News from Congressman Joe Sestak
E-Newsletter - August 2008
In Washington , Congressman Sestak worked to ensure more effective healthcare for Veterans, voted to hold oil companies accountable for not drilling in areas where they are already approved to do so, and addressed the thousands of violent crimes that occur on college campuses each year. At home, the Congressman connected hundreds of senior constituents with service organizations, announced a comprehensive plan to improve watershed management throughout the region and reached out to all of his constituents with registered phone numbers through a series of eight telephone town halls.
*For the most complete and up-to-date information on Congressman Sestak’s work in Washington and in the 7th Congressional District, please visit http://sestak.house.gov
Around the 7th
- Congressman meets with leaders in Alternative Energy:
Congressman Sestak’s continued efforts to find the right way to address our energy crisis included his second meeting of 30 individuals involved in energy industries and visits to local headquarters of global leaders in alternative fuels. (An op-ed written by the Congressman on the energy crisis is pasted below the e-newsletter.) The Congressman has approached this issue with a mindset that what is good for the environment and energy is now also good for business and the economy. “The development of alternative energy technologies is a long term solution to our dependence on foreign oil and is a proven method of revitalizing our economy,” said the Congressman. “In 2006 alone, the renewable energy and efficiency industries generated 8.5 million jobs and nearly $970 billion in revenue in the United States .” In recent weeks the Congressman has visited the King of Prussia site of Iberdrola, a Spanish company and international leader in the wind power industry, which has developed facilities across the nation. He met with executives to discuss their success and ways to further production of wind and other alternative energies in the Untied States. The Congressman also toured the Paoli facility of Sun Technics, a global leader in solar and wind energy, receiving a briefing from executives of the German-based company on the Exelon Power Plant they are currently installing. “We need to encourage American companies to emulate the great success of businesses like these,” said Congressman Sestak. “This will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, but also do so with American resources.”
- Seniors Summit:
More than 300 attendees and representatives from more than 70 service organizations joined Congressman Sestak on August 13 to discuss individual needs and address broader concerns about seniors’ issues. The Senior Summit and Service Fair commenced with Congressman Sestak’s announcement about the Silver Scholarship program, a new piece of legislation the Congressman has introduced offering a $1,000 scholarship to anyone 55 years of age or older who performs 500 hours of volunteer services in a 12 month period. “We must acknowledge the valuable roles that seniors can play by contributing to community service projects,” said Congressman Sestak. “And with seniors living longer and healthier lives than ever before, we need to find ways to provide benefits, such as through continuing education, to further enhance their quality of life.” After the legislative announcement and a panel discussion led by government representatives at the federal, state and county level, seniors were invited to attend a fair, where organizations, including healthcare facilities and county aging departments, provided representatives to offer their expertise on senior issues.
- A Regional Plan to Address Flooding Problems:
On August 14, Congressman Sestak laid out his plan for a regional comprehensive watershed management solution at his Emergency Preparedness and Watershed Management Summit at Villanova University . The Congressman’s request for $250,000 for a Reconnaissance Study has won approval through the House Appropriations Committee and would finance the first step of a process to enhance watershed infrastructure, including work on culverts and sewers, as well as environmental restoration of Pennsylvania creeks in the Seventh Congressional District. Watersheds involved in the project include Perkiomen Creek, Brandywine Creek, Valley Creek, Ridley Creek, Darby Creek, Chester Creek, Crum Creek, and the Schuylkill River . This study would be followed by a detailed data collection, an evaluation and formulation of several alternative plans, and a report making specific recommendations to Congress. For the event, the Congressman called together all of the local watershed groups to address this issue and to discuss steps to prevent flooding as well as to deal with flooding that does occur. Experts participated in two panel discussions, each followed by a question and answer session.
- Providing Access to Funding Resources:
For his eighth seminar in a series designed to give his constituents the resources they need to acquire grant funding, Congressman Sestak hosted Ms. Gloria Hibbet, an expert on private funding who serves as director of the Regional Foundation Center at the Philadelphia Free Library. The event, held at Delaware County Community College , attracted hundreds of constituents, including municipal officials, civic organization members and leaders of houses of worship. Discussion topics included ways in which organizations can search for grants and an explanation of the application process itself. “Many constituents and organizations overlook the potential resources that private foundations can offer, and this seminar presented an important opportunity for experts to share their knowledge with the residents of the Seventh District,” said the Congressman.
- Tele Town Halls:
While traveling throughout his District during the last year and a half, Congressman Sestak has emphasized communication and transparency as key components of his role as a representative. As part of his effort to reach out to as many individuals as possible and offer them access to him, the Congressman held a series of eight telephone town halls, placing calls to every constituent with a registered telephone number. Topics of questions and comments ranged from international affairs, including the best approach to the war in Iraq , to domestic and local matters, such as the cost of healthcare and ways to improve public transportation in the region. “These forums have provided a great opportunity to hear from as many people as possible about the issues most important to them,” said Congressman Sestak. “I am encouraged by the feedback I received and I plan to continue to take advantage of this technology in the future.”
