Transit Security Keynote Address: On Wednesday, September 7, 2005, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., Congressman Cummings will discuss transit security with national reporters at the Lawmaker’s Breakfast at the National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th Floor - Washington, DC 20045. For more information, call (410) 685-9199 or e-mail newslettercummings@mail.house.gov.

Opening of Howard County Office: On Thursday, September 8, 2005, Congressman Cummings will open a new Howard County office to better serve area constituents. The office will be located at the Ellicott Mills Station Post Office, 8267 Main St. Ellicott City, MD, 21043. The phone number will be (410) 465-8259.

Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 35th Annual Legislative Conference: Wednesday, September 21 to Saturday, September 24, 2005, at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For more information, call (202) 263-2800.

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

On Sunday, August 12, Army Specialist Toccara R. Green, 23, became the first Maryland woman to be killed in action in Iraq. In response to this sad news, Congressman Cummings released the following statement:

“I am saddened to learn that Army Specialist Toccara R. Green was killed while serving our country in Iraq. Specialist Green served her country selflessly while doing what she loved: ensuring the strength of military vehicles as a motor and transport operator for the U.S. Army.

“While I did not know Specialist Green personally, I am inspired by her life and the legacy that she leaves. She was known as the ‘unofficial morale officer’ for her unit who always sought to turn the negative into a positive.

“Specialist Green gave our nation her best, and I believe that her courage will empower generations yet unborn.

“My prayers are with her mother and father, Yvonne and Garry M. Green, Sr., brother Marine Staff Sgt. Garry M. Green, Jr., sister-in-law Kim, nephew Jaylin, and all the family and friends who have been touched by her life.”

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Congressman Cummings has called on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take immediate action to close the disparities that have been uncovered in Medicare-funded health care provided to people of color.

In three studies published in the August 18, 2005 edition of the New England Journal Medicine, it was found that African American Medicare recipients were less likely to get certain types of life-saving surgeries, even when the overall medical needs were the same. Despite substantial attention to the prevalence of health care disparities, this gap grew significantly between 1992 and 2001 - especially for procedures such as back surgeries, heart valve replacements, hip and knee replacements and appendectomies.

“The study found that right here in Baltimore, black men enrolled in Medicare were 63 percent less likely to receive heart bypass surgeries than whites. This is a disappointing finding given that African American men have higher rates of cardiovascular disease,” Congressman Cummings said.

After the studies were released, Congressman Cummings immediately wrote to Mark McClellan, M.D., Ph.D., the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

In the letter, Congressman Cummings asked Dr. McClellan what could account for such an obvious racial bias in the provision of care to African Americans in a government-run, taxpayer-funded program. He also inquired why health care providers who receive Medicare/Medicaid funds are not properly monitored - given the fact that oversight has shown to reduce disparities in care. Congressman Cummings then urged Dr. McClellan to expedite the availability of federal awards to support Demonstration projects - that would help fund programs to improve early detection and treatment of cancer among minorities.

“The enactment of immediate changes in the oversight of the Medicare system is literally a matter of life and death for the millions of elderly African Americans who depend on Medicare for their health care. I therefore call on you to make closing this life-threatening gap your highest priority,” Congressman Cummings said in the letter.

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On August 15, Congressman Cummings applauded the decision by U.S. District Judge Rosemary M. Collyer to block new workplace rules for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which were scheduled to take effect that day.

If implemented, the new rules would have substantially restricted the right of DHS employees to bargain collectively regarding the terms of their employment and to enforce agreements reached through these bargaining processes. For instance, under the proposed regulations, critical issues such as staffing and deployment would not be subject to bargaining.

Judge Collyer, who presides over the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, ruled that the new human resources system violates the rights and protections granted by Congress to federal employees. The decision confirmed that the authority granted to the DHS under this new system undermines federal commitments guaranteeing employee protections, management accountability, and collective bargaining rights to federal employees.

“This decision is an enormous victory for workers rights. If upheld, this may also help ensure that DHS does not become simply the first in a long line of government agencies where workers’ rights are weakened by an Administration intent on rolling back the commitments we have made specifically to our civil servants.”

Congress created the Department of Homeland Security after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The Homeland Security Act of 2002 consolidated twenty-two agencies -- including nearly 180,000 employees - making the DHS the second-largest federal government agency. The law gave the DHS broad authority to develop a personnel system that was not required to adhere to many existing civil service requirements.

“While national security remains our top priority, it is clear that collective bargaining rights or employee protections in the civil service create no specific obstacle to protecting our homeland,” Congressman Cummings said. “DHS employees stand on the front line of our nation’s homeland defenses, protecting our borders, our coasts, our ports, and our airports. They risk their lives everyday to secure our nation, and we owe it to them to fight to ensure that they are able to enjoy their rights as employees of our federal government.”

Congressman Cummings has helped secure the following grants that will benefit the residents of the 7th Congressional district.

$304,425 Biotechnology Grant: The University of Maryland’s Biotechnology Institute will receive this grant to conduct research on aging. The grant comes from the National Institute of Aging under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

$297,600 Housing and Urban Development Grant: This award will go to the City of Baltimore to cover costs associated with the relocation of the Central Garage.

$170,591 Cancer Research Grant: Robin Medical, Inc. in Baltimore will receive this grant to develop technology that will detect and diagnose cancer.