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Last Saturday, I hosted my fourth annual Academy Day at Dixie Heights High School in Edgewood. Approximately seventy people attended to learn more about our nation's military academies. These academies offer a quality education and a wealth of opportunities for their graduates. Not only do these schools prepare our nation's young men and women to become leaders in the military, they provide a first-class education that ensures all graduates are ready to succeed in public and private careers. For more information on how to apply to military academies, please call my office at (859) 426-0080.
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Weekly Column: Hurricanes Highlight Need for New Energy Plan
Last weekend, much of the Fourth District of Kentucky was damaged by high winds and severe weather caused by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Thousands of Kentuckians lost their electricity and schools and businesses across the Commonwealth were forced to close. In recent weeks, Hurricanes Hannah, Gustav and Ike have also caused gas prices to spike, emphasizing the vulnerability of our nation's energy supply. Now that Congress has come back into session, it is urgent that we put energy solutions at the top of our agenda.
Kentuckians have been hit with a one-two punch over the past few days. Not only must our families and friends repair the destruction caused by the storm, they must also cope with gas prices that have jumped by more than fifty cents in some areas. Despite the fact that crude oil is below $100-a-barrel for the first time in six months, gas prices in Kentucky have again climbed above the $4-a-gallon mark.
In particular, the damage inflicted by hurricanes in the U.S. highlights the fact that, as a nation, we have far too little refining capacity. A new refinery has not been built in the U.S. since 1976. As a result, our nation relies heavily upon the fuel that is produced in the Gulf Coast region that spans from Corpus Christi, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana. Roughly half of the gasoline consumed in the U.S. is produced in this area of the country, making our energy supply susceptible to any number of threats.
Additionally, tight environmental standards can cause more problems for areas that are required to use reformulated gasoline blends, also known as "boutique fuels." These special fuel blends are created in small batches for specific regions of the U.S. to help those areas meet national air quality standards. Any supply interruptions caused by decreased refinery capacities are almost guaranteed to drive up prices and cause shortages in those regions, placing a greater strain on the consumer.
We need to move past partisan politics to determine a comprehensive strategy that will increase the supply of American-made energy and diversify our energy production. Developing a comprehensive approach that takes advantage of all our American energy resources will not only reduce the pain at the pump, but will also decrease the unemployment rate and bring more revenue into our nation.
Update: House passes “no-energy” bill
Shortly after I wrote the above column, Speaker Pelosi forced consideration of H.R. 6899, a flimsy excuse for a comprehensive energy solution. While the bill passed by a vote of 236 to 189, the bill ignores the will of the American people and fails to fulfill Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) promise to preside over "the most honest, most open, and most ethical Congress in history."
Not only does this legislation prohibit environmentally responsible exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, it also prevents increased oil exploration in the Outer Continental Shelf by extending a longstanding moratorium on offshore drilling. The bill bans production of eighty-eight percent of the estimated 17.8 billion barrels of oil that are in the Outer Continental Shelf. H.R. 6899 further discourages production of American offshore oil resources by prohibiting coastal States from sharing in the revenue generated by exploration. Senator Mary Landrieu [D-LA] has called this legislation "dead on arrival" adding, "The Senate will never pass a bill without revenue sharing, in my view."
I am deeply disappointed that Speaker Pelosi has chosen to play political games instead of working to resolve the most critical issues facing Americans and our economy. This legislation rejects the will of the American people. By failing to create additional American made energy, this bill does a major disservice to families, businesses and communities across the nation by forcing through legislation that fails to create additional American made energy.
Speaker Pelosi kept the Democrat's energy legislation under lock-and-key and refused to allow any time for open debate or amendments. The 290-page bill was not released to members of the House and the American public until 9:45 p.m. on Monday, September 15th. The Rules Committee met only one hour later, at 10:45 p.m., to determine the conditions for debate. Unfortunately, they opted for a closed rule that allowed no amendments and no alternatives.
