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Recently, I met with the the Oldham County Chamber of Commerce Leadership Class of 2008. In our meeting, we discussed energy policy, the decline in the housing market, and the importance of higher education.
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Weekly Column: Coal-to-Liquids Technology Vital to America's Future Energy Security
Skyrocketing fuel prices are affecting every aspect of our daily lives. We all know the impact it is having on our family budgets, but it also having a dramatic impact on many government budgets, from school districts to the armed forces. We must develop a comprehensive national strategy for energy policy that focuses on real solutions for our short- and long-term energy needs.
First, we must focus on increasing supply to the market by responsibly using our own resources in Alaska and the Outer Continental Shelf. Then, we must focus on viable and proven alternatives like coal-to-liquids fuel. In the long-term, we must focus on the next generation of technology, both discovered and as yet unknown alternatives. Throughout that strategy we must encourage greater conservation and efficiency.
In 2007, the U.S. Air Force spent $8 billion on fuel, despite reducing fuel consumption by more than 10%. For every $10 increase in the price of a barrel of oil, U.S. taxpayers must pay an additional $600 million in added Air Force fuel costs. As a result, the Air Force is actively exploring synthetic fuels, including coal-to-liquids, as a solution to meet the military's energy needs.
I am pleased that my colleagues and I were able to ensure this critical Air Force research program was fully funded in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 (H.R. 5658). Using the Fischer-Tropsch process, coal can be converted into ultra-clean, high-grade liquid jet and diesel fuel. The fuel created through this process is virtually sulfur-free and burns cleaner than traditional fuels.
Giving the Air Force the ability to use this alternative source of energy will ease pressure on domestic oil supplies. It will also help create the necessary infrastructure to speed development of coal-based fuels for commercial use. Coal-to-liquid fuels present an exciting opportunity for greater American energy independence and economic development in Kentucky.
The process of turning coal into liquid fuel is not a new technology. In the 1940s, Germany used coal-to-liquid technology to meet nearly ninety percent of its energy needs. Today, South Africa uses coal to produce thirty percent of its transportation fuels. China and India, two countries where demand for fuel is growing fastest, are already making strategic investments in coal-to-liquid facilities.
Coal deposits throughout the U.S. contain more energy than all of the world's oil combined. With adequate investment, coal-to-liquid technology could produce 2.6 million barrels of oil per day in the U.S. by 2025. Doing so would make significant strides towards achieving energy security while increasing available supply and reducing the market pressures that are driving up all our fuel costs.
The implementation of coal-to-liquid technology could have enormous benefits for Kentucky as a source of thousands of jobs and for our nation as a source of clean, stable, affordable fuel. Chairman Nick Rahall (D-WV) and I introduced legislation (H.R. 370) that would promote construction of coal-to-liquids plants in the U.S. The energy crisis we face today will only be effectively addressed by a strategic investment plan that promotes the use of our domestic resources, conservation and new technology.
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D.C. and District Talk
Applications for the 2008 Kentucky Firewise Community cost-share grant program being accepted
 The Kentucky Division of Forestry is currently accepting grant applications for the 2008 Kentucky Firewise Community cost-share grant program. The Firewise Community program is a national interagency initiative designed to promote wildfire safety through local initiatives. The program encourages homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters and others to get involved in the effort to protect people, property and natural resources from the risk of wildfire. Emphasis is placed on safe planning and design, effective emergency response, individual responsibility for safer home design, and landscaping and maintenance.
The Firewise Community program is designed to provide cost-share funds for fire mitigation and Firewise activities, foster closer relationships with fire departments and communities, educate the public about the benefits of fire mitigation, reduce the risks of wildfire in developed areas adjacent to forest land and establish a wildfire protection plan for each community.
Grants are awarded to communities for projects that reduce the risk of wildfire. Grant amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000 and will be administered through a cost-share reimbursement system. All grant recipients must match twenty percent of the total project costs with non-federal or in-kind contributions. Eligible projects include development of local Firewise Councils, GIS mapping of at-risk communities, mechanical removal or reduction of hazardous fuels, Firewise or fire mitigation educational activities and the development of a community wildfire hazard assessment or a community emergency action plan.
