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Burgess to Go to Pakistan –Afghanistan – Jordan –Iraq – Germany
Posted by Michelle Stein on January 10, 2005
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) will depart on a congressional delegation mission to the Middle East and beyond beginning Tuesday, January 11, 2005. The bipartisan team will review reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as visit with U.S. troops stationed in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Congressman Michael Burgess went to the Middle East last February to see first-hand the progress made by coalition forces. On his return mission, Congressman Burgess will assess current infrastructure improvements in and around Iraq including transportation and health care resources.
For updated information from Congressman Burgess, please go on to our website at www.house.gov/burgess where we will have regular reports on his mission.
Burgess Earns Top Committee Assignment
Posted by Michelle Stein on January 6, 2005
Texas’ Twenty-sixth Congressional District Representative Michael C. Burgess is pleased to announce that he has been appointed to the influential Energy and Commerce Committee for the 109th Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives Republican Steering Committee, which includes Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Illinois) and Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), made the official announcement today.
“This is indeed a great honor for me to have been selected for this prestigious committee, “stated Congressman Michael Burgess upon hearing the news. “As a physician, there is no better committee on which I could serve given the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction, and I believe I can truly be an asset as the committee tackles health care concerns facing our nation. I dedicated the first half of my professional life to medicine, and now I will be able to dedicate the second half to improving health care for all.”
Congressman Burgess' responsibilities on the Energy and Commerce Committee will include jurisdiction over legislation relating to health care, international trade, telecommunications, and energy. The Committee has oversight over the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Energy, and the Federal Communications Commission.
"I'm pleased to have a fellow Texan, who is also a doctor, joining my panel," said Chairman Joe Barton (R-Texas). "There are many challenges ahead in Congress where Rep. Burgess' expertise and unique insights can play a critical role."
Congressman Burgess is looking forward to working with Chairman Joe Barton and his colleagues on the Committee to improve the Medicaid program, the National Institutes of Health, and monitor the implementation of the Medicare prescription drug benefit enacted by the 108th Congress. In addition, the Energy and Commerce Committee will devote time to the creation of a robust national energy policy and modifying the 1996 Telecommunications Act, which are high priorities for Congressman Burgess.
"The medical community will be well served by Congressman Burgess' appointment," said Dr. Kern Wildenthal, President of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. "I know how important it is to Congressman Burgess to improve the quality of medical research and patient care in this country, and the Committee will rely on his background and expertise."
Burgess Joins with other Local Political Leaders and Red Cross to Aide South Asia Tsunami Vicitims
Posted by Michelle Stein on December 30, 2004
North Texans wanting to make financial contributions are urged to call:
1-800-HELP-NOW
1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
or visit American Red Cross
Donations can be made to the American Red Cross International Response Fund.
You can help those affected by this crisis and countless others around the world each year by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance, and other support to those in need. Call 1-800-HELP NOW or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Contributions to the International Response Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter or to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013. Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting the Red Cross .
Aid for Tsunami Victims May be Tax Deductible
Contributions to domestic, tax-exempt, charitable organizations that provide assistance to individuals in foreign lands qualify as tax-deductible contributions for federal income tax purposes provided the U.S. organization has full control and discretion over the uses of such funds.
Publication 3833, Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance through Charitable Organizations (PDF 507K), explains how the public can use charitable organizations to help victims of disasters, and how new organizations can obtain tax-exempt status.
Contributions are deductible for the year in which they are actually made. Please visit the following site for more information:
Internal Revenue Service
55th Presidential Inauguration Information
Posted by on December 21, 2004
For more information about the history of the Inauguration and an update on event preparations, please visit the official website of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
The Texas State Society Black Tie & Boots Ball is scheduled for January 19, 2004. For more information about this event please visit the Texas State Society.
Tickets for the Inauguration ceremony will be made available to constituents in January 2005 by both Senators and Representatives of the 109th Congress. To request Inaugural tickets, please visit the "Write Your Representative".
Inaugural Ticket Request Form
Request Process: Requests are processed on a first-come, first-serve basis. In January, the Congressional Inauguration Committee will deliver available tickets to each House or Senate office; at that time, my staff will inform you as to whether tickets are available for your group. Tickets will be distributed in the order in which requests are received. If tickets are available, arrangements for ticket delivery will be made at that time. Please follow the directions on the attached form for processing.
Congressman Burgess Announces Academy Nominees
Posted by on December 20, 2004
U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess is pleased to announce that thirty-eight young men and women from the 26th District of Texas have been selected as his Class of 2009 nominees to the United States Service Academies. If selected, the nominees will enter during the summer of 2005.
