Chet Edwards For Congress - Strong National Defense & the War on Terrorism

A Strong National Defense & the War on Terrorism

Kat — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:00:49 -0700

Supporting a Strong National Defense & the War on Terrorism:

Chet Edwards is a leader in Congress on national defense issues. As Chairman of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Subcommittee and co-chairman of the bipartisan House Army Caucus, Chet is a recognized leader in Congress on national defense issues and a strong voice for supporting our men and women in uniform and seeing that they have the resources to fight the war on terror and defend our homeland.

Chet is a strong supporter of the war on terrorism and has worked hard to see that our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere around the globe have the equipment and tools they need to do their jobs.

Chet led the effort to stop the Department of Defense from cutting two divisions of the Army - some 40,000 active-duty troops - in 2001.

Chet introduced the Military Retiree Health Care Protection Act to block increases in TRICARE premiums for military retirees and reservists.

Chet led the fight to create a new, innovative public-private partnership to build new housing for military families, a program the Bush Administration has called “the most important military housing program in American history.”

As the Congressman for Fort Hood for 14 years, Chet successfully secured $1 billion in military construction funds for the post, dramatically improving the quality of life for Army soldiers and their families. Chet has continued to work for Fort Hood soldiers and their families, obtaining $ 13.4 million in the last two years for key construction projects, even though the post is now in another congressional district.

Chet served as co-chairman of the bipartisan House/Senate National Security Caucus, which has over 270 members.

Chet has fought for our soldiers when both Democratic and Republican administrations have tried to cut housing allowances, retiree pay, education for military children and danger pay for troops in Iraq.

Chet introduced the bill to double life insurance payments under the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program.

In recognition of his efforts in support of the military and veterans, Chet has been honored with numerous awards including:

2008 American Legion Distinguished Service Award given to only one member of Congress
2008 Veterans of Foreign War Congressional Award
2007 Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) Award
2006 Military Coalition Award of Merit
2006 National Guard Association Charles Dick Medal of Merit
2006 Exemplary Legislator – National Association of Mental Illness’ Veterans Council
2005 Military Order of the Purple Heart’s National Inspirational Leadership Award for work in Congress on important veterans’ issues.
2005 National Inspirational Leadership Award from the Military Order of the Purple Heart
2004 American Legion Unsung Hero Award
2004 American Legion Meritorious Service Award
2004 “Going to Bat for Veterans” Award –- National Disabled American Veterans
2004 Support of Military Families Award from The National Military Family Association (NMFA). The award recognizes service and dedication to improving the quality of life for uniformed service members and their families.
2004 “Going to Bat for Veterans” Award -- National Disabled American Veterans
2004 Champion for Children -- Military Impacted Schools Association
2003 Legislator of the Year -- Association of the United States Army
2003 Harry S. Truman Award -- National Association of Federally Impacted Schools
2002 USO Quality of Life Award
1998 Legislator of the Year from the bipartisan National Security Caucus
1996 L. Mendel Rivers Award of Excellence from the Air Force Sergeants Association for stopping the plan to reduce military retirement pay
1996 True Champion for Military School Children Award by the National Military Impacted Schools Association (MISA)
1995 FRIEND OF IMPACT AID NATIONAL AWARD from The National Association of Federally Impacted Schools (NAFIS)
1995 National Security Leadership Award from the American Security Council

Plans to Expand Oil Reserve Are Clouded

Kat — Fri, 23 May 2008 22:12:40 -0700

Plans to Expand Oil Reserve Are Clouded

By Ben Casselman | Wall Street Journal | 27 May 2008

Edwards: "It would defy common sense to try to expand the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve during a time of high energy prices."

The decision in Washington last week to stop filling the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve is calling into question longer-range plans to expand the reserve's capacity -- a potential blow to the impoverished Mississippi town that stands to gain from the expansion.

The U.S. Department of Energy is pressing forward with plans to expand the world's largest stockpile of government-owned emergency crude, to one billion barrels from its current 727 million-barrel capacity. But while Congress approved the expansion in 2005 in an effort to keep up with rising U.S. oil consumption, it has yet to fund the $5 billion project. With oil prices topping $130 per barrel last week, that funding is increasingly in doubt.

"It would defy common sense to try to expand it during a time of high energy prices," says Rep. Chet Edwards, a Texas Democrat who sits on the subcommittee that will review funding for the expansion.

Nowhere is the decision being watched more closely than in Richton, Mississippi, the town selected in 2006 as the site of the first new storage facility since 1991. Local business and political leaders are counting on the project to bring hundreds of jobs and millions of dollars to a town that Mayor Jimmie White calls "one of the most economically deprived areas in the United States." Now, Mr. White says he fears the town has missed its window.

"We worry very much about this," he says. "I don't have a lot of confidence of what's going on in Washington."

