|
|
|
|
October 17, 2006, 10:57 am
By
Md. Dem. Sen. Barbara Mikulski
Today is a great day for America’s small and seasonal businesses! President Bush has signed into law the 2007 Department of Defense authorization bill, which includes my provision that will extend for one year a crucial provision from my Save Our Small and Seasonal Businesses Act, which saves small and seasonal businesses from a devastating cut to their workforce.
We won this by working together with small businesses and watermen fighting on the ground, and me fighting on Capitol Hill with my colleague, Senator John Warner (R-Va.). I have been fighting for years to help good guy businesses and workers wade through the unfair procedures that were part of the H2B visa process. This extension protects workers, and gives us another congressional session to keep up the fight until we make this cap exemption permanent.
I told small businesses they could count on me to keep fighting until we had a solution and they had the seasonal workers they needed to stay in business. Without these seasonal workers, many businesses would not survive – forced to limit services, lay off permanent U.S. workers or, worse yet, close their doors.
|
|
|
|
October 17, 2006, 10:35 am
By
S.C. GOP Rep. Joe Wilson
President Bush and House Republicans remain committed to increasing national security and protecting American families. The 'Military Commissions Act' will further both these goals by maintaining the CIA interrogation program and creating an avenue for trying terrorists. To win the Global War on Terrorism, we must have all tools at our disposal. Strenuous interrogation of terrorists has led to the capture of al-Qaeda operatives and foiled attacks within the United States and overseas.
Unfortunately, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts have chosen political opportunism above protecting America. Capitol Hill Democrats have repeatedly blocked Republican efforts to strengthen our national defense and make America safer.
|
|
October 17, 2006, 9:58 am
By
Ariz. GOP Rep. J.D. Hayworth
There is a lot of convenient misinformation about this issue that needs to be put to rest. This law does not, in any way, condone torture - far from it. What it does is simply codify the CIA interrogation program, which has been effective in keeping Americans safe, while adhering to the guidelines of the Geneva Convention. What I find disturbing is that so many Democrats voted against this important legislation.
Nancy Pelosi, who wants to be the next Speaker of the House, along with 159 of her colleagues voted against tough interrogation techniques and in favor of pampering terrorists like Khalid Sheik Mohammad, who coordinated the September 11th attacks. It is truly disheartening to watch Democrats put partisan politics above the safety of our own citizens. I'm glad the GOP led Congress held firm and did what it takes to protect America first and terrorists last.
|
October 17, 2006, 9:56 am
By
Md. GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett
The President signed two significant bills today - one I strongly support and one I oppose. I'm happy to support the President when I think he's doing the right thing. I'm sorry when I oppose him but I don't hesitate to do so when I think he's wrong.
President Bush urged and has now signed into law the FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act that will ensure our men and women serving in harm's way will bring only the best in technology and equipment to the fight so they can complete their missions and come home safe.
He also signed a Military Commissions bill that I voted against.
The Great Writ of Habeas Corpus may be suspended only by an express act of Congress "when in cases of rebellion or invasion the public safety may require it," under U.S. Constitution Article I, Section 9, clause 2.
Only four times before in our nation's history, twice during our Civil War and after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, has the federal government suspended the right of "habeas corpus," one of our Constitution's most fundamental rights.
Read more...
|
October 17, 2006, 9:32 am
By
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer
The following is a joint statement from House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and Ike Skelton, Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee:
The Republican claim that Democrats will not be tough on terrorism because many of us opposed the Republicans' Military Commissions Act is both offensive and untrue.
We are the Party of Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy and Clinton and we take a back seat to no one in protecting our nation and our people. We have always fought for freedom and confronted tyranny - and do so today.
Our national security interests are best served when we interrogate and try terrorist suspects in a manner that comports with our American values; produces convictions that will withstand appeals; and honors our international commitments, thereby protecting our troops who fall into enemy hands. We believe the Republican bill failed on each point.
Read more...
|
|
October 17, 2006, 9:16 am
By
House Minority Whip Roy Blunt
Our country is facing an enemy that has a clear objective of destroying our American way of life, and we need every tool available to prosecute these terrorists. The Military Commissions Act will enable our troops and intelligence agents to operate against a new enemy of a new battlefield.
