The Black Policy Wire

Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick Issues Statement about Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi's Decision Regarding Chairmanship of the House Intelligence

2006-11-29T06:42:00.000-08:00

Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (13th District, Michigan) released the following statement today after hearing that Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi was not selecting Congressman Alcee Hastings to serve as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee:

"I support my friend and colleague Alcee Hastings. He is an effective, intelligent, and hard working public servant. He is committed to protecting our national security.

The Congressman has a wealth of experience and has shared his knowledge to keep America safe. Congressman Hastings has been an effective Member of the House Intelligence Committee for the past seven years. I sincerely hope he will be reappointed to the Intelligence Committee.

I respect the decision of Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi. I will support the new Chairperson of the House Intelligence Committee."

AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO FAMILIES FACE HIGH RATES OF HARDSHIP

2006-11-29T06:20:00.000-08:00

A range of measures suggest that many black and Latino families face hardship of some type. Between one-fourth and one-third of families with children headed by blacks or by Latino citizens experience overcrowded living conditions, difficulties paying for food, or lack of needed medical care. Hardship rates rise further — to as many as half of black families with children — when additional types of hardship are considered.

These findings come from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which will be terminated this year unless Congress provides additional funding in the fiscal year 2007 appropriations bill that provides funding for the Bureau.

Between one-fourth and one-third of black African American families with children (28 percent) experienced at least one of three hardships — overcrowded housing, hunger or the risk of hunger (termed “food insecurity” by the government), or lack of needed medical care — in the 12 months before the survey was conducted in summer 2003.

Well-Being of Black Middle Class Affected by Ties to Poor Siblings

2006-11-28T14:12:00.000-08:00

Blacks teetering at the lower end of the middle-class spectrum are two and a half times as likely to have a low-income sibling as whites in the same socioeconomic bracket, the study shows. They also are four times as likely to have been poor when they were young, suggesting the relatively recent rise of many blacks to middle-class status.“Basically the study shows that blacks in the lower middle class are much less likely to have kin to call on when an occasion arises in which they need, say, quick cash for a hospital bill or to fix a car,” says Northwestern's Mary Pattillo, chair and professor of sociology at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and co-investigator of the study. “And they are much more likely to have kin calling upon them for financial and other assistance.” The study, “Poverty in the Family: Race, Siblings and Socioeconomic Heterogenity,” by Pattillo and Colleen Heflin, University of Kentucky, will be published in the December issue of Social Science Research.

Hastings Appeals to Caucus for Support

2006-11-23T21:48:00.000-08:00

Text of an open letter found at Politcal Insider from Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) to his House colleagues in an attempt to become Chairman of the House Intellgence Committee. The entire text appears at PoliticalInsider.com.

Because I know you and because many of you are mindful of my 14 years in Congress, and in order not to stoke a simmering fire which had the potential to adversely affect Democrats in the '06 election, I elected not to participate in the "discussion" about whether I should be appointed Chair of the HPSCI.

The noise and misleading, poorly informed, misinformed, and sometimes venomous attacks on my integrity and character by pundits, politicians, and editors screaming the word impeachment (ignoring a Not Guilty verdict in a court of law) in a frenetic attempt to justify denying me a position I have certainly earned and am completely competent to perform requires now that I set the record straight.

Colleagues, some of the things I write you may be familiar with. Some you may not know. It is all meant to edify you so that you have the best information possible in case you are asked about me or read about me in the paper or online.

CA - Racial report critical of bill vetoes

2006-11-16T11:51:00.000-08:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger gets a D and the state Legislature a C-minus when it comes to supporting bills that bridge California's racial divide, according to a report card put out by an advocacy group Tuesday.

Despite the governor's pledge to represent all Californians, authors of the 2006 racial equity report card gave him poor marks for vetoing bills to provide universal health insurance and allow separate textbooks for English learners. The Governor's Office called the report flawed.

The report card called "Facing Race" was compiled by the Applied Research Center, a privately funded public policy institute headquartered in Oakland. The governor and the Legislature were graded on 20 bills addressing racial inequities in education, economic justice, health and civil rights.

GA - Congressman David Scott Applauds New Commuter Rail

2006-11-16T11:46:00.000-08:00

“I applaud the Norfolk Southern Rail Company and the Georgia DOT for their recent agreement to proceed with a very important commuter rail line from Atlanta to Macon – with the first phase being the Atlanta to Lovejoy line in south Clayton County,” said Congressman Scott. “This represents an extraordinary partnership between the U.S. Congress, Georgia Legislature, Governor Sonny Perdue, GDOT, Clayton County government and Norfolk Southern. This will certainly offer a badly needed means of alternative transportation for traffic congestion, especially in the fast-growing South Metro area.”

IL - Obama gets new committee assignments

2006-11-15T11:43:00.000-08:00

While Senator Barack Obama considers whether he should run for the White House in 2008 and possibly become the nation's first black president, he is getting more assignments to keep him busy on Capitol Hill. In the upcoming 110th Congress, where Democrats will control both the House and the Senate, the Chicago Democrat will have his duties spread among four committees, instead of on three, as he has had in the 109th Congress.

He will continue on Foreign Relations and Veterans' Affairs. He will lose his seat on Environment and Public Works. But he will pick up Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, plus Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Obama says keeping the American people safe should always be our top priority. He pledges to work to secure the nation's chemical plants and to implement the 9-11 Commission's recommendations.

TX - Congresswoman Johnson Announces $75 Million Contract Through VA for Gulf War Veterans' Illness Research

2006-11-15T11:38:00.000-08:00

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson announced that the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas has been awarded a $75 million contract through the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) for Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses research.

The objective of the contract award is to ultimately improve the health of Gulf War Veterans that are ill due to their service. Under the contract, UT Southwestern Medical Center, in collaboration with a VA Medical Center, shall conduct and manage Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses research projects in order to answer central questions on the nature, causes and treatments of Gulf War Veterans’ illnesses.

MD - Congressman Wynn Puts Pressure on Egypt to Mediate Crisis in Darfur

2006-11-14T11:50:00.000-08:00

Congressman Wynn met with Ambassador Wafaa Baseem, Assistant Foreign Minister of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Congressman Wynn pressed the Ambassador about Egypt’s role as a strategic force in the region and the nation’s potential to mitigate the genocide in Darfur. Wynn said, “The US needs cooperation from Egypt to press Sudan to accept a United Nations force or devise a viable compromise.” Egypt, which shares a border with Sudan and has a strategic interest in its neighbor’s stability, indicates it is committed to bringing peace to all Sudanese people. However, Egypt will not support a UN force against the will of the Sudanese government, which rejected efforts to replace the African Union’s 7,000 troops with 20,000 UN peacekeepers. Sudan claims a UN force is a threat to their sovereignty.

Il - U.S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush to host One Stop Utility Assistance Day for Chicago residents

2006-11-14T11:45:00.000-08:00

Congressman Bobby L. Rush and various city and utility representatives will be present to provide important information to Chicago residents on how to apply for various utility grants to both pay for current bills and/or get service turned back on, get info on pending CEDA applications and learn how to apply for services through the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.

DC - Norton Says D.C. House Vote Not in Doubt

2006-11-10T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said that the Congresswoman today had confirmed continuing support of the new House Democratic leadership for the pending D.C. House vote bill. Leader Nancy Pelosi is a cosponsor. Unfortunately, the Judiciary Committee required preliminary action by the newly elected Utah legislature, which has not met or acted yet, putting at risk the passage that Norton is pressing during the lame duck session that begins Monday. If time runs out, the D.C.-Utah bill will be reintroduced in the new Congress.

FL - Congresswoman Brown Sets 110th Congress Orlando Area Agenda

2006-11-09T11:31:00.000-08:00

“As a Chairman of a Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee, I bring an ambitious agenda to the 110th Congress, which includes: reauthorizing the Federal Aviation Administration, passing the Water Resources Development Act, working to improve the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and implementing and improving security on all forms of transportation, including ports, rails, transit systems, and public buildings. We will also reauthorize Amtrak with a budget that allows them to run an efficient and effective passenger rail system."

CA - U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters Files Petition With FCC Challenging Tribune Company’s Request to Make Its Cross-Ownership Permanent

2006-11-02T11:48:00.000-08:00

U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35) filed a petition yesterday afternoon asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the Tribune Company’s request for a waiver of the cross-ownership rule and its request to renew the broadcast license for KTLA-TV (Channel 5). The cross-ownership rule was put in place, in part, to prevent the domination of local media markets by major corporations. In the Los Angeles Designated Media Area (DMA), which is second only to New York City, the Tribune Company owns both KTLA-TV and the Los Angeles Times. By its own calculations, the Tribune Company has the ability to influence the news and information received by 52 percent of the 12.8 million people that officially comprise the Los Angeles DMA.

Africa (Libya) - Libya To Buy $100 Laptops for Kids

2006-10-11T17:04:00.000-07:00

We put this in the policy section because we're convinced that this is good policy. And of all places (other than here in the United States) to do it: Libya. Why can't it happen in the U.S.? Thought no child was getting left behind?

The government of Libya has reached an agreement with an American nonprofit group to provide inexpensive laptop computers for all of the nation's 1.2 million schoolchildren, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

With the project scheduled to be completed by June 2008, Libya could become the first nation in which all school-age children are connected to the Internet through educational computers, Nicholas Negroponte, chairman of the One Laptop per Child project, told the newspaper. The $250 million deal, reached Tuesday, would provide the nation with 1.2 million computers, a server in each school, a team of technical advisers, satellite Internet service and other infrastructure.

The One Laptop per Child project, which has the support of the United Nations Development Program, aims to provide laptops to school-aged children worldwide -- for about $100 each. It has reached tentative purchase agreements with Argentina, Brazil, Nigeria and Thailand.

GA - McKinney Challenges "Diebold Democracy" ...

2006-09-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Rep. Cynthia McKinney (GA-4^th ) holds a press conference on Saturday, September 30th at the Omega Center, 3951 Snapfinger Parkway in the Lower Level Break Room, Decatur, Georgia to address concerns about the disfranchisement of voters through the use of inaccurate and unverifiable voting machines in recent national and local elections.

In the award-winning film "American Blackout" several experts testify to current efforts to discourage and disfranchise African-American voters who won their right to vote during the civil rights struggles of the last century, as well as manipulation of the primaries and elections in predominantly African-American DeKalb County. “Without a clear paper trail or use of paper ballots, there is no way to verify electoral results, and many ways to compromise them,” McKinney said. Experts will demonstrate the use of a variety of verifiable voting machines and discuss the vulnerability of those currently being used to hacking and other manipulation, and their lack of verification to certify for election results.

Speakers include: Roger Perez, CEO of *IBS*, who will demonstrate their voting machine; Donzella James, Former Georgia State Senator, candidate 13th District; Bev Harris, founder of Black Box Voting; Abbe DeLozier, co-author of "HACKED! High Tech Election Theft in America"; Garland Favorito, plaintiff in suit against electronic voting machines; Karon Fitzpatrick, DeKalb NAACP; Lithonia Middle School PTA *Richard Searcy*, a freelance reporter; Mike Raffauf, attorney

CA - Gov. Signs Dymally's Groundbreaking Family Law Bill

2006-09-29T08:15:00.000-07:00

Assemblymember Mervyn M. Dymally (D-Compton) announced today that California Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar signed AB 402, the Collaborative Family Act, a groundbreaking new law that establishes procedures related to proceedings for the dissolution of marriage, nullity of marriage, and legal separation.

