar to what Democrats have been demanding for months now. He even set a timetable — a step that not all Democrats have taken. I urge the President to listen to General Casey and come to terms with the fact that it is time to begin drawing down troops. Contrary to Republican spin, Democrats are not alone in their belief that we must have a thoughtful plan in place to bring our troops home. Many Americans, and now our top military commander in Iraq, are in agreement.

Visit to John Hancock

This week I toured John Hancock's facilities in Boston and met with officials to discuss a wide range of issues facing our country. I found two topics in particular to be very interesting and lively discussions. The first was a general dialogue over the essential role that business can and should play in civic life. I firmly believe that regardless of the location of corporate headquarters, businesses in the Boston area should develop roots and make solid commitments to our community. Additionally, we discussed the estate tax. As many of you probably know, I oppose repealing the estate tax. Doing so makes no economic or fiscal sense to me. I appreciated the opportunity to make my views known to members of John Hancock's corporate leadership.

What's Up Next Week

Congress is not in session next week. Votes are scheduled to resume on Monday July 10th.