Additional details on the Firewise Community grant program, along with application forms and suggested guidelines, are available in the Firewise Community grant information package located at . Grant proposals must be received in the Frankfort office of the Kentucky Division of Forestry by 4:30 p.m. on July 15th. For additional information, please contact the division at (800) 866-0555.http://www.forestry.ky.gov/programs/firewise/Firewise+Community+Grants.htm
Should you choose to apply for a grant, I would be pleased to write a letter of support for your application. To request a letter of support, please contact Tami Wilson in my Fort Mitchell office at (859) 426-0080. My staff and I remain committed to providing the best services possible to assist you. Our goal is to maximize grant funding for worthy projects in Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District. Please do not hesitate to call on us when you need assistance.
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New Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail passport program features prizes and fun
Travelers visiting sites along the Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail now have additional incentive to learn about the Kentucky places important to President Abraham Lincoln, his family and friends. The Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail is a scenic route through central Kentucky with sixteen designated passport stamp sites, each of which has a historical connection to our nation's 16th president. They are:
The Henry Clay Estate, Lexington
Camp Nelson Civil War Heritage Park, Jessamine County
Downtown Springfield (stamp site Opera House)
Farmington Historic Plantation, Louisville
Hardin County Museum, Elizabethtown
Jefferson Davis State Historic Site, Fairview
Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort
Kentucky State Capitol Rotunda, Frankfort
Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, Hodgenville
Lincoln Boyhood Home, Hodgenville
Lincoln Museum, Hodgenville
Lincoln Homestead State Park, Springfield
Lincoln Marriage Temple, Harrodsburg
Mary Todd Lincoln House, Lexington
Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site
White Hall State Historic Site, Richmond
More information about each of the sites and other Lincoln-related and local places of interest is available at the trail's website, . How can you get started on this journey? First, obtain a copy of the Kentucky Lincoln Heritage Trail map at any of the sites or from the Kentucky Department of Tourism, . Then, visit any of the Lincoln sites on the map and receive a customized stamp on the map from that site. Once 10 stamps from any 10 of the sites are accumulated, present the passport at any site to register for a chance to enter a free prize drawing on the 12th of every month, beginning in June. Prizes include Lincoln merchandise, such as hats, shirts and commemorative pieces. You will also be eligible for some surprise prizes and a great mix of giveaways. For more information about the passport program, visit or contact Diane Comer with the Kentucky Heritage Council at (502) 564-7005, ext. 120.www.heritage.ky.govwww.kytourism.comwww.kylincolntrail.com
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Constituent Corner
Protecting your children on social networking sites
 For millions of children, making friends requires only a simple click of a mouse. However, it's important to realize that your child's online acquaintances can easily gain access to his or her address, telephone number, birth date and full name. Through social networking websites, anyone with a valid email address can post personal information for others to view.
MySpace and Facebook, the world's two largest social networking websites, have attracted over 300 million users. Chances are your children and their friends may have joined one of these websites. There, they can catalog their favorite activities, movies and music; share pictures and videos; and join social groups. Social networking sites can be a fun forum for your children to interact with their friends. However, since users are often open about their personal information, the networking sites can make it easy for predators to contact your children or for potential employers or college admissions staff to access embarrassing photos or information.
Even if you decide to ban online social networking sites from your home, your children could use computers at school or at their friends' homes to access their profile. It is important to talk to your children about the dangers of online networking in order to best protect them from potential danger. It is important to:
- Remind children that all information posted on these sites can be archived by search engines or other individuals that have access to their account. There is no eraser for information on the internet.
- Read over the website's privacy policies with your children and help them to choose a privacy option that hides their profile from everyone except their friends.
- Create your own profile and become online friends with your children so you can regularly monitor their profiles and make sure they do not reveal any personal information that should be kept private.
The nation's fifty State Attorneys General recently completed agreements with both MySpace and Facebook that add important safeguards to these sites. Both sites will now ban convicted sex offenders, limit older users' ability to search for children and provide automatic warning messages when a child is in danger of giving personal information to an unknown adult. Additionally, I have co-sponsored legislation that would provide additional protection for children who use these websites. Introduced by Representative Mark Kirk [IL-10], the Deleting Online Predators Act (H.R. 1120) would require schools and libraries to monitor internet activities and implement technology that will prevent children from accessing these websites without adult supervision. The bill also directs the Federal Trade Commission to issue consumer alerts to parents, teachers and school officials regarding the potential dangers of internet child predators on social networking sites.