- ALERT! Job Readiness Workshop:
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Both the number of unemployed persons (8.8 million) and the unemployment rate (5.7 percent) rose in July.” To best equip individuals in our region with the practical skills needed for a job search, Congressman Sestak and the state agency PHEAA (Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency) are collaborating to present a free Job Search Strategies and Interview Skills Workshop on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, from 6-9pm, at Upper Darby High School. This workshop is open to all job seekers. Recent college graduates are especially encouraged to attend.
- ALERT! Women’s Business Forum: This event will consist of a panel discussion among business owners, entrepreneurs, and employees to discuss challenges facing women’s business and opportunities. In addition, a service fair will feature representatives from organizations that offer aid to women small business owners. The event will be held on Monday, September 15 at the Pennsylvania State University Brandywine Campus, beginning at 8:45am.
In Legislation
- Better Care for our Veterans: Congressman Sestak announced new legislation to address the fact that the number of uninsured Veterans has increased by more than 235,000, to 1.8 million nationwide since 2000. Many of these Veterans were prevented from receiving care through the Veterans Administration (VA) health system because of policies enacted in 2003 when the Administration began banning so-called "Priority 8" veterans from the VA health system. The Congressman’s bill will reverse income limits that have prevented more than 273,000 Veterans from receiving health care and will cover many more Vets through the VA, rather than forcing them to use more expensive private insurance plans.
The announcement came just weeks after Congressman Sestak helped the House pass the fiscal year 2009 appropriations bill for military construction and Veterans affairs, which focuses resources on improving the quality of life for military personnel and their families and on increasing the amount of assistance that the VA can offer to the men and women who have defended our nation. The bill allocates $72.7 billion, $8.8 billion more than fiscal year 2008 and $3.4 billion more than the President’s request. The portion of the bill dedicated to military construction apportions $24.8 billion to improve facilities and provide necessary funds to implement base closures and realignments. The Department of Veterans Affairs will receive $47.7 billion, focusing medical service funding on two areas of growing concern: mental health and homelessness. This bill appropriates $3.8 billion for specialty mental health care. It also provides $130 million for the homeless grants and per diem program, rejecting the President’s $8 million cut, and includes $32 million to hire additional personnel for the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program.
- Addressing the Energy Crisis through Legislation: Congressman Sestak voted in favor of increasing domestic oil and natural gas production in a way that has the most immediate impact and considers environmental implications. (An op-ed written by the Congressman on the energy crisis is pasted below the e-newsletter). The Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act (HR 6515) failed to pass the House under suspension with the condition that two-thirds of members vote for the bill. This necessary energy legislation acknowledges that we can use domestic supplies to address high energy costs by drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve- Alaska (NPR-A) and on lands where oil companies already have drilling permits. It would have required annual leases of parts of the NPR-A (only 14 percent of which is currently leased), development of federal property that oil companies have leased but are not exploring, and work on pipelines that would transport energy more rapidly from Alaska to the continental U.S. “In addition to exploring long-term solutions, we need to take action that gives Americans relief from high fuel prices in the short-term,” said the Congressman. “I am disappointed that this bill did not pass, but we must encourage production in unused areas of the NPR-A, which, unlike ANWR, are already eligible for leasing, and in the 68 million acres of leased land not being used.”
- Keeping Dangerous Products out of Our Homes: To effectively address the growing number of unsafe children’s products that make it on the market, Congressman Sestak supported, and the House passed, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (HR 4040). “It is unacceptable that 45 million toys and children’s products needed to be recalled in 2007, with some containing nearly 200 times the legal amount of lead,” said Congressman Sestak. “This bill implements regulations that will allow us to significantly decrease the number of dangerous products that become available for purchase and, in the occasional occurrence when something unsafe is allowed into American homes, it will be much easier for families to find out if they own a product that needs to be recalled.” To reduce injuries caused by merchandise, the bills provisions include a prohibition of any lead beyond a minute amount in products designed for children under age 12, and a ban on more than a miniscule measurement of phthalates, a group of harmful chemicals sometimes added to plastics. In addition, the act mandates third-party, pre-market testing for compliance with safety standards, including lead regulations, by laboratories certified to test children’s products.