AB 402 will allow the parties to those proceedings, by written agreement, to utilize a collaborative law process, rather than an adversarial judicial proceeding to resolve those disputes. The bill requires a court to issue a statement explaining the factual and legal basis for its custody decisions upon the trial of a question of fact in a proceeding to determine the custody of a minor, upon the request of either party.

“The very nature of divorce puts added strain on all parties, especially the children of the marriage,” commented Dymally. “The goal of this bill is to reach an agreement between the two parties without resorting to an adversarial posture and sparing all involved a lengthy litigation process.”

Lee Bill Will Stop Millions in Federal Contracts from Going to Companies that Support Darfur Genocide

2006-09-28T11:40:00.000-07:00

"More than $600 million in federal contracts has gone to international companies whose business in Sudan may directly or indirectly support the Sudanese government’s campaign of genocide in Darfur, according to members of Congress who want to put an end to the practice.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) and other members of Congress held a press conference on Capitol Hill today to announce the introduction of legislation that would bar international companies whose business in Sudan directly or indirectly supports the genocide in Darfur from receiving tax payer funded federal contracts at a press conference on Capitol Hill today.

“No one should have to worry that their tax dollars are supporting genocide,” said Lee. “This bill is designed to wash the blood off of our federal contracts, protect the rights of states to divest their own public pension funds from companies doing business in Sudan and increase the financial pressure on Khartoum to end the genocide in Darfur.”"

H.R. 5680 - Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy, and Human Rights Advancement Act of 2006

2006-09-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

H.R.5680

Title: To encourage and facilitate the consolidation of security, human rights, democracy, and economic freedom in Ethiopia.

Sponsor: Rep Smith, Christopher H. [NJ-4] (introduced 6/26/2006) Cosponsors (26)

Latest Major Action: 6/27/2006 House committee/subcommittee actions.

Status: Committee Agreed to Seek Consideration Under Suspension of the Rules, by Unanimous Consent.

H.R. 4844 - House Passes Voter ID Bill

2006-09-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

H.R.4844

Title: To amend the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 to require any individual who desires to register or re-register to vote in an election for Federal office to provide the appropriate State election official with proof that the individual is a citizen of the United States to prevent fraud in Federal elections, and for other purposes.

Sponsor: Rep Hyde, Henry J. [IL-6] (introduced 3/2/2006)

Cosponsors (11) Related Bills: H.RES.1015

Latest Major Action: 9/19/2006 Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 1015 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 4844 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Bill is closed to amendments. The amendment in the nature of a substitute recommended by the Committee on House Administration now printed in the bill shall be considered as adopted. House Reports: 109-666

CT - Congresswoman Waters & The Hype on Blogging ...

2006-08-11T14:27:00.000-07:00

This recent, rather intriguing article in the New Haven Independent stirs a little, makes you also pause a little:

The politician was charismatic California Congresswoman Maxine Waters. She visited Connecticut three times in recent weeks to shepherd Ned Lamont through urban black neighborhoods to build support for his ultimately successful challenge to three-term Sen. Lieberman.Waters walked in on the celebration and manic keyboard-clicking going on in the "blogger" room at the Sheraton, a room separate from the more sedate, supposedly neutral "media" room for mainstream press reporters. A cottage industry of local Connecticut and national liberal bloggers sprang up around the Lamont campaign. It built the early support, helped frame the message, elicited thousands of volunteers and donors, and dogged Lieberman's every step.Upon Waters' approach, the blog room erupted in cheers. Then a hush spread among the bloggers, excepting for the clicks of digital cameras."Do you know what you have done?" Waters asked them. "You have upset the status quo, for real. You have given me faith that change is possible."Her parting message: "Keep on blogging! You're gonna change the world!"

We are happy to see that Waters has caught up, so to speak, with a fresh new website and outlook on digital life. We got worried there for a second and hope that this will encourage her staff to keep their political storefront updated on the regular. An inactive website does nothing but reflect an inactive representative and advocate ...

On blogging: yeah, we heard, it's all the rave. Everybody and their cousin is into it. That's all good, cause it makes the world a little smaller and transcends those bitter racial, social, and economic lines. It also gives everyone a voice to which an elected official should be held accountable. To some degree, it's very encouraging to see all these cats blogging. But, to a certain degree, we're a bit cautious about it (even though we do it, too). Will old fashion, eye-to-eye, in-your-face, trust-factor campaigning get replaced by a distant, removed and remote control political machine? There is the danger of some bizarre twist to this, as though blogging may evolve into something we might regret. You now have a situation where some fast-typing, blog-happy, lap-top-potato jock and his/her band of blogging misfits will determine from afar who is the best representative for a district, state, city or county that they don't live in.

And, there's still that impression that blogging - like the modern American political landscape - is still grossly dominated by the two partisan juggernauts and their usual ideological pimp show. It's bad enough the body politic is already distant, removed and remotely controlling.

Congressional Black Caucus Roundup

2006-06-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Congressional Black Caucus Roundup for the week of June 25

Illinois Senator Barack Obama voted no on the proposed constitutional amendment to prohibit flag desercration. Following is the Senator's floor remarks about the amendment:

"I cannot imagine anything more abhorrent to a veteran than seeing the flag they fought for being burned to make a political point. I too have great pride in our flag. I share outrage at the thought of it being disrespected. And though I have never seen anyone burn a flag, if I did, it would take every ounce of restraint I had not to haul off and hit them.

"But we live in a country of laws. Laws are what stop people from resorting to physical violence to settle disagreements, and laws are what protect free speech. And when I became a Senator, I swore an oath to protect the Constitution. Under that oath, my first allegiance is not to a political party, or to an ideology, or to a president, or even to popular opinion, but to the Constitution and to the rule of law.

"The Framers made it difficult to amend the Constitution because our founding document should not be changed just because of political concerns or temporary problems. And even the strongest supporters of this amendment are hard-pressed to find more than a few instances of flag burning each year. Those problems were left to be solved through legislation, and I support legislation introduced by Senator Durbin that makes it illegal to burn the flag without changing the Constitution. The Constitution has only been amended 27 times. These amendments include guarantees of our most basic freedoms, the freedom of religion, the right to a trial by jury, the protection against cruel punishment.

"Today, there are hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops risking their lives for their country, looking to us to come up with a plan to win the peace so they can come home. Across America, there are millions who are looking for us to do something about health care, about education, about energy. The Senate will likely be in session for about 50 more days for the rest of this year. To spend the precious time we have left battling an epidemic of flag burning that does not exist is a disservice to our country.

"As Richard Savage of Bloomington, Illinois wrote to me, "I am a Vietnam veteran and Republican. . . . Those who would burn the flag destroy the symbol of freedom, but amending the Constitution would destroy part of freedom itself." Mr. Savage is right, which is why I will vote against this amendment. Senator Durbin's amendment is a way forward to balance our respect for the flag with reverence for the Constitution."

David Scott (D-GA) took to the House floor to argue against an amendment that would have stopped funds from being used to implement parts of the Section 203 in the Voting Rights Amendment. The Congressman's remarks follow:

Mr. Chairman, this is a very shameful amendment, and I will tell you why it is shameful.

Here we are on the eve of the 4th of July at the very foundation of this country when those noble words were spoken by Thomas Jefferson, ``We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among those, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,'' and the most important guarantee of that pursuit of happiness is the right to vote.

Not long ago, many of my colleagues on that side of the aisle stuck their finger in purple ink and proudly went around and promoted it because the Iraqis had the freedom to go and vote. There was a private first class named Private First Class Rincon from my district in Conyers, Georgia, who gave his life and died for that right, and he was not even a United States citizen. This House had to approve his citizenship posthumously.

Now we want to pass an amendment that would give just a little bit of help to his wife, to his mother, to his grandmother, who have difficulty with the English language.

This is a terrible moment at a terrible time, when we should be speaking to the greatness of this country, to the right to vote, to cherish it. Here we are on the eve of the 4th of July being what was referred to 40 years ago in the bestseller, being the Ugly American.

Let us prove that we are the good American and vote down this ``Ugly American'' amendment.

Also on the case for the Voting Rights Amendment was Congressman Scott's Georgia colleague John Lewis.

Speaking on the same amendment, Congressman Lewis gave some history about the need for the funds and preceded to talk about why the dollars are still needed. His remarks are below:

There are some mistaken ideas about Section 203 of the VRA. It does not offer voting assistance to illegal or non-naturalized immigrants. It refers only to U.S. citizens who may not speak English fluently enough to comprehend some of the complex ballot initiatives that are often a part of the voting environment today. More than 70% of the citizens who use the language assistance provision of the VRA are born in the United States and include not only Latino citizens, but Alaskan natives, American Indians and Asian Americans.

“The Stearns Amendment is a modern-day literacy test,” said Rep. Lewis. “It is a back-door attempt, through the appropriations process, to cripple federal enforcement of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. We must decide as a nation whether we want to live in a truly democratic society, or whether we want to reserve democracy for a privileged few. Are we suggesting, through the Stearns Amendment, that Native Americans, the only original citizens of this land, should not have the language assistance they may need to participate in the democratic process? That is not right, that is not fair, that is not just.”

Language assistance is vital to the equal representation of Native Americans. In Apache County, Arizona, DOJ enforcement of the language assistance provisions of the Voting Rights Act resulted in a 26 percent increase in Native American voter turnout, and it allows Native veterans who have defended democracy abroad, Navajo Code talkers who aided American intelligence efforts in World War II, as well as elderly tax-paying Native American citizens to participate knowledgeably in the electoral process.

The provision of Chinese language ballots in New York City helped more than 100,000 Asian-American citizens vote in recent elections. Even though the city is home to the largest Asian-American community in the country, they had never been able to elect an Asian American to a major elected post. Finally, due to DOJ language assistance support mandated by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, John Lui was elected to the City Council in 2001. These are just a few examples of the powerful benefit of the language assistance portions of the VRA. Rep. Lewis encourages his colleagues to vote NO on the Stearns Amendment.

On another topic Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) teamed up with fellow Californian Henry Waxman (D-CA) to atttach an amendment to a funding bill on the issue of public health in trade policy. Ms. Lee's comments are below:

“If the only formal advisors for our trade representative are representatives from the pharmaceutical industry, the policy will be biased toward industry and will overlook serious public health concerns,” said Lee. “This amendment will help make sure that our trade policy is both fair and balanced by ensuring that it is informed by advice from public health experts.”

Lee and Waxman’s amendment will block the use of Science-State-Justice-Commerce funds for Industry Trade Advisory Committees (ITACs) 3 and 15, which advise the U.S. Trade Representative on pharmaceutical and intellectual property negotiations, unless their membership is “fairly balanced” as required by the Federal Advisory Committee Act.

“The status quo is unacceptable," said Waxman. “The longer the USTR delays adding public health representatives to these panels, the more we need to be concerned about biased advice that is resulting in controversial trade policies.”

In December 2005, the Administration acknowledged the need for more diverse input on these issues. The International Trade Administration issued a Federal Register notice seeking nominations for public health and community health representatives to serve on ITACs 3 and 15. However, more than six months have passed, and despite receiving a number of applications and congressional inquiries, no appointments have been made.

According to Waxman and Lee, recent free trade agreements have reflected the influence of the pharmaceutical industry at the expense of public health concerns. The FTAs have extended patent terms and delayed generic competition - moves that increase profits for drug companies, but make it more difficult for governments to respond in the case of a public health crisis.

