Congress Working to Lower Gas Prices;

Increase Energy Independence

With gas prices and energy costs pinching the pockets of Americans across the country, Congress has been committed to meeting the challenge head-on.

Over the last few months, the Democratic-led House has put forward 13 major proposals that would increase supply, reduce prices, protect consumers and transition America to a clean, renewable energy-independent future.

Each time a majority of House Republicans has voted against these proposals, including legislation to immediately increase supply by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and to increase domestic oil production by drilling on already available land.

Instead of working with Democrats to find real solutions to America’s energy challenges, the minority has created legislative gridlock, repeatedly obstructing the process to make a politically motivated argument that the only way to bring down gas prices is to open up currently protected lands in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for drilling.

Don’t get me wrong: Democrats support drilling. We support increasing domestic supply by drilling on the 311 million acres of land and waters that are available for development or will be accessible pending the completion of land-use planning or environmental reviews–an area which hold reserves equal to 107 billion barrels of oil and 658 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. According to the Energy Information Administration, these reserves are equal to 10 times the amount of the economically recoverable oil that could be produced from opening up ANWR and more than 14 years of current U.S. oil consumption (7.5 billion barrels per year).

Democrats also back legislation requiring oil companies to drill now on 68 million acres (33 million in the OCS) of those lands and waters on which they have leases but are not currently drilling. And Democrats in the House support a measure to spur drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, which contains more oil than the environmentally-sensitive ANWR. House Republicans blocked these measures in order to make a political issue out of a serious problem.

The truth is those who say that opening up protected lands for drilling in ANWR and the OCS is the only way to lower gas prices are offering a false choice. Eighty-percent of the oil available in the OCS is already open for leasing, and companies hold leases on millions of acres in the OCS on which they are not drilling. Drilling in ANWR wouldn’t yield any oil for 10 years—and then would only save drivers 1.8 cents per gallon in 2025. [Source: Energy Information Agency]

Despite what some would have you believe, drilling in ANWR and the OCS is not a silver bullet, nor is it one that will deliver immediate relief. The Department of Energy says the impact upon energy prices of new drilling will be longer term and small – pennies per gallon a decade or two from now. Releasing oil from the government’s own stockpile is the only plan that would bring down gas prices immediately. Again, House Republicans have blocked this from moving forward.

The reality is there is no single or simple solution. Failed policies of the past have left America far too reliant on foreign sources of oil. But the Democratic-led Congress has begun to turn things around. Reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil requires a comprehensive approach that invests in renewable energy and energy conservation and increases the domestic supply of oil and natural gas in a responsible manner.

This Congress has already made historic investments in affordable American-grown biofuels and alternative energy - which are keeping gas prices almost 50 cents lower. And we have made a serious commitment to renewable energy, including solar, hydropower and geothermal energy, and enacted the first increase in the vehicle fuel efficiency standard in 32 years.

These changes may not cause prices to drop tomorrow, but they are critical to putting America on a path towards a sustainable energy future that is less dependent, and thus, less vulnerable to factors causing fluctuations in the international oil market. We will continue to work towards solutions that will meet America’s energy needs – today and in the future – and reduce our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.

Digital Television is Coming: Are You Ready?

Just six months from now, our nation will undergo one of the most significant technological changes in history: the transition to digital television. On February 17, 2009, full-power television broadcasters will begin airing exclusively digital signals – and analog television sets that are not connected to a digital-to-analog converter box or cable or satellite service will stop receiving a signal.

There is no question that the digital television transition will bring our nation great benefits. Some of the channels currently used by analog television stations will be freed up for commercial advanced wireless services. Other channels have been set aside for public safety communications, including a nationwide, interoperable broadband network for public safety, which is a key recommendation of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks (the 9-11 Commission).

The digital television transition will also bring benefits to television viewers. Digital television will mean greater access to free, over-the-air television channels, in addition to clearer images and enhanced sound quality.

Consumers need to begin preparing for this monumental change now, not only to enjoy the benefits of digital television, but also to avoid losing television service altogether. Families who use analog television sets to receive television service over-the-air, using a traditional rooftop antenna or "rabbit ears," will have to acquire a new digital-to-analog converter box to ensure that their sets can display digital signals. Analog television sets connected to cable or satellite service should not require a new converter box.

