"This year, Memorial Day has an even greater meaning.  September 11th has touched all our lives in a profound way, as we witnessed the most tragic event ever on American soil.  Thousands of innocent Americans lost their lives that day—firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, ordinary men, women, and children who are now heroes—and we especially pause to remember their loss.

"Our men and women in uniform dedicate themselves each and every day to defending our freedom and to protecting and saving the lives of their fellow Americans.  They deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.  We owe it to them to make sure their needs are never forgotten or left behind. 

"This week, the United States House of Representatives passed several measures, which I supported, that will greatly benefit our nation’s veterans, including the Jobs for Veterans Act, that will improve employment, training, and placement programs for our veterans in need of work, and legislation to provide an annual cost-of-living increase and expand benefits to veterans and their survivors.

"On Monday, I look forward to being in Hot Springs to attend a special Memorial Day service to honor our fallen veterans, and to spending time with my family.  As we celebrate the Memorial Day holiday, I hope each of you will take a moment to pause and remember all those who have given their lives to make this the great nation that it is today, a nation we are proud to call the United States of America."

Ross Speaks to Pharmacy Conference

On Tuesday, Congressman Ross spoke to the annual Legislative Conference of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) in Washington, D.C.  As the owner of a small town family pharmacy in Prescott, Ross spoke about his perspective on pharmacy-related issues in the United States Congress.  Ross has introduced a bipartisan bill, the Medicare Drug and Service Coverage Act (H.R. 3626), that would create a Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit for seniors.  The measure provides a voluntary, but guaranteed, pharmacy benefit to all Medicare beneficiaries, requiring seniors to pay only an affordable monthly premium and a 20 percent copayment on their medicines.  The bill also includes provisions for medicine management services that would allow pharmacists to ensure that patients are taking their medicines properly, which would reduce some of the enormous burden on our nation's health care system of needless doctor and hospital visits.  NCPA has endorsed H.R. 3626.
 

“This is another big step in making sure that this important funding is released to our state,” Ross said.  “The Great River Bridge project means a great deal to the economy of Southeast Arkansas, and it means a great deal to the future of our nation’s infrastructure.  As the link that will carry the future Interstate 69 across the Mississippi River into Arkansas, it will bring jobs and economic development to an area that badly needs it.  That is why we have been working hard to get this money released, and I am encouraged that we are closer to making that a reality.” 

In the 2002 Transportation Appropriations bill, funding for the Great River Bridge as well as a number of other highway projects across the nation was inadvertently designated by appropriators under improper accounts.  The GRB money was allocated under the Bridge Discretionary Program, an account reserved for maintenance and repair costs for existing bridges.  As a result, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has refused to release the funding as Congress had intended. 

This supplemental appropriations legislation approved by the House specifies that funding for these projects, including the $7.5 million for Great River Bridge, shall be made available as intended.  The money secured for the Great River Bridge will provide for the continuation of the planning and design as well as land acquisition phases of the project located near Arkansas City. 

Overall, the Supplemental Appropriations bill allocates $29.4 billion in additional funding for fiscal year 2002.  Of that money roughly half, $15.8 billion, is for important military operations to continue carrying out the War on Terrorism, and nearly $6 billion goes toward homeland security.  Other needs addressed by the bill include Pell grants; veterans medical care; worker training and assistance; the Women, Infant and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program; and the restoration of $4.4 billion in highway funding, including $52.5 million for Arkansas.

However, also included the bill is a controversial provision, inserted through a parliamentary move by the Republican Leadership, which would raise the limit on the national debt by $750 billion.  Ross called this secretive move to raise the debt limit by such a large amount “irresponsible.”  

“I strongly support providing the necessary funding to carry out our war against terrorism and provide for important things like homeland security and other needs of our veterans and working families,” said Ross.  “But for the Republican Leadership to use this important funding measure to sneak in what essentially amounts to a blank check for increasing the national debt, while raiding the Social Security Trust Fund, is simply wrong.  If we have to raise the nation’s debt limit, we should do so responsibly with a plan on how to pay that money back, just like a family applying for a loan at their hometown bank would have to do.”

The supplemental appropriations legislation now awaits consideration by the United States Senate.

Included in the final bill is a provision authorizing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand its current stockpile of vaccines, medicines, and other supplies in case of a bioterrorist attack.  U.S. Representative Mike Ross (D-AR) called the measure “important for the security of American families as well as another positive step in bringing a vaccine production facility to the Pine Bluff Arsenal.”

Ross said, “In 1994, the Department of Defense named the Pine Bluff Arsenal as the best place in America to put a vaccine production facility.  Unfortunately, they instead chose to use a private company, which as of yet has been unable to deliver bioterrorism vaccines.  By authorizing over $1 billion for the federal government to acquire and maintain smallpox and other vaccines, this measure is evidence of the importance of having an adequate supply of vaccines available should they ever be needed, and it lends further credibility to the argument that a government-owned vaccine production facility be established.  Such a facility at the Pine Bluff Arsenal would bring important jobs to the Pine Bluff area and go hand-in-hand with the ongoing economic development efforts associated with the Bioplex.”

In addition to the vaccine stockpile provision, the legislation authorizes funding for grants to states, local governments, and public and private health care facilities to improve planning and preparedness activities, to educate and train health care personnel, and to develop new drugs, therapies and vaccines.  The bill provides for upgrades and improvements to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and it requires HHS to continue the development and implementation of a plan to carry out health-related activities to prepare for and respond effectively to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.  The measure also contains a number of other provisions, including resources aimed at protecting the safety and security of food supplies and drinking water systems.

“September 11th and last year’s anthrax scare taught us that we cannot discount the threat of a biological attack on American civilians, and we must do all we can, first and foremost, to prevent such an attack, and secondly, to make sure our communities and emergency response teams are prepared in the event one should occur,” said Ross.

The Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Act conference report has now been approved by the Senate and can now head to the President’s desk for signature.