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

[Westley Annis]

March 30, 2007

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 Opposes Amnesty Legislation

Congressman Baker is adamantly opposed to so-called "comprehensive" immigration reform, which includes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. H.R. 1645, the "Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act," not only grants amnesty to illegal aliens, but includes the following provisions as well:

*	Uses taxpayer money to fund grants to private organizations to help illegal immigrants apply for amnesty.
*	Extends Social Security benefits to illegal immigrants.
*	Allows 400,000 "new workers," plus an unlimited number of spouses and minor children to come to the U.S. in the first year, and that figure can easily reach 600,000 in future years.
*	Allows employers to lay-off American workers and replace them with "new" foreign workers as long as they lay-off the Americans more than 90 days before or after they file the petitions for the foreign workers.
*	Provides detained immigration-law violators with individual and group counseling, daily access to indoor and outdoor recreational activities.
*	Reduces civil penalties for employers who knowingly hire or continue to employ illegal immigrants or who fail to comply with the employment eligibility verification system.

For more information on Rep. Baker's stance on illegal immigration, visit the Special Features <http://www.baker.house.gov/index.cfm>  section of the homepage.

 Click here to register your opinion <http://baker.house.gov/index.cfm>  on some of the provisions included in this legislation. 

Transportation Achievements in the Sixth Congressional District of Louisiana

As the former Chairman of the Louisiana State House Committee on Transportation & Highways <http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Cmtes/H_Cmte_TR.asp> , and as a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee <http://republicans.transportation.house.gov/> , Congressman Baker is a strong advocate for improved highways, ports, airports, and waterways in Louisiana and America. Since 1995 Congressman Baker has secured $155 MILLION for transportation improvements and more than $400 MILLION in flood control <http://www.baker.house.gov/html/content.cfm?id=351>  projects in the greater Baton Rouge area. Click here <http://www.baker.house.gov/>  for more information on these important projects.

New Orleans VA Hospital

Hurricane Katrina brought catastrophe on veterans’ inpatient care in New Orleans. And its lingering effect on veterans’ care is as unnecessary as it is unacceptable. Since February of last year the VA and LSU have been exploring a possible joint VA-LSU Hospital in downtown New Orleans. In 2006, Congress authorized and appropriated approximately $600 million for a replacement hospital in the New Orleans area; however, the State of Louisiana has yet to secure its funding for the LSU Charity Hospital, and as a result, progress on the VA Hospital has essentially stalled. Click here to read Congressman Baker’s views <http://www.baker.house.gov/html/content.cfm?id=220>  on why a remedy is need to this situation so that a central point of care for our veterans is created in Southeast Louisiana.

Baker Cosponsors H.R 397, Bill to End the Punitive Taxation of Mutual Funds

Capital gain distributions are at their highest levels in years. However, many Americans who invest in mutual funds will be forced to pay federal income taxes on these distributions - even if their shares are automatically reinvested and no shares have been sold. Fund shareholders can be liable for this tax even if shares have declined in value. Congressman Baker believes this is detrimental to families who invest in mutual funds as part of their long-term savings plan. At a time when all Americans are being encouraged to save and invest in their retirement, our tax code should provide incentives to achieve this important goal. H.R. 397 addresses this problem by providing an annual income exclusion for reinvested capital gains distributions of $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for married couples. Generally this amounts to a tax deferment until the mutual funds shares are sold.

New Poll on Congressman Baker’s Website

Be sure to visit Congressman Baker's homepage <http://baker.house.gov>  to vote on provisions included in H.R. 1645, the “Security Through Regularized Immigration and a Vibrant Economy (STRIVE) Act.” This legislation includes granting amnesty to illegal immigrants, which Congressman Baker adamantly opposes.