NEWS

Increasing Veterans’ Benefits, Burgess Says it is Commonsense

On March 21, the U.S. House of Representatives passed three hallmark pieces of legislation aimed at improving and increasing benefits for veterans. Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) voted in favor of each piece of legislation.

“I found it amazing that these bills were not already on the books,” said Congressman Michael Burgess. “But I am glad that I was here to vote in favor of these bills which will make a substantial difference to health and well-being of our veterans and their families.”

The first bill, H.R. 327, Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act mandates the screening of all patients at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities for suicide risk factors and the tracking of at-risk veterans. Also required is a suicide-prevention counselor at each VA medical center and outreach to veterans and families concerning mental health issues. There would also be a 24-hour toll-free mental health hotline.

The second bill, H.R. 797, Dr. James Allen Veteran Vision Equity Act allows veterans who receive benefits for service-connected loss of sight in one eye to receive additional benefits. This bill also has a unique inclusion that would authorize the VA secretary to provide a bronze “V” for markers of veterans who are buried at private cemeteries.

The final bill, H.R. 1284, Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2007 enacts routine cost-of-living increases for benefits to veterans with service-connected disabilities. Additionally, the bill applies to indemnity benefits and dependency benefits for the family of a disabled veteran.

Currently, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman does not plan to address the House bills anytime soon, but has remarked that there will be hearings in May concerning where a number of bills will be debated.

National Healthy Start Association Honors Burgess

In recognition of U.S. Congressman Michael C. Burgess’ civic contributions to fighting infant mortality, the National Healthy Start Association presented Dr. Burgess with their National Service Award.

The award is presented each year to elected officials that have exhibited “stellar leadership and steadfast support for the Healthy Start Program and taken active steps to address issues of infant mortality, low birthweight and racial disparities in perinatal outcomes.” The selection is made by the NHSA board of directors. In addition to Congressman Burgess, the awardees this year were Congressman Fred Upton and Senator Jeff Bingaman.

The Tarrant County Infant Mortality Task Force played a significant role in Rep. Burgess being selected for this prestigious award. While the United States ranks 23^rd among industrialized nations in the world in infant mortality, Tarrant County has been greatly afflicted.

Photo: Rep. Burgess is awarded the National Healthy Start Association's 2007 "Service Award." In attendance was the Tarrant County Infant Mortality Task Force with its leaders Jerry Roberson and Latawyna Peachy pictured here with Dr. Burgess.

Congressman Burgess secured $50,000 specifically for the Tarrant County Infant Mortality Task Force in the House-passed Health and Human Services Appropriations bill last year.

“I know there are always questions concerning appropriations money in Congress, but I believe this funding is necessary and exactly the type of area where the federal government should be willing to assist,” said Congressman Michael Burgess, M.D. “Infant mortality is an area of health care that with true effort and education, we can prevent.”

In the 109^th Congress, Dr. Burgess introduced H.RES.402, Supporting the goals and ideals of Infant Mortality Awareness Month. The focus of the resolution was to raise awareness, on a national level, about the rising concern of infant mortality in our country. By bringing this resolution forward, other Members of Congress, both the House and Senate, had an opportunity to evaluate how their constituency is affected by this growing trend. I am pleased to say that it has already passed both Houses of Congress.

“Congressman Burgess has been a true champion for our Healthy Start program in Fort Worth,” said Jerry Roberson of the Tarrant County Mortality Task Force. “He has taken a genuine interest and made a real commitment to ensure that we have the resources to make an impact on infant mortality and low birthweight babies in our community. We are blessed to have a Congressman like Dr. Burgess who not only cares about families with limited access to health services, but is in a position to do something about it.”

Iraq Supplemental Statement

House Republican Policy Committee Vice Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) issued the following statement this afternoon in reaction to House passage of the majority’s accelerated schedule of troop retreat in Iraq:

“This vote is perhaps the most blatant form of politicking I’ve witnessed on Capitol Hill. Gambling with the lives of our troops just in an effort to show their disagreement with the War in Iraq is beneath the Majority Party.”

“For all of the discussions about the true needs of our fighting men and women, I find it sad that House Leadership found it necessary to add more than $20 billion of non-emergency funding to the Iraq Supplemental so they could have the necessary votes to pass the bill. Clearly, many individual members, in good conscious, could not vote for this bill. But the mighty dollar persuaded some to sacrifice their beliefs and vote for the bill anyway.”

“Advancements and progress in Iraq have been substantial over the past few weeks under new direction with increased vigor. Curbing our commanders’ decision-making while on the ground in this battle is a step backwards.”

“Imposing time constraints lacks commonsense and places our soldiers in harm’s way. I continue to support our troops, and I believe the fastest way to bring them home is to succeed in Iraq –not to hope for the best at a certain time and leave regardless. People need to understand the precarious position we place ourselves, and the rest of the free world in, if we leave too soon.”

Burgess Visits Walter Reed, Discusses on House Floor

(The following is lifted from the Floor Remarks. To review the entire video and read a complete transcript, click on the link above.)

“I will just have to say I went to Walter Reed this afternoon, asked to go last week, because I thought it was important as one of the medical professionals in Congress that I go out and just look and see is there anything that causes me grief that causes me concern. I will have to say I was not upset about the things that I expected to be upset about, and I was upset about things that never would have occurred to me to be upset about, and let me elucidate that a little bit if I can.

