McHugh E-News: An Update from Congressman John M. McHugh
Washington,
Oct 23, 2007 -
Dear Friends,
I hope you find this issue of the “McHugh E-News” useful and informative. As always, I welcome your comments and enjoy hearing from you. It has been a busy summer and fall in Washington and I am eager to update you regarding my efforts on your behalf.
Sincerely yours,
John M. McHugh
Member of Congress
A NEW AND IMPROVED PRESENCE ON THE WEB
Constituent service and outreach is a top priority and I am always looking for new and effective ways to serve the people of the 23rd District. The internet has quickly become a primary tool to inform and interact with the public and is becoming the most widely used news source for many Americans. With that in mind, my office has recently finished a complete overhaul of my Congressional website. Here you will find an easy-to-navigate, one-stop shop for legislative information, constituent services, news updates, and multimedia.
Please stop by my new website and submit your comments.
WASHINGTON WRAP-UP
As a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Ranking Member of its Military Personnel Subcommittee, I have the privilege to work on the annual defense authorization bill. This legislation authorizes funding for our military installations across the country and provides for pay raises and increased benefits for our brave fighting men and women. The legislation also includes projects and programs designed to improve the capability of the Armed Forces.
As residents of Northern New York know, Fort Drum stands as a model for our modern military. Earlier this year the House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization bill includes over $347 million for Fort Drum military construction projects to help maintain Fort Drum as one of the Army’s premier power projection platforms. The bill also authorizes funding for local schools and healthcare systems to further address the needs of soldiers and their families.
Indeed, we must ensure that our service personnel have the necessary resources to carry out their mission and that we provide them with a decent quality of life. The men and women who wear the military uniform of the United States are the backbone of our armed forces. They and their families sacrifice much on behalf of our nation. The House-passed version of the defense authorization bill contains many important benefits, many kinds of added advantages that they so richly deserve.
The bill provides for a basic pay raise that will continue the eight year effort to increase the pay of our men and women in uniform. It also includes the Wounded Warrior Assistance program that I had the honor of working on to address those challenges we saw so very dishearteningly at places like Walter Reed and others. By resisting so-called ‘efficiency wedges’, and cost savings in the TRICARE program generated by raising the beneficiary fees, we’re saving money for those hardworking men and women protecting our interests wherever they may be serving, here at home or deployed overseas, and of course, for their families.
Also critical to carrying out the mission of the United States military are our nation’s dedicated and hardworking federal civilian employees. The House-passed version of the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Authorization bill also includes language addressing collective bargaining and appeal rights for Pentagon employees covered by the National Security Personnel System (NSPS). I remain committed to working on behalf of Fort Drum’s federal civilian workforce and will continue to urge my colleagues to stand firm on the language in the House-passed version of the bill.
Over the last two years, I have led the fight for a comprehensive rural economic development package. Working in concert with several other Members of Congress representing rural areas, I helped develop the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC). The commission was passed by the House of Representatives as part of a larger bill known as the Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act of 2007.
This commission would be a tremendous step toward increasing economic development in the 23rd Congressional District. All eleven counties that in the District are included in the commission region and this would be an important tool in combating many economic challenges found throughout Northern and Central New York. Most significantly, the initiatives acted upon by the commission would be locally driven, with the residents of the communities deciding which projects might work best for them. I will partner with my colleagues in the Senate to see that this legislation becomes law, helping bring hope and opportunity to the people and communities that need it most.
As we map our nation's future, we must also look to our past. During the 110th Congress, I co-sponsored two pieces of legislation that honor events central to the story of Northern and Central New York. Both bills, designed to pay tribute to our history and increase regional economic development, were passed by the House of Representatives and now await action in the Senate.
