Dear Friend,

It is both a privilege and an honor to represent you in the United States Congress and I will continue my outreach efforts by informing 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

Announcements

Actions in Washington

Scenes from the 7th Congressional District

Appointments and New Roles

Announcements and Upcoming Events

Seminar on How to Start a Franchise Business: On Saturday, April 21, 2007, from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Congressman Cummings will join Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, the International Franchise Association (IFA), the Small Business Resource Center, and the Greater Baltimore Urban League to demonstrate how women, minorities and veterans can benefit by exploring the rapidly growing franchising sector. The seminar takes place at Coppin State University’s Dining and Meeting Hall Building located at 2500 W. North Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland. This seminar will feature exhibits of franchises and provide information about the fundamentals of owning and operating a business, the legal framework, and how to obtain funding and technical assistance. To register, call (443) 451-7160 or visit http://www.bul.org.

Annual 7th District Job Fair: On Monday, April 30, 2007 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Congressman Cummings will host his annual job fair featuring employers from the hospitality field, universities, banking institutions, healthcare agencies and local, state and federal agencies. The event will be held at the Fifth Regiment Armory, 29th Division Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. The general public is invited and strongly encouraged to attend. 

Congressman Cummings’ Passport Services: Effective January 23, 2007, ALL persons, including U.S. citizens, traveling by air between the United States and Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and Bermuda will be required to present a valid passport, Air NEXUS card, U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Document, or an Alien Registration Card, Form I-551, if applicable. 

Expedited Passports: If a constituent is traveling within 14 days and does not have a valid passport, Congressman Cummings’ Catonsville Office can issue an Expedited Passport Request. The request is a letter addressed to the Special Issuance Agency, asking that the constituent be issued a same-day passport. The constituent must take this letter to the Special Issuance Agency located at 1111 19th Street, Second Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036 to receive a passport. For further information on passport services, please call (410) 719-8777 or visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html

Scholarship:  The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Spouses Scholarship application is available online at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's website, http://www.cbcfinc.org. The scholarship deadline is May 1, 2007. Applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be eligible for the CBCF Scholarship Programs:
• Applicants must reside in the Seventh Congressional District of Maryland or attend a college or university in the Seventh Congressional District of Maryland;
• Applicants must be high school seniors who intend to pursue undergraduate degrees full-time or current full-time undergraduate, graduate or doctoral students in good academic standing at an accredited college or university; and, 
• Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average, exhibit leadership ability and participate in community service activities. For additional information, please contact Ms. Philisha Lane, at (410) 685-9199.

Actions in Washington 

Cummings Supports Passage of U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act, H.R. 1591

As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Cummings joined 217 of his colleagues in passing the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Accountability Act, H.R. 1591 on March 23rd. 

This bill would hold the President and Iraq to the benchmarks the President has stated must be reached in order to resolve the crisis in Iraq. If these benchmarks are not being met in the months to come, this Act would require that our troops be redeployed. At the very latest, troop redeployment from Iraq would be required to begin by March 1, 2008, and be completed by August 31, 2008. 

The legislation also provides additional funding for veterans’ health care needs in the amount of $2.8 billion – which is $1.7 billion above the President’s request. This funding includes $450 million for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder/Counseling; $450 million for Traumatic Brain Injury care and research; $730 million to prevent health care fee increases for our troops; $20 million to address the problems at Walter Reed; and $14.8 million for burn care. 

"As Members of Congress, we no longer have the right to remain silent. In passing H.R. 1591, we take a pivotal step in response to the mandate issued by the American people," Congressman Cummings said. “I strongly believe that this legislation is in the best interest of our soldiers, the people of Iraq, and the people of the United States. The reality of the situation is simple - our troops are staying in Iraq and additional troops are being mobilized at the present time. Our duty to our fellow citizens now fighting for us is to ensure that our troops are prepared - and to provide the highest quality medical care if they return home with injuries. 

On March 29th, the U.S. Senate passed a similar measure. Their measure requires troops to begin redeployment after 120-days of enactment, with March 31, 2008 as the target deadline to have troops completely redeployed from Iraq. However, at press time, President Bush continued to pledge to veto this measure. 

"I urge President Bush against vetoing this legislation so that our troops will receive the additional funding they need to complete their jobs and begin to come home before the fifth anniversary of this terrible war passes," said Congressman Cummings. 

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Cummings Advances Legislation That Provides Better Treatment for Wounded Service Members 

On March 28th, Congressman Cummings championed the passage of the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, H.R. 1538. The bill garnered overwhelming bipartisan support, passing by a vote of 426 to 0.
 
Upon enactment, the bill would improve the management of medical care, personnel actions, and quality of life issues for members of the Armed Forces who are receiving medical care on an outpatient basis. 

"The bipartisan legislation will assist in correcting many of the wrongs that are rampant throughout our armed services health care system, as most recently illustrated in the reports and investigations surrounding the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The legislation represents an initial step in cutting through the bureaucratic tape that can hold wounded service men and women in limbo for months and even years after they return home with injuries from the battlefield," Congressman Cumming said. 

