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September 28, 2006, 11:43 am
By
Fla. GOP Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
The new version of my Iran Freedom and Support Act provides U.S. officials with the necessary tools to prevent Iran from acquiring the technical assistance, financial resources, and political legitimacy to develop nuclear weapons and support terrorism. It enjoys Administration, Senate, and bi-partisan support and provides critical leverage to secure cooperation from our allies in countering the Iranian threat.
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September 28, 2006, 9:01 am
By
N.Y. Dem. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy
A few months back, the FBI announced that violent crime increased at its highest rate in 15 years. There were 17,000 homicides in the United States in 2005, a jump of nearly 5%.
So what is Congressional leadership's response to this national crisis? To defy common sense and make it even easier for criminals to buy guns.
Just this week, the House passed legislation to protect corrupt gun dealers. This legislation, HR 5092, ties the hands of the ATF in its dealings with the 1% of gun dealers responsible for the guns used in nearly 60% of crimes. We should be giving the ATF the tools to crack down on corrupt and negligent gun dealers, but this legislation makes it harder to revoke their licenses. The bill relaxes recordkeeping requirements by no longer requiring dealers to properly maintain records.
Even if the ATF is able to revoke a corrupt gun dealer's license, this bill gives the dealer 60 days to sell off his remaining inventory. This defies all common sense. It's like revoking the license of a tavern that repeatedly serves under-aged drinkers, but allowing it to stay open until all its liquor is sold.
Read more...
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September 28, 2006, 7:33 am
By
Vt. Dem. Sen. Patrick Leahy
When others in his position would be thinking about where are the papers going and how will we retire, just a matter of months ago he offered the boldest solution to combat global climate change this body has ever considered.
He has championed legislation to strengthen our Nation's education system and increase the opportunities for individuals with disabilities.
All of us can talk about what we do here. It is what we leave for our children and our grandchildren that counts. Future generations of Vermonters will honor Jim's legacy when they see the work that he began as attorney general and continued throughout the Senate -- helping to restore Lake Champlain to its brilliance, its magnificence; or witness the bald eagles abounding in the wilderness areas, thanks to Jim.
He has served Vermont well and, just as importantly, he has served the Senate well.
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September 28, 2006, 5:38 am
By
Wash. Dem. Rep. Jim McDermott
There are millions of vulnerable children in America for whom we in the Congress are the last line of defense. These are abused and neglected children who through no fault of their own have been cast out, or worse. It’s hard to imagine that anyone would harm a child, but it happens every day in America. Protecting these children is one of my most important priorities, and I’m proud that we were able to do some good this week.
Working together with Republican Subcommittee Chairman Wally Herger, we passed the Child and Family Services Improvement Act. Mr. Herger and I often speak in opposition on issues, but we spoke as one voice in support of strengthening safeguards for these vulnerable children. I’d like to think we forgot about party labels for a brief moment, and remembered that we can work together for the common good of America.
The legislation contains a number of important provisions, not the least of which is to recognize and support caseworkers at the State level who are the nation’s first responders in what I see as a rescue mission: identifying vulnerable children and getting them help before they are harmed, or hurt more. We require a standard level of visits and better equip caseworkers with the tools they need to succeed. As a medical doctor and child psychiatrist, all of my training has left me at a loss to explain why some adults would hurt a child for any reason. But children are harmed and neglected, and we must intercede.
The new legislation is a step in the right direction, but we must not think that we have solved the problem. Let me give one example. We don’t do nearly enough to assist kids aging out of foster care. Those closest to these children know better than anyone that an 18 year old foster child does not have the same opportunity for success as every other young person in America, and that’s just wrong. While we can and should be proud of passing the Child and Family Services Improvement Act, we cannot forget that we are the last line of defense for vulnerable children; we are the difference between hope and despair.
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September 27, 2006, 12:53 pm
By
Texas GOP Rep. Randy Neugebauer
The practice of loading up emergency appropriations bills with pork and other non-emergency items has become all too common in Congress. That's why I have introduced the Responsible Emergency Appropriation Limits (REAL) Supplemental Act. My bill mandates that a supplemental can only provide for a single emergency, contain only emergency spending, and must be free of earmarks.
This past spring, Congress took up two emergency appropriations bill. The first was to fund the War on Terror. The second was to help Gulf Coast Recovery efforts. Not only were these two bills lumped together, but additional, unrelated spending was added. While member and senator projects in states like Hawaii, California and Illinois may be worthwhile, they had nothing to do with winning the War on Terror or helping the people along the Gulf Coast get back on their feet.
There are times when emergencies or other unforeseen events take place. And often Congress has a responsibility to respond quickly. But when it does, Congress should do so while spending taxpayer dollars responsibly. Considering each emergency bill on its own merits and keeping earmarks far away from the bill will help us reach these goals.
