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D.C. and District Talk

· Legislation to Protect Terri Shiavo
Like many of you, I have been closely following the news coverage of the fight of the Shiavo family to keep Terri Shiavo alive. My staff and I have been very moved by this situation and continue to keep Terri and her family in our prayers.

In response to this situation and to show my support for Terri's parents, I have signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 1151, the Incapacitated Person’s Legal Protection Act. Introduced on March 8, 2005 by Congressman Dave Weldon (R-FL), this bill would explicitly clarify fundamental due process rights for those who are incapacitated, are under court ordered removal of nutrition and hydration and have no written advanced medical directive in effect.

I believe that people who are in situations such as Terri Shiavo should be afforded the same due process rights as all Americans. I will continue to monitor the situation, pray for Terri and her family, and do whatever I can to ensure that Terri Shiavo remains alive.

Constituent Corner

· 19th District Students Nominated to Military Academies

Xavier Heim, Jacob DeNap, Michael Dunning, Congressman Shimkus, Tyler Darr, and Evan Jones.

I am proud to have nominated 19 young men and women to the four military service academies for the scholastic year beginning this summer. Each Member of Congress is allowed to nominate individuals to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado; the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland; the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York; and the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York. The academies themselves make the final decision as to which nominees are accepted for an appointment.

As a graduate of West Point, I am honored to be nominating these young men and women to the academies. Having met most of them personally, this group has what it takes to succeed academically and physically and I have full confidence that they have the potential to become great leaders and soldiers.

The academies look for leadership, scholastic achievement, athletic ability, and community involvement when selecting their cadets. I encourage young people to get involved in their school and community if they plan to seek an appointment and subsequent career in the military.

Current high school juniors or others from the 19th Congressional District who are interested in attending one of the academies can request an application packet by writing me at:

Congressman John Shimkus

508 West Main Street

Collinsville, IL 62234

· Enter Your Submissions for Operation Homecoming

I would like to encourage service men and women and their families to submit writings for a historical anthology of the current wartime service. The National Endowment for the Arts is gathering submissions in any genre – poems, letters, stories, journal entries, any literary form.

It is important to our nation’s history to maintain a documentary of those who have

been involved and affected by our involvement in military activities.

Operation Wartime: Writing the Wartime Experience will preserve the stories of U.S. military personnel and their families. Any member of the military, reservists, or National Guard member who has served after September 11, 2001, particularly those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom are encouraged to submit writing for consideration.

Submissions must be no longer than 50 typed, double spaced, numbered, 8-1/2” x 11” pages. Font size should be no smaller than 11 point and no larger than 14 point. Submissions cannot be returned, so please keep a copy. Every submission will not be published, but all submissions will be deposited into an appropriate government archive.

Submissions should include a cover sheet including legal name, permanent mailing address, phone number, and current email address. More information can be found at

www.arts.endow.gov/national/homecoming/anthology.html.

The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2005 and they can be emailed to: submissions@operationhomecoming.org or mailed to:

National Endowment for the Arts

Operation Homecoming Anthology

Suite 519

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20506.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Monday, March 28, Steve Tomaszewski of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Mt. Vernon and Woodlawn. In Mt. Vernon, he will be in the Small Conference Room of the West Municipal Building on 200 Potomaic Blvd from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. In Woodlawn, he will be in the Community Building on 202 South Central Street from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Appointments are not necessary, so feel free to drop by at any time. For more information, please visit my web page at www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.htm. I hope you stop in to see us!

For more information on Mt. Vernon, please visit http://www.mtvernon.com

For more information on Woodlawn, please visit http://woodlawnil.usl.myareaguide.com

Legislative Week in Review

· The following bills were passed by the House of Representatives this week:

o H.R. 816 – Nevada National Forest Land Disposal Act of 2005 (Rep. Gibbons – Resources)

o H.Res. 135 – Providing for the establishment of a commission in the House of Representatives to assist parliaments in emerging democracies (Rep. Dreier – International Relations)

o H.Res. 135 – Providing for the establishment of a commission in the House of Representatives to assist parliaments in emerging democracies (Rep. Dreier – International Relations)

o H.Con.Res. 18 – Expressing the grave concern of Congress regarding the continuing gross violations of human rights and civil liberties of the Syrian and Lebanese people by the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic (Rep. Ros-Lehtinen – International Relations)

o H.R. 1268 – Emergency Supplemental Wartime Appropriations Act (Rep. Lewis {CA} – Appropriations) (Subject to a Rule)

o H.Con.Res. 95 – Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for FY 2006 (Rep. Nussle – Budget) (Subject to a Rule)

· To keep up to date on legislation as it moves through the legislative process please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be recess through Tuesday April 5th. For information on upcoming legislation, keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· March is Women’s History Month

In 1980, President Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation calling on the American people to remember the contributions of women. By 1987, fourteen governors had declared March as Women's History Month, and that same year, Congress and the President followed by declaring March as National Women's History Month.

This March, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the multicultural women's history movement. Designated by Joint Resolutions of the House and Senate and Proclamations by five American Presidents, March has become a huge opportunity for the nation to recognize women as a force in history.

For more information on Women’s History Month please visit: www.smithsonianeducation.org/heritage_month

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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