BAKER, RICHARD H. (a Representative from Louisiana)

Appointments

Conferee: S. 180, Sudan Peace Act, H8219 [15NO]

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Abortion: constitutional amendment on right to life (see H.J. Res. 20), H399 [14FE]

Arlington National Cemetery: reform burial eligibility requirements for certain veterans and their dependents (see H.R. 3423), H9076 [6DE]

Armed Forces: restore certain education benefits of reservist and active duty servicemembers participating in military action against Afghanistan (see H.R. 3240), H7908 [7NO]

———tribute to U.S. servicemen who died in the terrorist bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia (see H. Con. Res. 161), H3466 [21JN]

Aviation: improve security (see H.R. 3150), H7127 [17OC]

———permit carriers to meet and discuss their schedules in order to reduce flight delays (see H.R. 1407), H1482 (see H.R. 1407), H1492 [4AP]

Bankruptcy: revise banking and bankruptcy insolvency laws relative to termination and netting of financial contracts (see H.R. 3211), H7717 [1NO]

Boy Scouts: tribute (see H. Con. Res. 33), H1117 [22MR]

CERCLA: exempt small businesses from certain liability (see H.R. 1831), H2182 [15MY]

Children and youth: protect infants who are born alive (see H.R. 2175), H3201 [14JN]

———recognize importance and support goals and ideas of National Youth Day (see H. Res. 124), H3204 [14JN]

China, Republic of: participation in WHO (see H.R. 428), H741 [7MR]

Coast Guard: authorizing appropriations (see H.R. 1699), H2335 [17MY]

Computers: regulate the transmission of unsolicited commercial electronic mail (see H.R. 718), H398 [14FE]

Congressional Gold Medal: award posthumously to officers, emergency personnel, and governmental employees who responded to the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center (see H.R. 3054), H7960 [8NO]

———award posthumously to passengers and crew of United Airlines flight 93 in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and Somerset County, PA (see H.R. 2917), H8843 [4DE]

Consumers: require disclosure of terms of rental-purchase agreements (see H.R. 1701), H1923 [3MY]

Correctional institutions: prohibit cable television and other luxuries for inmates in Federal prisons (see H.R. 458), H5488 [10SE]

Crime: combat the financing of terrorism and other financial crimes (see H.R. 3004), H6259 [3OC]

———increase penalties for bringing in and harboring certain aliens (see H.R. 993), H1121 [26MR]

———prohibit taking minors across State lines to avoid State laws requiring parental notification of abortions (see H.R. 476), H221 [7FE]

———protect unborn victims of violence (see H.R. 503), H325 [13FE]

———provide incentives for States to enact mandatory minimum sentences for certain firearms offenses (see H.R. 534), H5405 [5SE]

Dept. of Defense: establish at least one Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team in each State and at least one such team under the direction of the National Guard Bureau (see H.R. 3154), H7960 [8NO]

———tribute to the U.S.S. Eisenhower Battle Group during its extended deployment for the war effort in Afghanistan (see H. Con. Res. 279), H8746 [30NO]

Dept. of Education: provide specific waiver authority to respond to conditions in the national emergency declared by the President (see H.R. 3086), H6700 [11OC]

Dept. of HUD: assist States, tribal governments, and Native Hawaiian organizations with land use planning to promote improved quality of life, regionalism, sustainable economic development, and environmental stewardship (see H.R. 1433), H1718 [1MY]

Dept. of Labor: establish voluntary protection programs (see H.R. 2235), H4113 [17JY]

Dept. of the Interior: establish the Ronald Reagan Boyhood Home National Historic Site (see H.R. 400), H1116 [22MR]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: authorize construction projects for the purpose of improving, renovating, and updating VA patient care facilities (see H.R. 811), H621 [1MR]

———extend the Native American Veteran Housing Loan Program (see H.R. 1929), H2849 [25MY]

———make various improvements to veterans benefits programs (see H.R. 2540), H4215 [18JY]

Diseases: expand research activities relative to Duchenne muscular dystrophy (see H.R. 717), H444 [27FE]

———extend issuance of special postage stamps to fund breast cancer research (see H.R. 2725), H5333 [2AU]

———increased support and funding to combat juvenile diabetes (see H. Con. Res. 36), H3864 [10JY]

———provide for an awareness program and a study on a rare form of breast cancer (see H.R. 3186), H7529 [30OC]

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make tax benefits permanent (see H.R. 2316), H4780 [27JY]

Education: close the achievement gap by raising the achievement levels of the lowest performing students (see H.R. 1), H1112 [22MR]