"I am very impressed by the high caliber of candidates that applied to my office; the selection process was very competitive," said Rep. Michael Burgess (TX-26). "Each of these students has a strong record of academic performance and community service, and I am proud to nominate them to attend our nation’s service academies. If selected to attend their respective academies, I know that each of them will perform admirably and serve honorably as officers in our country’s military services."
Many of these students were nominated to more that one service academy. If they receive appointment offers from more than one academy, the student will have to choose one to attend.
The individuals and the academies, to which they have been nominated, are:
Drew Anderson of Euless attends Colleyville Heritage High School. He is the son of Ryan Anderson and Rhonda Anderson. He received a nomination to attend the U.S. Naval Academy.
Stephen Barnes of Carrollton attends American Heritage Academy. He is the son of Dr. Kathy and Mr. Andy Barnes. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
Steven Beaulieu of Bedford attends Trinity High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Walt Beaulieu. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
David Hunter Blue of Carrollton attends Hebron High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. David Blue. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Timothy Boyce of Flower Mound attends Flower Mound High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Boyce. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Karl Bronk of Colleyville attends Grapevine High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Bronk. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Kyle Bruton of Hurst attends Grapevine High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steven Bruton. He received a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Brian Burton of Bedford and attends Trinity High School. He is the son of Durand Mrs. Bing Burton. He received a nomination to the U. S. Air Force Academy.
Jonathan Carey of The Colony attends The Colony High School. He is the son of Mr. Ronald Carey and Ms. Donna Bullington. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Andrew Christensen of Lewisville attends Lewisville High School. He is the son of Mr. Bruce Christensen and Ms. Laura Knutty. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Timothy Clark of Flower Mound attends Marcus High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Clark. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
Thomas Coker of Colleyville attends Northwestern Preparatory School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Donn Coker. He received nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Jason Correll of Argyle attends Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is the son of Col.and Mrs. Mark Correll. He received a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Johnathan Dietz of Prosper attends Prosper High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Dietz. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
Fernando Garcia-Ortiz of Denton attends Ryan High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. John O’Keefe. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
Adam Gaston of Carrollton attends Newman Smith High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tyner Gaston. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Dan Hildenbrand of Denton attends Ryan High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Marc Hildenbrand. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.
Bruce Hrabak of Grapevine attends Grapevine High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Hrabak. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, and the U. S. Naval Academy.
Adam Jaster of Bedford attends Trinity High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Jaster. He received a nomination to the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Michael Jennings of Grapevine attends the University of Texas at Arlington. He is the son of Mr. Michael Jennings and Ms. Jean Rady. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Jacob Jones of Justin attends Northwest High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Craig Jones. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Andrew Knudson of Flower Mound attends Flower Mound High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Steve Knudson. He received nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Jason Koller of Roanoke attends the Keller Academy of Excellence. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Koller. He received nominations to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Andrew Konosky of Bedford attends Trinity High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Karl Konosky. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
James Lancaster of Flower Mound attends Marcus High School. He is the son of Mr. James Lancaster and Ms. Melissa Lancaster. He received a nomination to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Nathaniel Lawson of Carrollton attends Hebron High School. He is the son of Mr. Christopher Lawson and Ms. Genevieve Lawson. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
John Lee of Bedford attends Bell High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Lee.
He received nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Julie Luce of Denton attends Denton High School. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Luce. She received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Brack Nall of Lewisville attends Lewisville High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Brack Nall, Sr. He received a nomination to the U. S. Air Force Academy.
Brent Owen of Carrollton attends Creekview High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Phillip Owen. He received a nomination to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Jason Pecore of Flower Mound attends Marcus High School. He is the son of Ms. Tammy Pecore. He received a nomination to the U.S. Military Academy.
Gerald Schroeder of Flower Mound attends Marcus High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Schroeder. He received a nomination to the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Rebecca Shaw of Little Elm attends Little Elm High School. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shaw. She received nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Steven Shaw of Little Elm attends Little Elm High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Shaw. He received nominations to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.
Cody Tackett of Flower Mound attends Flower Mound High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Tackett. He received a nomination to the U. S. Naval Academy.
Thomas Tellson of Bedford attends Trinity High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Tellson. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Nathaniel Thayer of Southlake attends Carroll Sr. High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. George Thayer. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Matthew Vegel of Southlake attends Carroll Sr. High School. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Anton Vegel. He received a nomination to the U.S. Naval Academy.
