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Congressman Berman speaks at the groundbreaking for the 405 freeway northbound carpool lane as Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and California Governor Schwarzenegger look on. The groundbreaking is the culmination of years of work by Rep. Berman, who obtained significant federal funding for this project, which is critical to relieving congestion on the 405.
How can I help?
If you are a constituent of the 28th Congressional District of California, our office can assist you with matters involving Federal agencies. We also provide for visitors to Washington, DC, and can arrange to have a flag flown for you over the U.S. Capitol building.
GovBenefits.gov
If you are in need of government assistance, but are unsure where to go for information on how to apply, Govbenefits.gov may be the answer. It reduces the amount of research needed to take advantage of government benefits programs by providing information only on those programs most likely to benefit each individual.
Constituents complete a confidential questionnaire and Govebenefits.gov matches their request with the appropriate benefit programs, and provides application information. It contains a wide variety of information on such topics as Medicaid/Medicare, small business loans, scholarships, and disaster relief, to name a few.
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The DTV Transition
On Friday, June 12th, the nation's full-power television stations switched to all-digital programming. This means that analog television sets that are not connected to a converter box, cable, or satellite stopped working. The transition is critical because it frees up airwaves for broadband and enhanced emergency communications for our police officers, firefighters, and other first responders.
Earlier this year, President Obama and Congress worked to delay the digital television transition, because it was clear that many Americans would have been left in the dark had the conversion gone on as planned. In the months since then, we have worked to assist millions with the transition, particularly those in our most vulnerable communities.
What do I need to do to make the transition?
If you currently watch over-the-air television through a rooftop antenna or "rabbit ears," take action now to ensure you have continuous coverage:
Connect your analog TV to a digital-to-analog converter box
Digital-to-analog converter boxes are in stores and have a one-time cost of $40-$70. To help you pay for the converter boxes, the U.S. Government is offering two $40 coupons per household. Please note that it typically takes nine business days to process and mail coupons.
Buy a digital television (a TV with a built-in digital tuner)
You do not need a High Definition TV (HDTV) to watch digital broadcast television. You only need a digital TV (or an analog TV connected to a digital-to-analog converter box). Depending on the signal strength of the DTV channels some consumers may need to move their existing antenna or purchase a new antenna to improve reception. You can learn more at http://www.antennaweb.org.
Subscribe to a paid TV service
If your TV set receives local broadcast stations through a paid provider such as cable or satellite TV, it is already prepared for the DTV transition. Cable companies are not required to transition or switch any of their channels to digital. However, if you have an analog TV that does not receive local broadcast stations through your paid provider, you will need a digital-to-analog converter box to watch digital broadcasts on that TV.
If you have a converter box, a digital television, or subscribe to a paid TV service such as cable or satellite TV, you're ready for the transition!
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