A belated thank you to Congressman Bennie Thompson

I have always considered Bennie Thompson to be the people's Representative. Bennie's votes are almost always on the right side of the issue if you are a progressive. Facing one of the most historic as well as controversial votes in the last twenty years, once again he did not let us down. Thank you Congressman Thompson for your vote on Health Care Reform.

Many Mississippians have suffered without health care because they earn too much money to qualify for federal programs and their jobs do not provide access. Many Mississippians have suffered because they have had their insurance canceled for no reason when they became ill. Many Mississippians have suffered because they have been denied insurance because of a preexisting condition. But now thanks to Bennie Thompson among others, the working man will have access to affordable health care. The insurance crooks can't drop you because of payout limits or made-up reasons. The insurance companies have to play fair and square now.

Speaking for many Mississippians I say a big Mississippi thank you to Congressman Bennie Thompson.

TPM: House Dems Demand DOJ Get Involved In Miss. Senate Race

From Talking Points Memo

A group of Congressional Dems led by House Judiciary chairman John Conyers (D-MI) are now demanding Justice Department intervention in the Mississippi Senate race, where GOP officials are tying to bury the race at the bottom of the ballot. "What we have here is a clear intent to confuse voters," said Mississippi Dem Congressman Bennie Thompson, in a press release from the group.

Childers Helps Congress Override Bush's Pointless Veto

This bill passed both houses with enough votes to override President Bush's veto mere days ago.

Today it passed by an even larger margin: 383 - 41

Gene Taylor, Travis Childers, Bennie Thompson and Chip Pickering all voted for the bill.

He vetoed the bill, not because he thought it'd do any good, but because he just wanted to muck things up.

From a press release:

The House of Representatives overrode the President’s veto of legislation that would prevent reimbursement rate cuts for doctors who treat Medicare patients, Congressman Travis Childers (D-MS) announced today.

“There are 471,110 Medicare beneficiaries in Mississippi. This year, physicians and many specialists were faced with a scheduled 10.6 percent cut in their reimbursement rate for treating seniors covered by Medicare. Doctors who provide service for Medicare patients should not be at a financial disadvantage,” said Congressman Childers. “Insufficient reimbursement rates are a threat to the accessibility of care for senior citizens. I am proud to support important legislation to stop these rate cuts and ensure that Medicare patients receive the care they need.”

The Senate previously passed the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 (H.R. 6331), which won House approval in June by an overwhelming bipartisan majority of 355-59. Congressman Childers voted for the original passage of the bill on June 24.

H.R. 6331 provides a payment freeze for medical caregivers in 2008, and 1.1 percent increase for 2009. The measure also calls for improvements and extensions of payments to doctors, ambulances, and small hospitals in rural areas.

Congressman Bennie Thompson adressess teens in Coahoma county

Bennie Thompson spoke to youths in Coahoma county on Wednesday. Congressman Thompson, the people's representative, made two major points in his talk. First he called on the young folks of Coahoma county and surrounding areas to vote for change by casting their votes for Barack Obama in November. He urged the youngsters who will be turning 18 before November to register to vote. Second he shot down he myth that growing up in rural areas meant one had no shot to be successful.

From the Clarksdale Press Register:

"If your parents do as well in November, you will do well in January," Thompson told 70 high school students at CCC’s 28th annual Upwards Bound awards banquet in the Pinnacle.

"We are spending $20 billion a month in Iraq," said the congressman, a ranking member of Homeland Security. "We need to fix the war, fix health care, and bring our boys and girls back home with the right team in the White House."

"If anybody here will be 18 before November, you need to become a registered voter," he told an audience of 250.

Thompson said his own personal background was similar to Upward Bound students from Bolivar, Coahoma, Quitman, Tallahatchie and Tunica counties who probably believed the rural roots myth implying:"I can’t be somebody."

"I lived so far in the country, we had to pipe in sunlight," he joked.

Bennie Thompson stands up for Hurricane Katrina victims... again

Congressman Bennie Thompson, the longtime representative of Mississippi's second congressional district, called for a probe into the Katrina aid diversion scandal. As widely reported by the major news outlets as well as here at Cotton Mouth, millions of dollars of Katrina aid intended for the victims ended up in the hands of state agencies. Congressman Bennie Thompson, the peoples representative, has called for a hearing into what he rightly terms a "debacle".

