Judiciary Hearing on Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations
July 25th, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe Judiciary Committee is currently holding a hearing, “Executive Power and Its Constitutional Limitations.”
Watch the hearing live on C Span 1.
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House Passes Final Global HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Bill
July 24th, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe House has just passed the final version of the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act, by a vote of 303-115. The bill will now be sent to the President. This version is very similar to the original bill passed by the House in April and represents America’s largest commitment ever to fighting this global epidemic.
Learn more in our current legislation section >>
Speaker Pelosi:
“Today the House took an historic vote to pass landmark legislation to reauthorize our initiatives to fight infectious diseases in the developing world.
“I thank the Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman and Congresswoman Barbara Lee for their tremendous leadership on this legislation.
“This bill is appropriately named the Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Reauthorization Act.
“Under the leadership of Tom Lantos and Henry Hyde, we passed the first President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) legislation that authorized $15 billion over five years. Today, we honor their legacy with this legislation.
“Working together with the Bush Administration and the Appropriations Committee, we succeeded in providing life-saving anti-retroviral treatment to nearly 1.5 million people, supporting care for nearly 6.7 million people, including nearly 3 million orphans and vulnerable children, and supporting prevention of more than 150,000 infant infections.
“Now we must take the next step in fighting infectious diseases in the poorest countries of the world.
“The legislation Congress has passed will move us from the emergency phase to the sustainability phase in fighting AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. It will authorize $48 billion over five years to provide life-saving HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention for men, women, and children in the poorest countries of the world.
“The legislation will dramatically strengthen health care delivery systems, encourage new and innovative ways to deliver the ABC prevention message, improve relationships with governments and NGOs, eliminate the requirement that one third of the funding be used for abstinence programs, eliminate the travel ban for visitors who are HIV positive, improve services for women and girls, and build stronger linkages to health care and hunger initiatives.
“Few crises have called out more for sustained, constructive America leadership.
“Across the developing world, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has destroyed the very fabric of nations, devastated the most productive members of these societies, discouraged economic development, and orphaned 13 million children.
“The Leadership Against HIV/AIDS Act is our compact with developing nations across the globe. It says that America stands with them in this fight, that our commitment will not waver, and shows them America’s true face of compassion.â€
Foreign Affairs Chairman Howard Berman closed debate on the bill:
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Chairman Berman: “The notion that there are now pregnant women who because of new discoveries in medicine can take drugs which allow their baby to be born without being HIV-positive, I call that saving lives. And curing a problem. This is happening all over the countries where these programs are working. The notion that the United States is helping to take care of the orphans and other vulnerable children who are left without parents as a result of this epidemic, I call saving lives and curing a problem.”Rep. Alcee Hastings (FL-23) spoke in favor of the bill and denounced Republicans attempts to delay the bill in favor of drilling in pristine areas.
Rep. Hastings: “This bill that we are here on, Madam Speaker, is named after two of the most distinguished persons that have ever served in this body. My colleague from Florida and all of us that are here knew both of these men and knew their seriousness when they came to this floor about matters. We commemorate their memory with this bill, but what we do is we denigrate their memory by bringing up political hyperbole, political grandstanding and bumper stickerism. Enough of this… How dare we come here with this pitiful excuse for a previous question and say to the American people that on a matter of this consequence, on a matter of dealing with malaria and tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS that we would come here and denigrate the name of the two persons that we commemorate with such a foolish pop significance.”
House Votes on Release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve
July 24th, 2008 by Jesse LeeTo combat record gas prices at $4.03 a gallon, the House has just voted on the Consumer Energy Supply Act, H.R. 6578. The measure received strong majority support with a vote of 268 to 157, but failed to receive the two-thirds necessary to pass under suspension of the rules. All Democrats present voted for the measure, while 157 Republicans voted against it. The bill would temporarily release nearly 10 percent of the oil from the government’s stockpile (known as the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR)), and replace it later with heavier, cheaper crude oil. This could bring gas prices down, strengthen our national security, and be a good deal for the American taxpayer. The SPR has been tapped or suspended before by President Bush, President Clinton, and the first President Bush and each time oil has been released the impact on prices has been dramatic and immediate. In 1991, oil prices immediately dropped by 33 percent. The 2000 exchange drove oil prices down by 19 percent. And the release by President Bush in 2005 resulted in a 9 percent drop.
