2005 Congressional Report
Dear Friend:
I am proud and humbled to have represented you in the United States Congress since November 2002. As the first year of the current 109th Congress (2005-2006) heads into its final months, I want to report back to you again and to ask for your continued guidance.
Our country and world continue through trying times, and the issues I address in Congress are often difficult and controversial. The most complex are our country's foreign policy, especially relating to international terrorism and the Iraq and Afghan wars, and the continued deterioration of our federal budget. But they range through all our nation's and world's concerns, from taxes, jobs and Social Security/Medicare, to healthcare, homeland security, veterans, seniors, poverty, our global environment and relations with other countries, and much more.
And in our Hawaii we face special challenges on traffic, housing, gas prices, drugs, education, invasive species and much more as well.
My job is to combine your guidance with my knowledge and experience and the resources of my Congressional office to provide you with the best possible representation in our federal government. This means (1) making the best possible decisions on national and international issues, (2) making sure that our federal government is doing all it can to help us with our state and community concerns, and (3) helping you with your individual needs.
To do all this, I need to keep in constant touch with you and bring my office to your doorstep. That's why I've personally done 36 Talk Story community meetings this year throughout our Hawaii (to go with the 79 I did in 2003-2004), and why I've scheduled 16 more Talk Stories with you this October (see schedule inside.) In 2005 I've also answered almost 40,000 communications from you, met with thousands of you at community events and my Hawaii and D.C. offices, helped over 1,000 of you with individual concerns, sent a regular email newsletter/survey to thousands, and hosted a monthly public access television report.
Still, the opportunities and challenges of representing you in Congress never cease. In this newsletter I summarize just some of my efforts this year, and answer some most frequently asked questions. I also ask for your response to my survey, highlight my great staff, and invite you to sign up for my email newsletter. Finally, I summarize the new and confusing Medicare prescription drug benefit scheduled to start next January 1st, provide my upcoming Talk Story schedule, and tell you how you can get in touch.
Mahalo for reading my 2005 Congressional Report. It is a deep honor and privilege to represent you in our Congress, and I truly look forward to seeing and hearing from you soon!
With aloha,
Ed Case
United States Congressman
Hawaii, Second Congressional District
http://wwwc.house.gov/case/newsletters/2005/2005%20Congressional%20Report.pdf