The process though which this legislation was brought to a vote is a direct contradiction of the House Democrats' 2006 manifesto, which stated: "Members should have at least twenty-four hours to examine bill and conference report text prior to floor consideration. Rules governing floor debate must be reported before 10:00 PM for a bill to be considered the following day."
Instead of embracing all our energy options, the Democrats' deceptive energy bill will do nothing to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. Moreover, this legislation will:
- Prohibit expansion of emission-free nuclear power;
- Prohibit development of advanced clean coal and coal-to-liquid technology and resources;
- Increase taxes to fund renewable energy expansion;
- Discourage expansion of refinery capacity;
- Prohibit environmentally responsible exploration of American oil shale resources unless States "opt-in;" and
- Mandate Renewable Electricity Standards, which will unfairly punish consumers and drastically increase energy prices, particularly in the South and Midwest.
H.R. 6899 is now pending consideration in the Senate.
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D.C. and District Talk
House passes bill to reform insurance agent licensing system
This week, the House passed the National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers Reform Act (H.R. 5611). I introduced the bill with Congressman David Scott [D-GA] on March 13, 2008. H.R. 5611 takes a significant step towards improving the way our insurance markets operate within the existing State-based regulatory system. Reform of insurance regulation has been a subject of discussion for many years now in Congress, so I am pleased that this meaningful and targeted reform measure to improve market-entry procedures has been passed in the House.
The landmark Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 would have created the original National Association of Registered Agents and Brokers (NARAB) system. Ultimately, the States were perceived to have achieved the specified level of licensing reciprocity, and NARAB was never created. Nearly ten years since the passage of Gramm-Leach-Bliley, the system is still in need of improvement. H.R. 5611 will directly address the difficulties that insurance agents and brokers are still facing on a daily basis as they try to navigate the web of State licensing requirements.
The bill mandates the creation of NARAB, a private, non-profit entity comprised of State insurance regulators and marketplace representatives. Agents and brokers licensed in good standing in their home State and meeting NARAB member criteria will be able to join, which will allow them to do business more easily in multiple States.
NARAB members will still pay the appropriate fees required by each State in which they sell insurance products, so H.R. 5611 will not eliminate any revenue States currently generate from licensing. The formation of NARAB will streamline unnecessary and duplicative licensing requirements for agents and brokers, while improving consumer choice and competition in the insurance market.
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Kentucky Secretary of State launches new online business services
Kentucky Secretary of State Trey Grayson announced that organizations that wish to file a Statement of Change designating the change of a company's Registered Agent, Principal Office or both may do so online by visiting http://www.sos.ky.gov. Citizens may also register online to receive an automatic notification any time there is a change in the record of a business entity that is filed with the Secretary of State. The filing fee is $10.00, and there is no additional processing fee for filing online.
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Legislative Week in Review
The House of Representatives was in session Monday through Thursday of this week. The following bills passed the House:
- H.Res. 1200 - Honoring the dedication and outstanding work of military support groups across the country for their steadfast support of the members of our Armed Forces and their families
- H.R. 6889 - To extend the authority of the Secretary of Education to ensure continued access to federal student loans, for one-year
- H.R. 6689 - Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act
- H.R. 6604 - Commodity Markets Transparency and Accountability Act
- H.R. 3036 - No Child Left Inside Act
- H.R. 6460 - The Great Lakes Legacy Reauthorization Act
- H.R. 6842 - National Capital Security and Safety Act
You can find more information on each of these bills and keep up-to-date on their progress as they move through the legislative process by visiting http://thomas.loc.gov and typing in the bill number.
Constituent Corner
What to do when you miss a mortgage payment (second in a four part series)
 For many American families, the threat of home foreclosure is becoming a reality. Foreclosures occur when homeowners fall behind on their mortgage payments as a result of a variety of financial or personal challenges. Many individuals and families facing difficult financial situations may be reluctant to ask for help, but addressing these issues in a timely manner is an important step toward avoiding foreclosure.