Most of the debate in Washington in recent weeks has focused on a shorter-term question: whether to temporarily stop filling the reserve's existing sites in an effort to slow rising oil prices. The DOE and many independent economists have argued the reserve, which swallows up about 70,000 barrels of oil per day, has little impact on oil prices. But members of Congress, eager to show constituents they were taking some action during an election year, overwhelmingly voted to stop filling the reserve, and President Bush last week reluctantly signed the bill into law.

In theory, that decision is unrelated to the plan to expand the reserve, which won't provide any new capacity until 2012. DOE spokeswoman Megan Barnett says the long-term nature of the project means the expansion work should continue even if no oil is being added to the reserve right now. The reserve now holds about 703 million barrels, 97% of its capacity.

Under the expansion program, the DOE will enlarge two existing reserve sites, in Texas and Louisiana, by a total of 103 million barrels, and build a new 160 million-barrel site in Richton. In all three cases, oil would be stored in salt domes, deposits of compressed salt that occur naturally near the U.S. Gulf coast and other areas.

The process of hollowing out the domes, in which fresh water is injected into the ground to dissolve the salt, has raised environmental concerns because it would draw water from nearby rivers and would create millions of gallons of saltwater that would then have to be disposed of. But the greater handicap to the project may be its price tag, some $5 billion over the next decade. Environmentalists have seized on the funding issue to try to kill the project.

"Someone from Iowa couldn't care less about the environment in Mississippi, but I think they're going to have a strong care about how their [money] is spent," says Eric Richards, a leader of the Gulf Conservation Coalition, which opposes the project.

Advocates of the expansion plan, especially in Mississippi, say they are working hard to make sure the project moves forward. Rep. Chip Pickering, a Mississippi Republican who serves on the House Energy Committee, calls the recent debate a "temporary distraction" brought on by election-year politics.

"I think in the next year, when the political pressures are off, whether it's Barack Obama or John McCain, they will see the value of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve," Rep. Pickering said.

But even before the recent debate gained steam, the Richton project was far from a done deal. Congress approved just $27 million for the expansion this year, a fraction of the $160 million requested by the DOE. Earlier this year, environmental groups succeeded in pressuring the department to conduct a further review of the impact of the project. Together, the two decisions delayed the project by about a year, according to the department. Further hold-ups in funding wouldn't outright kill the project, but they could delay it indefinitely.

The project doesn't even have the unqualified support of the state's congressional delegation. Gene Taylor, a Democrat who represents Richton, has threatened to hold up funding for the project if environmental concerns aren't addressed.

"The easiest thing for me to do would be to walk over to the Appropriations Committee and say I don't want the money," Rep. Taylor says.

Local company develops Army devices

econnor — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 12:11:31 -0700

March 24, 2008

Local company develops Army devices

The Bryan College Station Eagle

By HOLLY HUFFMAN |Eagle Staff Writer

American soldiers may some day soon be able to immediately detect chemical and biological threats through the use of small portable hand-held devices that currently doesn't exist in the field.

And rather than lug around 80 pounds of disposable batteries, military troops may have rechargeable units to power their computers and night vision equipment.

Meanwhile, small spy planes that now fly less than two hours at a time may one day have batteries that are strong enough to keep the small aircraft in the air for half a day.

These technological breakthroughs in national defense and homeland security were unveiled Monday at Lynntech Inc, a College Station-based research and development company. The work is part of a $2.6 million congressional earmark secured last year by U.S. Congressman Chet Edwards. The funding was designated for fiscal year 2008.

"This is an important program because it is about protecting the lives of service men and women in harm's way who are protecting our country," the Democrat from Waco said Monday while visiting the Lynntech lab. "We have a moral obligation to do everything possible to protect our troops and bring them home safely."

Lynntech CEO John Clanton said the company has been working on the technologies involved with the projects for the past four years. In addition to the congressional funding, the company previously was awarded about $850,000 from the defense department, he said.

Oliver Murphy, Lynntech co-founder and chief technological officer, said all three projects are in similar stages of development. Each has about a year to go before being sent to the Army for testing, which he said could take another year.

The bulk of the congressional funding will go toward the development of the handheld threat detection system. The small, green prototype on display Monday is just a fraction of the size of its large, boxy predecessor.

In addition to saving soldiers lives, Murphy and Edwards said that the device also could be used as a tool for emergency responders called to plumes of strange smoke or unknown gases. Such a device, which could instantaneously determine the type of gas and its lethality, could have be used earlier this year when the toxic chemical ricin was found in a Las Vegas motel, the pair said.

"Maybe it's Baghdad today, but tomorrow it could be Las Vegas," Murphy said.

The funding also will be used for further development with fuel cells used to power military equipment in the field.

Lynntech scientists are working to lengthen the life of batteries used on spy planes, which would keep the aircraft aloft for longer periods of time. Currently, the planes, which have a 13-foot wing span, can only fly for about two hours, which means soldiers must carry them from place to place, scientists explained.

