Bean Buzz April 2010
PUBLISHED: April 15, 2010
Bean Buzz
What has Melissa been up to?
o Health Care and the 8th District
o Child Safety
o Small Business and Capital
Health Care and the 8th District
After years of listening to her constituents expressing their health care concerns, Melissa voted to pass healthcare reform. The legislation was signed into law March 23rd. This bill provides health care security, affordability, and choice. The reform also reduces the federal deficit by $1.3 trillion, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. It addresses the problems of pre-existing conditions and lifetime caps, which have driven many Americans to bankruptcy.
Child Safety
Melissa is working to insure the Consumer Product Safety Commission has sufficient authority to deal with the problem of toxic metals. Overseas manufacturers are apparently using cadmium as a substitute for lead, in response to Congress' sharp restrictions on lead levels in children's products. It is unclear if the Commission has the full regulatory authority it needs to appropriately regulate cadmium and other heavy metals in toys and products intended for children.
Small Business and Capital
Melissa introduced The Express Loans Improvements Act, H.R. 4598, to increase the availability and utility of SBA Express loans, a vital source of working capital for small businesses. This proposal will help our community banks restart lending to credit-worthy businesses, while also ensuring taxpayers are protected. The act gives an established network of lenders greater loan approval responsibility with less bureaucracy and shorter approval times.
The Act has been endorsed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, Small Business Council of America, American Bankers Association, the American Small Business League, and the Independent Community Bankers of America.
Caring for Community
Northern Illinois Food Bank Named 2010 Member Food Bank of the Year
Congresswoman Melissa Bean would like to congratulate the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) for being named 2010 Member Food Bank of the Year. NIFB received national recognition with this award, which distinguishes it for being the model organization amongst its peers of 206 food banks across the country. For more information please visit http://www.northernilfoodbank.org.
Winning Women
The Winning Women Awards Program was created by Melissa to honor outstanding women of the 8th Congressional District who tirelessly work to improve their community, better the lives of others or expand the scope and mission for an organization they serve. Each woman has challenged herself, and through her commitment, efforts and leadership, has transformed lives and inspired others to make a difference in their daily lives and communities. 2010 is the fourth year of the program.
We are now accepting nominations for the 2010 Winning Women Award. For the nomination form, visit www.melissabean.com.
Community Resources
Our website www.melissabean.com lists dozens of organizations which provide community services in the 8th district. These include services to children, seniors, and veterans. If you are looking for such services or if you are considering volunteering your time to help your community, check out this section of the website.
Celebrate Earth Day on April 22nd
Earth Day is a celebration of the diversity , the fragile nature, the and beauty of our planet. On this day we are reminded of the importance of protecting our environment and of cherishing our natural resources.
The 8th District includes parts of Lake, Cook and McHenry County and contained within the district are numerous forest preserves, nature sanctuaries, waterways and wildlife areas. The citizens of the 8th District have done a great deal to restore, protect and cherish their natural resources.
To celebrate Earth Day we encourage you to join in one of the many events planned throughout the district.
For more information on local conservation initiatives and Earth Day service opportunities please visit our website.
Field Work and the 2010 Campaign
On behalf of the entire campaign team, we'd like to give a huge thank-you to all our volunteers who came to help us put together large amounts of invitations and finance letters, to those who helped us call and invite supporters to the Millrose brunch, and to those who have donated office equipment already. We can't do this without you, and every single week you're proving to us how lucky we are to have such a tremendously dedicated core of activists!
This election cycle will be one full of campaign events, and some of the most important will be house parties on Melissa's behalf. Our Winning Women Task Force, and the lovely Maureen Yates, have volunteered to host 2010's inaugural House Party for Melissa on Earth Day - April 24. Please contact Nick Meyer, our Field Director, or reply to this e-mail for details on where and when.
In addition to campaign events, there will be plenty of outreach done to voters in the District. We'll need all the help we can get in sending Melissa's message out to the public. Starting May 1st, we'll be knocking on doors and making phone calls to people in the district every week - please sign up to volunteer and help us out! To get involved, contact Field Director Nick Meyer and let him know you're interested. Very soon, all our work be done out of a brand new Field Office!
Nick's contact information:
nickmeyer@melissabean.com
Office: (847)221-3695
Cell: (202)374-9161
Fax: (847)221-3699
Events
In April, Melissa met with supporters at the Millrose Restaurant to update them on what is happening in Washington. Entertainment was provided by the acapella singing group The Frosty Boys.
As always, please don't hesitate to call or email us.