For example, Thailand has initiated a program of universal access to government-subsidized antiretroviral drugs that now reaches 70,000 of 170,000 Thai people living with HIV/AIDS. There is strong concern, however, that the future costs of expanding treatment with newer patented medicines will be prohibitive if provisions included in recent FTAs are included in the pending trade deal with Thailand.

Dems Iraq Proposals Come Up Short

2006-06-22T10:50:00.000-07:00

Earlier today the United States Senate voted on two competing Democratic proposals on the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq.

Senators Carl Levin (D-MI) and John Kerry (D-MA) offered two options on the withdrawal of troops. The Levin plan, co-sponsored by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), was a nonbinding resolution that encouraged the President to begin pulling troops out of Iraq this year but did not set a specific date.

The Levin plan garnered more support than the Kerry plan, including the vote of Illinois Senator Barack Obama, but was defeated 60-39. Only six Democrats voted against the plan and one Republican voted for the it (Senator Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island who is locked in a bitter reelection campaign).

As lopsided as that vote was Mr. Kerry would have taken it. The Democratic nominee for President in 2004 saw his proposal, which required immediate redeployment of American troops from Iraq and with most gone July 1, 2007, was beaten soundly 86-13. 31 Democrats voted against the Kerry Plan, which was co-sponsored by Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI), including Senator Obama.

The measures were debated on the Senate floor yesterday and the comments of Senator Obama, the reason for his support and co-sponsorship of the Levin plan and his opposition to the Kerry plan, are included below:

"Mr. President, in October of 2002, I delivered a speech opposing the War in Iraq.

I said that Saddam Hussein was a ruthless man, but that he posed no imminent and direct threat to the United States.

I said that a war in Iraq would take our focus away from our efforts to defeat al-Qaeda.

And, with a volatile mix of ethnic groups and a complicated history, I said that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would require a U.S. occupation of undetermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences.

In short, I felt the decision unfolding then to invade Iraq was being made without a clear rationale, based more on ideology and politics than fact and reason.

It is with no great pleasure that I recall this now. Too many young men and women have died. Too many have been maimed. Too many hearts have been broken. I fervently wish I had been wrong about this war; that my concerns had been unfounded.

America and the American people have paid a high price for the decision to invade Iraq and myriad mistakes that followed. I believe that history will not judge the authors of this war kindly.

For all these reasons, I would like nothing more than to support the Kerry Amendment; to bring our brave troops home on a date certain, and spare the American people more pain, suffering and sorrow.

But having visited Iraq, I'm also acutely aware that a precipitous withdrawal of our troops, driven by Congressional edict rather than the realities on the ground, will not undo the mistakes made by this Administration. It could compound them.

It could compound them by plunging Iraq into an even deeper and, perhaps, irreparable crisis.

We must exit Iraq, but not in a way that leaves behind a security vacuum filled with terrorism, chaos, ethnic cleansing and genocide that could engulf large swaths of the Middle East and endanger America. We have both moral and national security reasons to manage our exit in a responsible way.

I share many of the goals set forth in the Kerry Amendment. We should send a clear message to the Iraqis that we won't be there forever, and that by next year our primary role should be to conduct counter-insurgency actions, train Iraqi security forces, and provide needed logistical support.

Moreover, I share the frustration with an Administration whose policies with respect to Iraq seem to simply repeat the simple-minded refrains of "we know best" and "stay the course." It's not acceptable to conduct a war where our goals and strategies drift aimlessly regardless of the cost in lives or dollars spent, and where we end up with arbitrary, poll-driven troop reductions by the Administration - the worst of all possible outcomes.

As one who strongly opposed the decision to go to war and who has met with servicemen and women injured in this conflict and seen the pain of the parents and loved ones of those who have died in Iraq, I would like nothing more than for our military involvement to end.

But I do not believe that setting a date certain for the total withdrawal of U.S. troops is the best approach to achieving, in a methodical and responsible way, the three basic goals that should drive our Iraq policy: that is, 1) stabilizing Iraq and giving the factions within Iraq the space they need to forge a political settlement; 2) containing and ultimately defeating the insurgency in Iraq; and 3) bringing our troops safely home.

What is needed is a blueprint for an expeditious yet responsible exit from Iraq. A hard and fast, arbitrary deadline for withdrawal offers our commanders in the field, and our diplomats in the region, insufficient flexibility to implement that strategy.

For example, let's say that a phased withdrawal results in fifty thousand troops in Iraq by July 19, 2007. If, at that point, our generals and the Iraqi government tell us that having those troops in Iraq for an additional three or six months would enhance stability and security in the region, this amendment would potentially prevent us from pursuing the optimal policy.

It is for this reason that I cannot support the Kerry Amendment. Instead, I am a cosponsor of the Levin amendment, which gives us the best opportunity to find this balance between our need to begin a phase-down and our need to help stabilize Iraq. It tells the Iraqis that we won't be there forever so that they need to move forward on uniting and securing their country. I agree with Senator Warner that the message should be "we really mean business, Iraqis, get on with it." At the same time, the amendment also provides the Iraqis the time and the opportunity to accomplish this critical goal.

Essential to a successful policy is the Administration listening to its generals and diplomats and members of Congress - especially those who disagree with their policies and believe it is time to start bringing our troops home.

The overwhelming majority of the Senate is already on record voting for an amendment stating that calendar year 2006 should be a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty, with Iraqi security forces taking the lead for the security, creating the conditions for the phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq. The Levin Amendment builds on this approach.

The White House should follow this principle as well. Visiting Iraq for a few hours cannot resuscitate or justify a failed policy. No amount of spin or photo opportunities can change the bottom line: this war has been poorly conceived and poorly managed by the White House, and that is why it has been so poorly received by the American people..

And it's troubling to already see Karl Rove in New Hampshire, treating this as a political attack opportunity instead of a major national challenge around which to rally the country.

There are no easy answers to this war. I understand that many Americans want to see our troops come home. The chaos, violence, and horrors in Iraq are gut-wrenching reminders of what our men and women in uniform, some just months out of high school, must confront on a daily basis. They are doing this heroically, they are doing this selflessly, and more than 2,500 of them have now made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

Not one of us wants to see our servicemen and women in harm's way a day longer than they have to be. And that's why we must find the most responsible way to bring them home as quickly as possible, while still leaving the foundation of a secure Iraq that will not endanger the free world. "

Renewal of Voting Rights Act on Hold

2006-06-21T14:07:00.000-07:00

The idea was to pass it a year early and use it as campaign fodder on both sides of the political divide. However, the attempt to renew the portions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 that expire next year was put on hold today by House Republican Leadership after they received pressure to delay the vote.

Republican members from the south who said that southern states should no longer be targeted in the act argued, in a private caucus meeting Wednesday morning, that until those provisions were removed they would continue to voice their opposition.

The bill, scheduled for a vote today, has bipartisan support and passed the House Judiciary committee 33 -1. In that spirit GOP leadership maintained support saying they expected to renew it "as soon as possible."

Democrats who have been pushing for a renewal vote (especially Congressional Black Caucus members) expressed disappointment in the delay. Rep. David Scott (D-GA) expressed displeasure at the delay:

I"am extremely disappointed with the move today by Republican leaders to hastily and shamefully deny a scheduled vote to consider reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, one of the most important pieces of legislation ever enacted by Congress. The Act along with its special provisions has proven tremendously successful at expanding and protecting the opportunity for participation in the political process for all Americans and is still very much needed. Members of both parties worked extensively to create sound legislation supported by both Democrats and Republicans.”

The delay wrecks havoc with the bill's schedule. The Senate Judiciary Committee was expected to hear an identical bill next week but that is now in question. Chairman of the committee Sen. Arlen Spector (R-PA) says "[t]here's less pressure to do it if the House is not doing it..."

Other members of the Congressional Black Caucus also commented on the withdrawal:

Mel Watt (D-NC) Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus:

“We are extremely disappointed that the Voting Rights Act was pulled from today’s legislative calendar. We have worked extremely hard over a number of months to reach bipartisan and bicameral agreement on this legislation and had reason to believe it would be considered expeditiously. The Voting Rights Act has always had strong support from Democrats and Republicans alike. We fear that pulling the bill could send the wrong message about whether the bill enjoys broad bipartisan support and that delaying consideration until after the July 4 recess could give those with partisan intensions space and time to politicize the issue.”

Artur Davis (D-AL):

“I am disappointed that for the second time, the Voting Rights Act has been pulled off the House agenda. The VRA has protected black and white southerners from election abuses for over 40 years, and we Alabamians should be thankful for it. While the statute is complicated, it has worked and Congress should resist schemes to weaken it or to make it impossible to administer. I hope that my Alabama colleagues in the House and Senate who have been on the other side of this issue will re-think their position.”

Barbara Lee (D-CA):

“The Voting Rights Act has been a critical tool in helping fight discrimination in voting and ensuring the proper functioning of our democracy and I can’t understand why anyone would oppose this bipartisan bill,” said Lee. “I hope the Republican leadership can sort out their problems with this so that we can act quickly to pass this critical legislation.”
The bipartisan bill, the Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006 (H.R. 9), reauthorizes for 25 years key provisions of the Voting Rights Act that are set to expire in 2007. It was originally put on the suspension calendar, which expedites votes for measures considered to be uncontroversial.

More on House Resolution 861

2006-06-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) didn't just sit and listen to the two day debate on House Resolution 861. A yes vote on HR 861 backed the President's action in Iraq "declaring that the US will prevail in the global war on terror...".

Following are the links to what some of the CBC members had to offer during the debate and after:

Artur Davis (D-AL) http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/al07_davis/iraqvote06061606.html

David Scott (D-GA) http://davidscott.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=45053

Barbara Lee (D-CA) http://lee.house.gov/index.cfm?ContentID=789&ParentID=0&SectionID=4&SectionTree=4&lnk=b&ItemID=784

Kendrick Meek (D-FL) http://kendrickmeek.house.gov/press/2006.06.16.shtml

Albert Wynn (D-MD) http://www.wynn.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=11971&type=Hot%20Topics

William Clay (D-MO) http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/mo01_clay/Iraqdebate.html

CBC votes on the Iraq Resolution

2006-06-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 861. The Resolution, hotly debated over two days, backed President Bush's current course of action in Iraq. HR 861 passed with 256 yes votes and 153 no votes. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) voted nearly unanimously against the resolution. The votes of the CBC follows:

Yes - 2

Bishop
Thompson

No - 36

Brown
Butterfield
Carson
Clay
Clyburn
Conyers
Cummings
D. Davis
A. Davis
Fattah
Ford
Green
Hastings
Jackson
Jackson-Lee
Jefferson
Johnson
Jones
Lee
Lewis
McKinney
Meek
Meeks
Millender-McDonald
Moore
Owens
Payne
Rangel
Rush
D. Scott
R. Scott
Towns
Waters
Watson
Watt
Wynn

Not Voting - 2

Cleaver
Kilpatrick

Dems Vote to Oust Jefferson

2006-06-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

In an unprecedented move today House Democrats voted, by a margin of 2 to 1, to remove Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) from his seat on the House Ways and Means committee because of an ongoing FBI bribery investigation.

The vote, done behind closed doors, apparently was not popular with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) who question why the same has not been done with Rep.
Alan Mollohan (D-WV) who is also under investigation, but has been allowed to keep his seat on the equally powerful Appropriations Committee. Congressman Mollohan is white.