A 12-hour battery would allow the plane to fly in formation above the troops until coordinates were entered remotely. The plane then could fly over an area in question, automatically download its data and return to formation, scientists explained.

"We can save troops' lives," Murphy said. "This technology is probably the next major breakthrough in real time intelligence."

The researchers said they also are developing rechargeable batteries that can be used in the field. Currently, soldiers must carry with them between 60 and 80 pounds of disposable batteries, which are discarded once the power is drained.

Having rechargeable units would allow troops to carry just a couple sets of batteries, giving them more room for food and other basic necessities.

"That's amazing," Edwards said as he and Lynntech scientists walked around a large table displaying each of the three projects. "The bottom line is you end up saving lives. That's what it's all about."

Brazos Valley tallies $41 million in earmarks

econnor — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:09:42 -0700

Saturday, December 29, 2007

BV tallies $41 million in earmarks

The Bryan College Station Eagle

By JANET PHELPS |Eagle Staff Writer

More than $41 million will be poured into Brazos Valley projects next year, thanks to earmarks by U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco.

President Bush criticized special project money as "wasteful government spending" when he signed the $555 billion bill Wednesday that funds the Iraq war into 2008 and keeps government agencies running through September.

The money will go to 16 projects in Brazos, Robertson, Madison and Grimes counties. The projects range from high-profile aerospace engineering and biofuel research at Texas A&M University to a small, church-based drug prevention program.

Edwards said Friday he was proud of the federal money he secured for local projects because it's an effective way to encourage local growth.

The Constitution gives Congress the power to make appropriations, he said, and earmarks allow local leaders to identify and receive funding for projects they see as important.

"I believe [locally initiated projects] make more sense than letting some bureaucrat in the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C., make decisions about what projects to fund," he said. "I would challenge anyone to criticize agricultural research at A&M or emergency response training that help make our cities safer."

A majority of the $41.6 million will go to Texas A&M, including $985,000 for biofuels research and $705,000 for aerospace engineering projects that are used by NASA for lunar and Mars exploration.

Ken Peddicord, director of Texas A&M's Texas Engineering Experiment Station, said the funding is an important step in advancing research into new energy sources.

Texas A&M's BioEnergy Alliance -- a partnership between the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Texas Engineering Experiment Station -- has developed groundbreaking research in alternative fuels such as sorghum that do not come from food sources, he said.

"This money allows the program to strike off in new directions, to move away from corn and ethanol," he said.

St. Joseph Health System also received money for repairs to its Madisonville hospital.

Gentry Woodard, director of legislative affairs and grants for the St. Joseph Health System, said employees at the 57-year-old hospital have volunteered on weekends to make repairs themselves.

Edwards said the staff dedication is one reason he allotted $117,000 to pay for repairs to the roof and emergency room upgrades.

"It was terribly important to that community," he said.

The earmarks come on top of the 2008 defense appropriations bill that was signed into law in November, in which Edwards secured $6.8 million for Texas A&M defense projects and $2.6 million for Lynntech Inc.

Other local earmarks include:

$392,000 to repave County Road 172 in northern Grimes County.

$196,000 to make improvements to Collard Street in Madisonville.

$376,000 to improve communication technology equipment at the Navasota Police Department.

$12.5 million to train emergency first responders at the National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M.

$2 million to fund research at the Nuclear Security Science and Policy Institute at Texas A&M.

$21.9 million to 23 farming, forestry and animal health research programs at Texas A&M.

$1.39 million to provide anti-terrorism training to educators and local law enforcement through the Texas Engineering Extension Service's Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training program and Texas A&M's Project Protect.

$588,000 to Brazos Valley Transportation Management Center to study local traffic solutions and plan for future growth.

$150,000 to Project Focus, a drug- and alcohol-abuse prevention program at Shiloh Baptist Church in Bryan.

Video - Security

Kat — Sun, 27 Aug 2006 21:41:17 -0700

"Security"

Select video:

"While others talk about protecting our homeland and securing our borders, Chet Edwards is doing something about it.

Chet Edwards helped write the law that added 1500 new border agents. He led the fight to build survelliance aircraft in our district to secure our borders and is leading the battle to stop nuclear weapons from being smuggled into our country.

Independent. Effective. For us.

CHET EDWARDS: "I'm Chet Edwards and I approve this message."

Video - Soldiers

Kat — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 23:15:21 -0700

"Soldiers"

Background Information

Select video:

"When some in Washington wanted to weaken the Army by slashing forty thousand soldiers, Chet Edwards stood up to them and won and kept our Army strong.

It's why the Association of the U. S. Army named Chet Edwards, "Legislator of the Year."

That's what Chet Edwards stands for.

The independence to do what's right. The experience to get things done.

Chet Edwards. Our Congressman."

CHET EDWARDS: "I'm Chet Edwards and I approve this message."