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· TRADE
· Supported Atlanta in becoming the Home of the Secretariat of the FTAA - Urged President Bush requesting the selection of the City of Atlanta, to serve as the home of the Secretariat of the Free Trade Area for the Americas (FTAA).
· Fought for Tobacco Products to be Included in Ag Trade Agreements - Urged the Bush Administration not to exclude tobacco products from existing Ag trade agreements
· Fought for the Tobacco Buyout Bill - HR 4520 "FSC" Bill - Supported this bill which repeals the Extraterritorial Income tax. Repealing the ETI tax will stem EU tariffs that have been placed on certain US exports. Currently the tariff is 8% but grows by 1% each month until the ETI is repealed of the 17% level is reached. The forest products industry has been very vocal supporting this part of FSC/ETI. The current tariffs include a wide range of forest products and are severely diminishing their profit margins and competitiveness. The bill also cuts the corporate tax rate to 32%. The idea is to make companies more competitive both home and abroad. The breaks will spur economic growth by allowing U.S. companies to retain more earnings and reinvest. Tobacco buyout attachment is 9.6 billion dollar buyout that you are supporting. The buyout eliminates the price support system that is in place. The buyout will give the owner $7/lb and the grower $3/lb. The payments are made in equal installments over a five-year period. The money for the buyout will come from the Federal Excise Tax on Tobacco. There is overwhelming support from Georgia Farm Bureau, farmers, and other agriculture groups. - Passed by recorded vote: 251 - 178 (Roll no. 259). The bill now goes to the Senate.
BUSINESS
· Fought for Small Business Loans - Fought for the Subsidy Rate for Small Business Loans (S 141), which directs the Office of Management and Budget to calculate the federal costs of guaranteeing small business loans using the most recently approved subsidy cost model and methodology in conjunction with the program, economic assumptions, and historical data which were included in the president's FY 2003 budget request. Agreed to by voice vote.
· Fought for Small Business Federal Compliance Help - Fought for the National Small Business Regulatory Assistance Act (HR 205), which requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to enter into an agreement with participating Small Business Development Centers to provide small businesses with the information necessary to improve their rate of compliance with federal and state regulations. Businesses would receive confidential, free, one-on-one, in-depth counseling regarding compliance with federal and state regulations, and would receive referrals to experts and other providers of compliance assistance. Passed by recorded vote: 417 - 4 (Roll no. 116).
· Commended Businesses' Support of Troops - Fought for H Res 201 which commended businesses and business owners for their support of reservists who have been called to active duty, and their families, through their accommodation to the unique demands on the time, resources, and responsibilities of employee spouses and families of active duty military personnel. Passed by recorded vote: 410 - 0, 7 Present (Roll no. 238).
· Fought to Roll Back the FCC's New Media Ownership Rules - Fought for a Senate resolution rolling back the FCC's new media ownership rules. The Senate measure passed in mid-Sept by a 55-40 margin. This was in response to 3 million Americans contacting Washington to protest the new rules as well as an Appeals Court ruling in early Sept staying the implementation of the rules pending judicial and legislative review.
· Fought for Greater Competition for Federal Contracts - Fought for the Federal Prison Industries Competition in Contracting Act (HR 1829), which destroys a good program that helps reform inmates, and reduces rates of recidivism. The current program also provides economic contracts to small and minority -owned businesses in the amount of $500 million per year. Passed by recorded vote: 350 - 65 (Roll no. 612).
UNEMPLOYMENT
· Fought for Displaced Airline Workers - Supported the Rep. Obey Motion to Instruct Conferees on HR 1559, Wartime Supplemental Appropriations providing 26 weeks of additional temporary extended unemployment compensation for displaced airline related workers. - Agreed to by recorded vote: 265 - 150 (Roll no. 112).
· Fought for Jobless Workers - Fought for HR 2185, which extends through Dec. 31 an additional 13 weeks to jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of regular state unemployment benefits, and further provides that in high unemployment states jobless workers would be eligible for 13 more weeks -- in addition to the 13 extra weeks available to all jobless workers who have exhausted their 26 weeks of regular benefits. - Passed by recorded vote: 409 - 19 (Roll no. 223).
HELD LINE AGAINST TORT REFORM
· Fought for H.R. 1036 - Cosponsored H.R. 1036, to prohibit civil liability actions from being brought or continued against manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers of firearms or ammunition for damages resulting from the misuse of their products by others.
