CHILDREN'S HEALTH: Monday marks the one-year anniversary of the death of 12-year-old Deamonte Driver of Prince George's County. His tragic death from a brain infection brought on by a tooth abscess prompted me to ensure that dental coverage for children was included in the recent State Children's Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) reauthorization bill. While S-CHIP was vetoed twice by President Bush, I continue to seek opportunities to improve awareness and coverage for children, as well as increase appropriations fro grants to states to improve access. Today, more than 100,000 children from Maryland from working families receive affordable, comprehensive health care through CHIP.

IRAQ TROOPS/FIGHTING AL QAEDA: The Senate will be voting this week on two new bills introduced by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI). One directs the President to safely redeploy US troops from Iraq, with narrow exceptions. The other bill mandates that the Secretaries of Defense, State, and Homeland Security, in coordination with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Director of National Intelligence, provide to Congress a comprehensive strategy to combat and defeat al Qaeda globally without further undermining our military readiness or homeland security. The brave men and women fighting in Iraq, many from Maryland, have our continuing respect and support. I believe that the best way to honor their sacrifices is to remove them from the midst of a civil war quickly, honorably, and safely while we implement a new, comprehensive strategy to counter the global threat posed by al Qaeda.

HOUSING CRISIS: The Senate will consider The Foreclosure Prevention Act to help middle-class American families and homeowners who are struggling to keep their homes. I am a co-sponsor of this measure, which would enable families to refinance out of their subprime loans and provide additional funding for housing counseling services ($200 million) to help those at risk of foreclosure and help more than 600,000 families modify their mortgages in bankruptcy. It also would provide block grants to communities ($4 billion) harmed by foreclosures so property values do not decline further; it would help businesses weather this economic downtown so they may continue to invest and employ workers; and it would help families avoid future foreclosures by giving them better mortgage and financing information. The housing crisis and credit crunch destroy entire communities, not just troubled homeowners. Many more Americans are expected to be affected in the near future. I hope we will be able to find bipartisan compromise on this legislation, just as we did in creating the short-term stimulus plan.

BUDGET: As a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I will participate in hearings this week to review the President's budget proposals for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). And as a member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, I'll participate in a hearing on the budget for the Small Business Administration. I will use these opportunities to question top agency leaders on the differences in priorities for key programs. I will be questioning EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson about his refusal to grant Maryland and 19 other states a waiver so we can cut dangerous greenhouse gasses emissions by requiring higher fuel efficiency standards in cars and trucks than the federal government. I'll also be prepared with questions on the validity of proposed cuts to projects important to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and the Port of Baltimore.

MEDICAL SERVICES: The Senate will finalize its work on S. 1200, Indian Health Care Act Amendments of 2007. I will be voting for a package of amendments that includes a provision to ensure that Maryland and other states receive proper reimbursement from the federal government for medical and social services provided to children and families with complex health-care needs. It would place a moratorium until April 2009 on proposed federal regulations that would limit the scope of these federal health-care reimbursements, through Medicaid and it would ensure that states receive adequate funding for services known as "targeted case management."