Speaker of the House: Nancy Pelosi of California
Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer of Maryland
Majority Whip: James E. Clyburn of South Carolina
Democratic Caucus Chairman: John B. Larson of Connecticut
Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman: Xavier Becerra of California
Assistant to the Speaker and Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee: Chris Van Hollen of Maryland

Last week, I authored a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer expressing the urgency to help American automakers. We need to ensure stability and stimulate growth in our domestic auto industry. With 5 million American jobs at stake, we can’t afford to look the other way. In my district, the local GM plant in Lordstown is looking at laying off 1,060 employees.  Government intervention will provide an opportunity for these automakers to develop advanced fuel efficient cars and renew American interest in buying domestic.

I will keep you posted as this session continues…

4 Comments


]]> Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:50:00 CDT On Tuesday morning, I had the honor of cutting a ribbon at a facility in my Congressional District that will provide housing for homeless veterans. On any given night in the United States, 200,000 veterans are homeless. These are brave men and women who made great sacrifices and risked their lives to defend our country. As a response, my colleague, Mr. Green from Texas, introduced H.R. 3329, the Homes for Heroes Act. This act will expand housing assistance and supportive services for homeless veterans through a $200 million a year assistance program through The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in addition to 20,000 rental housing vouchers available to homeless veterans and their families.

This bill will ensure that housing assistance will continue for the veterans’ families, even in the event of the veteran’s death. HUD will be required to submit an annual report in order to ensure that the housing needs of these homeless veterans are met, and that an appropriate allocation is maintained. I support this bill enthusiastically, and I am hoping my colleagues will join me. This bill continues my policy of honoring our country’s veterans and making sure that providing for veterans remains a focal point of our new direction in Congress.

9 Comments ]]> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 18:28:00 CDT Tonight between 6 and 7 I'm going to the floor to talk about gas prices with some friends from the 30 Somethings, you can watch us on CSPAN. Before that I wanted to give you an idea of whats on my mind.

Many Congressional Republicans blindly voted for or supported Bush’s party line on energy policies that were written by oil company lobbyists under the cover of darkness in the Vice President’s office. Now they want you to believe that the Democratic majority, which has been in office for a year and a half, is responsible for the rise in gas prices?

This Congress has an actual plan to overturn the failed policies of the past. We are taking both short-term steps to try and bring down gas prices, and long-term steps toward ending our dependence on foreign oil. Misleading Congressional Republican attacks on this Congress’ record are a distraction from the hard work that needs to be done to help Americans at the pump. It’s time for them to step up and become partners in the solution, rather than play political games on an issue that strikes to the heart of our national security.

The new argument will tell us that opening up new areas for oil and natural gas development is the way to solve our problems. I oppose it for the following reasons:

(1)    There are 68 million acres onshore and offshore in the U.S. that are leased by oil companies—open to drilling and actually under lease—but not developed.

(2)    80 percent of the oil available on the Outer Continental Shelf is already open for leasing—but the oil companies haven't decided it’s worth their money to drill there.

(3)    Drilling in the Arctic Wildlife Refuge wouldn’t yield any oil for 10 years—and then would only save the consumer 1.8 cents per gallon in 2030.

(4)    Although oil drilling technology has improved since the infamous Santa Barbara oil spill disaster in 1969 , drilling on the OCS still presents serious environmental risks, and should not be undertaken unless all other alternatives have been exhausted.

(5)    All told, the U.S. has only 1.6 percent of world's known oil supply anyway.  But every day, Americans use a quarter of the world’s daily oil consumption.  The bottom line is, we CAN'T drill our way out of this problem.  Even if we could immediately access all of the U.S. reserves, it would amount to a mere drop in the bucket when compared to long-term needs.

Also, this was me earlier today on a local radio show talking about this problem.

11 Comments ]]> Thu, 05 Jun 2008 18:21:00 CDT Trying out the Fuel-Cell Vehicle

                Here in Congress, my colleagues and I have been working hard to push the Green-based initiative on behalf of the American people. Even within our halls, we’ve launched a program called “Green the Capitol”. This program sets us to be the World’s first carbon neutral legislative body, reducing our energy consumption by 50% a 10-year time frame, reduce waste by using only completely compostable items, and that’s only a few to mention.

Outside our walls, just a few weeks ago, the House passed H.R. 6049 (The Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act) to not only extend, but also expand tax incentives for renewable energy, retain and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs. The bill also closes loopholes allowing U.S. corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas.

