FLETCHER, ERNIE (a Representative from Kentucky)

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Abortion: prohibit partial-birth abortions (see H.R. 760), H698 [13FE]

Armed Forces: exempt certain members from requirement to pay subsistence charges while hospitalized (see H.R. 2998), H9131 [1OC]

———reduce the age for receipt of military retired pay for non-regular service (see H.R. 742), H1396 [26FE]

———restore health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services (see H.R. 58), H5929 [25JN]

Bankruptcy: amend laws (see H.R. 975), H1955 [18MR]

Blair, Tony: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 1511), H3355 [11AP]

Children and youth: establish certain requirements relative to provision of services to minors by certain family planning projects (see H.R. 2444), H5364 [12JN]

China, Republic of: negotiation of a free trade agreement (see H. Con. Res. 98), H3454 [29AP]

Courts: modify jurisdiction of Federal courts, inferior to the Supreme Court, over certain cases and controversies involving the Pledge of Allegiance (see H.R. 2028), H4529 [21MY]

Dept. of HHS: award grants to associate degree schools of nursing and professional nursing organizations to improve nursing education (see H.R. 2053), H3973 [9MY]

Disabled: enhance and further research into paralysis and improve rehabilitation and quality of life for persons living with paralysis and other physical disabilities (see H.R. 1998), H5929 [25JN]

———importance of recruiting and retaining direct support professionals to ensure the proper care of individuals with developmental disabilities (see H. Con. Res. 94), H6869 [15JY]

Diseases: expand research on inflammatory bowel disease (see H.R. 290), H7618 [24JY]

———issue commemorative postage stamp to promote public awareness of Down syndrome (see H. Con. Res. 247), H11134 [7NO]

Drugs: establish an electronic system for practitioner monitoring of the dispensing of certain controlled substances (see H.R. 3015), H9132 [1OC]

Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act: make repeal of estate taxes permanent (see H.R. 8), H5364 [12JN] (see H.R. 57), H392 [11FE]

———repeal sunset on expansion of the adoption credit and adoption assistance programs (see H.R. 1057), H1514 [4MR]

Education: provide a grant program for gifted and talented students (see H.R. 1191), H4788 [2JN]

———recognize outstanding contributions of the faculty, staff, students, and alumni of Christian colleges and universities (see H. Res. 300), H9688 [17OC]

Families and domestic relations: encourage U.S. citizens to adopt children from the People's Republic of China (see H. Res. 304), H6465 [9JY]

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act: regulate noncorrective contact lenses as medical devices (see H.R. 2218), H4734 [22MY]

Firearms: prohibit lawsuits against weapons manufacturers, distributors, dealers, or importers (see H.R. 1036), H1464 [27FE]

Ford Motor Co.: anniversary (see H. Con. Res. 100), H1954 [18MR] (see H. Res. 100), H1396 [26FE]

FTC: collect fees for implementation and enforcement of a ``do-not-call'' registry relative to telemarketing firms (see H.R. 395), H274 [4FE]

———regulation of unfair or deceptive practices by sports agents in the signing of contracts with student athletes (see H.R. 361), H706 [13FE]

Gambling: prohibit gambling on high school and college sports (see H.R. 1451), H3355 [11AP]

Hazardous substances: provide assistance for poison prevention and stabilize funding of regional poison control centers (see H.R. 1819), H6264 [26JN]

Health: establish system of health insurance certificates to increase the number of Americans with health insurance coverage (see H.R. 2698), H6602 [10JY]

———provide individuals of health disparity populations prevention, detection, treatment, and follow-up care services for cancer and chronic diseases, and patient navigators to assist in receiving such services (see H.R. 918), H3637 [1MY]

———reduce the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system (see H.R. 5), H317 [5FE]

Height, Dorothy I.: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 1821), H5367 [12JN]

Home Investment Partnerships Act: provide downpayment assistance (see H.R. 1276), H4788 [2JN]

Insurance: establish a Federal program to provide reinsurance to improve the availability of homeowners' insurance (see H.R. 1552), H5468 [17JN]

———extend Federal funding for operation of State high risk health insurance pools (see H.R. 1110), H9738 [20OC]

———promote health care coverage parity for individuals participating in legal recreational or transportation activities (see H.R. 1749), H8017 [5SE]

Jamestown, VA: mint coins in commemoration of settlement anniversary (see H.R. 1914), H8906 [24SE]

Law enforcement officers: exempt from State laws prohibiting the carrying of concealed handguns (see H.R. 218), H1516 [4MR]

Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail: extend (see H.R. 2327), H7329 [22JY]

Medicaid: extend certain modifications to disproportionate share hospital allotments (see H.R. 328), H3762 [7MY]

Medicare: allow beneficiaries direct access to physical therapists without a physician referral (see H.R. 792), H7787 [25JY]

———coverage of diabetes laboratory diagnostic tests and other diabetes screening services (see H.R. 2236), H4735 [22MY]

———improve patient access to, and utilization of, the colorectal cancer screening benefit (see H.R. 1422), H7787 [25JY]

———reform and provide prescription drug coverage (see H.R. 1), H5928 [25JN]

———repeal outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps (see H.R. 1125), H3637 [1MY]

———standardize payment amounts for inpatient hospital services (see H.R. 1580), H3637 [1MY]

