Representing the 7th U.S. Congressional District of Maryland
http://www.mail.house.gov/cummings
2235 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-4741 (tel.) (202) 225-3178 (fax)

May 24, 2005

Dear Constituent:

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 legislative action. 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 one of my district offices, listed on the following pages. In Howard County, my staff and I make regular outreach visits at various community centers. We look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Elijah E. Cummings
Member of Congress

In an effort to provide constituents with the most current information available on events in the community, Congressman Cummings would like to inform area residents that the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) announced a new effort that will result in changes to bus service in the Baltimore region.

Through this effort, known as the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, the MTA plans to significantly restructure bus routes and schedules throughout Baltimore and surrounding communities. The new routes will be introduced in the fall of this year.

Additional information about the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, including information on specific proposed route changes, may be obtained from the MTA’s website, http://www.mtamaryland.com/MTA_GBBI.cfm or by calling the MTA’s Transit Information Center at (410) 539-5000.

The MTA plans to hold a series of public meetings in June to solicit citizen input and comments on its proposed route changes. The meeting schedule is available by clicking on the link provided above.

II. Representing Maryland's 7th Congressional District in Washington

On May 19, Congressman Cummings joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and the Congressional Black Caucus in a press conference to speak out against attempts by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to implement the “nuclear option,” which aims to destroy the filibuster, a key element of democracy.

Immediately before the press conference, the Congressional Black Caucus delivered a letter to Majority Leader Frist urging him to reconsider implementing the nuclear option. Congressman Cummings, who is the most recent past Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), signed onto the letter.

For more than 200 years, both Democrats and Republicans have used the filibuster (which allows a Member of the Senate to block a controversial vote) as a tool to voice the concerns of the Minority party. The filibuster stays in place unless a minimum of 60 senators vote to release the block. However, under the “nuclear option,” a filibuster could be released with only 51 votes. Although the filibuster has not always been a friend to the civil rights community, as its use delayed the passage of key civil rights legislation in the 1960s, Congressman Cummings is pushing to preserve this significant procedure that was created by our Founding Fathers.

“I strongly disagree with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s plan to silence the opposition’s voice,” Congressman Cummings said. “His proposed 'nuclear option' will keep the Senate Democratic Minority from being able to speak up for the millions of Americans they represent.

Congressman Cummings noted that most recently, Senate Democrats used the filibuster to rightfully obstruct 10 of President Bush’s most controversial judicial nominees.

“I do not oppose these judges solely due to their conservative philosophies. Rather, as a lawmaker and an attorney by profession, I am concerned about their competence in interpreting the law,” Congressman Cummings said.

Analyses by legal organizations have determined that the controversial nominees made decisions based upon their own versions of our legal principles.

“Poor judgment of the law not only impacts our legal system, but more importantly, these judgments determine the fate of people who often turn to the federal appellate court as a last resort,” Congressman Cummings said.

Congressman Cummings then added that the Constitution specifically states that nominations to federal appointments must be made by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate.

“‘Advise and consent’ does not mean blindly concurring with the President's nominations,” Congressman Cummings said. “The nuclear option is not characteristic of our democracy. I therefore urge my Republican colleagues to work together with Democrats to preserve the checks and balances upon which our democracy is based.”

On May 23, the Senate reached a compromise deal averting the implementation of the nuclear option. The deal assured an up-or-down vote on three controversial judicial nominees (instead of the blocking currently in place), a commitment to filibuster a judicial nominee only in extreme circumstances and a request to consult with Senators of both parties before the President submits a judicial nominee.

In his capacity as a Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congressman Cummings is urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to thoroughly assess the safety and security of tunnels along the nation’s highways, transit, and railroads.

In her concurring opinion to the National Transportation Safety Board’s brief on the 2001 Baltimore tunnel fire, Board Member Debra Hersman observed that detailed information about the ages, conditions, and maintenance records of railroad tunnels is not accessible. Ms. Hersman argued that there is a “need for comprehensive and systematic assessment and management of railroad tunnels.”

In addition, the Federal Railroad Administration, which regulates the safety of railroads, has no requirements for the inventory and inspection of railroad tunnels. DHS, which is responsible for the security of transportation infrastructure, reports that it is conducting assessments of ‘high threat’ transportation infrastructure. These assessments are not, however, comprehensive assessments of the vulnerability of tunnels along the entire transportation network in the United States.

Congressman Cummings noted, “The lack of centralized information on transportation tunnels should raise an alarm because a terrorist attack in a tunnel - such as the tunnels around Baltimore, which carry the primary rail arteries along the nation’s Eastern Seaboard - would pose a grave threat to surrounding communities, cripple our nation’s rail transportation network, and undermine our entire economy.”

Congressman Cummings also raised concern that federal spending on aviation far exceeds spending for surface transportation security, even though more people use surface transportation on a daily basis. In fiscal year 2005, aviation security efforts received $4.5 billion, while surface transportation received only $32 million.

“Such a disparity in spending between two essential transportation modes is simply not in the best interest of our homeland,” Congressman Cummings said.

On May 17, as Congress considered the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006, (H.R. 1817) Congressman Cummings introduced an amendment to the bill that would have required DHS to assess transportation tunnel security and share its findings with state and local officials. Although the House Committee on Rules did not make the amendment in order during consideration of the bill, Congressman Cummings will continue pushing for increased federal attention to tunnel security.

After participating in a House Government Reform Committee hearing about the Food and Drug Administration’ s (FDA) role in notifying the public about the dangers of popular prescription drugs, Congressman Cummings expressed concern about the agency’s failure to act in an expedited manner.

During the May 5 hearing, Congressman Cummings listened to testimony that revealed that the FDA had information about the risks of the popular painkiller Vioxx, but did not immediately remove the drug from the market.

