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D.C. and District Talk

· 9-11 Anniversary
This morning, I had a meeting with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. The Secretary invited all the members who were with him on September 11, 2001 at the Pentagon just moments before American Airlines Flight 77, from Washington, DC to Los Angeles crashed into the Pentagon with 64 people aboard.

We had met with Secretary Rumsfeld that morning to discuss issues related to military readiness and I had just arrived back in my office on Capitol Hill when the Pentagon was hit by Flight 77.

Secretary Rumsfled used this morning’s meeting to reminisce with us about the events of September 11th and to update us on our progress and challenges ahead with the War on Terror. Like most Americans, I am reminded of how the horrors of the 11th ultimately brought our country closer together than it had been in far too long. Tomorrow, I will join with many of you in honoring those who lost their lives and were injured on the 11th. They continue to be in my prayers as do the soldiers and families sacrificing today in our War on Terror.

For updates on the War on Terror, visit http://www.defendamerica.mil/.

Constituent Corner

· New Grant to Fight Substance Abuse

I am pleased to announce a grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services for the state of Illinois to provide people seeking drug and alcohol treatment with vouchers for a range of community-based services.

Illinois will receive $7.6 million per year for each of three years for a total of approximately $22.78 million. The state expects to implement a continuum of clinical treatment and recovery support services for probationers.

This funding will go to help those struggling with substance abuse. It promotes access to treatment and recovery programs, including faith-based services. Not only will it help those suffering from substance abuse, but it will help reduce demand for drugs and the associated crime and health problems that result.

· Firefighter Grants Awarded throughout 19th District

There is good news for two area fire departments. I am happy to announce that federal funding through the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is going to the New Baden Fire Department and the Ashley Community Fire Protection District. The money comes from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration.

The New Baden Fire Department will receive $225,000 for a new firefighting vehicle. The grant to the Ashley Community Fire Protection District, totaling $128,454, is for Operations and Firefighter Safety. It may be used for training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

The Marine Community Fire Protection District will receive funding for Operations and Firefighter Safety. The grant, providing $25,200 of a total budget of $28,000, may be used for training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

The Germantown Fire Protection District will receive funding for a new firefighting vehicle. The federal government will contribute $198,000 of the total cost of $220,000, with the district providing a 10-percent match for the one-time grant.

The Addieville Community Fire Protection District will receive funding that may be spent on training, wellness and fitness, firefighting equipment, personal protective equipment, and modifications to fire stations and facilities. The grant, for $22,397, will be used for Operations and Firefighter Safety.

The Morrisonville Palmer Fire Protection District will also be receiving a grant. The money comes from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program administered by the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness in cooperation with the United States Fire Administration. The grant, for $16,317, will be used for Operations and Firefighter Safety.

As a cosponsor of the FIRE Act legislation that started these firefighters grants, I am pleased that local fire departments have been successful in obtaining federal funds. We have held seminars for fire districts to make sure that they file quality applications in order to improve their success in obtaining a grant.

Tragedies make us realize the importance of having trained personnel respond to accidents and disaster situations. I congratulate the chiefs and the firefighters for their efforts to maintain the safety of area residents. I hope these funds will make their jobs both safer and easier and our lives safer, too.

· Federal Grant for Cra-Wa-La Program

A new grant was awarded to the Cra-Wa-La Volunteers in Probation Inc, a program based in Lawrenceville. This worthy organization will receive $216,000 in federal grant money. The program is designed to provide mentors to children who have one or both parents currently in prison. The money comes from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services and will benefit Illinois families in Crawford, Wabash and Lawrence Counties.

This mentoring program is one way to break the cycle of crime that unfortunately affects too many families. I applaud the Bush Administration for showing another example of compassionate conservatism.

Research has found that significant physical absence of a parent has profound effects on a child’s development. Children of incarcerated parents are seven times more likely to become involved in the juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Parental arrests and confinement often leads to stress, trauma, stigmatization, and separation problems for children. Existing poverty, violence, substance abuse, high crime environments, child abuse and neglect, multiple caregivers and/or prior separations may compound these problems.