From a CNN article:

"We just think that FEMA needs to come and tell the committee how such a debacle could occur, and in the process, what are they going to do to assure Congress and the taxpaying public that it will never happen again," Thompson said.

The household goods were meant to help Gulf Coast households rebuild. But they sat in FEMA warehouses for two years before the agency declared them surplus property and gave them away in February.

The state of Louisiana had not asked for any of the supplies, prompting outrage there after the original CNN report. Since then, the state has taken steps to claim some of the stockpiles and distribute them to groups working to resettle victims of Hurricane Katrina, the 2005 storm that flooded New Orleans and ravaged the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Mississippi took the supplies it was offered but did not give them to Katrina victims. Instead, as CNN reported this week, the state distributed them to prisons, volunteer fire departments, colleges and other state agencies.

Thompson said he was stunned at how Mississippi officials made "a mockery of the whole process."

"I'm disappointed that my state decided that prisoners had a higher priority than Katrina victims and has made no effort to correct it even when this mistake was made," he said.

"Any time items intended for victims of Katrina end up in the hands of the Department of Corrections or state employees, then clearly, Mississippi dropped the ball."

HUD finally approves $350 million housing plan, thank you Bennie Thompson

It has been a long three years for the working poor of south Mississippi. Solid, working-class families saw their lives turned upside down by the massive storm surge of Katrina. Homes and jobs were gone for many in the blink of an eye. Some have been able to escape to the refuge of relatives or friends out of town, yet many have remained trapped in FEMA trailers tainted with poisonous fumes, or if lucky a FEMA cottage. In fact according to Bennie Thompson in testimony to a House subcommittee, there are still over 5,000 Mississippians still living in temporary housing as a result of Katrina.

After watching Haley Barbour align support for hijacking $600 million in HUD funds intended for lower income housing it was good to read this today in the Sun Herald.

On Wednesday Steve Preston, the secretary of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development, accepted a $350 million plan from Mississippi to build thousands of affordable housing units for working families.

The project, titled Mississippi's Long-Term Work Force Housing Plan, will provide grants and loans to local communities, nonprofit organizations and private developers to build 12,000 affordable homes in Hancock, Harrison, Jackson and Pearl River counties.

I want to thank Bennie Thompson for his most diligent work on getting real justice for the forgotten victims of Hurricane Katrina. As long as Bennie Thompson is in Washington, those 5,000 Mississippians without a home will have a voice.

New York Times Editorial: "Mississippi's Misplaced Priorities"

Today's editorial in the New York Times read like a Cotton Mouth post with a more eloquent use of the English language. The Times stands solidly behind Bennie Thompson in his opposition to the diversion of HUD funds for a port expansion project. Congressman Thompson was on the right side of this argument when he suggested that maybe the thousands still living in temporary housing should be looked after (which is the original intent of the appropriation) before any projects such as the port expansion are attempted.

The original law requires states and localities to spend 70 percent of the money they receive on projects that clearly benefit low- and moderate-income people. Recognizing that the disaster had affected people of all incomes, Congress lowered that requirement to 50 percent after Katrina and allowed the Gulf Coast states to waive the income tests for certain projects.

Mississippi was quick to take advantage of that flexibility.

More...

Congress must use its power to ensure that any remaining Katrina money goes to low-income households. It can start by barring Mississippi from using the block-grant funds for the Gulfport project. It must also close the loopholes in the block-grant law to ensure that future disaster aid goes to those who truly need it.

Congressman Bennie Thompson Takes On Barbour On Housing And Recovery

Families displaced by Hurricane Katrina need our continued help. As of last Friday, there were still 5,741 Mississippi families living in FEMA provided temporary housing units.

One of the major obstacles in providing housing for disaster victims has been the reluctance of Mississippi’s leaders to provide assistance to those who need it the most. Last September, the Governor stated that “housing is, and will continue to be, the most pressing issue facing Coastal recovery.” Despite that statement, the Governor requested and received permission from HUD to reprogram $600 million intended for the construction of low and middle income housing for a port expansion project.

In response to this I, along with eleven other Members of the House, have sent a letter to the Appropriations Committee asking them to prevent the State from using these funds to expand the port. This is a question of priorities. Economic development is critical to the recovery of the coast, but how can the state justify moving forward when low and middle income families are being forced to move out-of-state because there are no locally based affordable housing options?

