The Conaway Chronicle

The Conaway Chronicle
October 11 , 2005 - Volume 1, Issue 12

Thank you for reading The Conaway Chronicle, a weekly review of my activities in Congress. I use this newsletter to let you know what's going on in Washington and what important issues are being debated in Congress.

I spent the first half of last week in the district, as Congress was in recess for the Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah. I met with the Border Patrol in Midland, visited and spoke with young people at the Ector County Juvenile Center, and attended the Texas Farm Bill Forum hosted by the Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns in Lubbock. On Wednesday, I headed back to Washington to work on the legislative issues of the week.

On Thursday, President Bush addressed the nation with a report on the progress of our troops fighting overseas in Iraq. The President's speech struck the necessary chords by providing the strategy to winning the War in Iraq. Real progress is being made and regardless of what is being reported in the mainstream media, the last thing we need to do is jeopardize that progress by abandoning the people of Iraq. An immediate withdrawal from Iraq would only aid the terrorists by handing them a clear victory in the overall fight to win the War on Terror. Now, more than ever, we must remain steadfast as Iraqis continue to move toward a Constitution and ultimately an independent democratic society.

The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act for FY06 (H.R. 2360), was passed by the House on Thursday by a vote of 347 to 70. This bill is vital to the security and protection of our country. We must be proactive in the fight against terror, and this bill is a step in the right direction. The bill provides $19.1 billion for border protection, immigration enforcement, and related activities, an increase of $1.2 billion over fiscal year 2005 and $490 million over the President's request. It also includes $1.8 billion for border security and control, funding an additional 1,000 Border Patrol Agents. When combined with the FY05 Supplemental, 1,500 new agents will be hired in 2006. The bill also provides $3.3 billion for first responders, including grants to high threat areas, firefighters, and emergency management.

On Friday, the House passed the Gasoline for America's Security Act (H.R. 3893). The Gas Act of 2005 takes action to lower the cost of gasoline over the mid-and long-term to address critical national security needs. We will attain this goal by increasing capacity, reforming fuel supply, providing transparency in gasoline pricing, combating price gouging and restoring ref1ineries. This bill contains strong incentives for conserving energy, expanding our refining capacity and strea1mlining the fuel supply process. The plan also includes the first ever ban on gasoline price gouging. The bill contains an awareness campaign that will be aimed at reducing the overall demand for gasoline by simply informing drivers of how they can cut down on fuel consumption.

Many of you have requested information on all of this week's legislation, as well as upcoming legislation in the House. I encourage you to visit the Majority Whip's website at http://www.majoritywhip.gov for a House Calendar and to sign up for the "Whipping Post", an email update of the following week's legislation.

http://conaway.house.gov/newsletter/simple10-11-05.htm