Despite the double standard alleged by the CBC, House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) looking to score political points and continue her drumbeat that the GOP is engaged in a "culture of corruption" bulled ahead with the full caucus vote. Several weeks ago Ms. Pelosi asked Mr. Jefferson to step aside, he refused thus setting up this course of action.

Now that the full Democrat caucus has vote to remove Cong. Jefferson, the full House of Representatives must vote on the caucus recommendation.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee Calls for Funds from FEMA

2006-06-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

In the hours, days and weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit the City of New Orleans, tens of thousands of evacuees headed for the city of Houston, Texas. With very little financial assistance from the federal government the city absorbed the cost of the new citizens.

Those cost have increased and the federal government has yet to respond. That continued lack of assistance moved Houston's Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee to request financial assistance. Saying the administration's response has been "marked by failure, incompetence and cyronism..." the Congresswomen took to the House floor Tuesday to ask for the appropriate financial support "...in a timely manner."

The press release issued on the request by Jackson Lee's office follows:

CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE SEEKS REIMBURSEMENTS FROM FEMA TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON REGARDING HURRICANE KATRINA Washington, DC -

Last Thursday House and Senate Conferees finalized an agreement on a long-sought $94.5 billion bill to pay for the war in Iraq and deliver a much-needed infusion of relief to hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast states.

"More than nine months after Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster in our nation's history, struck the Gulf Coast, many needs of Katrina survivors still go unmet. Over the last nine months, the Republican response to the Katrina aftermath has been marked by failure, incompetence and cronyism," commented Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

More than nine months after Katrina, 40,000 families are still waiting for a FEMA trailer, only 4% of approved SBA disaster loans have been fully disbursed to survivors, and more than $1 billion in Katrina aid is estimated to have been wasted. Now, the GOP-controlled Congress has made Katrina survivors wait for more than three months for this urgently-needed Katrina aid. Some of the highlights of the Katrina aid that Democrats have fought for include:

$5.2 billion for CDBGs. The conference report includes $5.2 billion for Community Development Block Grants for the Gulf Coast states, to be particularly used for aid to homeowners in rebuilding. Language was included in the conference report that no one state would receive more than $4.2 billion in assistance.

$3.7 billion for levee improvements. The conference report includes $3.7 billion for critically important levee improvements and flood control projects. This includes funding to reinforce or replace floodwalls in the New Orleans metropolitan area, to raise levee heights, provide additional hurricane repairs to flood control structures, and provide coastal restoration to minimize future storm damage.

$400 million for alternative housing for Katrina survivors. The conference report includes $400 million for the establishment of alternative housing pilot programs, which may help displaced Louisianans rebuild at a lower cost and identify more practical housing solutions for future hurricanes.

Assistance to Small Businesses - $542 million.

Businesses in declared disaster areas, including the hurricane-affected areas of the Gulf, are eligible to receive disaster loans within the funding provided to the Small Business Administration.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee today went to the House floor to raise the question of reimbursements to the city of Houston from FEMA. The Congresswoman is working with city leaders to make sure Houston is properly reimbursed in a timely manner.

FEMA's Public Assistance reimbursement program is one way federal assistance gets to the state and local governments and to certain private nonprofit organizations. These reimbursement grants allow them to respond to disasters, to recover from their impact and to mitigate impact from future disasters. While these grants are aimed at governments and organizations - their final goal is to help a community and all its citizens recover from devastating natural disasters.

Vote Scheduled on Jefferson

2006-06-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) asked embattled Louisiana Congressman William Jefferson (D-LA) to resign his spot on the powerful Ways and Means Committee because of the ongoing investigation surrounding Cong. Jefferson and possible bribery.

Jefferson, who has steadfastly denied the FBI charges, refused to quit saying his city of New Orleans needed representation on the committee. That request and denial were not the end of the story.

On Thursday evening in a secret meeting the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted to recommend that Jefferson be removed from the Ways and Means. Moments after the Committee's recommendation, the full Democratic caucus met to consider and vote on the suggestion. However, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Mel Watt (D-NC) stopped the vote, noting that caucus rules require a cooling period and the vote can only be done within 5 to 10 legislative days after the recommendation.

Congressman Watt succeed in slowing the vote but not ending the process. A removal vote has now been scheduled for Thursday.

After the fireworks Chairman Watt issued a statement about the action of his Democratic caucus:

"What I hope is that the caucus comes to its senses and sees that there"s no precedent for this..., They might consider it politically expedient but I think it's about to blow up in their face...When you start making up rules and applying them only to one person...and if the only person you have applied it to is a black person then our community will legitimately ask, what in the world are you all doing?"

Congressional Democrats know exactly what they're doing, they have made this mid-term election about the ethical lapses of Republicans and can't be seen as hypercritical. Leadership may be willing to sacrifice Jefferson and endure short damage with African Americans to gain control of Congress.

Source: thehill.com http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/060806/jefferson.html

Congressional Black Caucus Update

2006-06-12T09:12:00.000-07:00

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) -- Last week United States troops in Iraq killed al Qaeda terrorist and insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Senator Obama released the following statement:

"I am proud that American troops, with the help of Iraqis, were able to find and kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was a brutal monster whose single-minded goal was to sow instability and the death of innocent Iraqis and American forces."While this successful attack will not completely end the insurgency in Iraq, it does strike a major blow against al Qaeda and gives hope to the possibility of a secure and stable Iraq. It is an encouraging development that should fill Americans and Iraqis with pride."

Democrat candidate for the United States Senate in Tennessee Harold Ford, Jr. also weighed in on the death of al-Zarqawi.

Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN):

"Our troops in Iraq scored a tremendous victory today with the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Once again, the 101st Airborne led the way, moving in just after the bombing to identify Zarqawi. Our warfighters are continuing to perform heroically and bravely and deserve a tremendous amount of praise."There is no question that we are better off with Zarqawi dead. But the insurgency has never just been about one person. We must remain vigilant about implementing a real plan that will enable the Iraqis to take control of their own security."

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) -- There was a lot of conversation on Capitol Hill early this year that Congress would renew the Voting Rights Act this session. But we find ourselves in June and reauthorizationion has slowed to a crawl. Last Wednesday Congressman Butterfield wrote a letter to House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) urging him to bring the bill up for vote.

The text of the letter follows:

June 7, 2006

The Honorable John A. BoehnerMajority Leader, House of Representatives
H107, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Majority Leader Boehner:

I am writing to respectfully urge you to schedule the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006" for consideration by the House.

As you know, reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act has strong bipartisan support, including the House Speaker and a large contingent from the South. This represents a welcome contrast to ferocious debate over protecting voting rights in 1965, and an improvement over 1982, when there was noticeable hostility on the part of some Southern lawmakers.

I am deeply troubled by recent media reports that some of our colleagues in the South have reservations about this legislation and may seek to delay its prompt consideration by the House. During the last 40 years, we have made strides toward ensuring the protection of every American's right to vote. The Voting Rights Act has been a cornerstone of that progress. To weaken or delay reauthorization of this important and historic legislation expresses the willingness to step back in time.

While strides have been made, the immense need for this legislation was demonstrated clearly through the more than 8,000 pages of documentation describing discriminatory voting practices that was submitted to the House Judiciary Committee. Unfortunately, the election process continues to be abused - through redistricting schemes, last minute changes of polling locations and outright restrictions on registration for some eligible voters.

The Voting Rights Act provides an effective mechanism for courts and the Justice Department to address practices that are racially motivated. It is a remedial statute whose authority stems from the Congressional determination that certain areas of our nation have a history of discriminatory election laws.

Sadly, racial conflict remains a part of life. We must ensure that this vital protection remains in place to defend people against racial abuses. With that in mind, I respectfully urge you to schedule this matter for consideration.

Very truly yours,

G. K. Butterfield
Member of Congress

Congressional Black Caucus Action

2006-06-08T18:58:00.000-07:00

June 8

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) -- Early today United States troops in Iraq killed al Qaeda terrorist and insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and Senator Obama released the following statement:

"I am proud that American troops, with the help of Iraqis, were able to find and kill Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He was a brutal monster whose single-minded goal was to sow instability and the death of innocent Iraqis and American forces.

"While this successful attack will not completely end the insurgency in Iraq, it does strike a major blow against al Qaeda and gives hope to the possibility of a secure and stable Iraq. It is an encouraging development that should fill Americans and Iraqis with pride."

Democrat candidate for the United States Senate in Tennessee Harold Ford, Jr. also weighed in on the death of al-Zarqawi.

Rep. Harold Ford (D-TN)

"Our troops in Iraq scored a tremendous victory today with the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. Once again, the 101st Airborne led the way, moving in just after the bombing to identify Zarqawi. Our warfighters are continuing to perform heroically and bravely and deserve a tremendous amount of praise.

"There is no question that we are better off with Zarqawi dead. But the insurgency has never just been about one person. We must remain vigilant about implementing a real plan that will enable the Iraqis to take control of their own security."

Rep. G.K. Butterfield (D-NC) -- There was a lot of conversation on Capitol Hill early this year that Congress would renew the Voting Rights Act this session. But we find ourselves in June and reauthorizationion has slowed to a crawl. Today Congressman Butterfield wrote a letter to House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) urging him to bring the bill up for vote. The text of the letter follows:

June 7, 2006

The Honorable John A. Boehner
Majority Leader, House of Representatives
H107, U.S. Capitol
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Majority Leader Boehner:

I am writing to respectfully urge you to schedule the "Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King Voting Rights Act Reauthorization and Amendments Act of 2006" for consideration by the House.

As you know, reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act has strong bipartisan support, including the House Speaker and a large contingent from the South. This represents a welcome contrast to ferocious debate over protecting voting rights in 1965, and an improvement over 1982, when there was noticeable hostility on the part of some Southern lawmakers.

I am deeply troubled by recent media reports that some of our colleagues in the South have reservations about this legislation and may seek to delay its prompt consideration by the House. During the last 40 years, we have made strides toward ensuring the protection of every American's right to vote. The Voting Rights Act has been a cornerstone of that progress. To weaken or delay reauthorization of this important and historic legislation expresses the willingness to step back in time.

While strides have been made, the immense need for this legislation was demonstrated clearly through the more than 8,000 pages of documentation describing discriminatory voting practices that was submitted to the House Judiciary Committee. Unfortunately, the election process continues to be abused - through redistricting schemes, last minute changes of polling locations and outright restrictions on registration for some eligible voters.

The Voting Rights Act provides an effective mechanism for courts and the Justice Department to address practices that are racially motivated. It is a remedial statute whose authority stems from the Congressional determination that certain areas of our nation have a history of discriminatory election laws.

Sadly, racial conflict remains a part of life. We must ensure that this vital protection remains in place to defend people against racial abuses. With that in mind, I respectfully urge you to schedule this matter for consideration.

Very truly yours,

G. K. Butterfield
Member of Congress

President Commits to Rwanda

2006-05-31T13:42:00.000-07:00

Reuters is reporting that President Bush today reiterated his commitment to Rwanda to sign a bill that is before Congress that would give $300 million to Rwanda for peacekeeping in Darfur http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-05-31T195231Z_01_N31244863_RTRUKOC_0_US-RWANDA-BUSH.xml.

Meeting today with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in the White House, the US president said "we will honor our commitments." Rwanda has about 2,000 troops in the African Union peacekeeping force serving in Sudan.