In order to better educate individuals about the complexities of mortgage payments and foreclosure, various organizations have established readily available resources for the general public. In particular, the Homeownership Preservation Foundation has created the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline and website, both of which are designed to counsel homeowners as they confront financial challenges.
This newsletter series features advice and guidelines from the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, NeighborWorks and the Ad Council aimed at helping families avoid or deal with foreclosure.
If you miss a mortgage payment:
- Call your mortgage lender or a HUD-approved counselor for help - it's the most important thing you can do. Many homeowners facing foreclosure do not call for help when they fall behind in their mortgage payments. Ignoring your situation won't make it go away. Take the necessary steps to protect your home, your family and your credit rating.
- Notify the bank as soon as you know your payment will be late. Calling when you are 30 or 60 days late is better than calling when you are 120 days late. You still have some options. Remember that foreclosure is not in the best interest of lenders. Lenders report that it costs up to $50,000 or almost half the average loan balance each time they write off a foreclosure.
- Work it out. Depending on the situation, the lender may lower the interest rate, lower the borrower's monthly payment, or enter into a repayment agreement for missed payments.
- Avoid foreclosure rescue scams by calling a reputable nonprofit organization. The Homeowner's HOPE Hotline, available at (888) 888-995-HOPE, is an independent, third-party resource that is part of a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-certified, not-for-profit network dedicated to helping homeowners. HOPE counselors are trained to set up a plan of action designed just for you and your situation. When you call HOPE for Homeowners, you won't be judged and you won't pay a dime.
The HOPE Hotline is available to any American homeowner having trouble paying their mortgage. By utilizing the Hotline, individuals can speak with expert counselors at a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development-approved agency who offer budgeting help and assistance contacting lenders.
If you or someone you know is interested in this free service, please contact the Homeowner's HOPE Hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (888) 995-HOPE. More information is available by visiting http://www.995hope.org.
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Getting your free credit report
Your credit report contains information about where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment or renting a home. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation's consumer reporting companies.
Some financial advisors and consumer advocates suggest that you review your credit report periodically for the following reasons:
- To determine whether you can get a loan and how much you will have to pay to borrow money;
- To make sure your information is accurate, complete and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance or apply for a job; and
- To help guard against identity theft. Identity thieves may use your personal information, like your name, Social Security number or credit card information, to open a new credit card account in your name. When these criminals don't pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. This type of inaccurate information could affect your ability to get credit, insurance or even a job.
An amendment to the FCRA requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every twelve months. For more information, see Your Access to Free Credit Reports at ftc.gov/credit. To request a copy of your report, visit annualcreditreport.com.
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8th Annual National Book Festival
 Hosted annually by First Lady Laura Bush, the National Book Festival will be held on Saturday, September 27th, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets in Washington, D.C. The First Lady will be joined by more than seventy authors and illustrators including Tikki Barber, Daniel Schorr, Bob Schieffer, Kimberly Dozier, Dionne Warwick and others. Authors will give readings, participate in book signings and discuss their work in open forums across the Mall. Should you be in Washington on the 27th, I encourage you to visit and participate in this exciting program. You can learn more at http://loc.gov/bookfest.
There are a number of other valuable programs offered by the Library of Congress: Veterans History Project, educational resources for teachers, American Memory-Online Access to the Library Collections, Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, and a host of other programs that can be found at http://loc.gov/.
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Museum Day means free admission to the public
The Kentucky Historical Society and its museums will be open to the public free-of-charge for Museum Day on Saturday, September 27th. Visitors will enjoy free admission to the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History and the Old State Capitol, both located in Frankfort. Visitors can simply go online to the Smithsonian Magazine's website to download a Museum Day admission card. Bring this card to the Center for Kentucky History or to the Old State Capitol and enjoy free admission on September 27th. Museum hours are 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society, visit the website or call (502) 564-1792.
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Artists and crafters to show wares at Greenbo Lake on October 4th and 5th 
Greenbo Lake State Resort Park will stage a free Arts & Crafts Show on Saturday and Sunday, October 4th and 5th. Browse th
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