House Republican Study Committee Update
May 20, 2003

* Conservative Activity
* Message of the Week
* The Money Monitor
* Legislative Bulletins

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Conservative Activity
--Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-CO) and Rep. Todd Akin (R-MO) are leading the conservative opposition to a gas tax increase. To read a letter from Rep. Musgrave, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Musgrave51903.doc
To read a letter from Rep. Akin, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Akin51903.doc

--Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced the Tax Limitation Amendment (H.J.Res. 50), a constitutional amendment that would require a two-thirds supermajority vote in Congress to raise taxes. To learn more about the amendment, click these two links: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Sessions51903.pdf
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Sessions51903.doc

--Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC) announced the inclusion of his amendment in the FY2004 Defense Authorization bill to give military chaplains greater authority to use resources to strengthen military families and prevent domestic violence. For more details, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Hayes51903.pdf

--Rep. John Doolittle (R-CA) this week will reintroduce his Citizen Legislature and Political Freedom Act, which would repeal all "hard-money" limits on how much individuals and political action committees can contribute to candidates or parties, increase disclosure requirements for campaign contributions, and terminate taxpayer financing of presidential elections. To read more, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Doolittle51903.doc
To read the text of this Act, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Doolittle51903.pdf

--Rep. J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ) introduced legislation (H.R. 1926) to limit attorneys' fees in certain lawsuits that result in judgments of more than $100 million. Click here for more information: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Hayworth51903.pdf

--Rep. Chris Chocola (R-IN) announced the passage of his amendment in the Aviation Subcommittee to curb wasteful spending at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after reports of $5.4 million in improper FAA purchases. To learn more, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Chocola51903.doc

--Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX) exclaimed on the House floor, in reference to the Texas state legislators who have fled to Oklahoma to escape their legislative duties, "Thank God we didn't have those Democrats at the Alamo!" To read more of Rep. Johnson's statement, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Johnson51903.pdf

--Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-FL) has introduced legislation (H.R. 2023) to provide incentives for states to allow students to carry and use prescribed asthma and anaphylaxis medications while at school. Click here for additional information: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Stearns51903.doc

--Rep. John Hostettler (R-IN) wrote an op-ed on the importance of following the Reagan/Kennedy model of cutting taxes. Read the op-ed at this link: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Hostettler51903.doc

--Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) announced that he had helped to block a partisan investigation of President Bush's recent landing on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. To read what happened, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Souder51903.doc

--Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN) sent a letter to President Bush requesting that he convene a White House conference on autism. To read the letter, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/word/Burton51903.doc

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

Message of the Week
Each week, the RSC promotes a message around which conservatives are generally unified. To read the current message about tax increases in the final economic growth package, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/Message51403.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 $671.9 million in authorizations, a $101.6 million reduction in mandatory spending, and a net $134.0 million increase in federal revenues. To view "The Money Monitor" for the week of May 12-16, 2003, which includes year-to-date spending totals, click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/MoneyMonitor51203.pdf

To access earlier editions of "The Money Monitor," click here: http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/budget.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.R. 517--To direct the Commandant of the Coast Guard to convey the Coast Guard Cutter BRAMBLE, upon its scheduled decommissioning, to the Port Huron Museum of Arts and History located in Port Huron, Michigan, for use for education and historical display http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Con.Res. 128--Authorizing the use of the Capitol Grounds for the D.C. Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 281--Tony Hall Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse Designation Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed 407-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=183

H.R. 985--Delbert L. Latta Post Office Building Designation Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Res. 178--Honoring the life and work of former Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Matthew J. Ryan and offering the deepest condolences of the United States House of Representatives to his wife and family on his death http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Con.Res. 160--Expressing the sense of Congress that the United Nations should remove the economic sanctions against Iraq completely and without condition
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed 409-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=184

H.Res. 222--Commending those individuals who contributed to the debris collection effort following the Space Shuttle Columbia accident http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51303.pdf
(Passed 411-0) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=185

S. 870--To amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to extend the availability of funds to carry out the fruit and vegetable pilot program http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 1577--To designate the visitors' center in Organ Pipe National Monument in Arizona as the "Kris Eggle Memorial Visitors' Center"
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 1012--Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site Establishment Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 856--To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to revise a repayment contract with the Tom Green County Water Control and Improvement District No. 1, San Angelo project, Texas http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 255--To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to grant an easement to facilitate access to the Lewis and Clark Interpretative Center in Nebraska City, Nebraska http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 192--To amend the Microenterprise for Self-Reliance Act of 2000 and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to increase assistance for the poorest people in developing countries under microenterprise assistance programs under those Acts http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.R. 1000--Pension Security Act http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51403.pdf
(Passed 271-157) http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2003&rollnumber=189

H.R. 1527--National Transportation Safety Board Reauthorization Act
http://www.house.gov/burton/RSC/LB51503.pdf
(Passed by voice vote)

H.Con.Res. 28--Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States Postal Service should issue a commemorative stamp on the subject of school safety awareness http://thomas.loc.gov/ (Passed by voice vote)

S. 243--A bill concerning participation of Taiwan in the World Health Organization http://thomas.loc.gov/ (Passed by unanimous consent)