In addition, the National Deficit and Reduction Act of 2005 provided Mississippi with $700 million to help restore health care in the disaster area and provide the State with the ability to match Federal grants for hurricane relief. Somehow, these funds wound up going to the State’s general fund, where the Governor tried to use them to raise judicial salaries. To make matters worse, the Governor attempted to divert additional hurricane relief funds to improve a highway in north Mississippi that leads to a Toyota plant.

It is a question of priorities. Apparently providing affordable housing solutions to the victims of Hurricane Katrina is not high on some priority lists.

In better news, the Committee on Homeland Security along with the Financial Services Committee joined forces on Wednesday to pass H.R. 6276, the Public Housing Disaster Relief Act of 2008, that I cosponsored with Congressman Childers (D-MS) and Congressman Cazayoux (D-LA). This will streamline federal funding to help repair public housing units that receive damage during future disasters.

The Committee on Homeland Security has also held several hearings exploring the high levels of formaldehyde in FEMA supplied travel trailers - we have to make sure that we provide health care for those that FEMA may have put in danger. In response to this, Congressman Barrow (D-GA) and I introduced the Travel Trailer Health Registry Act. This will require FEMA to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to create a health registry of those who lived in travel trailers, provide health screenings to these individuals, and track their health status as we move into the future.

We must hold Federal agencies accountable for their mistakes, especially when their mistakes endanger the health of disaster victims. As we move forward, I pledge to work with any and all Members of Congress who share my priorities--to hold FEMA and HUD accountable and rebuild the Gulf Coast.

- Homeland Security Committee Chair Congressman Bennie Thompson (MS-02)

Congressman Thompson decries U.S. Supreme Court Decision

From a press release today:

Thompson Decries Supreme Court Decision

June 23, 2008 (WASHINGTON) – Today, the United States Supreme Court denied a plea in the Defenders of Wildlife case against the Department of Homeland Security (No. 07-1180). The case pertains to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff's use of questionable waiver authority to skirt numerous federal laws in order to construct fencing along the southwest border. The petitioners allege that the use of the waiver is unconstitutional.

Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and 13 other Members of Congress, including six Committee Chairmen, submitted an Amicus Curiae brief to urge the Supreme Court to grant certiorari in the case.

Chairman Thompson issued the following statement in response to the decision:

"I am extremely disappointed in the Court's decision. This waiver will only prolong the Department from addressing the real issue, their lack of a comprehensive border security plan. Without a comprehensive plan this fence is just another quick fix," said Thompson.

"Despite this decision, Secretary Chertoff still has a responsibility to act prudently and to consult with all stakeholders."

Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's Representative

Congressman Bennie Thompson, by far Mississippi's most influential representative, is the head of a coalition of twelve powerful house members in an attempt to block the diversion of $600 million in Katrina Housing funds. Thankfully, Bennie is fully aware of the tragedy still unfolding in the lives of many "forgotten" Mississippi Katrina victims. Most are ready to sweep the ugly facts under the rug because in their opinion the Katrina sympathy well has run dry politically.

Mississippi received $5.4 billion in HUD Community Development Block Grant money to help flooded homeowners restore their properties or pay off mortgages. Some of that money also was used to cover utility company losses and for economic development needs.

HUD officials said they had reservations about Barbour's request to shift $600 million from a low-income housing program to the port, but they felt they had to comply under the terms of law that provided Mississippi with the grant money.

Thompson wants the Appropriations Committee to change the law and require HUD to deny Barbour's request.

This money in question was originally designated for the benefit of the poor flood victims from Katrina, but has now become the subject of a heated debate. Sensible democrats demand the money be used for its original purpose, since that purpose has yet to be realized. The Republicans, and their friends, think it is swell to hijack money designated for the poor and use it for big business by building a needed port. The port project is a great idea, and should be funded, just get the money from somewhere else. Don't take it from those with the least voice.

"This transfer is unreasonable in light of the fact that the state has not met all of its unmet housing needs," said the letter. "Although the state maintains that it has met its unmet housing needs, housing advocates on the ground in Mississippi contend that the state is cherry-picking numbers that are favorable to its plans."

Reilly Morse, senior attorney with Biloxi office of the Mississippi Center for Justice, said, "Affordable housing is a necessity, not a luxury.