Statement on the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act
Posted by on December 7, 2004
My first duty and the oath I swore upon taking this office, was to defend America. After careful deliberation, I voted against the conference report for the 9/11 Recommendations Implementation Act. Although the original purpose of the legislation was to provide for reform of the intelligence community, terrorism prevention and prosecution, border security, and international cooperation and coordination, I believe the bill has been weakened to the point of being meaningless.
There are strong emotions tied to this particular piece of legislation. Specifically, I am disappointed that the language, which was included in the U.S. House of Representatives version of the bill that called for tightening immigration provisions and standards where state driver’s licenses can be used for identification in federal jurisdictions, was stripped from the bill. Removing this critical language is objectionable when you take into account that 19 of the 9/11 hijackers had 63 state driver’s licenses.
In the short term, the passage of the conference report may make some people feel more comfortable, but I have been assured that when the 109th Congress convenes, we will be able to strengthen this bill with supplemental measures on border security and immigration so we can provide a true barrier to terrorism.
Large Bags Prohibited at the Capitol
Posted by on December 6, 2004
Visitors to the U.S. Capitol will not be allowed to carry in large backpacks or bags beginning Monmday, December 6th, U.S. Capitol Police announced, citing security reasons.
Authorities said the ban applied to bags larger than 14 inches wide by 13 inches high by 4 inches deep. The bags were added to a list of prohibited items create in 2001 that includes aerosol containers, pointed objects such as knitting needles and letter openers, cans, bottles, stun guns, food or beverages, knives, Mace, pepper spray, razors and box cutters, Capitol Police spokesman Michael Lauer said.
House and Senate galleries also maintain prohibitions on battery-operated devices, cameras, strollers and all recording devices.
Burgess Secures Over $17 Million in Federal Funding for the 26th District
Posted by on November 20, 2004
Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) secured $17,377,000 in appropriations funding for local projects in North Texas in the Omnibus Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2005. The measure included spending levels for nine appropriations bills (Agriculture, Commerce-Justice-State, Energy and Water, Foreign Operations, Interior, Labor-Health and Human Services, Legislative Branch, Transportation-Treasury, and Veterans Affairs-Housing and Urban Development).
The appropriations process is an annual activity wherein Members of Congress vote upon spending levels for 13 separate bills. Four of the thirteen bills were passed under separate votes. Once Congress approves a conference report (a bill where both House of Representatives and Senate versions of a bill are blended), the bill is then sent to the President for his signature.
“The appropriations process is strenuous, but I am pleased to have doubled the amount of federal funding I could bring back to the people of the 26th District in 2005. As the only Texas Republican Member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, I am particularly honored to secure $1 million in much needed funds for widening I-35 East between FM 2181 and Lake Lewisville in Denton County and $4 million for a runway extension at Alliance Airport,” stated Congressman Michael Burgess.
Below is a detailed listing of the funding allocations passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Transportation-Treasury
$4 million Alliance Airport runway extension
$1.75 million City of Fort Worth Peach Street Area Access Improvements
$1 million Interstate 35 East Expansion
Labor-HHS
$250,000 University of North Texas (UNT) Regional Center for Advanced Scientific Computing and Modeling Program
$250,000 Denton Independent School District (ISD) for English Language Instruction
Energy and Water
$2.834 million Grapevine Lake
$3.832 million Lewisville Dam
$1.061 million Lake Ray Roberts
$950,000 Upper Trinity River Basin
VA-HUD
$250,000 UNT Texas Institute for Environmental Assessment and Management
$200,000 Denton Downtown Redevelopment project for downtown square improvements
Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
$300,000 UNT will receive funds for Laboratory Experience and Development of Early Researchers
$250,000 UNT and Paul Quinn College will receive funds for a Science and Math (SAM) Teacher Academy [with Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (TX-30)]
Veterans Affairs-Housing and Urban Development
$250,000 Texas Institute for Environmental Assessment and Management at UNT for watershed research
$200,000 U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Program for infrastructure for downtown development (Denton, TX)
H.RES.853 Recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.
Posted by on November 20, 2004
H.RES.853
391-3
Congressman Burgess voted Yea
Title:Recognizing the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States.
Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] (introduced 11/16/2004) Cosponsors: 8
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 11/20/2004 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 391 - 3 (Roll no. 539).
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SUMMARY AS OF:
11/16/2004--Introduced.
Declares that the House of Representatives: (1) recognizes the Boy Scouts of America for the public service the organization performs for neighborhoods and communities across the United States; and (2) commends the Boy Scouts of America for the Good Turn for America program and the work the organization has accomplished while partnering with the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity International, the American Red Cross, and thousands of other community and civic organizations to address critical issues facing communities in the United States.
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