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Speaker Pelosi: “Every time it’s been done, the price of oil has come down. So it’s a proven, it’s a proven way to bring the price at the pump down… So we’re saying to the oil companies, use it or lose it. Use your permits, drill for oil, but don’t say I don’t want to drill there where I have an environmental permit to drill, I want to go drill in some protected area which is going to take longer for me to do, by the way, and the reason I’m not drilling so much where I’m allowed to is I don’t have the equipment to do it. So see this for the hoax on the American people that it is. Yes, we’re saying drill, use it or lose it. As a way to increase domestic supply. We’re also saying you increase domestic supply by investing in renewable energy resources, wind, solar, biofuels and the rest.”Select Committee Chairman Ed Markey: “And the Republican Party and President Bush and Vice President Cheney are talking about anything but using the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in order to protect the American consumer at the pump today. And there’s a good reason. Because the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to the oil industry what kryptonite is to Superman. It saps them of their strength immediately. It decreases dramatically their power over ordinary citizens across our country and that’s why they object to it.”
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Rep. Chris Van Hollen (MD-08): “And if we responsibly just put a little bit of this oil away we can provide relief at the pump today. Unfortunately, the President’s resisted this call, just like he resisted our call to stop filling the strategic petroleum reserve which he finally relented in doing so. We need to pass this legislation. This is not a long-term policy. We need to work together to make sure that on a long-term basis we tap the ingenuity of this country, our renewable energy, renergy efficiency and esponsible drilling. But Americans are hurting now. This is not a so-called mental recession, as we heard from former senator Phil Gramm. The pain is real, and we need to address it now. You know, a few months ago I think we all saw a spectacle that made us shudder. We saw President Bush travel to Saudi Arabia to plead with their king to pump more oil. The Saudi king turned him down cold…”Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR-04): “It’s as if the first six years of the Bush Administration never existed. The Republicans controlled the House, the White House, and the United States Senate. Vice President Dick Cheney at the President’s behest met secretly with the oil and gas industry and other energy producers and proposed an energy policy, a Republican energy policy. That policy was passed by the Republican House of Representatives, adopted by the Republican Senate, and signed by the Republican President. We’ve been living under it now for a couple of years. And it’s having the predictable results… They didn’t mandate increases in fuel standards. They didn’t mandate development of alternative fuels. They had a few pretend things about hydrogen which was far enough off in the future that it didn’t upset their benefactors in the oil industry, because they know hydrogen is 20 or 30 years off… Now suddenly they’re all for action, they’re all for action. ”
Rep. Doyle on Autism and Michael Savage
July 24th, 2008 by Jesse LeeRep. Mike Doyle (PA-14), a passionate advocate in the fight against autism, denounces recent remarks by radio host Michael Savage on the floor:
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Rep. Doyle: “Mr. Savage claimed that many diagnosed cases of autism were fraudulent and that, quote ‘In 99% of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut out the act. They don’t have a father around to tell them, don’t act like a moron,’ unquote. Mr. Speaker, I’ve known a number of families dealing with autism over the years and I can tell you unequivocally that none of the children with autism I’ve met fit that deplorable description — but don’t take my word for it. There’s been decades of peer-resued studies on autism and the evidence is clear, autism spectrum disorders are real and affect over one million people today. If Mr. Savage wants to see a moron, I suggest he look in the mirror.”Protesters Decry Radio Commentator Michael Savage’s Remarks About Autism
Fox News - July 22, 2008
Protesters gathered outside WOR-AM in New York City on Monday over syndicated radio commentator Michael Savage’s remarks last Wednesday describing “99 percent of children with autism as brats.”
