MELANCON, CHARLIE (a Representative from Louisiana)

Amendments

Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for ongoing military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, war on terror, and hurricane relief and recovery (H.R. 4939), H1033, H1039 [15MR], H1071 [16MR]

Bills and resolutions cosponsored

Abortion: ensure that women seeking an abortion are fully informed relative to pain experienced by the unborn child (see H.R. 356), H154 [1FE]

Agriculture: provide disaster assistance to agricultural producers for crop and livestock losses (see H.R. 5099), H1562 [5AP]

———provide emergency assistance to agricultural producers who have suffered losses as a result of natural disasters and unforseen production costs (see H. Res. 706), H565 [2MR]

Alcoholic beverages: tribute to American craft brewers (see H. Res. 753), H1854 [26AP]

Armed Forces: prohibit certain demonstrations at cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration and at Arlington National Cemetery (see H.R. 5037), H2339 [9MY]

———prohibit increases in fees for military health care (see H.R. 4949), H1197 [28MR]

———provide postal benefits for personal correspondence and certain parcels sent to members serving on active military duty abroad (see H.R. 2874), H274 [14FE]

ATF: modernize and reform (see H.R. 5092), H4917 [29JN]

Birds: promote conservation of migratory waterfowl and offset or prevent the loss of wetlands and other habitat essential to the preservation of such waterfowl (see H.R. 4315), H3424 [6JN]

Cameron, James: tribute (see H. Res. 867), H4008 [14JN]

Carolina Hurricanes (hockey team): tribute (see H. Res. 881), H4424 [21JN]

CERCLA: provide that manure is not considered a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant (see H.R. 4341), H2339 [9MY]

Children and youth: clarify that needs of children affected by disasters are unique and should be given special consideration in planning, responding, and recovering from such disasters (see H. Con. Res. 406), H4958 [10JY]

China, People's Republic of: clarify actionability of exchange-rate manipulation under countervailing duty provisions and product-specific safeguard mechanisms of U.S. trade laws (see H.R. 1498), H1742 [25AP]

Coal: facilitate and expedite direct refunds to coal producers and exporters of the excise tax imposed on coal exported from the U.S. (see H.R. 5097), H1681 [6AP]

Day of Hearts—Congenital Heart Defect Day: support goals and ideals (see H. Res. 629), H26 [31JA]

Dept. of Agriculture: restore discretion to waive or reduce the non-Federal cost share requirements of the emergency watershed protection program (see H.R. 4888), H644 [7MR]

Dept. of Commerce: transmit to the House of Representatives a copy of a workforce globalization final draft report produced by the Technology Administration (see H. Res. 717), H867 [9MR]

Dept. of Defense: establish procedures for consideration of applications for award of the Purple Heart to certain POW (see H.R. 2369), H274 [14FE]

Dept. of Education: recruit, select, train, and support a national teachers corps in underserved communities (see H.R. 3334), H225 [8FE]

Dept. of Energy: establish grants and advisory board for U.S.-Israeli joint ventures on alternative/renewable energy sources and energy efficiency (see H.R. 2730), H4220 [19JN]

Dept. of HHS: authorize appropriations for the health centers program (see H.R. 5201), H3309 (see H.R. 5201), H3361 [25MY]

Dept. of the Treasury: carry out a program to temporarily make payments under residential mortgage loans for properties significantly damaged by Hurricane Katrina (see H.R. 4991), H1128 [16MR]

Dept. of Veterans Affairs: provide free credit monitoring and credit reports for veterans and others affected by the theft of veterans' personal data and ensure notification of such thefts (see H.R. 5588), H4680 [27JN]

Disasters: establish a unified national hazard alert system (see H.R. 5556), H3641 [8JN]

———improve ability of Depts. of Agriculture and the Interior to promptly implement recovery treatments in response to catastrophic events affecting forest lands (see H.R. 4200), H791 [8MR]