H.R. 5417 - Internet Freedom and Nondiscrimination Act of 2006

2006-05-25T10:46:00.000-07:00

The bipartisan bill would guarantee our right to "net neutrality" -- the principle that Internet users should be able to access any web content they choose and use any applications they choose, without restrictions or limitations imposed by their Internet service provider. "Net neutrality" may sound obscure and wonky. But it is crucial if the Internet is to remain a forum for us to talk to one another, to access web sites for information, to read, write and comment on blogs, to engage in political forums, or to donate money and learn about political candidates. There is a real risk that telephone and cable companies, which provide access to the Internet for 95 percent of U.S. consumers who go online, will use their market power to transform the Internet into largely a vehicle for selling us things - entertainment, games and goods. And even then, only those goods and commodities from which they can extract the most profit will be most accessible. . . . The nonprofit and noncommercial sector could be distinguished from the for-profit sector of the online community in terms of services offered, and would suffer because they cannot compete in an environment where they have to pay for better service.

Pelosi to Jefferson: Resign from Ways and Means Committee

2006-05-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

Washington, D.C.– House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following letter she sent to Congressman William Jefferson this morning:

May 24, 2006

Congressman William J. Jefferson
2113 Rayburn House Office Building
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Congressman Jefferson:
In the interest of upholding the high ethical standard of the House Democratic Caucus, I am writing to request your immediate resignation from the Ways and Means Committee.
Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Democratic Leader

H.R. 5338 - Congress Leads by Example through Alt-Fuel Resources Act

2006-05-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

H.R.5338
Title: To prohibit the use of amounts in a Members' Representational Allowance to provide any vehicle which does not use alternative fuels.
Sponsor: Rep Cleaver, Emanuel [MO-5] (introduced 5/10/2006)
Cosponsors (None)
Latest Major Action: 5/10/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on House Administration.

CLEAVER INTRODUCES THE “CLEAR” ACT TO REQUIRE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO ONLY LEASE ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES

2006-05-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05) introduced the “Congress Leads by Example through Alt-Fuel Resources Act” or CLEAR Act. This legislation would prohibit the use of official funds from Members’ Representational Allowances to provide for any vehicle which does not use alternative fuels. The CLEAR Act has been designated HR 5338 by the Clerk of the House.

Taking to the floor of the House to press his point, Cleaver called on his colleges to lead by example, “The CLEAR Act will position the U.S. House of Representatives as a body of serious advocates for a national consciousness of energy efficiency. As the House entertains a plethora of energy-related bills, the U.S. public will surely come to recognize the need to move toward purchasing automobiles that use renewable fuels and alternative sources of energy such as hydrogen and electricity.”

H.R. 4705 - Mathematics and Science Teaching Corps Act of 2006

2006-05-17T19:40:00.000-07:00

H.R.4705
Title: To establish the Math and Science Teaching Corps.
Sponsor: Rep Saxton, Jim [NJ-3] (introduced 2/7/2006)
Cosponsors (9)
Latest Major Action: 5/1/2006 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Education Reform.

Mathematics and Science Teaching Corps Act of 2006 - Amends the Department of Education Organization Act to create a Math and Science Teaching Corps to significantly improve mathematics and science achievement among secondary school students in the United States.
Requires the Director of the Corps to carry out a program that awards: (1) Math and Science Teaching Corps Fellowships for Prospective Teachers (MSTC Fellowships) who possess comprehensive subject area knowledge; (2) grants to partner institutions to pay the tuition, fees, and overhead costs of the fellows; and (3) grants to participating local educational agencies to pay the expenses associated with facilitating the induction and professional development services for the fellows. Requires MSTC Fellowship recipients to: (1) receive specified pedagogical training; and (2) teach mathematics or science in a secondary school, for which they shall receive a stipend, and participate in induction programs of participating local educational agencies, for four years.

Requires the Director to carry out a program that awards Math and Science Teaching Corps Fellowships for Experienced Teachers (MSTC Master Fellowships). Requires an MSTC Master Fellowship recipient to: (1) continue to teach mathematics or science in a secondary school of a participating agency for at least five of the seven years after receiving such fellowship, for which he or she shall receive a stipend; (2) serve as a leader within the individual's department and school; (3) mentor other recipients; and (4) attend subject or pedagogy workshops offered by the participating local educational agency.

H.R. 5058 - Small Business Investment and Promotion Act of 2006

2006-05-17T19:29:00.000-07:00

H.R.5058
Title: To provide support for small business concerns, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Allen, Thomas H. [ME-1] (introduced 3/30/2006)
Cosponsors (6)
Latest Major Action: 4/19/2006 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology, and Standards.

Tubbs Jones Addresses Recent Findings of Inaccuracies in Wal-Mart Bank Application

2006-05-16T19:20:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones released this statement in response to recent news articles citing potential discrepancies in Wal-Mart’s application for a Utah industrial loan corporation (ILC) charter.

"Recent news articles have called attention to discrepancies in Wal-Mart's testimony regarding their ILC application to the FDIC.

"In their testimony Wal-Mart stated that it had no plans to replace community banks in its stores that currently had branches. Additionally, they stated that they had no plans to enter full-service banking citing leases signed by banks in its stores as evidence that renewal of leases was at the banks discretion alone. However, news media obtained copies of lease documents that require both the bank and Wal-Mart to agree to renew their leases. This provision would allow Wal-Mart to simply choose not to renew a bank's lease, making way for them to open their own retail bank.

"Yesterday, American Banker reported that Wal-Mart had posted a job advertisement seeking a 'senior product manager' to oversee 'mortgages, strategic banking and access cards.' Wal-Mart claims that this new hire would oversee Wal-Mart's mortgage program for employees with Nationwide Advantage Mortgage and their relationship with Atlanta's Sun Trust Banks, Inc. Yet, it seems odd that a company that claims to not be interested in entering retail banking would seek to hire a banking specialist who would receive a six-figure salary and report directly to senior Wal-Mart executives.

Norton Arrested at Sudanese Embassy Decries Rwanda II

2006-05-16T17:35:00.000-07:00

As she was arrested today for trespassing at the Sudanese Embassy, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) recalled Thanksgiving Eve 1984, when she and three other prominent Washingtonians began the South Africa embassy arrests by visiting the ambassador “on false pretenses, inquiring about progress in his country.” Also arrested today were Mel Watt (D-NC), Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and five other Members of the CBC. The thousands of arrests at the South African Embassy resulted in American sanctions, but Norton said, “as urgent as the elimination of apartheid in South Africa was, it did not rise to the level of the continuing unabated genocide in Darfur today.” She said that the cut in half of rations to only 1,050 calories per person because our allies have not contributed promised funds to the United Nations World Food Program added cruelty to the continuing genocide.

Obama Statement on President Bush's Speech on Immigration Reform

2006-05-16T17:22:00.000-07:00

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Monday released the following statement about President Bush's speech on immigration reform:"The first priority of any immigration reform should be to secure our nation's borders. In that respect, the President's proposal has merit as a temporary solution. After three years of fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, our National Guard is stretched dangerously thin, and so we must know how long they will be there and when they will be replaced with trained border patrol agents that can provide permanent security. "We also know that border security is only one side of the equation. Comprehensive immigration reform cannot succeed without a plan to bring the undocumented out of the shadows and offer them a path to citizenship, after they pay a substantial fine and back taxes, learn English, satisfy a work requirement, and pass a background check. Whether or not the President can repair the divisions in his own party so that we can pass this type of reform will be the true test of our ability to secure our borders in the months to come."

Scott Responds to Bush border plan

2006-05-16T17:21:00.000-07:00

I am glad that the President is finally speaking to the nation about this urgent issue. Constituents from all parts of my district continue to share their concerns with illegal immigration with me.

Before we address the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the U.S, we must secure the porous border between the U.S. and Mexico. I agree with the President that additional security is needed at the border, including the use of the National Guard.

However, this is only a temporary solution. There are 1,000 fewer Border Patrol Agents than were proposed in the 9/11 Act. In fact, the Border Patrol participated in the jobs fair that I hosted this past Friday. I believe that Congress should fully fund the Border Patrol, increase surveillance technology and erect fencing where needed to strengthen the border. Once that is done, we can begin to deal with the immigrants currently in the country.

Rep. John Lewis Says Extend Deadline for Medicare Prescription Drug Program

2006-05-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today is the last day for eligible citizens to sign-up for the Medicare prescription drug program, known as Medicare Part D. Though Congressman Lewis agrees that a prescription drug program is a necessary Medicare benefit, he believes that Part D is deeply flawed legislation that needs to be fixed. Numerous news reports on the implementation of this benefit reveal it is incredibly confusing, so confusing many physicians and attorneys cannot comprehend the program.

This confusion is compounded by the fact that the Medicare Hotline, a service supposed to help seniors navigate the program’s complexities, has been found by the GAO to deliver faulty responses to seniors’ questions. Further, most seniors are still unaware that they will be penalized at the rate of 1% per month if they do not sign-up by today’s deadline.

“Healthcare should be considered a right in America,” said Rep. Lewis, “not a privilege. It should not depend upon the size of a person’s wallet or the numbers in a zip code. I firmly believe that all Americans need and deserve to have access to medical coverage in order to ensure the `life, liberty and pursuit of happiness’ that our government is supposed to enable.”
“However, this legislation penalizes the poor, the sick, the elderly and the disabled more than it helps. Half of seniors are unaware that they need to sign up by today, and only a quarter of those who need it the most have enrolled. Americans need to question their representatives to find out whom this Congress serves. Is it interested in serving the health insurance industry above American citizens? If its goal is to serve the people, then the answer is simple. We need to extend the deadline for this prescription drug program and waive the penalties until beneficiaries can make informed choices about whether to participate. Finally, we need to fix this prescription drug benefit so that it meets the needs of the vulnerable American citizens it is meant to protect.”

Congressman Towns Proposes Call for Joint House Senate Bipartisan Commission To Review Immigration Practices

2006-05-15T17:16:00.000-07:00

The nature of the current debate on immigration has taken a divisive direction. Competing bills exist not only in the Senate and in the House, but in many state legislatures as well. We seem to have forgotten that immigration is basically a human concern. It's about the lives of millions of people-- both illegal immigrants and existing citizens. We have to get it right and for that we should gather all the best information and practices available.

Towards that end, I propose a ceasefire on the immigration debate currently going on in Congress. With congressional members split on a wide range of issues related to immigration, I recommend a Joint Senate and House bipartisan Commission with the power to conduct formal congressional hearings, conduct site visits, and gather the latest data with the objective of completing its final report in six months or less.

Representative Watson: We Do Not Need to Militarize Our Borders

2006-05-15T17:12:00.000-07:00

Dispatching troops to patrol the border is bad policy because the U.S. military is already overused and under-equipped. It’s not just my opinion. It’s also the assessment of General Richard Myers, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, who stated in a recently leaked classified report that the President has already overextended U.S. forces in the Middle East. The National Guard, which would undoubtedly be charged with handling a large part of the new border security portfolio, is stretched thin as well. Not only is the Guard extended to the breaking point, but Guard units deployed to Iraq have consistently reported shortages of equipment and lack of proper training. Many National Guard units here at home suffer the same fate.

CONGRESSMAN DAVIS ANNOUNCES $200K GRANT FOR KID ONE TRANSPORT

2006-05-12T19:45:00.000-07:00

U.S. Representative Artur Davis (D-Birmingham) today announced a $200 thousand grant for Kid One Transport of Birmingham from the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The rural healthcare transportation system for children will use these resources to expand its free services. The project is expected to provide 4,000 trips to health professionals in a 23-county area, with 706 of these trips for children and expectant mothers in distressed counties including the Black Belt.

