September 21st, 2004 - - WASHINGTON, DC...U.S. Senator Peter G Fitzgerald (R-Illinois) today applauded the Army’s decision to make new M119A2 Howitzers at the Rock Island Arsenal. Fitzgerald has long been a proponent of utilizing unused plant capacity.

“The Rock Island Arsenal, has played a crucial role in serving the needs of our troops throughout the war on terrorism and all prior wars,” asserted Fitzgerald. “The Arsenal is fully capable of producing weaponry to meet the needs of the enhanced brigades and the shortage of artillery.”

Rock Island Arsenal makes spare parts for the M119 Howitzer. Earlier this month, upon hearing that the Army planned to order a number of M119A2 towed Howitzers, Fitzgerald wrote to Acting Secretary of the Army, Les Brownlee, to ask him to utilize the “surge manufacturing” capability of Rock Island Arsenal and have the new howitzers produced at the facility. In his letter, Fitzgerald noted that Rock Island Arsenal will be able to cast gun tubes and ramp up the manufacturing line with minimal cost. Further, the facility retains an excess manufacturing capacity to be utilized during periods of increased military activity.

“Surge manufacturing and excess capacity, two assets that private sector defense contractors lack, ensure that our nation’s arsenals can swiftly meet this order with reduced startup costs while saving the Army millions of dollars,” said Fitzgerald.

Arsenals have historically served a compelling national security function by providing a rapid manufacturing capability for specialized and unique military needs, Fitzgerald explained. Since the military began to privatize, arsenals have been required to compete with private firms for government contracts — often at an unfair competitive disadvantage. Consequently, taxpayers end up paying additional money to private contractors for products and services that, in many cases, the publicly-funded arsenals, which the taxpayers are already paying for, could deliver.

“I commend the Army’s decision to procure these new howitzers, proudly built at the Rock Island Arsenal.”
**********************
Fitzgerald: Congress extends tax relief, saves working families $109 billion in tax increases

September 24th, 2004 - - WASHINGTON, DC...Calling it another victory for working families, U.S. Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL) hailed the extension of 2003 tax relief that will save Americans $109 billion over the next six years. The extension, which was approved late Thursday as part of a larger $146 billion tax reduction package, averts an automatic tax increase when provisions from last year’s tax relief expire at the end of 2004.

“Last year’s tax relief was major victory for American families. Extending that relief through 2010 will ease the financial burden on working families for years to come, giving hardworking parents more money to provide for their children and plan for their future,” said Fitzgerald.

Among other things, the measure extends the marriage penalty relief and the $1,000 child tax credit — both of which are set to expire this year. It also extends another expiring provision that allows a greater portion of working families’ income to be taxed at the 10 percent marginal rate, rather than at the 15 percent tax rate.

The senator noted that allowing the tax provisions to expire would have amounted to a substantial tax increase in 2005. For example, a family of four earning roughly $60,000 per year could have seen its tax bill increase by 26 percent next year.
Taxpayer watchdog groups have consistently praised Fitzgerald for supporting taxpayer-friendly policies. Americans for Tax Reform recently named Fitzgerald a 2004 “Hero of the Taxpayer.”

The measure, which the House also approved yesterday, now heads to President Bush for his signature.
************************
Fitzgerald: Senate OKs $13.6 million for Springfield Army National Guard
Funding included in Senate Military Construction appropriations bill; Senator requested funding for the project earlier this year

September 21st, 2004 - - WASHINGTON, DC...U.S. Senator Peter G. Fitzgerald (R-IL) announced that the Senate yesterday approved a fiscal year 2005 Military Construction appropriations conference report that includes funding for the Illinois Army National Guard Total Army School System in Springfield.

The $13.596 million in federal funding will be used for construction of the Illinois Army National Guard Total Army School System. Currently, the Illinois Army National Guard has the responsibility for training soldiers from throughout the Midwest in certain Military Occupational Specialities. This new facility would allow the Illinois Military Academy to simultaneously train 240 students in the Officer Candidate School, the Non-Commissioned Officer Educational System, Battalion Staff and Commander courses, Company Commander courses, and First Sergeant courses. The current buildings date from 1937-1950, and housing and dining facilities are in remote, independent buildings. Fitzgerald, who requested funding for the project earlier this year in a letter to Senate appropriators, said the new facility would allow for better training facilities as well as proper housing and dining support operations.

“The men and women of the United States military deserve the most up-to-date facilities and military education we can provide,” said Fitzgerald. “This vital funding will improve the housing and training conditions for Army National Guardsmen studying in Springfield.”

The measure, which was approved by the House in July, now heads to a conference committee.
**************************

While they complain about candidates pandering to special-interest groups, 217 years of this republic have shown that down deep people want candidates who strive to be all things to all men. People say they want office-seekers who are candid, frank, straightforward, genuine, who tell the truth even when it hurts. Who are on the up-and-up, guileless, unartful, undesigning, unequivocal. But nobody has won running on that platform, including Lincoln, FDR and Reagan, and you will be no exception.

Voters elect only candidates who are deceptive, duplicitous, bluffers, cunning, crafty and Machiavellian. That's because voters want politicians like themselves. The media agree. So why are you out of step?

Thus, you've botched your campaign. You're going to lose by a landslide. I accuse you of being politically pure, clean, pristine, impeccable and untarnished. Your very presence embarrasses the system because you don't play by the historic rules. Now I will cite certain statements you have made that are outside the boundaries of the political game -- statements that are filled with veracity, validity and are sober and unvarnished. No candidate would be caught dead being associated with these characteristics.