———provide for a rural education development initiative (see H.R. 1096), H1010 [20MR]

———tribute to Catholic schools (see H. Res. 28), H221 [7FE]

English language: declare as official language of U.S. (see H.R. 280), H1190 [27MR]

Eximbank: reauthorize (see H.R. 2517), H4378 [20JY]

Fair Credit Reporting Act: exempt certain communications from the definition of consumer reports (see H.R. 1543), H3151 [13JN]

Federal employees: treatment of retirement benefits for assistant U.S. attorneys (see H.R. 1090), H3863 [10JY]

Federal Water Pollution Control Act: amend relative to wetlands mitigation banking (see H.R. 1474), H1486 (see H.R. 1474), H1495 [4AP]

Firearms: protect and enforce the right to obtain and use firearms for security, self-defense, and other legitimate purposes (see H.R. 31), H1121 [26MR]

———protect manufacturers and sellers in the firearms and ammunition industry from restrictions on interstate or foreign commerce (see H.R. 2037), H3713 [27JN]

Fish and fishing: provide clarification regarding the market name for the fish Pangasius bocourti and compliance with the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (see H.R. 2964), H8338 [16NO]

Flag—U.S.: constitutional amendment to prohibit desecration (see H.J. Res. 36), H876 [13MR]

Foreign aid: authorize U.S. participation in and replenishment of certain international development funds and set forth additional policies toward certain international development banks and funds (see H.R. 2604), H4539 [24JY]

Freedom of religion: constitutional amendment on protection (see H.J. Res. 81), H10966 [20DE]

Gambling: expand and modernize the prohibition against interstate gambling (see H.R. 3215), H8249 [15NO]

Government regulations: require peer review of scientific support data (see H.R. 281), H959 [19MR]

Health: assure coverage of emergency services under group health plans and health insurance (see H.R. 1674), H1859 [2MY]

———provide programs for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of stroke (see H.R. 3431), H9077 [6DE]

Higgins, Andrew Jackson: posthumous awarding of Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 2078), H2955 [6JN]

Higgins Industries: award Congressional Gold Medal to World War II-era employees (see H.R. 2078), H2955 [6JN]

Information services: deregulate Internet and high speed data services (see H.R. 1542), H1554 [24AP]

Insurance: ensure the continued financial capacity of insurers to provide coverage for risks from terrorism (see H.R. 3210), H7717 [1NO]

———prohibit use of genetic information in determining coverage or premiums (see H.R. 602), H444 [27FE]

———require health plans to provide coverage for a minimum hospital stay for certain breast cancer treatments (see H.R. 536), H3863 [10JY]

Intermountain Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Iran and Libya Sanctions Act: extend authorities (see H.R. 1954), H2677 [23MY]

Judiciary: provide for automatic annual increases in judicial salaries (see H.R. 570), H2889 [5JN]

Languages: repeal Executive order on providing access to Federal programs and activities for persons with limited English proficiency (see H.R. 969), H827 [8MR]

Law enforcement officers: ensure confidentiality of personnel records or personal information (see H.R. 199), H1295 [28MR]

———exempt from State laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns (see H.R. 218), H955 [15MR]

Medicare: coverage of medical nutrition therapy services for beneficiaries with cardiovascular diseases (see H.R. 2117), H2997 [7JN]

———delay deadline for Medicare+Choice organizations to report plan information, including information on adjusted community rates (see H.R. 1993), H3260 [19JN]

———expand coverage of certain self-injected biologicals (see H.R. 1089), H959 [19MR]

———provide guidance to health care providers attempting to properly submit claims and target truly fraudulent activity for enforcement of billing regulations rather than inadvertent errors (see H.R. 868), H648 [6MR]

———provide regulatory relief, appeals process reforms, contracting flexibility, and education improvements (see H.R. 3046), H6379 [4OC]

———specify the update for physician fee schedule payments and conduct a study on replacing the use of the sustainable growth rate as a factor in such update (see H.R. 3351), H8420 [27NO]

Minimum wage: provide an exemption to States which adopt certain minimum wage laws (see H.R. 1441), H2142 [10MY]

Monuments and memorials: expedite construction of the World War II memorial in the District of Columbia (see H.R. 1696), H2185 [15MY]

Motor vehicles: provide for greater fairness in the motor vehicle franchise contract arbitration process (see H.R. 1296), H5406 [5SE]

National Day of Reconciliation: designate (see H. Con. Res. 184), H5340 [2AU]

National Stem Cell Donor Bank: establish to preserve donation of qualifying human stem cells and to conduct and support research using such cells (see H.R. 2096), H2996 [7JN]

