Medicare Regulatory and

Contracting Reform Act of 2001 (H.R. 2768)

On Oct. 11, the House Committee

on Ways and Means passed the Medicare Regulatory and Contracting Reform

Act of 2001 (H.R. 2768), which I supported.

Increasingly, doctors and other

health care providers are faced with more regulations and paperwork under

Medicare. As a result, providers are spending increasing amounts of time

filling out required forms and decreasing amounts of time caring for patients.

Instead of continuing to struggle with burdensome regulations and paperwork,

some doctors are choosing to withdraw from the Medicare program altogether,

forcing their senior patients to either find a new doctor or pay for their

medical expenses out of their own pockets.

The Medicare Regulatory and

Contracting Reform Act of 2001 addresses these issues by decreasing the

regulatory burden placed on providers by the Medicare program. H.R. 2768

takes sensible steps to educate providers and clarify Medicare processes

and provider rights. It also protects efforts to eliminate waste, fraud,

and abuse in Medicare. While much work remains to be done in reforming

Medicare, this legislation takes an important first step by relieving

providers of the current regulatory burden and freeing time so that providers

can offer their patients the care they need.

House passes Labor, HHS,

Education appropriations bill for 2002

Throughout my service in Congress,

I have supported common-sense education policies. I firmly believe that

we must shift resources from a bloated Washington bureaucracy to states,

parents, teachers, and schools so that they may provide their children

with the education they need and deserve. In fact, with that in mind,

I became an original cosponsor of President George W. Bush's plan for

education reform, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (H.R. 1). H.R.

1 was passed by the House of Representatives May 23.

The Labor, Health and Human

Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 3061)

that the House passed Oct. 11, with my support, will fund H.R. 1, among

other important initiatives. In fact, it includes $975 million for what

I believe is the most important component of the president's proposal,

the Reading First Program. In addition to the education funding to support

H.R. 1, this appropriations bill provides adequate funding for healthcare

initiatives, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the

Bioterrorism Preparedness to be utilized by the Centers of Disease Control

and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and the Office of Emergency

Preparedness.

Letter to National Security

Advisor Condoleeza Rice supporting general aviation

Following the horrible attacks

Sept. 11 many general aviation pilots and airport operators in Georgia

contacted our congressional offices. Their concern remains the prohibition

to operate general aviation aircraft inside Class B Airspace. This prohibition

was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in conjunction

with the National Security Council.

Although I appreciate the current

increased state of security throughout our nation, it has become clear

over the past month that general aviation plays an integral role in our

nation's and state's transportation system, economy, and way of life.

In fact, throughout the Atlanta Metropolitan Area there are approximately

2,230 general aviation aircraft and nearly 7,000 pilots, based out of

17 airports that have been impacted by this "ground hold."

In response to the many phone

calls, letters, e-mails, and faxes from my constituents, I sent a letter

to Dr. Condoleeza Rice, the National Security Advisor to the President.

I also have contacted the Honorable Norman Minetta, the Secretary of Transportation,

and Ms. Jane Garvey, the Administrator of the FAA. I have asked for the

rationale behind the prohibition and an expected time table for lifting

this ban.

In addition, I have asked that

they consider decreasing the size of the Class B Airspace to allow airplane

operators to move their planes to other facilities where they may be able

to utilize them. I thank those who brought this important issue to my

attention and pledge to continue working for a reasonable solution.

Letter supporting the right

to own surplus military equipment

I joined with several colleagues

to express my concerns with language in the 2002 Defense Authorization

Act. The section of the bill with which I am concerned would make it a

crime for any person to be in possession of military equipment formerly

owned by the U.S. Department of Defense, including aircraft, vehicles,

radios, collectible firearms, and other items. In addition, the bill would

allow these items to be confiscated from their current owners, and be

demilitarized (destroyed).

The overwhelming majority of

these surplus military items have been legally obtained and are now displayed

and demonstrated by military history museums, including the Army Aviation

Heritage Foundation & Flying Museum. The primary purpose of these

museums is to educate and reconnect the American people with the U.S.

military by telling the story of America's proud and distinguished past.

These surplus military items no longer represent a threat to our national

security. The language is not included in the House version of the bill,

but it is included in the Senate version of the legislation. I will continue

to work with my colleagues to ensure this provision is removed from the

final bill.

Budget Committee markup

One of the committees on which

I have had the pleasure of serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

has been the Budget Committee. I will continue to stand firm in supporting

a conservative, fiscally responsible budget process which supports the

need to have a balanced budget, pay down the national debt, secure our

nation against enemies, protect the long-term commitments we have made

to our seniors, and return hard-earned tax dollars to the wage earners

of this country.

