Jack Kingston

Jack will appear on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.  He will be discussing his opposition to the “stimulus” package offered by House Democrats, the meeting in which he participated between the House Republican Conference and President Barack Obama, and his efforts to ensure that only legal workers benefit from any stimulus package.

For local listings, more information, or to watch the show online, visit C-SPAN’s website by clicking here.

Click below to see the Inauguration from ‘Jack’s eye view’.  to view captions of the photos, click on ’show info’

While the hearing is still very much underway, click below to see some opening comments from Jack at today’s hearing on the Pelosi-Obey Stimulus Package:

“Congressman Jack Kingston thinks its time for a real debate to happen, and a vote to be taken, on offshore drilling in America.

That was the topic Kingston discussed at the Richmond Hill Rotary Club meeting Thursday afternoon.

He focused on “conservation, innovation and exploration” as the three components to help with energy issues….” Read more.

A poll released today by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) shows most consumers in Georgia know about the  nationwide switch to digital television (DTV), which will be completed on February 17, 2009.

Conducted March 29 through May 23 by Smith-Geiger LLC, the survey reported  88 percent of Georgia households were aware that full-power television stations  will be switching their broadcast signals and programming to an all-digital format.  Across the country, consumer awareness of the DTV transition is nearly universal at 90 percent.

An estimated 324,420 homes in Georgia rely exclusively on over-the-air television, meaning they watch free TV broadcasts using rabbit ear or rooftop  antennas. These households will need to take steps to receive a digital television  signal by February 17, 2009, when all full-power stations must begin
broadcasting only in digital.

Among the survey’s key findings in Georgia:

• 88 percent of households are aware television is switching to digital
• 33 percent of households correctly stated the date of the transition
• 69 percent of households recalled seeing DTV messages on TV

Led by NAB, broadcasters nationwide are focusing their efforts on educating Americans about the actions they need to take to be prepared for the switch.  Over-the-air viewers must either purchase a converter box or digital TV set, or
subscribe to a pay service, such as cable or satellite. Local television and radio stations will continue running spots that highlight the transition date and the government‘s converter box coupon program, as well as explain the benefits of DTV and the ways consumers can upgrade to digital.

DTVAnswers.com is the official Web site of the National Association of Broadcasters’ digital television (DTV) transition campaign. Launched in January 2007, the DTV campaign’s mission is to ensure that no consumer is left
unprepared, due to lack of information, for the February 17, 2009, federallymandated transition from analog to digital broadcasting.

Washington and, indeed, America is shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of Tim Russert.  Mr. Russert was larger than life figure and the Kingston office’s thoughts and prayers go out to the Russert familiy.

NBC has launched a memorial of sorts on their website.  To view it, click here.

Yesterday, several tornadoes struck Darien, Brunswick, and other areas in the First District.  Kingston staff is on the ground right now doing everything they can to assist in recovery efforts.  As we move forward, Jack will remain in constant contact with local authorities and relevent federal agencies to get whatever assistance we can to help in the recovery.

For those of you who, like us, are still waiting on a Farm Bill we’d thought it be good to give you an update.  Most of the new Farm Bill is written and we’re all hoping up here that everything else will get resolved this week.  Right now, one of the biggest issues is President Bush’s threat to veto any legislation unless Congress prevents anyone making more than $200,000 a year from getting farm payments.  (Right now, that cap is set at $2.5 million a year)

Another big issues is on how much farmers can get from the federal government annually.  President Bush is seeking about $360,000 a year in subsidies.

CQ Today has a great, easy to understand table detailing what provisions have been agreed to so far.  A summary is included below but the chart is available here.

• “A Conservation Stewardship Program that would provide incentives for conserving agricultural
  land. The program, which would cost $12 billion over 10 years, is expected
  to enroll nearly 13 million acres annually for a total of nearly 115 million acres by the end
  of 2017.
• Grants and loan guarantees to support new biorefineries that make cellulosic ethanol.
  A provision allowing livestock farmers to decline an arbitration clause in a livestock or
  poultry contract.
• Compromise provisions regarding country-of-origin labeling of meat, fruits and
  vegetables,peanuts, pecans and macadamia nuts.
• $1.25 billion in commodity purchases for food banks.
• $1 billion to improve child nutrition by expanding the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable
  Snack Program.
• $230 million in research grants for fruit and vegetable growers.
• $120 million in mandatory funds for pending rural development loan and grant
  applications for rural water and wastewater assistance.
• A reduction of 6 cents per gallon in the federal subsidy for ethanol, down to 45 cents
  per gallon.
• A two-year extension of the tariff on ethanol imports.
• New reporting requirements for the Commodity Credit Corporation, a federally owned
  entity that aids farmers in producing and marketing their crops.
• A limitation on farming losses for taxpayers.
• Tax relief for retired or disabled farmers who receive land-conservation payments.
• A deduction for private landowners who help to preserve endangered species.
• Relief for people ffected by tornadoes in Kansas.

