Congress

Obama, Coburn Offer Amendment to Require All Katrina Reconstruction Contracts in Excess of $500,000 to be Competitively Bid

Senators Say No-bid Contracts Shake Taxpayer's Faith in Reconstruction Effort

June 15, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) Thursday announced that they will offer an amendment to the Department of Defense (DOD) Authorization bill which would require that all Federal contracts in excess of $500,000 for Katrina reconstruction be competitively bid. In May, Obama and Coburn passed similar legislation 98-0, but the language was stripped in conference.    » read more »

Senate Gives Final Approval to Supplemental Appropriations Bill

Provides millions for California levees, C-17 procurement, and transportation

June 15, 2006 -- Washington, DC – The Senate gave its final approval today for a Supplemental Appropriations Bill that includes $30.4 million to rebuild and restore California levees, $227.5 million for advance procurement of C-17s, and hundreds of millions to reimburse the State for emergency work on California’s federal roads and highways, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced.    » read more »

Senator Frist Hails Passage Of Emergency Supplemental

June 15th, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., (R-Tenn.) today made the following statement after Senate passage of the emergency supplemental conference report:

“Republicans are cracking down on excessive Washington spending, and this supplemental proves we’re on the right track. Republican-led efforts ensured the bill didn’t exceed the President’s emergency request while focusing our resources on the critical priorities of border security, the War on Terror, hurricane recovery, and pandemic flu preparedness. It also caps next year’s discretionary spending at the fiscally responsible level requested by the President — another important aspect of maintaining fiscal discipline.    » read more »

US House Committee Focuses on Human Trafficking

By Cindy Saine

Washington, 14 June 2006 -- A congressional subcommittee held a hearing Wednesday on the State Department's 2006 report on human trafficking around the world. British actress Julia Ormond, who is also a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations, told about meeting the victims of human trafficking in Ghana, India, Thailand and Cambodia.    » read more »

Senator Hillary Clinton Announces Key Committee Approval of Enzi-Clinton Military Anti-Fraud Bill

June 14, 2006 -- Washington, DC – Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) announced that the Senate Banking Committee today unanimously approved legislation she introduced with Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) that would protect military personnel against individuals using deceitful practices to sell financial products. The Military Personnel Financial Services Protection Act is now slated for consideration by the full Senate. A similar bill, H.R. 458, passed the House last year by a vote of 405-2. This is part of Senator Clinton’s continuing effort to provide better financial protections for our men and women in uniform. Senator Clinton has also introduced legislation approved by the Senate to help arm members of the armed forces and their families with the financial knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their future.    » read more »

Senator Barbara Boxer Calls for GAO Study Investigating Eligibility Criteria for Urban Area Security Initiative

DHS program leaves Sacramento, San Diego severely underfunded

June 13, 2006 -- Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and several of her Congressional colleagues called on the General Accounting Office (GAO) to investigate the criteria used to determine eligibility for the Department of Homeland Security’s Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grants.    » read more »

Senator Rick Santorum Introduces Amendment to Deal With Iranian Threat

June 14, 2006 -- Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA), Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, today introduced an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act that deals with the growing threat that the government of Iran poses to the rest of the world.    » read more »

Senator Bill Frist Announces New Chief Of Staff, Promotes Two Others In Personal Office

June 13th, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bill Frist, M.D., (R-Tenn.) today named Bart VerHulst to serve as his personal office chief of staff. VerHulst replaces Andrea Becker, who now serves as special assistant for legislative affairs at the White House.    » read more »

Senator Hillary Clinton Challenges Members of Congress to Put their Support for Contraception on the Record

Calls for Senators and Representatives to Support Congressional Resolution to Strengthen Family Planning Services for Women

June 13, 2006 -- Washington, DC – In receiving the Outstanding Public Service Award from the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) issued a challenge to members of Congress on both sides of the aisle to go on record supporting family planning for all women. Senator Clinton emphasized that too often those who say they support preventing unwanted pregnancies have flip-flopped when it comes time to vote in support of contraception and family planning, hiding behind cost as the reason.    » read more »

Senators Obama, Durbin Announce That Legislation to Protect Great Lakes to Will be Signed into Law

Obama, Durbin Announce That Legislation Which Provides Funding to Protect Great Lakes from Invasive Species Will Soon be Signed into Law

June 9, 2006 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barack Obama (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that legislation providing $400,000 to operate barriers that prevent invasive species from entering the Great Lakes will soon be signed into law. The funding was included in the Supplemental Appropriations Bill in an amendment offered by Senators Obama and George Voinovich (R-OH). As a member of the conference committee that reconciled the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill, Senator Durbin's efforts were crucial to ensuring that the funding was preserved.    » read more »

Senator Frist Recognizes Senator Byrd As Longest-Serving Senator In U.S. History

June 12th, 2006 - WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D., (R-Tenn.) made the following statement marking today’s milestone of Robert Byrd becoming the longest-serving senator in U.S. history:    » read more »

Remarks by Senator Barack Obama on the Paris Hilton Tax Break

June 7, 2006 -- As prepared for delivery:

"First of all, let's call this trillion-dollar giveaway what it is - the Paris Hilton Tax Break. It's about giving billions of dollars to billionaire heirs and heiresses at a time when American taxpayers just can't afford it.

The Republicans have brought out the Paris Hilton Tax Break in June because they're eager to make it an election issue in November.    » read more »

Senator Obama Introduces Bill to Help Get Homeless Veterans Off the Streets

June 7, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today introduced the Homes for Heroes Act, which would greatly expand access to long-term, affordable housing for veterans.

"Each and every night, more than 200,000 of our nation's veterans are homeless," said Obama. "More than 400,000 will experience homelessness over the course of a year, but our government is doing far too little to help get these veterans off the streets."    » read more »

Obama Statement on Vote Against Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage

June 7, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement outlining the reasons for his vote against a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage:

"This debate is a thinly-veiled attempt to break a consensus that is quietly being forged in this country. A consensus between Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives, Red States and Blue States, that it's time for new leadership in this country - leadership that will stop dividing us, stop disappointing us, and start addressing the problems facing most Americans.    » read more »

Senators Obama and Bunning Introduce Legislation to Expand Coal Use

June 7, 2006 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Senators Jim Bunning (R-KY) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today announced that they have introduced S.3325, the "Coal-To-Liquid Fuel Promotion Act of 2006." Joining this bipartisan legislation as original co-sponsors are Senators Conrad Burns (R-MT); Richard Lugar (R-IN); Mark Pryor (D-AR); and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). This comprehensive piece of legislation creates tax incentives for coal-to-liquids (CTL) technology and the construction of CTL plants. If passed, this legislation will help create the infrastructure needed to make CTL a viable energy resource throughout America.    » read more »