Some parents of autistic children have called for Savage’s firing after he described autism as a racket last week. “In 99 percent of the cases, it’s a brat who hasn’t been told to cut the act out,” Savage said on his radio program.
Savage offered no apology in a message posted Monday on his Web site. He said greedy doctors and drug companies were creating a “national panic” by overdiagnosing autism, a mental disorder that inhibits a person’s ability to communicate.
On his radio show last week, he said: “What do you mean they scream and they’re silent? They don’t have a father around to tell them, ‘Don’t act like a moron. You’ll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don’t sit there crying and screaming, you idiot.’”
Oversight Hearing on Medicare Part D Discounts
July 24th, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe Oversight Committee is currently holding a hearing, “The Medicare Drug Benefit: Are Private Insurers Getting Good Discounts for the Taxpayer?†The Medicare Part D program provides prescription drug coverage to almost 30 million enrollees, and will cost federal taxpayers almost $1 trillion in the next decade. The hearing will examine whether the private insurers that receive government subsidies to provide the Part D benefit are able to effectively obtain prescription drug discounts from drug manufacturers. Since the Part D program’s inception in January 2006, observers have questioned whether the private insurers who run the program are effectively negotiating with drug manufacturers for low prices.
Chairman Henry Waxman gives opening remarks:
Chairman Waxman: “What we discovered is that the taxpayers are paying far more for drugs under Medicare Part D than they do under Medicaid. In effect, Medicare Part D has given the major drug companies a taxpayer-funded windfall worth billions of dollars… The circumstances that led to passage of the Medicare Part D law were controversial. The chairman of the House committee that wrote the Part D law now runs PhRMA, the drug manufacturer’s trade association. The Administration’s top negotiator left the government to lobby for health insurers and drug companies. There were allegations of threats and arm-twisting on the House floor… I will soon be introducing legislation that will protect the taxpayer by bringing down the high drug prices in Medicare Part D.”
Rep. Elijah Cumminds (MD-03) questions the first panel of expert witnesses on potential solutions:
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Rep. Cummings: “I’ve sat here and I’ve listened to all of you, and I’ve got to tell you — I’m confused. Because the bottom line… as I understand it, is that the government is spending more money now, in moving these folks to Medicare Part D than they were before. Is that the bottom line?”Professor Gerard Anderson: “$2 billion more, per year.”
House Passes American Housing Rescue & Foreclosure Prevention Act
July 23rd, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe House has just passed the most comprehensive response yet to the American mortgage crisis by a vote of 272-152. The American Housing Rescue & Foreclosure Prevention Act, H.R. 3221, will help families facing foreclosure keep their homes, help other families avoid foreclosures in the future, and help the recovery of communities harmed by empty homes caught in the foreclosure process. To shore up the housing market and ensure the availability of affordable home loans, the bill would put a tough, independent new regulator in charge of the housing Government Sponsored Enterprises, or GSEs (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks), which are vital to both the financial markets and American homeowners. The new regulator will be far better prepared to quickly and effectively respond to issues affecting the safe and sound operation of these enterprises. The centerpiece of the bill will help significant numbers of hard-working American families in danger of losing their home refinance into lower-cost government -insured mortgages they can afford to repay – at no cost to the American taxpayer. President Bush rescinded his veto threat on the legislation this morning.
Learn more in our current legislation section >>
Speaker Pelosi: “The bill the House takes up today, if enacted, will represent the most far-reaching reform of our nation’s federal housing finance system in a generation. Chairman Frank had the foresight to build a bipartisan consensus around a bill that addresses the difficult challenges in our housing markets and in communities across America. To help American families avoid foreclosure and jumpstart the housing market the legislation, first, steers middle-class families away from predatory subprime loans and provides them with affordable mortgages; shields middle-class borrowers from predatory lending practices and provides foreclosure avoidance counseling opportunities; protects taxpayers, not speculators, by requiring lenders and homeowners to take responsibility; and offers tax breaks to first-time home buyers.”
