News

Pickering's Mississippi E-Memo
Congressman Chip Pickering
Friday - 02/03/2006 - #50

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: The House of Representatives passed three significant measures this week. First, the Deficit Reduction Act includes $2 billion in Medicaid relief funding for Hurricane Katrina affected areas. This provides a projected savings of about $700 million for Mississippi by paying much of the state's Medicaid cost with federal funds. The Deficit Reduction Act seeks to increase fiscal restraint in federal spending. (For more details: www.house.gov/pickering/releases/feb06/Medicaid.htm)

Second, the House passed a one month extension to the USA Patriot Act which enables law enforcement and intelligence agencies to continue sharing information to prevent terrorism. The measures allows law enforcement to use the same tools against terrorists currently in use against drug lords and organized crime, and it updates current law enforcement statutes to reflect new technologies and threats.

Third, the House changed internal rules to prevent former Members who have become registered lobbyists from using their lifetime floor privileges and exercise facility benefits to lobby current members of Congress. This is the initial step in a broader and deeper lobbying and ethics reform package the House anticipates passing this year.

President George W. Bush presented his fifth State of the Union Address this week. Congressman Pickering said, "President Bush described an agenda of energy security, free market healthcare, fiscal discipline, economic expansion, national security and a commitment to policies to help not only us in Mississippi rebuilding from Hurricane Katrina, but those across the country, and through the spread of freedom and prosperity, peoples around the world. The President presented a vision for achievement through creativity, determination, and technology. As the Mississippi delegation continues our work in hurricane recovery and rebuilding, we know these efforts affect not just our own state and our neighbors, but also the nation's economy as a whole, and we are committed to achieving a stronger Mississippi and America." (For more details: www.whitehouse.gov/stateoftheunion/2006/index.html)

Congressional Republicans chose Representative John Boehner of Ohio as the new House Majority Leader and Adam Putnam of Florida as the new House Republican Policy Chairman on Thursday.

GO-ZONE BENEFITS FOR 3RD DISTRICT: The Gulf-Opportunity Zone, a tax and business incentive package passed by Congress late last year to assist Mississippi in recovering from Hurricane Katrina, benefits not just the Mississippi Gulf Coast but 47 counties in Mississippi including every county in Mississippi's Third Congressional District. The measure expands low-income housing tax credits within the Zone, increases Rehabilitation Tax Credit to help restore commercial buildings, allows Employer Provided Housing Incentives, allows 50% Bonus Depreciation within the Zone, provides enhanced Section 179 expensing for Small Businesses, extends Net Operating Loss Carryback, provides for expensing of cleanup costs, provides relief for small timber owners, expands the Employee Retention Tax Credit, increases New Markets Tax Credits, and increases Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credits. If you have or know of a small business looking to grow, expand or locate in the Third District, encourage an accountant or tax attorney to review the GO-Zone for opportunities. (For more information: www.mississippi.org/content.aspx?url=/page/gulfzone& and www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=147085,00.html)

CHIP PICKERING IN ONLINE NEWS:

Congress Passes $700 Million Medicaid Relief for Mississippi (Release: 2/1)

GAO's Preliminary Findings Show Feds Must Do More in Hurricane Response (Release: 2/1)

Bush offers few aid details (Jackson Clarion Ledger: 2/1)

Democrats: Bush skirted recovery; Republicans seem satisfied with policy (Biloxi Sun Herald: 2/1)

Leaders lobby Washington for Rentech (Natchez Democrat: 1/30)

Area's defense ties expand with new firm (Columbus Commercial Dispatch: 1/28)

FIRE GRANT WORKSHOPS: During 2005, Congressman Chip Pickering announced twenty-nine first responder federal grants to fire stations in the Third District for over $2.7 million. On February 12, 13 and 14, four workshops will be held in Mississippi to assist first responders in this competitive grant program. Interested fire department representatives are invited to attend. Information will be presented on the program and on the application process. General assistance in the writing of a competitive narrative for a department's grant application will be discussed. Each workshop is approximately 2 hours in length and each will present the same material. Fire departments can also receive information and assistance from Pickering's Grant Coordinator Mary Martha Henson in the Meridian Office at 601-693-6681. (For more information see www.firegrantsupport.com): 1) 2/12/2006 6:30 pm Vicksburg Fire Department - Contact: Marcia Weaver (601) 634-4509; 2) 2/13/2006 9:00 am Vicksburg Fire Department - Contact: Marcia Weaver (601) 634-4509; 3) 2/14/2006 6:30 pm Jackson Fire Department Training Center - C. Davis (601) 960-1057; 4) 2/14/2006 9:00 am Jackson Fire Department Training Center - C. Davis (601) 960-1057

193K NEW JOBS IN JANUARY: Today the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the economy gained 193,000 jobs in January and the unemployment rate dropped to 4.7 percent. The United States has gained more than 2.1 million jobs in the past year and 4.7 million new jobs in past twenty nine months. Since January 2005, job gains have averaged 174,000 per month. (For more details: www.bls.gov)

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