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D.C. and District Talk

· Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, the civil rights activist and seamstress who we all know for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus, passed away on October 24, 2005. This past weekend she laid in state in the Rotunda of the United States Capitol Building, where people from far and wide could come to pay their respect. We mourn the loss of this amazing woman and continue to owe her so much for what seemed to be a simple action, and what became an action that changed a nation.

For more information on Rosa Parks, please visit www.answers.com/topic/rosa-parks.

· Property Rights

Following the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, many of us were worried about the use of eminent domain to seize private property for economic development.

Prior to this Supreme Court decision, governmental bodies knew they had to limit their power to projects of ‘public use,’ such as highways, schools, and similar items. But to take privately owned land through force for the benefit of another private entity is wrong.

That is why, this week, I joined many of my colleagues in sponsoring and passing H.R. 4128, the Private Property Rights Protection Act. This legislation prohibits the use of federal funds on projects using eminent domain for economic development; prohibits the use of eminent domain by the federal government for projects of economic development; and allows citizens to bring action against governments that misuse their powers of eminent domain.

For more information on H.R. 4128, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov, and type in the bill number.

Constituent Corner

· Medicare Part D

November 15, 2005 is the first date seniors can sign-up for the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. I would like to make sure that every senior takes the time to look at whether or not they will benefit from this new Medicare prescription drug plan.

The federal government has until November 15 to finalize each plan. Changes to the plan may take place up to that date, so I recommend waiting until that day to make definite decisions. Each individual will have from November 15, 2005 until May 15, 2006 to sign up for a plan. Signing up after May 15 is possible but will incur penalties.

Coverage can begin as early as January 1, 2006. As long as you sign up for your plan by December 31, 2005, you will not miss a day of coverage. Do not let this rush you into making a decision that you are not ready to make, since you have until May 15, 2006.

I also want to make sure that seniors receiving state Circuit Breaker or Senior Care benefits know that they must complete an Application for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs in order to maintain their current benefits, regardless of their income.

Remember that each plan should be decided upon based on the needs of the individual person. Do not base your plan on someone else’s decision. Make sure that you go over all of the plans and choose the best one for your individual drug needs.

Illinois Senior Health Insurance Program is the best place to get assistance. They can be reached at 1(800) 548-9034. As always, you can also visit www.medicare.gov, or call Medicare at (800)Medicare, (800)633-4227.

· Fire Grant Awarded

I am happy to announce that more communities in our district are receiving funding from the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This money comes from the 2005 Assistance to Firefighter Grant Program administered by the DHS Office for Domestic Preparedness in Cooperation with the United States Fire Administration.

The Nokomis Witt Rescue Squad will receive $22,024 and the Salem Fire Protection District will receive $67,954. These grants may be used for training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

Also, $10,680 has been awarded to the Pocahontas Old Ripley Fire Protection District for recruitment and retention of volunteer fire fighters.

For more information on this grant, please visit www.firegrantsupport.com.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Thursday, November 10, 2005, Doug Bugger of my Collinsville district office will be available to help the residents of Breese and New Baden. In Breese, he will be at the Breese City Council Chambers on 500 North First Street from 10:00 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. In New Baden, he will be in the New Baden City Hall on 1 East Hanover from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

For more information, please visit my web page at www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.shtml. I hope you stop in to see us!

Legislative Week in Review

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

o H.R. 4128 – Private Property Rights Protection Act (Rep. James Sensenbrenner Jr. – House Judiciary)

o Adoption of Conference Report on H.R. 3057 – Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Rep. Jim Kolbe – House Appropriations)

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

o H.R. 1751 – Secure Access to Justice and Court Protection Act of 2005 (Rep. Louie Gohmert – House Judiciary)

o H.R. __ - Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (this bill has not yet been assigned a number)

· Keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site for upcoming legislation: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Diabetes Awareness Month

The month of November is Diabetes Awareness Month. Diabetes is the nations sixth leading cause of disease-related death and is a leading cause of heart disease, stroke, amputation, blindness, and kidney disease. More than 18 million Americans have diabetes and approximately one-third of those are undiagnosed. There are still another 41 million people who are at risk of developing the disease.

For more information on diabetes and Diabetes Awareness Month, please visit www.diabetes.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