Keeping in the spirit of “going green”, I had an opportunity to check out GM’s new Fuel-Cell Vehicle, based on the Chevrolet Equinox. This car produced zero emissions, using NO gasoline. It also had quite a bit of pickup, with an ability to go up to 100mph. There was very little noise from the engine, and the drive was fantastic. The unfortunate part is that these cars will be hard to come by until production meets demand, plus the fact that there aren’t a whole lot of stations to recharge these cars. I’m very excited, however, to see how this technology will positively impact the auto industry as years go by.

8 Comments


]]> Tue, 27 May 2008 14:13:00 CDT Reflections from Memorial Day

Yesterday I had an opportunity to participate with local veterans in three different events in my District. The morning started off at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Trumbull County Veterans Memorial in Warren. The memorial will honor our brave men and woman who from our community who have fought honorably for our country. I then attended a flag presentation with the American Legion at the Campbell Memorial High School. Finally I finished at VFW Post 6488 & Ladies Auxiliary in Youngstown, where I spoke and honored former Mahoning County Coroner Dr. Nathan Belinky, who survived one of the most brutal events of World War II, the Bataan Death March.           

Last week was a good week in Congress to reflect on how our nation can give back to those men and women who put everything on the line for us. We came to an agreement on a $1.3 billion tax relief package for military families which included allowing service members in combat to get the Earned Income Tax Credit. The measure also expanded veterans’ homeownership opportunities and provided foreclosure relief for those returning home from the field. We also passed a series of measures to address the health care needs of veterans and provide a cost-of-living adjustment for service-connected disability compensation rates for veterans, among others.  Since last January, Speaker Pelosi and the new majority have committed ourselves to being the most veteran friendly Congress in a generation. We believe that, “supporting our troops,” isn’t just some slogan; it is a commitment to ensure they have the tools and training they need in the field, but also every opportunity to succeed in civilian life when they come home.

A New GI Bill for the 21^st Century

The New GI Bill for the 21^st Century: Passed by the House and Senate:

Restores a full, four-year college education for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans – on a par with the educational benefits available after World War II.

Makes Iraq and Afghanistan veterans a part of an American economic recovery, just as the veterans of World War II helped grow and strengthen the American middle class.   

Makes military service more attractive and improves the quality of military recruits as we work to strengthen and rebuild our military stretched thin by the Iraq War. 

Broadly supported by all major veterans’ organizations, including the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Largest Increase in Veterans Health Care in History

FY 2009 Budget Resolution (H.Con.Res. 312, S.Con.Res. 70; PASSED BY HOUSE & SENATE & FINAL AGREEMENT will be voted on in June)

Provides blueprint for another historic veterans’ budget increase – 11 percent above last year and $3.3 billion more than the President’s budget. 

Invests $39 billion more over 5 years than the President’s budget. 

Rejects President’s plan for $2.3 billion in new enrollment fees and drug co-payments increases on 1 million veterans.

Strongly supported by major veterans organizations, including the American Legion, the Independent Budget (AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America, and Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States), and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Key increases include:

Medical services, administration, facilities and research -- 28 percent ($8 billion) increase

Non-recurring maintenance at VA facilities to prevent a Walter Reed-like tragedy – 240 percent ($600 million) increase

Substance Abuse – 20 percent ($70 million) increase

Homeless veterans – 104 percent ($66 million) increase

Focusing on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury

Required the VA to spend at least $2.9 billion on mental health care – 32 percent more than in FY06.

Added $100 million in the Iraq supplemental (5/07) for mental health care.

Strengthened polytrauma centers providing care for those with multiple injuries and related psychological impairments and functional disability, such as TBI and amputations. 

Required that current level I polytrauma centers and the centers of excellence for Mental Health and PTSD will be fully staffed and operational in FY2008

Focusing serious attention on the nearly 400,000 claims backlog by hiring additional claims processors

Added 3,100 new VA claims processors -- 400 new hires funded through the FY 2007 Joint Resolution, 800 new hires in the FY 2008 Iraq Supplemental, and 1,800 new hires in the FY 2008 Omnibus.

With new processors, VA projects 11 percent (84,528) more claims will be processed in 2008 compared to 2006. 

Supporting our rural veterans who live far from VA facilities

Increased the travel reimbursement from 11 cents/mile to 28.5 cents/mile. (First increase since 1979, when gas was 95 cents/gallon.)

