|
HIGHLIGHTS
- LIHEAP – Legislation
and Letter
- Home Energy Assistance Tax
Credit – Legislation
- Manufacturing Extension
– Letter
- Great Lakes Tonnage Tax – Letter
- Land and Water Conservation
Fund – Letter
- Great Lakes Environmental Summit
LIHEAP –
Legislation and Letter
Reps. Steven LaTourette (R-OH) and Marty Meehan (D-MA),
co-chairs of the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition, are seeking
co-sponsors on legislation (H.R. 4793) that would make $1 billion available
immediately for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. As the Deficit Reduction Act
was written, this money is not available until fiscal 2007. This
funding, which is entirely offset in the budget, will help states provide
additional assistance to the nation’s working families at a time when
energy prices are soaring. This bill is a companion to legislation
recently introduced in the Senate by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME).
Contact: Lisa
Mark with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/225-5731).
Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME), co-chairs of the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition, are seeking signatures on a letter
asking the president to immediately release the remaining $101.5 million in
the LIHEAP contingency/emergency fund. Deadline to sign onto the
letter is Thursday, Feb. 23. Contact: Ari Strauss with the
Northeast-Midwest Senate Coalition at (202/224-0606)
Home Energy Assistance Tax Credit --
Legislation
Reps. LaTourette (R-OH) and Meehan (D-MA) also are seeking
co-sponsors of the Home Energy Assistance Tax (HEAT) Credit Act (H.R.
4729). The bill would provide a one-time refundable tax credit of 25
percent of a family’s home energy costs incurred during the 2005-2006
winter, a heating season that may turn out to be one of the most expensive
in U.S. history.
Other co-sponsors include Reps. Leonard Boswell (D-IA),
Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Lane Evans (D-IL), Paul Gillmor
(R-OH), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI), James McGovern
(D-MA), John McHugh (R-NY), Candice Miller (R-MI), Bob Ney (R-OH), Thomas
Reynolds (R-NY), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Tim Ryan (D-OH), Robert Simmons (R-CT),
Bart Stupak (D-MI), Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-OH), and Patrick Tiberi
(R-OH). Contact: Lisa
Mark with the Northeast-Midwest Congressional Coalition (202/226-5181).
Manufacturing Extension -- Letter
Leaders of the Manufacturing Task Force – Reps.
Steven LaTourette (R-OH), Marty Meehan (D-MA), Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY),
Michael Doyle (D-PA), Vernon Ehlers (R-MI), and Bart Gordon (D-TN) –
are seeking signatures on a letter that asks appropriators to support level
funding – $106 million – for the Manufacturing Extension
Partnership (MEP) Program. MEP
is a nationwide network that makes a comprehensive range of
services and assistance available to smaller manufacturers. Through
this support system, MEP helps manufacturers
compete globally, support greater supply-chain integration, and obtain
access to technology for
improved productivity. Contact: Lisa Mark with the House
Manufacturing Task Force (202/226-5181).
Great Lakes Tonnage
Tax -- Letter
The Senate Great Lakes Task Force is circulating a letter
to the Finance Committee concerning the tax that U.S.-flag
vessels pay on profits earned in foreign trade. U.S. ships
operating in the Great Lakes engage in
both domestic and international trade, and a modification to the
current tax code would allow them to take advantage of the tonnage tax
alternative, increase the competitiveness of the U.S.
maritime industry, and help to level the playing field. The
letter’s signature deadline is Feb.
22, 2006. Contact: Joy Mulinex with the Great
Lakes Task Force (202/224-1211).
Land and Water Conservation Fund -- Letter
Reps. James McGovern (D-MA), Peter King (R-NY), and Rush
Holt (D-NJ) are seeking signatures on a letter asking appropriators to
restore funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) state and
local grant program to $100 million for fiscal 2007. The LWCF state
assistance program provides matching federal grants to states and local
communities to develop outdoor recreation facilities and resources.
This competitive grant program provides funds to the states that choose
local projects based on need and quality of the project. The
letter’s signature deadline is March 1. Contacts: Rianna Brown with Rep.
McGovern (202/225-6101) or Ryan
Travis with Rep. King (202/225-7896).
Great Lakes Environmental Summit
The Northeast-Midwest Institute last week hosted the annual
Great Lakes Environmental Summit. Key regional stakeholders met with
congressional committee staff to learn about plans for the 109th
Congress, and they discussed cooperative strategies to advance policies
that would restore the Great Lakes ecosystem
and protect against invasive species.
Calendar | Media Links | Reports/Periodicals
Northeast-Midwest
Institute
218 D St, SE
Washington DC 20003
Ph. 202 544 5200
Email dickmunson@nemw.org with comments or to
unsubscribe from this mailing list.
|