———prohibit the confiscation of firearms during certain national emergencies (see H.R. 5013), H4917 [29JN]

Diseases: establish an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Registry (see H.R. 4033), H1197 [28MR]

———support efforts to increase childhood cancer awareness (see H. Res. 323), H4190 [16JN]

Drugs: expand the scope of information required for the data bank on clinical trials for drugs (see H.R. 3196), H26 [31JA]

Education: authorize programs relative to science, mathematics, engineering, and technology education at the NSF and the Dept. of Energy Office of Science (see H.R. 5358), H3788 [12JN]

FAA: replace Administrator's arbitrary authority to impose wages and working conditions with neutral binding arbitration in the case of an impasse in labor-management negotiations (see H.R. 4755), H566 [2MR]

Farm Security and Rural Investment Act: extend appropriations and spending programs until implementing legislation for the World Trade Organization Doha Development Agenda Round is enacted (see H.R. 4775), H1917 [27AP]

Firearms: make technical changes to Federal firearms laws (see H.R. 5005), H4917 [29JN]

———update certain procedures applicable to commerce and remove certain Federal restrictions on interstate firearms transactions (see H.R. 1384), H4917 [29JN]

Fishery Conservation and Management Act: reauthorize (see H.R. 5018), H5128 [12JY]

Gambling: establish a commission to study the proper response to growth in Internet gambling (see H.R. 5474), H3226 [24MY]

Government: designate certain functions as inherently governmental (see H.R. 5204), H2339 [9MY]

———require more rigorous requirements relative to ethics and lobbying (see H.R. 4682), H153 [1FE]

Health: make antitrust laws apply to negotiations between groups of independent pharmacies and health plans and health insurance issuers in the same manner as collective bargaining by labor organizations (see H.R. 1671), H4680 [27JN]

Help America Vote Act: require a voter-verified permanent record or hardcopy (see H.R. 550), H4958 [10JY]

House Rules: require committees to hold hearings upon issuance of certain reports from an Inspector General or Comptroller General (see H. Res. 841), H3909 [13JN]

———require that legislation and conference reports be available on the Internet prior to consideration by the House (see H. Res. 688), H1854 [26AP]

Hurricanes: call upon the President to meet with a joint session of Congress to discuss the plan for post-Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts (see H. Con. Res. 356), H874 [13MR]

———recover, reclaim, restore and reconstruct lives and communities and reunite families devastated by Hurricane Katrina and address issues of poverty exposed by Hurricane Katrina (see H.R. 4197), H160 [7FE]

Immigration: extend termination date for the exemption of returning workers from the numerical limitations for temporary workers (see H.R. 4740), H272 [14FE]

Kazakhstan: recognize anniversary of the closure of the world's second largest nuclear test site and efforts on the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction (see H. Res. 905), H4916 [29JN]

King, Coretta Scott: tribute (see H. Res. 655), H156 [1FE]

Labor unions: establish efficient system to enable employees to form, join, or assist labor organizations and provide for mandatory injunctions for unfair labor practices during organizing efforts (see H.R. 1696), H509 [1MR]

Medicare: coverage of medical nutrition therapy services (see H.R. 1582), H1197 [28MR]

———coverage of respiratory therapists under home health service plans (see H.R. 964), H1320 [29MR]

———improve payments made by prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug plans to pharmacies for covered drugs (see H.R. 5166), H3227 [24MY]

———provide additional funding for State health insurance counseling programs (see H.R. 4737), H224 [8FE]

———repeal outpatient rehabilitation therapy caps (see H.R. 916), H225 [8FE]

———require the sponsor of a prescription drug plan or an organization offering a Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug plan to promptly pay submitted claims (see H.R. 5182), H4521 [22JN]

Mental Health Month: support goals and ideals (see H. Con. Res. 401), H3227 [24MY]

Merchant marine industry: provide a monthly monetary benefit to certain individuals who served in the U.S. merchant marine during World War II (see H.R. 23), H3642 [8JN]