“I can think of no more noble mission than the one assigned to the people of Kid One Transport,” Congressman Davis said. “Working to help children receive the medical attention they need is a wonderful, worthwhile cause. People throughout the Black Belt are especially appreciative of their efforts, and I’m pleased to see their good work continue.”

Congressman Fattah Commends Philadelphia Leaders for Two Bold Steps

2006-05-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

“I want to commend the public and private leadership of Philadelphia for two forward- looking efforts this week that well represent the future of our city.

“On Tuesday, the Philadelphia 2016 Working Group put forward a compelling and well-planned presentation to the U.S. Olympic Committee to bring the 2016 Summer Games to Philadelphia. On Thursday, City Council unanimously approved the nation’s first citywide high-speed wireless Internet connection.

“These two separate initiatives share a positive, can-do approach and show what Philadelphians can accomplish with dedicated leaders on every level.”

JACKSON LEE AMENDMENT SUPPORTS RESERVISTS’ FAMILIES

2006-05-12T19:32:00.000-07:00

The United States House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed an amendment by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee to the Defense Authorization Act that includes the number of deployments as a factor for determining whether a reservist is recalled to duty. Other factors include family responsibilities and length and nature of previous service. “The frequency of assignment must also be taken into consideration. As we have seen, our reservists are brave citizens and soldiers who have willingly traveled to the other side of the world to defend their homeland,” stated Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

The amendment makes no qualitative or quantitative judgment about type or occurrence of service and frequency of assignment must be included when recalling a reservist to duty, just as are family responsibilities, previous length and nature of service, and employment consequences. Forty percent of the American troops in Iraq are from National Guard and Reserve units. For many, the financial sacrifices are great. Many lose the salaries they were earning in the private sector, and their families are struggling to pay bills.

Congresswoman McKinney Fights for Constituents and Slain Public Servant

2006-05-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman McKinney joined with the family Sheriff elect Derwin Brown to call on Governor Sonny Purdue to make available state funding as compensation to the Brown family. Sheriff - elect Brown was gunned down outside his home in December 2000. The murder of was planned and carried out by outgoing Sheriff Sidney Dorsey. Dorsey and two other DeKalb County Sheriff’s employees were convicted for their part in the assassination. The family is continuing to fight for justice in this matter.

Wynn Votes Against Republican Tax Cut Bill

2006-05-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

Congressman Wynn voted against the Republican Tax Reconciliation Bill. The bill was the result of a deal between House and Senate Republicans for a five-year, nearly $70 billion tax package that would extend President Bush's tax cuts on dividends and capital gains.

According to the Tax Policy Center, under the Republican tax cut deal, if you make more than $1 million dollars, your average tax savings will be approximately $42,000 dollars. If you make $50,000 to $75,000 then your average tax savings will only be $110 dollars. Also, if you make $20,000 to $30,000 then your average tax savings will be a whopping $9.

CONGRESSWOMAN JOHNSON CO-SPONSORS IMPORTANT SMALL BUSINESS LEGISLATION

2006-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is part of a congressional effort to provide small businesses with needed assistance to deal with unplanned costs in increases to heat and oil prices. The Congresswoman is cosponsoring the Small Business Investment and Promotion Act of 2006. Soaring energy costs have adversely impacted business all over our nation, but it is small businesses that have incurred the most harm, since they’re unable to absorb unplanned costs. The current average prices for heating and oil are 30 to 60 percent higher than last year and small businesses are not able to keep afloat.

The legislation would create a two-year tax credit on fuel purchases. The bill also increases the IRS Standard Mileage Rate tax deduction on fuel from the current 44.5 cents per mile to 60 cents for small business owners and independent contractors who use their own vehicles for work. In addition to changing the statutory formula to expand contracting opportunities for small businesses by including federal overseas contracts; the bill also shortens the tax depreciation period on improvements to restaurants and small retailers from 39 to 15 years.

"In light of rising heating and oil prices, HR 5058 is crucial to the survival of small businesses everywhere. Because we encourage competition and depend on small business for much of our revenue, we should support legislation that attempts to alleviate some of the burden currently placed on small businesses. Unfortunately, because there is little we can do to eradicate all of the current economic and social instability felt across our Nation, we should encourage passage of legislation that aims to provide businesses with the help they need to ensure their survival during the current economic instability," said Congresswoman Johnson.

CONGRESSWOMAN MOORE TO FIGHT FOR ZABLOCKI MEDICAL CENTER’S NEW SPINAL CORD INJURY UNIT

2006-05-11T19:04:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Gwen Moore today decried the decision of the House Committee on Appropriations to remove Milwaukee’s Zablocki VA Medical Center from a list of veterans medical facilities slated to receive funding for significant technological upgrades and structural refurbishments. Zablocki, a major veterans’ facility in Wisconsin’s Fourth Congressional District, had been placed on a priority list by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in February to receive $32.5 million for a new Spinal Cord Injury Unit (SCI) in the 2007 budget.

“I am shocked and saddened that the Appropriations Committee has gone against the recommendations of the VA, of the Administration, and over half of the Wisconsin Congressional Delegation. The Administration placed Zablocki on a priority list to receive funding because the veterans at Zablocki are a priority,” said Congresswoman Moore. “We’re talking about our nation’s veterans—heroes by any measure—who have lost the use of their legs and arms and often the ability to live independently. The least we can do for these veterans is honor their sacrifices by providing them with an up-to-date medical center to facilitate their healing and ensure their comfort.”

Norton Support of D.C. House Vote Bill

2006-05-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis (R-VA) culminated their efforts of almost four years with an announcement of an agreement they reached almost two months ago on the D.C. Fair and Equal House Voting Rights Act of 2006. The bill, which was then shared with the relevant Democratic and Republican Members, is the first with good indicators for passage, including mark-ups in two committees and the required elements, “the essential metric [for] both parties…no partisan gain and no partisan disadvantage,” according to Norton. She said that the pattern of party equivalence was set in the nineteenth century and has been dominant throughout U.S. history, notwithstanding “a democratic right as basic as representation in the legislature that taxes your citizens and sends them to war.”

Rep. Waters’ Amendment to Help Soldiers Rejected by Republican Leadership

2006-05-11T17:15:00.000-07:00

Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ (CA-35) amendment to strengthen the Department of Defense screening process for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for active duty soldiers was rejected by the House Rules Committee, a Committee which is largely an extension of the House Republican Leadership.

“I am extremely disappointed that the Rules Committee did not make my amendment in order,” said Congresswoman Waters. “Post traumatic stress disorder can be among the most debilitating effects of war. People who suffer from PTSD often relive the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have difficulty sleeping, and feel detached or estranged. Many soldiers have trouble holding jobs; others become violent and/or addicted to drugs and alcohol.”

Ford: “Invest Now, Dividends Tomorrow"

2006-05-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. announced today he is co-sponsoring the Mathematics and Science Teaching Corps Act of 2006 (MSTC). This bipartisan bill will create a federal fellowship program to recruit, train and retain outstanding math and science teachers across the country. Congressman Ford made the following statement:

“Leadership in science and math fueled the engine of the American economy in the 20th century. The kind of discovery and invention taking place at research centers across our state like Oak Ridge, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the University of Tennessee, FedEx and Meharry Medical College has driven business and helped create entirely new industries, from farm-based fuels to neutron science to genetic engineering. In turn, these new industries have created the kind of high paying jobs that improve all of our communities."

Norton Introduces Free and Equal D.C. National Guard Deployment Bill

2006-05-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

H.R.5306

Title: To extend to the Mayor of the District of Columbia the same authority with respect to the National Guard of the District of Columbia as the Governors of the several States exercise with respect to the National Guard of those States.

Sponsor: Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] (introduced 5/4/2006)

Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 5/4/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Meek Bill Would Establish Haitian Heritage Month

2006-05-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

H.RES.777
Title: Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives, in recognition of the contributions of the Haitian people to the history and culture of the United States, by establishing "Haitian-American Heritage Month".
Sponsor: Rep Meek, Kendrick B. [FL-17] (introduced 4/25/2006)
Cosponsors (1) Latest
Major Action: 4/25/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Government Reform.

SAFE Port Act

2006-05-04T17:19:00.000-07:00

H.R.4954
Title: To improve maritime and cargo security through enhanced layered defenses, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Lungren, Daniel E. [CA-3] (introduced 3/14/2006)
Cosponsors (80) Related Bills: H.RES.789, S.2008, S.2459 Latest Major Action: 5/15/2006 Read the first time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under Read the First Time. House Reports: 109-447 Part 1

Rep. Scott Supports SAFE Port Act

2006-05-04T17:18:00.000-07:00

Congressman Robert C. "Bobby" Scott supported the Security and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act.

Rep. Scott represents the Newport News/Hampton Roads area of Virginia, which is home to the Virginia Port Authority. The Virginia Port Authority controls terminals in Norfolk, Newport News, and Portsmouth and has more than 75 international shipping lines and one of the most frequent direct sailing schedules of any port. The facilities that encompass the international terminals of Hampton Roads play a vital role in the transport of global commerce. That role is expanding each year and is expected to do so for the next 20 years. Rep. Scott also represents the future home of the major East Coast Maersk APM Terminals to be located in Portsmouth.

"This means the enhanced security and safety of our port and harbor is paramount, and I want to do my part to ensure that the Virginia Port Authority has what it needs to remain safe and secure

Kinston Granted $1.85 Million Low-Interest Federal Loan

2006-05-03T19:52:00.000-07:00

Congressman G. K. Butterfield today announced that the city has secured a $1.85 million low-interest federal loan needed to renovate the City Hall Complex.

“This is an important project for the city and the community,” Butterfield said. “I’m certainly pleased to be a part of it.”

Butterfield said that he included waiver language in the Fiscal Year 2006 Agriculture Appropriations bill to allow Kinston to access the loan. Under federal guidelines, Kinston’s population and income level were too high to qualify for a community facility direct loan from USDA Rural Development.

The funds will be used to renovate the existing City Hall Complex to provide administrative offices for the city’s public safety department and the law enforcement division. In requesting the loan, city officials said that this would allow the department to be more efficient and productive.

H.R. 5235 - The Environment and Public Health Restoration Act

2006-05-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

H.R.5235

Title: To direct the President to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate certain Federal rules and regulations for potentially harmful impacts on public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, global climate, or the environment; and to direct Federal departments and agencies to create plans to reverse those impacts that are determined to be harmful by the National Academy of Sciences.

Sponsor: Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] (introduced 4/27/2006) Cosponsors (None) Latest Major Action: 4/27/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Resources, and Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Statement of Rep. Melvin L. Watt (N.C.-12) on VRA ...

2006-05-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

I stand here today together with my colleagues from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus because together we have worked with Chairman Sensenbrenner and Ranking Member Conyers towards this momentous occasion: the introduction of a bill to strengthen and renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965.This bill is very important to the members of our caucuses because it not only reauthorizes the Voting Rights Act, it also restores it to its original intent to secure and protect the rights of minority citizens to participate equally at the ballot box. Specifically, the bill bars voting changes that have the "purpose" of discriminating against minority citizens and it restores the ability of minority communities to elect candidates who share their values and represent their interest as originally intended by Congress. Upon the introduction of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, President Lyndon Johnson noted that the Voting Rights Act is like no other piece of civil rights legislation because "[e]very American citizen must have an equal right to vote." "About this," he said "there can and should be no argument."So the Voting Rights Act is different from other civil rights bills because it preserves the core right of our democracy - a right that does not and has not changed over time - that is, the right to participate fully and fairly in the political process. But we believe that, like other landmark civil rights bills, the renewed and restored bill that we introduced today is good for all Americans. It is not a Republican bill, it is not a Democratic bill, it is not a House bill or a Senate bill. And it is not a bill solely for minorities. This is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that unites us as a country by ensuring that all Americans may have their voices heard. This is a solid bill, and together, we the members of the Congressional Tri-Caucus pledge our commitment to continue to work tirelessly to ensure its passage.