Because of the attacks of Sept.

11, the current downturn in the economy, and the war effort against terrorism,

it was inconceivable that the Congress, during this time of crisis, could

stay within the original boundaries of our budget resolution from earlier

this year. However, we have worked hard to stay true to that intention.

On Oct. 11, our Budget Committee drafted and passed by voice vote a resolution

that will limit the discretionary budget authority to $686 billion. In

addition, the bill requires President Bush to provide an analysis to the

committee detailing the spending related to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Working with the Department

of Transportation on airport security

Last week I spoke with Deputy

Secretary of Transportation Michael Jackson about concerns with airline

safety. In the conversation, I made several suggestions on how to use

existing airline personnel to raise security standards by using the $4.5

billion cash infusion Congress gave to the airlines to retrain and reassign

personnel to man x-ray stations and metal detectors. I also conveyed that

many security checkpoints at the nation's airports are closed, because

of staffing shortages, causing backups of passengers and bottleneck delays.

In response to my concerns,

Deputy Secretary Jackson outlined measures they have already taken to

verify passenger identification at jetways on all flights originating

from and terminating at Reagan National Airport and that those measures

are imminent for all domestic flights. Jackson also mentioned that security

personnel are conducting random magnetic wand checks at the boarding gates.

We are pleased to see the responsiveness

of the Department of Transportation to this serious concern and are encouraged

that they have implemented common sense solutions to this challenge. We

will continue to work with the various departments and agencies to see

that the proper steps are taken to keep America's skies safe.

PATRIOT Act of 2001

On Oct. 12, the House of Representatives

passed the PATRIOT (Provide Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and

Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001 (H.R. 2975). This legislation represents

the collective efforts of the Administration and the Congress to address

the threat of terrorism on American soil and around the world.

In order to win the war on

terrorism, our intelligence and law enforcement communities must have

the modern tools needed to seek out terrorists and obstruct their attempts

to murder innocent people. In addition, the bill increases the ability

of our law enforcement officials to prosecute these evildoers and those

who harbor them. As our military is seeking justice abroad, so must our

law enforcement community be able to seek justice within our own borders.

Among the PATRIOT Act's provisions,

it eliminates the statute of limitations for terrorism offenses. In addition,

the bill expands the wiretap and surveillance authority that can be used

to capture and convict terrorists. It also allows the Immigration and

Naturalization Service to detain a foreign national for up to seven days

to establish identity and verify background information. This will help

ensure that the INS is not forced to release a terrorist because there

has not been adequate time to conduct a thorough investigation.

The bill also addresses the

concerns raised about protecting the civil rights that we value as Americans.

The law would provide that the President can review the PATRIOT Act's

effectiveness in three years and authorizes him to extend the sunset date

for an additional two years giving the bill a provisional sunset of five

years at which time Congress could review the law's effectiveness and

decide whether or not it should be continued.

Trade promotion authority

On Tuesday, the Committee on

Ways and Means reported the Trade Promotion Authority (H.R. 3005). This

legislation provides President George Bush the authority to negotiate

trade agreements with other nations on an expedited basis. This year's

authorization bill contained several positions aimed at strengthening

the role that Congress plays in this process. Specifically, the measure

expands provisions requiring the President and his appointed negotiators

to consult with Congress prior to entering into negotiations with foreign

countries on trade issues. The measure calls for the creation of a new

congressional oversight group tasked with reviewing proposed negotiating

objectives and providing input prior and during negotiations. If Congress

concludes that the President and his advisors have failed to consult,

then the expedited procedures for approval of the proposed trade agreement

would not apply.

Additionally, I was able to

add provisions to the bill affecting potential negotiations that deal

with U.S. textile products. Specifically, the language would direct the

President to work to open foreign markets to U.S. textiles and apparel.

These competitive opportunities for U.S. goods include reducing tariffs

on these products in major textile and apparel exporting countries to

the same as, or lower than, those in the United States.

Furthermore, my additional

language expresses the negotiating objective of reducing or eliminating

subsidies that decrease market opportunities for U.S. exports of textiles

and apparel. Finally, my provision would create an objective of ensuring

that countries that are members of the World Trade Organization immediately

implement all of their obligations to provide effective market access

for U.S. exports of textiles and apparel.

This provision is critical

for the textile and apparel industry to compete in a more open, equitable,

and reciprocal market, while reducing distortions that decrease market

opportunities for the United States textile industry.