Northeast Interstate Dairy Compact: reauthorize (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Outer Continental Shelf: use of oil and gas production royalties to establish a fund for outdoor conservation and recreation needs (see H.R. 701), H955 [15MR]

Pacific Northwest Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Pensions: provide retirement investment advice to workers managing their retirement income assets (see H.R. 2269), H3464 [21JN]

———reform (see H.R. 10), H927 [14MR]

Power resources: establish and implement competitive, environmentally sound, and job creating oil and gas leasing program for the Coastal Plain (see H.R. 39), H254 [8FE]

Railroads: modernize financing of railroad retirement system and provide enhanced benefits to employees and beneficiaries (see H.R. 1140), H1191 [27MR]

Reagan, Ronald: tribute (see H.J. Res. 7), H166 [31JA]

Religion: eliminate the effect on the expression of religion by State and local officials that results from the threat that potential litigants may seek damages and attorney's fees (see H.R. 1273), H1294 [28MR]

Rural areas: promote and improve access to health care services (see H.R. 2157), H3806 [28JN]

Schools: allow display of the words ``God Bless America'' in public schools (see H. Con. Res. 248), H6780 [12OC]

———recognize right of students in public schools for silent prayer or meditation, encourage recitation of Pledge of Allegiance, and prevent discrimination based on religious character or speech (see H.J. Res. 54), H3961 [11JY]

Science: prohibit the cloning of humans (see H.R. 1644), H2281 [16MY]

SEC: augment emergency authority (see H.R. 3060), H6458 [9OC]

———limit collection of certain fees and adjust compensation for employees (see H.R. 1088), H959 [19MR]

Small business: improve access and choice relative to employee health care (see H.R. 1774), H2081 [9MY]

Social Security: computation system for benefits relative to spouses' or surviving spouses' Government pensions (see H.R. 664), H444 [27FE]

———earnings test for blind individuals (see H.R. 498), H741 [7MR]

———modify the deadline for compliance with certain regulations providing for the electronic exchange of health information (see H.R. 1975), H4780 [27JY]

———protect Social Security and Medicare surpluses through strengthened budgetary enforcement mechanisms (see H.R. 2), H258 [12FE]

———repeal Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions (see H.R. 2638), H6458 [9OC]

Southern Dairy Compact: congressional consent (see H.R. 1827), H2147 [14MY]

Taxation: allow a refundable credit for education expenses of children receiving or eligible to receive free or reduced price school meals (see H.R. 316), H202 [6FE]

———allow an exclusion from gross income for certain amounts of capital gains distributions from regulated investment companies (see H.R. 168), H2022 [8MY]

———allow distilled spirits wholesalers a credit for their cost of carrying Federal excise taxes prior to the sale of the product bearing the tax (see H.R. 1987), H4724 [26JY]

———allow exclusion of tax-exempt bonds issued for health care or educational purposes in determination of interest expenses of financial institutions (see H.R. 2200), H3466 [21JN]

———allow use of principal repayments to issue additional mortgages and modify price limitations under the mortgage revenue bond program and change income limit for housing credit program (see H.R. 951), H2334 [17MY]

———constitutional amendment to require a two-thirds majority on the passage of legislation increasing taxes (see H.J. Res. 41), H1115 [22MR]

———credit for rehabilitating historic homes or purchasing newly rehabilitated historic homes for use as principal residence (see H.R. 1172), H1489 [4AP]

———disclosure of employer's share of taxes paid for old-age, survivors, disability, and hospital insurance for the employee in addition to the total amount of such taxes for such employee (see H.R. 1584), H1604 [25AP]

———exclusion from gross income for family-to-family sale of farm businesses (see H.R. 1179), H1113 [22MR]

———exempt State and local political committees from certain notification and reporting requirements applicable to political organizations (see H.R. 527), H252 [8FE]

———incentives to ensure timely and equitable access to the Internet over current and future generations of broadband capability (see H.R. 267), H109 [30JA]

———increase limitation on contributions to individual retirement accounts (see H.R. 12), H111 [30JA]

———increase maximum annual contribution allowable to education individual retirement accounts (see H.R. 676), H877 [13MR]

———permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns (see H.R. 2357), H4725 [26JY]

———provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain leasehold improvements (see H.R. 1030), H5339 [2AU]

———provide tax credit for elementary and secondary school teachers (see H.R. 369), H165 [31JA]

———provide tax relief for health insurance and medical care expenses, establish more options for obtaining quality health care, and expand insurance coverage to the uninsured (see H.R. 2250), H3357 [20JN]

