FRESHMEN SPOTLIGHT« Thread Started on Nov 16, 2007, 7:21pm »

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FRESHMEN SPOTLIGHT« Thread Started on Nov 16, 2007, 7:21pm » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------As we celebrate the first anniversary of their election to Congress, the Majority Makers can take credit for an impressive list of major legislation passed and signed into law during the 110th Congress, including:9-11 Commission recommendationsLargest expansion of college aid since the 1944 GI BillFirst minimum wage increase in a decade“Innovation Agenda” that will keep American workers competitive in the 21st century global economyMost sweeping lobbying and ethics reform since WatergateReconstruction assistance to help rebuild the Gulf Coast in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and RitaPassing and adhering to pay-as-you-go budget rules and restoring fiscal responsibility to our government. Freshmen Democrats return home for the holiday with a strong record of accomplishments after their first year in Congress. Below are a few of the bills Freshmen Members have passed in the House this year. FRESHMEN SPOTLIGHTJason Altmire (PA-04)Jason Altmire has made a big impact in his first year in Congress taking the lead on economic, health care and veterans’ issues. As Chairman of the Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Altmire recently guided his bill, H.R. 3576, the Small Business Investment Improvements Act of 2007, to passage in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. The bill would aid small enterprises by expanding access to seed money and ongoing financing. The measure makes critical updates to the SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) and the New Markets Venture Capital (NMVC) programs. Click here to read more about the Small Business Investment Improvements Act of 2007.Tim Mahoney (FL-16) and Ron Klein (FL-22) Even before their new Capitol Hill offices were open, Freshmen Ron Klein and Tim Mahoney were hard at work crafting a solution to the homeowners’ insurance crisis. The result was the Homeowners’ Defense Act, which passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 258 to 155. This innovative legislation marks the first time the House has voted on a national solution to catastrophic disaster assistance and addresses the homeowner’s insurance crisis. Passage of the Homeowners’ Defense Act is a major victory for the Freshmen lawmakers and for Florida which has been hit especially hard by the insurance crisis. Click here to read more about the Homeowners’ Defense Act.Brad Ellsworth (IN-08) Brad Ellsworth was the Sheriff in Vanderburgh County in 2005 when a massive tornado swept through southwest Indiana killing 25 people who were caught unaware in their mobile homes. Ellsworth led the recovery effort in the aftermath of the tornado and when he was elected to Congress a year later, he began working on legislation that would help prevent deaths from tornadoes like the one that hit southwest Indiana. With the help of families who lost loved ones in this natural disaster, Ellsworth authored legislation that requires manufactured homes to be equipped with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued weather radios that would alert families to severe weather in the area. Ellsworth’s bill, H.R. 2787, known as “CJ’s Law” for 2-year-old CJ Martin who was killed in the 2005 tornado, passed the House last month with broad bipartisan support. Click here to read more about “CJ’s Law.”Paul Hodes (NH-02) Elected the first Freshmen Class President by his colleagues at the start of the 110th Congress, Congressman Paul Hodes has been a leader on energy, Iraq, economic development, and veterans’ issues. Hodes’ first bill, H.R 1548, The Northern Border Regional Development Act, creates a federal-state commission to promote economic development in the northernmost parts of New Hampshire, New York, Vermont and Maine. Hodes worked tirelessly to secure its passage in the House last month by a strong bipartisan vote of 264 to 154. The bill was included in a larger economic development package, H.R. 3246, the Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Act of 2007. Click here to read more about the Northern Border Regional Economic Development Act. FRESHMEN INITIATIVES:Below are a few of the bills Members of the Freshmen class have introduced this year. They have generated impressive legislative initiatives and we encourage you to consider cosponsoring their bills. Please email majorityleader-freshmen@mail.house.gov if you have legislation you would like us to include in the Freshmen Update.Rep. Braley - H.R. 3548: Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2007. Please contact Mike Goodman at 5-2911.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R3548:/Rep. Carney - H.R. 3099: National Guard and Reserve Higher Education Fairness Act.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R3099:/Rep. Ellsworth - H.R. 3871: e-KIDS Act of 2007. Please contact Jed D’Ercole at 5-4636.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R3871:/Rep. Giffords - H.R. 2774: Solar Energy Research and Advancement Act of 2007. Please contact Caryn Schenewerk at 5-2542.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R2774:/Rep. Hare - H.R. 3167: Fair Mental Health Evaluation for Returning Veterans Act. Please contact Casey Frary at 5-5905.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R3167:/Rep. Lampson - H.R. 2517: Protecting Our Children Comes First Act of 2007. Please contact Abby Shannon at 5-5951.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R2517:/Rep. Murphy, C. - H.R. 3928: Government Contractor Accountability Act of 2007. Please contact Paul Kidwell at 5-4476.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R3928:/Rep. Murphy, P. - H.R. 4149: Truth-in-Tuition Act of 2007.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z ... R4149:/Rep. Yarmuth - H.R. 3631: Revolutionizing Education Through Digital Investment Act of 2007. Please contact Lillian Pace at 5-5401.+>> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR3631:/