This shift from analog to digital television is a major undertaking. Many of those who will be affected are not aware that they need to take action. In June, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) consumer survey found that 35 percent of homes that rely on over-the-air reception and 52 percent of homes with at least one analog television set not connected to cable or satellite service are unprepared for the transition. Those numbers suggest that much work remains to educate consumers, including seniors, non-English-speaking households, and other vulnerable populations. If households are not properly informed and prepared, there is potential for much confusion in February.

At Congress’s direction, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) has established a program to help consumers defray the cost of digital-to-analog converter boxes. Every household is eligible for two $40 coupons, each of which can be used towards the purchase of a converter box. Coupons can be obtained by submitting a request to the government. The easiest way to apply is to call 1-888-388-2009, or apply online at www.dtv2009.gov/ApplyCoupon.aspx.

Coupons expire 90 days after they are mailed and will have the expiration date printed on the coupon. The last day to apply for coupons is March 31, 2009, or until supplies are exhausted.

TV converter boxes from a variety of manufacturers are available now at most consumer electronic retail stores, and are expected to cost between $50 and $70. Some retailers may offer coupon application forms at their stores, however, retailers, cannot provide the coupons; consumers must request them from the government. The decision to provide applications is up to each retailer.

Although the transition date is six months away, you can begin enjoying the benefits of digital television today. Because most full-power stations are currently broadcasting both in digital and analog, viewers can plug in their converter boxes and generally receive a clearer picture and "multicast" channels, where they are available.

Every one of us has a crucial role to play in this transition. I will continue working to educate my constituents about the steps they should take. On my website, www.hoyer.house.gov, I have posted information on the steps Maryland citizens need to take to be ready for the digital television transition. Consumers can also call 1-888-DTV-2009 or visit www.dtv2009.gov to learn more.

February 17, 2009, will be a notable day. Together, we can ensure that it marks an important milestone in broadcasting history, not a day of nationwide consumer disenfranchisement and confusion.

Korean War Veterans Deserve Recognition

Fifty-five years ago, after tremendous sacrifice, on July 27, 1953, the Korean War came to an end. Waged for three years on the Korean Peninsula, the Korean War called 5.7 million Americans to arms; 36,000 of them gave their lives. Yet, this conflict, in which so many Americans served with such bravery, is often called the "Forgotten War," because it has not commanded the recognition or respect that it deserves.

Korea was a war unlike any we had seen. Total wars with unambiguous endings and surrender ceremonies—those, we could understand. But in Korea we saw a fight for uncertain, shifting aims; a struggle as much about cold war politics as military might and a war ending in a shaky armistice that lasts to this day.

In his book The Coldest Winter, David Halberstam wrote: "It was a war fought on strikingly harsh terrain and often in ghastly weather, most particularly a numbing winter cold that often seemed to American troops an even greater enemy than the North Koreans or Chinese….It was a puzzling, gray, very distant conflict, a war that went on and on and on."

America watched the war happen and simply couldn’t find a story to make sense of it. It is almost as if, confronted with such unfamiliar facts, we did not know where to file them in our nation’s memory.

But that does not make them any less real. Our failure of memory takes nothing away from the millions of Americans struggled and starved through the Korean winters. And it cannot possibly take away from the brave soldiers who never came home.

As long as they live, they will never be forgotten. And, I trust, they will be remembered even longer than that. Because in recent years, America has taken great strides to give Korean War veterans the respect their courage merits.

In June, Congress passed legislation I introduced along with Senator Ben Cardin and Korean War veteran Congressman Sam Johnson from Texas to grant a Federal Charter to the Korean Veterans Association (KWVA), one of the few veterans’ service organizations of its size that has not been recognized with the prestigious honor. The President signed the bill into law on June 30, in time for the anniversary of the armistice.

Congress has long recognized various military and veterans patriotic organizations in public law. While a Federal Charter does not confer any special rights, privileges or benefits to a membership organization, it is an acknowledgement that a group serves the public interest by providing its members important services and community support.

Incorporated in 1985, the KWVA is the only fraternal veterans’ organization in the United States devoted exclusively to Korean War veterans. Over the last two decades, the 25,000-member charitable association has established a strong record of service and commitment to fellow Korean War veterans, ranging from efforts on behalf of Project Freedom to its successful campaign to construct a national Korean War Veterans Memorial on the National Mall.