The first, known as the Hudson-Fulton-Champlain 400th Commemoration Commission Act of 2007, honors the upcoming 400th anniversaries of Henry Hudson's first exploratory sail up what is now called the Hudson River in 1609, and Samuel de Champlain's first exploration in 1609 of what is now called Lake Champlain. Additionally, it commemorates the 200th anniversary of Robert Fulton's Hudson River voyage in 1807 in which he introduced steam navigation on a commercial basis. These men represent a strong legacy of exploration, adventure, and ingenuity that deserve recognition.
In America's infancy, citizens of Northern and Central New York took up arms to defend all that we hold dear. Men and women laid down their lives in defense of our newly earned freedoms and I have sought federal recognition of their great sacrifice. A federally authorized commission would be tasked with planning, encouraging, developing, executing and coordinating programs commemorating the historic events that preceded and are associated with the War of 1812. Numerous battles of significance in the War of 1812 were fought in upstate New York, including Sackets Harbor, Ogdensburg, Oswego, Sandy Creek, Champlain Village, Plattsburgh, and Plattsburgh Bay. Each of these deserves proper appreciation for its contribution to America’s victory.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
In addition to my legislative efforts, I have dedicated myself to ensuring that the 23rd Congressional District receives the federal dollars it needs to maintain infrastructure and fund essential programs that benefit thousands of constituents. Please visit http://www.grants.gov/ to see available federal funding.
The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program helps our rural communities improve water and sewer services, make important housing programs available, and ultimately enrich the quality of life for our residents. Earlier this year, I pushed for full funding of CDBG and that’s exactly what it received. This September, the 23rd District was awarded $9.5 million in federal housing improvement funds, making up 33% of total federal funding awarded to New York’s 29 Congressional Districts. Among the projects funded was housing rehabilitation in St. Lawrence, Jefferson, and Oneida counties, as well as a renovation of the Saranac Lake Senior Center.
Improving air transportation across the 23rd District remains a top priority. Working together with the Department of Transportation, millions of dollars in federal funding were secured for our local airports. Most recently, Massena and Plattsburgh airports received a combined $1.83 million in federal dollars to improve airport safety and keep up with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. My commitment to bringing the citizens of rural America the benefits and economic growth that a vibrant transportation industry provides remains as strong as ever.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development programs offer vital assistance to Northern and Central New York communities. From improvements to wastewater infrastructure to funding health care centers, small business loans, and construction of community government facilities, USDA Rural Development programs have directly improved our local economies. In recent months, the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce received $200,000 in federal funds to support small business owners; Theresa, New York, was given $600,000 in grants and loans to upgrade its drinking water supply and distribution; and Volney, New York obtained $1.3 million to develop a water distribution system. In each case, along with numerous others, I offered my full support for these applications and was happy to help these worthwhile causes earn federal dollars.
The Oswego County Farm Service Agency (FSA) office, which had been on the short list for closure by the New York FSA, will remain open. From the start, I actively opposed the closure. I met with the New York FSA and local farmers, in addition to contacting Mike Johanns, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. The decision to maintain the office is an outstanding development for the farmers of Oswego County and surrounding communities. We owe a debt of gratitude to Senator Jim Wright, Assemblyman Will Barclay, and the entire Oswego County Legislature led by Chairman Russ Johnson, along with several county agencies. Their efforts in saving the Oswego County FSA office cannot be overstated. Because of this decision, hundreds of local farmers will continue to receive the assistance they both need and deserve. It is these hardworking farmers who drive the Oswego County economy, and, as always, I will stand with them and continue to offer them my full support.
McHUGH AROUND THE DISTRICT
Over the past year, I have continued to make a special effort to reach out to constituents who cannot travel to one of my district offices in Watertown, Plattsburgh, Mayfield and Canastota. My “mobile office” forums offer a good old-fashioned face-to-face meeting to anyone who wishes to discuss a federal issue with either myself or one of my staff members. This year I have personally conducted these forums in Tupper Lake, Malone, Massena, Camden, Indian Lake, Gouverneur, Pulaski, Waddington, and, most recently, Rouses Point. Notice of these forums is posted on my website and you are invited to attend upcoming mobile office visits and join the discussion.
|
