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D.C. and District Talk

· Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act

Manufacturing is a key to our nation’s economic vitality and is very important to the economic wellbeing of our nation. That is precisely why the House of Representatives passed the Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005. This bill works to help the manufacturing process by eliminating waste by bringing in new technology and training new workers to run this new equipment.

This bill helps to educate new workers and teachers of the manufacturing sciences. It also works to coordinate manufacturing research and development between the Federal Agencies, getting rid of some government waste.

I am pleased to be a co-sponsor of H.R. 250, because I believe that it will be helpful to our manufacturing sector.

For more information on H.R. 250, please visit the House Science Committee website at www.house.gov/science/.

· Oil Refineries

New legislation is coming before the House of Representatives which will confront the problem of limited oil refining capabilities. I have become a co-sponsor of the Fuel Supply Improvement Act of 2005, H.R. 3836.

Our country has not had a new refinery built since 1976 and oil consumption has done nothing but increase since then. H.R. 3836 will confront this problem head on by streamlining the permitting for new refineries and for increasing capacity at current refineries. It also provides “risk insurance” to cover the cost of delays due to lawsuits or other events out of the control of the applicant.

For more information on H.R. 3836, please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

Constituent Corner

· Katrina Employment Help

The Illinois Department of Employment Security is asking Illinois employers to contact them regarding potential jobs for those who are unemployed due to Hurricane Katrina. Any employers who have such jobs can contact Bill Harrison or Phil Melgosa at 309-343-3100, ext. 213.

The United Stated Department of Labor has a website to aid those unemployed by Katrina at www.jobsearch.org/katrinajobs.

· Hurricane Updates

With yet another hurricane, Hurricane Rita, in the Gulf of Mexico, we need to keep in mind that this will be a long journey to recovery. We are all working hard and everyone’s help is appreciated.

Hurricane Rita is currently heading in the direction of Texas. We would like to make sure that any donations get in the hands of the people who need them. Therefore, as many evacuees start moving yet again, we would like to recommend holding your donations so that they can be sent to new evacuation locations. Keep in mind that a lot of these supplies can be used locally for victims who have settled in Illinois.

For more information, please continue to visit the Federal Emergency Management Agency at www.fema.org, the USA Freedom Corps at www.usafreedomcorps.gov, and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency at www.state.il.us/iema.

· Housing Money Awarded

I would like to congratulate the people of the Public Housing Authorities of Effingham County, Massac County, and Shelby County for their outstanding work. They have earned Graduation Incentive Bonus Awards for helping their residents become more self-sufficient and less dependent on long term housing assistance.

The Effingham Housing Authority was awarded $19,609; the Massac County Housing Authority, $36,882; and the Shelby County Housing Authority, $19,609.

I thank you for your great work and look forward to your continued success.

· Grants for Illinois State Police

The Illinois State Police have been awarded three grants from the United States Department of Justice. The purpose of these grants is to speed work on DNA samples that aid police laboratories in solving crimes.

They will receive grants of $1,309,335 and $80,094 through the DNA Capacity Enhancement Program and $1,175,886 through the Forensic Casework DNA Backlog Reduction Program. Both programs are part of the DOJ’s National Institute of Justice.

For more information on these grants, please visit the DOJ website at www.usdoj.gov.

· First-responder Grants

I am happy to announce three grants to area first responders. First-responders are more than deserving of any money that is awarded them.

White County was awarded a grant in the amount of $25,000 for their First Responder Initiative project. This grant, provided by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development, is going to be used for the purchase of 911 equipment and the relocation of the dispatch center to the County Sheriff’s Department.

Two fire grants were awarded from the United States Department of Homeland Security. The City of Edwardsville Fire Department received a grant in the amount of $80,100 for operations and safety. The Enfield Fire Protection District received a grant for $74,100, also for operations and safety. These grants may be used for training, equipment, wellness and fitness, and modifications to fire stations and facilities.

For more information on these grants, please visit the Department of Agriculture website at www.usda.gov and the Department of Homeland Security website at www.dhs.gov.

· New “Traveling Help Desk” Dates

On Wednesday, September 28, 2005, Jed Nelson of my Springfield district office will be available to help the residents of Altamont and Brownstown. In Altamont, he will be at the Altamont City Hall on 202 North Second Street from 10:30 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. In Brownstown, he will be in the Brownstown Village Hall on 114 East Main Street from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Appointments are not necessary, so feel free to drop by at any time. For more information, please visit my web page at www.house.gov/shimkus/helpdesk.shtml. I hope you stop in to see us!

Legislative Week in Review

· The following bills were passed by the House of Representatives this week:

o H.R. 250 – Manufacturing Technology Competitiveness Act of 2005 (Rep. Ehlers – House Science Committee)

o H.R. 2123 – School Readiness Act of 2005 (Rep. Castle – House Education and the Workforce Committee)

· To keep up to date on legislation as it moves through the legislative process please visit http://thomas.loc.gov and type in the bill number.

Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week

· Congress will be in session from Tuesday through Friday of next week. Some of the legislation which will be considered includes:

o H.R. 3402 – Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 2006 through 2009 (Rep. Sensenbrenner – House Judiciary Committee)

o H.R. 3824 – Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005 (Rep. Pombo – House Resources Committee)

· Want to know more? Keep an eye on the Office of the Clerk’s web site: http://clerk.house.gov/legisAct/index.html. This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.

Did You Know?

· Lewis and Clark Return to St. Louis, MO - 1807

On September 23, 1807, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned to St. Louis, Missouri from the first recorded overland journey from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast. More than two years before this date, these men set out on a journey to explore the Louisiana Purchase, which had yet to be purchased by President Thomas Jefferson. Lewis and Clark returned with a wealth of knowledge on this new area and also laid U.S. claims to the Oregon Territory.

Thank you for the interest in my newsletter! Remember to tell your friends about it as well--they can sign up on my web page at http://www.house.gov/shimkus.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Shimkus

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