Granting this charter to the Korean War Veterans Association will also focus more attention on issues important to Korean War veterans, and it will allow the KWVA to fully participate on veterans’ advisory panels and select groups with other congressionally-chartered veterans’ and military organizations. This is important because 13 states currently deny membership on veterans’ advisory panels to groups without a Federal Charter.

Korean War veterans deserve this recognition. They deserve to have a seat at the table and to be recognized for their struggles and sacrifices on behalf of freedom. From the memorial in Washington DC, to the well-deserved federal charter, we have worked hard to fill the hole in our memory and ensure that those who fought in Korea have an honored place among our veterans. Today, at last, that place is a little more secure.

Federal Budgeting 101: Prioritize Wisely,

Buy What You Can Afford

It’s probably safe to assume that when you sit down to craft a personal, family or business budget, you begin by making a list of necessary expenses, such as groceries, your mortgage or office supplies. The next step is figuring out how much they cost, measuring your expenses against your income, and spending within your means—without needlessly going into debt. Sounds simple enough, right?

For years, this rather basic concept eluded the Congress and the President – the two branches complicit in allowing federal deficits to explode and the national debt to reach unprecedented new heights.

Consider the facts: six years ago, when President Bush took office, the 10-year budget projection was an estimated $5.6 trillion surplus. Assuming no change in government’s fiscal behavior, that forecast would have yielded a zero balance on our national debt by the year 2011. However, in the first six years of the Bush Administration, increased government spending coupled with lopsided tax cuts that have largely benefited the wealthiest few took us in the opposite direction. The $5.6 trillion projected surplus became a $3 trillion deficit - a fiscal collapse of nearly $9 trillion.

As a result, the new Democratic majorities in this Congress inherited a fiscal debacle last year. But rather than continue down the path of recklessness, we have committed to putting the nation’s fiscal house back in order and managing the federal finances in the same manner that a Maryland family would manage a household budget.

One of the first orders of business when the new Congress convened in January 2007 was to reinstate pay-as-you-go budget rules to ensure real fiscal discipline. These rules—which simply state that you can only spend what you have— require the federal government to do what every Maryland family must do: spend within its means.

We have followed that by adopting two consecutive budgets that will return the budget to balance by 2012. But our budget is not solely a blueprint for fiscal responsibility. It is a budget that meets the critical needs of our citizens, making investments to keep America safe, boosting economic growth and create jobs, providing tax relief, and helping families struggling in the current economic downturn.

This year’s budget matches the President’s request for defense, while shifting funds to high priorities such as nuclear non-proliferation programs. It increases homeland security funding over the President’s request. And it rejects the President’s proposed cuts to first-responder programs.

The budget we adopted also increases funding for veterans health care by $3.7 billion, and boosts funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives, as well and invests in scientific innovation, education, training and social services.

Furthermore, it accommodates an immediate and long-term fix to the Alternative Minimum Tax, and additional middle-class tax relief.

Finally, the budget rejects the President’s harmful cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, to state and local law enforcement programs such as COPS, and to Environmental Protection Agency grants to protect public health. It also rejects the President’s proposal to increase fees for veterans and military retirees by $18 billion.

As anyone who has ever devised a budget knows, managing ones finances isn’t exactly rocket science, but it does require discipline and a real commitment to fiscal responsibility. If we are going to meet the needs of American families and maintain economic stability, Members of Congress need to work together across the aisle, spend responsibly, and create viable budgets that address our nation’s key priorities—without mortgaging the futures of our children and grandchildren.

Every family deserves the opportunity to leave their children with a more prosperous nation than the one they inherited. It is our responsibility to ensure that the policies we pursue are consistent with the values we cherish and the promises we have made. We can and must continue to work to put our nation’s finances in order and get America back on the right fiscal track.

House Acts to Extend Unemployment Benefits for Maryland Workers

The poor economy is affecting everyone, but it is taking a particularly painful toll on workers in Maryland and throughout the country who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own and are struggling to make ends meet while they look for work in this poorly performing economy.

Recent unemployment data underscores just how serious the problem is. The most recent Department of Labor monthly jobs report shows that the nation’s unemployment rate for May rose from 5 percent to 5.5 percent – the biggest monthly increase in 22 years. In addition, the report found that 49,000 workers lost their jobs in May, for a total of nearly 325,000 jobs lost since the beginning of the year.

