Homebuyers Tax Credit for Veterans; Hate Crimes; Recovery.gov - October 9, 2009
October 9, 2009
Dear Friend,
Thank you for reading another edition of my e-newsletter, the Carson Courier. For additional information on these and other topics, please visit my website at https://www.carson.house.gov.
In this week's Carson Courier:
Helping Service Members to Purchase Homes
Strengthening Laws Against Hate Crimes
Newly Updated and Improved Recovery.gov
helping service members TO purchase homes
This week, I had an opportunity to vote for the passage of two pieces of legislation that will provide significant health and housing benefits to our service members and veterans.
At the end of each fiscal year, VA hospitals and clinics around the country are faced with uncertain funding levels as annual appropriations bills get politically held up in Congress. As a result, they often delay hiring and training staff, purchasing important supplies and equipment and renewing facility leases—all of which drastically delay appointments for veterans waiting for care. The Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act provides advanced medical care appropriations to the VA, maintaining steady coverage for all veterans by ensuring that funding is allocated a full year in advance.
Our deployed service men and women have also been in need of Congressional assistance, as they not only face the stresses of war but also of recession—fighting terrorism abroad while their families at home struggle with rising unemployment, bankruptcy and foreclosure rates. That is why I proudly supported the Service Members Home Ownership Tax Act, which will extend the first-time homebuyer tax credit to thousands of returning service members. Without this legislation, this credit would have expired at the end of the year, preventing currently deployed troops from using it when they return home.
Strengthening Laws Against Hate Crimes
This week, the House passed a conference report that included language from the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which I cosponsored earlier this year.
The legislation gives state and local law enforcement the tools they need to prevent and prosecute hate crimes nationwide. It protects against violence based on sexual orientation, race, religion, gender, national origin, disability, or gender identity by extending the federal hate crimes statute. These changes to the law were backed by more than 300 law enforcement, religious and civil rights organizations, including key law enforcement groups like the International Association of Chiefs of Police, National Sheriffs' Association, Police Executive Research Forum, Police Foundation, and National District Attorneys Association.
NEWLY UPDATED AND IMPROVED RECOVERY.GOV
Over the last several weeks, the Obama Administration has revamped Recovery.gov, the website used to report the distribution of funds allocated through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. With this new design, reviewing valuable information—including descriptions of federal, state and local allocations, grant awards and project listeings—is easy and user-friendly. The newly updated site includes an interactive map, where you can view allocations by location, type, amount, distributing agency and Congressional District.
Using this map, it is simple to see the incredible influx of Recovery Act funds that the 7th Congressional District has received—over 720 contract, grant and loan awards totaling more than $3 billion.
If you are interested in Recovery Act grant and contract opportunities or information on distributions throughout the 7th Congressional District, visit https://www.recovery.gov.
Thank you for reading the Carson Courier. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts and concerns. I value your views and your input which help me to better represent the people of Indiana's 7th District in Congress.