[StBernard] Washington Report from Rep. Richard H. Baker

[Westley Annis]

Editor's note: Reading this email, Rep. Baker is who you need to send your comments to in the Congress for closure of the MR-GO.

-----Original Message-----

September 22, 2006

Thank you for signing up for Congressman Baker’s newsletter. Below are issue updates that you may find interesting. As always, please visit his website at http://www.baker.house.gov <http://www.baker.house.gov/>  for the most up-to-date news and information on what Congressman Baker is working on in the Sixth Congressional District of Louisiana.

Congressman Baker Named to House-Senate Conference on Corps of Engineers Water Project Bill

Last week Congressman Baker was named as the only member of Louisiana’s House delegation to serve as a conferee to the House-Senate conference negotiating the Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA), legislation that authorizes funding and work by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on projects critical to Louisiana and the Baton Rouge area.

Highest at stake in the bill - the first WRDA legislation in six years - for post-Katrina and Rita Louisiana, is authorization of $1.113 billion in funding and Corps work on numerous coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects in the Louisiana Coastal Area, as well as $720 million for hurricane and flood protection projects for the Atchafalaya Basin from Morganza to the Gulf. Please click here <http://baker.house.gov/html/news_item.cfm?id=594>  for a more comprehensive list of some of the Louisiana and Baton Rouge area projects in the House-passed WRDA bill. Congressman Baker will be joined by Senator David Vitter in these negotiations, as they fight together for important projects in the state.

Congressman Baker Votes Again to Secure America’s Borders

As a member of Congress who strongly supports the enactment of strict measures to stop the flow of illegal aliens into America, Congressman Baker recently voted in favor of legislation summarized below that will crack down on illegal immigration. 

		H.R. 6061, the "Secure Fence Act," provides over 700 miles of two-layered reinforced fencing along the southwest border, and mandates operational control of all borders and ports through enhanced Border Patrol operations, physical barriers, and state-of-the-art technology along the southwest border.

		H.R. 6094, the "Community Protection Act," allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain dangerous aliens beyond six months if these individuals cannot be deported for various reasons. H.R. 6094 also allows DHS to use the same expedited procedures available for the removal of aggravated felons to remove other criminal aliens who are not permanent residents and are otherwise ineligible for relief.

		H.R. 6095, the "Immigration Law Enforcement Act," provides a Sense of Congress that the Attorney General should adopt uniform guidelines for the prosecution of smuggling offenses to be followed by each U.S. Attorney’s office and authorize in each of the fiscal years 2008 through 2013 an increase in the number of attorneys in U.S. Attorneys’ offices to prosecute such cases by not less than 20 over the previous year’s level.

		H.R. 4830, the "Border Tunnel Prevention Act," enacts criminal penalties of up to 20 years of imprisonment for individuals who knowingly construct or finance the construction of an unauthorized tunnel across a U.S. international border. Permitting the construction of such a tunnel on one’s property is punishable by imprisonment of up to 10 years. Those who help smuggle aliens, contraband, drugs, weapons or terrorists are subject to twice the penalty that would have otherwise been imposed.

Congressman Baker encourages you to contact Senator Landrieu and Senator Vitter to urge them to follow the House’s lead in approving legislation that will protect the U.S. from illegal immigration.

House Votes to Protect Integrity of Federal Elections

This week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4844, the "Federal Election Integrity Act of 2006," by a vote of 228 to 196. H.R. 4844 addresses critical flaws in the U.S. election law that leaves our voting process vulnerable to fraud and facilitates voting by illegal aliens. 

Starting in 2008, voters will be required to show proof of identity in order to cast a ballot. Further, in 2010 an identification that also includes proof of citizenship will be required to vote. Finally, the federal government will work side-by-side with state governments to implement this program, providing the necessary funding to ensure that voters of all ages and incomes can comply with the new requirements. 

Congressman Baker Supports Proposal to Enhance School Safety

H.R. 5295, the "Student and Teacher Safety Act," passed the House by unanimous consent on September 19, 2006. This legislation allows states and school districts to conduct reasonable searches to ensure that schools remain free of all weapons, dangerous materials, or illegal narcotics. Congressman Baker believes that in order for our nation’s students to get the most out of their education, it is imperative that they feel safe inside the classroom. H.R. 5295 follows legislation President Bush signed into law earlier this year that gives schools access to criminal history records for individuals seeking to work with or around children.

Congressman Baker supported this legislation because H.R. 5295 leaves all decision-making to those at the state and local levels. H.R. 5295 simply asks states and local school districts to develop and implement a policy on school safety. Notably, the legislation does not dictate to a state or school what this policy must include.


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