U.S. Rep.

Melissa Hart, R-4th, last week voted to pass the Community Protection Act, which ends the controversial "catch-and-release" policy that has allowed illegal immigrants to go free even after they have been caught by law enforcement officials.Because of previous court rulings, current law does not allow the Department of Homeland Security to deport many illegal aliens, even if they have criminal records. Current law also requires many illegal immigrants be released after six months.The Community Protection Act allows illegal aliens to be held for additional six-month periods and allows the period of detention to be renewed.Hart noted the illegal immigrant problem is not restricted to states along the southern border, citing the recent arrest of illegal immigrants in southwestern Pennsylvania."The recent arrest of illegal immigrants from a household that also had loaded guns in Beaver County should serve as a reminder to all of us — illegal immigration is not solely a problem for states along our southern border," she said, "it is a national security problem."Hart last week also voted to support the Immigration Law Enforcement Act, which reaffirms the authority of state and local law enforcement to voluntarily investigate, arrest, detain and transfer illegal immigrants to federal custody. The legislation also increases the amount of attorneys available to prosecute smugglers.———U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, plans to introduce bipartisan legislation to expand access to Medigap supplemental insurance to include all Americans.English recently announced his Medigap Access Improvement Act would "strengthen and expand the health care safety net for America's disabled.Under current law, Americans qualify for Medicare due to disability and rely on Part B coverage to access essential medical treatments. Under Medicare Part B, which provides coverage for doctor's services, outpatient hospital care and diagnostic tests among other services, there is an annual deductible of $124.00 for covered care.After the deductible, beneficiaries are required to pay a 20 percent coinsurance of the services received. Often, beneficiaries will buy supplementary coverage, known as "Medigap," through private insurers to cover these costs. In many states, Medigap open enrollment protections provided to aged beneficiaries are not extended to those who qualify for Medicare because they are disabled.Only 24 states, including Pennsylvania, mandate that Medigap be offered to those in Medicare due to disability."Faced with already high medical expenses, the 20 percent coinsurance under Part B forces disabled beneficiaries to bear the brunt of an unfair financial burden for life-saving treatments," English said.The Medigap Access Improvement Act would update the Medicare program to guarantee access to Medigap supplemental policies for disabled beneficiaries enrolled in Part B, he said.———Students in much of Butler County interested in attending the four U.S. military academies must have their applications submitted to U.S. Rep.

Phil English, R-3rd, by Oct. 27, 2006.English is accepting nomination applications for the Class of 2011, whose students will enter the academies in June 2007. Those interested in attending the U.S. Air Force, Merchant Marine, Military and Naval academies should request consideration, in writing, by Oct. 27, 2006.Applicants must be residents of the 3rd Congressional District which includes Erie County and parts of Armstrong, Butler, Crawford, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties.English said he judges applicants on a competitive basis, examining their SAT or ACT scores, class rank, grade point average, school records, letters of recommendation and the advice of his Academy Review Board, which interviews each candidate.Nominations to the academies can be made by congressmen, senators, the president or vice president.Requests must be made to English's Erie office, 208 E. Bayfront Parkway, Suite 102, Erie, PA 16507———

State Sen. Bob Robbins, R-50th, recently was endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association and the Farmers Allied for Responsive, More Effective Representation.The Pennsylvania State Troopers Association represents more than 7,500 active and retired troopers.The farmers group is the political arm of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, an organization that represents the interests of the state's agricultural community.