(Catharine Reichert, “Aid for Wealthy Farmers at Issue,” CQToday, 05/05/08)

Oscar Arboleda Palacio, Nancy Pelosi’s counterpart in the Colombian House of Representatives, sent her a letter today calling on her to pass the Colombia Free Trade Agreement.  In the letter, Speaker Palacio says:

“The decision of the United States House of Representatives to stay approval of the Free Trade Agreement with Colombia is a blow to the Colombian economy, and affords colonial treatment to us that is unbefitting one of the United States’ staunchest allies.

“The Democratic Party’s decision to involve Colombia in an internal electoral process is unfair, as national policy should rightly be placed above partisan considerations.

“The argument that signing the FTA puts union leaders and workers at risk is even more seriously erroneous, given that under the framework of the Democratic Security Policy, Colombia has made great efforts to prevent crimes of that nature from occurring.  The numbers speak for themselves:  while 196 union workers were murdered in 2002, only 26 such deaths occurred in 2007.  Our goal is to put an end to this scourge and achieve a prosperous, peaceful, developed nation with social justice.

“In order to reach those goals, generate legitimate employment, and strengthen our economy, Madam Speaker, we require the decisive support and cooperation of our largest trade partner.  Colombia’s recent history is painful because hundreds of Colombians have sacrificed their lives in the war on terrorism and drug trafficking, both of which are stoked by consumer nations.

“At this time Colombia needs your invaluable cooperation in the process of the Free Trade Agreement with the United States.”

It seems strange that the Speaker of the House in a nation Democrats consider too backward for us to form this agreement with would be the one who puts policy before politics.  Maybe it’s not Colombia that backwards, maybe it’s House leadership.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

The House Republican Conference has a great compilation of some of the articles supporting the passage of the Colombia Free Trade Agreement (see them here).A personal favorite of our office is Edward Schumacher-Matos’ piece in today’s Boston Globe.He writes: “The agreement, which President Bush sent this week to Congress for an up or down vote, essentially makes permanent the trade preferences that Colombia has had for 17 years. What is new is that the treaty opens the Colombian market to US exports. “So it’s supposed to hurt American jobs if we allow U.S. exports to play on a level playing field with the goods we import from Colombia?  Somehow that just doesn’t make sense.To read the full article, click here. 

The Matson’s World cartoon in today’s Roll Call says it all…

This morning, the House Education and Labor Committee is marking up H.R. 5522 which would require OSHA to change its combustible dust regualtions within 90 days of its enactment.

As you may know, it was a combustible dust explosion that caused the February 7th explosion at the old Savannah Foods (now known as Imperial Sugar).  The investigation is still ongoing as to exactly why the dust exploded and as Jack has said before, we just don’t know what was behind the cause of the tragedy.

Two letters have been sent to Chairman George Miller and Ranking Member Buck McKeon from outside groups in opposition to this bill.  While we don’t know how what the bill will look like coming out of the committee, these letters highlight the risks of a one size fits all approach to the issue.

United States Chamber of Commerce Letter on HR 5522

 OSHA Fairness Coaltion Letter on HR 5522

Check back later for more information.

The Coastal Courier is reporting that the Pentagon has named Fort Stewart’s new commander.

According to the report:

Maj. Gen. Anthony A. Cucolo III will be the next commanding general of Fort Stewart and the Third Infantry Division, the Department of Defense announced Thursday.

Cucolo will succeed Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, whose two-year tour of duty ends this summer.

Cucolo will be coming to Fort Stewart from the Pentagon where he is chief of public affairs for the Army.

The new commander has served at Fort Stewart before. He was a staff officer and then a company commander here from 1985 to 1988. Cucolo has also led a brigade of the 3rd ID. From 1999 to 2001 he was commander of the 3rd ID’s 3rd Brigade which is stationed at Fort Benning.

A mid-summer change-of command ceremony is expected.

Today’s CongressDaily reports that a working group of Senate Republicans released its recommendations on earmark reform yesterday.

According to the article, “it recommends that earmarks be listed in the text of bills, that senators post their earmark requests on their Web sites 48 hours before floor consideration, that money saved from any rejected earmarks go to debt reduction and that executive branch earmarks be listed in a single place.”

These are great recommendations and a great sign of progress in the other chamber.  Unfortunately, they face the same problem we are here in the House - Democrats want no part of reining in spending and reforming earmarks despite all those campaign promises.

For more information on what Jack’s doing on this issue, check out the earmark reform section of our website.