Of course I read the stories in the newspapers last week, and I expected to be upset about the physical condition of the building, and the building in question, Building 18, which is just across the street from the Commanding General's residence at the Walter Reed Medical Garrison there in Northeast Washington.”

Burgess Meets with Yieu Chyan, Intel Science Talent Search Finalist

Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. congratulates constituent Yieu Chyan, 17, of Denton, in Washington, DC in honor of Yieu’s chemistry research project for the Intel Science Talent Search.

The Intel Science Talent Search (Intel STS), America’s oldest and most highly regarded pre-college science competition provides an incentive and an arena for U.S. high school seniors to complete an original research project and have it recognized by a national jury of highly regarded professional scientists. The projects are a result of inquiry-based learning methods designed to nurture critical reasoning skills, experience science through the use of the scientific method and to demonstrate how math and science skills are crucial to making sense of today's technological world and making the best decisions for tomorrow.

“Science opens up the world of tomorrow,” said Congressman Michael Burgess. “Yieu’s talents are needed to insure a brighter future for us all, and I am honored to be able to welcome him to Washington and congratulate him in person on this most significant achievement.”

Yieu Chyan researched ways to increase the solar energy conversion efficiency of organic photovoltaic (PV) devices. His studies chemically combined semiconductor nanoparticles within a conductive organic polymer network and demonstrated a small, but unmistakable, photoresponse. This combination yielded a polymer film hybrid that may be more practical and cost efficient to manufacture than current silicon-based PV devices. Yieu plans to further optimize the morphology of his thin hybrid films, which may lead to a smoother and more uniform dispersiaon of particles and more robust films for solar energy conversion.

A student at Texas Academy of Mathematics & Science, Yieu is also an accomplished violinist and pianist, and he composed and conducted an award-winning piece for a Texas Music Teachers Association contest. He volunteers regularly as an attorney at the Denton Teen Court and participates in a 15 piano ensemble in the summer. The son of Dr. Oliver Chyan and Dr. Jin-Jian Chen, Yieu plans to attend MIT or Washington University at St. Louis and hopes to earn a doctorate in biochemistry.

The 40 Finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search 2007, who will be competing for $530,000 in scholarships, represent about 2.3 percent of those who completed entries in this scientific and educational competition. These 20 females and 20 males are awarded an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the Intel Science Talent Institute, March 8 -13, 2007.

Photo: Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. congratulates Yieu Chyan, Intel Science Talent Search Finalist

CONSTITUENT SERVICES

Ever wonder what legislation Congressman Burgess has introduced?

Visit the Library of Congress’ THOMAS website for more information. Under the “Browse Bills by Sponsor” portion of the website, select Rep. Michael C. Burgess. It will immediately take you to a page displaying the bills and amendments he has personally introduced this 110^th Congress. You can learn more about each individual bill by clicking on the bill number.

Telephone Excise Tax Refund – How Do I Get Money Back?

The Telephone Excise Tax Refund (TETR) is a one-time payment available on your 2006 federal income tax return. It is designed to refund previously collected long distance telephone taxes. Individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations are eligible to request it.

Questions? We've got answers...This refund will be the most wide-reaching in IRS history — more than 160 million filers may request it. That's a lot of questions.

• Q&As for Individuals
• Q&As for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Organizations

Joint Academy Day

Five members of Congress who represent Tarrant County will hold a joint “Academy Day” on Saturday, April 21, 2007 to give students who are interested in attending one of the five U.S. Military Service Academies an opportunity to learn about the schools and how to apply.

The offices of Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, along with Congresswoman Kay Granger (TX-12), Congressmen Joe Barton (TX-6), and Congressman Michael Burgess (TX-26), will host:

Saturday, April 21, 2007
Tarrant County College – Northeast Campus
Fine Arts Theatre, room NFAB1205
828 Harwood Road
Hurst, Texas 76054
8:00am -12:00 noon

Academy Day is open to all middle and high school students, particularly juniors, and their parents, who are considering applying to one of the service academies.

Representatives from each of the military service academies will make a presentation on their respective institutions. The institutions that will have representatives are: the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Congressional district representatives will outline the nomination process, have nomination packets for interested applicants and will be available to answer questions. Academy representatives will also be available to answer questions.

For additional information, please contact Robin Vaughan in the Lewisville office at (972) 434-9700 or robin.vaughan@mail.house.gov.

Growing Older, Planning for the Future: Summit on the Issues of Aging

Saturday, May 5, 2007
Doors open at 8:30am
Formal program 9:30am-12 noon
The booths will be open 30 minutes before and after the formal program.
Tarrant County College – Northeast Campus
Student Center Building in the “Center Corner” Room
828 Harwood Road
Hurst, Texas 76054

We will have distinguished speakers focusing on health, legal and financial issues that we should all consider as we grow older. Additionally, we will have booths of information to help you plan for the future with representatives including AARP, Area Agency on Aging, Medicare, Social Security, Tarrant County Public Health and many more.

CONTACT the CONGRESSMAN

"Write Your Rep" - - you can write Congressman Burgess
To email Congressman Burgess, please click on the above link and follow the simple directions outlined on the website. This process ensures that we receive emails from 26th Congressional District of Texas residents only.