The House is currently in recess for the August District Work Period and will reconvene on September 5, 2006.

Celebrating Lake Tahoe

Last Thursday, I joined my congressional colleagues from Nevada, Sen. John Ensign, Sen. Harry Reid, and Rep. Jim Gibbons on the shore of beautiful Lake Tahoe to celebrate the progress we have made in the environmental conditions of the Lake Tahoe Basin. Also participating in the annual Lake Tahoe Restoration Summit were Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson. The presence of so many federal officials reflects the unique degree of unity and cooperation that has existed in our effort to preserve a natural wonder. In 1999, I collaborated with Sen. Dianne Feinstein and the Nevada contingent of the Lake Tahoe delegation to pass the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act – which invests $300 million over 10 years into forest treatment, erosion control, and watershed restoration. As the lead author of that landmark legislation, I was greatly encouraged by our subsequent passage of the Southern Nevada Public Lands Management Act of 2003 which fully funds the program on a yearly basis.

In recent years, much has been done to improve the environment in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Nevertheless, all that progress could be reversed for a century by a catastrophic wildfire. That is why I have been particularly focused on securing funding that assists local communities in completing wildfire prevention plans and upgrading needed water infrastructure to fight wildfire near the interface between forests and neighborhoods. I also support local efforts to develop a viable biomass energy conversion system in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Cleaning the forest of dead timber, overcrowded small trees, and underbrush would greatly improve forest health and fire safety. And, when that biomass is used to generate power rather than simply being burned in slash piles, it becomes a source of renewable energy and improves air quality. I am convinced that there is great promise in this approach and look forward to discussing the successful deployment of such a system at future Lake Tahoe Restoration Summits.

Suburban Agenda Advances

In May, House Republicans proposed a Suburban Agenda intended to directly respond to the priorities and anxieties of America’s suburban families. I am glad to report that three separate bills in this package have progressed. The School Safety Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act was signed into law at the end of July and will help schools protect students from individuals with criminal backgrounds by allowing school districts to access FBI criminal data before choosing to hire a new employee. Also, the Health Information Technology (IT) Promotion Act, H.R. 4157, has been passed by the House. The bill seeks to lower health care costs for families struggling with the rising cost of living by promoting the use of electronic medical records to modernize health care delivery, reduce medical errors, and save lives. Also passed by the House was the Deleting Online Predators Act, H.R. 5319, which seeks to help parents ensure their children are better protected against sexual predators lurking online through a variety of new safeguards. Together, these reforms address concerns common to many families across America. I am gratified that they are making headway.

A Sober Reminder

“The news from London returns our focus to the only public debate that actually counts as a matter of life and death: the ongoing efforts to defend our civilization from the suicidal barbarians who seek to destroy it. It speaks volumes about the true nature of this struggle that our adversaries view the prospect of blowing up airplanes as the ultimate triumph – since their societies could no more construct airplanes (or automobiles, for that matter) than they could provide human rights and a decent life for their own citizens. Politicians and commentators who fail to note the stark contrast between the nations of the West (with all our faults) and our psychotic and bloodthirsty enemies deserve no respect and no attention from people of good will.” – Michael Medved, Townhall.com, August 11, 2006