———provide tax relief to elementary and secondary school teachers (see H.R. 516), H223 [7FE]

———rates (see H.R. 1018), H1013 [20MR]

———reduce marriage tax penalty by adjusting the income tax rate brackets, standard deduction amounts, and earned income tax credit and allow nonrefundable credits against certain tax liability (see H.R. 6), H952 [15MR]

———repeal estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer taxes (see H.R. 330), H163 [31JA]

———repeal estate and gift taxes (see H.R. 8), H926 [14MR]

———repeal excise tax on telephone use and other communications services (see H.R. 236), H224 [7FE]

———repeal tax increase on Social Security benefits (see H.R. 122), H877 [13MR] (see H.R. 192), H955 [15MR]

———treatment of active financing income earned overseas by financial services firms (see H.R. 1357), H2571 [22MY]

———treatment of adoption expenses (see H.R. 622), H393 [14FE]

———treatment of beer (see H.R. 1305), H2680 [23MY]

———treatment of charitable donation of food by businesses and farmers (see H.R. 990), H875 [13MR]

———treatment of distilled spirits (see H.R. 2023), H4780 [27JY]

———treatment of forestry activities (see H.R. 1581), H2571 [22MY]

———treatment of prepayments for natural gas (see H.R. 1986), H5126 [1AU]

Terrorism: improve Federal efforts to prepare for, and respond to, terrorist attacks (see H.R. 525), H1861 [2MY]

Veterans: increase educational benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill (see H.R. 1291), H3203 [14JN]

———increase the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan basic annuity for certain surviving spouses (see H.R. 548), H1925 [3MY]

———issue commemorative postage stamp honoring Purple Heart recipients (see H. Con. Res. 104), H2023 [8MY]

———permit concurrent receipt of military retired pay with service-connected disability benefits (see H.R. 303), H325 [13FE]

Voting: prohibit States from determining that a ballot submitted by an absent uniformed services voter was improperly or fraudulently cast unless the State finds clear and convincing evidence of fraud (see H.R. 159), H112 [30JA]

———require States to find convincing evidence of fraud before rejecting ballots submitted by absent military voters and direct the Dept. of Defense to develop an electronic voting plan for such voters (see H.R. 311), H224 [7FE]

World War II: preserve certain Federal court actions relative to Japanese companies compensating former prisoners of war used as slave labor (see H.R. 1198), H1605 [25AP]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: provide grants for toll-free telephone number to provide information and assistance to veterans (see H.R. 1746), H2021 [8MY]

FAA: implement a sky marshal program on U.S.-based airlines (see H.R. 2906), H5925 [21SE]

———provide for random deployment of Federal air marshals on certain commercial air passenger flights (see H.R. 2948), H6055 [25SE]

Housing: reform the regulation of the housing-related Government-sponsored enterprises (see H.R. 1409), H1482 (see H.R. 1409), H1492 [4AP]

Mental health: issue commemorative postage stamp to raise autism awareness (see H. Res. 108), H1345 [29MR]

National Flood Insurance Program: improve predisaster mitigation and facilitate voluntary buyouts of repetitively flooded properties (see H.R. 2545), H4215 [18JY]

National Guard: civilian youth opportunities program funding (see H.R. 2515), H4111 [17JY]

National Hansen's Disease Programs Center: designate (see H.R. 2441), H3861 [10JY]

Taxation: extend filing period for credits or refunds (see H.R. 1336), H1407 [3AP]

Remarks

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: make various improvements to veterans benefits programs (H.R. 2540), H4903 [31JY]

———provide grants for toll-free telephone number to provide information and assistance to veterans, H4903 [31JY]

Federal aid programs: provide for emergency unemployment compensation program and emergency health coverage assistance, H8581 [29NO]

Insurance: ensure the continued financial capacity of insurers to provide coverage for risks from terrorism (H.R. 3210), H8600, H8610, H8623, H8626 [29NO]

———ensure the continued financial capacity of insurers to provide coverage for risks from terrorism (H.R. 3210), consideration (H. Res. 297), H8581, H8582 [29NO]

National Guard: civilian youth opportunities program funding (H.R. 2515), E1384 [20JY]

National Hansen's Disease Programs Center: designate (H.R. 2441), H8769 [4DE]

Persian Gulf Conflict: tribute to 926th Fighter Wing, E612 [24AP]

Science: allow the cloning of certain human tissues for research purposes, H4928 [31JY]

———prohibit the cloning of humans (H.R. 2505), H4928 [31JY]

Tributes

Aiton, Jessica C., E2349 [20DE]