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July 25, 2006, 7:18 am
By
Wis. Dem. Rep. Tammy Baldwin
While there are many health care reform bills on the table, it's clear to me, and has been for some time, that no single approach has enough support to get enough votes for passage. The contentiousness in this Congress has also been an impediment to progress. In the meantime, patients and their families across the country are paying a high price, both financially and emotionally.
The federal government should be helping the states as they try new approaches, not hindering them. But, this bill does not throw a bunch of money at the problem of the uninsured. We're looking for systematic change and encouraging innovation.
My colleagues joined with me in a bipartisan working group, advised by health care policy experts from liberal and conservative think tanks and our able staff members. This collaboration, in these partisan times is rare, gratifying, and another sign of meaningful progress.
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July 24, 2006, 2:01 pm
By
Md. GOP Rep. Roscoe Bartlett
This was a very rational bill that was a compromise between homeowners’ associations and condominium associations that worry about the values of homes depreciating, and the rights of Americans to present their country’s flag. They can place reasonable limits on how and when to present the flag but they cannot stop you from presenting it.
It’s great to get a bill through the process and it takes a long time to get it through the bureaucracy. You just assume that people can fly the flag but then you learn that this isn’t the case and we felt in this case legislation was needed to solve the problem.
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July 24, 2006, 1:17 pm
By
American Bar Association President Michael Greco
I was asked to make available a report issued today by an American Bar Association task force on presidential signing statements. I asked this bipartisan group of constitutional experts and former government officials to examine whether presidents can sign new laws, but then issue statements saying they do not intend to enforce all or part of them.
This group found that presidents of both parties have used this tactic with increasing aggressiveness in the last 25 years, in ways that thwart the will of Congress and undermine our delicate system of checks and balances. I was especially gratified that the task force, which includes several conservatives including former Oklahoma Congressman Mickey Edwards, all agreed that the president can’t pick or choose what parts of a law he likes. He must sign or veto it as a whole.
I urge you to look at the report, prepared by the American Bar Association Task Force on Presidential Signing Statements and the Separation of Powers Doctrine.
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July 24, 2006, 12:30 pm
By
N.Y. Dem. Rep. Carolyn Maloney
As temperatures soared into the 90s last week, roughly 100,000 people in Western Queens lost power. We’re in the 8th day of the crisis, and nearly 10,000 people remain without power. It took Con Edison, our local power company, days to admit that the problem was real. As time passed and the lights stayed off, I wrote to Con Edison Chairman, President and CEO Kevin Burke to demand some answers and better communication with those who are affected.
Western Queens has 6 power plants and supplies 60% of the power to New York City. The residents bear the brunt of the health impacts of living near so many power plants, and now they are dealing with food spoilage, excessive heat and, in many cases, no hot water because they have no power. On top of that, some businesses have told me that they have millions in spoilage.
The community remains in the dark – both figuratively and literally. On July 21, 2006, I wrote again to Mr. Burke to express my outrage. I also wrote a letter to House Government Reform Committee Chairman Tom Davis and Ranking Member Henry Waxman, requesting that the federal government investigate how the blackout happened, why it happened, and what must be done to reduce the vulnerability of the power grid in the nation’s most prominent terrorist target.
Still, I so far haven’t even heard Con Ed say a simple ‘I'm sorry.’
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July 24, 2006, 11:46 am
By
Iowa GOP Sen. Chuck Grassley
I’m disappointed. Our trading partners don’t appreciate how much is at stake if this round fails. No deal is better than a bad deal, so it’s good our negotiators held their ground. I made it clear that I wouldn’t bring any type of ‘Doha lite’ deal before the Finance Committee. I’m glad our negotiators worked in the best interest of the global trading community. That means increasing market access.
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July 24, 2006, 10:00 am
By
Ga. Dem. Candidate for Congress Hank Johnson
Since this runoff began last week, I have spent a great deal of time meeting constituents one-on-one throughout the district, and there's been time for reflection between campaign stops. I'd like to take a moment to share my thoughts and give you an idea of what is on my mind as I work to unseat Cynthia McKinney.
Politics is often maligned as inherently coercive and manipulative. When practiced in a vibrant and open democratic society, though, and when representatives act and speak responsibly and thoughtfully, politics can be beautiful.
Democracy is surely too often exploited by those who would seek office to serve selfish interests or to win a bully pulpit. The character and integrity of our society are dependent upon the character and integrity of those who serve and represent it. In our country -- and in my district -- responsible leadership is at a premium, and it is responsible leadership that allows democracy to function healthily and serve the people's interests.
Read more...
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July 24, 2006, 6:33 am
By
Texas GOP Rep. Kay Granger
I think Israel should stay the course. They need to defend themselves and take as hard a stance as they're doing against Hezbollah.
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July 24, 2006, 4:00 am
By
N.Y. GOP Rep. Sherwood Boehlert
I hope that we get some degree of assurance and provide a structure for the public to ensure them of the integrity in the voting system. Quite frankly when you have something that's voluntary you can't achieve anything.
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July 23, 2006, 5:26 am
By
N.Y. GOP Rep. John Sweeney
I think that after ten years time it is time to make an adjustment. I'm confident that we can get a bill that can raise the minimum wage and protect small businesses and farms from added burdens.
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July 22, 2006, 12:01 pm
By
Colo. Dem. Rep. Diana DeGette
We are on the brink of cures for diseases that affect hundreds of millions around the world. Opponents of stem cell research often point to adult stem cells as a suitable alternative. However, legitimate scientists disagree. Dr. Harold Varmus, the former head of our National Institutes of Health, said, 'Compared to adult stem cells, embryonic stem cells have a much greater potential, according to all existing scientific literature.'
On Wednesday, the President exercised the first veto of his presidency on this law. President Bush has signed bills to give subsidies to Big Oil, to give tax cuts to the wealthiest few, and subsidies to HMOs, but he could not find it in his heart to give hope to America's families, proudly boasting that he was protecting America from crossing a 'moral line.' I am tempted to point out the obvious - the President's veto had nothing to do with morals. It had everything to do with cold, calculated, cynical political gain - the kind of politics that snuffs out the candle of hope, and that condemns the disabled and the sick.
The President's veto is a sad sidebar in a debate that has been about ethical scientific research and hope. The veto has backfired already, putting the spotlight on his stubborn resistance to facts. This last-gasp effort to stop stem cell research will be viewed by historians as a sign more of the weakness of the opponents than a roadblock to progress.
We cannot stand back and ignore a valuable research tool that might work medical miracles. We won't turn our backs on those in need. We will pass this bill. This fight is just beginning.
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