———treatment of certain physician pathology services (see H.R. 1963), H3682 [6MY]

———update renal dialysis composite rate (see H.R. 1784), H5929 [25JN]

Mental health: issue commemorative postage stamp to raise autism awareness (see H. Res. 60), H2515 [31MR]

Native Americans: acknowledgment of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina (see H.R. 898), H5046 [5JN]

Postal Service: reform funding of Civil Service Retirement System benefits for employees (see H.R. 735), H2402 [26MR]

Science: prohibit the cloning of humans (see H.R. 234), H134 [8JA] (see H.R. 534), H318 [5FE]

Social Security: provide additional safeguards for certain beneficiaries with representative payees (see H.R. 743), H461 [12FE]

———repeal Government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions (see H.R. 594), H392 [11FE]

Syria: halt support for terrorism, end occupation of Lebanon, stop development of weapons of mass destruction, and cease illegal importation of Iraqi oil (see H.R. 1828), H6264 [26JN]

Taxation: allow a refundable credit for the purchase of private health insurance (see H.R. 1236), H1810 [12MR]

———allow businesses to expense qualified security devices (see H.R. 1259), H4788 [2JN]

———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. 791), H6464 [9JY]

———allow Federal civilian and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums (see H.R. 1231), H2402 [26MR]

———allow penalty-free withdrawals from individual retirement plans for adoption expenses (see H.R. 584), H320 [5FE]

———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. 284), H4876 [3JN]

———constitutional amendment on tax limitations (see H.J. Res. 50), H3304 [10AP]

———expand depreciation benefits available to small businesses for new business investment and equipment (see H.R. 179), H4978 [4JN]

———permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns (see H.R. 235), H3354 [11AP]

———provide a credit to promote homeownership and community development (see H.R. 839), H5045 [5JN]

———provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain leasehold improvements (see H.R. 1634), H4788 [2JN]

———provide a shorter recovery period for the depreciation of certain restaurant buildings (see H.R. 571), H4876 [3JN]

———provide a tax credit for broadband Internet access (see H.R. 768), H699 [13FE]

———provide collegiate housing and infrastructure grants (see H.R. 1523), H5089 [9JN]

———treatment of certain commercial power takeoff vehicles (see H.R. 1513), H5714 [23JN]

———treatment of commercial aviation fuel during hostilities with Iraq (see H.R. 1380), H2268 [20MR]

———treatment of damages and back pay received on account of, and expenses incurred in asserting any claim of employment discrimination (see H.R. 1155), H5468 [17JN]

———treatment of distilled spirits (see H.R. 2950), H7783 [25JY]

———treatment of flexible spending arrangements relative to long-term care insurance (see H.R. 2096), H7787 [25JY]

———treatment of unused nontaxable benefits under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements (see H.R. 1177), H1743 [11MR]

Tobacco products: make leaf tobacco eligible under the Market Access Program (see H.R. 1091), H1640 [5MR]

Veterans: increase the minimum Survivor Benefit Plan basic annuity for certain surviving spouses and provide for an open season under that plan (see H.R. 548), H5714 [23JN]

———permit concurrent receipt of military retired pay with service-connected disability benefits (see H.R. 303), H2311 [25MR]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Small business: improve access and choice relative to employee health care (see H.R. 660), H389 [11FE]

Tobacco products: eliminate quotas and price supports, provide transition assistance for producers, protect markets, quality, and availability, and establish a trust fund to finance such actions (see H.R. 3160), H8904 [24SE]

———replace existing tobacco program with programs designed to assist producers, compensate quota holders for the loss of quota asset value, and assist producers who forgo obtaining a production license (see H.R. 245), H134 [8JA]

Letters

Resignation from the House of Representatives, H12925 [15DE]

Remarks

Children and youth: enhance operation of the AMBER Alert communications plan to expedite the recovery of abducted children, E619 [31MR]

———prevent child abduction (H.R. 1104), E619 [31MR]

Health: expand health care access and choice of coverage through association health plans, H5614 [19JN]

———reduce the excessive burden the liability system places on the health care delivery system (H.R. 5), consideration (H. Res. 139), H1820 [13MR]

Iraq: treatment of U.S. POW relative to violations of Geneva Convention (H. Con. Res. 118), E617 [31MR]

Medicare: reform and provide prescription drug coverage (H.R. 1), consideration (H. Res. 299), H5956 [26JN]

———treatment of women, H5956 [26JN]

Small business: improve access and choice relative to employee health care (H.R. 660), H5614 [19JN]

Taxation: provide incentives for economic recovery (H.R. 2), consideration of conference report (H. Res. 253), H4713 [22MY]

Votes: position on missed, H3435 [29AP], H3777 [8MY], H5682 [23JN], H6549, H6581 [10JY], E617, E618, E619 [31MR], E685 [3AP], E702 [8AP], E1002 [21MY], E1210, E1211 [11JN], E1370 [26JN], E1538 [18JY], E1551, E1552 [22JY]

Remarks in House relative to

Special order: granted, H7084 [17JY], H7222 [21JY]

Tribute, H10347 [5NO]

Remarks in Senate relative to

Tribute, S15272 [20NO]

Resignations

House of Representatives, H12925 [15DE]

Tributes

Holsinger, James W., Jr., E1193 [10JN]

Shumate, Clifford T., E1339 [24JN]