Representative Platts Returns from the Middle East
On Mach 30, 2005, Representative Todd Platts returned from a week-long, bipartisan trip to the Middle East with fellow Representatives Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Steve Lynch (D-MA). The trip included stops in Israel and the West Bank to confer with representatives of both the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority (including Palestinian Prime Minister Abu Ala), in Jordan to learn about the process of training Iraqi police officers, and in Iraq to both thank and hear first-hand from U.S. troops deployed there.
Representative Platts, a member of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, compared the current situation in the Middle East to Eastern Europe at the end of the Cold War. "Democracy is on the move," he said. "Events in one nation can certainly have a huge impact on a neighboring nation. We should have great hope about the future of democracy there."
To see web footage, photos, or the itinerary from the trip, please visit Representative Platts' web site at www.house.gov/platts.
Web Page Highlights (www.house.gov/platts)
Pope John Paul II, R.I.P.
A statement from Representative Platts on the passing of Pope John Paul II.
Opening Statement for March 16, 2005, Oversight Hearing of the Subcommittee on Government Management
Representative Platts' Subcommittee held a hearing on a report from the General Accounting Office (GAO) that found a number of deployed National Guard soldiers experienced problems receiving appropriate travel and per diem reimbursement.
Spring 2005 Newsletter
The Spring 2005 Newsletter from Representative Platts is now available on-line.
Congressman Platts to Host "Service Academy Night" for Students Seeking Nominations
Students from Adams, Cumberland, and York Counties who are interested in applying for admission to one of the United States Service Academies are encouraged to attend an informational session hosted by Congressman Todd Platts from 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. on Monday, April 25 at Northern High School in Dillsburg.
Representative Platts Introduces Bill to Aid Debt Collection
On March 17, 2005, Representative Platts introduced legislation (H.R. 1427) that would enable the federal government to collect debts more effectively. Specifically, H.R. 1427 ould eliminate the ten-year limitation on the collection of delinquent federal debt, including defaulted loans and overpayments to vendors.
Under current law, the only type of non-tax debt not subject to the ten-year limitation is defaulted student loans owed to the U.S. Department of Education. This legislation would bring all other types of debt in line with the requirements for repaying student loans.
"The U.S. government should have the ability to collect each and every debt. This money belongs to the taxpayers. No one should be able to avoid responsibility simply by waiting for an arbitrary time limit to expire," Rep. Platts said. "In times of tightening budgets, we cannot afford to allow delinquent debtors to shift their burdens onto taxpayers."
Representatives Pascrell and Platts Advance Brain Injury Awareness
Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) and Todd Platts introduced a resolution (H. Con. Res. 99) to express the need for enhanced public awareness of traumatic brain injury. The announcement was made at a reception held by the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, co-chaired by Representatives Pascrell and Platts, as well as the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), the National Brain Injury Research, Treatment and Training Foundation (NBIRTT), and the National Association of Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA).
"An estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with disabilities caused by a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)," stated Congressman Platts. "Yet, few people know the prevalence of TBI. Our task force will work on a bi-partisan basis to promote awareness, prevention, and research into this vital health issue."
Traumatic brain injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children and young adults in the United States and at least 1.4 million Americans sustain a traumatic brain injury each year, with an estimated societal cost of over $56 billion. Falls, motor vehicle crashes, sports injuries, and violence are the major causes.
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