Recently in Washington 
Last week the House passed the Senate amendments to H.R. 2847, the so-called “Jobs Bill.”  The House also passed H.R. 4247, the Keeping All Students Safe Act.

Congress Needs to Act on Education
By Congressman Mike Simpson

 “As the recession continues and unemployment stubbornly holds near the double digits, we must not forget about the vital contribution school teachers make to our nation. There are two pieces of legislation that I hope will come before the House of Representatives this session that will make targeted and effective changes to current law in support of teachers. I am urging my colleagues to take-up and pass them without delay.

“The first is H.R. 3943, the Post 9/11 Troops to Teachers (TTT) Enhancement Act offered by Representatives Joe Courtney, Tom Petri and Doris Matsui. The bill will expand the TTT program, which has successfully sent about 12,000 military veterans into classrooms over the last 15 years. TTT offers financial assistance for military personnel to obtain their teaching certification and teach for at least three years, with additional funding going to those who agree to teach in schools with the most need. Apart from offering an excellent career option to departing military members, TTT directly targets major shortcomings identified by leaders in the education community: a shortage of male teachers, a shortage of minority teachers, and a shortage of math, science and special education teachers. Eighty percent of the program participants are male, thirty five percent are minorities and many veterans are well suited to teach science and math because they worked highly technical jobs in the military.  Many students have also benefited from the military philosophy of hard work and sacrifice that former soldiers bring to the job.
 
“H.R. 3943 reduces the years of service requirement from six years to four and expands the number of school districts eligible to accept TTT teachers.  The changes will encourage a larger pool of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, many who are struggling to find work, to become teachers.  Idaho will also see a major increase in eligible schools as a result of the new rules in the bill.

“Another important issue is the teacher tax credit, which I was encouraged to see extended through 2010.  The law gives every teacher a $250 credit to offset the costs of any purchase of classroom materials.  We all can probably agree that teachers should never have to pay out of pocket for basic supplies like pencils and paper in their own classrooms. That said, $250 is not enough. Most teachers spend double that, and some spend much more. That is why I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3758, the Teacher Tax Relief Act of 2009, introduced by Representative Dave Reichert.  This bill increases the maximum deduction from $250 to $500, expands it to include professional development expenses, and makes it permanent.  I will continue to push my colleagues to support this important legislation.
 
“As the second session of the 111th Congress continues, I plan to promote these plans, and others that support educators.  I am interested in hearing from those in the education community, especially teachers, about other ideas they have.  Please visit my website, www.simpson.house.gov  to email me with your thoughts.”

Committee Update
At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “National System of Public Lands: Bureau of Land Management FY 2011 Budget Request.”  BLM Director Bob Abbey is scheduled to testify.

At 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Reclaiming Abandoned Mines and Regulating Surface Coal Mining: Office of Surface Mining FY 2011 Budget Request.”  Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Director Joseph Pizarchik is scheduled to testify.

At 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Science for America’s Lands, Water and Biota: US Geological Survey FY 2011 Budget Request.”  USGS Director Dr. Marcia McNutt is scheduled to testify.

At 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, the House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Department of Energy’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Budget Request for FY2011.  Ken Baker, Acting Deputy Administrator, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, is scheduled to testify.

At 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Sustainable Conservation – Species, Partnerships and Science: The Fish and Wildlife Service FY 2011 Budget Request.”  Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, and Rowan Gould, Acting Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, are scheduled to testify.

At 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the Department of Energy’s FY2011 budget request.  The Honorable Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy, is scheduled to testify.

House Legislative Business This Week 
MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2010
On Monday, the House is not in session.

TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2010
On Tuesday, the House will meet at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour debate and 2:00 p.m. for legislative business. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 p.m.

Suspensions (14 Bills):

1. H.Res. 1055 - Supporting the designation of National Robotics Week as an annual event (Sponsored by Rep. Doyle / Science and Technology Committee)
2. H.Res. 1069 - Congratulating Willard S. Boyle and George E. Smith for being awarded the Nobel Prize in physics (Sponsored by Rep. Lance / Science and Technology Committee)
3. H.Res. 935 - Honoring John E. Warnock, Charles M. Geschke, Forrest M. Bird, Esther Sans Takeuchi, and IBM Corporation (Sponsored by Rep. Lofgren / Science and Technology Committee)
4. H.R. 3650 - Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act (Sponsored by Rep. Baird / Science and Technology Committee)
5. H.Res. 1032 - Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to assist the Mexican Government in fighting the drug cartels and curbing violence against Mexican and United States citizens, both in the United States and abroad (Sponsored by Rep. Chu / Foreign Affairs Committee)
6. H.Res. 1088 - Recognizing the plight of people with albinism in East Africa and condemning their murder and mutilation (Sponsored by Rep. Connolly / Foreign Affairs Committee)
7. H.Res. 1107 - Recognizing the 189th anniversary of the independence of Greece (Sponsored by Rep. Ros-Lehtinen / Foreign Affairs Committee)
8. H.Res. 1036 - Recognizing the contributions of Korean Americans to the United States (Sponsored by Rep. Garrett / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
9. H.R. 4621 - Prevent Deceptive Census Look Alike Mailings Act (Sponsored by Rep. Maloney / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
10. H.R. 4547 - The "Captain Luther H. Smith, U.S. Army Air Forces Post Office" Desigantion Act (Sponsored by Rep. Sestak / Oversight and Government Reform Committee)
11. H.R. 4624 - The "SPC Nicholas Scott Hartge Post Office" Designation Act (Sponsored by Rep. Souder / Oversight and Government Reform Committee) 
12. H.Res. 1091 - Expressing support for designation of the week of February 28 through March 7, 2010, as "School Social Work Week" (Sponsored by Rep. Kennedy / Education and Labor Committee)
13. H.Res. 1047 - Commending the Ohio State University Buckeyes (Sponsored by Rep. Kilroy / Education and Labor Committee)
14. H.Res. 1142 - Congratulating Silver Lake College (Sponsored by Rep. Petri / Education and Labor Committee)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 2010 AND THE BALANCE OF THE WEEK
On Wednesday and Thursday, the House will meet at 10:00 a.m. for legislative business.