THIS IS ALL ON TOP OF LAST YEAR’S VETERANS AFFAIRS APPROPRIATIONS WHICH PROVIDED THE SINGLE LARGEST INCREASE IN THE VA’S HISTORY

FY 2008 Budget Resolution (S.Con.Res. 21; COMPLETED) 

Provides blueprint for the largest veterans’ budget increase in history – more than $6 billion above 2007. 

Invests $32 billion more over 5 years than the President’s budget. 

Rejects President’s plan for new enrollment fees and drug co-payment increases on 1 million vets.

Addressing the Serious Challenges in Military/VA Care

FY 2009 Iraq Supplemental (H.R. 2642; PASSED HOUSE AND SENATE)

Provides $2.2 billion over the President’s request to fully fund military quality of life initiatives – including funding for military hospital construction, BRAC requirements, and military child care centers.

Prevents Walter Reed type problems by providing military hospitals with an additional $982 million over the President’s request for military hospitals.

Provides an additional $939 million over the President’s request to meet Base Realignment and Adjustment Commission (BRAC) requirements – funding improvements at military bases, benefiting our military families, as certain bases are realigned and closed.

Provides an additional $210 million for military child care centers.  In his State of the Union, President Bush called for additional funding for military child care centers, but neglected to include it in his budget.   

FY 2009 DOD Authorization -- Improve Health Care for Our Troops & Military Retirees (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Preserves health benefits by rejecting the increased premiums and co-pays in TRICARE and TRICARE retail pharmacy program for service members and retirees, which were proposed by the President.   This will save beneficiaries $1.2 billion in health care costs.

Strengthens military preventative care, with allowances for individuals who seek preventive health services and co-payments waivers for preventive services for TRICARE beneficiaries.

Establishes a Hearing Loss Center of Excellence and addresses the critical nursing shortage in our military.

Wounded Warrior Assistance Act (PL 110-181)

Takes the first steps to address the problems brought to light at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Improves outpatient medical care for wounded service members at military health care facilities;

Begins restoring integrity and efficiency to disability evaluations and cutting bureaucratic red-tape; and

Improves the transition of wounded service members from the Armed Forces to the VA system. 

FY 2008 DOD Upgrade Military Health Care for our Troops & Military Retirees (PL 110-181)

Prohibits fee increases in TRICARE and its pharmacy program for service members and retirees.

Restores 2,300 medical personnel and fully funds military health facility maintenance.

DOD Appropriations for FY 2008 (PL 110-116)

Provides $66 million for wounded warrior assistance.

Directs the Defense Department to improve health information sharing with the VA through electronic medical records and to implement all Army IG recommendations on the disability system.

Focusing on Traumatic Brain Injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Extends VA health care access for troops who served in combat in the Persian Gulf War or future hostilities—5 years after discharge instead of 2 years.  PTSD may have delayed onset. (PL 110-181)

Ensures proper screening and appropriate treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury, the signature injury of the Iraq War. (PL 110-181)

Requires a comprehensive VA program to reduce suicides among veterans, with suicide prevention counselors at medical facilities, 24-hour mental health care for at risk veterans, and an outreach program for veterans to promote mental health.  At least 1,000 veterans commit suicide each year and one out of five suicides in America is a veteran.  (PL 110-110; Rep. Boswell)

Requires the VA to provide the full continuum of care for substance use disorders at every VA medical center, as nearly 50,000 veterans from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom who have accessed VA health care have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder. (H.R. 5554; PASSED HOUSE)

Authorizes major VA medical facility projects and major medical facility leases for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2009. (H.R. 5856; PASSED HOUSE)

Requires the VA to reimburse veterans receiving emergency treatment in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities.  (H.R. 3819; PASSED HOUSE; Rep. Space)

Restoring Accountability through Aggressive Oversight

Congress has conducted a series of hearings on the significant problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center care and broader systemic problems identified throughout the Defense Department medical care system.  These hearings also have examined the gaps in VA health care and the challenges facing both health care systems.

The Veterans Affairs Committee has held hearings on the disability backlogs and rating system, as well as on the truth about the problem of veterans’ suicides, which either the VA has not adequately attempted to determine or has attempted to obfuscate and minimize.

Democrats held hearings on the $3.8 million in bonuses that were given out to senior budget officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs – some of which totaled more than half a million dollars.

Supporting our Troops, Veterans & Their Families

2008 Pay Raise for the Troops (PL 110-181)

Provides all service members a pay raise of 3.5 percent – 0.5 percent more than the President’s budget  – as well as special pay and bonuses to combat troops.   The Administration opposed this increase, calling it “unnecessary.” 

