Dear Friend,

It is both a privilege and an honor to represent you in the United States Congress. While serving you, I will continue my outreach efforts to inform you of my legislative actions. I welcome your advice. Government “by the people” is the cornerstone of my legislative philosophy.

To better serve you closer to home, I invite you to visit or contact any of my three district offices, conveniently located in Baltimore City, Catonsville, and Ellicott City.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress

Inside:

Announcements
Representing the 7th Congressional District
Grants to the 7th Congressional District

Announcements

Minority/Women-Owned Business Transportation Networking event, Tuesday, Nov. 28: Congressman Cummings will host this professional networking event intended to bring minority-owned and women-owned business enterprises and prime contractors in the transportation sector together to facilitate the development of new business relationships. The event will be held from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Schaefer Library at the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. School of Engineering at Morgan State University (5200 Perring Parkway, Baltimore, Maryland, 21251). For more information, please call Lucinda Lessley at (202) 225-4741.

Legal Rights of Seniors, Thurs. Dec. 7: The Baltimore County Department of Aging will hold its 3rd annual advocacy conference entitled "Shedding Light on Seniors' Legal Rights -- Empowerment for Senior Caregivers and Service Providers" from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Sheppard Pratt Conference Center, 6501 N. Charles Street, Towson, MD 21286.

10th Annual "How to Pay for College" Seminar, Friday, December 8, 2006: Congressman Cummings will host this seminar from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.at the Maryland Institute College of Art's Brown Center, 1301 Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21217. The purpose of the "How to Pay for College" Seminar is to inform constituents about educational opportunities and financial assistance programs to help them attain the American dream of a college education. The seminar will allow students and parents to learn more about the college admissions and financial aid processes, as well as scholarship opportunities.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Open Enrollment, Friday, Dec. 8: Recommended date to change or enroll in the Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Program. The program offers insurance plans to help Medicare recipients pay for prescription drugs. Although open enrollment is from now through Dec. 31, 2006, beneficiaries are encouraged to sign up by Dec. 8 to ensure that coverage begins on Jan. 1, 2007. For more information, please call 1-800-MEDICARE (24 hours a day, seven days a week) or visit http://www.medicare.gov.

Representing Maryland's 7th Congressional District in Washington

Congressman Cummings to Play Key Role in Advancing New
Direction for America in the 110th Congress

Commenting upon his reelection, Congressman Cummings stressed what a great a privilege it is to have the opportunity to serve his community and country for a 7th term.

Because more than 218 of 435 House seats will be represented by Democrats, the party will control the U.S. House of Representatives in the 110th Congress, which convenes in January. The majority party in Congress holds tremendous power as it directs the House schedule and decides which legislation to consider. On Nov. 16, Congressman Cummings joined the Democratic Caucus in electing the leadership team for the 110th Congress.  The team includes Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California as the Speaker-designee, Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland as the Majority Leader, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina as the Majority Whip, Rep. Rahm Emmanuel of Illinois as Democratic Caucus Chair, and Rep. John Larson of Connecticut as Democratic Caucus Vice Chair.

A lifelong Democrat, Congressman Cummings will join his majority party colleagues to advance an agenda themed “A New Direction for America.” This agenda includes raising the minimum wage, changing the direction of the war in Iraq, amending Medicare legislation to allow the federal government to negotiate with drug companies for lower prices on prescription drugs, replenishing student loan programs, funding stem cell research and implementing the Sept. 11 Commission recommendations regarding homeland security.

“These important issues have been mostly neglected by the current Majority leaders who have controlled the House for the past 12 years,” Congressman Cummings said. “For that reason, we plan to act quickly to address these issues that affect Americans in their daily lives.”

In the new majority, Congressman Cummings is poised to chair an influential House Subcommittee or serve on a powerful policy-making Committee. Further details on the Committee assignments will be announced shortly.

