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.

Please feel free to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.

_____________

Cummings Announces Appropriations for District Projects

The House passed the FY 2007 Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Bill (H.R. 5576) on Wednesday, June 14, which incorporated Congressman Cummings’ funding requests for the following projects in the 7^th Congressional District:

•       $1.5 million in funding for the replacement of Maryland Transit Authority (MTA) buses.  The MTA anticipates purchasing approximately 100 new buses in fiscal year 2007 to replace buses that are more than 12 years old. 

•       $500,000 for the Pindell School Road Bridge in Howard County.  This appropriation will fund the design and construction of a replacement structure for the Pindell Bridge over the Hammond Branch.

•       $150,000 toward the New Song Urban Ministries in Baltimore City to support the construction and build­out of the Ministries’ Pre­School Learning and Community Center.  The Center is a three­story building where services are provided to pre-school students. The funding that is provided will expand the Center to accommodate a computer laboratory, after­school programs, and a lending library for a community in which the median annual income is less than $15,000.

The bill will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

* * *

Student Loan Borrowers Encouraged to Consolidate Loans

In the past few years, college tuition has increased by as much as 50 percent.  This has led many college graduates to begin their careers with as much as $100,000 or more in debt.

“This debt burdens young people as they struggle to pay for car loans, rent, and other living costs that have increased with inflation,” Congressman Cummings said.

For that reason, Congressman Cummings urges borrowers to consolidate their loans as soon as possible.  Loan consolidation allows borrowers of the federal government's Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), Direct Loan or Perkins Loan to combine their federal student loans into a single loan with one monthly payment and one locked-in interest rate, lowering the overall payments both monthly and over the life of the loan.

“But they must do this before June 30, 2006,” Congressman Cummings said.  “On July 1, the interest rates on outstanding federal student loans are expected to rise to just over 7 percent, which would be the highest rate in six years.”

Borrowers who consolidate before July 1st may be eligible to lock in a rate as low as 4.75 percent.  Consolidation may also deliver other benefits to borrowers such as eliminating the need for dealing with multiple lenders.  Further, borrowers who make a set number of on­time repayments or who make payments through automatic banking can obtain additional interest rate reductions.

To consolidate loans, borrowers can call 1­800­557­7392 or apply on­line at
http://www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov.

“By saving thousands of dollars, consolidation would pave the way to a more financially successful future for borrowers,” Congressman Cummings said.

* * *

DHS Funding Cuts to the National Capital Region Decried by Cummings

At a June 15 Government Reform Committee hearing, Congressman Cummings expressed grave concern regarding the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) decision to cut funding to the National Capital Region (which includes Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.) by 40 percent. 

"These cuts could have a major impact on the critical homeland security needs of the Baltimore region," Congressman Cummings said.  "I am curious to know why DHS believes the National Capital Region deserved a 40 percent cut, while small cities that are less susceptible to risk saw significant increases."

He continued, "I do not mean to downplay the importance of security measures across the homeland, but reasonable people can agree that certain regions—specifically those that have been attacked in the past—are more vulnerable than others."

Overall DHS funding (funding for the entire department) was cut by 25 percent this year, but rather than making cuts to regions that are less risk­prone, large cuts were made to New York City and the National Capital Region.

"Every city and small town, it seems, wants its piece of the homeland security pie," Congressman Cummings said, adding, "This would be fine if resources were unlimited.  But we know that they are not."

Congressman Cummings then called for a more reasonable approach to DHS funding.

"Clearly, what we have now is a politicized process.  This is unacceptable.  We must allocate homeland security dollars in an effective and efficient way to ensure the security of all Americans," Rep. Cummings said. 

* * *

MTA Urged to Make Bus Service More Reliable

"CPHA's findings indicate that the MTA bus service is unacceptably unreliable.  It is particularly troubling that four of the routes studied by CPHA remain unreliable despite being altered by the Greater Baltimore Bus Initiative, which was specifically designed to improve service," Congressman Cummings said.

He added, "MTA bus service is essential to the residents of Baltimore, including the 35 percent of households that do not have access to a private vehicle and the nearly 20 percent of workers in the City who rely on public transit to get to their jobs."

The Transportation, Treasury, Housing and Urban Development, the Judiciary, the District of Columbia, and Independent Agencies Appropriations Act for 2007, H.R. 5576, passed by the House of Representatives recently includes $1.5 million in funding that Congressman Cummings  requested to support the replacement of MTA buses. 

"I am hopeful that as the MTA's physical equipment continues to be modernized, attention can be focused on improving the service's on­time performance," Congressman Cummings said. "I look forward to continuing to work with MDOT and the MTA to improve the ability of the MTA's bus service to effectively and efficiently serve the residents of the Baltimore metropolitan area."

