Press Releases
Congresswoman Kaptur, a member of the House Appropriations defensesubcommittee, spoke at a recent conference on bio-based products at thePentagon.
Also attending were Secretary Gordon England of the United States Air Force,Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns, U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) andU.S. Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa).
The Pentagon-sponsored conference supports the Defense Department's "greenprocurement" program and Section 9002 of the farm bill, which directsfederal agencies to establish procurement preference programs for biobasedproducts.
"The Tricare web site is now part of Tricare.mil," saidCongresswoman Kaptur, who serves on the House Appropriations defensesubcommittee.
"The newly designed site is a one-stop shop," said CongresswomanKaptur.
TRICARE is the health care plan for the uniformed services, retirees andtheir families, serving a beneficiary population of more than 9.2 millionpeople.
Starting Friday, November 10, a Tricare beneficiary will be able to look upbenefit information, make an appointment or track a claim--all at one site.
Tricare.mil comprises five main content areas:
The study will focuson recurring low-oxygen episodes, known as hypoxia, in the lake. After aperiod of decline in hypoxic events during the 1980s and early 1990s, theepisodes have once against become a critical issue because they can kill fishand create algal blooms, particularly in the warm and shallow Western Basin.
"This university is going to help lead America into a new day of energyindependence," Congresswoman Kaptur said to audience of approximately 40people during a ceremony in McMaster Hall on the UT campus. "In fact, thisuniversity is going to be a world leader.
"The Department of Defense joins as a new partner because it alsounderstands that Americahas to change. The Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines know they can't depend onimported oil. They know we have to find new ways of powering the future."
The cost-of-living (COLA) increase in 2006 was 4.1%. The COLA adjustmentsare based on the Consumer Price Index.
The COLA increase will be reflected in Social Security checks starting inJanuary 2007, while the increase for Supplemental Security Income beneficiarieswill begin on December 30.
The maximum Social Security benefit for a worker retiring at full retirementage in 2006 is $2,053 per month. That amount will increase to $2,116. Fullretirement age in 2007 will be 65 years and 10 months.
Congresswoman Kaptur, a leading critic of "free trade"policies, responded to this morning's Commerce Department report that the U.S.trade deficit in August hit another record for a single month--$69.9billion. That figure exceeded the previous record of $68.0 billion, setthe month before. The August deficit far exceeded analysts' expectationsof $66.4 billion.
Congresswoman Kaptur voted in favor of the bipartisan Great Lakes Fish andWildlife Restoration Act (S. 2430), which was sponsored by U.S. Sen. MikeDeWine (R-OH) and U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI). The bill passed the House by avoice vote. It was amended in the House, however, and must now go back tothe Senate for approval.
Cleveland-based Brush Wellman, the world's only fully integrated producer ofberyllium, chose Elmore over another company facility located in Utahas the site for the $40-60 million investment in a primary beryllium facility.
"This is a red-letter day for Elmore and for Ottawa County,"said Congresswoman Kaptur, who has worked to appropriate more than $18 millionfrom the U.S Department of Defense for beryllium production as a strategicmetal in defense preparedness. Kaptur is a member of the influentialDefense Appropriations Subcommittee in the House of Representatives.
The American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL) strongly endorses thisCongressional effort. Dr. George Cody, Executive Director of the taskforce commended the signers of the letter "who are trying to bring an end tothe carnage and destruction taking place in Lebanon and Israel,now and in the future." ATFL, a nonprofit organization, is made up ofprominent members of the Lebanese-American community and is dedicated tomaintaining a secure, stable, independent, and sovereign Lebanon, with theGovernment of Lebanon exercising exclusive control over all its territory.
Kaptur offered the continuing assistance of her office in assuring thatinformation is provided across all agencies expeditiously and completely tostreamline the application procedures for those experiencing damage. Inaddition, she requested that FEMA work to convene a meeting in the districtincluding FEMA, SBA, Department of Agriculture, EPA, and the Army Corps ofEngineers to explain all grant and loan programs for which individuals,farmers, and businesses as well as communities qualify.