Dear Friends,

I recently traveled to Iraq to meet with our Georgia troops serving abroad.  Many of the servicemen and women asked me to bring back an important message to our community and government here in America.  The message is simple: we are making great progress in Iraq. 

Progress in Iraq can be measured on three equally important fronts: security, democracy and society.  By all these measures, the Iraqi people have achieved tremendous success. Consider these facts:

SECURITY

• Iraq’s brutal former dictator, Saddam Hussein, is behind bars.
• Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, was eliminated by U.S. troops. 
• Iraqi Security Forces now number over 265,000, and are participating in more than 90 percent of all security operations.
• Iraqi citizens are increasingly coming forth with tips about insurgents and terrorist activities – more than 4,500 tips in March of this year alone.

DEMOCRACY

• Nouri al-Maliki serves as the democratically elected Prime Minister of Iraq, and he is supported by an elected National Assembly.
• More than 70 percent of Iraqi citizens voted to ratify a constitution.
• For the first time, women are part of the political process, holding 31 percent of the Assembly seats.

SOCIETY

• U.S. troops are helping the Iraqi people build schools, sanitation projects, and medical centers.
• The Iraqi people can now watch commercial television and read independent newspapers, signs of the growing freedom of speech. 
• Primary school enrollment has increased by nearly 3 million children.
• Iraqi medical schools are graduating 2,250 doctors a year.
• Unemployment is down dramatically, and in the past three years, Iraq’s per capita GDP has more than doubled.

Our servicemen and women are doing an outstanding job helping the Iraqi people achieve these accomplishments.  We are on a path to victory. While it is not always an easy path, it leads to a more stable Middle East, and a more secure America. Iraq is at the forefront of the global war on terror, and our resolve in this fight sends a resounding message to terrorist across the globe that freedom will always prevail.

_________________________________

Low-Income Seniors

can still enroll in

Medicare Rx coverage

Last month, Medicare announced that low-income seniors can still enroll in Medicare prescription drug coverage without penalty.  Seniors with individual assets below $11,500 ($23,000 for couples) will benefit from extra help available under Medicare Part D.  For these seniors, there is often no monthly premium and co-pays are limited to a few dollars per prescription.  Low-income seniors are saving an average of $3,700 a year with Medicare prescription drug coverage.

As the enrollment deadline has been waived for low-income seniors, those who wish to enroll can:

Ø      Call 1-800-MEDICARE (24 hours a day, 7 days a week)

Ø      Visit www.Medicare.gov

Ø      Contact Congressman Gingrey’s office: Marietta – (770) 429-1776; Rome – (706) 290-1776; Carrollton – (770) 836-8130.

 “As a physician, I know our low-income seniors are often faced with a very real decision between affording their medicine and affording other necessities like food,” said Phil.  “Medicare Part D can save them money, so I encourage low-income seniors to sign up now.”

In August, Phil will lead a group of his colleagues to our southern border, where they will examine security efforts to combat illegal immigration. The delegation will visit strategic points along the border, including the infamous “Smugglers Gulch,” and meet with border patrol, federal and local law enforcement officials, and our National Guardsmen serving on the border.

“I look forward to a thorough review of our successes and shortcomings along the border,” said Phil.  “Right now, our border is hemorrhaging, and illegal immigrants are flowing into our country every day. We have to enforce our laws and stop this activity.  I look forward to examining our border security efforts first hand.”

Earlier this month, President Bush issued the first veto of his administration to block legislation that would have used federal tax dollars to fund embryonic stem cell research.  Because this type of research destroys human embryos and therefore human life, Phil strongly supported the President’s veto. 

“Stem cell research has the potential to treat diseases and save lives,” said Phil.  “But the power of this research is diminished if we say it is okay to destroy life in the process.   H.R. 810 is morally unacceptable, and the President could not have picked a more meaningful bill on which to exercise his first veto.” 

Phil saw President Bush’s veto as a challenge, not a roadblock.

“The President’s veto challenges us to find ethical ways to advance the needs of medicine,” said Phil.  “In the case of stem cells, we have found ways to be both pro-life and pro-science.  Currently, research on adult stem cells – gathered harmlessly from human tissue and umbilical cord blood – has achieved preliminary success treating nearly 70 diseases, from leukemia to juvenile diabetes.

“Because many scientists also believe embryonic stem cells hold great potential for medicine, I support pluripotent stem cell research – research on embryonic-like cells. Scientists are currently researching ways to extract these stem cells without harming embryos.  This is a reasonable task, as nature does it all the time when an embryo harmlessly splits to create twins.

“Every day, scientists are making advances in these techniques. And it is these techniques that will lead us to the future of stem cell research – a future where science and life work hand-in-hand.”

Phil voted this month to pass H.R. 2389, the Pledge Protection Act.  This legislation prevents activist federal judges from denying citizens the right to recite the Pledge of Allegiance due to the words “Under God.” 

“Our fundamental rights and liberties are based on a higher authority, and we can not let activist judges scrub the Lord’s name from public life,” said Phil. “The House voted to give power back to the American people.”

Phil was a leading voice in this month’s debate on H.J.Res. 88, the Marriage Protection Act. This legislation provides for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. The resolution did not pass, but it gained more votes than in previous years, showing increased support for the measure.  

“We need to protect the traditional and historical definition of marriage,” said Phil.  “The American people have shown their support for this amendment, time and time again.  Our citizens want to protect the institution of marriage, and I am extremely disappointed that so many of my colleagues failed to heed the people’s call.”

Twenty states – including Georgia – have already amended their constitutions to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman. In 2004, 76% of Georgia’s voters approved a comprehensive amendment to the state Constitution. In total, 45 states have passed laws defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  

Gingrey provision against Child Pornography signed into law

“It is sickening that the penalties for downloading music are harsher than the penalties for downloading sexual images of children,” said Phil. “As a parent and grandparent, I know we must do everything possible to stop these monsters from exploiting our children over the internet.”