**Carter Courier**

http://carter.house.gov

February 25, 2008 Volume 6, Issue 03

**[LETTER FROM THE CONGRESSMAN]{.underline}**

Dear Friends,

I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to spend last week at home in the 31st
District during the President's Day recess. I was fortunate to attend
numerous events across the district, including a special opportunity to
participate in a conference call between ninth grade students and U.S.
soldiers serving in Iraq.

This week in Congress we will be debating H.R. 5351, the Renewable
Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act. Unfortunately this bill seeks to
increase \$16 billion worth of taxes on the oil and natural gas
industries while creating a huge, and unaccountable, bond system for
projects that will do nothing to increase our sources of energy. I have
consistently advocated for a policy that increases domestic energy
production -- not increases taxes.

As always, I thank all of you in the 31st District for the opportunity
to serve you in Congress and I look forward to advancing the
conservative principles that make Central Texas so great.

> Until next week, 

**[FISA EXPIRATION:]{.underline}**

**[WHAT IT MEANS FOR NATIONAL SECURITY]{.underline}**

Last week, leaders in the House chose not to bring the bipartisan
extension of the Protect America Act, which had passed the Senate with
overwhelming bipartisan support, to the floor for a vote. As a result,
the Protect America Act expired, and with it, our ability to intercept
terrorist communications which use 21st Century technology.

For six months, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has refused to permanently
fix loopholes in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
originally passed in 1978. Communicating in 1978 was very different than
communicating today. There was no Internet, email or cell phones.
Dealing with a 21st century al-Qaeda with 1970's tools has begun to slow
down the process of collecting communication information from
terrorists.

The Senate recently passed the Protect America Act, which updated the
current FISA bill and also included immunity provisions to protect
communication companies from politically-motivated lawsuits when they
cooperate with the government to identify terrorists abroad. The
Democratic Leadership postponed the vote on this updated bill in attempt
to eliminate these critical provisions.

Keeping America safe from terrorist attacks is not, and never should be,
a partisan issue. Twenty-one members of the Democratic Blue Dog
Coalition sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi asking her to schedule
the Senate bill for a vote, but the leadership refused to bring the bill
to the floor because they knew that it would pass with the majority vote
of both Democrats and Republicans. Instead, the Majority Leadership was
content to begin the ten day district work period without up dating the
bill, leaving a large security loophole.

Delaying the vote has drastically weakened the ability of America's
intelligence community to access vital foreign intelligence information,
including the location, intentions, and capabilities of terrorists. The
Attorneys General and Director of National Intelligence have been
stripped of their power to authorize new certifications against foreign
intelligence targets. This means that we may not have the necessary
tools to continue tracking terrorists.

There is nothing more important than the safety of our children and
grandchildren, and I am alarmed that Congress would allow such a
critical tool in keeping them safe to expire. Al-Qaeda and those that
want to kill us have not stopped seeking the next opportunity to attack
our country, and there is no doubt that they are watching the current
acts of the House with great interest. I will continue to fight to give
our intelligence community the tools they need to keep our country safe,
and I hope that the Democratic Leadership will stand up and fight with
me.

**[SSG RICHARD "DERIK" STRELSKY PRESENTED]{.underline}**

**[WITH CONGRESSIONAL ARMY MEDAL]{.underline}**

On February 18th, I proudly presented SSG Richard "Derik" Strelsky with
the Congressional Army Medal at Rockdale City Hall in Rockdale, Texas.

According to the Department of the Army, on September 2, 1998, "SSG
Strelsky entered the burning apartment of a woman wheelchair bound by
cerebral palsy and a four-year-old child. SSG Strelsky rescued both of
the occupants. After being assured that both were all right, he then
fought the fire with a garden hose until the fire department arrived.
SSG Strelsky suffered 1st degree burns and some singed hair during this
act of great heroism. The direct result of this soldier's selfless
actions was to save two unsuspecting and helpless people. Indirectly,
the result fills us all with pride and honor to serve with a true hero.
It is only fitting that we honor the man with this prestigious award.
There is no one more deserving."

**[FUNDING FOR FORT HOOD REVEGETATION]{.underline}**

I recently was proud to announce that \$357,000 has been included in the
2008 Omnibus spending bill for Range Revegetation at Fort Hood. This is
a joint project between the Texas Water Resources Institute and Fort
Hood to revegetate 30,000 acres where heavy artillery traffic has
disturbed soils and left the land largely without vegetation. This plan
also gives Fort Hood the ability to utilize more if its land for
training purposes as well as removing substantial amounts of composted
dairy manure from the North Bosque River watershed.

I remain committed to ensuring that our service men and women have the
training facilities they need to best prepare them for combat. I applaud
the partners in this project and I am pleased to have once again secured
funding for practices that will improve Fort Hood's training facilities
while being good stewards of the environment.

The 2008 Omnibus spending bill passed the House and the Senate in 2007
and was signed intolaw by the President late last year.

**[FEBRUARU OUTREACH SCHEDULE]{.underline}**

In order to better serve the citizens of the 31st District, the
caseworkers from my office will be traveling to towns throughout the
district and setting up local office hours. During these hours folks can
ask questions about services that are available through my office or
seek help with problems dealing with federal agencies.

**CORYELL COUNTY**

Thursday, February 28, 2008

9:00 a.m. -- 11:00 a.m.

Gatesville Chamber of Commerce

Cotton Belt Deport

2307 Hwy. 36 South

Gatesville, TX

**HAMILTON COUNTY**

Thursday, February 28, 2008

2:00 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m.

Hamilton County Courthouse

(on the square in Hamilton)

Hamilton, TX

**ERATH COUNTY**

Stephenville

Friday, February 29, 2008

9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Stephenville City Hall

298 W. Washington

Stephenville, Texas

Dublin

Friday, February 29, 2008

2:00 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m.

Dublin Chamber of Commerce

110 South Patrick

Dublin, TX

**[FUNDS FOR HARRIS METHODIST ERATH]{.underline}**

**[COUNTY HOSPITAL]{.underline}**

I was proud to recently announce that \$136,000 was included in the 2008
Omnibus spending bill for Harris Methodist Erath Hospital.

I am proud to represent Harris Methodist Hospital and congratulate them
on receiving these funds. The recent renovations in the radiology
department have set in motion new patient care opportunities. These
federal funds will be used to further enhance those opportunities within
the department with emphasis especially on technological advancements
and patient flow.

The 2008 Omnibus spending bill passed the House and the Senate in 2007
and was signed into law by the President late last year.

**[MANY HOMEOWNERS CAN CLAIM RELIEF]{.underline}**

**[ON REVISED IRS FORM 982]{.underline}**

According to the IRS, folks whose mortgage debt was partly or entirely
forgiven during 2007 may be able to claim special tax relief by filling
out revised Form 982, Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of
Indebtedness. Under the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act of 2007,
taxpayers may exclude debt forgiven on their principal residence if the
balance of their loan was less than \$2 million, or \$1 million for a
married person filing a separate return.

The late enactment of this law means that reporting procedures for this
law change were not incorporated into tax-preparation software or IRS
forms. If you use tax software, check with your provider for updates
that include the revised Form 982. More information is in news release
IR-2008-17.