Bennie Thompson is leading the charge to make sure this money grab by the right does not happen. According to testimony Representative Thompson gave the Senate, there are 5,000 Katrina victims In temporary housing. This issue is a no-brainer if you genuinely care about the hurricae victims. Shame on Gene Taylor for supporting the money grab. Gene, you are better than that, tighten up.

Thank you Bennie Thompson for supporting those without a voice, which is what I want from a Democrat.

Representative Thompson to testify on post-Katrina housing

As reported by the Sun Herald in an Associated Press article, Congressman Bennie Thompson will testify today to a subcommittee of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Thompson, who is chairman of House Homeland Security Committee, will address the continued need for permanent housing for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

Thompson says that nearly three years after Katrina, about 300 families are still living in hotels and motels and more than 5,000 are in temporary housing.

Thompson says he will make it clear to the Federal Emergency Management Agency that coast housing needs to be a priority.

Thanks for all you do Representative Thompson. Keep up the good work.

Want To See The Speeches From The 2008 Mississippi Democratic Convention?

If so you can check them out at the Magnolia Report.

They've got the speeches by Ronnie Musgrove, Travis Childers, Jim Hood and Bennie Thompson.

We've got some good candidates this year. It's good.

Barack Obama Has Entered The Building

Did I say wild before. Now it's deafening. People are on their feet. Arms are in the air. And He is greeted by nearly 10,000 voices. Competing cheers begin and "Yes We Can" breaks through.

"I'm proud to have the support of one of the most outstanding Congressmen we have: Bennie Thompson" (Crowd cheers.)

Acknowledges Ray Mabus, Joseph Lowry, Jackson State University President, Volunteers, Staffers, and Jackson State University.

I thank you for sending Walter Payton to Chicago.

"I hear you guys were having some fun without me."

The crowd cheers following almost everything he says including "Springfield" and "Abraham Lincoln."

VIPs Continue TO Stream In

I saw controversial Jackson Mayor Frank Melton. He looked calm and tired.

I saw Ray Mabus' daughter, but not him (yet).

I saw Congressman Bennie Thompson and Rev. Joseph Lowry.

Thompson and Mabus are Obama's campaign co-chairs.

Lowry spoke on his behalf at the Jefferson Jackson Hamer dinner.

I also saw Erik Fleming up in the stands. Many other folks have streamed in the back, but I confess to not knowing many of the local and historical Mississippi notable persons.

Frank Melton was asked Ms. Rupp from the Clarion Ledger who he was supporting. He said he's waffled and he wouldn't tell the paper.

Help Save Designated Housing Money For Gulf Coast Housing

I hope a Gene O at A Sociable Loner won't mind be reproducing THIS important post here:


Help Color of Change push hurricane recovery into the national presidential debates with a few clicks of your mouse.

Join the Facebook Bring the Gulf Coast to the Debate Campaign.

The congressional hearing on the handling of housing funds mentioned in the AP article I linked to in this post would be held by the House Financial Services Committee or by its Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity.

Rep. Barney Frank chairs the full committee. Rep. Maxine Waters chairs the subcommittee.

Contact them and ask them to schedule the hearing.

Rep. Frank: (202) 225-5931

Rep. Waters: (202) 225-2201; fax (202) 225-7854: e-mail form

Mississippi has no representatives on the committee. Contact Mississippi Representatives Gene Taylor and Bennie Thompson and ask them request that members of the committee hold the hearing.

Rep. Gene Taylor

e-mail form

Washington: (202) 225-5722; fax (202) 225-7074

Mississippians can find numbers for his local offices at the very bottom of this page.

Rep. Bennie Thompson

e-mail form (His local office numbers are on the right-hand side of this page).

Washington: (202) 225-5876; fax (202) 225-5898

Financial Services Committee members.

Subcommittee Members.

Change the untruthful story that the governor and his allies are telling about our Gulf Coast hurricane recovery by telling the truth in your own way.



It's an excellent post. Please use the links and contact folks. Coast citizens need your help.

Congressman Bennie Thompson Endorses Barack Obama

First Read:

Obama was endorsed today by Congressman Bennie Thompson (D-MS), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

"Barack Obama had the judgment to oppose the war in Iraq from the start," Thompson in a statement, "and he will restore America's standing around the world and secure our homeland by giving our first responers the equipment and support they need."

