Remembering our troops

The United States armed forces

are engaged in a campaign to disarm the regime of Saddam Hussein and liberate

the people of Iraq. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed House

Resolution 153, recognizing the public need for prayer for the people

of the United States and our armed forces during the war in Iraq and under

the threat of terrorism at home.

The House also passed House

Concurrent Resolution 118 which commends the bravery and professionalism

of the members of the U.S. armed forces and its coalition partners. The

resolution also extends sympathies to the families and loved ones of those

who are killed, wounded, missing in action, or taken prisoner by Iraqi

authorities.

I along with my fellow Georgians

have expressed our heartfelt concern to the family of Chief Warrant Officer

Ronald Young of Lithia Springs, whose is listed as a prisoner of war and

our sympathies to the family of Specialist Jamaal Addison of Roswell,

who was killed in action.

I have spoken throughout the

week to the Under-Secretary of the Army and the commanding generals of

Fort Benning and Warner Robins and have expressed my support for their

mission. I have received their reports that the troops are well-trained,

that morale is high, and that they are ready for the mission at hand.

Keeping the skies friendly,

part 2

I sent a letter to President

Bush encouraging his support for the airline industry. Although the President

did not directly address the airline security needs in the Fiscal Year

2003 Supplemental Appropriations Bill which he sent to the Congress earlier

[last] week, from my discussions with Mitch Daniels at the Office of Management

and Budget, among others, the President has not ruled out the inclusion

of airline industry language in the final supplemental appropriations

bill or in other legislative initiatives.

On Thursday, I introduced a

bill (H.R. 1467) which would impose a 2-year moratorium on the collection

of air carrier and air passenger fees related to security; reimburse air

carriers for certain screening and related activities mandated by the

Aviation and Transportation Security Law; reimburse air carriers for fortifying

cockpit doors also a mandate; reimburse, at the federal government airfare

rate, for the seats used for air marshal transportation; along with extending

aviation insurance coverage through December 31, 2007.

Additionally, I joined with

over 27 of my colleagues as an original cosponsor of H.R. 1380, the Jet

Fuel Tax Suspension Act. H.R. 1380 is similar to bills I have introduced

in past Congresses, and would suspend the current 4.3 cents-per-gallon

portion of the commercial aviation fuel excise tax, saving the airline

industry $600 million each year.

I am not in favor of a "bailout"

for the industry. As I have stated before, the marketplace should and

will drive competition, while the federal government can look for ways

to provide flexibility to the industry to allow them to focus on their

business, and not the red-tape of government-imposed mandates and regulation.

However, I support the need

to reimburse the industry for the significant expenses they incurred because

of federal safety mandates the government imposed to ensure the safety

and security of the flying public.

A reliable and safe air transportation

system is critical to many facets of our economy not just to those individuals

who fly. During this trying time in our war on terrorism, the Congress

must be flexible in providing a business environment which fosters stability

for the more than 30,000 employees of the airline industry who live in

our region.

Protecting our children

On Thursday, with my strong

support, the House of Representatives passed the Child Abduction Prevention

Act (H.R. 1104) in 410 to 14 vote.

The Child Abduction Prevention

Act includes important provisions which will help protect our children

from potential kidnappers and sex offenders. Specifically, the bill would

ensure that those who commit serious crimes against our children cannot

escape prosecution by eliminating the statute of limitations on child

abductions and sex crimes committed against children.

It would also include measures

which would give judges the discretion to require lifetime imprisonment

of released sex offenders.

In addition, H.R. 1104 would

reauthorize and double the authorization for the annual grant to the National

Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Finally, the bill would support

the Department of Justice's effort to establish a national Amber alert

network to facilitate the quick recovery of abducted children.

In recent months, there have

been a wide range of child abductions which have caught the attention

of America. Most recently, Elizabeth Smart was safely returned to her

parents and her family in Utah after being abducted from their home last

year.

This legislation will help

protect our children and prevent abductions and other crimes by keeping

offenders behind bars. For those children who are abducted, H.R. 1104

will build on the current and past efforts of federal, state and local

law enforcement to help return those children to their families safely

and quickly.

Preventing child abuse,

preserving families

On Wednesday, with my support,

the House of Representatives passed the Keeping Children and Families

Safe Act of 2003 (H.R. 14).

This important legislation

would reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA).

Specifically, H.R. 14 would continue the work that began when CAPTA was

first enacted in 1974. In addition to including measures to help identify

and prevent child abuse, the bill also includes measures to increase public

education efforts to encourage appropriate reporting of suspected child

abuse and to help reduce false or malicious child abuse allegations.

The Keeping Children and Families

Safe Act of 2003 will now be referred to the Senate for consideration.

Military taxes

On Thursday, I met with members

of the Georgia Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) to discuss

the MOAA legislative issues for the 108th Congress. The House of Representatives

recently passed one of their major legislative objectives, the Armed Forces

Tax Fairness Act (H.R. 878) with my strong support.

H.R. 878 makes several changes

to the tax code benefiting the men and women in the U.S. military. The

MOAA has a current membership of approximately 80,000 reserve and regular

officers, active and retired, from each of the nation's uniformed services.

I enjoy meeting with military organizations which not only serve their

country, but also help to shape legislation which affects our active duty

and veteran population.

Hampton aviation foundation

On Tuesday, I met with the

Under Secretary of the Army Les Brownlee and members of the Army Aviation

Heritage Foundation (AAHF) to discuss the releasing of surplus military

equipment to organizations such as the AAHF to be utilized in their restoration

and display of military aircraft.

Based in Hampton, the Army

Aviation Heritage Foundation is devoted to promoting the history of military

aviation. The foundation is an all-volunteer non-profit organization composed

of veterans and civilian supporters acting to connect the American soldier

to the American public through the story of Army aviation.

These volunteers are committed

to preserving the aircraft used by our military in securing the freedom

we so enjoy as a nation. The AAHF presents "living history"

programs, displaying and flying World War II, Korean, and Vietnam-era

planes and helicopters.

These "living history"

programs presented at major public venues and air shows are designed to

honor our country's military and its veterans while inspiring the public

and giving them a glimpse of military life, service, and devotion to the

next generation.

Since their founding in 1997,

the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation has devoted more than 150,000 volunteer

hours and $5.3 million in donated funds, aircraft, and equipment in 35

air shows and public presentations to more than 5.5 million people. I

was happy to facilitate this meeting and to assist organizations such

as the AAHF in their continuing support of the military, past, present,

and future.