In part, this legislation responds to the needs of our service members by: 

• Providing them with an assigned medical care case manager with limited case loads in order to prevent extensive backlogs;
• Providing medical advocates to stand with soldiers before the medical evaluation board;
• Providing a toll-free hotline that soldiers and their families can use to report inadequacies in care; and,
• Establishing a pilot program to ensure that our service members have a seamless transition from active duty to a veteran’s status. 

Congressman Cummings noted that one of the most important elements of this bill is the formation of a structured Oversight Board that will determine whether our service members are receiving proper medical care. Specifically, this Board will ensure that disability claims are processed in a timely fashion, and provide adequate support for service members and their families. Furthermore, the Board will provide advice and counsel to the Department of Defense and others regarding how these services can be made more effective and efficient.  

This provision includes an amendment introduced by Congressman Cummings in the House Armed Services Committee that provides the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the power to appoint two members to the Board. More specifically, the amendment recognizes the vital role the Department of Veterans Affairs has in administering care to our veterans' especially those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. 

"The amendment makes certain that the pleas of our veterans will be heard by each Department responsible for the continuum of care provided to wounded soldiers," Congressman Cummings said. 

With regards to the overall legislation, Congressman Cummings added, "the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, ensures better access to healthcare, better conditions in outpatient and inpatient treatment, a better means to report substandard conditions and, finally, better oversight." 
 
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Cummings Pushes to Improve Children’s Access to Dental Care 

Like many of his constituents, Congressman Cummings was outraged by the tragic story of 12-year-old Maryland resident Deamonte Driver, who died on Feb. 25th when a tooth infection spread to his brain.  A routine dental checkup might have saved his life, but Deamonte was poor and homeless and he did not have access to a dentist.  His case is not an isolated one, as a resounding 20 million children do not have dental insurance.

Upon learning of this tragedy, Congressman Cummings was motivated to act with a sense of urgency.  He reached out to his colleagues on the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, calling for an investigation and hearing on children’s access to dental care.  Additionally, he joined his colleagues in introducing the Children’s Dental Health Improvement Act of 2007, which would significantly improve services to children like Deamonte.  Finally, Congressman Cummings plans to work with the House Armed Services Committee to request a study into access to dental care in the military.

“Dental health is an integral component of overall health," Congressman Cummings said. “We cannot afford to ignore the need for sound dental care policy any longer.” 

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Cummings Supports Passage of Rail & Mass Security Act - Bill Authorizes $20 Million for Safety in Baltimore Tunnels 

Congressman Cummings, a Member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, voted with 298 of his colleagues on March 28 to pass H.R. 1401, Rail and Mass Transit Security Act of 2007. 

This bill is designed to close the security gaps facing rail and mass transit and includes provisions on such issues as training, grants, security planning, research and development, and shipments of sensitive materials. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to develop a national plan for protecting railways, mass transit and inter-city buses from attacks, and authorizes $6 billion over four years for grants to protect these transportation systems. It also extends "whistleblower" protections to federal employees and contractors and employees of rail, transit and bus systems.

"Ensuring that Americans are safe on our nation’s railways and mass transit system is imperative because every day, 11.3 million passengers use rail and mass transit in the United States, five times more than the number of passengers airlines carry. Sadly, rail and mass transit systems continue to demonstrate their vulnerability to terrorist attacks around the world, as we saw in London, England in July 2005 and Madrid, Spain in March 2004. Despite this fact, rail and mass transit security has been neglected over aviation security. For example, since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, for every $7 we have spent on security for an airline passenger, we have spent only one cent on security for a mass transit or rail passenger," Congressman Cummings said.

Additionally, the bill authorizes $5 million per year over the next four years, to fund urgent safety/security upgrades in the tunnels around Baltimore, including the Baltimore & Potomac and the Union Tunnels. While this would not support the replacement of these tunnels, it will help begin efforts to improve critical safety measures. 

"By passing this legislation, we are staying one step ahead of potential terrorist attacks upon rail and mass transit systems,” Congressman Cummings said. 

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Cummings Supports Passage of Fiscally Responsible Federal Budget Resolution 

Last year, the Republican-led Congress failed to pass a budget, thereby neglecting vital domestic programs that benefit millions of Americans. However, Congressman Cummings and his colleagues corrected this fiscal mismanagement on March 29 by passing the Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2008, H.Con.Res.99. The measure revises the congressional spending for Fiscal Year 2007 and, establishes the congressional budget and appropriate budgetary levels for Fiscal Years 2008 through 2012. 

More than serving as a blueprint for appropriations bills, which fund domestic programs, this legislation also does the following:
• Provides quality health care to our wounded soldiers and veterans;
• Expands health care for our families; and, 
• Provides our children with high quality education. 