On Friday, the House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business.

Suspensions (7 Bills):

1. H.R. 4573 - Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act (Sponsored by Rep. Waters / Financial Services Committee)
2. H.Res. 1087 - Honoring the life of John H. "Jack" Ruffin, Jr. (Sponsored by Rep. Barrow / Judiciary Committee)
3. H.Res. 1115 - Expressing appreciation for the profound dedication and public service of Enrique "Kiki" Camarena on the 25th anniversary of his death (Sponsored by Rep. Hunter / Judiciary Committee)
4. H.Con.Res. 249 - Commemorating the 45th anniversary of Bloody Sunday and the role that it played in ensuring the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (Sponsored by Rep. Lewis (GA) / Judiciary Committee)
5. H.Res. 1081 - Supporting the goals and ideals of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month (Sponsored by Rep. Lewis (GA) / Judiciary Committee)
6. H.Res. 1061 - Honoring the heroic actions of Court Security Officer Stanley Cooper, Deputy United States Marshal Richard J. "Joe" Gardner, the law enforcement officers of the United States Marshals Service and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, and the Court Security Officers in responding to the armed assault at the Lloyd D. George Federal Courthouse on January 4, 2010 (Sponsored by Rep. Titus / Judiciary Committee)
7. H.R. __ - To accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of the victims of the earthquake in Chile, and to extend the period from which such contributions for the relief of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti may be accelerated (Sponsored by Rep. Levin / Ways and Means Committee)

H.Con.Res. 248 - Afghanistan War Powers Resolution (Privileged Resolution) (Subject to a Rule)
(Sponsored by Rep. Kucinich / Foreign Affairs Committee)

H.Res. 1031 - Impeaching G. Thomas Porteous, Jr., judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, for high crimes and misdemeanors (Privileged Resolution) (Sponsored by Rep. Conyers / Judiciary Committee)

 In the News
Western Lawmakers Fight to Keep Sage Grouse off ESA List
Listing Would Impact Jobs, Energy, Ranching and Public Land Use

WASHINGTON, D.C. –On behalf of the Congressional Western Caucus, Rep. Rob Bishop (UT-01), Chairman of the Caucus, sent a letter to Department of Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar, voicing the united concern shared by Caucus members for the potential listing of the Greater Sage Grouse as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA).

“Placing the Sage Grouse on the endangered species list is unnecessary and flies in the face of the proven progress state wildlife agencies have made in the protection of the Grouse and its habitat throughout the West.  Such a listing will have a devastating impact on public land use, and will disproportionately hurt ranchers and energy producers whose livelihood depends upon access to the land,” said Congressman Bishop.  “It is easy for Secretary Salazar to impose his anti-energy, anti-public lands agenda from his East Coast offices but at some point he’ll have to come back West to face the thousands of Westerners who have been affected by his destructive policies.”

Highlights of the letter:

“State wildlife agencies, which are ultimately responsible for wildlife within their respective jurisdictions, have made great strides in the protection of the sage grouse and their habitat in order to keep populations sustainable. For over a decade, states, local governments, tribes, non-governmental entities, industry, and individual citizens, have been actively working and supporting conservation efforts related to the Greater Sage Grouse.”

“Conservation efforts in the states are robust and are taking place in California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah. Many of the local working groups in these states include members of FWS staff.”

“Our concern is based on a number of FWS’s actions that have been taken since the remand.  Of particular note is that the FWS is no longer relying on the work of the Western Association of Wildlife Agencies (WAFWA) for the Conservation Status review. Instead, the existing settlement agreement governing the Greater Sage Grouse decision directs involvement from the Cooper Ornithological Society, despite the fact that all the data on Greater Sage Grouse is collected by the states.” 

Western Caucus Members voice concern over Sage Grouse ESA listing:

“The implications of this decision on the West cannot be overstated.  Idaho has taken its responsibility to protect the state’s sage grouse population seriously, bringing stakeholders from all sides of the issue together to do the hard work of real conservation,” said Congressman Mike Simpson (ID-02).  “I am concerned that a final listing decision will undo all this good work, leaving people divided on the issue instead of united in an effort to find the right solution to this problem.”