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Rep. Barney Frank: “No solution to a problem should be more elegant than the problem. We’re in this problem because of excessive deregulation that led to the subprime exposure. And the gentleman from Alabama and I and other members of the committee, my colleague from North Carolina tried several years to prevent it. We were overruled by higher political authority at the time when the Republicans controlled Congress. We are suffering from the results of subprime. As to Fannie and Freddie, yes, that’s a hybrid form that none of us here created that we should look at and we should look at. But to deny emergency response would be inviting disaster.”Rep. Maxine Waters: “I want to thank a number of people, the members of the Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity and the bipartisan members who voted for many aspects of this bill when that legislation came before our committee. I want to thank the Black Caucus for standing strong and insist that we have money to help those communities that were targeted by the lenders for this subprime mess that they put us in.”
The GOP Energy Plan: ‘All Too Familiar’
July 23rd, 2008 by Office of the SpeakerEight months after the Democratic-led New Direction Congress led the enactment of a landmark new energy policy for our country, House Republicans are now releasing an energy plan that largely rehashes failed ideas on domestic drilling or proposes ideas that they have repeatedly blocked in the past.
Their all-out legislative battle in recent years to protect the record profits of oil companies earning record profits has earned them the moniker “Grand Oil Party.” They call their plan “All of the Above.” Americans paying $4 a gallon thanks to an energy policy literally written by the oil industry may see it as “All Too Familiar.”
The GOP says their plan will “open our deep water ocean resources.”
That means drill off more of America’s beaches.
According to the Bush Administration’s own Energy Department, if we repealed the offshore drilling ban today, oil and gas production would not begin there until 2017, and impact on prices would be “insignificant.” [EIA, 2007] 80 percent of America’s oil and gas natural resources are in areas where oil companies can already drill. [Committee on Natural Resources, 6/18/08] There are 33 million acres of the federal OCS lands that are under lease but are not producing. Oil companies are spending more of their record profits on buying back stock than they are on new oil and gas exploration — both on and off shore. [AP, 7/21/08]
The Democratic-led Congress leadership has pushed for responsible drilling practices, telling the oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres—the size of Georgia and Illinois combined—that they already hold. House Republicans have twice blocked this drilling proposal.
The GOP says their plan is to “open the Arctic coastal plain.”
That means drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
According to the Bush Administration’s own Energy Department, if we opened the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling today, we wouldn’t get the first drop of oil for 10 years, and it would take nearly 20 years for the field to reach peak production, and at that time, gas prices would drop by less than 2 cents a gallon. [EIA, 5/08]
The Democratic-led Congress has proposed, as part of a larger plan, to expedite drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A), which holds over 10.6 billion barrels of oil – more than the Arctic Refuge. House Republicans blocked this measure.
The GOP says their plan is to “allow development of our nation’s shale oil resources.”
That means open up huge parts of the American West to costly, water-intensive, land-stripping “tar shale” practices even though it’s use is not commercially viable now.
The Republicans want to open up 2.3 million acres of public lands in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming for tar shale development despite the fact that 3 million acres of prime tar shale lands are already owned by oil companies.
The technology needed for commercially-viable extraction of oil from tar shales does not yet exist. To convert tar shale into oil, enormous electricity and water are needed to power the operation. It takes about three barrels of water to produce one barrel of oil from tar sands. This water would be taken in parts of the country experiencing long-standing water supply issues and historic droughts. [Wilderness Society, 3/08] Furthermore, even the most optimistic estimates say it will take 20 years for tar shales to produce 1 million barrels of oil per day and 30 years to produce 3 million barrels of oil per day. [RAND, 2005]
The Democratic-led Congress has expanded the use of American-grown biofuels transitioning to non-food sources, such as switchgrass and woodchips, rather than continuing America’s dependence on foreign oil. House Republicans have repeatedly voted against investing in renewable energy development.