Kilpatrick on H.R. 5020

2006-04-27T11:37:00.000-07:00

I rise today for the purposes of explaining my vote on H.R. 5020, which this chamber considered yesterday. I have a high regard for the intelligence officials that serve our country, and I strongly support efforts to make sure that they have the resources to complete their mission competently, professionally, thoroughly and legally. After listening to the debate on this bill, I reached the conclusion that this bill does nothing to rein-in this Administration’s domestic surveillance program conducted by the National Security Agency.

This bill contains some good provisions. It imposes restrictions on the growth of the National Director of Intelligence to ensure resources are applied to strengthening the intelligence community’s ability to penetrate hard targets, and not just add to the growth in bureaucracy. It fully funds the counter-terrorism program. However, the bill’s provisions concerning oversight of domestic counterintelligence activity is tepid at best.

I believe we can conduct domestic intelligence activities in a manner that is consistent with the requirements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) and the protections guaranteed under the U.S. Constitution. There exists a debate in this country if whether the NSA domestic surveillance program is being conducted within the limits of the FISA. During the debate on the bill, I learned several Members sought to offer a bipartisan amendment clarifying that all surveillance of American citizens must follow the law and be consonant with the 4th Amendment of the Constitution. The Rules Committee denied us an opportunity to consider that amendment. Any process that denies us the opportunity to protect our constitutional guarantees does not deserve my support, and for that, reason, I voted against the passage of H.R. 5020

Congresswoman Corrine Brown Comments on Senate Report

2006-04-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

From what I have seen so far, I favor the proposal to replace FEMA with a new ‘National Preparedness and Response Authority,’ whose top official would report to the Homeland Security Secretary, and in times of emergency, would have direct access to confer with the President.

Just a few months ago, the House of Representatives came out with a report, “A Failure of Initiative,” which was released by the House Select Committee on Katrina, and criticizes the poor preparation and response to the hurricane. I think it is quite clear that the slow response to Hurricane Katrina led to the massive destruction of the Gulf Coast region, particularly New Orleans. The numerous warnings, inadequate planning and apathy, on the part of FEMA and the Bush administration, in preparing the region for the scope of Hurricane Katrina’s massive devastation were just a few, among many, of the points made in the Committee’s report. In fact, since 9/11, the Republican led Congress has given natural disaster preparedness secondary status in the federal budget, undermining agencies like FEMA and the Coast Guard.

Delegate Supports Fair Process In Determining Puerto Rico Status

2006-04-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen said that the Puerto Rico status issue before the Committee of Resources is important and relevant to the Virgin Islands. “Whatever course you take, even the process you adopted, will affect the rest of us,” said Christensen at the oversight hearing on the report by the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status. The report, issued last December, provides for the future status of Puerto Rico and its relationship with the United States.

Christensen told the committee that a decision like status evolves and may take a long time. “It cannot be forced, and in my opinion, that is what the Task Force Report and HR 4867 attempts to do.” She expressed her support for HR 4963, the Puerto Rico Self Determination Act of 2006 which she says “opens the process up entirely for the people of Puerto Rico to decide the course and the ultimate status they desire.”

Letter of Objection to U.S. Justice Department

2006-03-15T06:59:00.000-08:00

Illegal Changes in Voting Practices and Procedures in New Orleans, LA Expressly Prohibited under the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Congresswoman Watson Addresses Gathering of Dental Mercury Experts

2006-03-14T11:25:00.000-08:00

Congresswoman Diane E. Watson (CA-33) participated in a panel of mercury dental experts sponsored by the International Academy of Oral and Medical Toxicology (IAOMT). The panel addressed the environmental and health risks of the use of mercury dental amalgams in dentistry.

Congresswoman Watson, formerly the Chair of the California State Senate's Health and Human Services Committee for seventeen years, said, "The use of mercury in dentistry is an issue that can only be pushed under the rug for so long. The battle we are now in to rid mercury from dentistry reminds me of the fourteen year battle I and others waged in the California State Senate to ban tobacco from the workplace and public places of gathering. Back then, the critics said it couldn't be done. However, over two decades later, we have laws in almost every state banning smoking in public places. Smoking is now outlawed on all domestic and international air travel. But the victory required years of intense public education. We are now in the stage of educating the public about the dangers of the use of mercury in dentistry. We will persevere, and ultimately we will win."

Obama To Introduce Legislation to Help American Students Compete in a 21st Century Economy

2006-03-13T11:46:00.000-08:00

During a speech Monday at an education forum in Chicago, U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) said that he will introduce legislation to create 20 Innovation Districts that would be given more resources to try substantial new reforms in teaching to help better prepare American students to compete in a 21st century economy. Obama said the Innovation Districts will be chosen from school districts around the country based on their plans to increase student achievement and place highly qualified teachers in their classrooms.

"Today we are failing too many of our children," said Obama. "We're sending them out into a 21st century economy by sending them through the doors of 20th century schools. We now live in a world where the most valuable skill you can sell is knowledge. Revolutions in technology and communication have created an entire economy of high-tech, high-wage jobs that can be located anywhere there's an internet connection. And today, a child in Chicago is not only competing for jobs with one in Boston, but thousands more in Bangalore and Beijing who are being educated longer and better than ever before."

Scott Signs Minimum Wage Discharge Petition

2006-03-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, (D-VA-3), announced his support for legislation that would increase the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour over two years. Rep. Scott signed a discharge petition that would force consideration of the Miller-Owens bill (H.R. 2429) to raise the federal minimum wage.

Specifically, the bill would gradually raise the minimum wage by $2.10 -- from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour-- over two years. The bill raises the minimum wage to $5.85 60 days after enactment; to $6.55 one year later; and to $7.25 one year after that.

Obama Presses Nuclear Regulatory commission

2006-03-09T11:44:00.000-08:00

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) Thursday strongly urged members of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to support legislation he has introduced that would require nuclear companies to inform state and local officials if there is an accidental or unintentional leak of a radioactive substance.

"My constituents deserve to be notified immediately and comprehensively when these substances are released into the groundwater," said Senator Obama. "That's why I introduced a bill to require nuclear companies to inform not just the NRC, but also state and local officials if there is an accidental or unintentional leak of a radioactive substance. This is a simple common-sense bill. It's good for public safety, it's good for the public's right to know, and it's ultimately good for the nuclear power industry."

Wynn Pushes President to Accelerate His Energy Independence Agenda

2006-03-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

Congressman Wynn and a bipartisan group of House Members met with President George W. Bush to discuss his energy independence plan. During the meeting, Congressman Wynn requested that the President work with him to accelerate the Administration’s Hydrogen roadmap, which calls for hydrogen vehicles to be commercially available by 2020. Under Wynn’s plan, the cars would be available by 2015.

"If we want to increase America’s energy security, we must put forth a bold vision and aggressive goals. The President’s Advanced Energy Initiative is a move in the right direction; however, we must accelerate his timelines to make hydrogen cars commercially available within ten years. If we wait to make hydrogen a reality in 2020 and beyond, America will be reliant on foreign sources of oil for over 70% of its consumption needs. Such a situation would threaten the American economy and national security," said Wynn.

Rush says Bush’s proposed LIHEAP budget amount does little to offset energy costs for low-income families

2006-03-07T11:41:00.000-08:00

At the request of President Bush, Congressman Bobby L. Rush and several other bipartisan Members of Congress, most of whom who sit on the House Energy & Commerce Committee, met with the president to discuss his Advanced Energy Initiative, which was outlined during his State of the Union Address.

During the meeting, Congressman Rush urged President Bush to fully fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as authorized with the passage of his amendment under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 for $5.1 billion. A staunch champion for LIHEAP, Rush also called on Bush to fully fund the Weatherization Program.

"I am disappointed by President Bush’s lackadaisical response when I asked him why he has not fully funded LIHEAP. President Bush’s rationale of asking for more LIHEAP funding this year than last year just does not sit well with me or the low income citizens with dire heating and cooling needs, who were counting on the full $5.1 billion.”

Congressman Thompson Announces $5,000,000 Highway Construction Project

2006-03-07T11:35:00.000-08:00

Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced that the U.S. Department of
Transportation, through the FY 2005 Delta Region Transportation Program, has awarded a grant of $5,000,000 for a highway construction project to reconstruct State Route 6/U.S. Highway 278 in Coahoma and Quitman Counties in Mississippi.

Congressman Thompson stated, “This project will provide a 4-lane link from Clarksdale, Mississippi, and surrounding areas to Interstate Highway 55. The project will help open new markets, improve accessibility, and create new job opportunities in the Second Congressional District.” The project will remedy severe and chronic economic distress by stimulating economic development and fostering partnerships that will have a positive impact on the region’s economy.”

Congressman Towns Sponsors Health Fair & Summit

2006-03-05T11:33:00.000-08:00

"Given today's statistics on the cost of healthcare and the lack of access to quality healthcare in the black community, this forum could not be more timely," stated Congressman Towns. "African Americans lag behind on nearly every health indicator, including healthcare coverage, access to care, life expectancy and disease rates. A significant part of our empowerment strategy is the recognition of the severe health disparities, which continue to exist for racial and ethnic minorities. This healthcare summit provides a unique opportunity not only for healthcare workers to discuss how best to provide healthcare services to their patients, but also to empower them t! o reduce healthcare disparities and to improve health outcomes."

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Veterans Aff

2006-03-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

S.2358 : A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Hospital Quality Report Card Initiative to report on health care quality in Veterans Affairs hospitals.Sponsor: Sen Obama, Barack [IL] (introduced 3/2/2006) Cosponsors (None) Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs Latest Major Action: 3/2/2006 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Congressman Jefferson Response to Katrina Report

2006-02-23T20:25:00.000-08:00

The White House report makes some very good points about the federal government’s failures before, during and after Hurricane Katrina made landfall. While you cannot prevent storms of this magnitude, you can predict and plan for them. Our federal government must do a better job planning for natural disasters and it seems the White House has acknowledged that much.

However, the report does not go far enough to recommend what I believe will be the key to successful preparedness and disaster management in the future: FEMA must have cabinet level authority, allowing the director to have the federal resources to adequately respond in times of natural disaster.

Ford: Congress should pass legislation blocking

2006-02-21T20:20:00.000-08:00

Congressman Harold Ford, Jr. today issued the following statement in response to President Bush’s veto threat of legislation that would block the transfer of operations of six U.S. ports to a state-owned company located in the United Arab Emirates:

“In the six years he has served as president, George W. Bush has not vetoed one piece of legislation, and in spite of the fact that this Congress has passed legislation that has resulted in trillions of dollars in debt, the President has not vetoed one spending bill.

Statement by Congressman Chaka Fattah: Put the Brakes on Port Security Takeover

2006-02-21T20:19:00.000-08:00

The United States should not be outsourcing the essential functions of government. That most emphatically includes the security of our ports.

It was not widely known that many of our ports were operated by a British company. Now the operational controls are poised to move even further from our shores, to Dubai Ports World, owned by the United Arab Emirates.

