Greetings and welcome to the second installment of The Burgess Bulletin. The e-newsletter is designed to keep you informed on legislative initiatives, news and constituent services from both my Washington and Lewisville offices. Each edition will be unique and tailored to include the most pertinent issues of the time. I believe you will find these highlight, brief emails useful and informative. I encourage you to visit daily my congressional website at www.house.gov/burgess for updated voting records, my stance on specific legislative issues and upcoming calendar events. Sincerely, Michael C. Burgess One Year Later The liberation of Iraq from the evil, tyrannical reign of Saddam Hussein was one of the most successful military operations in U.S. history. One year later, the people of Iraq are now preparing to govern themselves for the first time in decades. The capture of Saddam Hussein has removed one of the most lethal worldwide threats and opens the door for peace and freedom for the Iraqi people. Burgess’ Statement on the Importance of the Iraq Constitution 03.09.04 - On March 8, 2004 Iraq's leaders signed an interim constitution embarking on a single path toward democratic rule. This momentous event was made possible through an arduous process which was enabled through the continuing war on terrorism and the guidance of democracies around the world. Those wishing to curb freedom tried to bully the signing through bombings and extremist political deadlocks, but in the end, the will of a freed people succeeded…. For more information about the Iraq, please visit the following sites: Congressman Michael Burgess: /News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=2835 The White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/iraq/ U.S. State Department: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/6804.htm Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/iz.html Library of Congress: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/iqtoc.html Burgess on Congressional Delegation Mission to Iraq, Afghanistan & Pakistan 02.14.04 - 02.21.04 On February 16, 2004, I departed from Andrews AFB in Washington, DC for a return trip to Iraq. This was my second mission to Iraq, and I was returning six months later as part of the Government Reform Team to assess the accomplishments of our U.S. forces and the Interim Iraq Government thus far. During this particular trip, I also traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan where I met with President Pervez Musharraf and President Harmid Karzi, respectively. While on this trip, I was careful to take notes and place them in my diary to share with you on my return. They are rather lengthy, so I have not included them in your email, but I encourage you to visit my website news section to see my Iraq Daily Entries. DAY ONE: Burgess Memoirs from Kuwait DAY TWO: Burgess Returns to Iraq DAY THREE: 4th Infantry Division DAY FOUR: Pakistan & Afghanistan – a Presidential Day DAY FIVE: Afghanistan Now I had the opportunity to dine with U.S. soldiers stationed at Baghdad International Airport. I was delighted to see that they were hanging the Lewisville banner I had presented them back on my first CODEL in August. While in Iraq, we had a briefing with U.S. Ambassador Paul Bremmer where we discussed the upcoming signing of the Iraq Constitution (my trip was prior to this event), and the success stories over the past year. This amazing photo was taken by the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan as they partially landed on the house of a known member of the Taliban. The Taliban member was apprehended just after this picture was taken. Need Help Obtaining a Federal Document? In recent years, increasing numbers of federal documents have become available on the Internet either through the Government Printing Office, the various websites of federal agencies or the Library of Congress' Thomas website. If you are unable to locate this information online, the information should be available through one of the following resources. 1. House of Representatives Document Room The House Document Room provides many congressional documents free of charge. To obtain materials, call (202) 226-5200 or email the Document Room. 2. Government Printing Office The GPO provides government documents, including information from federal agencies, and many non-congressional materials. Fees applied to each order. To obtain materials, call (202) 512-1800. Event: Lewisville Town Hall Meeting Date: Saturday, April 24, 2004 Time: 10:00-11:00 a.m. Location: Lewisville City Hall City Council Chambers 151 West Church Street Lewisville, Texas 75057 Event: Frisco Town Hall (Frisco/Hackberry/McKinney/Prosper/Little Elm) Date: Saturday, April 24, 2004 Time: 1:00-2:00 p.m. Location: Frisco Municipal Complex City Council Chambers 8750 McKinney Road Frisco, Texas 75034 As your United States Congressman, I hold town hall meetings in different cities to give constituents a chance to hear from me and to discuss issues before the United States Congress. Some of the issues I have been working on in the U.S. House of Representatives this year include protecting America; curbing federal spending; strengthen our economy; developing innovative financing for road construction; and improving and refining our health care system. Watch your email and mailbox for more information on a meeting in your area.