February 25, 2008

Last week Congress was in recess for a district work period. Monday was President's Day, which honors the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Also on this day, our state celebrates Daisy Gatson Bates Day. Governor Beebe and I paid tribute to Washington, Lincoln, and Bates at a celebration at Liberty Hill Baptist Church in Little Rock. Bates, who died in 1999, served as a mentor for the Little Rock Nine, who helped desegregate Little Rock Central High School in 1957.

On Tuesday, I traveled to Conway for the grand opening of Florentz Estates in Conway, a Housing Urban Development (HUD) project for Independent Living Services. The 15 unit apartment complex will assist the developmentally disabled residents, with daily living activities and add to their quality of life through educational training, socialization, and supportive services.

On Tuesday evening, our office hosted an information session for high school students interested in military service academies.  All of the United States Service academies -- US Military Academy in West Point, NY, US Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, US Coast Guard Academy in New London, CT, and US Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY -- offer outstanding education opportunities; it is important to inform students, parents, principals, and guidance counselors about the programs available. To learn more about these programs and the application process, please contact Devon Cockrell in our District Office at (501) 324-5941.

On Wednesday, Senator Lincoln and I visited the Little Rock Air Force Base for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a new $4.2 million Child Development Center. This center opens Monday to care for children age's six-weeks to 5 years old. Our military families deserve quality child care, and I am confident this center will be a great place for their kids.

At the Arkansas Aerospace Summit I attended on Thursday, Governor Beebe, Senator Pryor, and I spoke to public and private aerospace companies, state and local government agencies, educational institutions and individuals regarding Arkansas's aerospace industry.  I look forward to new jobs in Arkansas being created to develop new aerospace technologies and to refurbish the old ones.

On Capitol Hill:

My Committee Work

The full committee of the House Armed Services met on Thursday, February 14th, to hear testimony on our Military Readiness. We heard about the implications the constant strain from the current wars are putting on our defense strategies. The War in Iraq is stressing our personnel, wearing out our equipment and cutting short the training for our military brigades, and we must collaborate to improve these conditions for our military. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee met to continue our discussions on the Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Interagency National Security Reform. We heard testimony regarding the bureaucratic structures and what improvements are necessary to efficiently plan and activate stabilization and reconstruction operations.

Letters I Cosigned

I signed a letter to the House Appropriations Committee to request the continued funding of the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution Program. RIF is the oldest and largest children's literacy program. It provides millions of underserved children with free books and reading support at over 20,000 locations throughout the United States and our territories. It's funding has been uninterrupted since 1975.

I signed a letter to Protect Americas Hospitals. This letter urges the Budget Committee to reject the proposed $182 billion in Medicare cuts and $17 billion in cuts to Medicaid and to help preserve the high-quality hospital care that patients need and deserve.

Also, I signed a letter urging appropriators to restore funding for our nation's health professionals in the upcoming FY09 Labor - HHS appropriations bill to $300 million. This funding supports Title VII programs, which provide training and education grants for primary health care professionals in rural and urban areas classified as underserved.  The funds appropriated to Title VII have been cut by more than 50% since 2005.  Without the funding, the current Title VII educational programs will be inadequate in preparing our next generation of medical professionals.

Another letter I signed encourages the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education to increase funding for the Community Health Centers program.  Health centers operate in rural, designated medically underserved areas because health care is either scarce or non-existent.  Health centers serve 17 million people each year. With targeted increases in resources, health centers can serve 30 million Americans by 2015. Community health centers provide affordable, effective quality care to the uninsured for under $1.50 per patient per day. A significant increase in appropriations is required to continue to meet the current demand for services and care for the growing number of patients who seek their services.

ECONOMIC STIMULUS REBATE - NEW DETAILS FOR RECIPIENTS OF CERTAIN SOCIAL SECURITY, VETERANS AND RAILROAD BENEFITS:

1.2 million families in Arkansas will receive rebates averaging about $833 per household due to recently passed legislation. Low income workers who have earned more than $3,000 and individuals receiving at least $3,000 in qualified income will be eligible for the rebate.  However, all individuals, including those who do not have a normal filing requirement, will have to file a 2007 tax return in order to receive the rebate.  A social security number is also required for eligibility.  Individuals with tax identification numbers are not eligible.
 
Eligible income includes social security benefits, railroad retirement benefits, or certain veterans' benefits.  There is a form, Form 1040A, which shows taxpayers in these groups the specific sections of the form they need to fill out to qualify for the stimulus payment. The mock-up is designed to be used as a guide for filling out an actual Form 1040A.  The Form 1040A illustration on www.IRS.gov shows what areas need to be filled out for recipients of Social Security, certain Railroad Retirement and certain veterans' benefits.  A key line is reporting their 2007 benefits on Line 14a of Form 1040A. The IRS reminds taxpayers they can also use Line 20a on Form 1040 to report these same benefits.

Individuals over 60 years of age may contact the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Program for free tax help at 1-888-227-7669.  Also, The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program provides help to low- and moderate-income taxpayers. Individuals should call 1-800-906-9887 to locate the nearest VITA site.

ANNUAL CONGRESSIONAL ART COMPETITION:

Each year the United States Congress sponsors the Congressional Art Competition to recognize the creative abilities of high school students, and to increase national awareness of their artistic talents.  Students compete in a local contest, and the overall winning piece of art from each district is displayed for one year as part of the national exhibit in the Cannon Tunnel, a pedestrian walkway leading to the U.S. Capitol.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock Department of Art will again administer and judge the annual competition. The winner will receive three free airline tickets to attend a Washington D.C. reception on Wednesday, June 25, 2008, as well as complimentary custom framing from a local professional. Entries not chosen as the winner will be featured in an exhibit at UALR in a monthly exhibit.

High school students who live in Arkansas's Second Congressional District are eligible for the competition. All artwork submitted must be original in concept, design, and execution.  Entries may include work from the following two dimensional mediums: paintings, drawings, collages, photography, computer-generated works, mixed media, and prints.  Deadline for submission of artwork for the competition is 5 pm on Tuesday, May 13th, 2008.  Entries may be hand-delivered or mailed.

For more information, and the forms necessary to enter, contact Jamaal Lampkin in my Little Rock office at (501) 324-5943, or visit http://www.house.gov/snyder/services/art_programs.htm.

CONGRESSIONAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS:

My office is accepting applications from students in the Second Congressional District of Arkansas for month-long summer internships in his Washington, D.C. and Little Rock, Arkansas offices. The deadline for submitting 2008 summer internships applications is Friday, March 14, 2008.  Only a limited number of positions are available, and the application process is competitive. Students interested in applying must be enrolled in a post-high school educational system.  Those granted internships will receive a modest stipend. However, students interested in a Washington, D.C. internship should note that living expenses will likely exceed the stipend.                          

To learn more about the program or to request a summer internship application, students should contact Valerie McNeese at (202) 225-2506, or access the application form on our official website at http://www.house.gov/snyder/services/internships.htm.