Middle East: promote the development of democratic institutions in areas under the administrative control of the Palestinian Authority (see H.R. 4681), H1390 [30MR]

NAACP: anniversary (see H. Con. Res. 335), H224 [8FE]

NASA: commemorate anniversary of the first flight of the Space Transportation System and honor individuals involved with the space program (see H. Con. Res. 366), H1391 [30MR]

National security: ensure while promoting foreign investment and job creation, reform examination process for such investments, and establish Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (see H.R. 5337), H4680 [27JN]

———support efforts to track terrorist financing under existing law and express concern over disclosure of classified information on methods by which terrorists are traced (see H. Res. 900), H4916 [29JN]

Nelson, Byron: award Congressional Gold Medal (see H.R. 4902), H1743 [25AP]

Outer Continental Shelf: provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources (see H.R. 4761), H1853 [26AP]

Research: authorize the NSF and the Dept. of Energy Office of Science to provide grants to early career researchers to establish innovative research programs and integrate education and research (see H.R. 5356), H3788 [12JN]

Taxation: allow a tax credit for the purchase of hearing aids (see H.R. 414), H2585 [11MY]

———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. 994), H5047 [11JY]

———eliminate income threshold for the child tax credit in the case of taxpayers who had a primary residence in the Hurricane Katrina disaster area (see H.R. 4708), H223 [8FE]

———extend and expand benefits for businesses operating in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or renewal communities (see H.R. 5660), H4423 [21JN]

———limit development or implementation of a return-free tax system (see H.R. 5114), H1676 [6AP]

———treat certain farming business machinery and equipment as 5-year property for purposes of depreciation (see H.R. 4236), H1981 [2MY]

———treatment of beer (see H.R. 1306), H1980 [2MY]

Unemployment: extend availability of assistance made available in connection with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita (see H.R. 5392), H3309 (see H.R. 5392), H3362 [25MY]

Veterans: reduce incidence of suicide (see H.R. 5771), H5127 [12JY]

Voting: encourage Louisiana and the Dept. of Justice to establish satellite voting outside of Louisiana for scheduled New Orleans elections (see H. Con. Res. 385), H1679 [6AP]

Voting Rights Act: amend (see H.R. 9), H2339 [9MY]

Bills and resolutions introduced

Corps of Engineers: authorize water resources projects and activities for the Louisiana coastal area (see H.R. 5461), H3137 [23MY]

NASA: recognize dedication of employees at the Michoud Assembly Facility, LA, who risked their lives during Hurricane Katrina to keep generators and pumps running to protect the facilities and flight hardware (see H. Res. 892), H4554 [26JN]

Remarks

Appropriations: making supplemental appropriations for ongoing military operations and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, war on terror, and hurricane relief and recovery (H.R. 4939), H1033, H1034, H1043 [15MR]

Contracts: promote accountability and prevent fraud in Federal contracting relative to reconstruction efforts in the Gulf Coast Region, H950 [14MR]

Dept. of the Interior and related agencies: making appropriations (H.R. 5386), H2857 [18MY]

Disasters: improve preparedness and response plans, H950, H955, H956 [14MR]

Energy and water development: making appropriations (H.R. 5427), H3174 [24MY]

Hurricanes: relief efforts for States impacted by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma, H950, H955, H956 [14MR]

Louisiana: coastal restoration projects funding, H3174 [24MY]

———flood control projects funding, H1033, H1034 [15MR]

———provide assistance to agricultural producers whose operations were severely damaged by hurricanes, H1043 [15MR]

Outer Continental Shelf: prohibit oil and gas leasing activities on certain portions, H2857 [18MY]

———provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources (H.R. 4761), H4836 [29JN]

———provide for exploration, development, and production activities for mineral resources (H.R. 4761), consideration (H. Res. 897), H4812 [29JN]