The GOP says their plan is “to improve energy conservation and efficiency.”
Republican actions tell a different story.
Vice President Dick Cheney summed up his party’s view: “Conservation is a sign of personal virtue, not an energy policy.” [USA Today, 5/1/01] From 1995 to 2007, the Republican majority and President Bush repeatedly blocked efforts to increase efficiency standards for vehicles, buildings, lighting, air-conditioning, and appliances. The 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act finally broke the obstruction on appliance and lighting standards. One of the first things the Bush Administration did after it took office was to reverse a regulation to strengthen the efficiency of central air conditioners by 30%, and then it dragged its feet in implementing new appliance standards of the 2005 Energy Policy Act. The President’s 2009 budget cuts renewable energy and energy efficiency programs at the Department of Energy $467 million below the FY 08 enacted level. President Bush’s 2009 budget request eliminates funding for programs that help low-income families save millions of dollars by making their homes more energy efficient. [2008] If the Republican majority had not blocked the transition to a 35-mile per gallon (mpg) standard in the mid 1990’s, then we would now be saving 1.5 million barrels of oil per day and consumers would be saving $90 billion a year on gasoline they didn’t have to buy.
The Democratic-led Congress improved vehicle, lighting, and appliance standards in 2007, over Republican objections, and we passed energy tax credits to help families afford plug-in hybrid cars. Despite President Bush’s opposition, Democrats will continue to fight for funding for low-income Americans to weatherize their homes.
The GOP says their plan will “promote new and expanding energy technologies.”
Republican actions tell a different story.
President Bush and Congressional Republicans continue to block legislation that would repeal unnecessary tax breaks for Big Oil and move them to renewable energy. Republicans have voted at least four times against the tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency that are key to an energy independent future. Funding for energy technology research has been woefully inadequate under President Bush – around a third the level seen during the energy crisis in the late 1970s – underscoring the low priority this Administration has given to investing in new technologies to solve the energy and climate crisis.
The Democratic-led Congress passed legislation to extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy, retain and create hundreds of thousands of green jobs and spur American innovation and business investment. Democrats will continue to push for a Renewable Electricity Standard that would require 15 percent of all electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020. The majority of House Republicans oppose all of these measures.
The New Direction Congress taking action to bring down high energy prices squeezing American families and businesses. Tomorrow, Democrats will vote on a proposal to draw down a small portion of oil the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to immediately expand available supplies, send a strong message to oil speculators, and help reduce the record prices that are helping push the economy toward recession.
We hope House Republicans will drop their opposition and stand with Democrats to pass this crucial bill.
Armed Services Hearing on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
July 23rd, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee is currently holding a hearing, “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Review.” The hearing will include testimony from military veterans on the effects of the policy.
Subcommittee Chairwoman Susan Davis gives opening remarks:
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Chairwoman Davis: “While the focus of the hearing is to provide a fair and balanced forum for debate, I think it is only fair to share my personal belief that the current policy should be repealed. I came to this position after talking to many servicemembers, active duty, reserve, and retired, and concluding that the open service of gay men and women need not present an operational problem. Many Americans who happen to be gay or lesbian want to answer our nation’s call to service, and allowing them to serve in an open and honest manner would uphold the ideals od military service. I would like to enter into the record a statement from the Department of Defense regarding ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ The Department will not be testifying today and has been hesitant to address the issue in open session…”Former Naval intelligence officer Captain Joan E. Darrah, USN, (Ret.) gives testimony:
Captain Darrah: “But there was always that fear in the back of my mind that somehow I had been outed, and that the Admiral was calling me in to tell me that I was fired. The constant fear of being outed and fired, even though your perfomance is exceptional, is hard to quantify. ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ discourages thousands of talented and patriotic citizens from joining the military, because rightly so, they refuse to live a lie. This is a tremendous loss for our military.”