By passing this legislation, Congressman Cummings joined his colleagues in setting in motion a process to lower the deficit. In fact, with H.Con.Res.99, the surplus is projected to reach $153 billion in FY 2012, while ensuring more economic stability in the years that follow. 

"We accomplished a monumental task in passing this legislation. During the past four years this nation has been operating under record deficits and for the first time since President Clinton was in office, we will have a balanced budget, correcting many years of fiscal mismanagement," Congressman Cummings said. 

Furthermore, Congressman Cummings was pleased to reject potentially damaging cuts to first responder and terrorism prevention programs. From 2003-2006, Maryland received over $97 million from the State Homeland Security Grant Program. Had the House adopted President Bush’s budget proposal, these grants would have been cut by 52 percent.  

Additionally, H.Con.Res 99 provides other benefits to the citizens of Maryland:
• 486,000 veterans in Maryland will benefit from $3.5 billion that will be allocated to health care services. This amount represents a 9 percent increase from what President Bush requested, and is the largest veterans’ budget increase in American history.
• There are currently 137,000 children in Maryland without health insurance. The budget resolution provides up to $50 billion for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides an invaluable service to millions nationwide. 
• Finally, there are 862,000 children enrolled in Maryland’s public elementary, middle, and high schools. This budget provides schools with nearly $8 billion more in Fiscal Year 2008, which is 11 percent more than the amount requested by the President. This will increase resources for No Child Left Behind, special education and Head Start. 

“In considering the benefits of the budget resolution to the citizens of Maryland, there is no doubt in my mind that we are showing great leadership, determination and responsibility with this legislation," Congressman Cummings said.  

Scenes from the District

Appointments and New Roles 

Cummings Confirmed to the Morgan State University Board of Regents 

The Maryland Senate has confirmed Congressman Cummings as a Member of the Morgan State University Board of Regents. He had previously served on this board from 1999 to 2006. Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley re-nominated Congressman Cummings to the Board on February 16, 2007 to serve another 6-year term. 

"I thank Governor Martin O'Malley, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., Senate President Pro Tem Nathaniel J. McFadden and all the Senators who confirmed my nomination to the Morgan State University Board of Regents. As a board member, I look forward to continuing to help young people gain access to a quality education and to make sure that students who attend Morgan State University are provided with the knowledge and training they need to succeed in the 21st Century global economy," Congressman Cummings said. 

He added, "Further, in my capacity as a Member of Congress, I will work with Board Chairman Dallas R. Evans and University President Dr. Earl S. Richardson to fight for resources to help build and enhance Morgan State University's Research Institutes and its competitiveness for top research grants and contracts." 

Most recently, Congressman Cummings presented Morgan officials with a $990,000 federal grant for the school’s University Transportation Center (UTC), which was secured through the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEALU). This was the first installment of a four-year, $4 million grant. As a key negotiator who drafted the final version of this legislation, Congressman Cummings made the inclusion of this grant his top priority. The funds are now helping the UTC to continue advancing the nation's transportation system through research, graduate and undergraduate level education, and technology transfer. 

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Congressman Cummings Re-Appointed to the Joint Economic Committee 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has re-appointed Congressman Cummings to the Joint Economic Committee (JEC) for the 110th Congress. One of only four Joint Committees established by Congress, the JEC’s role is to make a continuing study of matters relating to the U.S. economy. The Committee is composed of twenty Members from both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives. Congressman Cummings will be the only Member from the Maryland delegation to serve on this Committee in the 110th Congress. 

"I thank Speaker Pelosi for once again giving me the opportunity to serve on this very important Committee," Congressman Cummings said. "As a JEC Member, I will continue to address issues that are critical to my district including the labor market, housing, healthcare and promoting the growth of small business. I look forward to examining these issues from a macro-level perspective. Serving on this Committee is even more crucial particularly given the challenges our economy faces, such as the slowdown in the housing market and the terrible rise in mortgage defaults." 

The JEC was created when Congress passed the Employment Act of 1946. Under this Act, Congress established two advisory panels: the President's Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) and the JEC. Their primary tasks are to review economic conditions and to recommend improvements in economic policy. The Joint Economic Committee holds hearings, performs research and advises other Members of Congress. 

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Congressman Cummings Starts Bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy 

Congressman Cummings has long been an advocate and national leader on this issue of drug policy.  As ranking Democrat of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources, he promoted bipartisan, common sense solutions to our nation’s drug control problems.  In that capacity, he worked closely with Republican Congressman Mark Souder of Indiana, who chaired the subcommittee.  The two Congressmen came from vastly different geographical and ideological backgrounds, but they were able to come together to promote sound policies that work. 

The Subcommittee was dissolved in the reorganization of the full Oversight and Government Reform Committee, but the two Congressmen have maintained their commitment this issue.  As such, they have established the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy, which will work to keep Members of Congress informed of all aspects of the federal drug control policy and budget.  The caucus will focus on the four pillars of an effective drug policy—prevention, treatment, supply reduction, and law enforcement—in order to ensure a balanced and integrated plan aimed at reducing drug use.