Maria Cantwell

Cantwell Introduces Legislation to Help Stop Abusive Speculation Practices

November 10,2009 -- WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), together with Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT), proposed legislation empowering state gambling regulators and attorneys general to examine unregulated derivatives trading and take appropriate action to protect citizens from practices which can harm the foundations of our economy. As part of a broader effort by Congress to pass comprehensive financial regulatory reform, Cantwell’s proposal treats derivatives trading for what it is: a sophisticated form of gambling.    » read more »

Funding Represents Federal Investment Championed by Cantwell to Make the Nation's Electricity Grid Smarter, Stronger, More Efficient, and Reliable

October 27,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD) will receive a federal investment of $15,825,817 to implement smart grid technologies that will create jobs and lead to lower electricity bills for consumers.

The funding will be used to install a smart grid framework, including a digital telecommunications network, substation automation and a robust distribution system infrastructure. This will enable the implementation of future smart grid technologies, including smart meters that will provide real-time energy use information to customers.    » read more »

Funding Represents Federal Investment Championed by Cantwell to Make the Nation's Electricity Grid Smarter, Stronger, More Efficient, and Reliable

October 27,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Avista Utilities in Spokane will receive a federal investment of $20,000,000 to implement smart grid technologies that will create jobs and lead to lower electricity bills for consumers.

The funding will be used to implement a distribution management system, intelligent end devices, and a communication network to reduce distribution system loses, enable automatic restoration to customers during outages, and allow for the integration of on-site generating resources.    » read more »

Cantwell pledges to continue improving the bill as health care reform moves to historic Senate floor debate

October 13,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Senate Finance Committee today approved sweeping health care reform legislation that includes major initiatives authored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to reform Medicare, aid seniors in need of long-term care, promote coordinated care between patients and doctors, cut insurance costs, and help cover the country’s uninsured.

The bill, America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009, will be combined with legislation previously passed by the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and this melded legislation will then go to the Senate floor for debate.    » read more »

October 07,2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) commended the Senate for formally apologizing to Native Americans for the United States’ long-history of inadequate policies regarding Indian Tribes.

The formal apology was included in the Department of Defense appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2010, which passed the Senate today.. The apology amendment was sponsored by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and was based on a resolution originally co-sponsored by Cantwell.    » read more »

Committee Passes Cantwell's Public Plan Giving States Unprecedented Negotiating Power to Provide Quality Health Care at Lower Costs

October 01,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today the Senate Finance Committee passed an amendment to the America’s Healthy Futures Act of 2009 sponsored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) that will for the first time provide states with the ability to negotiate with health insurers in order to provide high quality health care coverage at a lower cost.    » read more »

Conflicting legal decisions highlight the need for federal legislation

October 01, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Two Washington state lawmakers are ratcheting up the fight to preserve 58 million acres of pristine areas in national forests from road building, logging and other development.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and U.S. Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) today filed legislation in the Senate and House respectively that would codify into law the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule. The Clinton-era regulation aimed to protect roadless areas, which provide clean drinking water to over 60 million Americans and habitat to over 1,600 threatened, endangered or sensitive plant and animal species.    » read more »

During Finance Committee Debate Offers Her Support for a Public Option in Health Care Reform Bill

September 29,2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, the Senate Finance Committee continued its debate of the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 focusing on a public option and its inclusion to any health care reform measure.

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of the Committee, voiced her strong support for a public option during the debate and co-sponsored a measure lead by Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to include the public option proposal passed by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee in the Finance Committee’s bill.    » read more »

Cantwell Amendment Included in Finance Committee Health Care Bill to Require Pharmacy Benefit Managers to Report Pricing, Other Information to Government

September 25, 2009 -- Washington, DC – The Senate Finance Committee today approved an amendment authored by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to require reporting by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to ensure that savings from drug price negotiations are being passed on to consumers and not contributing more to pharmaceuticals’ bottom lines.    » read more »

Pledges to Work with White House to Prevent Wall Street Lobby From Weakening Long Overdue Reforms

June 17,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) today applauded President Barack Obama for his focus on the urgent need for financial regulatory reform and for taking a leadership role in putting together a comprehensive reform package. Cantwell has worked closely with the President’s economic team on her top reform priority: regulating the derivatives markets that spun out of control last year and greatly worsened the severity of the recession.    » read more »

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Moves Landmark Legislation to Floor for Full Vote

June 17,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – After months of deliberation, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted to approve a landmark comprehensive energy package that includes numerous key provisions secured by U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA).    » read more »

June 09,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – On Monday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced the Air Medical Service Safety Improvement Act of 2009, which aims to improve safety for flight crews, flight nurses, and passengers aboard emergency air medical service helicopters.    » read more »

June 09,2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard, held a hearing on “The Blue Economy: The Role of the Oceans in our Nation’s Economic Future.”

The blue economy is comprised of economic activities that emerge from our ocean, Great Lakes, and coastal resources. The oceans and coasts provide many goods and services to the nation; however, they are rarely recognized as a crucial part of the U.S. economy.    » read more »

Recovery Package Provides Washington state with funding to improve forest roads and bridges; create jobs

June 03, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) announced that Washington state will receive a share of nearly $24 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for the improvement and maintenance of roads within National Forests, as well as ecosystem restoration for fish passage.    » read more »

May 28,2009 -- Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) praised the United States Department of Agriculture and United States Forest Service for taking steps to protect roadless areas in our national forests by reversing years of Bush Administration policies.

In March 2009, Cantwell sent a letter with 24 other senators to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the Obama Administration to act quickly to ensure that national forest roadless acres weren’t harmed because of uncertainty surrounding the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which was issued in January 2001.    » read more »