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September 27, 2006, 11:39 am
By
Minn. GOP Rep. John Kline
It's a victory for the entire great state of Minnesota. This will be an outstanding opportunity for us to showcase the best of our state to the entire country.
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September 27, 2006, 10:44 am
By
Calif. Dem. Sen. Dianne Feinstein
This week a powerful voice joined the call for increased oversight of our nation’s energy markets.
On Monday, the Industrial Energy Consumers of America (IECA) voiced its support of increased government oversight of the energy market as provided in the Oil and Gas Traders Oversight Act of 2006.
This legislation, which I introduced in April with Senators Snowe, Levin, Cantwell, Mikulski, and Boxer, seeks to increase transparency and accountability so the federal government can determine if speculation or manipulation is occurring in the oil, gas, and electricity markets.
Without increased federal oversight, consumers across the country continue to be left vulnerable to fraud. And consumers risk being unknowingly forced to pay more, while the energy companies reap larger profits.
Read more...
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September 27, 2006, 9:27 am
By
Ill. GOP Rep. Jerry Weller
As elected officials, we are accountable to the people we serve. This law increases the level of that accountability on a critical issue – the spending of taxpayer money. With this law, anyone with access to a computer can know how the federal government is spending their hard-earned tax dollars.
Combined with House passage of the line item veto and earmark reform, we are making progress on fiscal responsibility. The projected deficit has been reduced by $127 billion, but there is more to do if we are to bring the budget into balance. We begin by holding the line on spending.
Public transparency is an important tool in cutting wasteful spending. People don’t go to a department store or restaurant and drop money without knowing what it’s going for…it makes sense to apply the same rule to government.
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September 27, 2006, 5:08 am
By
N.Y. Dem. Rep. Maurice Hinchey
A recent article in The New York Times revealed that four Interior Department auditors have filed a lawsuit against the agency after senior agency officials suppressed their efforts to collect more than $30 million in fraudulent royalty underpayments by oil and gas companies that are operating on public property in the Gulf of Mexico.
Upon finding this out, several of my colleagues and I called for immediate congressional hearings and investigations into these reported efforts by senior Interior Department officials to allow oil and gas companies to cheat American taxpayers out of royalty payments. We sent letters to House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior Chairman Charles Taylor (R-NC), asking that oversight hearings be held on the matter before Congress adjourns for October.
It's bad enough that oil and gas companies are cheating the American people out of tens of millions of dollars in royalty payments, but for all of this to be happening with the blessing of senior Interior Department officials is outrageous. The Interior Department should be in the business of fighting for the best interests of the American people, not in the business of finding ways for oil and gas companies to cheat and lie in order to make even greater profits. We need an investigation and hearings to determine who at the Interior Department prevented auditors from going after oil and gas companies that were cheating so that appropriate disciplinary and legal actions can be taken against those senior officials.
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September 27, 2006, 4:46 am
By
Fla. Dem. Rep. Robert Wexler
After nearly three years of working to ensure that the rights of Florida voters are protected, I have taken my fight all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Last week, I filed an appeal with the Supreme Court, arguing that Florida is currently not in compliance with the Bush v. Gore standard and the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution. Currently, 52 counties in Florida use optical scan machines that allow for a manual recount, while the other 15 counties use touch-screen voting machines that have a paperless system, which cannot be manually recounted in the event of a close election.
In June, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed my federal lawsuit citing that there can be different voting systems within a state and the ability for some voters to have a manual recount while others do not does not unduly burden the voter. However, prior to my federal appeals dismissal in April, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Steward v. Blackwell that due to differentiating voting systems throughout the state of Ohio, counties cannot ensure that all ballots will be counted, not allowing for equal protection for all voters. In the opinion, 6th Circuit Judge Boyce F. Martin stated, "we easily conclude that the right to have one's vote counted on equal terms is part of the right to vote." Since differing opinions have been issued within the Federal Circuit Courts, I believe my elections lawsuit merits a review by the Supreme Court.
It is inexcusable that since the 2000 election, the voting rights of all Floridians have been ignored. The unfortunate fact is that there is widespread disregard for voter rights in Florida and around the country and a disturbing failure by some elected officials to fully ensure the validity of their state's electoral process. Despite growing public concern and
mounting evidence calling into question electronic voting machines, it is clear that Governor Bush and Secretary of State Cobb stand firm that the current system does not need to be fixed. Even Maryland's Republican Governor Robert Ehrlich has questioned the accuracy of touch-screen voting machines and has called for a paper-trail, citing a lack of confidence in the current system.
It is my sincere hope that the Supreme Court will expeditiously hear my case and ultimately deliver an opinion that safeguards our nation's democratic process and ensures fair and accurate elections.
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