2009 Pay Raise for the Troops (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Provides all service members a pay raise of 3.9 percent – 0.5 percent more than the President’s budget  – as well as special pay and bonuses to combat troops, putting $8.3 billion in military paychecks of over the next five years.   The Administration opposes this increase, calling it “unnecessary.” 

FY 2009 DOD Authorization – Other Provisions for Troops (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Takes steps to expand suicide prevention in the Armed Forces.  The National Institute of Mental Health’s director projects military suicides and mortality related to psychiatric problems could “trump combat deaths.”

Establishes a Career Intermission Pilot Program, which allows a service member to be released from active duty for up to three years to focus on professional goals outside the military.

FY 2009 DOD Authorization -- Improve Family Support for Military Families (H.R. 5658; PASSED HOUSE)

Authorizes $3.2 billion to support and expand quality housing for all service members and their families.

Authorizes $15 million, beyond the President’s request, to expand family support programs.

Authorizes $50 million to help local educational agencies providing support to our military children.

Authorizes DOD to pay a portion of a second family separation allowance when both military parents are deployed simultaneously, and tuition assistance for military spouses training for transferable careers.

Military Family Tax Relief  (H.R. 6081; PASSED HOUSE, SENATE, and HEADED TO PRESIDENT’S DESK)

Provides $1.3 billion in tax relief for military families to respond to the economic hardships caused by extended military deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Makes tax relief permanent for service members receiving combat pay under the Earned Income Tax Credit.

Offers small businesses a tax incentive to pay their National Guard and Reserve employees called up for active duty so that these troops do not suffer a pay cut.

Makes thousands of veterans eligible for low-interest home loans and ensures that more military families are able to receive Recovery Rebates.

Preserving the American Dream for Our Nation’s Veterans (H.R. 3221, PASSED BY HOUSE AND SENATE)

Increases VA Home Loan limit, as was done in the stimulus package, for high-cost housing areas so that veterans have more homeownership opportunities.

Thu, 22 May 2008 14:33:00 CDT                 Yesterday, I was surfing around a couple of well known blogs and I found a great piece on the failure of the Congress to address the energy crisis. The thrust of the post was that Congress isn’t doing enough. I agree, we need to do more but at the same token you have to break ground on a construction site before you build the building. We’ve barely scratched the surface on what needs to be done to combat the rising cost of fuel, or our dependence on oil, but since taking Congress we have done ten times more than our counterparts.  House Democrats have been leading the effort to help deliver gas price relief and encourage the use of renewable energy.

Congress took decisive action last week to bring down the price of gas, passing legislation to suspend the filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through the end of the year.  After initially opposing the proposal, the President announced Friday he will comply and signed the bill into law this week. From day one, this Congress has been fighting to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, bring down record gas prices, and launch a cleaner, smarter energy future for America that lowers costs and creates hundreds of thousands of green jobs.

Below is a list of bills we’ve worked on to reduce fuel prices and build a clean energy infrastructure:

Enacted legislation to increase oil supply by temporarily suspending the fill of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the nation’s crude oil stockpile. (H.R. 6022)

Gave the Federal Trade Commission new authority to crack down on people manipulating wholesale energy markets to keep prices high. - Energy Independence and Security Act. (H.R. 6)

Approved the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act (H.R. 6074) to hold the OPEC monopoly accountable for price fixing that flouts the free market and artificially drives up the cost of crude oil.

Passed the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act (H.R. 1252) to investigate price gouging by retailers who may be using the cover of high prices to unfairly inflate their rates even further.

Enacted the landmark Energy Independence and Security Act (H.R. 6) that raised vehicle fuel efficiency for the first time in 32 years and increased the renewable fuels standard.

Passed the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Act (H.R. 5351) to end unnecessary subsidies to oil companies making record profits and invest in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Approved the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act (H.R. 6049) to renew and expand tax incentives for renewable energy.

Passed the Food and Energy Security Act (H.R. 2419) that promotes the development of biofuels, including those from non-corn sources.

5 Comments ]]> Wed, 21 May 2008 10:20:00 CDT There are a TON of new grant notifications I want to encourage everyone to apply for.