· Fought to Limit Medical Malpractice Awards - (HR 4280) The measure is identical to legislation (HR 5) passed by the House last year, which has not been acted on by the Senate. It limits, in states with no statutory limits, to $250,000 non-economic and punitive damages that could be awarded in malpractice lawsuits, and limits attorney fees in such cases. The measure is being brought up again in the House in an effort to prompt action in the Senate. -Failed by recorded vote: 193 - 231 (Roll no. 165).
BALANCED BUDGET
· Fought for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution - Cosponsored and signed the discharge petition to H.J.RES.22, a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
· Fought Against Tax Cuts for the Richest Paid for with Deficit Spending - Opposed Conference Agreement on HR 2, Jobs and Growth Reconciliation Tax Act, which provides $349.7 billion in tax cuts for individuals, businesses, and aid to state and local governments, including $60.8 billion in 2003. All of the cuts are paid for with deficit spending. Supported Blue Dog Substitute, which was never allowed to come to the Floor. It would have been a fiscally responsible alternative, providing economic stimulus, deferring tax cuts to the highest income brackets, while including spending offsets to balance the budget.
· Supported Pay As You Go - A motion to instruct conferees to agree to the "pay-as-you-go" provisions in the Senate budget resolution. These pay-as-you-go provisions require that any new entitlement spending or tax cuts be offset, unless 60 Senators vote to override the offset requirement. - Failed by recorded vote: 208 - 215 (Roll no. 145).
OTHER ISSUES
· Fought for Economic Development - Urged the U.S. Department of Commerce requesting the protection of the Economic Development Administration from any proposed changes. Distressed urban and rural communities depend on EDA to carry out competitive economic development initiatives.
· Fought for Social Security - Cosponsored H.R.594, to amend title II of the Social Security Act to repeal the Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions.
· Fought for Welfare Reform - Supported the Cardin Amendment (Democratic Substitute) to HR 4, Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act, which would have provided much more funding for child care than the bill, and gives states greater discretion in determining the mix of activities that participants could engage in under the TANF program. Unlike the bill, the substitute permits states to use federal TANF funds to assist legal immigrants. But like the bill, the substitute increases the percentage of recipients in a state that must engage in work activities to 70%. The substitute maintains the current law provision that requires TANF recipients to work 30 hours per week, but requires that 24 of those hours be in certain core activities. - Failed by recorded vote: 197 - 225 (Roll no. 28).
· Fought for Increases in Judicial Pay - Cosponsored and voted for (voice vote) H.R. 2118, Increase Federal Judicial Compensation Act, which would increase the annual salaries of the Chief Justice and associate justices of the Supreme Court, U.S. circuit and district judges, and judges of the U.S. Court of International Trade and Court of Federal Claims by 16.5 percent on January 1, 2004.
· Worked to Streamline the Banking System - Fought for the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act (HR 1474), which promotes the electronic clearing of checks through the U.S. payment system by creating a new negotiable instrument -- a paper reproduction "substitute check" created through digital means -- that would have the legal equivalence of the original paper check. - Passed by recorded vote: 405 - 0 (Roll no. 246).
· Fought Against Internet Gambling - Fought for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Prohibition Act (HR 2143), which requires U.S. credit card companies and other financial entities to develop reasonable policies and procedures under which they would be able to identify and block financial transactions made in connection with "unlawful Internet gambling." The bill does not explicitly permit or prohibit any selected types of Internet gambling. - Passed by recorded vote: 319 - 104 (Roll no. 255).
· Supported TANF - Fought for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant Reauthorization (HR 2350), which extends the authorization for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant program through Sept. 30 in order to give the Senate time to act on its long-term reauthorization bill for TANF. - Agreed to by recorded vote: (2/3 required): 406 - 6 (Roll no. 261).
· Held the Line on Consumers' Access to Courts - Fought against the Class Action Fairness Act (HR 1115), which would have given jurisdiction over most class-action lawsuits to federal district courts, and establishes a "bill of rights" for plaintiffs in federal class-action lawsuits. Nay - Agreed to by recorded vote: 235 - 188 (Roll no. 266).
· Fought for TEA-LU Funding Formula Equity - Requested greater equity in the transportation funding formula.
· Fought for Jobs and Energy Infrastructure - U.S. Refinery Revitalization Act (HR 4517) - This bill creates procedures intended to expedite the process of restarting idle oil refineries or constructing new refineries in areas with higher than average unemployment. It was introduced on June 4, and was not considered by the Energy and Commerce Committee. - Passed by recorded vote: 239 - 192 (Roll no. 246).
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