For more parental information about social networking sites, please visit the Federal Trade Commission's webpage: . The Kentucky Attorney General's office also provides online social networking tips for parents: . http://www.ag.ky.gov/cybersafety/socialnetworking.htmhttp://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec13.shtm
Check back next week for another edition of this special e-newsletter series on keeping your children safe on the internet.
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Explore life of frontier women at Fort Boonesborough on June 21st and 22nd
Fort Boonesborough State Park will host its 4th Annual "Women on the Frontier" on June 21st and 22nd. The two-day event has a full schedule of demonstrations, classes and hands-on experiences running from 8:15 a.m. on Saturday to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. This year's featured speaker is Randolph Hollingsworth, whose topic will be "Searching for the Real Rebecca Boone: The Idea of Womanhood in Early Kentucky History." Dr. Hollingsworth received her Ph.D. in American History from the University of Kentucky and is currently assistant provost and an adjunct professor at UK. She will speak on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.
On Sunday, participants will join the 2nd Annual Skills Contest. A highlight of last year's program, the contest allows participants to put newly honed skills to use. Last year, the skills course consisted of starting a fire, gathering eggs, frying an egg and eating it, naming the parts of a flintlock, throwing a tomahawk, and sewing a patch on a garment, all while holding a baby doll and being timed with a 21st century stopwatch. It was hard to say who had more fun -- those running the course or the visitors who were watching and cheering.
Registration to participate is free and open to everyone. Visitors who wish to come for the day pay only regular fort admission. For more information, visit or call (859) 527-3131 for a schedule of the weekend's events. Fort Boonesborough is located at 4375 Boonesborough Road, just north of Richmond. It is 5 miles off I-75 at Exit 95 and about 10 miles south of Lexington.www.fortboonesboroughlivinghistory.org
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Constituent Hours
Every month, members of my staff are available throughout the Fourth Congressional District to assist local residents with problems related to the federal government.
Please click here to see the current list of scheduled times and locations in your area. Appointments are not necessary. As always, constituents are welcome to contact our offices in Washington, D.C., Ashland, La Grange, Ft. Mitchell, Maysville and Williamstown at any time with questions or concerns.
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Legislative News
Legislative Week in Review
The House of Representatives was in session from Tuesday through Thursday this week. The following bills were passed in the House:
- H.R. 5540, Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network Continuing Authorization Act
- S.Con.Res. 70, Concurrent Budget Resolution for 2009
- H.R. 5940, National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendment Act
- H.R. 3058, Public Land Communities Transition Act
- H.Con.Res. 138, Supporting National Men's Health Week
- S. 2420, Federal Food Donation Act
- H.R. 4106, Telework Improvements Act
- H.R. 4791, Federal Agency Data Protection Act
- H.R. 1343, Health Centers Renewal Act
- H.R. 5669, Poison Center Support, Enhancement, and Awareness Act
- H.Con.Res. 366, Expressing the sense of Congress that increasing American capabilities in science, mathematics, and technology education should be a national priority
- H.R. 3021, 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities 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 and typing in the bill number. http://thomas.loc.gov
Anticipated Action on the House Floor Next Week
The House of Representatives will be in session from Monday through Thursday next week.
Information on next week's schedule can be found on the Office of the Clerk's website for upcoming legislation: . This site provides up-to-date information on House legislative schedules.http://clerk.house.gov/legislative/index.html
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This Day in History - June 6th
- 1644 - Manchu forces capture Beijing during the collapse of the Ming Dynasty. The Manchus would rule China until 1912.
- 1833 - U.S. President Andrew Jackson becomes the first President to ride a train.
- 1844 - The Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) is founded in London.
- 1944 - During World War II, Operation Overlord, the largest amphibious military operation in history, commences with the landing of 155,000 Allied troops on the beaches of Normandy in France.
- 1968 - Senator Robert F. Kennedy dies from his wounds after he was shot the previous night.
Thanks!
As always, feel free to pass my e-newsletter on to family or friends who would be interested or let them know they can sign up on my website at . Thanks.http://GeoffDavis.house.gov/
| Sincerely, |
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Geoff Davis
Member of Congress |
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