The following grant opportunity postings were made on the Grants.gov Find Opportunities service:

USDOJ

United States Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

SMART

SMART FY 2008 Comprehensive Approaches to Sex Offender Management (CASOM) Training and Technical Assistance Program Modification 6

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41677

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

Competitive Training Grants Program (CTGP) Modification 2 http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41700

DOT

U.S. Department of Transportation

DOT/National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Standardized Field Sobriety Testing/Drug Evaluation and Classification Program Database Integration Grant

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41703

DHS

Department of Homeland Security

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

FY 2008 Homeland Security Preparedness Technical Assistance Program (HSTAP) Modification 1

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41704

NARA

National Archives and Records Administration Historical Editing Fellowships Grant http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=41710

0 Comments


]]> Tue, 20 May 2008 12:24:00 CDT 05/16/2008 . If updates have been made to the opportunity synopsis, update information is provided below the synopsis.

If you would like to receive notifications of changes to the grant opportunity click send me change notification emails . The only thing you need to provide for this service is your email address. No other information is requested.

Any inconsistency between the original printed document and the disk or electronic document shall be resolved by giving precedence to the printed document.

Document Type:	Modification to Previous  Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number:	DHS-08-NPD-068-1895
Opportunity Category:	Discretionary
Posted Date:	May 16, 2008
Creation Date:	May 19, 2008
Original Closing Date for Applications:	Jun 09, 2008
Current Closing Date for Applications:	Jun 09, 2008
Archive Date:	Jul 09, 2008
Funding Instrument Type:	Cooperative Agreement
Category of Funding Activity:	Other (see text field entitled "Explanation of Other Category of Funding Activity" for clarification)
Category Explanation:	Homeland Security – Preparedness
Expected Number of Awards:
Estimated Total Program Funding:	$27,202,000
Award Ceiling:
Award Floor:
CFDA Number:	97.068  --  Competitive Training Grants
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:	No

Eligible Applicants

Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility"
 

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Agency Name

Department of Homeland Security - FEMA

Description

The CTGP awards funds to competitively selected applicants to develop and deliver innovative training programs addressing high priority national homeland security training needs. Training should be national in scope and designed for and delivered to appropriate State and local personnel with Homeland Security related responsibilities.

Link to Full Announcement

www.fema.gov/grants

If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact:

Jan Carey
Branch Chief
FEMA, National Preparedness Directorate, Training and Exercise Integration Division/Training Operations
202-786-9481
Jan.Carey@dhs.gov

Synopsis Modification History

The following files represent the modifications to this synopsis with the changes noted within the documents. The list of files is arranged from newest to oldest with the newest file representing the current synopsis. Changed sections from the previous document are shown in a light grey background.

0 Comments ]]> Tue, 20 May 2008 11:41:00 CDT There is nothing more important than to take care of those who have sacrificed for our country. Every day, I work along with my colleagues to push these initiatives for our Nation’s servicemen and women. In addition to the above noted, Speaker Pelosi and Senate Leadership are fighting for a landmark plan to establish a 21^st century GI Education bill and a pay raise for our troops that exceeds the President’s request. All this progress comes shortly after we enacted the largest veterans’ health care funding increase in the 77-year history of the VA. I’m looking forward to joining my colleagues in making lives easier for those who put their lives at risk every day.

0 Comments ]]> Tue, 13 May 2008 10:17:00 CDT NOTIFICATION OF GRANT GUIDANCE RELEASE

To:                  Members of Congress

From:             Federal Emergency Management Agency

Subject:          Fiscal Year 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program

Date:               May 12, 2008

Pages:             1

Comments:

This serves as notification that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is releasing grant guidance and application materials under the Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program (SAFER).  The application period will open on Tuesday, May 27, 2008 at 8:00 a.m. EDT and will close on Friday, June 27, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. EDT.   In the interim, the SAFER Guidance and application materials are currently available for review at www.firegrantssupport.com.

Background:

The focus of the SAFER program is to provide assistance to fire departments to increase the number of frontline firefighters. The goal is for fire departments to increase their staffing and deployment capabilities and to ultimately attain 24-hour staffing, thus assuring that their communities have adequate protection from fire and fire-related hazards. The SAFER grants support two specific activities: (1) the hiring of firefighters, and (2) the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters. The grants pay a portion of the salaries of newly hired firefighters over the 5-year award performance period. 

Funding Information:

The Department will award approximately $165 million in SAFER grants.

Contact Information:

For additional information, please visit the above Internet address or contact Chris Rizzuto at 202-786-9450, Andrew White at 202-786-9452, or Todd Sharpe at 202-646-3408.   

