ENews

Op-Ed

eNews - April 18, 2008

What's Inside

1. Frelinghuysen marks Tax Day by voting to stop "the largest tax increase in American history"
2. More delays for a renewed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
3. Bolstering Student Access to College
4. NASA Leader in New Jersey
5. Frelinghuysen at Women's Health Fair and Summit
6. Frelinghuysen named to Naval Academy Board
7. Spread the eNews!

Frelinghuysen marks Tax Day by voting to stop "the largest tax increase in American history"

Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen marked "Tax Day" by voting to stop the Democrat-authored "largest tax increase in American history."

"April 15 was a painful day for many New Jersey families. If they did not actually write a check to the IRS, they were being reminded of the heavy tax burden they bear throughout the year," Frelinghuysen said. "New Jersey's families are already taxed too much. We must prevent the House Majority Leadership from imposing more tax hikes!"

The House Minority forced multiple votes this week in an attempt to stop the Democrat-authored tax increase during consideration of the rule for H.R. 5719, a tax bill scheduled for consideration on the House floor. Republicans sought to use a proposal from Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) - the Tax Increase Prevention Act (H.R. 2734) - to stop the $683 billion tax increase passed by House Democrats in March as part of their FY 2009 budget proposal.

"This massive tax increase, which will take more money out of the pockets of every single New Jersey taxpayer," said Frelinghuysen. "It represents a great threat to our economy, particularly at a time when families and small businesses are already struggling with soaring gas prices and other hikes in the cost of living. "

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned a tax increase will hurt the economy.

H.R. 2734 would make permanent the federal tax reductions enacted in 2001 and 2003 including lower marginal tax rates, reduced income tax rates on dividends and capital gains, the increased child tax credit, reduced taxes on married couples, the tax deduction for state and local sales taxes; the tax deduction for tuition and related expenses; the increased expensing allowance for small business assets and the tax credit for increasing research activities.

More delays for a renewed Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said this week that he believes Congress can pass a long-stalled electronic surveillance measure before Memorial Day, as deadlines for finishing work on the measure continue to slide.

Since FISA expired in mid-February, another five week delay in renewing the bill will mean the United States intelligence community will have had to contend with major gaps in its intelligence gathering capabilities for 100 days!

"This delay is irresponsible, in a world where violent international extremists are plotting and planning every day against our citizens and our interests. Every day that passes without Congressional action, we lose critical intelligence that help us track foreign terrorists quickly and effectively," said Rep. Frelinghuysen. "The fact that the leadership is thwarting the will of a bipartisan majority in both the House and the Senate is incredibly dangerous."

The FISA bill, which cleared the Senate 68-29 weeks ago and is supported by Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller and a bipartisan majority in the House and the attorney-generals of 25 states, would give U.S. intelligence officials all the tools they need to protect American interests from violent international extremists.

Bolstering Student Access to College

With Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's support, the House Thursday passed a bill designed to ensure access to federally backed student loans. The Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act, HR 5715, would increase the amount students can borrow and would give the Education Department a bigger role in ensuring the availability of funds for college.

"For many New Jersey students, a college education remains the gateway to a productive career," said Frelinghuysen. "This bill will help ensure that our families have access to the loans that will allow young people to work toward the American dream."

The bill would allow undergraduates who are dependents of their parents to borrow up to $31,000 in federal loans, up from a current limit of $23,000. The total for independent students would increase from $46,000 to $57,500.

The measure would also allow the Education Department to buy up existing loans at a discount to give lenders more cash to do more lending. It would also formalize the department's ability to advance funds to guarantee agencies, allowing them to act as lenders of last resort if more private lenders drop out.

The legislation is one of several proposals the House has passed, and that Frelinghuysen has supported, to keep the current global credit crunch from reducing students' access to loans.

For additional information about federal student aid, please visit:
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp

NASA Leader in New Jersey

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen today welcomed Dr. Michael Griffin, Administrator of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA), to the County College of Morris in Randolph. Dr. Griffin met with representatives of New Jersey's active scientific community and with New Jersey educators, students, faculty and staff:

In his introductory remarks to the gathering of over 150 persons, Frelinghuysen praised Administrator Griffin, saying he "knows NASA's heritage and he has a vision for its future. As Gemini Astronaut Michael Collins once said, ‘It's human nature to stretch, to go, to see, to understand. Exploration is not a choice, really; it's an imperative.' And NASA is the agency that spearheads that exploration and leads us to new discoveries.

NASA has truly met the challenge laid out by President Lyndon Baines Johnson over 30 years ago when he said: ‘In the eyes of the world, first in space means first, period; second in space is second in everything.'

And here on earth, there is no better way to emphasize to our elementary, middle and high schools the importance of science and mathematics, than through the work and contributions of NASA. "

Frelinghuysen is speaker at Women's Health Fair and Summit

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen was a featured speaker at the HealthCare Institute of New Jersey's "Women's Health Summit" on Monday at the Morris Museum in Morris Township.

The Summit focused on the latest research available to reduce illnesses that largely strike women, with a specific emphasis on ovarian cancer.

"We are here today to discuss ovarian cancer, known to many as the ‘silent killer'," Frelinghuysen told the 150 attendees. "The sooner ovarian cancer is found and treated, the better the chance for recovery. But ovarian cancer is hard to detect early. Many times, women with ovarian cancer have no symptoms or just mild symptoms until the disease is in an advanced stage and difficult to treat," he said.

According to the National Institute of Health, an estimated 22,430 women were diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 and of them over 15,000 will die.

The summit will provide an opportunity for women to interact with physicians and educate themselves about lifestyle changes that promote wellness and prevent disease.

"The statistics on ovarian cancer are alarming," said Frelinghuysen. "But thanks to the hard work and terrific research being done by top-notch experts and doctors in the field, we can save more lives and better protect the health and well-being of countless women."

The summit included a "health fair", which provided various health screenings.

Dr. Elise Kohn, Senior Investigator, Center for Cancer Research at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) was the keynote speaker. A distinguished panel of researchers, clinicians and educators, including Dr. Roshini George, Hematology-Oncology Associates of Northern New Jersey, Anupama Nehra, Hematologist/Medical Oncologist Somerset Medical Center, Dr. Daniel Tobias, Women's Cancer Center at the Carol G. Simon Cancer Center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and Overlook Hospital also provided timely information on ovarian cancers and other diseases which largely affect women.

For additional information on cancer, please visit:

http://www.cancer.gov/

Frelinghuysen named to Naval Academy Board

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen has been appointed to the Board of Visitors (BOV) of the United States Naval Academy, located in Annapolis, Maryland. The BOV, similar to a college board of trustees, provides the collective views and recommendations of the Board to the Superintendent of the Naval Academy.

The duty of the Board of Visitors is to monitor and help sustain the state of morale and discipline, the curriculum, instruction, physical equipment, fiscal affairs, academic methods, and other matters relating to the academy.

"It is a high honor to be asked to serve in this important capacity," said Frelinghuysen. "I consider it a privilege to be in a position to help the Academy's faculty and staff grow the next generation of distinguished Naval and Marine leadership. These are the men and women who will be protecting America for years to come."

The Board of Visitors consists of six members appointed by the President, three appointed by the Vice President, four appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, one designated by the Senate Armed Services Committee and one designated by the House Committee on National Security. The President of the United States receives an annual written report of the Board's findings and recommendations.

For additional information regarding the Naval Academy, please visit

http://www.usna.edu///homepage.php

Source