March 13, 2008

Dear Friend,

In this e-newsletter, we share information about:

I hope you find this information useful and will not hesitate to contact our office if there is anything we can do to be helpful to you and your neighbors. If you would like to respond to this e-newsletter or let me know your thoughts on any other matter, you should click here rather than using the "reply" key.

Sincerely,

Christopher Shays
Member of Congress

 

The Economic Stimulus Package

Confronting our economic challenges, Congress passed H.R. 5140, the Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act, which the President signed into law on February 13.

This legislation puts a total of $145 billion into the economy, gives a tax rebate of $600 to individuals making up to $75,000 or $1,200 for couples making up to $150,000 and phases out the benefit for those with incomes above these levels. It will also provide a rebate of $300 per child. Businesses can write off additional depreciation in 2008 and small businesses can expense the purchase of certain equipment. Finally, it will allow Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration to purchase loans up to $729,750. Read more

For more information on when you will receive your payment, please visit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Economic Stimulus Payments Information Center by clicking here.

 

Legislation Creating Universal Health Care

Cost and access to health care remains a top concern for residents of the Fourth District. In addition, the cost of providing health care to employees places American businesses at a competitive disadvantage.

To remedy this, I joined Representative Jim Langevin (D-RI) to introduce H.R. 5348, the American Health Benefits Program Act, a universal health care plan to extend the same benefits federal employees receive to the rest of America, while maintaining private health plans many Americans enjoy today. Read more

 

Health Care for Reservists and the National Guard

I have heard concerns soldiers in the reserves or National Guard are not eligible to receive TRICARE (medical) benefits. My staff researched this issue and this is what we found. The Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, allows non-deployed reservists and soldiers in the National Guard to enroll in the TRICARE program.

Non-deployed reservists or National Guard units are required to pay a premium of 28 percent of the cost of TRICARE. This equals the same cost federal employees pay for their insurance. Deployed reservists or National Guard units pay no premium. If you or someone you know is serving in the reserves or National Guard and is not receiving these benefits, please contact my office by clicking here.

 

Participation in Global Anti-Whaling Action

Even with an international moratorium against commercial whaling since 1986, Japan has killed nearly 11,000 whales for commercial purposes under the guise of “scientific research.”

In advance of a March 2008 special meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in London, England, I joined House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick J. Rahall, Senator John Kerry, actress Hayden Panettiere, who is the spokeswoman for the "Save the Whales Again! Campaign," and conservation groups to urge U.S. leadership to continue the fight against commercial whaling. Read more

 

Legislation to Improve the Assessment and Effectiveness of Iran Sanctions

In order to measure the effectiveness of sanctions placed on Iran, I introduced legislation to require an assessment of the sanctions. This bill will require the Department of State to systematically collect and analyze data on the sanctions to assess their overall impact.

The bottom line is if we want the sanctions to be more effective, we must know how they are working. Read more.

 

Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights

Given how one-sided the relationship between credit card companies and cardholders has become, I am an original cosponsor of H.R. 5244, the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights.

The legislation protects cardholders against arbitrary interest rate increases; prevents cardholders from being unfairly penalized; shields cardholders from misleading terms; empowers cardholders to set limits on their credit; and prevents card companies from giving sub-prime credit cards to people who can’t afford them. Read more

 

Steroid Use in Major League Baseball (MLB)

The Oversight and Government Reform Committee held two hearings in response to the Mitchell Report on the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. The first hearing focused on Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, Player Representative Donald Fehr and Senator George Mitchell, while the second examined allegations of steroid use by one player, Roger Clemens.

While I supported the first hearing, I was disappointed we held the second, which focused on Mr. Clemens, and his former trainer, Brian McNamee. The hearing felt like a Roman Circus, with the public demanding Roger Clemens' head.

It seems clear Mr. Clemens was not telling the truth, while Mr. McNamee, though telling the truth, admitted to lying to investigators and administering illegal drugs, in spite of the fact he was a former police officer.

After the hearing, I wrote to Attorney General Mukasey requesting the Justice Department open an investigation into allegations Mr. Clemens committed perjury and made knowingly false statements during the Committee's investigation. Read more

 

Condemning Palestinian Attacks on Israeli Civilians

The United States and Israel share a strong commitment to freedom and democracy. We work together in confronting the serious and very real threat posed by Islamist terrorists. Israel has the right to exist free from terror. Its people, who can never and will never forget Hitler’s Germany, have every right to expect the world will uniformly condemn Hamas.

Hamas, a violent terrorist organization, has squandered every opportunity to demonstrate it can coexist peacefully with Israel by promoting suicide bombings on innocent civilians and by firing thousand of rockets into neighboring Israeli cities. The House, by a vote of 404 to 1, recently passed H.Res. 951, which condemns these rocket attacks on innocent Israelis in Sderot and Ashkelon. Read more

 

Forums on Mortgage Crisis

Given the loss of liquidity in the sub-prime mortgage market, I held forums in Stamford and Bridgeport on March 1 in conjunction with Stamford Mayor Dan Malloy and Bridgeport Mayor Bill Finch. The purpose of these forums was to address the problem and provide additional information on ways to avoid foreclosures.

If you were unable to attend the forums, but have questions or concerns about the sub-prime crisis, please contact my office for information on HUD-approved counselors by clicking here.

 

Information on the Digital Television Transition

In order to set aside radio spectrum to help first-responder communications systems become interoperable, Congress included a provision in the Deficit Reduction Act, requiring all full-power television stations to broadcast only in digital format by February 2009.

If you have an analog television, a digital-to-analog converter box is needed to ensure your television continues to operate. Congress allocated $1.5 billion for the digital-to-analog converter box program. This program will help keep an estimated 21 million households that rely on over-the-air television to purchase devices to keep their television sets working. Read more

 

Return to top

Please note that if you want to respond to this E-newsletter or let me know your thoughts on any other matter, you should click here rather than using the "reply" key.