* * *

Cummings Sheds Light on Prostate Cancer; Introduces Resolution Recognizing Advanced Imaging Technologies

In conjunction with Men's Health Week (the week preceding Father's Day), Congressman Cummings introduced House Resolution 863, which is intended to bring collective attention to the need to develop better tools for men in the fight against prostate cancer. The resolution calls for an increased focus on developing imaging technologies, which are more accurate and less invasive than current procedures.  The technologies not only detect prostate cancer, but would also help physicians pinpoint the specific location of the cancer.

Despite the fact that prostate cancer affects as many men as breast cancer affects women, men have been less vocal about better treatments for the disease.

“We have much to learn from the women in our lives,” Congressman Cummings said.  “While there are some very commendable patient advocacy organizations that are focused on prostate cancer, there are still thousands of men suffering in silence or in a state of ignorance.  We cannot afford to put our masculinity over our health, our pride over our future.  Men's Health Week is an opportunity for us to start this groundswell.”

According to medical experts, prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States.  Currently, 2 million American men are living with prostate cancer.  It is also the second leading cause of cancer­related deaths for men. The National Cancer Institute notes that in 2005, there were more than 230,000 new cases of prostate cancer in the nation.  In addition, African American men suffer disproportionately from prostate cancer, with an incidence rate 60 percent higher than the rate for white males and with mortality rates double that of white males.

“Faced with these statistics, we need to start getting serious about our diagnostic and treatment options,” Congressman Cummings said.  “We must acknowledge that the state of prostate cancer care is decades behind what it should be.  We need more accurate technology and more reliable weapons in the fight against prostate cancer, including tools such as digital imaging.”

A recent study funded by the National Cancer Institute revealed that PSA blood screening tests, which are the most common forms of testing for prostate cancer, often are not completely accurate.  For example, the study found that as many as 15 percent of men with normal PSA levels have prostate cancer. 

“The PSA test is apparently the best tool we have in the diagnostic field, however, we need to continue seeking new technologies,” Congressman Cummings said.

Congressman Cummings noted that researchers at Johns Hopkins University, located in the 7^th Congressional district, are working on improving the early detection of prostate cancer.  The research involves novel prostate imaging approaches.

“This disease affects all of us,” Congressman Cummings said. “Americans should care about the fight against prostate cancer, not only for health reasons, but because the inaccurate indicators from today's detection methods can create enormous emotional and psychological strain on patients and their families and generate substantial costs for our already overburdened medical system.”

* * *

Success of Drug Treatment Services Applauded by Cummings

Statistics show that more than 19,000 Americans die annually from drug-induced causes.   But a report released by the Baltimore City Health Department shows that the city is making significant progress to reduce these deaths.

Congressman Cummings applauded the recent announcement that drug­intoxication deaths among Baltimore residents in 2005 decreased by 33 percent, reaching the lowest point in a decade. City health officials have linked the drop to increased funding of drug treatment services, an approach advocated by Congressman Cummings. 

"The announcement demonstrates how drug treatment for users goes a long way toward reducing the devastation of drug abuse in our nation,” said Congressman Cummings, who serves as the Ranking Democrat of House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources.  “Because of drug treatment, more people have been able to survive and to rebuild their lives.”

Congressman Cummings has emphasized drug treatment as a central part of our national drug control strategy since he was first elected to the House of Representatives.  In congressional hearings and other settings, he has consistently touted Baltimore as an example for the nation, pointing to the 'Steps to Success: Baltimore Drug and Alcohol Treatment Outcomes' study, conducted by a blue­ribbon panel of researchers from Morgan State University, Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland School of Medicine. That landmark study concluded that providing drug treatment leads to dramatic reductions in the rate of substance abuse, criminal activity and high­risk health behaviors.

"Sadly, over the past six years, we have seen the Bush Administration shift federal drug control funding away from prevention, treatment, and state and local law enforcement, in favor of supply reduction efforts beyond our borders,” Congressman Cummings said. 

He emphasized that Baltimore's success in funding drug treatment has reduced local drug fatalities, as the national death toll from drugs continues to rise.  This clearly illustrates why funding for drug treatment should represent a larger, not smaller, share of the federal drug control budget.

"As we move forward, I will continue to encourage my congressional colleagues on both sides of the aisle as well as the Bush Administration to look at Baltimore's example—and to provide greater support for strategies and programs that are proven to reduce drug abuse and the terrible damage it causes families and communities."

_________

$7.3 million for crime victim services: The U.S. Department of Justice has provided this grant to the Maryland Department of Human Resources to help enhance services to crime victims.

$2.3 million grant for Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: This funding from the U.S. Department of Energy will help develop medical screening programs for former workers of the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LNAL).

$866,000 for the City of Baltimore: The U.S. Department of Justice will provide this grant to Baltimore City to support crime control and prevention services.

$450,000 to protect children online: This award from the U.S. Department of Justice will fund the Maryland State Police’s efforts to investigate crimes against children on the Internet.

$101,764 HIV/AIDS prevention grant: The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene will receive this grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to study HIV/AIDS prevention.