And, over the last 12 months, the number of unemployed Americans has increased by 1.6 million (from nearly 6.9 million in May 2007 to nearly 8.5 million in May 2008). In fact, 1.5 million workers are long-term unemployed, which means that they have been jobless for more than six months.

In Maryland, unemployment has risen 0.7 percent from 4.5 percent in March 2007 to 5.2 percent in March 2008. All the while, working Americans have been confronted with decreasing household incomes, exploding gas and food prices and escalating health care costs.

All this makes clear the need for an effective unemployment insurance program that helps workers weather the economic storm that has chipped away hundreds of thousands of American jobs in recent months.

That is why the U.S. House of Representatives took action last week to approve the Emergency Extended Unemployment Compensation Act extending the length of time qualified workers who have lost their jobs can collect unemployment benefits.

The legislation would immediately provide up to 13 weeks of extended unemployment insurance in every state to workers exhausting regular unemployment compensation. And, in states with higher levels of unemployment, an additional 13 weeks is available on top of that. The extended relief would run through March 2009 and would benefit 3.8 million Americans, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Federal unemployment trust funds, which have more than enough reserves to cover the cost, will finance these benefits.

The temporary extension of these benefits are also believed by economists and policy experts to be one of the most cost-effective and fast-acting ways to stimulate the economy because the money is spent quickly. It is estimated that every $1 spent on unemployment benefits generates $1.64 in new economic demand.

Democrats in Congress have pushed to extend unemployment benefits since the beginning of the year -as the economy weakened - but have faced continued resistance from the Bush Administration, which has threatened to veto the measure. Even with the biggest one-month jump in the unemployment rate in two decades, and huge job losses in the airline and auto industry among others, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said recently, "…no administration has increased or extended unemployment benefits while unemployment was this low."

There is no justification for the President’s threatened veto of this much-needed legislation. Under this Administration, the American worker has been forced to contend with job loss, decreasing incomes, exploding gas, food and health care costs, and unprecedented foreclosure rates. America’s workers and families can wait no longer, and neither will this Congress. But this bill is not only a sign of compassion and a demonstration of our values; it is also a fast-acting form of economic stimulus for the floundering Bush economy.

Extending unemployment is the right thing to do for our workers and our economy. I have urged the Senate to take this bill up as soon as it can, and I hope that Senate Republicans – as they have done on several major pieces of legislation – will not obstruct passage of this bill.

Appreciating the Bay through the Chesapeake Bay

Gateways and Water Trails Network

Those of us fortunate to live in this region have been blessed with a multitude of magnificent natural resources, not the least of which is our nation’s largest estuary – the Chesapeake Bay, a body of water that has played such an important role in shaping the cultural, economic, political, and social history of our region.

Unfortunately, the Chesapeake Bay of 2008 is not the pristine body that Captain John Smith first charted on his expeditions some 400 years ago.

Indeed, earlier this year, the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program released the Chesapeake Bay 2007 Health and Restoration Assessment which found the overall health of the Bay remains significantly impaired. Shortly thereafter, on April 3, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science issued a Report Card grading the Bay’s health a C-.

In the 110th Congress, I have joined with my colleagues in Maryland’s Congressional delegation in successfully advocating for legislation to improve the health of the Bay.

We’ve strengthened the ability of the Army Corps of Engineers to undertake Bay oyster restoration, water pollution control, and environmental infrastructure projects in the 2007 WRDA bill.

And, we’ve included approximately $438 million in mandatory funding in the Farm Bill to help Chesapeake Bay watershed farmers in their ongoing efforts to implement practices to prevent runoff and control shoreline erosion.

Just last week, we took another important step forward in our efforts by permanently authorizing a program that has already done so much to raise awareness of the fragile health of the Bay and directly engage our region’s citizens and visitors to take an active role in fulfilling our shared goal of restoring the Chesapeake.

That program provides grants for the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Water Trails Network, which ties together more than 156 museums, state parks, wildlife refuges, Indian reservations, water trails, and other sites in six states and the District of Columbia to enable visitors to appreciate the far-reaching role the Bay has had in the culture and history of the region.