Often prescribed for pain associated with arthritis, Vioxx’s parent company Merck took the drug off the market in September 2004 after finding evidence that the drug caused at least 140,000 serious health complications such as heart problems.

“To ensure that more Americans are not exposed to unnecessary risks, Congress should seriously consider reform of the FDA to improve drug safety oversight,” Congressman Cummings said. “Using prescription medication should not be a game of chance where patients bear the risk of illness or death, nor should it be an act of blind faith where patients can only hope that they are safe.”

Congressman Cummings said that the reforms would possibly include revised policies and procedures that would allow the agency to take action on the unsafe drugs as soon as their dangers are known.

Congressman Cummings participated in a program to donate wheelchairs to the William S. Baer School, a school located in Baltimore City designed to serve children with severe physical and mental disabilities.

The ten wheelchairs were provided by the Wheelchair Foundation, a non-profit, 501(c) 3 organization that delivers over 10,000 wheelchairs worldwide per month.

“I am excited to be a part of this wheelchair donation to the Baer School,” Congressman Cummings said during the presentation. “These wheelchairs will provide deserving students with the freedom of mobility and a pathway out of confinement.”

According to the Wheelchair Foundation 100 to 150 million physically-disabled people worldwide need a wheelchair but cannot afford one. Because of this, those who are unable to walk are often confined to back rooms, forced to crawl or lie in a corner for years at a time, and have no choice but to depend upon family and friends to get around.

Sherri Harris, assistant to the principal at the William S. Baer School, said “These wheelchairs will give our students the opportunity to participate in society and also help raise their self-esteem.”

The Baer School, founded in 1933 for students with polio, now provides quality service to children with multiple disabilities from all over the city of Baltimore.

• Restore Open Government Act of 2005, H.R. 2331: Restores and strengthens the laws that provide for an open and transparent federal government.
• Student Bill of Rights, H.R. 2178: Provides for adequate and equitable educational opportunities for students in state public school systems.
• Health Security for All Americans Act, H.R. 2133: Guarantees quality, affordable and comprehensive health coverage for all Americans.
• New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century Act, H.R. 2131: Improves benefits for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, dependents and survivors
• Small Business Health Insurance Promotion Act of 2005, H.R. 2073: Provides tax subsidies to encourage small business employers to offer affordable health coverage to their employees.
• Family Care Act of 2005, H.R. 2071: Expands health insurance coverage to parents of children enrolled in State children’s health insurance programs (SCHIP).
• Medicare Early Access Act of 2005, H.R. 2072: Gives individuals between the ages of 55 and 65 access to Medicare benefits through refundable credit against their income taxes.
• Advance Directives Improvement and Education Act of 2005, H.R. 2058: Improves access to information about individuals’ health care options and legal rights for care near the end of life.
• Predatory Mortgage Lending Practices Reduction Act, H.R. 1994: Protects home buyers from predatory lending practices.
• Airport Screener Technology Improvement Act of 2005, H.R. 1818: Makes funds available for the Aviation Security Capital Fund to establish a Checkpoint Security Fund.

Congressman Cummings announced the following federal grants that he helped secure for the 7th Congressional District. In securing these funds, Congressman Cummings worked with Maryland’s U.S. Senators Paul S. Sarbanes and Barbara A. Mikulski, and Congressmen Benjamin L. Cardin and C.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger.

• $656,233 National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research Grant: This amount will be awarded to Johns Hopkins University to help fund research involving HIV-infected patients.
• $600,624 Department of Justice Grant: This grant for the Maryland State Police will help the department to solve cold cases with DNA analysis.
• $400,000 Housing and Urban Development Grant: The funds for Cooperative Services will help provide affordable housing for seniors.
• $200,000 Health & Human Services Grant: This award for the National Healthy Start Association will help fund maternal and child health.
• $200,000 EPA Grant: The National Aquarium in Baltimore has received this grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up an 11-acre brownfields site at the base of the Hanover Street Bridge. The site, which includes a Baltimore Department of Public Works Central Maintenance Garage, will be rehabilitated as part of the first phase of the development of the Aquarium’s Center for Aquatic Life and Conservation.
• $160,029 AmeriCorps Grant: The funds for the Maryland Governor’s State Office on Service and Volunteerism will provide stipends for 13 AmeriCorp community service volunteer positions.
• $107,515 Institute of Museum and Library Services: This grant will be awarded to the Walters Art Museum to preserve significant art collections.
• $81,375 National Cancer Institute Grant: The Johns Hopkins University will receive this grant to conduct research on how cancer affects Korean American women.

Baltimore Office
^{1010 Park Avenue, Suite 105
Baltimore, MD 21201
(410) 685-9199 and (410) 685-9399 fax}

Catonsville Office
754 Frederick Road
Catonsville, Maryland 21228
(410) 719-8777 and (410) 455-0110 fax

Howard County Outreach Centers
First Monday of the Month:
Glenwood Library, 2350 Route 97
Cooksville, MD 21723
Hours: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM or by appointment

Second Monday of the Month:
Howard County Central Library
10375 Little Patuxent Pkwy.
Columbia, MD 21044
Hours: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM or by appointment

Second Wednesday of the Month:
Savage Library, 9525 Durness Lane
Laurel, MD 20723
Hours: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM or by appointment

Third Monday of the Month:
Florence Bain Senior Center
5470 Ruth Keeton Way
Columbia, MD 21044
Hours: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM or by appointment

Fourth Monday of the Month:
Miller Branch Library, 9421 Frederick Road
Ellicott City, MD 21042
Hours: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM or by appointment
For more information, call (410) 685-9199