Cummings: Port Security Must Be Top Priority

2006-02-21T20:16:00.000-08:00

Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md) released the following statement after Governor Robert Ehrlich held a news conference on the proposed sale of Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), which is responsible for managing operations at several of the public terminals at the Port of Baltimore.

"I am surprised that Governor Ehrlich has not taken a more aggressive stance in opposing the sale of the Port's stevedore company to a firm owned by the government of Dubai. As the State's Chief Executive Officer, he is responsible for the Maryland Port Administration, which oversees the public terminals at the Port of Baltimore."

Congresswoman Brown Strongly Believes Security Must Precede Profits

2006-02-21T20:09:00.000-08:00

“I was simply flabbergasted to learn that the Bush administration has decided to trade the security of our nation’s ports for profit by placing the management of six major U.S. ports in the hands of a state-owned company in the United Arab Emirates. The idea of putting state-controlled Dubai Ports World of the United Arab Emirates in charge of managing sea ports here in Miami, as well as in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, and Philadelphia, in light of 9-11, is incomprehensible, and I believe that the Bush administration should immediately put a hold on this deal. "

Hastings “Ecstatic” About Donation and Installation of Emergency Trailers in Pahokee

2006-02-17T20:23:00.000-08:00

U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) today applauded the City of Pahokee, Palm Beach County, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for donating and funding the installation of 21 emergency trailers in Pahokee which have been desperately needed since Hurricane Wilma.

“I am ecstatic that we have found a solution to this problem,” said Representative Hastings. “21 Pahokee families will finally have a safe place to live by the end of this weekend because all levels of government figured out a way to work together. This is what happens when compassion and reason cut through bureaucratic red tape.”

Butterfield Offers Legislation to Close IRS-created Foreign-Business Tax Loophole

2006-02-16T20:08:00.000-08:00

Congressman G. K. Butterfield this week offered bipartisan legislation aimed at eliminating a newly created tax loophole that could flood the U.S. with imported biodiesel fuel and hurt the nascent domestic industry.

“Congress created a tax incentive specifically to reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, not to subsidize foreign farmers and biodiesel producers,” Butterfield said.

Tubbs Jones Joins CBC in Expressing Concern over Government

2006-02-16T15:26:00.000-08:00

Today, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones joined the Congressional Black Caucus during a press conference expressing concern over the government's preparedness and response to Huricane Katrina. Members discussed the findings of both the report of the Select Bipartisan Committee to Investigate the Preparation for and Response to Hurricane Katrina, also known as the "Davis Report," and the Additional Views report submitted by Reps. William Jefferson (LA-2) and Charlie Melancon (LA-3). She released this statement:

"From the 'Davis Report' we see that there were tremendous failures on all levels of government in the preparedness and response to Hurricane Katrina, including failure to execute evacuation plans, lack of centralized and coordinated communication, collapse of law enforcement, and lack of medical care for victims. This report highlights a failure of leadership and exposes the disjointedness of our federal, state and local governments and should serve as motivation for us to take a serious look at how we prepare and respond to natural disasters so that we never experience a tragedy such as this."

Jefferson and Melancon Release Views on GOP Katrina Report

2006-02-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today, as the Republican House Select Committee on Katrina releases its final report, “A Failure of Initiative,” Representatives Charlie Melancon and William Jefferson, who participated in the panel’s investigation but were not appointed to the committee, released a supplemental report expressing their additional views. Melancon and Jefferson reinforced the need for further investigation into the aftermath of Katrina and called for a bipartisan, independent commission investigation. They also stressed the need to focus on present needs and priorities for recovery and rebuilding efforts.

“Overall, the majority report is a comprehensive, detailed recitation of the problems that occurred in responding to Hurricane Katrina,” Melancon and Jefferson wrote. “The majority report rarely assesses how these problems occurred, why they were not corrected sooner and who in particular was responsible.”

The success of the drug benefit depends on how many people enroll. So far, that's not many.

2006-02-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

In the short term, the success of the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan depends critically on enrollment. Yet voluntary enrollment in the benefit has been disappointing to say the least. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today that only 25 million of the 42 million eligible Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled.

However, included in that 25 million are about 10 million federal retirees and Medicare-age retirees who receive prescription drug coverage through their former employers, and another 10 million people who were auto-enrolled. Only 5.3 million people have voluntarily enrolled in the program.

“As it stands, the complicated design and poor implementation of the benefit program has doomed the rollout to fail,” Cleaver said. “At the Town Hall I hosted this week to talk about the issue, what I heard was frustration. People were sold this plan as a benefit and all it has given them is grief.”

Butterfield Calls for Joint Strike Fighter Hearing

2006-02-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Congressman G. K. Butterfield today called for a hearing to highlight the long-term costs and disadvantages to creating an engine-production monopoly for the Joint Strike Fighter.

“History shows that a secondary engine source produces better, safer, more reliable and less expensive aircraft,” Butterfield said. “Relying on a monopoly could prove to be a step backward that jeopardizes future readiness. It’s a short-term savings could lead to huge long-term costs.”

Congressman Jefferson Reacts to Former FEMA Director Michael Brown’s Senate Hearing Testimony

2006-02-10T15:21:00.000-08:00

“I was appalled to learn today that over 20 agencies were aware of the levee breaches in New Orleans as early as Monday, August 29th – the day Katrina hit. It is clear that if the Administration knew sooner that our levees had breached, they should have acted sooner. By providing major federal resources immediately, the Administration could have avoided the major loss of life and property with which our city must now cope. Obviously, the delay in federal action made the situation much worse."

H.R.4728: The Community Integration Act

2006-02-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

H.R.4728 Title: To authorize the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide caseworker assistance to persons evacuated from their homes as a result of Hurricane Katrina or Hurricane Rita. Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 2/8/2006) Cosponsors (1) Latest Major Action: 2/8/2006 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Congressman Scott Praises Delta Addition of Routes to Africa

2006-02-09T11:07:00.000-08:00

Today Congressman David Scott (GA-13) applauded the announcement by Delta Air Lines of plans to link the world’s largest airport in Atlanta to Dakar, Senegal and the growing South African capital city of Johannesburg by becoming the only U.S. air carrier to provide scheduled service between the U.S. and Africa beginning December 2006.

The Congressional Black Caucus Monitor, February 2006, Report Card #2

2006-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

"CBC Monitor is a challenge both to the CBC themselves but also Black America to get more active in making the American political system function in its benefit. Our report cards are just that: scheduled, timely assessments meant to criticize and reward performance." Jared Ball, co-Founder of the CBC Monitor in Blackcommentator.com.

European Markets Could Open to N.C. Farmers

2006-02-08T20:05:00.000-08:00

Congressman G. K. Butterfield is applauding a World Trade Organization’s ruling that a six-year European ban on genetically engineered crops violated international trade rules.

“Hopefully the European Union will now begin to quickly dismantle food bans and let science-based policy prevail,” Butterfield said.

A WTO panel ruled yesterday that the European Union and six of its member states violated international trade rules by imposing a six-year ban on the import of agricultural products and food containing genetically modified organisms.

CONGRESSMAN WATT ANNOUNCES NEW NASCAR-HBCU PARTNERSHIP

2006-02-08T15:29:00.000-08:00

Today Congressman Melvin L. Watt (D-NC) joined college and stock car racing officials to introduce the NASCAR-HBCU Consortium, a partnership between the National Association of Stock Car Racing (NASCAR) and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that will provide opportunities for minorities to participate in the automotive industry. Congressman Watt is an original co-sponsor of the joint House and Senate resolution that recognizes and supports the initiative.

Statement Concerning Black Belt Church Fires

2006-02-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

“Congressman Davis is deeply concerned about the rash of church fires that have occurred in recent days in Alabama. Today, it has been reported that four more churches were burned overnight, all within the boundaries of the 7th Congressional District. Our hearts go out to the pastors, families and communities impacted by this tragedy, and we each should offer a prayer that they be comforted during this trying time.”

Mayor Brings Operation Safer Streets Into Communities

2006-02-06T11:49:00.000-08:00

Speaking to large crowds throughout the City, MayorJohn F. Street on Saturday unveiled the City’s new comprehensive, citywide violence prevention and reduction plan – Operation Safer Streets.

Flanked by Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and an array of city officials, community activists and clergy, the Mayor appeared at six meetings in neighborhoods across the City, delivering the same message at each stop to overflowing, engaged crowds.

“ Philadelphia is safer today than it’s been in a long time,” Mayor Street said at Faith Assembly of God Church in Frankford. “Remember Operation Safe Streets? We shut down 309 open-air drug markets. Serious crime declined. However, the recent uptick in gun violence in our City is unacceptable, and we will not allow it to continue. We have a plan to prevent violence, but the police cannot solve this problem alone. Violence is everybody’s problem, and we must all be a part of the solution.”

City of New Orleans Issues Notification of Future Property Demolition

2006-02-03T11:31:00.000-08:00

The City of New Orleans has begun issuing notification to property owners of structures, portions of structures, or partially or wholly collapsed properties that floated off their foundations, as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and/or Rita, and are now on public property including streets, sidewalks or rights of way.

Lobbying and Ethics Reform in the 109th Congress

2006-02-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

We must institute reforms with an eye towards common sense and avoid reactionary responses that will ultimately prove counterproductive. With this in mind, I believe some key elements of various ethics reform measures should be implemented to produce a meaningful reform bill.

Rangel's Bill Honoring Tuskegee Airmen Nears Passage

2006-02-03T10:16:00.000-08:00

H.R.1259 Title: To authorize the President to award a gold medal on behalf of the Congress, collectively, to the Tuskegee Airmen in recognition of their unique military record, which inspired revolutionary reform in the Armed Forces. Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 3/10/2005) Cosponsors (267) Related Bills: S.392 Latest Major Action: 8/24/2005 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology.

City's campaign-finance law comes under candidates' fire

2006-02-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

"It appears there are several instances where the contribution limits have been exceeded," City Controller Alan Butkovitz said at a news conference. He singled out U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah (D., Pa.) as the "most egregious" offender, saying that just 4 percent of the $353,342 Fattah had raised in a mayoral exploratory committee complied with the caps.

Barbara Lee Calls on Bush to Increase Global AIDS Funding

2006-02-02T12:55:00.000-08:00

"The ongoing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria pandemics represent the greatest humanitarian challenge in the world today. In the interests of social stability, economic productivity, nationally security, and most importantly, a sense of compassion for others, we have a moral duty to act to prevent the spread of these diseases and treat those who are infected. $7.54 represents the United States fair share to addressing three pandemics and is really just a drop in the bucket compared to the $6 billion a month we are spending to fight the war in Iraq.”

H.R. 1631, the Rail Infrastructure Development and Expansion Act for the 21st Century (RIDE 21)

2006-02-02T12:53:00.000-08:00

Hastings to President Bush on the State of the Union: “Stop hiding behind 9-1-1, give us the 4-1-1!”

2006-02-02T12:46:00.000-08:00

“Everywhere you look, the President’s priorities are in the wrong order. The ship of our state is sinking under the weight of red ink, and the President is like Nero fiddling while Rome burns. He views himself as above the law, and his policies reek of corruption, bought and paid for by the highest bidding special interest. Civil rights are disregarded, as the President’s wiretaps are warrantless, and his justifications baseless. Tonight is an opportunity for the President to stop hiding behind 9-1-1 and give us the 4-1-1 on the real state of our Union, which is anything but strong."