House Republican Study Committee Update
May 6, 2003

* Contents of the Economic Growth Package
* Two More Americans Killed by Palestinian Terrorism
* Message of the Week
* The Money Monitor
* Conservative Activity
* Legislative Bulletins
* Bills Signed into Law--April 2003

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Contents of the Economic Growth Package
The RSC weighed in on the contents of the Economic Growth Package that will be marked up in committee and considered on the House floor this week. Click here for more details:
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/PR5103.pdf

Two More Americans Killed by Palestinian Terrorism
Since the last time this document was updated, two more Americans have been killed by Palestinian terrorism, and one more American has been injured. Read the full update here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/PalestinianTerrorismFacts.PDF

Also, read the latest update on the tactics used by Palestinian terrorists: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/PalestinianTerrorismTactics.PDF

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) condemned the most recent attack injuring an American in Tel Aviv. Read his statement here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Wilson5503Israelattacks.doc

Message of the Week
Each week, the RSC promotes a message around which conservatives are generally unified. To read the current message about "offsetting" the Bush tax-cut proposal, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/Message43003.pdf

To access previous RSC messages, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/news.htm

The Money Monitor
Each week in "The Money Monitor," the RSC tracks how the bills passed by the House would affect authorizations, mandatory spending, appropriations, and federal government revenue. Last week, bills passed by the House would result over five years in $51.7 Billion in authorizations and a net $700,000 increase in mandatory spending. To view "The Money Monitor" for the week of April 28-May 2, 2003, which includes year-to-date spending totals, click
here:
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/MoneyMonitor42803.pdf

To access earlier editions of "The Money Monitor," click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/budget.htm

Conservative Activity

--Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) is asking for co-sponsors on his legislation (H.R. 223) to boost through 2007 the current bonus depreciation that businesses can take for capital purchases. To learn more, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Wilson5503.pdf

--Rep. Scott Garrett (R-NJ) has introduced legislation (H.R. 1795) that would expand the federal income tax exemption for soldiers on active duty in Iraq to also include their spouses. Read more details here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Garrett5503.doc

--Rep. Nick Smith (R-MI) will soon introduce a resolution calling on the United Nations to end economic sanctions on Iraq. To read the text of the resolution and other information, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Smith5503.doc

--Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) has introduced legislation (H.R. 1489) to provide for parental notification and intervention when a minor seeks an abortion. For more background on the bill, click these two links: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Musgrave5503.doc
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Musgrave5503a.doc

To read the text of H.R. 1489, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Musgrave5503.pdf

--Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) is calling upon the District of Columbia's leaders to let parents, not teachers unions, decide where their children go to school. Click here to learn more: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Flake5503.pdf

--Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is promoting a bill (H.R. 1679) that would fundamentally reform forest-management and wildfire-prevention techniques. To read more, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Tancredo5503.pdf

--Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) spoke out against the monopoly that Federal Prison Industries (FPI) has on federal government furniture contracts. For more information, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Souder5503.doc

--Rep. John Linder (R-GA) is promoting legislation (H.R. 25) to repeal all corporate and individual income taxes, payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, capital gains taxes, estate taxes, and gift taxes and impose a national sales tax on all new goods and services (except necessities) at the point of final purchase for consumption. For more details, click on the following two links: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Linder5503.doc
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Linder5503a.doc

--Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ) is promoting his Enumerated Powers Act (H.R. 384), which requires that all bills introduced in the U.S. Congress include a statement setting forth the specific constitutional authority under which the legislation is being enacted. Click here for additional information: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Shadegg5503.doc

--Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL) has introduced a bill (H.R. 31) to reverse the automatic 3.1% pay-increase that Members of Congress received in January. A Member's base salary went from $150,000 to $154,700. To read talking points on this effort, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Miller5503.doc

--Rep. Bob Beauprez (R-CO) released a statement in honor of Yom HaShoah, the Holocaust Remembrance Day: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Beauprez5503.pdf

--Rep. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) called the re-election of Cuba to the United Nations Human Rights Commission "a bad joke." Click here to read his full statement: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Flake5503Cuba.pdf

--Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) toured the Barry M. Goldwater Range aboard an F-16 Fighting Falcon. A 2.7-million-acre land and airspace area in southwest Arizona, the Goldwater Range provides the Air Force with the space necessary to conduct live-fire training and simulates realistically the dimensions of a modern battlefield. Read Rep. Franks' account of his tour here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Franks5503.doc

For information on other activities of conservatives in the House, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/activity.htm

Legislative Bulletins
Each week, the RSC analyzes the legislation that comes to the floor of the House. Included in each "Legislative Bulletin" is a summary of the legislation, relevant background information, cost to the taxpayer, constitutional authority, and any concerns that conservatives may have. The Legislative Bulletins from last week are linked below: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/lb.htm

H.Res. 161--Recognizing the achievements of Operation Respect, the "Don't Laugh At Me" programs, and Peter Yarrow http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Res. 107--Commending and supporting the efforts of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), the world's preeminent collegiate free enterprise organization, and its president, Alvin Rohrs http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Res. 204--Congratulating charter schools, students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the Nation for their ongoing contributions to education http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed 403-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=146

H.Con.Res. 156--Extending congratulations to the United States Capitol Police on the occasion of its 175th anniversary and expressing gratitude to the men and women of the United States Capitol Police and their families for their devotion to duty and service in safeguarding the freedoms of the American people. http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed 409-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=147

H.Con.Res. 149--A concurrent resolution expressing support for the celebration of Patriot's Day and honoring the Nation's first patriots (see RSC Legislative Bulletin for the identical resolution S.Con.Res. 37) http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed 411-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=148

H.Res. 173--Recognizing the achievements and contributions of the National Wildlife Refuge System on the occasion of its centennial anniversary and expressing strong support for the continued success of the National Wildlife Refuge System http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 274--Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

S. 162--Gila River Indian Community Judgment Fund Distribution Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB42903.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 1350--Improving Education Results for Children With Disabilities Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB43003.pdf
(Passed 251-171) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=154

H.R. 1298--United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5103.pdf
(Passed 375-41) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=158
Amendments to H.R. 1298: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB5103a.pdf
(All but one passed, most on voice vote. There were roll-call votes on Stearns, Smith (MI), and Pitts Amendments (Roll #155-157))

Amendment to H.R. 1298 requiring one-third of prevention money be for abstinence-until-marriage programs
(Passed 220-197) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=157

Bills Signed into Law--April 2003
Click here for a brief report on the bills signed into law in April 2003: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LawsApril03.pdf