Post Office Named After Baltimore Heroes Sen. Verda Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome

At an October 30th ceremony, the U.S. Post Office building located at 3000 Homewood Avenue (Waverly Station) in Baltimore was officially named the State Senator Verda Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome Post Office Building. In addition to Congressman Cummings, ceremony participants included State Senator Joan Carter Conway, Attorney General Joseph Curran, Mr. Raymond Blackburn of the U.S. Postal Service, and Ms. Mary Sue Welcome, the daughter of the honorees.

The renaming was possible because of legislation Congressman Cummings introduced (H.R. 4108), which became Public Law 109-257 on August 1, 2006.

“As individuals who shared a unique devotion to the realization of America’s noble ideals of equality and opportunity, the late Senator Welcome and Dr. Henry Welcome are worthy of this exceptional distinction of having a United States Post Office Building named in their honor,” Congressman Cummings said at the renaming ceremony.

The Honorable Verda Welcome dutifully served Baltimore and the nation as a politician, and civil rights and community activist for decades. Born in 1907, she earned a Bachelor’s degree from Morgan State College in 1939 and a Master’s degree from New York University in 1943. She later taught in the Baltimore City Public School System for eleven years. In 1959, Verda Welcome moved on to serve her community on a larger scale when she became the first African American woman elected to the Maryland House of Delegates representing the 4th District of Baltimore City. Her trailblazing continued in 1962, when she became the first African-American state senator in the nation following her election to the Maryland Senate.

During her twenty year term in the Maryland Senate, her legislative achievements included the enactment of legislation addressing: discrimination in public accommodations, wage inequality, reconstruction funding for a new Provident Hospital, the Maryland Commission on Afro-American History and Culture, university status for Morgan State College, and prison reform. As a result of her efforts, Senator Welcome is now a member of the Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame.

Senator Welcome attributed her success to the love and support of her husband, Dr. Henry Welcome. She was quoted as saying, “Everything I’ve done I owe to him, he’s my backer.”

Dr. Henry Welcome was a devoted physician and community leader. He obtained his B.S. in 1932 from Straight College and his M.D. from Meharry Medical College in 1936. He went on to serve his community as a medical instructor at Provident Hospital and as a member of the State Board of Higher Education. The Maryland Higher Education Commission honored him with the Henry C. Welcome Fellowship Grant Program, which makes awards to faculty that contribute to the diversity of some of Maryland’s leading institutions of higher education.

Verda Welcome died in 1990 and Dr. Henry Welcome died in 1979.

“By naming this post office building in their honor, we are engraving into stone our admiration and appreciation for what this great couple did for future generations,” Congressman Cummings said.

Cummings Urges Immediate Passage of Ryan White Reauthorization Act

Congressman Cummings joined local leaders at an October 30 press conference in Baltimore to call for the immediate passage of the Ryan White Reauthorization Act of 2006 (H.R. 5009 and S. 2339). The bill reauthorizes appropriations for HIV health care services programs. The press conference included City Council President Sheila Dixon; Dr. William Blattner, Chair of Baltimore City Commission on HIV/AIDS; Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore City Health Commissioner; and Lennie Green of the Greater Baltimore HIV Health Services Planning Council.

In September, Congressman Cummings voted in favor of H.R. 5009 which passed by a 325-98 vote. However, the bill is currently being held in the Senate in protest of funding levels set by Republicans.

“I remain committed to addressing the global HIV/AIDS pandemic in an effective, efficient way,” Congressman Cummings said. Here in Baltimore City, local officials have declared a State of Emergency with regards to the HIV/AIDS threat.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control, the Baltimore-Towson Metropolitan Area ranks fifth in the nation in AIDS incidence, behind New York, Miami, San Francisco, and Fort Lauderdale. The data further shows that when compared to national averages, HIV/AIDS affects significantly more African Americans, specifically females in Baltimore.