To defend the nation after September 11, 2001, we had to go on offense. These terrorists do not represent any government, but rather a jihadist element intent on harming the United States. The ability to conduct military tribunals is crucial to our effort to turn back the tide of violence and hatred that fuels the terrorists.
The House of Representatives approved this legislation last month by a final vote of 250-170, with 162 Democrats voting against the measure. Democrats have not been consistent about how they would approach the enemy we face, and I believe they have a fundamental misunderstanding of our fight against terrorism.
The Military Commissions Act will enable us to keep America safe by making sure the terrorists are off the streets and brought to justice.
|
October 17, 2006, 8:54 am
By
Va. GOP Rep. Bob Goodlatte
Article I Section 8 of our Constitution establishes the framework for our nation’s copyright and patent laws. It grants Congress the power to award inventors and creators, for limited amounts of time, exclusive rights to their inventions and ideas. The founding fathers realized that this type of incentive was crucial to ensure that America would become the world’s leader in innovation and creative ingenuity.
Today, it is no coincidence that America is considered the most aggressive protector of intellectual property in the world and the world leader in innovation and creativity. However, many countries have failed to recognize the importance of intellectual property, which has not only harmed creators in those countries but also U.S. innovators seeking to expand into those countries.
The negative effects of international copyright piracy are staggering. In Russia, approximately 80 percent of all motion pictures and 83 percent of business software are pirated. Considering that the core copyright industries account for 6 percent of U.S. GDP and the total copyright industries account for approximately 12 percent of U.S. GDP, it is clear that America’s businesses are facing a serious problem. In fact, the FBI estimates that U.S. businesses lose between $200-250 billion a year to counterfeit goods.
Read more...
|
|
October 17, 2006, 7:35 am
By
Utah GOP Rep. Chris Cannon
Today I had the honor of being on hand when President Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006. The legislation creates a new judicial system to prosecute terrorists and provides fairness in prosecutions. With this critical legislation, we have given the people who keep us safe the tools they need to do their jobs and save American lives. It was an honor to work on this bill, and I applaud President Bush for signing this important legislation into law.
|
|
October 17, 2006, 5:45 am
By
Vt. Dem. Sen. Patrick Leahy
It is a sad day when the rubberstamp Congress undercuts our freedoms, assaults our Constitution and lets the terrorists achieve something they could never win on the battlefield. The Republican-led Congress missed another opportunity to write a good law because this Administration was mostly interested in trying to score political points in the run up to the elections and avoiding accountability for its unlawful actions.
They instead should have been interested in setting enforceable guidelines for fighting and winning the war on terror. The President himself wasted no time in politicizing the bill and signaling his true priorities in this debate. The bipartisan Warner-Levin bill would have been a better starting point for legislation, and Congress had no justification for suspending the writ of habeas corpus -- a core value in American law -- in order to avoid judicial review that prevents government abuse.
|
October 16, 2006, 11:50 am
By
Maine GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe
Today U.S. health care spending has reached 16 percent of our gross national product. At the same time, our population is growing older, and the retirement of the "baby boom" generation will substantially increase health care expenditures. No matter what we do to provide coverage to Americans, or to improve the quality and efficiency of care, a failure to manage costs will undermine those efforts.
One area in which I have focused efforts to reduce costs is the increasing problem of the affordability of prescription drugs, where price increases outpace inflation by two to three fold. That reduces access, and as has been said, "A drug one that one cannot afford is neither safe nor effective."
That is why I joined in a bipartisan effort with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in 2004 to offer legislation to improve our Medicare prescription drug benefit. While millions today benefit greatly from Part D, the cost of prescription drug coverage is far in excess of what the Congress was promised. Today seniors are realizing help primarily due to government subsidy, without the substantial discounting of drug prices we should be seeing. Our legislation - the MEND Act ( S.239) - will assure that the HHS Secretary has an appropriate role in drug price negotiation to ensure that seniors and taxpayers realize the savings they deserve. Indeed, achieving modest additional savings on just a single blockbuster drug would save several billion dollars per year. Such savings are essential to making this benefit more affordable and to providing a means to help eliminate the "donut hole" gap in coverage.
Read more...
|
|
Congress Blog
Most Popular Stories
|
|
 Get latest news from The Hill direct to your inbox, RSS reader and mobile devices.
|
Most Viewed RSS Feed »