There are twenty-five Gateway sites located in Southern Maryland, including Piscataway Park, Smallwood State Park, St. Clements Island-Potomac River Museum, Historic St. Mary’s City, Point Lookout State Park, Myrtle Point Park, Calvert Cliffs State Park, Sotterley Plantation and Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.

Through the Chesapeake Gateways program, matching grants of $5,000 to $50,000 are allocated for projects that advance Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network goals to help conserve, restore and interpret their roles in the Bay’s natural, cultural, and social history. Past Network grants have funded new maps, improved signs, and expanded trails that have helped enhance the public’s ability to learn about and enjoy the Bay’s natural and cultural resources, and empower citizens to be good stewards of the this great national treasure.

As I do every year, I will be participating in former Senator Bernie Fowler’s annual Wade In into the Patuxent River to gauge the health and cleanliness of the waterway. The Wade In was started by Senator Fowler as an effort to emphasize the importance of working together to clean up Maryland’s waterways, particularly those that flow into the Chesapeake Bay. In the 21 years that Senator Fowler has conducted his Wade In, we have seen a rapid deterioration in the quality of the Patuxent – as well as a corollary decline in the health of the Bay. However, as a measure of public awareness, the event has been an unqualified success.

That is the goal of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network – to enable citizens to better understand the challenges confronting and appreciate the role they can play in the Bay’s survival. I encourage Southern Maryland residents to explore the treasures of the Bay through the Gateways Network. Information on all Network sites as well as events and activities throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed is available at <www.baygateways.net.

Memorial Day: Remembering

Those Lost in the Fight For Freedom

On Monday, Americans across the country will celebrate Memorial Day to honor those men and women who gave their lives while protecting our freedom. Since this nation’s founding, America’s soldiers have been staunch and steady defenders of our democracy.

Memorial Day’s origin is traced to the wives of fallen Civil War soldiers, who began the tradition of visiting their husband’s graves and decorating them with flowers. Now, as then, we understand the importance of publicly recognizing the sacrifice made by our heroes in service of their fellow man. The families and loved ones of those lost should take comfort in knowing that a grateful nation shares in their pain.

Since March 2003, our nation has suffered the loss of 2,450 servicemen and women, including forty-one from the state of Maryland. These dedicated patriots made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, and my thoughts and prayers continue to be with their families.

While it is important to express words of gratitude, our nation has a moral obligation to honor our fallen soldiers by providing their surviving relatives with the resources they need. Unfortunately, today’s Military Families Tax unfairly penalizes the widows of those who have died from service-related injuries. I am fighting in Congress to end the Military Families Tax, which penalizes more than 50,000 survivors.

Memorial Day is also a gripping reminder of the obligation we have to those men and women fortunate enough to return from battle. There are approximately 25 million veterans in America – nearly three-fourths of whom served during war or an official period of hostility. There are more than 486,000 veterans living here in Maryland, and approximately 3,000 Marylanders are currently serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These patriots, who have courageously accepted their country’s call to duty, must receive the resources they have earned. That is why I have joined my colleagues in the House of Representatives in proposing the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century. The bill honors the sacrifices of our troops, veterans and their families and ensures that they receive all the benefits they deserve. It will bolster support for our troops in harms way, and pays special attention to the unique needs of the National Guard and Reserves. It provides better health care, education, and job training benefits for those who have answered the call, and affords long overdue services to disabled military retirees and military families.

In 1944, Congress enacted the original GI Bill of Rights, to honor the Greatest Generation, which ultimately won World War II. In doing so, the federal government supported returning troops with educational benefits, loans to buy a home, and medical assistance. And, in each major military conflict since (Korea and Vietnam), we have honored the service of our soldiers through a new GI bill.

Now is the time for our government to fulfill it’s moral obligation to those who have fought for freedom and democracy, and renew it’s pledge to adequately fund veterans’ health care, including meeting the costs of care for mental health and prosthetics.

Shamefully, more than 50,000 veterans are now waiting in line for up to six months for their medical care. This problem will inevitably grow as more servicemen and women return home and enter the system.

Last week, I opposed the budget passed by Congress that triples health care fees for veterans and slashes $6 billion in veteran services over the next five years.

On the battlefield, the military pledges to leave no soldier behind. As a nation, it should be our pledge to make that same commitment to our veterans. We must honor their service by passing a modernized GI Bill of Rights, making sound investments in health care, and promising never to balance the budget on the backs of our veterans.