The program for mentoring children of prisoners is a three-year initiative put forth by President Bush in his State of the Union Address that Congress has fully funded this year. So far, approximately 6,000 American children have been mentored, with an expectation of 33,000 additional youth served as a result of the new grants. It is my hope that with the continued work of programs like this one we can end the cycle that sometimes plagues families of inmates.

· Grant Awarded to Fight Underage Drinking

I am happy to announce a grant from the United States Department of Justice for the Illinois Department of Human Services to aid in the fight against the consumption of alcohol by minors.

Underage drinking is a widespread problem, and services to combat it have often not been available to rural areas. I am pleased to note that this particular funding will be targeted to rural parts of the state.

The grant, through the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, is for $1,050,000. It will be used to fund the Enforcing the Underage Drinking Laws (EUDL) Discretionary Program: Community Trials Initiative. The purpose of the program is to reduce both the availability and the consumption of alcoholic beverages by those under 21. The program enables rural communities to conduct research-based prevention planning and implement the most promising practices to increase enforcement of underage drinking laws and enhance prevention programming.

This program gives small communities such as those in the 19th Congressional District the chance to study the problem and seek solutions that work best for them.

· Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran Addresses Advisory Committee

Col. Michael Morrow (ret), who recently returned from the conflict in Iraq, was my special guest at a meeting of my Veterans Advisory Committee Wednesday in Collinsville.

This was a great opportunity for my committee to get straight answers about the situation in Iraq from someone who’s been there. I am thrilled Col.Morrow was able to address our group.

Col. Morrow was a member of the staffs of Gen. Tommy Franks, who commanded American troops during the invasion of Iraq, and Gen. John Abizaid, the successor to Gen. Franks. Col. Morrow discussed the planning for the war and the aftermath and showed pictures from Iraq and Afghanistan, where he also served.

In each of the last three years, Congress has passed, and President Bush has signed, record increases in veterans’ health-care funding. Total appropriations for VA health care have risen from $20 billion in 2001, when President Bush came into office, to $26 billion this year, an average increase of more than 30 percent in three years. More than 5 million veterans will be able to receive VA care this year, approximately 1.2 million more than just three years ago.

· WADI Gets Grant for Housing Rehabilitation

I am pleased to announce funding for Wabash Area Development, Inc. (WADI) from Rural Development of the United States Department of Agriculture for housing rehabilitation grants to low-income homeowners in the counties of Edwards, Gallatin, Hamilton, Saline, Wabash, Wayne, and White.

The Housing Preservation Grant, for $55,780, follows a grant of $48,143 for Fiscal Year 2003. We have again been successful in bringing federal dollars to struggling areas of Southern Illinois. This funding will allow WADI to help homeowners who otherwise would not be able to repair their houses.

· New Grant to Aid Forensic Science

I am happy to announce a grant from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

The authority will receive $289,134 as part of the Fiscal Year 2004 Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Grants program through the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs.

Coverdell grants are intended to improve the quality and timeliness of forensic science and medical examiner services. This will help our law enforcement agencies to solve crimes more quickly and keep our communities safer.

· Grant Awarded to ICASA

I am happy to announce a grant from the United States Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs to the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault (ICASA).

This grant is authorized by the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. It helps statewide sexual assault coalitions provide support to member rape crisis centers through funding, training, technical assistance, and public awareness.

ICASA, which will receive $74,373 from the Grants to State Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Coalitions program, is a network of 33 sexual assault crisis centers working to prevent sexual assault and to provide a range of services to victims of sexual violence throughout Illinois.

ICASA plans to use the funding to support staff positions responsible for communications, administration, and training for member programs; coordinate communication efforts, including media campaigns, quarterly newsletters, developing publications for rape crisis centers, and maintaining a resource library; provide technical assistance to member rape crisis centers to assist them in complying with statewide standards, policy, and procedures; and support eight trainings for member rape crisis centers.

