JOBS VICTORY BUT BIG BATTLE STILL UNDERWAY
We saw a big victory this week with the passage of H.R. 674. I cosponsored this legislation to protect small businesses from a 3% withholding on certain payments made to vendors by government. For many business owners who would have been affected by this mandate, the profit margin is often less than 3% and such a withholding would create significant cash flow problems. This legislation was originally intended to improve tax compliance, but the problems it would have created would have far outweighed any benefits: everything from day-to-day operations, as well as draining capital that could be used for business expansion and job creation. The Senate also attached an amendment to H.R. 674 that will give support to our veterans. The enormity of the sacrifice our men and women in the service make for us requires that we support them when they come home. It is the right thing to do.
The added provisions, included in the President's American Jobs Act, the Bishop/Murray Hiring Heroes Act and the VOW Act, will spur the hiring of veterans. These provisions give tax credits for businesses that hire unemployed veterans or veterans with disabilities connected to their service. The bill also provides all service-members with job training and skills they need to find a job as they begin the process of transitioning back to civilian life. Our servicemen and women are highly skilled and show tremendous leadership and courage overseas. We must now bring them home and welcome them with jobs and support. This vote was a victory for veterans, for small businesses and for our economy as a whole. Now, we must continue focusing on job, jobs, jobs. We must work together in Washington to get a balanced and fair deficit reduction plan that boosts our economy and continues to create jobs.
GOOD NEWS ON RESPONSIBLE INVESTMENTS
This week we saw other big victories for our constituents. The House reached a conference agreement that restores investments in jobs, innovation, and safe food and neighborhoods. Some of the highlights include: AMTRAK: Includes $1.4 billion for Amtrak capital and operating grants. Also deletes Republican language which would have eliminated service on 26 short-distance routes, affecting 15 States and more than 9 million passengers. National Infrastructure Investment (TIGER Grants): Includes $500 million for TIGER grants which will help advance national and regional transportation projects that will benefit both passengers and freights. Disaster Assistance: Contains $2.3 billion for disaster aid, including $1.66 billion to rebuild roads and bridges destroyed by this year's floods in the Northeast and Midwest, $367 million in Agriculture Programs, $200 million for the Economic Development Administration, and $400 million for Community Development Block Grant. WIC: Provides $6.6 billion for WIC, an increase of $570 million over the level in the House-passed bill and $36 million above the Senate – rejecting the House-passed level that would have denied food to an estimated 700,000 pregnant women, infants and children.. Commodity Supplemental Food Program: Provides $177 million for CSFP, which provides food assistance to particularly vulnerable low-income elderly as well as mothers and young children. Food Safety: Funds the FDA at $2.5 billion, allowing for the FDA to continue implementation of the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act – enacted on behalf of the 48 million Americans sickened from consuming contaminated food each year. Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)/State & Local Law Enforcement: Provides $198.5 million for COPS programs, including $166 million for the COPS Hiring Program, while the House bill proposed no funding. For state and local law enforcement grants, the agreement includes $2.2 billion--$570 million below last year and $856 million below the President.
This contains a continuing resolution until December 16th.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC "LEGISLATOR OF THE YEAR" AWARD
On Wednesday I was honored to receive National Geographic's "Geography Legislator of the Year" award. I believe a high-quality education in geography is a key component in preparing our children to succeed in an international future. In March of this year, the 'Teaching Geography is Fundamental Act' was introduced in the 112th Congress. I am now, and have been since the 110th Congress, a cosponsor of this. Of the nine areas listed as core academic subjects in the No Child Left Behind Act, geography is the only one that has no dedicated federal funding program.
Because National Geographic is committed to building a geo-literate society, we have joined with educators and legislators in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to establish legislation that will fund efforts to improve geographic education across the United States. I am pleased to have received this award, which happens to be a framed photo with an image of Missouri's Fifth District. I need no reminders as to why you have trusted me to serve in Washington but this will serve as another meaningful visual for me, as we continue to fight for a better education for our children in the Fifth District -- and across the country.
FEDERAL MONEY TO HELP reSTART INC.
This week reStart Inc. in Kansas City learned they will soon get more than $2 Million federal dollars to serve low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities. The grant came from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The funding is meant to help provide access to affordable supportive housing, offer rental assistance and facilitate supportive services. The grants will be provided through HUD's Sections 202 and 811 Supporting Housing Programs. Combined these funds will assist 189 developments in 41 different states plus Puerto Rico, totaling over 4800 units. I am pleased that Kansas City's reStart was included in the awarding of these funds. I think it speaks volumes about the good work they are doing to serve those in our community.
JCRB/AJC LUNCHEON 
| Congressman Cleaver (left) joins JCRB/AJC Chairman Frank Lipsman (center) and
JCRB/AJC Exec. Dir. Marvin Szneler (right). |
A lively discussion with interesting questions and insightful answers were heard recently at a luncheon with the Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee. We spoke about civility in Washington and the lack of it, in so many cases. As I travel around the Fifth District, constituents often express their frustration with the way elected officials are behaving and their lack of ability to get along. We addressed this in the Civility Forum I attended and told you about last week. I continue to talk with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle about the importance of this in Washington and our everyday lives.
CIVILITY THOUGHTS
In an effort to further the conversation on civility this week, I shared the following thoughts.
Because I often speak of bees in my attempt to caution myself and Congressional colleagues against unaccommodating comments, someone wrote that I must bee a fanatic. Well, here I go again.
When a bee thrusts its barbed stinger into our flesh, it pays a heavy price. The stinger, you see, is most often so forcefully stabbed into the flesh that the bee cannot pull it out, so it is left behind. The spot from which the stinger was fixed becomes an open wound which assures the bee's death.
When we sting each other with hurtful words and nasty denunciations we often injure ourselves so badly that our reputation cannot recover. That, of course, leads to spiritual death.
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Emanuel Cleaver, II
Member of Congress
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