Wounded Iraq war veteran Staff Sergeant Eric Alva, USMC, (Ret.) gives testimony:
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Staff Sergeant Alva: “My military service came to an end on March 21st, 2003. Three hours into the invasion of Iraq we had stopped to wait for orders… As I crossed that dusty patch of desert for the third time that day, I triggered a landmine… I remember wondering why they weren’t removing my right boot, it wasn’t until later that I had realized it was because that leg was already gone… I also had the dubious honor of being the first American injured in the Iraq War… That landmine may have put an end to my military career that day, but it didn’t put an end to my secret. That would come years later, when I realized that I had fought and nearly died to secure thr rights for others that I myself was not free to enjoy. I had proudly served a country that was not proud of me. More importantly, my experience disproved all the arguments against open service my gays and lesbians — I knew I had to share my story.”Rep. Patrick Murphy (PA-08), the only Iraq veteran in Congress, challenges the witnesses in opposition to repealing the policy:
Rep. Murphy: “You’re basically asserting that straight men and women in our military aren’t professional enough to serve openly with gay troops while completing their military missions. You know as a former Army officer I can tell you I think that’s an insult to me and to many of the soldiers. To answer your question, Mr. Jones, it was 24 countries that allow military personnel to serve openly without any detrimental impact on unit cohesion.”
Armed Services Hearing on the Comptroller General’s Progress Report on Iraq
July 23rd, 2008 by Jesse LeeThe Armed Services Committee is currently holding a hearing, “On the Comptroller General’s progress report on Iraq.” Witnesses are Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the United States, and Joseph Christoff, Director of International Affairs and Trade for the Government Accountability Office. The GAO released a report on the lack of strategy going forward in June.
GAO Report Faults Post-’Surge’ Planning
Karen DeYoung, Washington Post - June 24, 2008
Comtroller General Dodaro explains why the GAO believes a new strategy is necessary now during his opening testimony and under questioning by Chairman Ike Skelton:
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Dodaro: “Now looking ahead, we think an updated strategy is called for, for several reasons. One, many things have changed in Iraq since January, 2007. We also think there are some limitations in the current plans of the agencies that need to be attended to. Also, the US is negotiating a new agreement in light of the UN mandate expiring at the end of this year. And I would point out that that expiration of that mandate will occur before the change in the Administration going forward, so I think that it is important that we have an updated strategy that reflects whatever agreement is reached…”Education and Labor Hearing on STEM Partnerships
July 22nd, 2008 by Jesse LeeToday the Education and Labor Committee held a hearing, “Innovation in Education through Business and Education STEM Partnerships,” to examine how business-education partnerships can help drive innovation and strengthen math and science education in America’s schools. A report released by the National Math Panel in March found that the nation’s system for teaching math is “broken and must be fixed†if the U.S. wants to maintain its competitive edge. In May, the Committee first examined the report’s findings and recommendations; this hearing follows up on that hearing.
Chairman George Miller gave opening remarks:
Chairman Miller: “I am a firm believer that the best thing we can do to help our children succeed in math, science, and every other subject is to invest more in the success of their teachers. One of our witnesses, John Castellani from the Business Roundtable, captured it especially well. He said that the expanded talent pool of Americans with a firm grounding in math and science is [a] critical element to the innovation agenda that our nation needs to pursue in order to remain competitive in the 21st century.”
Phil Mickelson, professional golfer and co-founder of the Mickelson Exxon Mobil Teachers Academy, gave testimony:
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Phil Mickelson: “In the last three years… only 15% [of our graduates] were in the science and engineering field, as opposed to Singapore with 67% and China with 50%. We wanted to give these teachers new, innovative ways, innovative tools to inspire their children, and so we bring them in for a week-long session with the National Science Teachers Association and Math Solutions providing the curriculum as well as the staff. And we’re able to give these teachers the techniques they need to go back to the classroom and inspire their kids.”