1 Comments


]]> Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:01:00 CDT

Ohio Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

5 Comments ]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2008 11:18:00 CDT http://www.dot.gov/affairs/dot5508.htm

DOT News Digest

Friday, April 18, 2008

U.S. DOT Seeks Innovative Research Proposals from Small Businesses to Solve Multimodal Transportation Challenges.  The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) announced the first of two Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program solicitations for 2008, inviting small businesses to submit innovative research proposals that address high priority national transportation goals.  RITA has set a new strategic direction for the program this year, with a heightened emphasis on proposals that would provide cost-effective, multi-modal solutions to the nation’s most pressing transportation challenges in areas such as bridge condition monitoring technology and data collection, hazardous materials tracking and incident response, adaptive traffic signal control, and rail, motorcycle and pedestrian safety research.  The SBIR program is administered by RITA’s Volpe National Transportation Systems Center on behalf of DOT’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization.  Proposals are due by June 3, 2008.  The solicitation is available online at http://www.volpe.dot.gov/sbir/current.html.

0 Comments ]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:42:00 CDT

Magnificent Mass. The music was extraordinary. I loved the multicultural

infusuion. The Inter- Cultural Choir was phenomenal and gave the Mass

tremendous energy.   The American Indian flute playing while the Holy

Father was preparing the gifts gave The Litugy of the Eucharist a subtle

American twist. But, Placido Domingo singing Panis Angelicus stole the

show in my eyes. It was the most uplifting and spiritual moment I've

ever felt at Mass.

The Holy Father delivered a tremendous message of peace and justice. And

a clear call for all Catholics to push for a more just and more peaceful

society. The energy was unforgetable. This was certainly the high point

of my life as a Catholic.

0 Comments


]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:27:00 CDT Here are a few photos of the Pope's arrival and the procession. It's a beautiful day...will check in in a bit, the Pope is about to speak.

0 Comments ]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:59:00 CDT I'm at National's stadium and I thought I'd share a few pictures with you! This is the view from my seat.

0 Comments ]]> Wed, 16 Apr 2008 12:16:00 CDT Splendid day. Perfect DC weather.  Lots of interesting memories from Mt. Carmel. The Knights of Columbus are here.  The Pope and President both talked of peace. Let's hope our country's policies match the inspiration of the Holy Father and the words of our President.

0 Comments


]]> Wed, 16 Apr 2008 11:50:00 CDT I'm currently at the White House at the official welcoming ceremony for Pope Benedict XVI and the crowd just finished wishing the Pope a "Happy Birthday."  We also just finished a beautiful rendition of "The Lord's Prayer."  Below are a few pictures of where I am in relation to the Pope right now!

0 Comments ]]> Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:35:00 CDT
The Internal Revenue Service and scores of its partners nationwide will open hundreds of locations on Super Saturday, March 29, in an effort to reach those Americans who are eligible for the economic stimulus payment but who normally are not required to file an income tax return.

Approximately 320 IRS offices will be open on Super Saturday to prepare the simple Form 1040A for people who are filing a return solely to receive their stimulus payment. IRS partners such as AARP, United Way of America and dozens of others also are making special efforts on Super Saturday to reach out to those who normally are not required to file a tax return.

“We don’t want any Americans to miss out on their economic stimulus payment. For millions of Americans, filing a tax return is not routine. Their income is either too low or not taxable. But this year, filing a 2007 tax return is the only way to receive an economic stimulus payment. Super Saturday is one way the IRS and its partners are working to ensure everyone eligible receives a stimulus payment,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman.

Super Saturday, part of an extensive outreach effort by the IRS, is a one-day event for which Americans can plan in advance. It also highlights the need for all taxpayers to file as soon as possible to avoid the April 15 rush.

Millions of Americans who do not pay federal income taxes may be eligible for a $300 payment ($600 for married couples) if they have at least $3,000 in qualifying income. Qualifying income is defined as any combination of earned income such as wages, nontaxable combat pay and certain benefits from Social Security, Veterans Affairs and Railroad Retirement. Many households also will be eligible for an additional $300 for each qualifying child younger than 17.

The IRS this week is mailing 20.5 million Social Security and Veterans Affairs recipients a Package 1040A-3 that contains all the information they need to file a return immediately. Railroad Retirement recipients, low-income individuals and military personnel with nontaxable combat pay also can use the package if they need to file solely to receive the payment.

The 320 IRS offices are located in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., although some may be open longer. IRS employees will help prepare the Form 1040A returns for low-income workers, retirees, disabled veterans and others. IRS field assistance personnel also will visit nursing homes and similar locations to prepare returns.

A list of IRS offices and partner sites providing assistance on Super Saturday is available at www.irs.gov or by calling the IRS Hotline, 1-800-906-9887, for free assistance location