- Ensuring College Campus Safety: From the shootings at Columbine to the tragedy at Virginia Tech, violence in schools has resulted in many heartbreaking headlines in recent years. As part of his ongoing effort to find methods of reducing school crime, and to institute crime-preventing regulations, Congressman Sestak introduced a resolution (H. Res. 1288) expressing Congressional support for the designation of September as National Campus Safety Awareness Month (NCSAM). On July 31, the House voted unanimously in favor of the measure, which builds on work the Congressman has done in the District – where he has hosted an Anti-Violence Summit as well as education summits that have addressed ways to reduce violence – and in Washington , where he has advocated for better reporting of incidents in schools. “We are more aware now than ever about the importance of keeping our nation’s college students safe,” said Congressman Sestak. “National Campus Safety Awareness Month, which comes at the beginning of the new school year, offers a perfect opportunity to provide students with the critical awareness that they need to stay safe on campus.”
- Improving Health Care:
Responding to an unfair practice that has burdened college students who must take a medical leave of absence from school, Congressman Sestak voted for Michelle’s Law (HR 2851). This legislation, which the Congressman cosponsored, ensures that dependent students who must leave school for health reasons do not lose insurance coverage. The bill is named for Michelle Morse, a New Hampshire college student, who continued attending classes full time even as she struggled with treatments for colon cancer. Michelle’s doctors had recommended that she reduce her course load while undergoing chemotherapy treatments, but doing so would have caused her to lose health care coverage under her family’s insurance. Michelle tragically lost her battle in 2005.
Congressman Joe Sestak
Confronting Our Energy & Environmental Crisis
The price of gasoline has more than doubled in the past few years, creating substantial economic hardship. This issue deserves serious attention – not political point scoring. Let’s talk about real actions to improve the situation.
Over the last 30 years, global demand for energy has skyrocketed, most recently with the emergence of China and India . Crude oil production has increased, but there is little spare capacity left in the market, and every global threat or natural disaster raises the market price. The United States is the world’s largest oil consumer, using 20.5 million barrels a day, but only the third largest producer, pumping 8 million barrels a day. As a result, we have increased our net oil imports 67%, exacerbating our dependence on foreign oil at grave risk to our national security.
Let me be clear: I am for more drilling. And that means drilling now on land already leased to oil and gas companies, which have stockpiled nearly 10,000 permits – for the leases to 68 million acres of Federal territory on which they are not producing oil or gas. These leases do have oil, since the companies are drilling at an all-time high success rate; in the last 5 years, 53% of exploratory wells have been successful, meaning 1 in 2 wells now hits black gold, from 1 in 5 hits 35 years ago.
The resources in these open acres could double total U.S. oil production and yield over six times the peak production from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). According to President Bush’s own Energy Information Administration, drilling in ANWR would not yield any oil for 10 years, and would only save the consumer 1.8 cents per gallon in 2030.
I am also for drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), but first, we need to encourage better use of land already leased. Right now, oil and gas companies can drill on 33.5 million open acres on the OCS, which contain 79% of its known oil reserves (68 billion barrels) and 82% of its known natural gas reserves (350 trillion cubic feet). This would add greater supply faster to help meet our energy demands than the areas that are closed to drilling.
I also support development of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA), where oil companies have leased only 3 million out of 22.6 million available acres. And we must expedite completion of the Alaskan oil pipeline and the natural gas pipeline for which Congress authorized $18 billion in loan guarantees in 2004, but hasn’t advanced one foot since.
We need a comprehensive national energy strategy that takes strides in energy conservation and efficiency and furthers our transition toward alternative energy sources.
In the near term, we need to avoid excess speculation in our energy markets, which may be responsible for between 2%-10% of today’s price of oil. That is why I voted for strong measures to provide proper oversight.
We also face an alarming devaluation of our currency, as policies of the past few years have turned a large surplus into $9 trillion in debt. We must work under a pay-as-you-go government to bring down our debt and rebuild confidence in the dollar. If we raise the value of the dollar 10%, we could also reduce the price of oil proportionally, or greater.
Now is also the time to draw down a small portion of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. In 2000, this action helped to significantly bring down the price of oil in one week, and it is the right course of action now.
For long-term sustainable impact, we must pursue the full range of viable alternatives, to protect our environment, end our dependence on fossil fuels, and create thousands of new jobs.
We should develop carbon capture and sequestration to reduce emissions from coal power. We should support nuclear power once we have established greater standardization measures and resolved the disposal issue at Yucca Mountain . We must move to cellulosic ethanol, provide a level playing field for renewables such as wind and solar, and implement an economy-wide cap-and-trade program to spur clean technology development and raise billions for alternatives.
To encourage this transition, I have voted for major investments in conservation, efficiency and renewable energy bonds; extensions of credits for renewable energy and energy-efficiency; tax credits for plug-in hybrids; and for programs to assist small businesses.
Finally, we must create private-public partnerships to drive research and development of alternative energy. In the Seventh District, we are blessed with many outstanding universities and a wealth of opportunity to drive innovation. Clean technology development is good for business, good for jobs, and good for the environment.
We need a strategy with a vision for the long-term transition to clean energy. I am confident in our ingenuity and ability to achieve real and lasting energy, economic and environmental security.