For more information on ICASA please visit http://www.icasa.org/.

· New Grant for Kinmundy Library Project

I have good news for readers in Kinmundy. The community’s library will receive a grant of $92,000 from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development to construct an addition.

As a former teacher, I know how valuable reading is in the learning process. This grant will allow the library to offer more books and resources for the community. I am thrilled that we were able to again bring federal funding for the benefit of central and southern Illinois.

The grant was one of 312 community facility funding requests from 33 states and U.S.

Territories announced by Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman, who noted, “The Bush Administration is committed to improving the quality of life for America’s rural citizens by enhancing local community facilities and services.

· HUD Provides Grants to Communities Throughout the 19th District

I am thrilled to announce funding through the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development to housing agencies covering the 19th Congressional District.

These funds are for capital improvements, including modernization, development, management, and financing. Public housing is a necessary tool for many people who would not be able to otherwise afford a home.”

Receiving funding are:

+ Housing Authority of the City of Alton, $739,189;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Bond, $218,513;

+ Housing Authority of Christian County, $602,476;

+ Clay County Housing Authority, $288,408;

+ Effingham County Housing Authority, $158,551;

+ Housing Authority of Gallatin County, $163,882;

+ Housing Authority of Greene County, $315,777;

+ Hamilton County Housing Authority, $118,668;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Hardin, $228,406;

+ Housing Authority of Jefferson County, $603,998;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Jersey, $221,604;

+ Housing Authority of Johnson County, $124,702;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Lawrence, $207,437;

+ Madison County Housing Authority, $1,593,609;

+ Housing Authority of Marion County, $813,900;

+ Massac County Housing Authority, $335,237;

+ Montgomery County Housing Authority, $321,757;

+ Housing Authority of Pope County, $176,975;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Richland, $120,407;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Saline, $795,471;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Shelby, $169,042;

+ Springfield Housing Authority, $2,252,945;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Wabash, $182,788;

+ Housing Authority of the County of Wayne, $323,345;

+ White County Housing Authority, $166,777; and

+ Housing Authority of the County of Williamson, $1,248,344.

· New Grant for School Counseling

I am pleased to announce a grant from the United States Department of Justice for Provident Counseling to provide services for schools in Madison County and St. Clair County.

I was proud to earmark part of this grant in the Fiscal Year 2004 appropriations process. Provident will provide psychosocial group activities for the schools using a research-based youth development curriculum for up to 120 students. The program will help our youth deal with the stresses of growing up in this day and age.

The grant, through the Bureau of Justice Assistance, is for $197,896. In addition to aiding local schools, Provident Counseling will establish group counseling services for approximately 180 domestic batterery clients, provide counseling for up to 10 youth, and facilitate parenting groups for up to 25 parents.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates in Norris City and Equality

On Friday, September 24th, Deb Detmers of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of White and Gallatin Counties. In Norris City, she will be at the Township Office located at corner of 2nd and Division Streets from 1:00 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. In Equality, she will be at the Equality Community Center located on North Caloun Street from 3:00 p.m. to 4:3 0 p.m.

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

Legislative Week in Review

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

o H.R. 5006 - Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act

o S. 2634 - Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Thursday of next week. Some of the legislation which will be considered includes:

o H.R. 1787 - Good Samaritan Volunteer Firefighter Assistance Act

o H.R. 1084 - Volunteer Pilot Organization Protection Act

o H.R. 4571 - Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act

· Want to know more about these bills? Visit http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.html. This site provides up-to-date information on all bills introduced in Congress.

Did You Know?

· Memorials at both the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are Under Construction

I am happy to see that those who died in the terrorist attacks on 9-11 will be remembered in memorials at both the Pentagon and the World Trade Center. You can view the designs for these memorials at http://memorial.pentagon.mil/ and http://www.wtcsitememorial.org/.

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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