“We know that the federal programs in place, if adequately supported and enforced, can dramatically increase the quality of life for people with HIV/AIDS here in Baltimore and around the country,” Congressman Cummings said. “With the emergence of various new drug therapies and treatments, more people are living with HIV/AIDS now than dying from it. This would not be possible without the help of federal initiatives such as the Ryan White CARE Act.”

He pointed out that the current leadership in the House and Senate insist on flat-funding the Act, while the cost of addressing the disease rises. Flat-funding would be problematic because any increases provided for some states result in cuts to other states – pitting larger states against other parts of the country, such as rural Southern areas—that have an increasing prevalence of HIV cases.

“I urge my colleagues in the Senate to end their hold on the legislation, and pass it when we return to for the lame duck session. This is simply too important to hold over until the next Congress,” Congressman Cummings said. “Republicans in Washington have criminally under-funded the CARE Act, resulting in waiting lists, service cutbacks and lack of care for thousands of people in need.”

He also urged the Bush Administration to do more to defeat the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

“Current funding streams are woefully inadequate, with an estimated 200,000 people in the United States who have tested positive for HIV not receiving life-saving health care and treatment. An additional 300,000 or more are estimated to have HIV/AIDS but are unaware of their status because they have not been tested,” Congressman Cummings said. “Saving lives should be our priority for this reauthorization.”

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Social Justice Organization ACORN Gives Cummings 100% on Legislative Record

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) gave Congressman Cummings a perfect score on its scorecard for the 109th Congress.

The score was based on ACORN’s key issues that represent the organization’s legislative priorities, including voting rights, tax cuts, the federal budget, education, bankruptcy reform, and disaster relief for Hurricane Katrina survivors.

“I am proud to vote for issues that are important to ACORN because it is one of the forefront organizations that fight to improve the lives of working people,” Congressman Cummings said. “ACORN is on the front lines advocating for better housing for first time homebuyers, living wages for low-wage workers, more investment in our communities from banks and governments, immigration reform, and better public schools.”

In September, the Maryland chapter of ACORN gave Congressman Cummings the “Social Justice Award” recognizing him for his advocacy on social justice issues.

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Cummings Responds to the Resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld

After calling for Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s resignation for more than two years, Congressman Cummings was pleased that the Secretary submitted his resignation on Nov. 8 and will serve only until a replacement has been confirmed.

"Secretary Rumsfeld gave no clear direction for winning the war in Iraq or extricating our soldiers from what is increasingly a civil conflict in that nation,” Congressman Cummings said. "Nearly 3,000 American soldiers have been killed in the war in Iraq along with tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians -- and more than 21,000 soldiers have sustained injuries. To ensure that these sacrifices have not been in vain, we must commit ourselves to moving forward with a new strategy toward a shared goal."

Congressman Cummings said that it is critical that the new leadership bring new policies and a definitive strategy for the war in Iraq.

"I am hopeful that Robert Gates, who is expected to replace Mr. Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary, will approach the burden of this office and of our current conflicts with thoughtfulness and with a willingness to work with our new leadership in Congress to craft a new policy that will accomplish our objectives as quickly as possible.”

Federal Grants and Contracts to the 7th Congressional District

Congressman Cummings helped secure the following grants to benefit the residents of the 7th Congressional District.

$11,767,632 for Head Start: This grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be given to the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore to allocate to Head Start projects that serve the child development needs of preschool children who come from low-income families.

$493,944 NASA grant: This will be awarded to Researcher Haiyan Jiang at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, for scientific investigations related to satellite observations of precipitation (rainfall patterns).

$295,712 for seniors’ housing assistance: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has awarded the Corsey Station Apartments, Inc. and Sharp-Leadenhall Associates with Multifamily Housing Service Coordinator grants. Corsey Station received $95,099, while Sharp-Leadenhall received $200,613. The grants provide funding for the employment of Service Coordinators in insured and assisted housing developments that are designed for the elderly and persons with disabilities. The service coordinators provide support to the housing development, as the residents live independent lives.