[StBernard] Washington Report from Rep. Richard H Baker

[Westley Annis]

October 5, 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.

Rep. Baker Urges SCHIP Extension

Rep. Baker wants to see the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) reauthorized to fulfill its mission of insuring poor children who do not have access to health insurance. Louisiana has over 70,000 children eligible for the SCHIP program who are not enrolled. Typically these are children from families that are not eligible for Medicaid, and do not have private health insurance. To learn about the existing program click here <http://www.dhh.state.la.us/offices/?ID=119> . To learn more about what is happening in Washington click here <http://www.baker.house.gov/html/news_item.cfm?id=699> .

House Passes Iraq Strategy Legislation

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to require the Secretary of Defense to submit regular reports to Congress on the status and planning for the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq. This bipartisan legislation is intended to more firmly define the military mission of U.S. troops serving in Iraq. Congressman Baker supported this legislation and believes that regular and accurate assessments provide the opportunity to build on security and political gains and bring our troops home after a success, not failure. To read more click here <http://armedservices.house.gov/apps/list/press/armedsvc_dem/skeltonpr100207.shtml> . 

Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act Clears House

The large majority of families are paying their mortgage payments on time, but many families are having difficulty meeting their monthly mortgage payments as the interest rates on their loans are being reset to higher levels.  In this last year, more families have found that they are unable to keep up with higher monthly payments. Unfortunately as of August 2007, foreclosures were up 115 percent from last year. Many lenders want to help families stay in their homes and have revised home loans by forgiving some of the debt caused by the decline in housing prices. In some cases, this forgiven debt was considered taxable income.

This week the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3648 which would permanently relieve individuals who receive debt forgiveness on a mortgage from having the sum of the forgiven debt treated as taxable income. H.R. 3648 also extends the tax deduction for the cost of private mortgage insurance for low-income individuals through the end of 2014. Rep. Baker supported this legislation and believes home ownership must remain a reachable part of the American Dream.

WRDA Update

The Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) of 2007, which passed the House of Representatives by vote of 381 to 40 and the Senate by a vote of 81 to 12, still awaits consideration by the President. Despite a veto threat, Congressman Baker, the Ranking Member of the House Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, and the full Transportation and Infrastructure Ranking Member John Mica (R-FL) sent a letter this week to the President urging him to allow this important legislation to become law (click here to view the letter) <http://www.baker.house.gov/files/WRDA%20Letter.pdf> . Congressman Baker was also joined in August by his colleagues in the Louisiana Delegation in sending a letter to President Bush asking him to reconsider his veto threat and pledging to override a veto should one be issued.

WRDA will represent one of the largest investments in Louisiana's history, with 25 percent of the entire projects authorized in the bill supporting Louisiana flood control, hurricane protection, coastal restoration, waterway improvements, and ecosystem rehabilitation projects.

Lela Offers New Scholarship to Cut College Costs

The Louisiana Education Loan Authority (Lela) recently announced a new $1000 quarterly scholarship for college students. Lela is a division of the Louisiana Public Facilities Authority, a non-profit public trust established to bring financing assistance and advantages to the people of Louisiana. Lela, the student loan division of the LPFA, acts as a low cost source of student loan financing for higher education.

Lela also offers a zero percent interest rate on student loans for those in the teaching and nursing fields with a return commitment to work in Louisiana after graduation. To find out more about these programs and other scholarship opportunities, students can visit www.lela.org.

Passport Information for U.S. Citizens

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is reminding air carriers and the traveling public that the temporary Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) accommodation allowing U.S. citizens to travel by air within the Western Hemisphere using a Department of State  official proof of passport application receipt ended on Sept. 30, 2007. Effective Oct. 1, 2007, U.S. Citizens traveling by air to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda must present a passport or other WHTI-compliant documentation to enter or depart from the United States.

The U.S. Postal Service is hosting a passport fair this Saturday, October 6, 2007, at the General Mail Facility located at 8101 Bluebonnet Blvd. The purpose of the fair is to assist the public in applying for a passport. To learn more about applying for a passport, click here <http://travel.state.gov/passport/get/get_840.html> .