First, you have said that your Democratic opponent for U.S. Senate, Barack Obama, voted against the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, which stated that any baby born alive, no matter what gestational age, is a legal person. True, he voted against it three times. But people squirm when you refer to this issue. Why do you defile your campaign with prattle about live babies when Illinois deserves a discussion of the real issues, such as how to pour more federal money into the funnel to help the poor to supplement the dollars that have been poured before without noticeable help? Besides, former Attorney General Jim Ryan found no live post-abortion child was ever left to die alone. Former nurse Jill Stanek, who held one in her arms, was hallucinating.

Second, after speaking out against homosexuality at the City Club, you said recklessly that all of us are sinners. I ask you: Is that the way to campaign -- by lumping heterosexuals and homosexuals, transgender persons, cross-dressers and whatnot together in a statement that discriminates against the human condition? Also, you are dragging religion into politics.

Third, not content with disparaging homosexuality, when asked about Vice President Dick Cheney's professed lesbian daughter, you did not make the slightest effort to evade, avoid, elude, retreat, dodge, shirk, straddle or quibble. You ignored the fact that she and her father are fellow Republicans! Therefore, I hope you know that you will receive no large-scale financial aid from the Republican Senatorial Committee.

Fourth, you have struck at the very heart of our culture by saying, on public radio no less, that some people ''can refrain from [sex] altogether if [they] think that is required by the dictates of moral conscience.'' Do you realize that there are voters out there who resent being dictated to by anything, including moral conscience? Why not talk about issues the state is demanding to hear, such as the implications of what the Fed should do about low-yield bonds that are beginning to provide a very real high-interest rate? You have cheated us of an enlightening discourse once again, Mr. Keyes.

Finally, you are being criticized within your own Illinois GOP, a party establishment that truly resembles its elephant symbol, with a head of ivory, thick skin, no vision and long memory, with the ability to move around in a circle by grabbing the tail of the elephant in front of it. Assuredly you have so alienated moderate women that you may only get 33 percent on Election Day, which will cause you to be ranked with the immortal Lynn Martin, our GOP establishment's former congresswoman and secretary of labor, pro-choice, pro-gay rights whose moderation and sensitivity to social issues so heartened Kirk Dillard's moderate women that they didn't vote for her, either.

I hope you know you have ruined our politics. Good day, sir.

* New jobs figures released on September 3, 2004 and other recent indicators show that President Bush's economic policies continue to create jobs and move the economy forward.
* The economy has posted job gains for each of the last twelve months – creating nearly 1.7 million jobs since August 2003.
* The national unemployment fell to 5.4% in August – down 0.9 percentage point from a peak of 6.3% in June 2003 and the lowest rate since October 2001. At 5.4%, the unemployment rate is below the average of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
* 144,000 new jobs were added in August. And the increases in June and July were revised upward by a combined 59,000 new jobs , bringing the total number of new jobs in today's report to 203,000.
* Nearly 1.7 million new jobs have been added since August 2003.
* The unemployment rate over the last year was down in all regions and in 49 of the 50 states. Employment over the last year was up in 46 of the 50 states.
* The manufacturing sector, which was the hardest hit by the economic downturn, has added 107,000 jobs since January.

Background: President Bush's Actions are Moving Our Economy Forward – Now is Not the Time to Turn Back

* The labor market has improved considerably since shortly after the President's Jobs and Growth bill took effect last May. Factories are busier, families are earning more, homeownership remains at record levels, and people are returning to the labor market and finding work.
* America 's standard of living is on the rise. Real after-tax incomes are up by nearly 10% since December 2000 – substantially better than the comparable time period in the previous business cycle. Since the President's 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, personal consumption levels have risen substantially.
* Consumer confidence continues to be substantially higher than last year. The Conference Board's index of consumer confidence has increased 20 percent in the past 12 months, from 81.7 last August to 98.2 this August.
* The national homeownership rate, in the second quarter of 2004, was at an all time high of 69.2 percent. Minority homeownership set a new record of 51% in the second quarter and is up 2.1 percentage points from a year ago.
* Core inflation remains low.
* Mortgage rates remain near historic lows, making homebuying easier and more affordable.

More to Do: The President will not be satisfied until every American looking for work has found a job. We must continue to push forward on a pro-growth economic agenda that meets the needs of the American people.

*Making tax relief permanent – raising taxes now would put the brakes on our growing economy. The across - the - board rate reduction helped more than 90% of small business owners who pay their business taxes at the individual rates, including more than 900,000 small business owners who pay in the top two rates.
* Providing worker skills – preparing Americans for the skilled jobs of our changing economy.
* Controlling health care costs – giving America 's working families greater access to affordable health insurance by providing association health plans and health savings accounts.
* Reducing regulation – ensuring that Federal regulations do not handicap America 's entrepreneurs by streamlining regulations and reducing paperwork.
* Reducing frivolous lawsuits – supporting enactment of medical liability reform, class action lawsuit reforms, and asbestos litigation reforms to expedite resolutions and curb the costs lawsuits impose on American businesses.
* Adopting the National Energy Policy – ensuring that America has a reliable and affordable source of energy and reducing our dependence on foreign sources.
* Opening new markets overseas – helping to create jobs at home by expanding markets for America's products and services around the world.

President Bush is bringing our economy back. We need to keep moving forward with the policies that are strengthening our economic recovery.

The President has acted decisively to bring us back from recession to recovery. He has:

* Enacted tax relief for families by lowering tax rates for all taxpayers, increasing the child credit, and reducing the marriage penalty.
* Phased out the death tax, helping to preserve family farms and businesses.
* Encouraged business growth by providing incentives for small businesses to invest.
* Made the stock market stronger by cutting taxes on dividends and capital gains.
* Passed the strongest corporate governance reforms since FDR was President.
* Proposed his Jobs for the 21 st Century initiative to improve education for high school students and train workers for industries creating the most new jobs.

==>Antonin Scalia