Congressman John Lewis E-Newsletter

Congressman John Lewis

E-Newsletter

Leading our Nation in a New Direction

As the summer winds down and Congress returns to Washington, I want to share with you what we’ve accomplished already this year, and the many things that I look forward to working on this fall.   I spent the month of August in Georgia listening to the concerns of Constituents.  Your comments will be my guide as I continue to work on the issues here in Washington. 

Getting Out Of Iraq. This is one of my top priorities.  Those of you who can follow this issue closely know that I have been an outspoken opponent of this war for many years.  My heart breaks when I see the roll call of soldiers who are killed in action.  They are so young.  They never had a chance.  On their behalf, I will continue to speak up and speak out on this issue and will do all I can to push the Democrats to lead the effort to bring our troops home.  We have spent $477 billion on this war and lost over 3700 brave American soldiers. The violence only continues to increase. We must stop this madness, and end this war now.

Record of Accomplishment.  Under Democratic Leadership, this Congress has made real progress for Georgians and the American people—passing a series of important bipartisan initiatives: 

• The House passed an energy bill that will bring energy costs down, make us less dependent on foreign oil, and encourages investment in clean and renewable energy sources.  
• We passed the first minimum wage increase in more than a decade; the first of many steps toward lifting millions of working Americans out of poverty.
• The House passed a sweeping lobby and ethics reform measure.
• The House passed legislation that provides health care to 11 million children under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and ensures that Medicare beneficiaries continue to have access to doctors by reversing a pending cut in doctor’s fees and also we added a new measure to the best preventative services.  
• We passed a sweeping Farm Bill that begins real reform for America’s farmers and strengthens nutrition programs that help countless Americans. 
• We passed legislation that makes the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations law while making America safer.
• The House has also passed a major Innovation Agenda initiative that dramatically boosts math-science education and doubles basic research and development in science.

The Road Ahead. The new Census report shows that we still have a long way to go to change the policies of the last 12 years. The number of Americans without health insurance nationwide rose by nearly 2 million people last year, reaching a record high of 47 million uninsured citizens.  The number of children without health insurance grew by 600,000 to nearly 8.7 million children.  In Georgia alone there are 341,000 children without health insurance – that’s 12.8 percent of all children in Georgia.  People working full-time saw their earnings drop again in 2006 for the third year in a row.  Real household income of working-age families declined by $2,500, while the number of people in poverty has increased by nearly 5 million since 2001.

WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED

On The House Floor:

ENERGY BILL – REAL SOLUTIONS, REAL PROGRESS

On August 4, 2007, my House colleagues and I passed the New Direction for Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act, which will move America toward energy independence through a wide range of solutions.  It is an historic investment in biofuels, new energy technologies and innovation.  This bill will improve America’s energy efficiency and make the federal government a leader in reducing energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions.  

The bill will require utility providers to generate 15 percent of electricity from renewable sources, such as wind power, biomass, wave, tidal, geothermal and solar.  This strong Renewable Electricity Standard will reduce global warming emissions, lower energy prices and diminish the demand for fossil fuel and natural gas consumption, saving $240 billion in electricity costs by 2026.

It extends and expands existing tax credits for producing renewable energy, including solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro, landfill gas and trash combustion and it encourages research on solar, geothermal, and marine renewable energy.  It establishes a $4,000 plug-in hybrid vehicle tax credit for individuals and encourages the domestic development and production of advanced technology vehicles and the next generation of plug-in hybrid vehicles.  The initiative also includes tax incentives for biking to work, encourages people to take mass transit, and promotes cleaner buses, ferries, and trains.

The landmark energy efficiency provisions and renewable electricity standard will not only save consumers and businesses money, but will also reduce carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 14 billion tons through 2030, nearly twice the annual emissions of all cars on the road in America today.

Ways and Means Committee:

CHAMP ACT PASSES – THE MAJORITY IMPROVES HEALTH CARE ACCESS

On August 1, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives took a vital step toward ensuring the future health of America by approving the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act of 2007, one of the most important bills to be considered by Congress this year.

By a vote of 225 to 204 the House passed H.R. 3162, an expansive health care bill that provides insurance coverage for 11 millions of children and improves and strengthens Medicare for America's seniors and people with disabilities.

In the face of a presidential veto threat, the House approved legislation that reverses the Republican drive to privatize Medicare by equalizing payments between traditional Medicare and overpaid private plans. It also makes critical investments in Medicare to ensure the long-term solvency of the program by addressing physician reimbursement rates so that seniors maintain access to the doctors of their choice; expands low-income subsidies; and strengthens safety net provisions in rural areas.

Simply put, the CHAMP Act makes important investments in health care for both the “Greatest Generation" and the next generation without saddling future Americans with mountains of debt.  I will be working this fall to resolve our differences with the Senate and ensure more Americans get the health care they need. 

• To see Congressman Lewis’ speech on the House Floor during the CHAMP Act debate click here.
• Visit the Ways & Means Committee Website for more information: http://waysandmeans.house.gov/MoreInfo.asp?section=25  

Watch Congressman Lewis speak about CHAMP

Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee - Chairman John Lewis
SUPPORTING CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS

As Chairman of the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, Rep. John Lewis held a hearing on charities, foundations and other tax-exempt organizations on July 24, 2007. 

“The volunteers and organizations that make up the charitable community work day after day providing services to our communities that are critical to all Americans and essential to the well-being of our Country," Chairman Lewis said. “The Congress and the public must continue to support this community.  I look forward to beginning a dialogue about the important role charities play in American life.  The Subcommittee will continue its review of tax-exempt issues throughout the 110th Congress, including charities’ efforts to assist diverse communities and other specific areas of concern."

• To read Chairman Lewis’ Opening Statement, click here

UPCOMING ISSUES BEFORE CONGRESS:

Ways and Means Committee:

Tax Fairness
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, I will participate in a hearing this fall on Fair and Equitable Tax Policy for Working Americans.  I am hopeful that we can move toward a system that treats all Americans fairly and allows us to meet our common national goals. 

Diversity of Populations Served by Charities
As Chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee of Ways and Means, I am looking forward to holding hearings this fall that will shed some light on how charities and foundations are serving diverse populations.

On the House Floor:
Expected Legislation for the week of September 4th

H.R. 694 – Minority Serving Institution Digital and Wireless Technology Opportunity Act of 2007 - To establish a digital and wireless network technology program.
H.R. 3020 – Microloan Amendments and Modernization Act - To amend the Small Business Act to improve the Microloan program
H.R.3056 - Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the authority of the Internal Revenue Service to use private debt collection companies, to delay implementation of withholding taxes on government contractors, to revise the tax rules on expatriation, and for other purposes.

Already, the new Congress is working toward the goal of moving America in a New Direction, by creating greater opportunity and a chance for prosperity for all Americans, not just the privileged few.  We still need to do much, much more.  I look forward to communicating with you this fall as we work to make our tax system fairer, to improve health care, and protect our jobs at home, and build a more just and fair society.  Please also visit my web site for more information and updates on issues that are important to you at http://www.house.gov/johnlewis/.

Sincerely,

Congressman John Lewis