This is the 16th red-state endorsement Obama has received, about 35 percent of his total endorsements. Thompson is African American, and blacks in Mississippi make up an estimated 37% of the total population. Mississippi holds its primary on March 11 and has 33 pledged delegates (40 total).

That's cool. I like Obama.

Roger Wicker Forgets Our Veterans While Serving On A Veterans Committee

Roger Wicker's website highlights this:

Roger was a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee for 12 years, serving on the Defense subcommittee and as the Ranking Member of the Military Construction - Veterans Affairs subcommittee. Roger was also a Deputy Republican Whip, and since 2001, had been a member of the Republican Policy Committee.

His time may have been misplaced though because his record doesn't indicate he particularly cared about veterans issues.

His most recent ratings from these groups all rated him as no friend of veterans:

2006 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2006.

2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator Wicker a grade of C+.

2006 Senator Wicker sponsored or co-sponsored 21 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.

2005 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2005.

2004 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2004.

2004 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 33 percent in 2004.

2003-2004 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 38 percent in 2003-2004.

2003 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the American Veterans 50 percent in 2003.

2003 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 0 percent in 2003.

2003 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the The American Legion 40 percent in 2003.

2001 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 2001.

2001 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 77 percent in 2001.

1999 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 100 percent in 1999.

1997-1998 Senator Wicker supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 20 percent in 1997-1998.

He must have been felling particularly charitable for the years of 1999 to 2001.

In comparison Congressmen Gene Taylor and Bennie Thompson both scored 100% on the most recent Disabled American Veterans score while Roger Wicker scored 50%.

Data Collected From Project Vote Smart

2008 Candidates For Democratic Nominations

THE CANDIDATES:

U.S. Senate (seat now held by Republican Thad Cochran)
• Erik R. Fleming
• Shawn O’Hara.

U.S. House, 1st District (open seat)
• Travis W. Childers.
• Marshall W. Coleman.
• Steve Holland.
• James K. “Ken” Hurt.
• Brian Neely.

U.S. House, 2nd District (Democrat Bennie Thompson, incumbent)
• Dorothy Benford.
• Bennie G. Thompson (incumbent).

U.S. House, 3rd District (open seat)
• Randy Eads.
• Joel L. Gill.

U.S. House, 4th District (Democrat Gene Taylor, incumbent)
• Gene Taylor.

(provided by the Mississippi Democratic Party)

Crusading Taylor Brings in the Big Guns for the Coast

Democratic House Majority Whip James Clyburn from South Carolina, and a close friend to Congressman Bennie Thompson, organized a trip to Louisiana and Mississippi for a group of Congressmen.

The Sun Herald:

Clyburn said the group's overall goal would be to form "a new group partnership" with Louisiana and Mississippi's efforts to recover from Katrina.

After meeting with reporters on Monday, the group planned a bus tour of Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis, Miss., two areas hard hit by Katrina. A community meeting on insurance-related issues also was scheduled for Bay St. Louis.

The meeting will center on insurance and I believe it will have a focus on the need for Congressman Gene Taylor's (D-MS) proposal for federal all perils insurance. Gene Taylor is speaking up for the Coast and Congress is listening.

The entire delegation will be Democratic despite Republicans having been invited. The all declined likely because insurance industry groups told them to.

I don't believe we can find a more able advocate for the Coast than Gene Taylor. We wish him the best of luck and look forward to working with him to pass the necessary insurance reforms.

The Sun Herald Article

Representative Thompson In The News

Representative Bennie Thompson has been in the news several times in the last couple of days.

Today he announced a federal grant to the Delta Regional Authority saying:

"These grants will provide the counties with the opportunity to improve infrastructure and preserve the heritage of communities in the Second Congressional District."

Clarion Ledger article

Also he had a piece in The Hill newspaper about waste in the Department of Homeland Security.

As a Southerner, I am well aware of the truth found in the idiom, “Haste makes waste.”
...
If we are to protect our nation’s security, it must be a cooperative effort. State and local officials, as well as the private sector, are the ones on the front line of our homeland security. If we are to have effective information sharing, bureaucrats in Washington must start listening and asking questions. The department must start querying state and local organizations on their existing initiatives and develop better collaborative and coordinating tools. Anything less will leave our nation with programs developed in a vacuum that cost taxpayer dollars and leave us all at risk.

The Hill article

Bennie Thompson also spoke to The Hill about the tuberculosis scare. His comments are in the following video.